The National tribune., 1906-03-22

reafed with gun in hand, with which
they had brought down the wild game
OF the country, they had no knowledge
OF drill or the duties of a soldier.
Gen. Nelson, realizing that he had
Independent and undisciplined men 10
mould into what he consider the
true soldier, instituted code of dis
cipline that brought out the strongest
tavectives from those untamed West
ern boys.
One of his orders was that reveille
should be sounded at n. m, and that
&c minutes later every man must be
in the ranks to answer roll call.
Your readers can imagine what this
meant to the boys who had left COM
fcrtahle homes to be called out at this
unseemiy hour of cold Winter morn
ing, and then to shiver around a log
fire until daylight.
Breakfast call at Z, squad drill at 8
and company drill from 10 to II.
Dinner at u, battalion or regimental
drill from l to 4 in the afternoon.
These calls were all sounded from
Nelson's headquarters, and woe betide
the officer who failed to have his COM
pany or regiment obey these calls.
The ground for regimental drill was
at least a mile from camp, and 1 re-
member an incident of his rigid de-
msnd for a compliance with orders.
My regiment was out on the drill
grounds, and the indications We're that
we would have a heavy rain. It lacked
some IL minutes until the time for re-
call to be sounded. Our Colonel, in
order TO save his men a wetting, start
ed for camp. Just as the head of the
column had reached camp an Abide
Camp from headquarters rode up 10
the Colonel, and. with the compliments
of Gen. Nelson, he was ordered to re-
turn with his command 10 the drill
grounds WE returned had IN fnr,p-
ed in regimental line when the bugle
sounded the recall. The result was
that we were wet TO the buff when
We reached camp.
He instituted what he termed an
Officers SCHOOL of Instruction, the tao
ties and the Army Regulations being
the text books, and the way he lam
hasted the shoulder-strapped gentle
men who failed TO come up to his ideal
standard was caution. His ideas
seemed TO be to first discipline the
officers and then to require them 10
carry out his instructions.
We might look for the General and
his black horse any morning at (
O'clock, and the Captain who failed TO
have his men in line was liable to be
told that he had better hand in his
resignation, as he was not fitted &c be
an officer in the army.
The Generals service IN the Navy
had caused him to forget his Sunday
school training, as he did not always
use language that a Sunday-sehool Su-
pefintendent would use.
During the Fall and Winter OF '61
many OF the boys in writing home had
in many instances described the life o!
the soldier as being something dread
full.
Mother sisters and sweethearts were
led to believe that our clothing wa
Insufficient and fhpt yVe were actuall,
starving. The good ladies in my Coun
ty In northern Indiana had formed {
society for the purpose OF trying tt
alleviate our suffering. They kni
cocks and mittens and made up un
derwear until they had enough 20 III
the largest size packing bog. They thel
delegated DR.. ]. ]. Nets to take 1
Haven, KY. without serious obstacle
from the military authorities. Their
he had to hire a team to transport hi
box TO our camp, some 1G miles dis
tant. He reached Gen. Nelson's head
quarters late In the afternoon, wher
he had to go TO get permit 70 TAX
his box to our regiment. When tn
Doctor stepped into the Generals ten
the General was engaged in beratin,
q citizen teamster who had hauled ou
q load of salt for the army. The maj
wanted the General to approve hi
voucher. so that he could get his pay
The General was telling him I'm tha
choice language that ne sometime
used that the Government had team
of its own and did not employ measl
citizens TO 90 its hauling. He finall
approved the voucher, and, turning
sa.- the Doctor standing with hat il
hand. and, I presume, his expression
showing that he was In the preseDc
OF military despot. If he did not, IL