Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-12-27

A barber tent With-ten chairs was
furnished by the national guard, free
to any of the soldiers attending the
peace jubilee. A large company Of
Boy Scouts was everywhere present,
ready to assist the old soldier. Too
much credit cannot be given them.
The avenues and streets in the park
are something wonderful on account
of the many deep ravines which sur
round Vicksburg and were made and
paid for by Uncle Sam.
The state monuments are something
that cannot be exceHed in any park.
The Wisconsin monument is fine, and
tho large tablets which form a part Of
the monument have the name of every
Wisconsin soldier who was on duty
during the siege of Vicksburg in 1863.
Old Abe (the eagle) adorns the top,
and he is said to have a large swarm
of honey bees to keep him company
the year round.
The social part Of the jubilee was a
surprise to all, even to the old SOL
diers who, So years ago, were trying
to shoot one another if they could.
They were to be seen in groups here
and there, singing and playing cards
the Union and Confederates-and
telling of the many incidents that oc-
Cured during the siege. The ex-Con-
federates had a quartet composed of
ex-Confederate generals, who were
fine singers, and they were singing
songs of their own composition, which
were listened to by the boys in blue
with marked attention. In travelling
anywhere in the park no guide is need
ed. What are known as Union avenue
and Confederate avenue, are the two
lines Of battle at the time OF the sur
render Of General Pemberton Along
each avenue are many cannon pointing
at each other to be seen, designating
the two different lines.
A Few "reminiscences of 1862 and 1863
In the spring of 1862 we were land
ed at Columbus, Ky, where the Con-
federates had the Mississippi river
chained up, and Admiral Porter had.
succeeded in cutting the chains We
were ordered to repair the Mobile &
Ohio railroad to Corinth, Miss. Wa
did repair the road as far as Hum
bo1dt, Tenn, where we pitched our
tents and we had a fine camp, and to-
day where we had our camp is a solid
block of buildings. At Union City,
Tenn, and Corinth, Miss, the same
thing had occurred At Meridian,
Miss, we could not recognize a single
feature to jog our memories. that we
were there in the winter Of 1863 and
1864. We had marched from Vicks-
burg to Meridian, a distance Of two
hundred miles, on what was known as
Sherman's Meridian campaign, but
very little Improvement is noticed
through this belt of country, except in
the lumber interest, which is immense.
Jackson Miss, has improved wonder
fully. A new capitol adorns the city,
with paved streets everywhere, and
is the home of the Magnolia tree, the
peer Of all other natural grown trees
which was never completed by him, is
now the main channel of the Missis-
sippi river where the steamboats, trav-
ell and is six miles west Of the old
steamboat landing at Vicksburg. The
aYazoo river furnishes water enough
for boats of light draft and motor
boats, and the drinking water for the
city. The steamboat traffic is nothing
compared with few years ago.
Vicksburg is about the same as it
was during the siege. The streets are
the same except they are paved, the
most of them. There are too many
old buildings in the city for fine ap-
pearance. Some of them show the eff
fects of the shells from the mortar
boats below the city during the siege.
Warrenton, seven miles below the city,
is known as tn home of the colored
folks. A street car line connects the
two places. Any old soldier who
marched over this route in 1862 or
1868 can be thankful that he was per-
mitted to be at the National Peace
jubilee, October 15-to 20, 1917
CHARLES COLEMAN.
Barahoo.