The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-10-17
SOLDIERS AT HOME.
THEY TELL SOME INTERESTING
ANECDOTES OF THE WAR.
How the Boys OF Both Armies w fied
Away Life In COMPROMISING Ex-
pcriences, TiresOme Marches
Thrilling Scenes on Battlefield.

said to them: Soldiers of the bril-
gade, ] want every man of you to do
his duGy. The rest Of the corps Is
watching this Irish brigade. We may
not succeed If we fail let US have
dead lrishmen nearer the enemy's
| works than any other soldiers"
The charge was made, the Irish bril-
gade losing nearly half of its numbers.
General Meagher saw what he asked
| for-dead Irishmen nearer to the en-
| emy's stone wall line of battle than
any other members of the blue coat
army.
c. Sheldon, the well-known Wiscon-
sin railroad conductor. said: Il stood
only little way from Grant the Sec
| ond day in the Wilderness. l had been
| wounded and had got back to his po-
sition. Longstreet had made fierce
! attack and was driving our troops An
cfticee dashed up and with great ex-
citement said:
General Grant, Longstreet is turn
Ing out right
Grant did not seem to be disturbed
In the least. He looked out from I'M
der his SLOUGH hat and said to the Off
Ger: We'll, then, we shall have TO
turn his left"
Colonel Burns of the One Hundred
and Fifty-ifth New York was shot
| through the head in one Of the charges
| at Spottsylvania. He fell as though
stone dead, and those who took the
| time to look at him said there was no
use Of carrying him back, but he was
finally taken to hospital, where his
wound was dressed and his case pro-
nounced by the surgeons hopeless one.
| He was laid away to die. But the
gallant freshman was not ready to go !;
he proposed to live. He was taken to
| Washington and month or two later
from there TO his home in Buffalo. He
was a mere shadow of his former self
when he reached that city. A dispatch
had been sent trough mistake, stating
that Colonel Burns body would arrive
on certain train. The colonel had re-
manned on the car until the crowd had
dispersed, 50 that he could walk with
out being jostled. Those who had come
TO the train to receive the body had
gone away in the belief that they had
made mistake in the train when he
reached the platform. One large man,
an freshman, an old friend of the col
onel, still remained. Seeing Burns
blue suit he walked up and asked him
If the body of Colonel Burns had come
on that train.
'Yes, sir"
where is it,"
Here, SIR"
Don't tell him that you are Colonel
Burns; / know him.
But l do tell you, Jim Hughes, that
am Burns, commander of the One
Hundred and Fifty-fifth New York"
His weak voice, thin face and spare
body, so unlike the Burns the Buffalo
MAN had known, were not yet recog-
nized. He said: You are not Colonel
Burns Besides, Colonel Burns was
shot through the head and killed: a
man can't be shot through the head
and live"
But l am Burns" Then he pointed
to the two red spots, one on each side
of his head, where the bullet had gone
through, and at last his old friend rec.
ognized him, picked him up in his arms
as he would a child and carried him to
an easy conveyance that bore him to
his home.
When the One Hundred and Sixty.
fourth New York was encamped on the
outskirts Of Alexandria, Va, it re
quired great deal of care to keeI
many Oh the men out of mischief. A
strong guard was kept about the cam1
night and day, but in spite Of thai
nearly every night some of the men rar
the guard, got into town and were re
turned under arrest, charged with va
rious offenses.
One day when Captain Bernard
OReilly was officer of the day there
was circus in Alexandria. 1t was
to play both afternoon and evening
Most Of the officers went in the after
noon, intending to stay through tho
evening performance. The noncoramIs
stoned officers and privates wondered
why they, also, couldn't go Ia a body
to see the show. Delegations of ser
geants, corporals and privates began te
wait on Captain O'Rellly and urge hin,
Il mo nd Of % Ia
attend the circus in the evening. After
! he had put OFF two or three SQUADS II,
suddenly concluded to make an ar
I rangement with the men whereby they
could go. He had the sergeants repor
, to him and made them little speech
, something after this fashion: Now
men, l know ybu want to go to the cir
Gus; but you waited until the colone
and the other officers went away be
a fore making known your wants. / hav,
I concluded, however, to say yes, II tn,
, men will promise to fall in by compa
a MES and march to the circus, be order
ly, and when 1t is over march back I,
the camp In body. / will go witt
you. The One Hundred and Sixty
fourth, GOO or 700 strong marched int,
the big tent and took seats.
Captain" said the provost officer t,
O'Reilly, II arrest you and your men.
by whose authorityY
"The colonel's.'
There is mistake. The colonel lef
camp this forenoon; / am the ranking
officer and have command of the regi
ment. / gave the men consent to com
to the circus. l have the right, sill
/, Don't put your foot into trap" AM
he didn't. but the next morning.
said O'Reilly, 1.-The colonel was as ma
as whole troop of March hares. III
: began by saying: Captain, you ex
ceeded your authority in allowing tn
, men to go to the circus Il guess MOI
, colonel. You and the rest of the feel
officers were ut the circus; the me
were as anxious to see the show as tn