The National tribune., 1906-01-18
VOL. XXIV-NO. 16-WHOLE NO. 1874.

day displayed the willing characteristic
OF the soldier. e., love Of promotion
and succeeded In placing their company
where Ii would do them the most good
In way of advancement. Others thought
and acted as IL the highest object OF
their ambition would be to march out
and return at the head OF their COM
pany. But the bullet, exposure and dis
case soon worked such changes in those
ranks that the organizations were pre-
served because these were very much
like river, 1t keeping its name because
there was water in il. and these organ
iZations preserved their identity because
there were men in them. Soon there
were but few OF the men who started
out; still. the organizations were the
same as to letter and number. So is
the river as to name and location.
So these changes came much more
rapidly then than were dreamed OF. My
company was attached to the 4tn Ohio.
and Lorin Andrews, Esq, President OF
Kenyon College, was appointed Colonel
Unfortunately death by disease soon
claimed Col. Andrews for its own, 9TH
erwise he would have been a man Of
National reputation, as he was patriot
ic, energetic and able to have filled any
position that might have been conferred
upon him. He died before he actually
met the enemy or gained any military.
fame.
on for Camp Dennison.
At the close Of April the 4th Ohio
took its departure from Camp Jackson
and went aboard OF the cars, destined,
as we were told, for Camp Dennison,
near Cincinnati.
On the arrival Of our train at the site
Of that camp late that evening il was
evident to us that no preparations had
been made for our coming; at least, not
with the ceremony and consideration
that we thought were due US as an or
ganized regiment, and as we felt ought
to attend military movements upon the
scale and importance of ours.
Accordingly, the first taste of camp
life in earnest was enjoyed or endured
that night. The company commanders
finding that there was no superior or
reception committee to receive them
and direct what was best or necessary
to do, began to direct for themselves,
and in some kind of order managed to
align their companies by conforming to
the sinuosities Of a rail fence that
chanced to be directly in our front on
getting out of the cars. the fence itself
being torn down to make fires for our
first bivouac, rendered necessary by the
appearance Of storm which soon burst
upon us. In the morning there was the
gathering Of men in squads. telling OF
the privations of the night and of the
heroic endurance with which an April
shower had been passed. Grumbling
or faultfinding is the bane that first
manifests itself in the massing of vol
unteers; but this soon wears off as they
encounter and endure the exposures and
hardships of actual service and acquire
the habits of discipline. That morning
the incompetency of superiors was more
than limited at. Quarters might have
been erected, supper might have been
provided; even Lincoln's Administration
1t
truly refreshing. To have heard their
mutterings one would have thought that
from the exposures and experiences Of
a single night it might be well for the
Union to profit IL SO, perhaps from
their ranks a modern CaFnot might
come to ward off defeat and organize
victory.
First Introduction to Red Tape.
With daylight came some kind of or
der. Word came that provisions were
at hand ready for the men, and COM
pany commanders were directed to
make out a morning report, giving the
number of their men present and abb
sent, sick and for duty. Then i'm ac-
cOrdance with such report acquisitions
should be made upon the Commissary
for rations for the men. Here was an
eye-opener, as it was found that the
Regulations Disseminated between the
officers and the men, the Government
furnishing rations for the men, but the
officers were to purchase for themselves.
How to make out a morning report,
what it included and what 1t excluded,
was a puzZler; how to make out requi-
sitions and where to get them; and the
foolishness of acquisitions anyhow. The
men were here and were hungry. If
the Quartermaster or Commissary did
not believe it, why, they could come
and count them, and need not take our
word for it. Company commanders dis