Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-26
Memorial Day Recollections
Observation-Disclosures T lone

FVERY Decoration day brings into
r. prominence those men who hfty
years ago struggled for the preser-
walton of the Union and it's flag Hardly
more than half million of these vet
Grams are living and the many interven-
ing years have slightly dimmed the recol-
lections of those stirring times. Even to
them the war with its defeats and vic
tories has become a dream of the past.
But each Memorial day renews the old
spirit and memory produces its moving
picture film of wartime happenings.
The United States Soldiers Home here in
the District holds some hundreds of those
men who heard the singing of Confed-
crate bullets and fought on the battle
fields of Antietam and Gettysburg. And
each of them from his own personal ex-
perience can relate war stories" that
confirm the most fictitious romances laid
in that period. The story of the famous
march through Georgia is told with its
pathos and humor by men who actually
formed a part of that great army on its
way to the sea. The monuments that
dot the battlefields of Gettysourg anu
Antietam are superfluous to many of
these men, for on that familiar ground
landmarks are not needed to make GER
tain of the spot where comrades fell.
1T was mostly fighting walking and
hunting for something to eat when we
marched with Gen. Sherman through
Georgia." said Francis Nye who served
in the Artillery Corps of the Union army,
and is now living at the Soldiers Home.
All day long we marched and camped
each night wherever we happened to be.
We couldn't be sure how near the enemy
was to us, and we had to be on guard
all the time. The general spread the
army out SO that each wing was some
times thirty miles across. This was
pretty big sweep, and with rations low
and the horses to feed there wasn't much
left in the country after we went by.
I'VE cleaned out the smokehouSes and
went through every cornfield on the road.
but our orders were to- leave enough for
the women and children, and 1t went
pretty hard with the men who didn't obey
these commands. The people in that part
of the country soon fund that both the
Yankees and the rebels needed food, and
that the only way to prevent their taxing
it was to hide it. along with the silver
ware and other household goods. | re-
member one day we had been foraging
around a place without getting any food
or seeing any one about. Finally. we
found an old darby hiding down back of
the mouse, ana the boys JOiiicu HiiH dioi6
a bit until he tod us where the things
were hidden. We dug down in the front
yard and found a big ditch filled with
hams We had to leave enough for the
mistress of the house, but we all lived
high on good smoked ham for the next
few days.
But it was not all doing as we liked.
for orders were strict, and those in COM
mand didn't hesitate to make examples
of the men who disobeyed. Women and
children were especially to be protected.
for, as the general said. the war was not
on them AS in all warfare. the spies
caught in camp We're shot or hung. and a
deserter met with the same fate. l re-
member one day that we tracked three
men who .were leaving the camp and 60
ing over to the Confederate lines with
information. We caught them, and shall
never forget the little scene when they
were shot. Rough collins were provided
and each of the three men knelt in his
coffin, and. when the order came. bared
his breast. Ten men of the infantry
were placed opposite them. and the Off
GERS loaded the guns. One gun held
blank cartridge. and no man knew wheth-'
err or not he held that gun. The order
to fire came, and the deserters fell back
in their collins and were carried away"
Another man who witnessed many OF