Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-12-09

US, but be wealthy were almost sure
10 be hostile. In taking property
FOR our use. no abusive or threaten
ing language was to be used toward
the people Able-bodied negroes that
could be OF service might be taken
along with the army In due time
we came . have thousands Of them.
Pioneer corps were organizing 10
clear roads and keep them in re-
pair. So Tar as practicable roads f0r
he marching troops were TO ha
alongside the established highways.
n order that these might be used b.
the wagon trains and artillery IN
general, negroes served as road-mak-
ers. Every corps had a good pom
tOon train.
Our start for Savannah was sig
/ nal for general confusion all through
/ Georgia. General Cobb fairly begged
for troops with which to keep the
] invader back, but he could not gel
enough CT them to make US much
trouble We hardly ever missed a
good days march
Our first day out aDounded in lite
and enthusiasm, though some OF our
/ fellows suffered a relapse before
lnight. 1t was like this: that morn
ling our officers had done a not very
common thing,-issued pretty liberaI
Ira ions Of what was known as Com
missary," or "tangIefOOt." A few
men were sensible enough always 10
decline such stuff. Some who woulu
not drink it themselves took 1t and
gave it to others who had passion
for it. The effect Of such double Ta-
tons was quite marked. The feI-
lows who swallowed them started
off for the sea as if intending to
get there before night They step
ped high and long. They sang songs
and made merry, and could not for
the life of them see why the gIori-
Gus march had not been begun q
long time before. But a strong slim
ulant is apt in the end to become
narcotic; and so it was in this case.
The fun did not last all day. The
poor fellows soon became quiet then
stupid, and they dragged themselves
YEARLY along, practical Illustrations
of what strong drink viii do.
Our new recruits came to us with
all the clothing and camp equipments
Uncle Sam would let them have.
What war veteran has not seen such
knapsacksl How interesting 1t was
to see our new comrades buckle up
in preparation for the march across
the great state Of Georgia. Their
knapsacks were such as we ourselves
had brought out Of Camp Randall.
Under their load the poor fellows be-
came very sober before noon. They
tried in every way to get these big
knapsacks in some position where
they would not seem to weigh 50
much They came to be very sol
emn before the afternoon was far
spent By-and-by they began one by
one to steal sadly out among the
wayside bushes, there to open up
heir stock Of dry goods, select one
garment after another out Of then
generous wardrobe, hold 1t up and
decide whether to carry it further, or
not to carry. And then the banter
ing remarks of the old veterans
marching along added no little inter
es- to the occasion. Many OF these
old fellows were skipping gaiIy along
with, perhaps, no knapsacks at ALL
only a single blanket and an oil
cloth tied UP in roll and thrown
lightly over the shoulder.
Our new recruits on that first days
march threw piles of blankets, coats,
shirts and drawers into the bushes
along the road: and they repeated
tire operation the next cay and the
next, until III due time they found
themselves in right marching order.
After that they got along as easily
as the rest of US.