The National tribune., 1905-12-28
WASHINGTON THURSDAY


E.: WASHINGTON, D. G., THU
A C2MB "REMINISCENCES. a.
An Unleolukd Or ana Very TrosSle.ome
NEht Visitor.
Editor Katbnal Tribune: The first
'Tuesday II November, 1864, was the
memorable day that Lincoln was elect
ed Tor thesse0Dnd time to fill the office
OF President q the United States. He
had dischUsed under circumstances Of
unparalleled sdifficulty the arduous
duties and responsibilities OF the office
for nearlysa four years. and the people
ana the 1rmy were anxious that he
should be sre-elected. The soldiers Of
the Volunkerx0orces for the preserva-
ton of thu Union had been voted the
privilege ~ their respective State Gov
ernments 10 cast their votes as citizen
soldiers for the choice Of q Chief Mag
fstrate. A General Order had been is
sued by the commanding officer of the
army setting the day apart as a gen.
eral holiday, and arrangements were
perfected for holding an election and at
the same time a day Of sports and fes-
tivity for the defenders of the Flag
and Nation. At least, 1t proved to lie
such for the troops under command Of
Gen. Gilmore, stationed in front of
Charleston, S. C.
The election had proceeded quietly
and fairly, as far as the writer of this
the inspectors or judges of the election
which was held at regimental head
quarters. The afternoon set in with
cold and bleak Northwestern that put an
end to the field sports, which consisted
or running. jumping, wheelbarrow races
and the climbing Of a creased pole. It
takes considerable cold and wet and
wind to dampen the enthusiasm of SOL
diers who had been literally supplied
with commissary b, and although a
truce had been called to the games
the company streets were alive with
happy pleasure-seekers till long after
the polls were declared closed. 1t was
late in the evening when the tally lists
and returns were made out in tripli-
Gates and witnessed at headquarters.
The SD Pa. had voted nearly to a man
as they had been fighting for three
years. against armed rebellion in the
field, CopperheadS and Southern SYM
pathizers in public trusts. Our gallant
Colonel, Henry NJ. Hoyt, afterwards
Governor of Pennsylvania. ever mind
full of the needs and wants of his men
and of the election board, who had
been necessarily deprived of the pleas
ures and pastimes of the day, sent them
first-rate supper and liquid refresh
ments wherewith to be glad and make
merry the remainder of the evening.
jollier set of men were probably never
convened inside the canvas walls of
marquee than the four worthless who
celebrated the event in a manner pc
culiarly their own. Song and wassail
abOunded, and speech and sentiment
was the order of the night. In the
meantime several raids had been made
nn0n the SI1flar'S 1ana rf nanf for M 10
ale, and several pailfuls rapidly disap-
peared. Taps had been sounded for
nearly three hours, and the Colonel had
reminded us several times through the
Adjutant that the night was far spent.
This was at last conceded. The empty
bottles were slowed away under the
hunks and the few full ones that were
left put within easy reach, the blankets
spread for the night and the board of
canvassers slept where they had worked
and banqueted. One of the members
who had perhaps eaten too heartily Of
the canned lobster, awoke about in
the morning, lighted candle and
nudged the writer, who was his nearest
sleeping partner, and suggested the pro-
priety of tapping a bottle Of Scotch ale.
This was successfully accomplished and
the contents appropriated, when there
came spectral apparition at the tent
door, pushed 1T aside and entered, add
NdhIII5 lOWdIuS uS duu TIC liSfLl WIFI
musket and fixed bayonet. The first
impulse was that some one was play
ing practical joke on the jewellers Of
the previous night, but q second look
convinced US that a maniac was among
us, and that we were in danger Of being
shot or bayoneted. Being nearest to our
nocturnal visitor my first impulse was
to seize the barrel of his cleaning fire.
lock and hold it up. This l did, call
ing on my companions to assist in
his disarmament. This we accomplished
after severe struggle. In wrenching
the musket from his grasp the hammer
OF the lock scratched his forehead, and
few drops Of blood trickled down his
face. This seemed to enrage him more,
and the struggle became more intense
The noise by this time awoke the rest
Of our comrades, who assisted in hold
ing the man down on the floor and
covering him up with blankets, for he
had nothing on him but a gray flannel
Government shirt, and that was COM
pletely saturated with the rain, for it
had been such night as Tam O'Shan-
ter took the road in. The meanwhile
he had been uttering the most inco-
herent speeches and moaning, as If suf-
fering from both mental and physical
agonies. 1t took four of us to hold him.
and as he became calmer and more
rational we learned that he belonged
to Co. I. We sent for the Orderly-Ser-
geant of that company, but he failed to
recognize him, and left for his quar-
tiers, muttering something about being
disturbed at such an unseemly hour
We then called for the Corporal of our
camp guard, who came with a couple
Of soldiers to see what was the cause of
the alarm. We gave him in charge of
the guards, after properly clothing him,
and messenger was dispatched to the
nearest regiment, which was the seth
n. Y, commanded by Col. Van Wyck,
afterwards U. S. Senator from Nebras-
ka, inquiring if such a person belonged
to them. A searching party who had
just returned from tour of the Island,
for 1t was the famous Morris Island on
which We were encamped, informed our
messenger that they had been looking
for the young man in question, and they
Immediately came to our camp and
took him in charge. Our guards learned
from the Hospital Steward, who was
one of the searching party, that the
young man had been suffering for sew
eral days with malignant type of ma
larial fever, most OF which time he had
been delirious, and at times completely