Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-08-11
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphs Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
camp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.

81 remember the draft III Chicago"
said a veteran fireman. and l know
something of how substitutes were pro-
,ured. When the draft was ordered in
he latter part of 1864. or early in 1855,
:. G. =. Holden and Alderman Daggie,
If the Tenth Ward, organized Tenth
Ward club, with headquarters at the
,orner of Clinton and Washington
streets. Each member subscribed and
paid into the club treasury SIS, and be-
,ame an active member Of the commit
Tee to see that all residents were en-
oiled, thereby lessening each ones
chances of being drafted. If any MEM
ser of the club was 50 unfortunate as
20 be drawn the club agreed 10 furnish
1 substitute, the prices Of which were
rs high as 50 900 each, according to the
supply. There was anxiety upon the
part of all interested to see a square
deal. and not little llnessing was done
by each member TO keep his particular
name out of the fatal box,
when the day came for the drawing
The crowd selected Captain John Gil
espie, of engine No. ID, corner of Wash
ngton and Dearborn streets, to draw
the names out of the box. The third
aame he drew was his own, which con
ginced the people that everything vas
done fairly When the drawing was
,ver there began the brokerage of secur-
ing substitutes, Agents haunted all
the depots and pounced upon every ru-
raj arrival and hustled all possible cam
iidates off to make n deal. When they
found one who set the price up to $1,000
and over they would admit that was
the ruling price a week before, but the
rush had satisfied the demand. and by
aid of confidence aiders' and side part
ners' the recruiting agents would agree
upon sum several hundred dollars be-
low the price the agents received. and It
vas ne unusual thing for n good agent
10 earn as much as $500 on one substi-
tute between the depot and the old
courthouse square. where the sub was
turned over to the proper authorities
and the price paid the substitute ana
he agent"
'When the substitutes arrived at the
front" said the Colonel they We're
numerically hazed and hadgered by the
veterans, who had entered the serv.
Ice without any induccment in the way
Of bounties and who scorned the idea
Of a man fighting for money. 1t was
assumed that all substitutes were of
one pattern, were men ~ho had de-
elined to enlist as q natter of patriot
ism, and who entered the service only
when large bounties were offered. Many
Of the veterans believed that the word
substitute was Synonymous with the
bounty-iumper and coward, and acted
accordingly. But In truth many old sol
diers, who had seen years of service.
and many high-splrited young fellows
who could not leave aged parents with
out support, became substitutes, and
were none the worse for the bounty
paid.
Our regiment, after a service of
thirty-nine months, was mustered out
at Newport barracks in the summer Of
1864 The men declined to re enlist as
Of fighting, and wanted a rest, and
they scattered to their homes In differ
ent States Before snow fell more than
half of them were again In the serv-
Ice, many of them returning to old reg
iments as recruits or substitutes In
all such cases the recruit, ao strong was
the feeling against substitutes. con
cealed his re-enlistmcnt from his old
comrades, and in not few cases the
veteran played the part Of a raw re
cruit so as to associate the new service
from the old
lone of our old company returned
home to find his family in distress and
the farm m0rtgaged. After trying tn
stem the tide of misfortune, and after
trying vainly 10 borrow money, he sold
himself as he put IT., for $1,000, and
went to one Of the new regiments at
the front as a substitute. He pre-
tended 10 know nothing Of drill or sol
der duty, and played the part Of a
stupid but well-meaning clodhopper. lie
bore all the jokes and prosecutions with
cheerful patience and made friends
with other substitutes. He never for
got himself except when it came to bat
tie, and then the change was not mo-
ticed at first, But one day when the
regiment was hard pressed, the sol
der spirit asserted itself and carried
the old veteran beyond the self-lupo-ed
limitations Of substitute.
when the break came he turned ~
he would have turned In his old reg
meut and ran to the colors. There hc
met the sergeant who had drilled him.
aud the captain Who had treated him
-nrtemr,tu9uslv. and ether, who had