The National tribune., 1906-06-28

The Inevitable IRiaAnan Kept The Cen
pany Alive.

L Y00y AhVe.
Listening to q roll-call at q company
Reunion, l was reminded Of some al
which I was present in actual service.
in camp. on the march. and after bat
tie. One Of the last roll-calls occurred
in the city Of Baltimore, which point
the regiment had reached in its Journey
towards home, from Newbern, N. c..
Shaving been transported by sloops and
fsteamers to Newport News, Pamunksy
River to WhitehOuse Landing, back to
| Fortress Monroe, thence up Chesapeak Ike
Bay to Baltimore.
The boys time had been out for
| nearly two months, and they were glad
to feel that soon they would be citizens
again. and many desired to visit the
| pretty city SO near their campground on
Federal Hill. yet few passes were given
| One day there seemed to be a general
stampede, and all but 10 or IL Of our
| company ran guard" or, rather, the
guard inquired il their time was up, and
II answered" TN the affirmative, turned
and walked in the opposite direction.
l was nalf sick, and stayed in camp.
| Patrick McGIone was among those who
went to see the sights. The Lieutenant
| Colonel went, too, but came back early
| and found the camp almost deserted
and caused a muster and general roll
call. When McGlOne returned, rather
late, he inquired of me:
And did they have roll-call?"
yes"
was there many there that wasn't %
or course / could but smile at the
Hibernianism and said, That's a good
irish bull! Give me anothern"
Shure, you know what l name. Was
there many there that did not answer to
their names?',.
Our tert in Camp Rogers, Newbern,
y. c.. was next to his and one rainy
hi MI h g fan
squad after this manner:
Yer remember when we were raw
recruits in Readville, that whin the
Ortherly called the name of missing
man. somebody in the ranks would
spake out and give a rason for their
absince. And this is the way 1t would
Rabbit Detailed for Quarter
MASTER
Cheney Got furlough'
Coy. The Captain sent for him.
Clifton. He's on guard
Fuller Here
Guild Driving a mule ambu-
lance
Tide Got wounded in the haver-
sack at WHITEHALL
Johnson Working on fortifica-
TONS
Marcy Caught spy the other
morning.
Nichols He's a signal-man-got
a good job
es in your beans, Bijar.'
Russell Gone to the spring after
pail Of water. Been gone 10 days
Gle was a bOunty-jumper and never
came back.)
Gay He's a bugler now, a fOine
ONE
.shapleigh' Arrested for picking
blackberries.'
Webb In the guard-house'
Stone Didn't have his shirt in
his knapsack on Inspection"
Thus he ran on with US all, doing
much with his ready wit to make the
life of his comrades more endurable.
who perhaps. had been at work on
some hard and disagreeabIe duty; for,
not only Is a private soldier called u:'on
to fight, to march, and to drill. but If
oftener detailed for fatigue duty. to cut
wood, or to handle spade.
We were detailed to build big fort.
threw four shovelfuls, when I noticed
that was doing more work than some
others, and, my chum being willing,
played "old soldier" and went down to
the river and watched Lizards. Some
others were more Industrious, however,
with, perhaps, the inducement of a ra-
ton Of whisky Git was awful stIff) as
an incentive. 1t was allowable, IL a
soldier did not care to drink his on the
spot. for him to take 1t away in bottle
for use In emergencies. Pat saved his
for several days, and bought more from
his comrades. When he did come TO
imbibe it, the effects were greater than
he anticipated, and he made a little too
much noise. Capt. Whytal called a
Corporal and file OF men to care for him.
In every regiment there is always
some dissatisfaction with the officers
-. -
ly punishment as soon as both were
civilians again. Capt. Whytal was the
best officer in the regiment, and this
private. as well as the rest, respected
MIN; but, as he was being marched off
to the guard-house. he turned. and ex-
claimed:
"Captn whytal. Capt'n Whytal!
When yer git ter West Roxbury again,
yer'll kape as shtill as do here, SORT"
To be on an outer picket post on
dark night. or any night is not a very
pleasant way to commune with nature;
but, until we tried It, we never knew
how many "vOices Of the night" there
were, nor how much movement in still
things. There were more false alarms
than history relates. We had three
companies on an outer post, two to
guard country road. and ours a rail-
road. on which was an ironclad car with
single cannon. At the road there had
been erected a stockade. The two COM
panies had an alarm. after which there
was much firing from the 'pen," as the
boys called stockade, and our monitor
on q car sent a shell over. Our COM
pany hurried to their assistance. After
lying low for awhile. 1t became evident
that what the boys took for rebels did
not respond. and Pat cried out: Think
o. yer frinds In Massachusetts, and rally
on the .cow-pensi'
But our memory not only recalls the
fearful battles. the weary marches, the
picket duties, the tedious drills and the
fatigue duties. but also the transporta-
lions. From Newborn to Fortress Mon
roe we were conveyed in the sloop
America" towed by a tug. The berths
were fitted to accommodate two. The
hold dimly lighted by lanterns-dirty,
was full Of ,odors-chloride Of lime and
bilge-water predominating. That day /
was just able to crawl, and was the last
man on board. / appropriated the first
berth to which came-the lowest one,
and thought myself lucky-threw In my
haversack, with three days rations for
pillow, my musket, and accouter-
ments. and then my head. and kept 1t
there. All was right while the sloop
was still, but we passed Hatteras, and
when we landed the rations and one
half OF me were soaked with bilge-w water
mn