The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-09-03


associate with worldly wise men, with
out the connlvance of confederates But
1t must be remembered that I'm the first
year of the war there were in every
company many freshfaced, beardless
young men. diffident in manner and hes
liant in speech, among whom boyish-
faced young woman. playing a boys
part, did not seem out of place.
1t was time, too, when few ques-
lions were asked. and when mastering
when men from different neighborhoods,
counties and States were thrown to-
gether to form in a day unexplainable
and romantic attachments; a time
when, in the strangeness of environ
ment and in inconsistencies, the reserve
Of individuals was common, and when
all sorts Of eccentricities were excused.
At such time it was easy for high
spirited girl of rugged build to dress in
the Garibaldl shirt and loose blouse and
trousers, and join some squad Of eager
recruits on their way TO camp, and it
is indisputable that many escaped de-
lection for months, and did good SER
| vice as soldiers.
Il cannot remember now a single case
In our division of the army where girl
who had worn soldier clothes through
skirmish or battle was not on discovery
| treated with the greatest respect even
| by the toughest men. 1 cannot re1nem-
Der case In which scandal was asso-
ciated with young woman who had
been carried into the army, through
patriotism. and in sheer forgetfulness
OF self and sex. Men who had them
selves been overwhelmed and mastered
ton to flag and country seemed TO IN
derstand the young women who risked
everything to follow the flag, and there
was little criticism or censure.
ION one occasion a rumor few
through camp that woman had been
| discovered In one of the companies.
There was excitement Mt once. but when
a frolicsone young fellow in Company
b was marched up to headquarters UNI
der guard no one suspected that the
person under arrest was a woman Men
IN the same mess were as unsuspicious
as any, and they were greatly scan
dalized when Ii was declared that for
six months they had been cutting and
swearing at q woman. Blu. the whole
regiment was lined UP to see her taken
OUT OF camp, and, much to the surprise
OF the officers, there was nothing said
that had the slightest flavor OF ribaldry.
On every hand it was 'Good-by, Joe
better luck next time And from the
woman came, 'Good-by, boys; whatever
else you do. remember that did my
duty with the best OF you And We did
that, me boy, shouted an Irishman.
and | will lick the man that says We
didn't
What became OF her? She was TAX
EN- in charge by the colonel's wife. and
led as honest Il life as any one, though
possibly not a very comfortable one.
And, by the way. l do not believe that
any of these soldier girls turned out
badly. have in mind girl who served
in another regiment. She was the only
child Of our village physician, and had
q boys training. She drove rode, hunt
ed, and fshed with her father, who
called her his boy. At the very begin
ming of the war the doctor volunteered.
and in a speech urging young men 70
enlist expressed his regret that his girl
was not a boy, as it would give him
inexpressible pride TO have a son wear
! Ing the army blue. His daughter took
a resolve then and there, and she car
ried it out.
Before many weeks she was seeing
hard service in a Union regiment, and
was associated with three young fel-
lows of slighter figure and fairer COM
| pIexiOn than herself. One day one Of
these young men tweaked her nose. and
she boxed his ears. Quick as fash
the man struck back. and there was 4
lively scrap. The orderly sergeant in
terfered. and was surprised to find the
young fellow who had got the best Of
the skirmish respondent and penitent.
The next day the young man told the
| orderly that in the midst of the fight
he OWNED his antagonist was woman.
She didn't strike-she slapped and
scratched-and In her anger and excite
ment betrayed herself. The two con-
suited with the colonel. and the girl
was quietly detailed for nurses duty in
the hospital. Then she was sent to n
distant hospital, at which she appeared
in woman's dress. and from taat she
was sent to her father. with 'ghom she
remained the greater part of che war"
There are In Chicago" said the ma
I ior, probably a score of Southern wom-
| EN- who married Union officers. There
is Il romance in nearly every such mar
riage. but | cannot enter that field
There is one story, however. that may
be given in outline. While we were in
camp in West Virginia there lived on
hill within the guard line a minister
I'm whose family was q girl OF IL, shy
as bird, but pretty as a picture She
was seen In camp only when her father
conducted services on Sunday, or at an
occasional dress parade. when she came
down to the colonel's quarters with her
| father and mother.
| ''Of course. a score OF men In the
| regiment were In love with her, and all
sorts OF plans were laid to have talk
with her. Most Of these miscarried
through the vigilance OF the colonel and
the girls father, but lieutenant and
a sergeant in our company managed in
some way TO let the girl know they were
her devoted slaves. While the girl was
rarely seen or heard during the day,
nearly every night just before taps, the
boys could hear her laugh She had
a clear. ripping laugh, which came
down to the men In their tents to make
many of them homesick. They could
not understand why she should be so
quiet during the day. and laugh 80
| heartily af night until the guards ay-