The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-07-06
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.


The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
whistIing Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,
Camp Fire, Festive Bugs, Etc, Etc.
Yes" said the Sergeant on Tues
day, Il was under arrest, and l served
my time in the guardhouse. / admit
| it. and l never have been able to feel
the disgrace of 1t. although the fact
has been used against me several
times. 1 was arrested and put III the
guardhouse at Bolivar, Tenn, for
what? For confiscating, or stealing
two sheep, a lot Of sweet potatoes, one
calf and several chickens.
'Our doctor asked me If l could get
something in the way Of eatabies Ior
the boys who were sick. l was husky
lad in those days. l knew what SICK
men ought to eat, and l went foraging
outside our lines. 1 returned heavily
loaded, but all would have gone wei
with me If 1 had not on my return
voyage struck one Of those green reg
iments on picket. The new soldlers
could not understand the case, would
i listen to no explanation, but stripped
ME Of everything and sent me under
arrest to the guardhouse. My captain
heard of my arrest and hunted me up.
Il told him after some days that
was tired of this funny business, ana
suggested that the shortest way out
for me was for him to take me up to
Uncle Billy Sherman. The captain
went to see the general and the gen.
eral sent for me. When l reported at
his quarters saluted ard stood at at
tention until he spoke to me. III
seemed a good while, and didn't ike
the situation. Finally Uncle Billy
asked, Are you one of those boys IN
the pen?' 1 admitted that l was, and
he asked how long had been under
arrest. 1 told him three weeks. which
he seemed to think was quite long
enough.
AT last General Sherman asked me
to state my case. Thereupon l e4-
planned that under orders I slaughtered
and dressed the sheep and calf. and
was en- route to the hospital to turn
my supplies over to the doctor for our
sick boys, when l was arrested and
plundered by green soldiers who didn't
know enough to come in out of the
wet when 1t rained. He smiled, but
stuck to the text, and asked me II
had an order directing me to secure
supplies. 1 replied that 1 had, but
fortunately he did not ask whose or
der, and 1 didn't explain.
Looking me over carefully and not
unkindly, the general said: Now, my
boy, want to give you piece Of
advice. Never go contrary to orders,
and turning to his adjutant he gave
an order for my release. That was
the only time 1 was ever under ar
rest, and If had sheered off and come
to the picket lines guarded by old
troops General Sherman would never
have had occasion to advise me in the
matter of obeying orders"
| l.
and a night myself" said the Captain.
This was early in the war, and l
was In the ranks. l was as conscien-
tious a young fellow as you would
find in three States, and l was taking
a pretty serious view of the military
situation. l was trying to make a
good soldier of myself. and had no
time to spare in loafing and frolick-
ing. One day my chum came to me
with a romantic story. Some one had
limited there was a woman in one of
the companies who had been mustered
in as a man and had done duty as a
man.
MY friend told me that he had just
learned who the woman was-Charley
Blank-and had learned also that
some Of the boys were planning to
pull her tent down that night. He
wanted to know if l wouldn't join him
and two others and stand guard
against the rowdies. 1 said 1 would,
and we were on duty at the appointed
time. We heard crowd coming, and
prepared to fight, when the officer of
the day came up with strong guard,
arrested Charley as spy, and myself
and the others as confederates.
1--WE were all hurried to the Jail in
the old Virginia town, and treated as
spies. The girl, whom no one had
suspected Of being a girl, confessed
that she had donned masculine attire
simply because she was determined to
serve under the flag, and she had no
apologies to make. As there had been
no scandal whatever associated with
her service in the regiment, the colonel
heard her story, and, knowing her fam
| ily, sent her home. Before she went.
however, we were discharged from
custody, the boys of the company in
timating they would tear down the
jail if We were not released. Our cap
tain came down, with an order from
the colonel, and cussed to his hearts
content the officer who had us arrest
ed. This story ought to have had a
romantic ending, but it stopped right
there"
81 was under arrest once" said the
Major, because the men of my COM
mand sent to guard gap all got fool
drunk. 1t was not my own company,
but as all the commissioned officers
had been wounded, 1 was assigned
temporarily to command. In going to
the gap, probably five miles from the
camp, we passed farm on which was
smokehouse, we'll supplied with
hams and bacon. The men were great
ly interested in the smokehouse, and
were very solicitous that should have
my choice of hams. The orderly said,
after time, that he had suspected the
boys had found barrel of apple jack,
and suggested We move en.
I'VE moved on, but every canteen
was full of apple jack, and by the time
We arrived at the gap half the men
were jolly drunk. l was disgusted.
| and haHpyinp that tho carouSaI would