Year: 1871

said.


Immediately took the cars for Carol
ton, hoping to get there before Charley,
as feared if he returned TO camp in that
condition, he would certainly get into
trouble, if there was no one to get him
out of sight before the colonel saw him
On my arrival at the camp, | saw a great
crowd congregated in the middle of the
parade ground, and Charley in the midst,
talking and swearing very loudly at the
colonel who was endeavoring to quiet
him, and get him into his quarters. AS he
would not be persuaded, the colonel was
obliged to send corporal and file of men
with him to the guard -hotlse, where he re-
mained until the next day, when he was
again reduced to the ranks l saw the
colonel in the meantime, and pleaded with
him to overlook the matter for the present.
as thought it would do him more good
than TO punish him, because he would
then become discouraged.


But the colonel was firm. He sail,
Captain, there is not man in the
regiment would do more for than Char
ley, and l had recommended him in this
letter here, for lieutenant's commission
but it can't be sent now. l shall recon-
mend some one else. The thing was too
public. He insulted me before the whole
regiment and will have my position re
speoted by the men. Patience has ceased
to be virtue in his case"


Seeing that any further talk would only
make matters worse he returned to the
city.


Soon after this, the nineteenth corps
was ordered to Virginia, but for some un-
explained reason, our regiment was de-
tached, and sent to Fort Morgan, where
we remained until the advance on Mobile.
| We participated in the attack on Spanish
! Fort, and had hand In all the fighting
| there was, and were among the first to en-
ter the city. /, of course, was returned to
the regiment when we left the corps, and
had better opportunity to see how Char
! ley was conducting himself. There was
marked change in his personal appearance.
| From the tne-looking soldier who had re-
| ceived so many compliments on parade,
he became dirty, bloated, drunken vaga-
| bond. | could scarcely recognize him.
| From the time of his last disgrace, he
went to the bad, and soon became about
the worst man in the regiment. He was
in some difficulty nearly all the time, and
seemed never to come near me when he
| could avotd it.


endeavored to find out where he went
the night he left me at the St. Charles,
and how he came to get drunk again, but
he would never tell, and I could not learn
l only knew that he did not return to camp
| that night.


Soon after taking possession of the city,
| Dick Taylor surrendered with his army
somewhere in Alabama, and his ammuni
ton was brought down the river ON steam
ers, and was being stored in some vacated
cotton presses, preparatory to being ship
ped to place of greater safety. One day
| was detailed in charge of twenty five
men to remove load of ammunition from
q steamer to the building; Charley was
one of the number. He was sober when
he commenced work, and had been for
several days, because he had been in the
| guard house, where he could not get it,
and had been relieved only the day before
When we had been at work about two
hours, noticed that Charley was missing
and sent one of the corporals to look
him up, as l suspected he would get to
drinking. The corporal soon returned
bringing Charley with him, much against
! his will, however AS | had feared, he
was intoxicated, and l told him to go to
his quarters, not far off, and lie down.


He said, Give me some tobacco, and
will"


handed him my tobacco pouch, and he
started off in that direction, but soon stop
ped to fill his pipe. AS saw him appar-
emily on his way to camp, and supposing
everything was all right, paid no more at
| tention to him, and went down the same
street some distance to the Post Commis-
| sary's office.


| Just before entering the door, l turned
and looked up the street towards the men
who were at work, and was horror struck
at the sight that met my gaze. There was
| Charley, who had returned with his
| lighted pipe in his mouth, and, unobserVed,
was rolling keg of powder into that
magazine. My God in that building were
thirty tons of powder, quantities of it in
broken kegs and barrels, besides large
amount of loaded shell and ammunition of
every description, and there was drunken
man staggering in that building with a
| lighted pipe in his mouth. My heart leap
ed in my throat; could not move;
could not speak. l tried to run, in order
if possible to get him out before any dam
age was done; but seemed to be rivited
to the spot. Great drops of perspiration
gathered on my face, and still had a chill
as of death. / could not breathe. But
could think. Why did leave then? Why
did / not sec him at a safe distance? Why
did they not see him and stop him? In a
moment it will be too late Alas it was





than have been able to tell it, there was
the most terrific explosion ever heard in
my life. l was thrown to the ground with
great violence and partially stunned. I'm
mense buildings were in an instant demol-
ished, leaving scarcely one brick on an
other. Bricks, shot and shell, heads
hands and arms, were seen flying
in every direction, and death was
dealt on every hand. Great damage
was done throughout the city. Sev
eral regiments were quartered neal
there, and many of the men were eithel
killed or wounded. These brave boys had
passed through the war, many of them un
scathed, and were now counting the days
that were to elapse before they could re
turn home, but were now hurled withou
a moments warning into the presence o
their Maker, and the loved ones at homt
would look for them in vain. In an in
slant they were robbed of the light which
had begun to dawn on their future, anC
their "bold soldier boy" would nevel
"come marching home" to them
All this death, all this destruc
tion, all this mourning, was causeC
by the unnatural cravings of poor
weak man for strong drink. l have passed
through danger on land and sea, hav,
seen the ruin and desolation caused by wa
in its worst phases, but never saw or fel
anything to equal the horror of that mo
ment. God grant that l may never ex
perience anything like it again.


That fond mother now lies in the cold
damp grave, killed by the shock causet
by her sons untimely death, and that sis
ter of mine leads a sorrowful life, broken
hearted, and old before her time.


These are my reasons for refusing L
drink, and / have made vow never L
touch, taste or handle the vile poison.
IT is stated that there are now no les
than 2l4 weeds which have been introduC
ed into the United States from foreigl
countries, and principally from England
AS proof the rapidity with which use


less plants are accidently brought over tn
. | cnnn n 10 cold Ahnt In 1927 fhnrn ern nnl