The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-08-04
THE PHILIPPINES GOSSIP.

ress Monroe, for parole and exchange.
detail of five officers and one hun
bred men was drawn from the hos
pltals of the city, myself being the
senior officer, and placed in charge OF
the prisoners, with orders to turn them
over to the commanding officer at the
Fortress, and then return Immediately.
The official papers of this expedition,
by stretch of military courtesy, styled
us the 'Convalescent Guard;' but L
think the ''Crippled Century would
have been a far more appropriate des-
ignation.
I was told in advance that the SER
vice was a delicate, possibly danger
Gus one; that within a month a trans
port load of prisoners had overpower-
ed their guard off the Virginia coast
run the steamer ashore, plundered it,
and made their way to the enen1y's
lines up the James.
could they not give me an efficient
guard?" 1 asked.
No: they could not. Not soldier
could be spared who could shoulder a
musket or stand on the picket-line in
the field; I could have just GIG nun
bred of the conva1escents, and must
make the most of them
The steamer lay at the Algiers
wharf, and there 1 ranged my new
command in a double line, while the
crowd of prisoners passed between TO
their stowage III the hold; and my
heart sank at the appearance OF the
detail. There were many good soldiers
among them, but hardly a sound, Wig
orous man in the party. Many were
enfeebled, lame and suffering with
wounds: many were poor weakiings,
hollow-cheeked and hollow-chested
with fever, and the majority of them
seemed to need the support of their
muskets to keep them on their feet.
And this was the material with which
I was to overawe and keep in subJec-
tion-this burly crowd of prisoners
during a weeks yoyagei / resolved
to do all that man could do; but IT
was with grave approximations that
watched the spires of the Crescent
City disappear, and saw the boat
ploughing swiftly down to the blue
water.
NV fears were groundless; the voy-
age went by pleasantly and prosper
ously, with hardly a cloud in the sky,
a. swell on the surface of the summer
sea, or q ripple of agitation among
the dubious freight we carried. There
was incessant mirth, singing and
good humor among the prisoners, from
first to last I relaxed no vigilance;
the guard was kept sharply up to
duty. and the most careful watch kept
over the hold, as we'll as in 1T, to en-
sure against plots and surprises. But
there was no plot, there was no
thought of rising: and when, on the
sixth of July, we anchored under the
frowning walls of old Monroe, ana
passed our prisoners over the side into
the flag-of-truce boat that was to con-
vey them up toward Richmond, my
heart warmed to the fellows for their
good behavior, and found myself able
to respond heartily to the CHEEKY cry
that some of them sent back
GOOD by, old fellow! You'uns are
pretty good'uns, after all; we don't
believe we want to fight you any
morei"
We STAYED but an hour in the Roads
long enough to catch up the glorious
note of victory that was hardly done
pealing up FROM, the field of Gettys-
bI1rg-and then 1--WE laid our bow for
New York, where we expected to ma
a transport to take US back. In due
time we were landed over yonder at
Governors Island, and after had
seen nv men provided with barracks
and rations. and had Joined the jovial
ueutenants whom the hard exigenc1es
of the war had compelled to serve IN
this ouiet nook of the situation l en-
loved a few days of pleasant rest and
| refreshment. 1t was delightful to ST
after dinner in the cool, shady quar-
/ ters overlooking the water, and spec
Mate over our cigars about the wal
and It's vicissitudes. Some of these
| s,,ba1terns had been in active service
all were West Pointers: and phlegma'
tic as I was, the nonchalance witt
which they discussed the prospect o.
promotion which might follow tn'
grea+ hattie. was rather astounding t.
nv volunteer ears.
"8ooray!" yelled Lieutenant +.
sninning the morning paper across TIT
floor. doubleday mortally wounded
! NV captain in the regulars, you know
and there's a promotion, sure.
And then the unfeeling young say
ages began to congratulate the luck
man. and to bewail their own har'
| fortune. But General Doubleday wa
not nortally wounded, as later report
said. and then the lieutenant CAV
vent 10 impatient disgust, declaring
that there was nothing but seldshnes
among the seniors in the service, an
that there was no chance at all for
sub
on the morning of the 10th, I wa
notified to be ready to embark at moo
with my command, on the steame
Matanzas.
Won viii have some duty on boafC
enough TO keep you from laziness, oil
Colonel LOOMS said to me. nav
|, mad forty-seven men from the DE
nartment of the Gulf here under guar
for some weeks. waiting for just sue
. chance. They are desperate fellows
rooe+ IF them-deserters from Banks
arrov. The enemy treated them
prisoners of war and exchanged ther
down at the fortress; but, 1t seems
their real character was reporte
ehead Of them, and we are sendin
+ber, hack to be dealt with. You
, need to keep a sharp eye on them.
IF 7 was surprised TO hear that
,anv men could desert from one
o,,r armies to the enemy, understoo
the matter perfectly when too
obarge of them aboard the tug eiie