Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-23

one in confusion most perplexing to our
unsophistieated shoulders, the knapsack
constantly giving the wearer the feeling
that he was being pulled over backward.
My canteen banged against my bayonet,
both tin cup and bayonet badly Interior
ed with the butt of my musket, while my
cartridge box and haversack were con
stantly Topping up and down, the whole
jangling like loose harness and chains on
runaway horse
AS we marched into Boston Common
I involuntarily cast my eye about for a
bench. But for a former experience In
offering advice, I should have proposed
to the captain to chip in and hire
team to carry our equipments. Such was
my first experience in war harness
Afterward, with hardened muscles, rem
dered athletic by long marches and in
vigorated by hardships. I could look
back upon those days and smile while
carrying a knapsack as lightly as my
heart. That morning my heart was as
heavy as my knapsack. At last the well
come orders came: Prepare to open
ranks Rear, open order. march! Right
dress, Front! Order arms! Fix bayo-
entsl Stack arms! Unsling knapsacks!
In place, rest.
The tendency Of raw soldiers at first
is to overload themselves. On the first
long march the reaction sets in, and the
recruit goes to the opposite extreme, not
carrying enough, and thereby becoming
dependent upon his comrades. Old SOL
diers preserve happy medium / have
seen a new regiment start out with lot
of indescribable material, including sheet
iron stoves, and come back after q long
march covered with more mud than bag
gage, stripped of everything except blan-
kets, haversacks, canteens, muskets and
cartridge boxes
During that afternoon in Boston, after
marching and countermarchng, or, as
one of our farmer-boy recruits expressed
1t, after "hawing and geeing" about the
streets, we were sent to Fort Independ-
ence for the night for safe keeping. A
company OF regulars held the fort, and
the guards walked their posts with an
uprghtness that was astonishing. Our
first impression of them was that there
was q needless amount of wheel about
and turn about. and walk just So" and
of saluting, and presenting arms. We
were all marched to our quarters within
sacks. After the first days struggle with
a knapsack, the general verdict was, got
too much of it" At supper time we were
marched to the dining. barracks, where
wheat bread and potatoes, but not sign
of milk or butter. 1t struck me az queer
when 1 heard that the army was never
provided with butter and milk.
The next day We started for Washing
ton. by rail. We marched through New
Yorks crowded streets without awaken
ing the enthusiasm We thought our due;
for we had read of the exciting scenes
attending the departure OF the New YORK
7th for Washington, on the day the 9Th
Massachusetts was mobbed in Baltimore,
and also of the march of the 10Th Massa-
chusetts down Broadway on the oath Of
July, when the regiment sang the new
and always thrilling lyric, John Browns
Body
The following morning we took break
fast in Philadelphia, where We were at
tended by matrons and maidens, who
waited upon us with thoughtful tender
ness, as if they had been our own moth
They Toasted us and then filled our haver-
sacks. God bless them, II we did not
quite appreciate them then, we did aft
erward.
After embarking on the cars at Phila-