The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-25
"REMINISCENCES
vi.

Editor Star: In concluding my last
number / stated that it was my inten-
ton to abandon following up the
movements of our regiment and COM
pany and recording things that &C
Cured in chronological order, and
that if | wrote again | would select
such occurrences and affairs as |
thought might interest, at least some,
of your readers and write of them
without regard to the time they took
place. That plan still impresses me
as being best and / am going to carry
it out except in such cases as the
period during the war when they took
place will add TO the interest or i'm
pressiveness of the matter | am re-
lating. Now let US go back to Coles
Island where we were when | closed
my last article. We had little to do
while on this island except to drill
and be trained in all of the duties of
a soldier so as to fit and prepare US
to give a good account of ourselves
should the day. ever come las it did
when good and effective work would
be required of US. We made good use
of the time and opportunities thus af-
forded US and we afterwards came to
know that it was time and labor well
spent. By the. time we left Coles
Island, men who had come from every
walk in life, and who, when they en-
listed, knew little or nothing about
drilling or any other duty of sol
der, were well drilled and trained in
these matters besides being seasoned
and physically fitted for active ser
vice. Many of the officers were about
as ignorant at the outset of military
tactics as the men. An episode which
occurred on Coles Island will serve to
illustrate that point. One day the
regiment was called out for battalion
drill and Col. Hagood wanted a GER
tain maneuver performed and gave
the proper command as follows: cat
tention, battalion! Change front for
ward on fifth company. Right wing
about face. BY company right half
wheel, march! Forward, march, guide
right" (Hardee's Tactics). Nine of
the companies managed to come thru
without much trouble, but one of the
companies got badly muddled and
confused and went off at tangent in
a reckless attempt to execute the
movement. Col. Hagood lost his pa
tience somewhat, and called out in a
loud voice, "Where in hell are you
look like a basket of cobs!" Where
upon the captain yelled at the top of
his voice, company haiti" With the
assistance of the adjutant he manag-
ed to get his company back into line.
That same captain afterwards de-
veloped into a good officer and before
the war ended was major of regi-
ment.. And so it was. Officers and
men all needed the training and all
took pride in doing their best study
and practice to become fitted and eff
fcient for the work of soldiers, so that
by the time we left Coles Island we
could truthfully be called well trained
soldiers. We had been there from the
latter part of August 81 to sometime
along in the first days of May '62.
During that period of our service we
did not lack for food or clothing. Ra-
lions were abundant and good clothing
plentiful and comfortable. We were
paid off in good money-gold, silver
and bills. of the Bank of the State of
South Carolina, all worth 100 cents to
the dollar. I have a two-dol1ar bill
of that bank in my pocket this minute,
dated 9th April, 1862. All in all we
had a good time on Coles Island.