Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-11-04

! there a Thousand years-or during TIL,
war. We came this sensible con
clusion in less time than it takes IN,
to write about it,
Soon some of the men who had beer
engaged in bone-fling brought fortt
their bones and files and went t
work. Under the wholesome inspira
ton of their example others who haC
never gone into the business went a
it too. We remained there three
months with nothing in the world TX
do but file bones, and nearly the
whole of us were at it. For aught we
knew, we had the rest of our natura
lives to devote TO this artistic occu
patton, we were at liberty to take al
the pains we pleased We did moi
have to hurry off a job because some
impatient customer was after us. In
that way we did some very fine work
II | brought home large number of the
articles l had made. l gave away a
great many and others were taken
without leave or license, so in course
of time my curios became less and
4
into box with a glass cover. This
box is now in the possession of my
son, Frank D., of Madison. He will
show it to anyone who would like to
see them.
A wiser man than has said, Dull
thinking will make a man crazy" No
man in our crowd seemed inclined to
dull thinking. If he had been ne
would have found no opportunity. In
houseful Of live yankees, who could
do much OF any thinking? When not
| filing bones, those yankees were up
to something else. In room Z the
| boys organized a secret society called
! The Star Brotherhood, or the Holy
| Swinehood. 1t grew rapidly, for every
| ingenious man that came into it
would add some new feature, until it
| assumed quite immense proportions.
Victims for initiation would be kid
| mapped from other rooms and put
| through nOlens volens.
We had quite a number of theater
men, and they got up. some very fine
theatricals. We had also some min
strel shows. We had two boss end
men. H. w. Eagan of the LIST Mtchl-
gan played the tamborine, and
Browne of a New York regiment,
played the bones. | have never seen
their equal either before the war or
since Also we had good singing and
dancing. The rebel officers used to
come into our entertainments. Some
times they threw silver dollars on
the floor, not as pay for admission,
they said, but to help us procure ma
terial for further programs.
We were fed twice day, at nine IN
the morning and four in the after
noon. After the evening meal, OF
! corn bread and coW-peas, the floor be-
ing quite clear of Instructions, the
first to finish eating would arise and
start upon a walk around the room.
When others finished they too would
fall in and march, until eighty or
ninety or a hundred men were walk
ing round and round that large
room, the home Of 1875 men. This
was the only exercise we ever had,
and it was never omitted after sup
per. The custom was begun, l think,
the first day we were put into the
room, and was continued as long as
we staid there. 1t was the only time
during the twenty-four hours of any
/ day when two cOngenial spirits could
i confidentially converse without fear
| nj
butterinskies. Every man, of course
i selected his best friend for CCmpan-
i ion during these walk-arounds My
good comrade Wilcox and / always
walked together, and We never
changed partners. In these marches
a friendship was cemented which has
survived the wrecks of time. 1t still
exists. He is the only army friend
!, with whom | am now holding regu
lar correspondence Poor boy! Within
month after getting home he Wa'
paralyzed in both legs, and has no.
7 since 1862 been able to move joint
in either of them. He now lives II
Long Beach, California, where he
will be glad to welcome any old sol
der from wisconsin.
, Besides the amusements OF which
, have spoken, some played cards anc
: other games. We made dice Of bone
and played backgammon. All these
: activities kept us in good physical
, mental. moral and spiritual condition
: so that only one of our five hundred
> men died while we were there; an'
: when we left every one was able u
; walk. We were there from Decembe
5 81, to March /, 80. Wirz wa
/ there until about the holidays, Whel
, he disappeared, and I heard no NOR
Y about him until he turned up at An
). Jacksonville. / have heard that n
: took about a year to visit his paren
t tai home in Switzerland, and then re
turned to duty; but he did not &c
:. his name up until he reached An
h Jacksonville.
/ There was no railroad at TuscS
d loosa, and when We left there on tn
}, lst day Of March, we went on anothe
J, old cotton transport which was altt
gether un-river-Worthy. The waite
: in the river was high. We went dow
the Black Warrior to the TombigDe
then across country through tn
woods and canebreaks and over plal