Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-06-29
a &c h rImea Of Peaoe.

For this corner this week | am
minced to take something from my
diary It is about the march-or a
part Of it-frofl Raleigh. North Caro-
lima. to Washington after General
Joseph T. Johnston had surrendered
to General Sherman It was different
from most Of our marching. for the.
was was over and conditions We're
quite In contrast TO those to which
we had long been used. This account
was not written curing the march,
but after it was all over.
After Johnston had surrendered
and we know that the war was at an
end. all our conversation turned up
on the how and the when OF our go-
ing home
The general sentiment concerning
the when was-the sooner the better;
az to the how-almost any way. so as
not to march another mile. With ref
erencc to the when, our wishes We're
granted. for We were started of on
the 29th, three days after the surren-
der, by way Of Richmond to Washing
tom having been given transportation
over the old and reliable Foot and
Walkers line. 1t goes without saying
that we were not pleased with the
how But then. as we had our
wishes in one respect. we did not
complain about the other
We started out from our camp near
Raleigh ON the afternoon of April % /:
tie next day we began the march il
good earnest, We'd never had such
a march before. There was no enemy
to watch or care for, and no foraging
was done. The fires that had followed
us on all our marches had gone out.
and they were not rehndle6 At
night we put out only camp guards
no more picket duty to do. Every
thing about the march seemed
strange-almost unreal We could
hardly take in the fact that We were
homeward bound
1t was said, at the time. that Gen
erals Blair and Logan bad made a
thousand dollar bet, the money to go
to the enc who should get his corps
to Petersburg ahead of the other. Be
cause of this strife, we were led on
our way as if on forced marcn
While on the move, we averaged
about twenty miles per day We did
not exactly approve of marching on
a bet, yet our anxiety to get home
kept US from complaining much OF
the good time We made
The Roanoke river flowed across
cur line of march about half way to
Petersburg. Since both corps had
only pontools enough combined tC
bridge this river. it was evident thai
the corps first across must be the
first in Petersburg, and the one tC
win the bet. The two roads ON which
We marched united just before reach
ing the river. The corps whose ad
valIce first reached the union of These
roads was, according to established
custom, entitled to cross first
Hence. there was a lively race FOL
that point When the advance of tn,
18th got there, Logan ana his stan
and few bummers, had preceded us
but the advance of his leading div
sion did not come up till after our ar
rival. even though that division haC
been put in light marching order t,
beat us.
But we had to stop and give then
the right Of way. They crowded Owe
Us some, and we got cross about it. |
took them full day to get over tn,
river. and during that time we lay Ii
camp
II was here that We heard in ful
of the shabby way Secretary Stanton
General Halleck and others ha,
treated Sherman on account of tn
memoranda articles OF Articles o
Agreement between him and John
ston. and which had been sent t,
Washington for approval or rejection
To say that We were angry, yer
argry. would be putting it rathe
nild Every man was thorough
aroused to indignation especial
were we moved to this feeling wher
we read that certain norther
papers we're saying that the boys o
Sherman's army fairly shed tears bt
cause their commander had don
surh thing as to pen those article
Of agreement TO send to Washington
That was heaping insult upon injur.
If Stanton, or Halleck, or any sta.
at-honie editor who was sneering a
Sherman. had come into our cam
shat day he would have found his r,
ceptiCn altogether too hot for hin
The boys said then that, should one
them happen to call on us. he'd she
tears of bitter regret thar he had M
kept at safe distance. But none
them came
It was May when we crossed tn
river and continued our march TIKI
day ne also crossed the Carolina bo
Ger and set foot upon the sacred so
OF tine Old Dominion A trio of beaui
full girls that might fifty represeI
The Three Graces" stood by tn
gate in front Of a farmhouse nes
the line. and they We're the first vi
ginians we saw. We did not find the
equals in marching from there |
Washington
Quite frequently during ol
marches pretty girls would come o.
and look at US as We passed: and =
poor fellows, who had not for month
even years-met a young lady fa'
10 face to speak to her, used to fea
our eyes on tas;r loneliness. Naturs
IL enough tho lina of march wou