The National tribune., 1910-12-08

sufficient cause for his dismissal a few
months later.
Having succeeded in enrolling some
recruits who became rather restive and
impatient to be mustered into service,
and being unable to get any Instructions
from my superior officer as to their
disposition, l at length determined to
turn them over to Capt. c., willy nilly,
rather than run the risk of losing them
to be taken into other companies then
forming.
Shipping the Recruits.
Having transportation blanks, filled
one out for the squad, notifying the
Captain of my action and requesting
him TO meet me at the station as our
train passed thru en- route for Column
bus. When the conductor came around
trouble began, as the papers were not
signed by a commissioned officer, but
for some cause he did not put us oft
altho the Captain failed to show Up
when the train reached his station, and
by signing up various vouchers for the
conductor 1 succeeded in getting my
men thru to the Capital
L reported TO the Provost-Marshal,
and was straightWay reprimanded for
daring to report there without orders
After explaining the situation, however,
l was provided with blanks and as
signed to the barracks, with instruc-
tions enabling me to complete the rolls
which an officer of another regiment
kindly signed up, and after passing the
examining Surgeon successfully Is of
them were formally mustered in and
supplied with the uniform and equip
ments, except the arms.
Having been so successful in getting
them thus far, l was ordered to take
them on thru to the regiment, then
marching southwark in pursuit of the
retreating army of Bragg.
Upon reporting to the Provost Mar
shal at Louisville with my contingent.
1 was assigned to the seventh company
or detachment of recruits under the
command of Lieut.-CoI. Emory, of the
5sth Ind, which was to start south
ward soon to overtake Gen. Buell.. Two
Gays later, with nothing but sidearms
carried by the officers and q few of the
men, the command started for Rards-
town overland, the distance being
ABOUT 40 miles, reaching Cox's Creek,
within six miles of Bardstown. at the
end of the second days march.
Ihe next morning (Oct. 19) we
Inafched into Bardstown, where we
round the populace in state of great
excitement over reports that John Nor
gan and his men Were heading for the
town with the object of capturing II.
WIN Win lts stores OF supplies and its hos
pltsls, with large number OF sicl,
and the wounded from the PerrvvilIe
battlefield. ''''o
The Recruits Reach Bardstown.
There being no garrison except =
1ew conVaiescents in the town our ar
rival was hailed with joy by the Trnion
element at least, Notwithstanding our
almost defenseless condition. There
Delng large number of muskets al
hand which had been gathered from
the battlefield, no time was lost bv Col
Emory In arming his men. But those
muskets! Not one of them was SER
yiceabie. Most Of them were half fuII
Of burned powder and Kentucky mud
able
Still, the emergency had to he met
So. selecting those with the least appar-
ent defects, all hands were set at work.
and such another securing and scrap-
ing bee" was seldom held All the
guns were made more or less seryice-
apie. While this was being done ma
terial was gathered and the principal
streets barricaded and pickets thrown
out on the country roads. There was
soon a semblance of preparation for
the expected attack
Morgan, however, found ii more to
MS liking To capture defenseless wagon
trains and noncombatants than 10 run
against infantry bayonets and barri-
cades. so he passed around the town.
caplurlng and burning train of 100
wagons at the same place where our
last nights camp had been.
Morgan Avoids a Fight.
The receipt OF this news did not
abate the excitement in the least and
our battalion was assembled at tho
Court House Square in momentary ar-
pectation of being called out to repel
an assault. The enemy was once re-
ported by a lookout in the tower to be
within a mile of town. Soon, however,
thru the dense cloud of dust, could be
seen the Stars and Stripes and the blue