The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-02-04

lie down TO sleep. stretched I'm long lines OF any
number OF men. all curled up spoon fashion. as
close together possible
lay down on the end OF the line one cold night
when soon poor fellow came and snuggled up to
me. Along in the early morning when he should
have turned To warm my back he did not move
] got up on my elbow and pulled his nose. lie was
dead II was the most frightful experience | ever
had.
Our dead were usually relieved OF any good
clothing they may have had on TO be used by those
who were almost naked. | had still on what was
left OF shirt and pair of drawers that I had
worn for almost "A year Can you realize or i'm
agine how little OF either were leftg I went down
to the dead line one morning and a body on
which a fine shirt OF blue cashmere cloth. I
went To the gate and asked the officer OF the Con-
federate guard. old man, II might remove the
shirt from that body to myself
"My poor boy" he said and gave permission
with tears running down his wrinkled cheeks. to
take the shirt.
red.whskered spindleshanked. low-down
fellow from Wisconsin that was cumming with
and whom ] had kept alive by stealing grub for
him to eat. stole that shirt from me lost a silver
mine in Colorado years ago that sold afterwards
for three hundred thousand dollars but II did not
hurt 80 badly as the loss Of that shirt.
Shortly after this there parole OF sick and
disabled men agreed on by the governments. got
out and walked aboard our transport at Sa-
vannah. the raggedest.looklng Kid that ever left
that city What few troops there were In that
transport Just stood and cried when they saw our
boys This was the nineteenth OF November, 1864.
At Annapolis got my back pay, ration money
and clothing money for the time had been pris-
oner, amounting TO some 5000. with a furlougb for
thirty days. / started for Detroit. I can't tell
you all that happened on the trip. but got home
broke after week or ten days the road.
Father killed the fatted calf, mother had II
a..
for had been reported dead long ago and they
had preached a memorial sermon for me- telling
what good little boy had been I came home
and spoiled II all. After a few days at home |
went 10 dismounted camp at Harper's Ferry and
from the camp returned TO my regiment
then In Washington waiting TO take part IN the
grand review. after which we were sent TO Fort
Leavenworth. Here ! was discharged and the
regiment sent out on the plains efter Indians.
went 10 Denver I'm the fall of 1866 with mule
train, before there was a railroad In the noun.
tains / returned TO Topeka Kan. with bull
trains, enlsting In the regular army went TO Call.
fornia by way OF the sthmus. guarded surveyors
in Arizona from the Indians. and fought Indians
in Arizona with the First United States cavalry.
made a trip into Mexico with load OF phoney
jewelry. Later ! was arrested as hlibuster SPY
in Guaymas and shipwrecked on my trip
from Guaymas 20 Mazatlsu Two out OF seven
were saved after floating around for thirty-siK
hours I gas shanghaied I'm San Francisco and
taken around Cape Horn TO Dublin. which was the
most adventurous FIVE months 81 my life. I came
back TO my home in 1873. married if 1874 and
settled down 10 be decent
I a member OF the Michigan Soldiers |
home Uncle Sam In trying his best 10 make me |
comfortable In my declining years. But neither |
he all the powers that be can make up /
the ten years worse than lost from my twelfth |
20 twentysecond year. for what I did not learn |
that was rough IN that time have not learned |
since and s-is not In the books.