The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-01-19

picking up when man enlisted in the
first year of the civil war. All sorts
of men were eager 10 get into the serv'
ice, and most of them We're humble
minded. l remember that in one OF
the earlier regiments mustered in Ohio
we found college president, three
lawyers and four DOCTORS among the
privates. and hundreds of men who
were reticent as to their previous
standing in life. Much the same con-
ditions prevailed, / know, in Indiana
Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. In
that day the best of us did not believe
that any man was too good to carry Il
musket in defense of the flag.
MANY of them who enlisted incog-
nito were not found out for months
or years. For example, when we were
going through the Carolinas in the last
year of the war, Surgeon McCauley. of
the Ninety-eighth Ohio, overlook an
Irish sergeant on his way from the
field hospital to the front. Artillery
and skirmish firing in front indicated
that the brigade was having hard
fight, but the sergeant, well equipped
as to arms and ammunition, and well
fortified with 'spiritus frumenti,' OBJ
tanned at the field sopital, where the
surgeons We're too busy with the
wounded to protect their supplies,
seemed Indifferent.
Surgeon McCauley, taking in the
situation, said: Pat, what are you
doing back here. when the regiment
is having a fight in front?' Pat sa-
luted and said in reply: Faith, and
bedad, doctor, it is meself that is go
ing to the same front where the boys
are fighting. l carried Jamey back
there to the hospital and strapped him
to dure while they took off his leg.
1t is a sorry day for the poor lad.
These field hospitals are little more
than butcher shOps-a dure for an op-
Grating table. Bad luck to the whole
Of them After trudging along quietly
for few moments Pat said. explosive
ly: If were no better sawbones than
the spalpeens back yander l would
never take scalpel in my hand again.
"a change in the bearing of the man,
change in the tone of voice, led the
doctor to suspect that Pat was some
thing more than a straggler who had
drifted back to the field hospital SIM
ply to get drop of the crather, and
he piled him with questions so skill
fully that he soon learned that Pat
was graduate of Dublin Surgical Col
lege and had practiced surgery. A
few days later, Pat, at the suggestion
of Surgeon McCauley, was detailed to
assist in the field hospital. He proved
to be, when sober, an expert with saw
and knife, and in few days made
the quickest and neatest aInputation
recorded from Perryville to Benton
vile. Later, he made hip joint am
putation, regarded at that time as very
difficult, and placed to bis credit one
OF the rctcd OPERATIONS of-the waf.
Il remember" said the Major, "sev-
eral men with histories who enlisted
in the first three months of the war to
carry muskets. There were full hun
dred men in my company in the three
months service, but l didn't know the
antecedents of more than twenty of
them. All were well-appearing men.
and a few seemed to me rollicking
dare-devils looking for trouble or ad-
venture. 1 noticed in the first weeks
drill in the mud of camp one man who
was disregardful Of injury to q very
fine pair of trousers, which he wore
every day. These would be crusted
with mud half way to the knees some
days. and yet the wearer was never
disturbed.
Every garment that he wore was
OF fine material, and he started in
every morning clean as to person and
apparel. However, he trotted around
with the most awkward of men, MAX
ing no remarks. until some visitors
identified him one day as the son of
an old army officer who had run away
from school and enlisted. For years 1
watched with interest his steady pro-
motion in the regular army. Another
man puzzled me not little. He was
a fair-skinned, pihk-cheeked, slender
young fellow, very choice in his speech
and gracious in manner. One day there
was Il scrap in the mess and he ham
died himself so well that 1 asked:
Where did you learn to use your fists?'
Taken off his guard, he said. AT Eton.
SIR and in few weeks l learned
that he was young Englishman who.
travelling in this country, had bolted
his tutor and enlisted. He served n
year and was sent home by the Brit
ish Minister
'In one of the early drills l noticed
a man who seemed to regard the drill
officer with smiling wonder, but who
was stupidity or pcrversely awkward in
executing commands. One day | or
dered him TO the front and said, good
The awkward squad will
give an exhibition drill for the benefit
of officers and men, Without more
ado 1 put him through the French
Zouave drill, and. much to the amaze
ment of the men, he executed every
with marvellous dispatch
and precision. l then put him through
his own manual, and he did as well as
in the zouave drill. He had been hay-
ing lots of fun. but the next day took
up without protest the work of drill
master for several companies.
"In a few days he complained of a
'darned Dutchman' in one of the COM
panies, given, he thought, to deriding
his methods. sent for the quiet Ger
man and asked him what he had to
say for himself He said at once:
That Frenchman is not man to drill
others for practical work. He is too
much inclined to frills and snowy
when you are not watch
ing him. and he has no character what
ever, but l never meant to make any
complaint, because all this is none of
my business \ few questions brought
out the fact that had in the company
half 4 dozen Inen who had received
military training in Europe, and most