initial commit of ebook 25603HEADmain

299 files changed, 15741 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/25603-8.txt b/25603-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f18cb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5170 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the
+Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
+
+Author: Carlton McCarthy
+
+Illustrator: William L. Sheppard
+
+Release Date: May 26, 2008 [EBook #25603]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: See page 106.]
+
+
+
+
+DETAILED MINUTIÆ
+
+OF
+
+SOLDIER LIFE
+
+IN THE
+
+ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
+
+1861-1865
+
+
+BY
+
+CARLTON MCCARTHY
+
+PRIVATE SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, CUTSHAW'S BATTALION
+ARTILLERY, SECOND CORPS, A.N.V.
+
+
+_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+BY
+
+WM. L. SHEPPARD, Esq.
+
+LIEUTENANT SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, A.N.V.
+
+
+RICHMOND
+CARLTON MCCARTHY AND COMPANY
+1882
+
+Copyright, 1882,
+BY CARLTON McCARTHY.
+
+_The Riverside Press, Cambridge_:
+Printed by H.O. Houghton and Company.
+
+
+
+
+To
+
+THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER,
+
+EDWARD STEVENS McCARTHY,
+
+CAPTAIN FIRST COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS:
+
+WHO FELL AT COLD HARBOR,
+
+_June 4, 1864_,
+
+A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+                                                         PAGE
+A VOICE FROM THE RANKS                                       1
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+THE OUTFIT MODIFIED                                         16
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+ROMANTIC IDEAS DISSIPATED                                   29
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+ON THE MARCH                                                41
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+COOKING AND EATING                                          56
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+COMFORTS, CONVENIENCES, AND CONSOLATIONS                    73
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FUN AND FURY ON THE FIELD                                   94
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+IMPROVISED INFANTRY                                        116
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+"BRAVE SURVIVORS" HOMEWARD BOUND                           159
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+SOLDIERS TRANSFORMED                                       177
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+CAMP FIRES OF THE BOYS IN GRAY                             194
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE BATTLE FLAG                                            219
+
+
+
+
+SOLDIER LIFE
+
+IN THE
+
+ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+A VOICE FROM THE RANKS.--INTRODUCTORY.
+
+
+We are familiar with the names and deeds of the "generals," from the
+commander-in-chief down to the almost innumerable brigadiers, and we are
+all more or less ignorant of the habits and characteristics of the
+individuals who composed the rank and file of the "grand armies" of
+1861-65.
+
+As time rolls on, the historian, condensing matters, mentions "the men"
+by brigades, divisions, and corps. But here let us look at the
+individual soldier separated from the huge masses of men composing the
+armies, and doing his own work and duty.
+
+The fame of Lee and Jackson, world-wide, and as the years increase ever
+brighter, is but condensed and personified admiration of the
+Confederate soldier, wrung from an unwilling world by his matchless
+courage, endurance, and devotion. Their fame is an everlasting monument
+to the mighty deeds of the nameless host who followed them through so
+much toil and blood to glorious victories.
+
+The weak, as a rule, are borne down by the strong; but that does not
+prove that the strong are also the right. The weak suffer wrong, learn
+the bitterness of it, and finally, by resisting it, become the defenders
+of right and justice. When the mighty nations of the earth oppress the
+feeble, they nerve the arms and fire the hearts of God's instruments for
+the restoration of justice; and when one section of a country oppresses
+and insults another, the result is the pervasive malady,--war! which
+will work out the health of the nation, or leave it a bloody corpse.
+
+The principles for which the Confederate soldier fought, and in defense
+of which he died, are to-day the harmony of this country. So long as
+they were held in abeyance, the country was in turmoil and on the verge
+of ruin.
+
+It is not fair to demand a reason for actions above reason. The heart is
+greater than the mind. No man can exactly define the cause for which the
+Confederate soldier fought. He was above human reason and above human
+law, secure in his own rectitude of purpose, accountable to God only,
+having assumed for himself a "nationality," which he was minded to
+defend with his life and his property, and thereto pledged his sacred
+honor.
+
+In the honesty and simplicity of his heart, the Confederate soldier had
+neglected his own interests and rights, until his accumulated wrongs and
+indignities forced him to one grand, prolonged effort to free himself
+from the pain of them. He dared not refuse to hear the call to arms, so
+plain was the duty and so urgent the call. His brethren and friends were
+answering the bugle-call and the roll of the drum. To stay was dishonor
+and shame!
+
+He would not obey the dictates of tyranny. To disobey was death. He
+disobeyed and fought for his life. The romance of war charmed him, and
+he hurried from the embrace of his mother to the embrace of death. His
+playmates, his friends, and his associates were gone; he was lonesome,
+and he sought a reunion "in camp." He would not receive as gospel the
+dogmas of fanatics, and so he became a "rebel." Being a rebel, he must
+be punished. Being punished, he resisted. Resisting, he died.
+
+The Confederate soldier opposed immense odds. In the "seven days
+battles" around Richmond, 80,000 drove to the James River 115,000 of the
+enemy. At Fredericksburg, in 1862, 78,000 of them routed 110,000
+Federal troops. At Chancellorsville, in 1863, 57,000 under Lee and
+Jackson whipped, and but for the death of Jackson would have
+annihilated, an army of 132,000 men,--more than double their own number.
+At Gettysburg, 62,000 of them assailed the heights manned by 112,000. At
+the Wilderness, in 1864, 63,000 met and successfully resisted 141,000 of
+the enemy. At Appomattox, in April, 1865, 8,000 of them surrendered to
+the host commanded by Grant. The United States government, at the end of
+the war, mustered out of service 1,000,000 of men, and had in the field,
+from first to last, 2,600,000. If the Confederate soldier had then had
+only this disparity of numbers to contend with, he would have driven
+every invader from the soil of Virginia.
+
+But the Confederate soldier fought, in addition to these odds, the
+facilities for the transportation and concentration of troops and
+supplies afforded by the network of railways in the country north of
+him, all of which were subject to the control of the government, and
+backed by a treasury which was turning out money by the ton, one dollar
+of which was equal to sixty Confederate dollars.
+
+It should be remembered also that, while the South was restricted to its
+own territory for supplies, and its own people for men, the North drew
+on the world for material, and on every nation of the earth for men.
+
+The arms and ammunition of the Federal soldiers were abundant and
+good,--so abundant and so good that they supplied _both_ armies, and
+were greatly preferred by Confederate officers. The equipment of the
+Federal armies was well-nigh perfect. The facilities for manufacture
+were simply unlimited, and the nation thought no expenditure of treasure
+too great, if only the country, the _Union_! could be saved. The factory
+and the foundry chimneys made a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by
+night. The latest improvements were hurried to the front, and adopted by
+both armies almost simultaneously; for hardly had the Federal bought,
+when the Confederate captured, and used, the _very latest_.
+
+Commissary stores were piled up all over Virginia, for the use of the
+invading armies. They had more than they could protect, and their loss
+was gain to the hungry defenders of the soil.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought a host of ills occasioned by the
+deprivation of chloroform and morphia, which were excluded from the
+Confederacy, by the blockade, as contraband of war. The man who has
+submitted to amputation without chloroform, or tossed on a couch of
+agony for a night and a day without sleep for the want of a dose of
+morphia, may possibly be able to estimate the advantages which resulted
+from the possession by the Federal surgeons of an unlimited supply of
+these.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought bounties and regular monthly pay; the
+"Stars and Stripes," the "Star Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia,"
+"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "John Brown's Body," "Rally round the Flag," and
+all the fury and fanaticism which skilled minds could create,--opposing
+this grand array with the modest and homely refrain of "Dixie,"
+supported by a mild solution of "Maryland, My Maryland." He fought good
+wagons, fat horses, and tons of quartermaster's stores; pontoon trains,
+of splendid material and construction, by the mile; gunboats, wooden and
+iron, and men-of-war; illustrated papers, to cheer the "Boys in Blue"
+with sketches of the glorious deeds they did not do; Bibles by the car
+load, and tracts by the million,--the first to prepare them for death,
+and the second to urge upon them the duty of dying.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought the "Sanitary Commission," whose members,
+armed with every facility and convenience, quickly carried the sick and
+wounded of the Federal army to comfortable quarters, removed the bloody
+garments, laid the sufferer on a clean and dry couch, clothed him in
+clean things, and fed him on the best the world could afford and money
+buy.
+
+He fought the well-built, thoroughly equipped ambulances, the countless
+surgeons, nurses, and hospital stewards, and the best surgical
+appliances known to the medical world. He fought the commerce of the
+United States and all the facilities for war which Europe could supply,
+while his own ports were closed to all the world. He fought the trained
+army officers and the regular troops of the United States Army, assisted
+by splendid native volunteer soldiers, besides swarms of men, the refuse
+of the earth,--Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, Scotch,
+English, French, Chinese, Japanese,--white, black, olive, and brown. He
+laid down life for life with this hireling host, who died for pay,
+mourned by no one, missed by no one, loved by no one; who were better
+fed and clothed, fatter, happier, and more contented in the army than
+ever they were at home, and whose graves strew the earth in lonesome
+places, where none go to weep. When one of these fell, two could be
+bought to fill the gap. The Confederate soldier killed these without
+compunction, and their comrades buried them without a tear.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought the cries of distress which came from
+his home,--tales of woe, want, insult, and robbery. He fought men who
+knew that _their_ homes (when they had any) were safe, their wives and
+children, their parents and sisters, sheltered, and their business
+affairs more than usually prosperous; who could draw sight drafts, have
+them honored, and make the camp table as bountiful and luxurious as that
+of a New York hotel. He fought a government founded by the genius of his
+fathers, which derived its strength from principles they formulated, and
+which persuaded its soldiers that they were the champions of the
+constitutional liberty which they were marching to invade, and
+eventually to destroy.
+
+The relative strength of armies becomes a matter of secondary importance
+when these facts are considered. The disparity of numbers only, would
+never have produced the result which the combination of these various
+forces did,--the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
+
+The Confederate soldier was purely patriotic. He foresaw clearly, and
+deliberately chose, the trials which he endured. He was an individual
+who could not become the indefinite portion of a mass, but fought for
+himself, on his own account. He was a self-sacrificing hero, but did not
+claim that distinction or any merit, feeling only that he was in the
+line of duty to self, country, and God. He fought for a principle, and
+needed neither driving nor urging, but was eager and determined to
+fight. He was not a politic man, but a man under fervent feeling,
+forgetful of the possibilities and calamities of war, pressing his
+claims to the rights of humanity.
+
+The Confederate soldier was a monomaniac for four years. His mania was,
+the independence of the Confederates States of America, secured by force
+of arms.
+
+The Confederate soldier was a venerable old man, a youth, a child, a
+preacher, a farmer, merchant, student, statesman, orator, father,
+brother, husband, son,--the wonder of the world, the terror of his foes!
+
+If the peace of this country can only be preserved by forgetting the
+Confederate soldier's deeds and his claims upon the South, the blessing
+is too dearly bought. We have sworn to be grateful to him. Dying, his
+head pillowed on the bosom of his mother, Virginia, he heard that his
+name would be honored.
+
+When we fill up, hurriedly, the bloody chasm opened by war, we should be
+careful that we do not bury therein many noble deeds, some tender
+memories, some grand examples, and some hearty promises washed with
+tears.
+
+The following letter, written by an aged father to his only son, then a
+mere boy, who had volunteered as an infantry soldier and was already in
+the field, is an appropriate conclusion to this chapter; showing
+admirably well the kind of inspiration which went from Southern homes to
+Southern soldiers:--
+
+   AT HOME, _July 17, 1861_.
+
+   MY DEAR SON,--It may have seemed strange to you that a
+   professing Christian father so freely gave you, a Christian son, to
+   enlist in the volunteer service. My reason was that I regarded this
+   as a _purely defensive war_. Not only did the Southern Confederacy
+   propose to adjust the pending difficulties by peaceful and equitable
+   negotiations, but Virginia used again and again the most earnest and
+   noble efforts to prevent a resort to the sword. These overtures
+   having been proudly spurned, and our beloved South having been
+   threatened with invasion and subjugation, it seemed to me that
+   nothing was left us but stern resistance, or abject submission, to
+   unconstitutional power. A brave and generous people could not for a
+   moment hesitate between such alternatives. A war in defense of our
+   homes and firesides, of our wives and children, of all that makes
+   life worth possessing, is the result. While I most deeply deplored
+   the necessity for the sacrifice, I could not but rejoice that I had a
+   son to offer to the service of the country, and if I had a dozen, _I
+   would most freely give them all_. As you are now cheerfully enduring
+   the hardships of the camp, I know you will listen to a father's
+   suggestions touching the duties of your new mode of life.
+
+   1. Take special care of your health. More soldiers die of disease
+   than in battle. A thin piece of damp sponge in the crown of your hat
+   during exposure to the hot sun, the use of thick shoes and a
+   water-proof coat in rainy weather, the practice of drinking cold
+   water when you are very warm as slowly as you sip hot tea, the
+   thorough mastication of your food, the avoiding of damp tents and
+   damp grounds during sleep, and frequent ablutions of your person are
+   all the hints I can give you on this point. Should you need anything
+   that I can supply, let me hear from you. I will do what I can to make
+   you comfortable. After all, you must learn to endure hardness as a
+   good soldier. Having never slept a single night in your whole life
+   except in a pleasant bed, and never known a scarcity of good food,
+   you doubtless find the ways of the camp rough; but never mind. The
+   war, I trust, will soon be over, and then the remembrance of your
+   hardships will sweeten the joy of peace.
+
+   2. The rules of war require prompt and unquestioning obedience. You
+   may sometimes think the command arbitrary and the officer
+   supercilious, but _it is yours to obey_. An undisciplined army is a
+   curse to its friends and a derision to its foes. Give your whole
+   influence, therefore, to the maintenance of lawful authority and of
+   strict order. Let your superiors feel assured that whatever they
+   entrust to _you_ will be faithfully done. Composed of such soldiers,
+   and led by skillful and brave commanders, our army, by the blessing
+   of God, will never be defeated. It is, moreover, engaged in a holy
+   cause, and must triumph.
+
+   3. Try to maintain your Christian profession among your comrades. I
+   need not caution you against strong drink as useless and hurtful, nor
+   against profanity, so common among soldiers. Both these practices you
+   abhor. Aim to take at once a decided stand for God. If practicable
+   have prayers regularly in your tent, or unite with your
+   fellow-disciples in prayer-meetings in the camp. Should preaching be
+   accessible, always be a hearer. Let the world know that you are a
+   Christian. Read a chapter in the New Testament, which your mother
+   gave you, every morning and evening, when you can, and engage in
+   secret prayer to God for his holy Spirit to guide and sustain you. I
+   would rather hear of your death than of the shipwreck of your faith
+   and good conscience.
+
+   4. As you will come into habitual contact with men of every grade,
+   make special associates only of those whose influence on your
+   character is felt to be good. Some men love to tell extravagant
+   stories, to indulge in vulgar wit, to exult in a swaggering carriage,
+   to pride themselves on their coarse manners, to boast of their
+   heroism, and to give utterance to feelings of revenge against the
+   enemy. All this is injurious to young and impressible minds. If you
+   admire such things, you will insensibly imitate them, and imitation
+   will work gradual but certain detriment to your character. Other men
+   are refined without being affected. They can relax into occasional
+   pleasantries without violating modesty. They can be loyal to their
+   government without indulging private hatred against her foes. They
+   can be cool and brave in battle, and not be braggarts in the absence
+   of danger. Above all, they can be humble, spiritual, and active
+   Christians, and yet mingle in the stirring and perilous duties of
+   soldier-life. Let these be your companions and models. You will thus
+   return from the dangers of camp without a blemish on your name.
+
+   5. Should it be your lot to enter into an engagement with the enemy,
+   lift up your heart in secret ejaculations to the ever-present and
+   good Being, that He will protect you from sudden death, or if you
+   fall, that He will receive your departing spirit, cleansed in the
+   blood of Jesus, into His kingdom. It is better to trust in the Lord
+   than to put confidence in princes. Commit your eternal interests,
+   therefore, to the keeping of the Almighty Saviour. You should not,
+   even in the hour of deadly conflict, cherish personal rage against
+   the enemy, any more than an officer of the law hates the victim of
+   the law. How often does a victorious army tenderly care for the dead
+   and wounded of the vanquished. War is a tremendous scourge which
+   Providence sometimes uses to chastise proud and wicked nations. Both
+   parties must suffer, even though one may get the advantage. There is
+   no occasion then for adding to the intrinsic evils of the system the
+   odious feature of animosity to individuals. In the ranks of the foe
+   are thousands of plain men who do not understand the principles for
+   which we are struggling. They are deceived by artful demagogues into
+   a posture of hostility to those whom, knowing, they would love. It is
+   against such men that you may perhaps be arrayed, and the laws of war
+   do not forbid you to pity them even in the act of destroying them. It
+   is the more important that _we_ should exhibit a proper temper in
+   this unfortunate contest, because many professed Christians and
+   ministers of the gospel at the North are breathing out, in their very
+   prayers and sermons, threatenings and slaughter against us. Oh! how
+   painful that a gray-headed pastor should publicly exclaim, "_I would
+   hang them as quick as I would shoot a mad dog!_"
+
+   6. Providence has placed you in the midst of thoughtless and
+   unpardoned men. What a beautiful thing it would be if you could win
+   some of them to the Saviour. Will you not try? You will have many
+   opportunities of saying a word in season. The sick you may comfort,
+   the wavering you may confirm, the backslidden you may reclaim, the
+   weary and heavy laden you may point to Jesus for rest to the soul. It
+   is not presumptuous for a young man kindly and meekly to commend the
+   gospel to his brother soldiers. The hardest of them will not repel a
+   gentle approach, made in private. And many of them would doubtless be
+   glad to have the subject introduced to them. They desire to hear of
+   Jesus, but they lack courage to inquire of his people. An unusually
+   large proportion of pious men have entered the army, and I trust they
+   will give a new complexion to military life. Let them search out each
+   other, and establish a fraternity among all the worshipers of God.
+   To interchange religious views and administer brotherly counsel will
+   be mutually edifying. "He that watereth shall be watered also
+   himself."
+
+   And now, as a soldier has but little leisure, I will not occupy you
+   longer. Be assured that every morning and evening we remember you, at
+   the family altar, to our Father in Heaven. We pray for "a speedy,
+   just, and honorable peace," and for the safe return of all the
+   volunteers to their loved homes. All the children speak often of
+   "brother," and hear your letters read with intense interest. That God
+   Almighty may be your shield and your exceeding great reward, is the
+   constant prayer of your loving father.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+THE OUTFIT MODIFIED.
+
+
+With the men who composed the Army of Northern Virginia will die the
+memory of those little things which made the Confederate soldier
+peculiarly what he was.
+
+The historian who essays to write the "grand movements" will hardly stop
+to tell how the hungry private fried his bacon, baked his biscuit, and
+smoked his pipe; how he was changed from time to time by the necessities
+of the service, until the gentleman, the student, the merchant, the
+mechanic, and the farmer were merged into a perfect, all-enduring,
+never-tiring and invincible soldier. To preserve these little details,
+familiar to all soldiers, and by them not thought worthy of mention to
+others, because of their familiarity, but still dear to them and always
+the substance of their "war talks," is the object of this book.
+
+The volunteer of 1861 made extensive preparations for the field. Boots,
+he thought, were an absolute necessity, and the heavier the soles and
+longer the tops the better. His pants were stuffed inside the tops of
+his boots, of course. A double-breasted coat, heavily wadded, with two
+rows of big brass buttons and a long skirt, was considered comfortable.
+A small stiff cap, with a narrow brim, took the place of the comfortable
+"felt," or the shining and towering tile worn in civil life.
+
+[Illustration: THE OUTFIT OF 1861.]
+
+Then over all was a huge overcoat, long and heavy, with a cape reaching
+nearly to the waist. On his back he strapped a knapsack containing a
+full stock of underwear, soap, towels, comb, brush, looking-glass,
+tooth-brush, paper and envelopes, pens, ink, pencils, blacking,
+photographs, smoking and chewing tobacco, pipes, twine string, and
+cotton strips for wounds and other emergencies, needles and thread,
+buttons, knife, fork, and spoon, and many other things as each man's
+idea of what he was to encounter varied. On the outside of the knapsack,
+solidly folded, were two great blankets and a rubber or oil-cloth. This
+knapsack, etc., weighed from fifteen to twenty-five pounds, sometimes
+even more. All seemed to think it was impossible to have on too many or
+too heavy clothes, or to have too many conveniences, and each had an
+idea that to be a good soldier he must be provided against every
+possible emergency.
+
+In addition to the knapsack, each man had a haversack, more or less
+costly, some of cloth and some of fine morocco, and stored with
+provisions always, as though he expected any moment to receive orders to
+march across the Great Desert, and supply his own wants on the way. A
+canteen was considered indispensable, and at the outset it was thought
+prudent to keep it full of water. Many, expecting terrific hand-to-hand
+encounters, carried revolvers, and even bowie-knives. Merino shirts (and
+flannel) were thought to be the right thing, but experience demonstrated
+the contrary. Gloves were also thought to be very necessary and good
+things to have in winter time, the favorite style being buck gauntlets
+with long cuffs.
+
+In addition to each man's private luggage, each mess, generally composed
+of from five to ten men, drawn together by similar tastes and
+associations, had _its_ outfit, consisting of a large camp chest
+containing skillet, frying pan, coffee boiler, bucket for lard, coffee
+box, salt box, sugar box, meal box, flour box, knives, forks, spoons,
+plates, cups, etc., etc. These chests were so large that eight or ten of
+them filled up an army wagon, and were so heavy that two strong men had
+all they could do to get one of them into the wagon. In addition to the
+chest each mess owned an axe, water bucket, and bread tray. Then the
+tents of each company, and little sheet-iron stoves, and stove pipe,
+and the trunks and valises of the company officers, made an immense
+pile of stuff, so that each company had a small wagon train of its own.
+
+All thought money to be absolutely necessary, and for awhile rations
+were disdained and the mess supplied with the best that could be bought
+with the mess fund. Quite a large number had a "boy" along to do the
+cooking and washing. Think of it! a Confederate soldier with a body
+servant all his own, to bring him a drink of water, black his boots,
+dust his clothes, cook his corn bread and bacon, and put wood on his
+fire. Never was there fonder admiration than these darkies displayed for
+their masters. Their chief delight and glory was to praise the courage
+and good looks of "Mahse Tom," and prophesy great things about his
+future. Many a ringing laugh and shout of fun originated in the queer
+remarks, shining countenance, and glistening teeth of this now forever
+departed character.
+
+It is amusing to think of the follies of the early part of the war, as
+illustrated by the outfits of the volunteers. They were so heavily clad,
+and so burdened with all manner of things, that a march was torture, and
+the wagon trains were so immense in proportion to the number of troops,
+that it would have been impossible to guard them in an enemy's country.
+Subordinate officers thought themselves entitled to transportation for
+trunks, mattresses, and folding bedsteads, and the privates were as
+ridiculous in their demands.
+
+Thus much by way of introduction. The change came rapidly, and stayed
+not until the transformation was complete. Nor was this change
+attributable alone to the orders of the general officers. The men soon
+learned the inconvenience and danger of so much luggage, and, as they
+became more experienced, they vied with each other in reducing
+themselves to light-marching trim.
+
+Experience soon demonstrated that boots were not agreeable on a long
+march. They were heavy and irksome, and when the heels were worn a
+little one-sided, the wearer would find his ankle twisted nearly out of
+joint by every unevenness of the road. When thoroughly wet, it was a
+laborious undertaking to get them off, and worse to get them on in time
+to answer the morning roll-call. And so, good, strong brogues or
+brogans, with broad bottoms and big, flat heels, succeeded the boots,
+and were found much more comfortable and agreeable, easier put on and
+off, and altogether the more sensible.
+
+A short-waisted and single-breasted jacket usurped the place of the
+long-tailed coat, and became universal. The enemy noticed this
+peculiarity, and called the Confederates gray jackets, which name was
+immediately transferred to those lively creatures which were the
+constant admirers and inseparable companions of the Boys in Gray and in
+Blue.
+
+Caps were destined to hold out longer than some other uncomfortable
+things, but they finally yielded to the demands of comfort and common
+sense, and a good soft felt hat was worn instead. A man who has never
+been a soldier does not know, nor indeed can know, the amount of comfort
+there is in a good soft hat in camp, and how utterly useless is a
+"soldier hat" as they are generally made. Why the Prussians, with all
+their experience, wear their heavy, unyielding helmets, and the French
+their little caps, is a mystery to a Confederate who has enjoyed the
+comfort of an old slouch.
+
+Overcoats an inexperienced man would think an absolute necessity for men
+exposed to the rigors of a northern Virginia winter, but they grew
+scarcer and scarcer; they were found to be a great inconvenience. The
+men came to the conclusion that the trouble of carrying them on hot days
+outweighed the comfort of having them when the cold day arrived. Besides
+they found that life in the open air hardened them to such an extent
+that changes in the temperature were not felt to any degree. Some clung
+to their overcoats to the last, but the majority got tired lugging them
+around, and either discarded them altogether, or trusted to capturing
+one about the time it would be needed. Nearly every overcoat in the army
+in the latter years was one of Uncle Sam's captured from his boys.
+
+The knapsack vanished early in the struggle. It was inconvenient to
+"change" the underwear too often, and the disposition not to change
+grew, as the knapsack was found to gall the back and shoulders, and
+weary the man before half the march was accomplished. The better way was
+to dress out and out, and wear that outfit until the enemy's knapsacks,
+or the folks at home supplied a change. Certainly it did not pay to
+carry around clean clothes while waiting for the time to use them.
+
+Very little washing was done, as a matter of course. Clothes once given
+up were parted with forever. There were good reasons for this: cold
+water would not cleanse them or destroy the vermin, and hot water was
+not always to be had. One blanket to each man was found to be as much as
+could be carried, and amply sufficient for the severest weather. This
+was carried generally by rolling it lengthwise, with the rubber cloth
+outside, tying the ends of the roll together, and throwing the loop thus
+made over the left shoulder with the ends fastened together hanging
+under the right arm.
+
+The haversack held its own to the last, and was found practical and
+useful. It very seldom, however, contained rations, but was used to
+carry all the articles generally carried in the knapsack; of course the
+stock was small. Somehow or other, many men managed to do without the
+haversack, and carried absolutely nothing but what they wore and had in
+their pockets.
+
+The infantry threw away their heavy cap boxes and cartridge boxes, and
+carried their caps and cartridges in their pockets. Canteens were very
+useful at times, but they were as a general thing discarded. They were
+not much used to carry water, but were found useful when the men were
+driven to the necessity of foraging, for conveying buttermilk, cider,
+sorghum, etc., to camp. A good strong tin cup was found better than a
+canteen, as it was easier to fill at a well or spring, and was
+serviceable as a boiler for making coffee when the column halted for the
+night.
+
+Revolvers were found to be about as useless and heavy lumber as a
+private soldier could carry, and early in the war were sent home to be
+used by the women and children in protecting themselves from insult and
+violence at the hands of the ruffians who prowled about the country
+shirking duty.
+
+Strong cotton was adopted in place of flannel and merino, for two
+reasons: first, because easier to wash; and second, because the vermin
+did not propagate so rapidly in cotton as in wool. Common white cotton
+shirts and drawers proved the best that could be used by the private
+soldier.
+
+Gloves to any but a mounted man were found useless, worse than useless.
+With the gloves on, it was impossible to handle an axe, buckle harness,
+load a musket, or handle a rammer at the piece. Wearing them was found
+to be simply a habit, and so, on the principle that the less luggage the
+less labor, _they_ were discarded.
+
+The camp-chest soon vanished. The brigadiers and major-generals, even,
+found them too troublesome, and soon they were left entirely to the
+quartermasters and commissaries. One skillet and a couple of frying
+pans, a bag for flour or meal, another bag for salt, sugar, and coffee,
+divided by a knot tied between, served the purpose as well. The skillet
+passed from mess to mess. Each mess generally owned a frying pan, but
+often one served a company. The oil-cloth was found to be as good as the
+wooden tray for making up the dough. The water bucket held its own to
+the last!
+
+Tents were _rarely seen_. All the poetry about the "_tented field_"
+died. Two men slept together, each having a blanket and an oil-cloth;
+one oil-cloth went next to the ground. The two laid on this, covered
+themselves with two blankets, protected from the rain with the second
+oil-cloth on top, and slept very comfortably through rain, snow or hail,
+as it might be.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Very little money was seen in camp. The men did not expect, did not care
+for, or often get any pay, and they were not willing to deprive the old
+folks at home of their little supply, so they learned to do without any
+money.
+
+When rations got short and were getting shorter, it became necessary to
+dismiss the darkey servants. Some, however, became company servants,
+instead of private institutions, and held out faithfully to the end,
+cooking the rations away in the rear, and at the risk of life carrying
+them to the line of battle to their "young mahsters."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Reduced to the minimum, the private soldier consisted of one man, one
+hat, one jacket, one shirt, one pair of pants, one pair of drawers, one
+pair of shoes, and one pair of socks. His baggage was one blanket, one
+rubber blanket, and one haversack. The haversack generally contained
+smoking tobacco and a pipe, and a small piece of soap, with temporary
+additions of apples, persimmons, blackberries, and such other
+commodities as he could pick up on the march.
+
+The company property consisted of two or three skillets and frying pans,
+which were sometimes carried in the wagon, but oftener in the hands of
+the soldiers. The infantrymen generally preferred to stick the handle of
+the frying pan in the barrel of a musket, and so carry it.
+
+The wagon trains were devoted entirely to the transportation of
+ammunition and commissary and quartermaster's stores, which had not been
+issued. Rations which had become company property, and the baggage of
+the men, when they had any, was carried by the men themselves. If, as
+was sometimes the case, three days' rations were issued at one time and
+the troops ordered to cook them, and be prepared to march, they did cook
+them, _and eat them if possible_, so as to avoid the labor of carrying
+them. It was not such an undertaking either, to eat three days' rations
+in one, as frequently none had been issued for more than a day, and when
+issued were cut down one half.
+
+The infantry found out that bayonets were not of much use, and did not
+hesitate to throw them, with the scabbard, away.
+
+The artillerymen, who started out with heavy sabres hanging to their
+belts, stuck them up in the mud as they marched, and left them for the
+ordnance officers to pick up and turn over to the cavalry.
+
+The cavalrymen found sabres very tiresome when swung to the belt, and
+adopted the plan of fastening them to the saddle on the left side, with
+the hilt in front and in reach of the hand. Finally sabres got very
+scarce even among the cavalrymen, who relied more and more on their
+short rifles.
+
+No soldiers ever marched with less to encumber them, and none marched
+faster or held out longer.
+
+The courage and devotion of the men rose equal to every hardship and
+privation, and the very intensity of their sufferings became a source of
+merriment. Instead of growling and deserting, they laughed at their own
+bare feet, ragged clothes and pinched faces; and weak, hungry, cold,
+wet, worried with vermin and itch, dirty, with no hope of reward or
+rest, marched cheerfully to meet the well-fed and warmly clad hosts of
+the enemy.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+ROMANTIC IDEAS DISSIPATED.
+
+
+To offer a man promotion in the early part of the war was equivalent to
+an insult. The higher the social position, the greater the wealth, the
+more patriotic it would be to serve in the humble position of a private;
+and many men of education and ability in the various professions,
+refusing promotion, served under the command of men greatly their
+inferiors, mentally, morally, and as soldiers. It soon became apparent
+that the country wanted knowledge and ability, as well as muscle and
+endurance, and those who had capacity to serve in higher positions were
+promoted. Still it remained true that inferior men commanded their
+superiors in every respect, save one--rank; and leaving out the one
+difference of rank, the officers and men were about on a par.
+
+It took years to teach the educated privates in the army that it was
+their duty to give unquestioning obedience to officers because they were
+such, who were awhile ago their playmates and associates in business. It
+frequently happened that the private, feeling hurt by the stern
+authority of the officer, would ask him to one side, challenge him to
+personal combat, and thrash him well. After awhile these privates
+learned all about extra duty, half rations, and courts-martial.
+
+It was only to conquer this independent resistance of discipline that
+punishment or force was necessary. The privates were as willing and
+anxious to fight and serve as the officers, and needed no pushing up to
+their duty. It is amusing to recall the disgust with which the men would
+hear of their assignment to the rear as reserves. They regarded the
+order as a deliberate insult, planned by some officer who had a grudge
+against their regiment or battery, who had adopted this plan to prevent
+their presence in battle, and thus humiliate them. How soon did they
+learn the sweetness of a day's repose in the rear!
+
+Another romantic notion which for awhile possessed the boys was that
+soldiers should not try to be comfortable, but glory in getting wet,
+being cold, hungry, and tired. So they refused shelter in houses or
+barns, and "like true soldiers" paddled about in the mud and rain,
+thinking thereby to serve their country better. The real troubles had
+not come, and they were in a hurry to suffer some. They had not long
+thus impatiently to wait, nor could they latterly complain of the want
+of a chance "to do or die." Volunteering for perilous or very onerous
+duty was popular at the outset, but as duties of this kind thickened it
+began to be thought time enough when the "orders" were peremptory, or
+the orderly read the "detail."
+
+Another fancy idea was that the principal occupation of a soldier should
+be actual conflict with the enemy. They didn't dream of such a thing as
+camping for six months at a time without firing a gun, or marching and
+countermarching to mislead the enemy, or driving wagons and ambulances,
+building bridges, currying horses, and the thousand commonplace duties
+of the soldier.
+
+On the other hand, great importance was attached to some duties which
+soon became mere drudgery. Sometimes the whole detail for guard--first,
+second, and third relief--would make it a point of honor to sit up the
+entire night, and watch and listen as though the enemy might pounce upon
+them at any moment, and hurry them off to prison. Of course they soon
+learned how sweet it was, after two hours' walking of the beat, to turn
+in for _four hours_! which seemed to the sleepy man an eternity in
+anticipation, but only a brief time in retrospect, when the corporal
+gave him a "chunk," and remarked, "Time to go on guard."
+
+[Illustration: FALL IN HERE THIRD RELIEF!]
+
+Everybody remembers how we used to talk about "one Confederate whipping
+a dozen Yankees." Literally true sometimes, but, generally speaking, two
+to one made hard work for the boys. They didn't know at the beginning
+anything about the advantage the enemy had in being able to present man
+for man in front and then send as many more to worry the flanks and
+rear. They learned something about this very soon, and had to contend
+against it on almost every field they won.
+
+Wounds were in great demand after the first wounded hero made his
+appearance. His wound was the envy of thousands of unfortunates who had
+not so much as a scratch to boast, and who felt "small" and of little
+consequence before the man with a bloody bandage. Many became despondent
+and groaned as they thought that perchance after all they were doomed to
+go home safe and sound, and hear, for all time, the praises of the
+fellow who had lost his arm by a cannon shot, or had his face ripped by
+a sabre, or his head smashed with a fragment of shell. After awhile the
+wound was regarded as a practical benefit. It secured a furlough of
+indefinite length, good eating, the attention and admiration of the
+fair, and, if permanently disabling, a discharge. Wisdom, born of
+experience, soon taught all hands better sense, and the fences and trees
+and ditches and rocks became valuable, and eagerly sought after when
+"the music" of "minie" and the roar of the "Napoleon" twelve-pounders
+was heard. Death on the field, glorious first and last, was dared for
+duty's sake, but the good soldier learned to guard his life, and yield
+it only at the call of duty.
+
+Only the wisest men, those who had seen war before, imagined that the
+war would last more than a few months. The young volunteers thought one
+good battle would settle the whole matter; and, indeed, after "first
+Manassas" many thought they might as well go home! The whole North was
+frightened, and no more armies would dare assail the soil of Old
+Virginia. Colonels and brigadiers, with flesh wounds not worthy of
+notice, rushed to Richmond to report the victory and the end of the war!
+They had "seen sights" in the way of wounded and killed, plunder, etc.,
+and according to their views, no sane people would try again to conquer
+the heroes of that remarkable day.
+
+The newspaper men delighted in telling the soldiers that the Yankees
+were a diminutive race, of feeble constitution, timid as hares, with no
+enthusiasm, and that they would perish in short order under the glow of
+our southern sun. Any one who has seen a regiment from Ohio or Maine
+knows how true these statements were. And besides, the newspapers did
+not mention the English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swiss,
+Portuguese, and negroes, who were to swell the numbers of the enemy, and
+as our army grew less make his larger. True, there was not much fight in
+all this rubbish, but they answered well enough for drivers of wagons
+and ambulances, guarding stores and lines of communication, and doing
+all sorts of duty, while the good material was doing the fighting.
+Sherman's army, marching through Richmond after the surrender of Lee and
+Johnston, seemed to be composed of a race of giants, well-fed and
+well-clad.
+
+[Illustration: AN EARLY HERO. 1861.]
+
+Many feared the war would end before they would have a fair chance to
+"make a record," and that when "the cruel war was over" they would have
+to sit by, dumb, and hear the more fortunate ones, who had "smelt the
+battle," tell to admiring home circles the story of the bloody field.
+Most of these "got in" in time to satisfy their longings, and "got out"
+to learn that the man who did not go, but "kept out," and made money,
+was more admired and courted than the "poor fellow" with one leg or arm
+less than is "allowed."
+
+It is fortunate for those who "skulked" that the war ended as it did,
+for had the South been successful, the soldiers would have been favored
+with every mark of distinction and honor, and they "despised and
+rejected," as they deserved to be. While the war lasted it was the
+delight of some of the stoutly built fellows to go home for a few days,
+and kick and cuff and tongue-lash the able-bodied bomb-proofs. How
+coolly and submissively they took it all! How "big" they are now!
+
+The rubbish accumulated by the hope of recognition burdened the soldiers
+nearly to the end. England was to abolish the blockade and send us
+immense supplies of fine arms, large and small. France was thinking
+about landing an imperial force in Mexico, and marching thence to the
+relief of the South. But the "Confederate yell" never had an echo in the
+"Marseillaise," or "God save the Queen;" and Old Dixie was destined to
+sing her own song, without the help even of "Maryland, my Maryland." The
+"war with England," which was to give Uncle Sam trouble and the South an
+ally, never came.
+
+Those immense balloons which somebody was always inventing, and which
+were to sail over the enemy's camps dropping whole cargoes of
+explosives, never "tugged" at their anchors, or "sailed majestically
+away."
+
+As discipline improved and the men began to feel that they were no
+longer simply volunteers, but _enlisted volunteers_, the romantic
+devotion which they had felt was succeeded by a feeling of constraint
+and necessity, and while the army was in reality very much improved and
+strengthened by the change, the soldiers imagined the contrary to be the
+case. And if discipline had been pushed to too great an extent, the army
+would have been deprived of the very essence of its life and power.
+
+When the officers began to assert superiority by withdrawing from the
+messes and organizing "officers' messes," the bond of brotherhood was
+weakened; and who will say that the dignity which was thus maintained
+was compensation for the loss of personal devotion as between comrades?
+
+At the outset, the fact that men were in the same company put them
+somewhat on the same level, and produced an almost perfect bond of
+sympathy; but as time wore on, the various peculiarities and weaknesses
+of the men showed themselves, and each company, as a community,
+separated into distinct circles, as indifferent to each other, save in
+the common cause, as though they had never met as friends.
+
+The pride of the volunteers was sorely tried by the incoming of
+conscripts,--the most despised class in the army,--and their devotion to
+company and regiment was visibly lessened. They could not bear the
+thought of having these men for comrades, and felt the flag insulted
+when claimed by one of them as "his flag." It was a great source of
+annoyance to the true men, but was a necessity. Conscripts crowded
+together in companies, regiments, and brigades would have been useless,
+but scattered here and there among the good men, were utilized. And so,
+gradually, the pleasure that men had in being associated with others
+whom they respected as equals was taken away, and the social aspect of
+army life seriously marred.
+
+The next serious blow to romance was the abolishment of elections, and
+the appointment of officers. Instead of the privilege and pleasure of
+picking out some good-hearted, brave comrade and making him captain, the
+lieutenant was promoted without the consent of the men, or, what was
+harder to bear, some officer hitherto unknown was sent to take command.
+This was no doubt better for the service, but it had a serious effect on
+the minds of volunteer patriot soldiers, and looked to them too much
+like arbitrary power exercised over men who were fighting that very
+principle. They frequently had to acknowledge, however, that the
+officers were all they could ask, and in many instances became devotedly
+attached to them.
+
+As the companies were decimated by disease, wounds, desertions, and
+death, it became necessary to consolidate them, and the social pleasures
+received another blow. Men from the same neighborhoods and villages, who
+had been schoolmates together, were no longer in companies, but mingled
+indiscriminately with all sorts of men from anywhere and everywhere.
+
+Those who have not served in the army as privates can form no idea of
+the extent to which such changes as those just mentioned affect the
+spirits and general worth of a soldier. Men who, when surrounded by
+their old companions, were brave and daring soldiers, full of spirit and
+hope, when thrust among strangers for whom they cared not, and who cared
+not for them, became dull and listless, lost their courage, and were
+slowly but surely "demoralized." They did, it is true, in many cases,
+stand up to the last, but they did it on dry principle, having none of
+that enthusiasm and delight in duty which once characterized them.
+
+The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight,
+but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp
+or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their
+own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought
+best. The officers saw the necessity for doing otherwise, and so the
+conflict was commenced and maintained to the end.
+
+It is doubtful whether the Southern soldier would have submitted to any
+hardships which were purely the result of discipline, and, on the other
+hand, no amount of hardship, clearly of necessity, could cool his ardor.
+And in spite of all this antagonism between the officers and men, the
+presence of conscripts, the consolidation of commands, and many other
+discouraging facts, the privates in the ranks so conducted themselves
+that the historians of the North were forced to call them the finest
+body of infantry ever assembled.
+
+But to know the men, we must see them divested of all their false
+notions of soldier life, and enduring the incomparable hardships which
+marked the latter half of the war.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+ON THE MARCH.
+
+
+It is a common mistake of those who write on subjects familiar to
+themselves, to omit the details, which, to one not so conversant with
+the matters discussed, are necessary to a clear appreciation of the
+meaning of the writer. This mistake is fatal when the writer lives and
+writes in one age and his readers live in another. And so a soldier,
+writing for the information of the citizen, should forget his own
+familiarity with the every-day scenes of soldier life and strive to
+record even those things which seem to him too common to mention.
+
+Who does not know all about the marching of soldiers? Those who have
+never marched with them and some who have. The varied experience of
+thousands would not tell the whole story of the march. Every man must be
+heard before the story is told, and even then the part of those who fell
+by the way is wanting.
+
+Orders to move! Where? when? what for?--are the eager questions of the
+men as they begin their preparations to march. Generally nobody can
+answer, and the journey is commenced in utter ignorance of where it is
+to end. But shrewd guesses are made, and scraps of information will be
+picked up on the way. The main thought must be to "get ready to move."
+The orderly sergeant is shouting "Fall in!" and there is no time to
+lose. The probability is that before you get your blanket rolled up,
+find your frying pan, haversack, axe, etc., and "fall in," the roll-call
+will be over, and some "extra duty" provided.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+No wonder there is bustle in the camp. Rapid decisions are to be made
+between the various conveniences which have accumulated, for some must
+be left. One fellow picks up the skillet, holds it awhile, mentally
+determining how much it weighs, and what will be the weight of it after
+carrying it five miles, and reluctantly, with a half-ashamed, sly look,
+drops it and takes his place in ranks. Another having added to his store
+of blankets too freely, now has to decide which of the two or three he
+will leave. The old water-bucket looks large and heavy, but one
+stout-hearted, strong-armed man has taken it affectionately to his care.
+
+This is the time to say farewell to the breadtray, farewell to the
+little piles of clean straw laid between two logs, where it was so easy
+to sleep; farewell to those piles of wood, cut with so much labor;
+farewell to the girls in the neighborhood; farewell to the spring,
+farewell to "our tree" and "our fire," good-by to the fellows who are
+not going, and a general good-by to the very hills and valleys.
+
+Soldiers commonly threw away the most valuable articles they possessed.
+Blankets, overcoats, shoes, bread and meat,--all gave way to the
+necessities of the march; and what one man threw away would frequently
+be the very article that another wanted and would immediately pick up;
+so there was not much lost after all.
+
+The first hour or so of the march was generally quite orderly, the men
+preserving their places in ranks and marching in solid column; but soon
+some lively fellow whistles an air, somebody else starts a song, the
+whole column breaks out with roars of laughter; "route step" takes the
+place of order, and the jolly singing, laughing, talking, and joking
+that follows no one could describe.
+
+Now let any young officer who sports a new hat, coat, saddle, or
+anything odd, or fine, dare to pass along, and how nicely he is attended
+to. The expressions of good-natured fun, or contempt, which one regiment
+of infantry was capable of uttering in a day for the benefit of such
+passers-by, would fill a volume. As one thing or another in the dress of
+the "subject" of their remarks attracted attention, they would shout,
+"Come out of that hat!--you can't hide in thar!" "Come out of that coat,
+come out--there's a man in it!" "Come out of them boots!" The infantry
+seemed to know exactly what to say to torment cavalry and artillery, and
+generally said it. If any one on the roadside was simple enough to
+recognize and address by name a man in the ranks, the whole column would
+kindly respond, and add all sorts of pleasant remarks, such as, "Halloa,
+John, here's your brother!" "Bill! oh, Bill! here's your ma!" "Glad to
+see you! How's your grandma?" "How d 'ye do!" "Come out of that 'biled
+shirt'!"
+
+Troops on the march were generally so cheerful and gay that an outsider,
+looking on them as they marched, would hardly imagine how they suffered.
+In summer time, the dust, combined with the heat, caused great
+suffering. The nostrils of the men, filled with dust, became dry and
+feverish, and even the throat did not escape. The "grit" was felt
+between the teeth, and the eyes were rendered almost useless. There was
+dust in eyes, mouth, ears, and hair. The shoes were full of sand, and
+the dust, penetrating the clothes, and getting in at the neck, wrists,
+and ankles, mixed with perspiration, produced an irritant almost as
+active as cantharides. The heat was at times terrific, but the men
+became greatly accustomed to it, and endured it with wonderful ease.
+Their heavy woolen clothes were a great annoyance; tough linen or cotton
+clothes would have been a great relief; indeed, there are many
+objections to woolen clothing for soldiers, even in winter. The sun
+produced great changes in the appearance of the men: their skins, tanned
+to a dark brown or red, their hands black almost, and long uncut beard
+and hair, burned to a strange color, made them barely recognizable to
+the home folks.
+
+If the dust and the heat were not on hand to annoy, their very able
+substitutes were: mud, cold, rain, snow, hail and wind took their
+places. Rain was the greatest discomfort a soldier could have; it was
+more uncomfortable than the severest cold with clear weather. Wet
+clothes, shoes, and blankets; wet meat and bread; wet feet and wet
+ground; wet wood to burn, or rather not to burn; wet arms and
+ammunition; wet ground to sleep on, mud to wade through, swollen creeks
+to ford, muddy springs, and a thousand other discomforts attended the
+rain. There was no comfort on a rainy day or night except in
+"bed,"--that is, under your blanket and oil-cloth. Cold winds, blowing
+the rain in the faces of the men, increased the discomfort. Mud was
+often so deep as to submerge the horses and mules, and at times it was
+necessary for one man or more to extricate another from the mud holes in
+the road. Night marching was attended with additional discomforts and
+dangers, such as falling off bridges, stumbling into ditches, tearing
+the face and injuring the eyes against the bushes and projecting limbs
+of trees, and getting separated from your own company and hopelessly
+lost in the multitude. Of course, a man lost had no sympathy. If he
+dared to ask a question, every man in hearing would answer, each
+differently, and then the whole multitude would roar with laughter at
+the lost man, and ask him "if his mother knew he was out?"
+
+Very few men had comfortable or fitting shoes, and fewer had socks, and,
+as a consequence, the suffering from bruised and inflamed feet was
+terrible. It was a common practice, on long marches, for the men to take
+off their shoes and carry them in their hands or swung over the
+shoulder. Bloody footprints in the snow were not unknown to the soldiers
+of the Army of Northern Virginia!
+
+When large bodies of troops were moving on the same road, the alternate
+"halt" and "forward" was very harassing. Every obstacle produced a halt,
+and caused the men at once to sit and lie down on the roadside where
+shade or grass tempted them; about the time they got fixed they would
+hear the word "forward!" and then have to move at increased speed to
+close up the gap in the column. Sitting down for a few minutes on a long
+march is pleasant, but it does not always pay; when the march is resumed
+the limbs are stiff and sore, and the man rather worsted by the halt.
+
+About noon on a hot day, some fellow with the water instinct would
+determine in his own mind that a well was not far ahead, and start off
+in a trot to reach it before the column. Of course another and another
+followed, till a stream of men were hurrying to the well, which was soon
+completely surrounded by a thirsty mob, yelling and pushing and pulling
+to get to the bucket as the windlass brought it again and again to the
+surface. But their impatience and haste would soon overturn the
+windlass, and spatter the water all around the well till the whole crowd
+were wading in mud, the rope would break, and the bucket fall to the
+bottom. But there was a substitute for rope and bucket. The men would
+hasten away and get long, slim poles, and on them tie, by the straps a
+number of canteens, which they lowered into the well and filled; and
+unless, as was frequently the case, the whole lot slipped off and fell
+to the bottom, drew them to the top and distributed them to their
+owners, who at once threw their heads back, inserted the nozzles in
+their mouths and drank the last drop, hastening at once to rejoin the
+marching column, leaving behind them a dismantled and dry well. It was
+in vain that the officers tried to stop the stream of men making for the
+water, and equally vain to attempt to move the crowd while a drop
+remained accessible. Many, who were thoughtful, carried full canteens to
+comrades in the column, who had not been able to get to the well; and no
+one who has not had experience of it knows the thrill of gratification
+and delight which those fellows felt when the cool stream gurgled from
+the battered canteen down their parched throats.
+
+[Illustration: A WELL]
+
+In very hot weather, when the necessities of the service permitted,
+there was a halt about noon, of an hour or so, to rest the men and give
+them a chance to cool off and get the sand and gravel out of their
+shoes. This time was spent by some in absolute repose; but the lively
+boys told many a yarn, cracked many a joke, and sung many a song between
+"Halt" and "Column forward!" Some took the opportunity, if water was
+near, to bathe their feet, hands, and face, and nothing could be more
+enjoyable.
+
+The passage of a cider cart (a barrel on wheels) was a rare and exciting
+occurrence. The rapidity with which a barrel of sweet cider was
+consumed would astonish any one who saw it for the first time, and
+generally the owner had cause to wonder at the small return in cash.
+Sometimes a desperately enterprising darkey would approach the column
+with a cartload of pies, "so-called." It would be impossible to describe
+accurately the taste or appearance of those pies. They were generally
+similar in appearance, size, and thickness to a pale specimen of "Old
+Virginia" buckwheat cakes, and had a taste which resembled a combination
+of rancid lard and crab apples. It was generally supposed that they
+contained dried apples, and the sellers were careful to state that they
+had "sugar in 'em" and were "mighty nice." It was rarely the case that
+any "trace" of sugar was found, but they filled up a hungry man
+wonderfully.
+
+Men of sense, and there were many such in the ranks, were necessarily
+desirous of knowing where or how far they were to march, and suffered
+greatly from a feeling of helpless ignorance of where they were and
+whither bound--whether to battle or camp. Frequently, when anticipating
+the quiet and rest of an ideal camp, they were thrown, weary and
+exhausted, into the face of a waiting enemy, and at times, after
+anticipating a sharp fight, having formed line of battle and braced
+themselves for the coming danger, suffered all the apprehension and got
+themselves in good fighting trim, they were marched off in the driest
+and prosiest sort of style and ordered into camp, where, in all
+probability, they had to "wait for the wagon," and for the bread and
+meat therein, until the proverb, "Patient waiting is no loss," lost all
+its force and beauty.
+
+Occasionally, when the column extended for a mile or more, and the road
+was one dense moving mass of men, a cheer would be heard away
+ahead,--increasing in volume as it approached, until there was one
+universal shout. Then some favorite general officer, dashing by,
+followed by his staff, would explain the cause. At other times, the same
+cheering and enthusiasm would result from the passage down the column of
+some obscure and despised officer, who knew it was all a joke, and
+looked mean and sheepish accordingly. But no _man_ could produce more
+prolonged or hearty cheers than the "old hare" which jumped the fence
+and invited the column to a chase; and often it was said, when the
+rolling shout arose: "There goes old General Lee or a Molly Cotton
+Tail!"
+
+The men would help each other when in real distress, but their delight
+was to torment any one who was unfortunate in a ridiculous way. If, for
+instance, a piece of artillery was fast in the mud, the infantry and
+cavalry passing around the obstruction would rack their brains for words
+and phrases applicable to the situation, and most calculated to worry
+the cannoniers, who, waist deep in the mud, were tugging at the wheels.
+
+Brass bands, at first quite numerous and good, became very rare and
+their music very poor in the latter years of the war. It was a fine
+thing to see the fellows trying to keep the music going as they waded
+through the mud. But poor as the music was, it helped the footsore and
+weary to make another mile, and encouraged a cheer and a brisker step
+from the lagging and tired column.
+
+As the men tired, there was less and less talking, until the whole mass
+became quiet and serious. Each man was occupied with his own thoughts.
+For miles nothing could be heard but the steady tramp of the men, the
+rattling and jingling of canteens and accoutrements, and the occasional
+"Close up, men,--close up!" of the officers.
+
+The most refreshing incidents of the march occurred when the column
+entered some clean and cosy village where the people loved the troops.
+Matron and maid vied with each other in their efforts to express their
+devotion to the defenders of their cause. Remembering with tearful eyes
+the absent soldier brother or husband, they yet smiled through their
+tears, and with hearts and voices welcomed the coming of the
+road-stained troops. Their scanty larders poured out the last morsel,
+and their bravest words were spoken, as the column moved by. But who
+will tell the bitterness of the lot of the man who thus passed by his
+own sweet home, or the anguish of the mother as she renewed her farewell
+to her darling boy? Then it was that men and women learned to long for
+the country where partings are no more.
+
+As evening came on, questioning of the officers was in order, and for an
+hour it would be, "Captain, when are we going into camp?" "I say,
+lieutenant, are we going to ---- or to ----?" "Seen anything of our
+wagon?" "How long are we to stay here?" "Where's the spring?" Sometimes
+these questions were meant simply to tease, but generally they betrayed
+anxiety of some sort, and a close observer would easily detect the
+seriousness of the man who asked after "our wagon," because he spoke
+feelingly, as one who wanted his supper and was in doubt as to whether
+or not he would get it. People who live on country roads rarely know how
+far it is from anywhere to anywhere else. This is a distinguishing
+peculiarity of that class of people. If they do know, then they are a
+malicious crew. "Just over the hill there," "Just beyond those woods,"
+"'Bout a mile," "Round the bend," and other such encouraging replies,
+mean anything from a mile to a day's march!
+
+An accomplished straggler could assume more misery, look more horribly
+emaciated, tell more dismal stories of distress, eat more and march
+further (to the rear), than any ten ordinary men. Most stragglers were
+real sufferers, but many of them were ingenious liars, energetic
+foragers, plunder hunters and gormandizers. Thousands who kept their
+place in ranks to the very end were equally as tired, as sick, as
+hungry, and as hopeless, as these scamps, but too proud to tell it or
+use it as a means of escape from hardship. But many a poor fellow
+dropped in the road and breathed his last in the corner of a fence, with
+no one to hear his last fond mention of his loved ones. And many whose
+ambition it was to share every danger and discomfort with their
+comrades, overcome by the heat, or worn out with disease, were compelled
+to leave the ranks, and while friend and brother marched to battle, drag
+their weak and staggering frames to the rear, perhaps to die pitiably
+alone, in some hospital.
+
+[Illustration: AN ACCOMPLISHED STRAGGLER.]
+
+After all, the march had more pleasure than pain. Chosen friends walked
+and talked and smoked together; the hills and valleys made themselves a
+panorama for the feasting of the soldiers' eyes; a turnip patch here and
+an onion patch there invited him to occasional refreshment; and it was
+sweet to think that "camp" was near at hand, and rest, and the journey
+almost ended.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+COOKING AND EATING.
+
+
+Rations in the Army of Northern Virginia were alternately superabundant
+and altogether wanting. The quality, quantity, and frequency of them
+depended upon the amount of stores in the hands of the commissaries, the
+relative position of the troops and the wagon trains, and the many
+accidents and mishaps of the campaign. During the latter years and
+months of the war, so uncertain was the issue as to time, quantity, and
+composition, that the men became in large measure independent of this
+seeming absolute necessity, and by some mysterious means, known only to
+purely patriotic soldiers, learned to fight without pay and to find
+subsistence in the field, the stream, or the forest, and a shelter on
+the bleak mountain side.
+
+Sometimes there was an abundant issue of bread, and no meat; then meat
+in any quantity, and no flour or meal; sugar in abundance, and no coffee
+to be had for "love or money;" and then coffee in plenty, without a
+grain of sugar; for months nothing but flour for bread, and then
+nothing but meal (till all hands longed for a biscuit); or fresh meat
+until it was nauseating, and then salt-pork without intermission.
+
+[Illustration: THE COOK'S PREROGATIVES INVADED.]
+
+To be one day without anything to eat was common. Two days' fasting,
+marching and fighting was not uncommon, and there were times when no
+rations were issued for three or four days. On one march, from
+Petersburg to Appomattox, no rations were issued to Cutshaw's battalion
+of artillery for one entire week, and the men subsisted on the corn
+intended for the battery horses, raw bacon captured from the enemy, and
+the water of springs, creeks, and rivers.
+
+A soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia was fortunate when he had his
+flour, meat, sugar, and coffee all at the same time and in proper
+quantity. Having these, the most skillful axeman of the mess hewed down
+a fine hickory or oak, and cut it into "lengths." All hands helped to
+"tote" it to the fire. When wood was convenient, the fire was large, the
+red coals abundant, and the meal soon prepared.
+
+The man most gifted in the use of the skillet was the one most highly
+appreciated about the fire, and as tyrannical as a Turk; but when he
+raised the lid of the oven and exposed the brown-crusted tops of the
+biscuit, animosity subsided. The frying-pan, full of "grease," then
+became the centre of attraction. As the hollow-cheeked boy "sopped" his
+biscuit, his poor, pinched countenance wrinkled into a smile, and his
+sunken eyes glistened with delight. And the coffee, too,--how delicious
+the aroma of it, and how readily each man disposed of a quart! The
+strong men gathered round, chuckling at their good luck, and "cooing"
+like a child with a big piece of cake. Ah, this was a sight which but
+few of those who live and die are permitted to see!
+
+And now the last biscuit is gone, the last drop of coffee, and the
+frying-pan is "wiped" clean. The tobacco-bag is pulled wide open, pipes
+are scraped, knocked out, and filled, the red coal is applied, and the
+blue smoke rises in wreaths and curls from the mouths of the no longer
+hungry, but happy and contented soldiers. Songs rise on the still night
+air, the merry laugh resounds, the woods are bright with the rising
+flame of the fire, story after story is told, song after song is sung,
+and at midnight the soldiers steal away one by one to their blankets on
+the ground, and sleep till reveille. Such was a meal when the mess was
+fortunate.
+
+How different when the wagons have not been heard from for forty-eight
+hours. Now the question is, how to do the largest amount of good to the
+largest number with the smallest amount of material? The most
+experienced men discuss the situation and decide that "somebody" must go
+foraging. Though the stock on hand is small, no one seems anxious to
+leave the small certainty and go in search of the large uncertainty of
+supper from some farmer's well-filled table; but at last several
+comrades start out, and as they disappear the preparations for immediate
+consumption commence. The meat is too little to cook alone, and the
+flour will scarcely make six biscuits. The result is that "slosh" or
+"coosh" must do. So the bacon is fried out till the pan is half full of
+boiling grease. The flour is mixed with water until it flows like milk,
+poured into the grease and rapidly stirred till the whole is a dirty
+brown mixture. It is now ready to be served. Perhaps some dainty fellow
+prefers the more imposing "slapjack." If so, the flour is mixed with
+less water, the grease reduced, and the paste poured in till it covers
+the bottom of the pan, and, when brown on the underside, is, by a nimble
+twist of the pan, turned and browned again. If there is any sugar in
+camp it makes a delicious addition.
+
+About the time the last scrap of "slapjack" and the last spoonful of
+"slosh" are disposed of, the unhappy foragers return. They take in the
+situation at a glance, realize with painful distinctness that they have
+sacrificed the homely slosh for the vain expectancy of apple butter,
+shortcake, and milk, and, with woeful countenance and mournful voice,
+narrate their adventure and disappointment thus: "Well, boys, we have
+done the best we could. We have walked about nine miles over the
+mountain, and haven't found a mouthful to eat. Sorry, but it's a fact.
+Give us our biscuits." Of course there are none, and, as it is not
+contrary to army etiquette to do so, the whole mess professes to be very
+sorry. Sometimes, however, the foragers returned well laden with good
+things, and as good comrades should, shared the fruits of their toilsome
+hunt with their comrades.
+
+Foragers thought it not indelicate to linger about the house of the
+unsuspecting farmer till the lamp revealed the family at supper, and
+then modestly approach and knock at the door. As the good-hearted man
+knew that his guests were "posted" about the meal in progress in the
+next room, the invitation to supper was given, and, shall I say it,
+accepted with an unbecoming lack of reluctance.
+
+The following illustrates the ingenuity of the average forager. There
+was great scarcity of meat, and no prospect of a supply from the
+wagons. Two experienced foragers were sent out, and as a farmer about
+ten miles from the camp was killing hogs, guided by soldier instinct,
+they went directly to his house, and found the meat nicely cut up, the
+various pieces of each hog making a separate pile on the floor of an
+outhouse. The proposition to buy met with a surprisingly ready response
+on the part of the farmer. He offered one entire pile of meat, being one
+whole hog, for such a small sum that the foragers instantly closed the
+bargain, and as promptly opened their eyes to the danger which menaced
+them. They gave the old gentleman a ten-dollar bill and requested
+change. Pleased with their honest method he hastened away to his house
+to obtain it. The two honest foragers hastily examined the particular
+pile of pork which the simple-hearted farmer designated as theirs, found
+it very rank and totally unfit for food, transferred half of it to
+another pile, from which they took half and added to theirs, and awaited
+the return of the farmer. On giving them their change, he assured them
+that they had a bargain. They agreed that they had, tossed good and bad
+together in a bag, said good-by, and departed as rapidly as artillerymen
+on foot can. The result of the trip was a "pot-pie" of large dimensions;
+and some six or eight men gorged with fat pork declared that they had
+never cared for and would not again wish to eat pork,--especially
+pork-pies.
+
+A large proportion of the eating of the army was done in the houses and
+at the tables of the people, not by the use of force, but by the wish
+and invitation of the people. It was at times necessary that whole towns
+should help to sustain the army of defense, and when this was the case,
+it was done voluntarily and cheerfully. The soldiers--all who conducted
+themselves properly--were received as honored guests and given the best
+in the house. There was a wonderful absence of stealing or plundering,
+and even when the people suffered from depredation they attributed the
+cause to terrible necessity rather than to wanton disregard of the
+rights of property. And when armed guards were placed over the
+smoke-houses and barns, it was not so much because the commanding
+general doubted the honesty as that he knew the necessities of his
+troops. But even pinching hunger was not held to be an excuse for
+marauding expeditions.
+
+The inability of the government to furnish supplies forced the men to
+depend largely upon their own energy and ingenuity to obtain them. The
+officers, knowing this, relaxed discipline to an extent which would
+seem, to a European officer, for instance, ruinous. It was no uncommon
+sight to see a brigade or division, which was but a moment before
+marching in solid column along the road, scattered over an immense field
+searching for the luscious blackberries. And it was wonderful to see how
+promptly and cheerfully all returned to the ranks when the field was
+gleaned. In the fall of the year a persimmon tree on the roadside would
+halt a column and detain it till the last persimmon disappeared.
+
+The sutler's wagon, loaded with luxuries, which was so common in the
+Federal army, was unknown in the Army of Northern Virginia, for two
+reasons: the men had no money to buy sutlers' stores, and the country no
+men to spare for sutlers. The nearest approach to the sutler's wagon was
+the "cider cart" of some old darkey, or a basket of pies and cakes
+displayed on the roadside for sale.
+
+The Confederate soldier relied greatly upon the abundant supplies of
+eatables which the enemy was kind enough to bring him, and he cheerfully
+risked his life for the accomplishment of the twofold purpose of
+whipping the enemy and getting what he called "a square meal." After a
+battle there was general feasting on the Confederate side. Good things,
+scarcely ever seen at other times, filled the haversacks and the
+stomachs of the "Boys in Gray." Imagine the feelings of men half
+famished when they rush into a camp at one side, while the enemy flees
+from the other, and find the coffee on the fire, sugar at hand ready to
+be dropped into the coffee, bread in the oven, crackers by the box, fine
+beef ready cooked, desiccated vegetables by the bushel, canned peaches,
+lobsters, tomatoes, milk, barrels of ground and roasted coffee, soda,
+salt, and in short everything a hungry soldier craves. Then add the
+liquors, wines, cigars, and tobacco found in the tents of the officers
+and the wagons of the sutlers, and, remembering the condition of the
+victorious party, hungry, thirsty, and weary, say if it did not require
+wonderful devotion to duty, and great self-denial to push on, trampling
+under foot the plunder of the camp, and pursue the enemy till the sun
+went down.
+
+When it was allowable to halt, what a glorious time it was! Men, who a
+moment before would have been delighted with a pone of cornbread and a
+piece of fat meat, discuss the comparative merits of peaches and milk
+and fresh tomatoes, lobster and roast beef, and, forgetting the
+briar-root pipe, faithful companion of the vicissitudes of the soldier's
+life, snuff the aroma of imported Havanas.
+
+In sharp contrast with the mess-cooking at the big fire was the serious
+and diligent work of the man separated from his comrades, out of reach
+of the woods, but bent on cooking and eating. He has found a coal of
+fire, and having placed over it, in an ingenious manner, the few leaves
+and twigs near his post, he fans the little pile with his hat. It soon
+blazes. Fearing the utter consumption of his fuel, he hastens to balance
+on the little fire his tin cup of water. When it boils, from some secure
+place in his clothes he takes a little coffee and drops it in the cup,
+and almost instantly the cup is removed and set aside; then a slice of
+fat meat is laid on the coals, and when brown and crisp, completes the
+meal--for the "crackers," or biscuit, are ready. No one but a soldier
+would have undertaken to cook with such a fire, as frequently it was no
+bigger than a quart cup.
+
+Crackers, or "hard tack" as they were called, are notoriously poor
+eating, but in the hands of the Confederate soldier were made to do good
+duty. When on the march and pressed for time, a piece of solid fat pork
+and a dry cracker was passable or luscious, as the time was long or
+short since the last meal. When there was leisure to do it, hardtack was
+soaked well and then fried in bacon grease. Prepared thus, it was a dish
+which no Confederate had the weakness or the strength to refuse.
+
+Sorghum, in the absence of the better molasses of peace times, was
+greatly prized and eagerly sought after. A "Union" man living near the
+Confederate lines was one day busy boiling his crop. Naturally enough,
+some of "our boys" smelt out the place and determined to have some of
+the sweet fluid. They had found a yearling dead in the field hard by,
+and in thinking over the matter determined to sell the Union man if
+possible. So they cut from the dead animal a choice piece of beef,
+carried it to the old fellow and offered to trade. He accepted the
+offer, and the whole party walked off with canteens full.
+
+Artillerymen, having tender consciences and no muskets, seldom, if ever,
+shot stray pigs; but they did sometimes, as an act of friendship, wholly
+disinterested, point out to the infantry a pig which seemed to need
+shooting, and by way of dividing the danger and responsibility of the
+act, accept privately a choice part of the deceased.
+
+On one occasion, when a civilian was dining with the mess, there was a
+fine pig for dinner. This circumstance caused the civilian to remark on
+the good fare. The "forager" replied that pig was an uncommon dish, this
+one having been kicked by one of the battery horses while stealing corn,
+and instantly killed. The civilian seemed to doubt the statement after
+his teeth had come down hard on a pistol bullet, and continued to
+doubt, though assured that it was the head of a horse-shoe nail.
+
+The most melancholy eating a soldier was ever forced to do, was, when
+pinched with hunger, cold, wet, and dejected, he wandered over the
+deserted field of battle and satisfied his cravings with the contents of
+the haversacks of the dead. If there is anything which will overcome the
+natural abhorrence which a man feels for the enemy, the loathing of the
+bloated dead, and the awe engendered by the presence of death, solitude,
+and silence, it is hunger. Impelled by its clamoring, men of high
+principle and tenderest humanity become for the time void of
+sensibility, and condescend to acts which, though justified by their
+extremity, seem afterwards, even to the doers, too shameless to mention.
+
+When rations became so very small that it was absolutely necessary to
+supplement them, and the camp was permanently established, those men who
+had the physical ability worked for the neighborhood farmers at cutting
+cord-wood, harvesting the crops, killing hogs, or any other farm-work. A
+stout man would cut a cord of wood a day and receive fifty cents in
+money, or its equivalent in something eatable. Hogs were slaughtered for
+the "fifth quarter." When the corn became large enough to eat, the
+roasting ears, thrown in the ashes with the shucks on, and nicely
+roasted, made a grateful meal. Turnip and onion patches also furnished
+delightful and much-needed food, good raw or cooked.
+
+Occasionally, when a mess was hard pushed for eatables, it became
+necessary to resort to some ingenious method of disgusting a part of the
+mess, that the others might eat their fill. The "pepper treatment" was a
+common method practiced with the soup, which once failed. A shrewd
+fellow, who loved things "hot," decided to have plenty of soup, and to
+accomplish his purpose, as he passed and repassed the boiling pot,
+dropped in a pod of red pepper. But, alas! for him, there was another
+man like minded who adopted the same plan, and the result was that all
+the mess waited in vain for that pot of soup to cool.
+
+The individual coffee-boiler of one man in the Army of Northern Virginia
+was always kept at the boiling point. The owner of it was an enigma to
+his comrades. They could not understand his strange fondness for
+"red-hot" coffee. Since the war he has explained that he found the heat
+of the coffee prevented its use by others, and adopted the plan of
+placing his cup on the fire after every sip. This same character never
+troubled himself to carry a canteen, though a great water drinker. When
+he found a good canteen he would kindly give it to a comrade, reserving
+the privilege of an occasional drink when in need. He soon had an
+interest in thirty or forty canteens and their contents, and could
+always get a drink of water if it was to be found in any of them. He
+pursued the same plan with blankets, and always had plenty in that line.
+His entire outfit was the clothes on his back and a haversack accurately
+shaped to hold one half pone of corn bread.
+
+Roasting-ear time was a trying time for the hungry private. Having been
+fed during the whole of the winter on salt meat and coarse bread, his
+system craved the fresh, luscious juice of the corn, and at times his
+honesty gave way under the pressure. How could he resist? He didn't,--he
+took some roasting ears! Sometimes the farmer grumbled, sometimes he
+quarreled, and sometimes he complained to the officers of the
+depredations of "the men." The officers apologized, ate what corn they
+had on hand, and sent their "boy" for some more. One old farmer
+conceived the happy plan of inviting some privates to his house, stating
+his grievances, and securing their coöperation in the effort to protect
+his corn. He told them that of course _they_ were not the _gentlemen_
+who took his corn! Oh no! of course _they_ would not do such a thing;
+but wouldn't they please speak to the others and ask them please not to
+take his corn? Of course! certainly! oh, yes! they would remonstrate
+with their comrades. How they burned, though, as they thought of the
+past and contemplated the near future. As they returned to camp through
+the field they filled their haversacks with the silky ears, and were met
+on the other side of the field by the kind farmer and a file of men, who
+were only too eager to secure the plucked corn "in the line of duty."
+
+A faithful officer, worn out with the long, weary march, sick, hungry,
+and dejected, leaned his back against a tree and groaned to think of his
+inability to join in the chase of an old hare, which, he knew, from the
+wild yells in the wood, his men were pursuing. But the uproar approached
+him--nearer, nearer, and nearer, until he saw the hare bounding towards
+him with a regiment at her heels. She spied an opening made by the folds
+of the officer's cloak and jumped in, and he embraced his first meal for
+forty-eight hours.
+
+An artilleryman, camped for a day where no water was to be found easily,
+awakened during the night by thirst, went stumbling about in search of
+water; and to his great delight found a large bucketful. He drank his
+fill, and in the morning found that what he drank had washed a
+bullock's head, and was crimson with its blood.
+
+Some stragglers came up one night and found the camp silent. All hands
+asleep. Being hungry they sought and to their great delight found a
+large pot of soup. It had a peculiar taste, but they "worried" it down,
+and in the morning bragged of their good fortune. The soup had defied
+the stomachs of the whole battery, being strongly impregnated with the
+peculiar flavor of defunct cockroaches.
+
+Shortly before the evacuation of Petersburg, a country boy went hunting.
+He killed and brought to camp a muskrat. It was skinned, cleaned, buried
+a day or two, disinterred, cooked, and eaten with great relish. It was
+splendid.
+
+During the seven days' battles around Richmond, a studious private
+observed the rats as they entered and emerged from a corn-crib. He
+killed one, cooked it privately, and invited a friend to join him in
+eating a fine squirrel. The comrade consented, ate heartily, and when
+told what he had eaten, forthwith disgorged. But he confesses that up to
+the time when he was enlightened he had greatly enjoyed the meal.
+
+It was at this time, when rats were a delicacy, that the troops around
+Richmond agreed to divide their rations with the poor of the city, and
+they were actually hauled in and distributed. Comment here would be like
+complimenting the sun on its brilliancy.
+
+Orators dwell on the genius and skill of the general officers;
+historians tell of the movements of divisions and army corps, and the
+student of the art of war studies the geography and topography of the
+country and the returns of the various corps: they all seek to find and
+to tell the secret of success or failure. The Confederate soldier knows
+the elements of his success--courage, endurance, and devotion. He knows
+also by whom he was defeated--sickness, starvation, death. He fought not
+men only, but food, raiment, pay, glory, fame, and fanaticism. He
+endured privation, toil, and contempt. He won, and despite the cold
+indifference of all and the hearty hatred of some, he will have for all
+time, in all places where generosity is, a fame untarnished.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+COMFORTS, CONVENIENCES, AND CONSOLATIONS.
+
+
+Have you ever been a soldier? No? Then you do not know what comforts
+are! Conveniences you never had; animal consolations, never! You have
+not enjoyed the great exceptional luxuries which once in a century,
+perhaps, bless a limited number of men. How sad, that you have allowed
+your opportunity to pass unimproved!
+
+But you _have_ been a soldier! Ah, then let us together recall with
+pleasure, the past! once more be hungry, and eat; once more tired, and
+rest; once more thirsty, and drink; once more, cold and wet, let us sit
+by the roaring fire and feel comfort creep over us. So!--isn't it very
+pleasant?
+
+Now let us recount, repossess rather, the treasures which once were
+ours, not forgetting that values have shrunk, and that the times have
+changed, and that men also are changed; some happily, some woefully.
+Possibly we, also, are somewhat modified.
+
+Eating, you will remember, was more than a convenience; it was a comfort
+which rose almost to the height of a consolation. Probably the most
+universally desired comfort of the Confederate soldier was "something to
+eat." But this, like all greatly desired blessings, was shy, and when
+obtained was, to the average seeker, not replete with satisfaction.
+
+But he did eat, at times, with great energy, great endurance, great
+capacity, and great satisfaction; the luscious slapjack, sweetened
+perhaps with sorghum, the yellow and odoriferous soda-biscuit, ash-cake,
+or, it might chance to be, the faithful "hardtack" (which "our friends
+the enemy" called "crackers") serving in rotation as bread.
+
+The faithful hog was everywhere represented. His cheering presence was
+manifested most agreeably by the sweet odors flung to the breeze from
+the frying-pan,--that never failing and always reliable utensil. The
+solid slices of streaked lean and fat, the limpid gravy, the brown pan
+of slosh inviting you to sop it, and the rare, delicate shortness of the
+biscuit, made the homely animal to be in high esteem.
+
+Beef, glorious beef! how seldom were you seen, and how welcome was your
+presence. In the generous pot you parted with your mysterious strength
+and sweetness. Impaled upon the cruel ramrod you suffered slow torture
+over the fire. Sliced, chopped, and pounded; boiled, stewed, fried, or
+broiled, always a trusty friend, and sweet comforter.
+
+Happy the "fire" where the "stray" pig found a lover, and unhappy the
+pig! Innocence and youth were no protection to him, and his cries of
+distress availed him not as against the cruel purpose of the rude
+soldiery.
+
+What is that faint aroma which steals about on the night air? Is it a
+celestial breeze? No! it is the mist of the coffee-boiler. Do you not
+hear the tumult of the tumbling water? Poor man! you have eaten, and now
+other joys press upon you. Drink! drink more! Near the bottom it is
+sweeter. Providence hath now joined together for you the bitter and the
+sweet,--there is sugar in that cup!
+
+Some poor fellows, after eating, could only sleep. They were incapable
+of the noble satisfaction of "a good smoke." But there were some good
+men and true, thoughtful men, quietly disposed men, gentle and kind,
+who, next to a good "square" meal prized a smoke. Possibly, here begins
+consolation. Who can find words to tell the story of the soldier's
+affection for his faithful briar-root pipe! As the cloudy incense of the
+weed rises in circling wreaths about his head, as he hears the
+murmuring of the fire, and watches the glowing and fading of the
+embers, and feels the comfort of the hour pervading his mortal frame,
+what bliss!
+
+But yonder sits a man who scorns the pipe--and why? He is a chewer of
+the weed. To him, the sweetness of it seems not to be drawn out by the
+fiery test, but rather by the persuasion of moisture and pressure. But
+he, too, is under the spell. There are pictures in the fire for him,
+also, and he watches them come and go. Now draw near. Are not those
+cheerful voices? Do you not hear the contented tones of men sitting in a
+cosy home? What glowing hopes here leap out in rapid words! No
+bitterness of hate, no revenge, no cruel purpose; but simply the firm
+resolve to march in the front of their country's defenders. Would you
+hear a song? You shall,--for even now they sing:
+
+     "Aha! a song for the trumpet's tongue!
+     For the bugle to sing before us,
+     When our gleaming guns, like clarions,
+     Shall thunder in battle chorus!"
+
+Would you hear a soldier's prayer? Well, there kneels one, behind that
+tree, but he talks with God: you may not hear him--nor I!
+
+But now, there they go, one by one; no, two by two. Down goes an old
+rubber blanket, and then a good, thick, woolen one, probably with a big
+"U.S." in the centre of it. Down go two men. They are hidden under
+another of the "U.S." blankets. They are resting their heads on their
+old battered haversacks. They love each other to the death, those men,
+and sleep there, like little children, locked in close embrace. They are
+asleep now,--no, not quite; they are thinking of home, and it may be, of
+heaven. But now, surely they are asleep! No, they are not quite asleep,
+they are falling off to sleep. Happy soldiers, they are asleep.
+
+At early dawn the bugle sounds the reveille. Shout answers to shout, the
+roll is called and the day begins. What new joys will it bring? Let us
+stay and see.
+
+The sun gladdens the landscape; the fresh air, dashing and whirling over
+the fields and through the pines is almost intoxicating. Here are noble
+chestnut-oaks, ready for the axe and the fire; and there, at the foot of
+the hill, a mossy spring. The oven sits enthroned on glowing coals,
+crowned with fire; the coffee boils, the meat fries, the soldier--smiles
+and waits.
+
+But waiting is so very trying that some, seizing towels, soap, and comb
+from their haversacks, step briskly down the hill, and plunge their
+heads into the cool water of the brook. Then their cheeks glow with
+rich color, and, chatting merrily, they seek again the fire, carrying
+the old bucket brimming full of water for the mess. All hands welcome
+the bucket, and breakfast begins. Now see the value of a good tin-plate.
+What a treasure that tin cup is, and that old fork! Who would have a
+more comfortable seat than that log affords!
+
+But here comes the mail,--papers, letters, packages. Here comes news
+from home, sweet, tender, tearful, hopeful, sad, distressing news;
+joyful news of victory and sad news of defeat; pictures of happy homes,
+or sad wailing over homes destroyed! But the mail has arrived and we
+cannot change the burden it has brought. We can only pity the man who
+goes empty away from the little group assembled about the mail-bag, and
+rejoice with him who strolls away with a letter near his heart. Suppose
+he finds therein the picture of a curly head. Just four years old!
+Suppose the last word in it is "Mother." Or suppose it concludes with a
+signature having that peculiarly helpless, but courageous and hopeful
+air, which can be imparted only by the hand of a girl whose heart goes
+with the letter! Once more, happy, happy soldier!
+
+The artilleryman tarrying for a day only in a camp had only time to eat
+and do his work. Roll-call, drill, watering the horses, greasing
+caissons and gun-carriages; cleaning, repairing, and greasing harness;
+cleaning the chests of the limbers and caissons; storing and arranging
+ammunition; and many little duties, filled the day. In the midst of a
+campaign, comfortable arrangements for staying were hardly completed by
+the time the bugle sounded the assembly and orders to move were given.
+But however short the stay might be, the departure always partook of the
+nature of a move from home. More especially was this true in the case of
+the sick man, whose weary body was finding needed rest in the camp; and
+peculiarly true of the man who had fed at the table of a hospitable
+neighbor, and for a day, perhaps, enjoyed the society of the fair
+daughters of the house.
+
+Orders to move were frequently heralded by the presence of the
+"courier," a man who rarely knew a word of the orders he had brought;
+who was always besieged with innumerable questions, always tried to
+appear to know more than his position allowed him to disclose, and who
+never ceased to be an object of interest to every camp he entered. Many
+a gallant fellow rode the country over; many a one led in the thickest
+of the fight and died bravely, known only as "my courier."
+
+When the leaves began to fall and the wind to rush in furious frolics
+through the woods, the soldier's heart yearned for comfort. Chilling
+rains, cutting sleet, drifting snow, muddy roads, all the miseries of
+approaching winter, pressed him to ask and repeat the question, "When
+will we go into winter quarters?"
+
+After all, the time did come. But first the place was known. The time
+was always doubtful. Leisurely and steady movement towards the place
+might be called the first "comfort" of winter quarters; and as each
+day's march brought the column nearer the appointed camp, the
+anticipated pleasures assumed almost the sweetness of present enjoyment.
+
+But at last comes the welcome "Left into park!" and the fence goes down,
+the first piece wheels through the gap, the battery is parked, the
+horses are turned over to the "horse sergeant," the old guns are snugly
+stowed under the tarpaulins, and the winter has commenced. The woods
+soon resound with the ring of the axe; trees rush down, crashing and
+snapping, to the ground; fires start here and there till the woods are
+illuminated, and the brightest, happiest, busiest night of all the year
+falls upon the camp. Now around each fire gathers the little group who
+are, for a while, to make it the centre of operations. Hasty plans for
+comfort and convenience are eagerly discussed till late into the night,
+and await only the dawn of another day for execution.
+
+Roll-call over and breakfast eaten, the work of the day commences with
+the preparation of comfortable sleeping places, varying according to the
+"material" on hand. A favorite arrangement for two men consisted of a
+bed of clean straw between the halves of a large oak log, covered, in
+the event of rain, with a rubber blanket. The more ambitious builders
+made straw pens, several logs high, and pitched over these a fly-tent,
+adding sometimes a chimney. In this structure, by the aid of a bountiful
+supply of dry, clean straw, and their blankets, the occupants bade
+defiance to cold, rain, and snow.
+
+Other men, gifted with that strange facility for comfort without work
+which characterizes some people, found resting-places ready made. They
+managed to steal away night after night and sleep in the sweet security
+of a haystack, a barn, a stable, a porch, or, if fortune favored them,
+in some farmer's feather bed.
+
+Others still, but more especially the infantry and cavalry, built
+"shelters" open to the south, covered them with pine-tags and brush,
+built a huge fire in front, and made themselves at home for a season.
+
+But all these things were mere make-shifts, temporary stopping-places,
+occupying about the same relation to winter quarters as the
+boarding-house does to a happy and comfortable home. During the
+occupancy of these, and while the work of building was progressing, the
+Confederate soldier wrote many letters home. He saw an opportunity for
+enjoyment ahead, and tried to improve it. His letters were somewhat
+after the following order:--
+
+     CAMP NEAR WILLIAMS' MILL,
+     _December 2, 1864_.
+
+   DEAR FATHER,--You will no doubt be glad to hear that we are
+   at last in winter quarters! We are quite comfortably fixed, though we
+   arrived here only two days ago. We are working constantly on our log
+   cabins, and hope to be in them next week. We are near the ----
+   railroad, and anything you may desire to send us may be shipped to
+   ---- depot. If you can possibly spare the money to buy them, please
+   send at once four pounds ten-penny nails; one pair wrought hinges
+   (for door); one good axe; two pairs shoes (one for me and one for
+   J.); four pairs socks (two for me and two for J.); five pounds
+   Killickinick smoking tobacco; one pound bi-carb. soda. Please send
+   also two or three old church music books, and any good books you are
+   willing to part with forever. Underclothing of any sort, shirts,
+   drawers, socks,--cotton or woollen,--would be very, very acceptable,
+   as it is much less trouble to put on the clean and throw away the
+   soiled clothes than to wash them. Some coffee, roasted and ground,
+   with sugar to match, and _anything good to eat_ would do to fill up.
+   Do not imagine, however, that we are suffering or unhappy. Our only
+   concern is for all at home; and if compliance with the above requests
+   would cost you the slightest self-denial at home, we would rather
+   withdraw them.
+
+   Why don't ---- and ---- go into the army? They are old enough, hearty
+   enough, able to provide themselves with every comfort, and ought to
+   be here.
+
+   Many furloughs will be granted during the winter, and we may get
+   home, some of us, before another month is past.
+
+   Love to mother, dear mother; and to sister, and tell them we are
+   happy and contented. Write as soon as you can, and believe me, Your
+   affectionate son,
+
+                                       ---- ---- ----.
+
+     P.S. Don't forget the tobacco.        W.
+
+And now another night comes to the soldier, inviting him to nestle in
+clean straw, under dry blankets, and sleep. To-morrow he will lay the
+foundation of a village destined to live till the grass grows again.
+To-morrow he will be architect, builder, and proprietor of a cosy cabin
+in the woods. Let him sleep.
+
+A pine wood of heavy original growth furnishes the ground and the
+timber. Each company is to have two rows of houses, with a street
+between, and each street is to end on the main road to the railroad
+depot. The width of the street is decided; it is staked off; each
+"mess" selects its site for a house, and the work commences.
+
+The old pines fall rapidly under the energetic strokes of the axes,
+which glide into the hearts of the trees with a malicious and cruel
+willingness; the logs are cut into lengths, notched and fitted one upon
+another, and the structure begins to rise. The builders stagger about
+here and there, under the weight of the huge logs, occasionally falling
+and rolling in the snow. They shout and whistle and sing, and are as
+merry as children at play.
+
+At last the topmost log is rolled into place and the artistic work
+commences,--the "riving" of slabs. Short logs of oak are to be split
+into huge shingles for the roof, and tough and tedious work it is. But
+it is done; the roof is covered in, and the house is far enough advanced
+for occupancy.
+
+Now the "bunks," which are simply broad shelves one above another, wide
+enough to accommodate two men "spoon fashion," are built. Merry parties
+sally forth to seek the straw stack of the genial farmer of the period,
+and, returning heavily laden with sweet clean straw, bestow it in the
+bunks. Here they rest for a night.
+
+Next day the chimney, built like the house, of notched sticks or small
+logs, rises rapidly, till it reaches the apex of the roof and is crowned
+with a nail keg or flour barrel.
+
+Next, a pit is dug deep enough to reach the clay; water is poured in and
+the clay well mixed, and the whole mess takes in hand the "daubing" of
+the "chinks." Every crack and crevice of house and chimney receives
+attention at the hands of the builders, and when the sun goes down the
+house is proof against the most searching winter wind.
+
+Now the most skillful man contrives a door and swings it on its hinges;
+another makes a shelf for the old water bucket; a short bench or two
+appear, like magicians' work, before the fire, and the family is settled
+for the winter.
+
+It would be a vain man indeed who thought himself able to describe the
+happy days and cozy nights of that camp. First among the luxuries of
+settled life was the opportunity to part forever with a suit of
+underwear which had been on constant duty for, possibly, three months,
+and put on the sweet clean clothes from home. They looked so pure, and
+the very smell of them was sweet.
+
+Then there was the ever-present thought of a dry, warm, undisturbed
+sleep the whole night through. What a comfort!
+
+Remember, now, there is a pile of splendid oak, ready cut for the fire,
+within easy reach of the door--several cords of it--and it is all ours.
+Our mess cut it and "toted" it there. It will keep a good fire, night
+and day, for a month.
+
+The wagons, which have been "over the mountains and far away," have come
+into camp loaded with the best flour in abundance; droves of cattle are
+bellowing in the road, and our commissary, as he hurries from camp to
+camp with the glad tidings, is the embodiment of happiness. All this
+means plenty to eat.
+
+This is a good time to make and carve beautiful pipes of hard wood with
+horn mouth-pieces, very comfortable chairs, bread trays, haversacks, and
+a thousand other conveniences.
+
+At night the visiting commences, and soon in many huts are little social
+groups close around the fire. The various incidents of the campaign pass
+in review, and pealing laughter rings out upon the crisp winter air.
+Then a soft, sweet melody floats out of that cabin door as the favorite
+singer yields to the entreaty of his little circle of friends; or a
+swelling chorus of manly voices, chanting a grand and solemn anthem,
+stirs every heart for half a mile around.
+
+Now think of an old Confederate veteran, who passed through
+Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness, sitting in front
+of a cheerful fire in a snug log cabin, reading, say, "The Spectator!"
+Think of another by his side reading a letter from his sweetheart; and
+another still, a warm and yearning letter from his mother. Think of
+two others in the corner playing "old sledge," or, it may be, chess.
+_Hear_ another, "off guard," snoring in his bunk. Ah! what an amount of
+condensed contentment that little hut contains.
+
+[Illustration: AN INNOCENT VICTIM]
+
+And now the stables are finished. The whole battalion did the work, and
+the poor old shivering and groaning horses are under cover. And the
+guard-house, another joint production, opens wide its door every day to
+receive the unhappy men whose time for detail has at last arrived. The
+chapel, an afterthought, is also ready for use, having been duly
+dedicated to the worship of God. The town is complete and its citizens
+are happy.
+
+Men thus comfortably fixed, with light guard duty and little else to do,
+found time, of course, to do a little foraging in the country around. By
+this means often during the winter the camp enjoyed great abundance and
+variety of food. Apples and apple-butter, fresh pork, dried fruit, milk,
+eggs, risen bread, and even _cakes and preserves_. Occasionally a whole
+mess would be filled with the liveliest expectations by the information
+that "Bob" or "Joe" was expecting _a box from home_. The wagon comes
+into camp escorted by the expectant "Bob" and several of his intimate
+friends; the box is dropped from the wagon to the ground; off goes the
+top and in go busy hands and eyes. Here are clothes, shoes, and hats;
+here is coffee, sugar, soda, salt, bread, fresh butter, roast beef, and
+turkey; here is _a bottle_! marked "to be used in case of sickness or
+wounds." Here is paper, ink, pen and pencil. What shall be done with
+this pile of treasure? It is evident one man cannot eat the eatables or
+smoke the tobacco and pipes. Call in, then, the friendly aid of willing
+comrades. They come; they see; they devour!
+
+And now the ever true and devoted citizens of the much and often
+besieged city of Richmond conclude to send a New Year's dinner to their
+defenders in the army. That portion destined for the camp above
+described arrived in due time in the shape of one good turkey. Each of
+the three companies composing the battalion appointed a man to "draw
+straws" for the turkey; the successful company appointed a man from each
+detachment to draw again; then the detachment messes took a draw, and
+the fortunate mess devoured the turkey. But the soldiers, remembering
+that in times past they had felt constrained to divide their rations
+with the poor of that city, did not fail in gratitude, or question the
+liberality of those who had, in the midst of great distress, remembered
+with self-denying affection the soldiers in the field.
+
+Not the least among the comforts of life in winter quarters, was the
+pleasure of sitting under the ministrations of an amateur barber, and
+hearing the snip, snip, of his scissors, as the long growth of hair fell
+to the ground. The luxury of "a shave;" the possession of comb, brush,
+small mirror, towels and soap; boots blacked every day; white collars,
+and occasionally a starched bosom, called, in the expressive language of
+the day, a "_biled shirt_," completed the restoration of the man to
+decency. Now, also, the soldier with painful care threaded his needle
+with huge thread, and with a sort of left-handed awkwardness sewed on
+the long-absent button, or, with even greater trepidation, attempted a
+patch. At such a time the soldier pondered on the peculiar fact that war
+separates men from women. A man cannot thread a needle with ease;
+certainly not with grace. He sews backwards.
+
+In winter quarters every man had his "chum" or bunk-mate, with whom he
+slept, walked, talked, and divided hardship or comfort as they came
+along; and the affectionate regard of each for the other was often
+beautiful to see. Many such attachments led to heroic self-denials and
+death, one for the other, and many such unions remain unbroken after
+twenty years have passed away.
+
+It was a rare occurrence, but occasionally the father or mother or
+brother or sister of some man paid him a visit. The males were almost
+sure to be very old or very young. In either case they were received
+with great hospitality, given the best place to sleep, the best the camp
+afforded in the way of eatables, and treated with the greatest courtesy
+and kindness by the whole command. But the lady visitors! the girls! Who
+could describe the effect of their appearance in camp! They produced
+conflict in the soldier's breast. They looked so clean, they were so
+gentle, they were so different from all around them, they were so
+attractive, they were so agreeable, and sweet, and fresh, and happy,
+that the poor fellows would have liked above all things to have gotten
+very near to them and have heard their kind words,--possibly shake
+hands; but no, some were barefooted, some almost bareheaded; some were
+still expecting clean clothes from home; some were sick and
+disheartened; some were on guard; some _in the guard-house_, and others
+too modest; and so, to many, the innocent visitor became a sort of
+pleasant agony; as it were, a "bitter sweet." Nothing ever so promptly
+convinced a Confederate soldier that he was dilapidated and not
+altogether as neat as he might be, as sudden precipitation into the
+presence of a neatly dressed, refined, and modest woman. Fortunately
+for the men, the women loved the very rags they wore, if they were gray;
+and when the war ended, they welcomed with open arms and hearts full of
+love the man and his rags.
+
+[Illustration: GIRLS IN CAMP.]
+
+Preaching in camp was to many a great pleasure and greatly profitable.
+At times intense religious interest pervaded the whole army, and
+thousands of men gladly heard the tidings of salvation. Many afterwards
+died triumphant, and many others are yet living, daily witnesses of the
+great change wrought in them by the preaching of the faithful and able
+men who, as chaplains, shared the dangers, hardships, and pleasures of
+the campaign.
+
+To all the foregoing comforts and conveniences must be added the
+consolation afforded by the anticipation and daily expectation of a
+furlough; which meant, of course, a blissful reunion with the dear ones
+at home,--perhaps an interview or two with that historic maid who is
+"left behind" by the soldier of all times and lands; plenty to eat;
+general admiration of friends and relatives; invitations to dine, to
+spend a week; and last, but not least, an opportunity to express
+contempt for every able-bodied "bomb-proof" found sneaking about home.
+Food, shelter, and rest, the great concerns, being thus all provided
+for, the soldier enjoyed intensely his freedom from care and
+responsibility, living, as near as a man may, the innocent life of a
+child. He played marbles, spun his top, played at foot-ball, bandy, and
+hop-scotch; slept quietly, rose early, had a good appetite, and was
+happy. He had time now comfortably to review the toils, dangers, and
+hardships of the past campaign, and with allowable pride to dwell on the
+cheerfulness and courage with which he had endured them all; and to feel
+the supporting effect of the unanimity of feeling and pervasive sympathy
+which linked together the rank and file of the army.
+
+Leaving out of view every other consideration, he realized with
+exquisite delight, that he was resisting manfully the coercive force of
+other men, and was resolved to die rather than yield his liberty. He
+felt that he was beyond doubt in the line of duty, and expected no
+relief from toil by any other means than the accomplishment of his
+purpose and the end of the war. To strengthen his resolve he had ever
+present with him the unchanging love of the people for whom he fought;
+the respect and confidence of his officers; unshaken faith in the valor
+of his comrades and the justice of his cause. And, finally, he had an
+opportunity to brace himself for another, and, if need be, for still
+another struggle, with the ever increasing multitude of invaders, hoping
+that each would usher in the peace so eagerly coveted and the liberty
+for which already a great price had been paid. Was he not badly
+disappointed?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FUN AND FURY ON THE FIELD.
+
+
+A battle-field, when only a few thousands of men are engaged, is a more
+extensive area than most persons would suppose. When large bodies of
+men--twenty to fifty thousand on each side--are engaged, a mounted man,
+at liberty to gallop from place to place, could scarcely travel the
+field over during the continuance of the battle; and a private soldier,
+in the smallest affair, sees very little indeed of the field. What
+occurs in his own regiment, or probably in his own company, is about
+all, and is sometimes more than he actually sees or knows. Thus it is
+that, while the field is extensive, it is to each individual limited to
+the narrow space of which he is cognizant.
+
+The dense woods of Virginia, often choked with heavy undergrowth, added
+greatly to the difficulty of observing the movements of large bodies of
+troops extended in line of battle. The commanders were compelled to rely
+almost entirely upon the information gained from their staff officers
+and the couriers of those in immediate command on the lines.
+
+The beasts of burden which travel the Great Desert scent the oasis and
+the well miles away, and, cheered by the prospect of rest and
+refreshment, press on with renewed vigor; and in the book of Job it is
+said of the horse, "He saith among the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth
+the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shoutings." So
+a soldier, weary and worn, recognizing the signs of approaching battle,
+did quicken his lagging steps and cry out for joy at the prospect.
+
+The column, hitherto moving forward with the steadiness of a mighty
+river, hesitates, halts, steps back, then forward, hesitates again,
+halts. The colonels talk to the brigadier, the brigadiers talk to the
+major-general, some officers hurry forward and others hurry to the rear.
+Infantry stands to one side of the road while cavalry trots by to the
+front. Now some old wagons marked "Ord. Dept." go creaking and rumbling
+by. One or two light ambulances, with a gay and careless air, seem to
+trip along with the ease of a dancing-girl. They and the surgeons seem
+cheerful. Some, not many, ask "What is the matter?" Most of the men
+there know exactly: they are on the edge of battle.
+
+Presently a very quiet, almost sleepy looking man on horseback, says,
+"Forward, 19th!" and away goes the leading regiment. A little way ahead
+the regiment jumps a fence, and--pop! bang! whiz! thud! is all that can
+be heard, until the rebel yell reverberates through the woods. Battle?
+No! skirmishers advancing.
+
+[Illustration: GOING IN]
+
+Step into the woods now and watch these skirmishers. See how cheerfully
+they go in. How rapidly they load, fire, and re-load. They stand six and
+twelve feet apart, calling to each other, laughing, shouting and
+cheering, but advancing. There: one fellow has dropped his musket like
+something red hot. His finger is shot away. His friends congratulate
+him, and he walks sadly away to the rear. Another staggers and falls
+with a ball through his neck, mortally wounded. Two comrades raise him
+to his feet and try to lead him away, but one of them receives a ball in
+his thigh which crushes the bone, and he falls groaning to the ground.
+The other advises his poor dying friend to lie down, helps him to do so,
+and runs to join his advancing comrades. When he overtakes them he finds
+every man securely posted behind a tree, loading, firing, and conducting
+himself generally with great deliberation and prudence. They have at
+last driven the enemy's skirmishers in upon the line of battle, and are
+waiting. A score of men have fallen here, some killed outright, some
+slightly, some sorely, and some mortally wounded. The elements now add
+to the horrors of the hour. Dense clouds hovering near the tree tops add
+deeper shadows to the woods. Thunder, deep and ominous, rolls in
+prolonged peals across the sky, and lurid lightning darts among the
+trees and glistens on the gun barrels. But still they stand.
+
+Now a battery has been hurried into position, the heavy trails have
+fallen to the ground, and at the command "Commence firing!" the
+cannoniers have stepped in briskly and loaded. The first gun blazes at
+the muzzle and away goes a shell. The poor fellows in the woods rejoice
+as it crashes through the trees over their heads, and cheer when it
+explodes over the enemy's line. Now, what a chorus! Thunder, gun after
+gun, shell after shell, musketry, pelting rain, shouts, groans, cheers,
+and commands!
+
+But help is coming. At the edge of the woods, where the skirmishers
+entered, the brigade is in line. Somebody has ordered, "Load!"
+
+The ramrods glisten and rattle down the barrels of a thousand muskets.
+"F-o-o-o-o-r-r-r-r-w-a-a-a-r-r-r-d!" is the next command, and the
+brigade disappears in the woods, the canteens rattling, the bushes
+crackling, and the officers never ceasing to say, "Close up, men; close
+up! guide c-e-n-t-r-r-r-r-e!"
+
+The men on that skirmish line have at last found it advisable to lie
+down at full length on the ground, though it is so wet, and place their
+heads against the trees in front. They cannot advance and they cannot
+retire without, in either case, exposing themselves to almost certain
+death. They are waiting for the line of battle to come to their relief.
+
+At last, before they see, they hear the line advancing through the
+pines. The snapping of the twigs, the neighing of horses, and hoarse
+commands, inspire a husky cheer, and when the line of the old brigade
+breaks through the trees in full view, they fairly yell! Every man jumps
+to his feet, the brigade presses firmly forward, and soon the roll of
+musketry tells all who are waiting to hear that serious work is
+progressing away down in the woods. All honor to the devoted infantry.
+The hour of glory has arrived for couriers, aides-de-camp, and staff
+officers generally. They dash about from place to place like spirits of
+unrest. Brigade after brigade and division after division is hurried
+into line, and pressed forward into action. Battalions of artillery open
+fire from the crests of many hills, and the battle is begun.
+
+[Illustration: EXTENDING THE REAR.]
+
+Ammunition trains climb impassable places, cross ditches without
+bridges, and manage somehow to place themselves in reach of the troops.
+Ambulances, which an hour before went gayly forward, now slowly and
+solemnly return loaded. Shells and musket balls which must have lost
+their way, go flitting about here and there, wounding and killing men
+who deem themselves far away from danger. The negro cooks turn pale as
+these unexpected visitors enter the camps at the rear, and the rear is
+"extended" at once.
+
+But our place now is at the front, on the field. We are to watch the
+details of a small part of the great expanse. As we approach, a
+ludicrous scene presents itself. A strong-armed artilleryman is
+energetically thrashing a dejected looking individual with a hickory
+bush, and urging him to the front. He has managed to keep out of many a
+fight, but now he _must_ go in. The captain has detailed a man to _whip_
+him in, and the man is doing it. With every blow the poor fellow yells
+and begs to be spared, but his determined guardian will not cease. They
+press on, the one screaming and the other lashing, till they reach the
+battery in position and firing on the retiring enemy. A battery of the
+enemy is replying, and shells are bursting overhead, or ploughing huge
+furrows in the ground. Musket balls are "rapping" on the rims of the
+wheels and sinking with a deep "thud" into the bodies of the poor
+horses. Smoke obscures the scene, but the cannoniers in faint outline
+can be seen cheerfully serving the guns.
+
+As the opposing battery ceases firing, and having limbered up, scampers
+away, and the last of the enemy's infantry slowly sinks into the woods
+out of sight and out of reach, a wild cheer breaks from the cannoniers,
+who toss their caps in the air and shout, shake hands and shout again,
+while the curtain of smoke is raised by the breeze and borne away.
+
+The cavalry is gone. With jingle and clatter they have passed through
+the lines and down the hill, and are already demanding surrender from
+many a belated man. There will be no rest for that retreating column.
+Stuart, with a twinkle in his eye, his lips puckered as if to whistle a
+merry lay, is on their flanks, in their rear, and in their front. The
+enemy will send their cavalry after him, of course, but he will stay
+with them, nevertheless.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Add now the stream of wounded men slowly making their way to the rear;
+the groups of dejected prisoners plodding along under guard, and you
+have about as much of a battle as one private soldier ever sees.
+
+[Illustration: COMING OUT]
+
+But after the battle, man will tell to man what each has seen and felt,
+until every man will feel that he has seen the whole. Hear, then, the
+stories of battle.
+
+An artilleryman--he must have been a driver--says: when the firing had
+ceased an old battery horse, his lower jaw carried away by a shot, with
+blood streaming from his wound, staggered up to him, gazed beseechingly
+at him, and, groaning piteously, laid his bloody jaws on his shoulder,
+and so made his appeal for sympathy. He was beyond help.
+
+The pathetic nature of this story reminds a comrade that a new man in
+the battery, desiring to save the labor incident to running up the gun
+after the rebound, determined to hold on to the handspike, press the
+trail into the ground, and hold her fast. He did try, but the rebound
+proceeded as usual, and the labor-saving man was "shocked" at the
+failure of his effort. Nothing daunted, the same individual soon after
+applied his lips to the vent of the gun, which was choked, and
+endeavored to clear it by an energetic blast from his lungs. The vent
+was not cleared but the lips of the recruit were nicely browned, and the
+detachment greatly amused.
+
+At another gun it has happened that No. 1 and No. 3 have had a
+difficulty. No. 3 having failed to serve the vent, there was a premature
+explosion, and No. 1, being about to withdraw the rammer, fell heavily
+to the ground, apparently dead. No. 3, seeing what a calamity he had
+caused, hung over the dead man and begged him to speak and exonerate him
+from blame. After No. 3 had exhausted all his eloquence and pathos, No.
+1 suddenly rose to his feet and informed him that the premature
+explosion was a fact, but the death of No. 1 was a joke intended to warn
+him that if he ever failed again to serve that vent, he would have his
+head broken by a blow from a rammer-head. This joke having been
+completed in all its details, the firing was continued.
+
+Another man tells how Eggleston had his arm torn away by a solid shot,
+and, as he walked away, held up the bleeding, quivering stump,
+exclaiming, "Never mind, boys; I'll come back soon and try 'em with this
+other one." Alas! poor fellow, he had fought his last fight.
+
+Poor Tom, he who was always, as he said, "willing to give 'em half a
+leg, or so," was struck about the waist by a shot which almost cut him
+in two. He fell heavily to the ground, and, though in awful agony,
+managed to say: "Tell mother I died doing my duty."
+
+While the fight lasted, several of the best and bravest received wounds
+apparently mortal, and were laid aside covered by an old army blanket.
+They refused to die, however, and remain to this day to tell their own
+stories of the war and of their marvelous recovery.
+
+At the battle of the Wilderness, May, 1864, a man from North Carolina
+precipitated a severe fight by asking a very simple and reasonable
+question. The line of battle had been pressed forward and was in close
+proximity to the enemy. The thick and tangled undergrowth prevented a
+sight of the enemy, but every man felt he was near. Everything was
+hushed and still. No one dared to speak above a whisper. It was evening,
+and growing dark. As the men lay on the ground, keenly sensible to every
+sound, and anxiously waiting, they heard the firm tread of a man walking
+along the line. As he walked they heard also the jingle-jangle of a pile
+of canteens hung around his neck. He advanced with deliberate mien to
+within a few yards of the line and opened a terrific fight by quietly
+saying, "Can any you fellows tell a man whar he can git some water?"
+Instantly the thicket was illumined by the flash of a thousand muskets,
+the men leaped to their feet, the officers shouted, and the battle was
+begun. Neither side would yield, and there they fought till many died.
+
+Soon, however, the reserve brigade began to make its way through the
+thicket. The first man to appear was the brigadier, thirty yards ahead
+of his brigade, his sword between his teeth, and parting the bushes with
+both hands as he spurred his horse through the tangled growth. Eager for
+the fight, his eyes glaring and his countenance lit up with fury, his
+first word was "Forward!" and forward went the line.
+
+[Illustration: THE BATTLE OPENS]
+
+On the march from Petersburg to Appomattox, after a sharp engagement,
+some men of Cutshaw's artillery battalion, acting as infantry, made a
+stand for a while on a piece of high ground. They noticed, hanging
+around in a lonely, distracted way, a tall, lean, shaggy fellow
+holding, or rather leaning on, a long staff, around which hung a faded
+battle-flag. Thinking him out of his place and skulking, they suggested
+to him that it would be well for him to join his regiment. He replied
+that his regiment had all run away, and he was merely waiting a chance
+to be useful. Just then the enemy's advancing skirmishers poured a hot
+fire into the group, and the artillerymen began to discuss the propriety
+of leaving. The color-bearer, remembering their insinuations, saw an
+opportunity for retaliation. Standing, as he was, in the midst of a
+shower of musket balls, he seemed almost ready to fall asleep. But
+suddenly his face was illumined with a singularly pleased and childish
+smile. Quietly walking up close to the group, he said, "Any you boys
+want to _charge_?" The boys answered, "Yes." "Well," said the
+imperturbable, "I'm the man to carry this here old flag for you. Just
+follow me." So saying he led the squad full into the face of the
+advancing enemy, and never once seemed to think of stopping until he was
+urged to retire with the squad. He came back smiling from head to foot,
+and suffered no more insinuations.
+
+At Gettysburg, when the artillery fire was at its height, a brawny
+fellow, who seemed happy at the prospect for a hot time, broke out
+singing:--
+
+     "Backward, roll backward, O Time in thy flight:
+     Make me a child again, just for this _fight_!"
+
+Another fellow near him replied, "Yes; and a _gal_ child at that."
+
+At Fredericksburg a good soldier, now a farmer in Chesterfield County,
+Virginia, was desperately wounded and lay on the field all night. In the
+morning a surgeon approached him and inquired the nature of his wound.
+Finding a wound which is always considered fatal, he advised the man to
+remain quietly where he was and die. The man insisted on being removed
+to a hospital, saying in the most emphatic manner, that though every man
+ever wounded as he was (his bowels were punctured by the ball) had died,
+he was determined not to die. The surgeon, struck by the man's courage
+and nerve, consented to remove him, advising him, however, not to
+cherish the hope of recovery. After a hard struggle he did recover, and
+is to-day a living example of the power of a determined will.
+
+At the Wilderness, when the fight was raging in the tangled woods and a
+man could scarcely trust himself to move in any direction for fear of
+going astray or running into the hands of the enemy, a mere boy was
+wounded. Rushing out of the woods, his eyes staring and his face pale
+with fright, he shouted, "Where's the rear. Mister! I say, Mister!
+where's the rear?" Of course he was laughed at. The very grim fact that
+there was no "rear," in the sense of safety, made the question
+irresistibly ludicrous. The conduct of this boy was not exceptional. It
+was no uncommon thing to see the best men badly demoralized and eager to
+go to the rear because of a wound scarcely worthy of the name. On the
+other hand, it sometimes happened that men seriously wounded could not
+be convinced of their danger, and remained on the field.
+
+The day General Stuart fell, mortally wounded, there was a severe fight
+in the woods not far from the old Brook Church, a few miles from
+Richmond; the enemy was making a determined stand, in order to gain time
+to repair a bridge which they were compelled to use, and the Confederate
+infantry skirmishers were pushing them hard. The fighting was stubborn
+and the casualties on the Confederate side very numerous. In the midst
+of the fight a voice was heard shouting, "Where's my boy? I'm looking
+for my boy!" Soon the owner of the voice appeared, tall, slim, aged,
+with silver gray hair, dressed in a full suit of broadcloth. A tall
+silk hat and a clerical collar and cravat completed his attire. His
+voice, familiar to the people of Virginia, was deep and powerful. As he
+continued to shout, the men replied, "Go back, old gentleman; you'll get
+hurt here. Go back; go back!" "No, no;" said he, "I can go anywhere my
+boy has to go, and the Lord is here. I want to see my boy, and I will
+see him!" Then the order, "Forward!" was given and the men made once
+more for the enemy. The old gentleman, his beaver in one hand, a big
+stick in the other, his long hair flying, shouting, "Come on, boys!"
+disappeared in the depths of the woods, well in front. He was a
+Methodist minister, an old member of the Virginia Conference, but his
+carriage that day was soldierly and grand. One thought--that _his boy
+was there_--made the old man feel that he might brave the danger, too.
+No man who saw him there will ever forget the parson who led the charge
+at Brook Church.
+
+At the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, a gun in position somewhat
+in advance of the line was so much exposed to the enemy's fire that it
+was abandoned. Later in the day the battery being ordered to move, the
+captain directed the sergeant to take his detachment and bring in the
+gun. The sergeant and his gunner, with a number of men, went out to
+bring in the gun by hand. Two men lifted the trail and the sergeant
+ordered, "All together!" The gun moved, but moved _in a circle_. The
+fire was hot, and _all hands were on the same side_--the side farthest
+from the enemy! After some persuasion the corporal and the sergeant
+managed to induce a man or two to get on the other side, with them, and
+they were moving along very comfortably when a shrapnel whacked the
+sergeant on his breast, breaking his ribs and tearing away the muscle of
+one arm. He fell into the arms of the corporal. Seeing that their only
+hope of escaping from this fire was work, the cannoniers bent to the
+wheels, and the gun rolled slowly to shelter.
+
+It was at Spottsylvania Court House that the Federal infantry rushed
+over the works, and, engaging in a hand-to-hand fight, drove out the
+Confederate infantry. On one part of the line the artillerymen stood to
+their posts, and when the Federal troops passing the works had massed
+themselves inside, fired to the right and left, up and down the lines,
+cutting roadways through the compact masses of men, and holding their
+positions until the Confederate infantry reformed, drove out the enemy
+and re-occupied the line. Several batteries were completely overrun, and
+the cannoniers sought and found safety _in front of the works_, whence
+the enemy had made their charge.
+
+At another point on the lines, where there was no infantry support, the
+enemy charged repeatedly and made every effort to carry the works, but
+were handsomely repulsed by _artillery alone_. An examination of the
+ground in front of the works after the fight, disclosed the fact that
+all the dead and wounded were victims of artillery fire. The dead were
+literally torn to pieces, and the wounded dreadfully mangled. Scarcely a
+man was hurt on the Confederate side.
+
+At Fort Harrison, a few miles below Richmond, in 1864, a ludicrous scene
+resulted from the firing of a salute with shotted guns. Federal
+artillery occupied the fort, and the lines immediately in front of it
+were held by the "Department Battalion," composed of the clerks in the
+various government offices in Richmond, who had been ordered out to meet
+an emergency. Just before sundown the detail for picket duty was formed,
+and about to march out to the picket line, the clerks presenting quite a
+soldierly appearance. Suddenly bang! went a gun in the fort, and a shell
+came tearing over. Bang! again, and bang! bang! and more shells
+exploding. Pow! pow! what consternation! In an instant the beautiful
+line melted away as by magic. Every man took to shelter, and the place
+was desolate. The firing was rapid, regular, and apparently aimed to
+strike the Confederate lines, but ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
+General Custis Lee, whose tent was near by, observing the panic, stepped
+quietly up to the parapet of the works, folded his arms, and walked back
+and forth without uttering a word or looking to the right or to the
+left. His cool behavior, coupled with the silence of the guns, soon
+reassured the trembling clerks, and one by one they dropped into line
+again. General Butler had heard some news that pleased him, and ordered
+a salute with shotted guns. That was all.
+
+Two boys who had volunteered for service with the militia in the same
+neighborhood, were detailed for picket duty. It was the custom to put
+three men on each post,--two militia boys and one veteran. The boys and
+an old soldier of Johnston's division were marched to their post, where
+they found, ready dug, a pit about five feet deep and three feet wide.
+It was quite dark, and the boys, realizing fully their exposed position,
+at once occupied the pit. The old soldier saw he had an opportunity to
+have a good time, knowing that those boys would keep wide awake. Giving
+them a short lecture about the importance of great watchfulness, he
+warned them to be ready to leave there very rapidly at any moment, and,
+above all, to keep very quiet. His words were wasted, as the boys would
+not have closed their eyes or uttered a word for the world. These little
+details arranged, the cunning old soldier prepared to make himself
+comfortable. First he gathered a few small twigs and made a _very small_
+fire. On the fire he put a battered old tin cup. Into this he poured
+some coffee from his canteen. From some mysterious place in his clothes
+he drew forth sugar and dropped it into the cup. Next, from an old worn
+haversack, he took a "chunk" of raw bacon and a "pone" of corn bread.
+Then, drawing a large pocket knife, in a dexterous manner he sliced and
+ate his bread and meat, occasionally sipping his coffee. His evening
+meal leisurely completed, he filled his pipe, smoked, and stirred up the
+imaginations of the boys by telling how dangerous a duty they were
+performing; told them how easy it would be for the Yankees to creep up
+and shoot them or capture and carry them off. Having finished his smoke,
+he knocked out the ashes and dropped the pipe in his pocket. Then he
+actually unrolled his blanket and oil-cloth. It made the perspiration
+start on the brows of the boys to see the man's folly. Then taking off
+his shoes, he laid down on one edge, took hold of the blanket and
+oil-cloth, rolled himself over to the other side, and with a kind "good
+night" to the boys, began to snore. The poor boys stood like statues in
+the pit till broad day. In the morning the old soldier thanked them for
+not disturbing him, and quietly proceeded to prepare his breakfast.
+
+After the fight at Fisher's Hill, in 1864, Early's army, in full retreat
+and greatly demoralized, was strung out along the valley pike. The
+Federal cavalry was darting around picking up prisoners, shooting
+drivers, and making themselves generally disagreeable. It happened that
+an artilleryman, who was separated from his gun, was making pretty good
+time on foot, getting to the rear, and had the _appearance_ of a
+demoralized infantryman who had thrown away his musket. So one of these
+lively cavalrymen trotted up, and, waving his sabre, told the
+artilleryman to "surrender!" But he didn't stop. He merely glanced over
+his shoulder, and kept on. Then the cavalryman became indignant and
+shouted, "Halt, d--n you; halt!" And still he would not. "Halt," said
+the cavalryman, "halt, you d--n s-- of a -----; halt!" Then the
+artilleryman halted, and remarking that he didn't allow any man to speak
+to _him_ that way, seized a huge stick, turned on the cavalryman,
+knocked him out of his saddle, and proceeded on his journey to the
+rear.
+
+This artilleryman fought with a musket at Sailor's Creek. He found
+himself surrounded by the enemy, who demanded surrender. He refused;
+said they must take him; and laid about him with the butt of his musket
+till he had damaged some of the party considerably. He was, however,
+overpowered and made a prisoner.
+
+Experienced men, in battle, always availed themselves of any shelter
+within reach. A tree, a fence, a mound of earth, a ditch, anything.
+Sometimes their efforts to find shelter were very amusing and even
+silly. Men lying on the ground have been seen to put an old canteen
+before their heads as a shelter from musket balls; and during a heavy
+fire of artillery, seemed to feel safer _under a tent_. Only recruits
+and fools neglected the smallest shelter.
+
+The more experienced troops knew better when to give up than green ones,
+and never fought well after they were satisfied that they could not
+accomplish their purpose. Consequently it often happened that the best
+troops failed where the raw ones did well. The old Confederate soldier
+_would_ decide some questions for himself. To the last he maintained the
+right of private judgment, and especially on the field of battle.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+IMPROVISED INFANTRY.
+
+
+Sunday, April 2, 1865, found Cutshaw's battalion of artillery occupying
+the earthworks at Fort Clifton on the Appomattox, about two miles below
+Petersburg, Virginia. The command was composed of the Second Company
+Richmond Howitzers, Captain Lorraine F. Jones, Garber's battery, Fry's
+battery, and remnants of five other batteries (saved from the battle of
+Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864), and had present for duty
+nearly five hundred men, with a total muster-roll, including the men in
+prison, of one thousand and eighty.
+
+The place--the old "Clifton House"--was well fortified, and had the
+additional protection of the river along the entire front of perhaps a
+mile. The works extended from the Appomattox on the right to Swift Creek
+on the left. There were some guns of heavy calibre mounted and ready for
+action, and in addition to these some field-pieces disposed along the
+line at suitable points. The enemy had formidable works opposite, but
+had not used their guns to disturb the quiet routine of the camp. The
+river bank was picketed by details from the artillery, armed as
+infantry, but without the usual equipments. The guard duty was so heavy
+that half the men were always on guard.
+
+The huts, built by the troops who had formerly occupied the place, were
+located, with a view to protection from the enemy's fire, under the
+hills on the sides of the ravines or gullies which divided them, and
+were underground to the eaves of the roof. Consequently, the soil being
+sandy, there was a constant filtering of sand through the cracks, and in
+spite of the greatest care, the grit found its way into the flour and
+meal, stuck to the greasy frying-pan, and even filled the hair of the
+men as they slept in their bunks.
+
+At this time rations were reduced to the minimum of quantity and
+quality, being generally worm-eaten peas, sour or rancid mess-pork, and
+unbolted corn meal, relieved occasionally with a small supply of
+luscious canned beef, imported from England, good flour (half rations),
+a little coffee and sugar, and, once, apple brandy for all hands.
+Ragged, barefooted, and even bareheaded men were so common that they did
+not excite notice or comment, and did not expect or seem to feel the
+want of sympathy. And yet there was scarcely a complaint or murmur of
+dissatisfaction, and not the slightest indication of fear or doubt. The
+spirit of the men was as good as ever, and the possibility of immediate
+disaster had not cast its shadow there.
+
+Several incidents occurred during the stay of the battalion at Fort
+Clifton which will serve to illustrate every-day life on the lines. It
+occurred to a man picketing the river bank that it would be amusing to
+take careful aim at the man on the other side doing the same duty for
+the enemy, fire, laugh to see the fellow jump and dodge, and then try
+again. He fired, laughed, dropped his musket to re-load, and while
+smiling with satisfaction, heard the "thud" of a bullet and felt an
+agonizing pain in his arm. His musket fell to the ground, and he walked
+back to camp with his arm swinging heavily at his side. The surgeon soon
+relieved him of it altogether. The poor fellow learned a lesson. The
+"Yank" had beat him at his own game.
+
+The guard-house was a two-story framed building, about twelve feet
+square, having two rooms, one above the other. The detail for guard duty
+was required to stay in the guard-house; those who wished to sleep going
+up-stairs, while others just relieved or about to go on duty clustered
+around the fire in the lower room. One night, when the upper floor was
+covered with sleeping men, an improvised infantryman who had been
+relieved from duty walked in, and, preparatory to taking his stand at
+the fire, threw his musket carelessly in the corner. A loud report and
+angry exclamations immediately followed. The sergeant of the guard,
+noticing the direction of the ball, hurried up-stairs, and to the
+disgust of the sleepy fellows, ordered all hands to "turn out."
+Grumbling, growling, stretching, and rubbing their eyes, the men got up.
+Some one inquired, "Where's Pryor?" His chum, who had been sleeping by
+his side, replied, "there he is, asleep; shake him." His blanket was
+drawn aside, and with a shake he was commanded to "get up!" But there
+was no motion, no reply. The ball had passed through his heart, and he
+had passed without a groan or a sigh from deep sleep to death. The man
+who was killed and the man who was sleeping by his side under the same
+blanket, were members of the Second Company Richmond Howitzers. The
+careless man who made the trouble was also an artilleryman, from one of
+the other batteries.
+
+Shortly after this accident, after a quiet day, the men retired to their
+huts, and the whole camp was still as a country church-yard. The pickets
+on the river's edge could hear those on the opposite side asking the
+corporal of the guard the hour, and complaining that they had not been
+promptly relieved. Suddenly a terrific bombardment commenced, and the
+earth fairly trembled. The men, suddenly awakened, heard the roar of the
+guns, the rush of the shots, and the explosion of the shells. To a man
+only half awake, the shells seemed to pass very near and in every
+direction. In a moment all were rushing out of their houses, and soon
+the hillsides and bluffs were covered with an excited crowd, gazing
+awe-struck on the sight. The firing was away to the right, and there was
+not the slightest danger. Having realized this fact, the interest was
+intense. The shells from the opposite lines met and passed in
+mid-air--their burning fuses forming an arch of fire, which paled
+occasionally as a shell burst, illuminating the heavens with its blaze.
+The uproar, even at such a distance, was terrible. The officers, fearing
+that fire would be opened along the whole line, ordered the cannoniers
+to their posts; men were sent down into the magazine with lanterns to
+arrange the ammunition for the heavy guns; the lids of the limbers of
+the field-pieces were thrown up; the cannoniers were counted off at
+their posts; the brush which had been piled before the embrasures was
+torn away; and, with implements in hand, all stood at "attention!" till
+the last shot was fired. The heavens were dark again, and silence
+reigned. Soon all hands were as sound asleep as though nothing had
+occurred.
+
+The next morning an artilleryman came walking leisurely towards the
+camp, and being recognized as belonging to a battery which was in
+position on that part of the line where the firing of the last night
+occurred, was plied with questions as to the loss on our side, who was
+hurt, etc., etc. Smiling at the anxious faces and eager questions, he
+replied: "When? Last night? Nobody!" It was astounding, but nevertheless
+true.
+
+On another occasion some scattering shots were heard up the river, and
+after a while a body came floating down the stream. It was hauled on
+shore and buried in the sand a little above high-water mark. It was a
+poor Confederate who had attempted to desert to the enemy, but was shot
+while swimming for the opposite bank of the river. His grave was the
+centre of the beat of one of the picket posts on the river bank, and
+there were few men so indifferent to the presence of the dead as not to
+prefer some other post.
+
+And so, while there had been no fighting, there were always incidents to
+remind the soldier that danger lurked around, and that he could not long
+avoid his share. The camp was not as joyous as it had been, and all
+felt that the time was near which would try the courage of the stoutest.
+The struggles of the troops on the right with overwhelming numbers and
+reports of adversities, caused a general expectation that the troops
+lying so idly at the Clifton House would be ordered to the point of
+danger. They had not long to wait.
+
+Sunday came and went as many a Sunday had. There was nothing unusual
+apparent, unless, perhaps, the dull and listless attitudes of the men,
+and the monotonous call of those on guard were more oppressive than
+usual. The sun went down, the hills and valleys and the river were
+veiled in darkness. Here and there twinkling lights were visible. On the
+other side of the river could be heard a low rumbling which experienced
+men said was the movement of artillery and ammunition trains bound to
+the enemy's left to press the already broken right of the Confederate
+line.
+
+Some had actually gone to sleep for the night. Others were huddled
+around the fires in the little huts, and a few sat out on the hill-side
+discussing the probabilities of the near future. A most peaceful scene;
+a most peaceful spot. Hymns were sung and prayers were made, though no
+preacher was there. Memory reverted fondly to the past, to home and
+friends. The spirit of the soldier soared away to other scenes, and
+left _him_ to sit blankly down, gaze at the stars, and feel unspeakable
+longings for undefined joys, and weep, for very tenderness of heart, at
+his own sad loneliness.
+
+At ten P.M. some man mounted on horseback rode up to one of the
+huts, and said the battalion had orders to move. It was so dark that his
+face was scarcely visible. In a few minutes orders were received to
+destroy what could be destroyed without noise or fire. This was promptly
+done. Then the companies were formed, the roll was called, and the
+battalion marched slowly and solemnly away. No one doubted that the
+command would march at once to the assistance of the troops at or near
+Five Forks. It was thought that before morning every man would have his
+musket and his supply of ammunition, and the crack of day would see the
+battalion rushing into battle in regular infantry style, whooping and
+yelling like demons. But they got no arms that night. The march was
+steady till broad day of Monday the 3d of April. Of course the men felt
+mortified at having to leave the guns, but there was no help for it, as
+the battery horses which had been sent away to winter had not returned.
+It was evident that the battalion had bid farewell to artillery, and
+commenced a new career as infantry.
+
+As the night wore on the men learned that the command was not going to
+any point on the lines. That being determined, no one could guess its
+destination. Later in the night, probably as day approached, the sky in
+the direction of Richmond was lit with the red glare of distant
+conflagration, and at short intervals there were deep, growling
+explosions of magazines. The roads were filled with other troops, all
+hurrying in the same direction. There was no sign of panic or fear, but
+the very wheels seemed turning with unusual energy. The men wore the
+look of determination, haste, and eagerness. One could feel the energy
+which surrounded him and animated the men and things which moved so
+steadily on, on, on! There was no laughing, singing, or talking. Nothing
+but the steady tread of the column and the surly rumbling of the trains.
+
+As morning dawned the battalion struck the main road leading from
+Richmond. Refugees told the story of the evacuation, and informed the
+boys from the city that it was in the hands of the enemy and burning,
+and the chances were that not one house would be left standing. Here it
+became clearly understood that the whole army was in full retreat. From
+this point the men began to say, as they marched, that it was easier to
+march away than it would be to get back, but that they expected and
+hoped to _fight_ their way back if they had to contest every inch. Some
+even regretted the celerity of the march, for, they said, "the further
+we march the more difficult it will be to win our way back." Little did
+they know of the immense pressure at the rear, and the earnest push of
+the enemy on the flank as he strove to reach and overlap the advance of
+his hitherto defiant, but now retreating, foe.
+
+A detail had been left at Fort Clifton with orders to spike the guns,
+blow up the magazine, destroy everything which could be of value to the
+enemy, and rejoin the command. The order was obeyed, and every man of
+the detail resumed his place in the ranks.
+
+From this point to Appomattox the march was almost continuous, day and
+night, and it is with the greatest difficulty that a private in the
+ranks can recall with accuracy the dates and places on the march. Night
+was day--day was night. There was no stated time to sleep, eat, or rest,
+and the events of morning became strangely intermingled with the events
+of evening. Breakfast, dinner, and supper were merged into "something to
+eat," whenever and wherever it could be had. The incidents of the march,
+however, lose none of their significance on this account, and so far as
+possible they will be given in the order in which they occurred, and
+the day and hour fixed as accurately as they can be by those who
+witnessed and participated in its dangers and hardships.
+
+Monday, the 3d, the column was pushed along without ceremony, at a rapid
+pace, until night, when a halt was ordered and the battalion laid down
+in a piece of pine woods to rest. There was some "desultory" eating in
+this camp, but so little of it that there was no lasting effect. At
+early dawn of Tuesday, the 4th, the men struggled to their feet, and
+with empty stomachs and brave hearts resumed their places in the ranks,
+and struggled on with the column as it marched steadily in the direction
+of Moore's Church, in Amelia County, where it arrived in the night. The
+men laid down under the shelter of a fine grove, and friend divided with
+friend the little supplies of raw bacon and bread picked up on the day's
+march. They were scarcely stretched on the ground ready for a good nap,
+when the orderly of the Howitzers commenced bawling, "Detail for guard!
+detail for guard! Fall in here; fall in!" then followed the names of the
+detail. Four men answered to their names, but declared they could not
+keep awake if placed on guard. Their remonstrance was in vain. They were
+marched off to picket a road leading to camp, and when they were
+relieved, said they had slept soundly on their posts. No one blamed
+them.
+
+While it was yet night all hands were roused from profound sleep; the
+battalion was formed, and away they went, stumbling, bumping against
+each other, and _sleeping as they walked_. Whenever the column halted
+for a moment, as it did frequently during the night, the men dropped
+heavily to the ground and were instantly asleep. Then the officers would
+commence: "Forward! column forward!" Those first on their feet went
+stumbling on over their prostrate comrades, who would in turn be
+awakened, and again the column was in motion, and nothing heard but the
+monotonous tread of the weary feet, the ringing and rattling of the
+trappings of the horses, and the never-ending cry of "Close up, men;
+close up!"
+
+Through the long, weary night there was no rest. The alternate halting
+and hurrying was terribly trying, and taxed the endurance of the most
+determined men to the very utmost; and yet on the morning of Wednesday,
+the 5th, when the battalion reached the neighborhood of Scott's Shops,
+every man was in place and ready for duty. From this point, after some
+ineffectual efforts to get a breakfast, the column pushed on in the
+direction of Amelia Court House, at which point Colonel Cutshaw was
+ordered to report to General James A. Walker, and the battalion was
+thereafter a part of Walker's division. The 5th was spent at or near the
+court house--how, it is difficult to remember; but the day was marked by
+several incidents worthy of record.
+
+About two hundred and twenty-five muskets (not enough to arm all the
+men), cartridges, and caps were issued to the battalion--simply the
+muskets and ammunition. Not a cartridge-box, cap-box, belt, or any other
+convenience ornamented the persons of these new-born infantrymen. They
+stored their ammunition in their pockets along with their corn, salt,
+pipes, and tobacco.
+
+When application was made for rations, it was found that the last morsel
+belonging to the division had been issued to the command, and the
+battalion was again thrown on its own resources, to wit: corn on the cob
+intended for the horses. Two ears were issued to each man. It was
+parched in the coals, mixed with salt, stored in the pockets, and eaten
+on the road. Chewing the corn was hard work. It made the jaws ache and
+the gums and teeth so sore as to cause almost unendurable pain.
+
+After the muskets were issued a line of battle was formed with Cutshaw
+on the right. For what purpose the line was formed the men could not
+tell. A short distance from the right of the line there was a grove
+which concealed an ammunition train which had been sent from Richmond to
+meet the army. The ammunition had been piled up ready for destruction.
+An occasional musket ball passed over near enough and often enough to
+produce a realizing sense of the proximity of the enemy and solemnize
+the occasion. Towards evening the muskets were stacked, artillery style
+of course, the men were lying around, chatting and eating raw bacon, and
+there was general quiet, when suddenly the earth shook with a tremendous
+explosion and an immense column of smoke rushed up into the air to a
+great height. For a moment there was the greatest consternation. Whole
+regiments broke and fled in wild confusion. Cutshaw's men stood up,
+seized their muskets, and stood at attention till it was known that the
+ammunition had been purposely fired and no enemy was threatening the
+line. Then what laughter and hilarity prevailed, for a while, among
+these famishing men!
+
+Order having been restored, the march was resumed, and moving by way of
+Amelia Springs, the column arrived near Deatonsville, about ten o'clock,
+on the morning of Thursday the 6th. The march, though not a long one,
+was exceedingly tiresome, as, the main roads being crowded, the column
+moved by plantation roads, which were in wretched condition and crowded
+with troops and trains. That the night was spent in the most trying
+manner may best be learned from the fact that when morning dawned the
+column was only six or seven miles from the starting point of the
+evening before.
+
+This delay was fatal. The whole army--trains and all--left Amelia Court
+House in advance of Walker's division, which was left to cover the
+retreat, Cutshaw's battalion being the last to leave the court house,
+thus bringing up the rear of the army, and being in constant view of the
+enemy's hovering cavalry. The movement of the division was regulated to
+suit the movements of the wagon trains, which should have been destroyed
+on the spot, and the column allowed to make its best time, as, owing to
+the delay they occasioned, the army lost the time it had gained on the
+enemy in the start, and was overtaken the next day.
+
+At Deatonsville another effort to cook was made, but before the simplest
+articles of food could be prepared, the order to march was given, and
+the battalion took the road once more.
+
+A short while after passing Deatonsville the column was formed in line
+of battle,--Cutshaw's battalion near the road and in an old field with
+woods in front and rear. The officers, anticipating an immediate attack,
+ordered the men to do what they could for their protection. They
+immediately scattered along the fence on the roadside, and taking down
+the rails stalked back to their position in line, laid the rails on the
+ground and returned for another load. This they continued to do until
+the whole of the fence was removed. Behind this slim defense they
+silently awaited the advance of the enemy.
+
+Soon it was decided that this was not the place to make a stand. The
+first detachment of the Second Company of Richmond Howitzers, and twenty
+men each from Garber and Fry, under the command of Lieutenant Henry
+Jones, were left behind the fence-rail work, with orders to resist and
+retard the advance of the enemy while the column continued its march.
+
+This little band was composed of true spirits,--the best material in the
+battalion. Right well did they do their duty. Left alone to face the
+advance of the immense host eagerly pursuing the worn remnant of the
+invincible army, they waited until the enemy's skirmishers appeared in
+the field, when, with perfect deliberation, they commenced their fire.
+Though greatly outnumbered, and flanked right and left, they stubbornly
+held on till the line of battle following the skirmishers broke from
+the woods, and advancing rapidly poured into them a murderous volley.
+And yet, so unused were they to running, they moved not till the
+infantry skirmishers had retired, and the word of command was heard.
+Then stubbornly contesting the ground, they fought their way back
+through the woods. The gallant Lieutenant Jones fell mortally wounded,
+having held control of his little band to the moment he fell. His friend
+Kemp refused to leave him, and they were captured together, but were
+immediately separated by the enemy. Pearson was pierced through by a
+musket ball as he was hurrying through the woods, and fell heavily to
+the ground. Binford was severely wounded, but managed to escape.
+Hamilton was killed outright.
+
+The battalion had left this point but a short time, marching in column
+of fours with the division, and had reached the brow of a gently sloping
+hill, perfectly open for perhaps a mile, with a broad valley on the
+left, and beyond it a range of hills partly wooded. In an open space on
+this range the enemy placed a battery in position, and, in anticipation
+of doing great slaughter from a safe distance, opened a rapid fire on
+the exposed and helpless column. The shells came hurtling over the
+valley, exploding in front, rear, and overhead, and tearing up the
+ground in every direction. Ah! how it grieved those artillerymen to
+stand, musket in hand, and receive that shower of insolence. How they
+longed for the old friends they had left at Fort Clifton. They knew how
+those rascals on the other side of the valley were enjoying the sport.
+They could hear, in imagination, the shouts of the cannoniers as they
+saw their shells bursting so prettily, and rammed home another shot.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+There was some impediment ahead, and there the column stood, a fair mark
+for these rascals. There was no help near, and all that could be done
+was to stand firm and wait orders; but help was coming.
+
+A cloud of dust was approaching from the rear of the column. All eyes
+were strained to see what it might mean. Presently the artillerymen
+recognized a well-known sound. A battery was coming in full gallop, the
+drivers lashing their horses and yelling like madmen. The guns bounded
+along as though they would outrun the horses, and with rush, roar, and
+rattle they approached the front of the battalion. Some fellow in the
+Second Company Howitzers sung out, "Old Henry Carter! Hurrah! for the
+Third Company! Give it to 'em, boys!" It was, indeed, the Third Company
+of Howitzers, long separated from the Second, with their gallant captain
+at their head!
+
+Not a moment was lost. The guns were in battery, and the smoke of the
+first shot was curling about the heads of the men in the column in
+marvelously quick time. Friends and comrades in the column called to the
+men at the guns, and they, as they stepped in and out, responded with
+cheerful, ringing voices, "Hello, Bill!" "How are you, Joe?" Bang!
+"Pretty"--Bang!--"well, I thank you." Bang! "Oh! we're giving it to 'em
+now." Bang!
+
+As the battalion moved on, the gallant boys of the Third Company
+finished their work. The disappointed enemy limbered up, slipped into
+the woods and departed. Cheered by this fortunate meeting with old
+comrades, with the pleasant odor of the smoke lingering around them,
+these hitherto bereft and mournful artillerymen pushed on, laughing at
+the discomfiture of the enemy, and feeling that though deprived of their
+guns by the misfortunes of war, there was still left at least one
+battery worthy to represent the artillery of the army.
+
+As the column marched slowly along, some sharp-eyed man discovered three
+of the enemy's skirmishers in a field away on the left. More for
+amusement than anything else, it was proposed to fire at them. A group
+of men gathered on the roadside, a volley was fired, and, to the
+amazement of the marksmen, for the distance was great, one of the
+skirmishers fell. One of his comrades started on a run to his
+assistance, and he, too, was stopped. The third man then scampered away
+as fast as his legs could carry him. The battalion applauded the good
+shots and marched on.
+
+At Sailor's Creek the detachment which had been left at Deatonsville,
+behind the fence rails, to watch and retard the approach of the enemy,
+having slowly retired before their advance, rejoined the command.
+Indeed, their resistance and retreat was the beginning of and ended in
+the battle of Sailor's Creek.
+
+The line of battle was formed on Locket's Hill, which sloped gently down
+from the line to the creek, about one hundred and fifty or two hundred
+yards in rear of and running nearly parallel with the line of battle. A
+road divided the battalion near the centre. The Howitzers were on the
+left of this road and in the woods; Garber's men were on the right of
+the Howitzers, on the opposite side of the road, in a field; Fry's men
+on the extreme left. To cross the road dividing the line was a hazardous
+experiment, as the enemy, thinking it an important avenue, swept it with
+musketry.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+It was amusing to see the men hauling out of their pockets a mixture of
+corn, salt, caps, and cartridges, and, selecting the material needed,
+loading. They were getting ready to stand. They did not expect to run,
+and did not until ordered to do so.
+
+The enemy's skirmishers advanced confidently and in rather free and easy
+style, but suddenly met a volley which drove them to cover. Again they
+advanced, in better order, and again the improvised infantry forced them
+back. Then came their line of battle with overwhelming numbers; but the
+battalion stubbornly resisted their advance. The men, not accustomed to
+the orderly manner of infantry, dodged about from tree to tree, and with
+the deliberation of huntsmen picked off here and there a man. When a
+shot "told," the marksman hurrahed, all to himself. There was an evident
+desire to press forward and drive the advancing foe. Several of the men
+were so enthusiastic that they had pushed ahead of the line, and several
+yards in advance they could be seen loading and firing as deliberately
+as though practicing at a mark.
+
+Colonel Cutshaw received a wound which so shattered his leg that he had
+to be lifted from his horse into an ambulance. He was near being
+captured, but by hurrying away the ambulance at a gallop, he escaped to
+a house a short distance in the rear, where he fell into the hands of
+the enemy. The same night he suffered amputation of a leg. Captain
+Garber was struck, and called for the ambulance corps, but on
+examination found the ball in his pocket. It had lodged against the
+rowel of a spur which he found the day before and dropped in his
+pocket.
+
+At last the enemy appeared in strong force on both flanks, while he
+pushed hard in front. It was useless to attempt a further stand. The
+voice of Captain Jones, of the Howitzers, rang out loud and clear,
+"Boys, take care of yourselves!" Saying this, he planted himself against
+a pine, and, as his men rushed by him, emptied every chamber of his
+revolver at the enemy, and then reluctantly made his way, in company
+with several privates, down the hill to the creek.
+
+At the foot of the hill a group of perhaps a dozen men gathered around
+Lieutenant McRae. He was indignant. He proposed another stand, and his
+comrades agreed. They stood in the road, facing the gentle slope of the
+hill from which they had been ordered to retire. The enemy's skirmishers
+were already on the brow of the hill, dodging about among the trees and
+shouting to those behind to hurry up. Their favorite expressions were,
+"Come along, boys; here are the damned rebel wagons!" "Damn 'em shoot
+'em down!"
+
+In a few moments their line of battle, in beautiful order, stepped out
+of the woods with colors flying, and for a moment halted. In front of
+the centre of that portion of the line which was visible--probably a
+full regimental front--marched the colors, and color-guard. McRae saw
+his opportunity. He ordered his squad to rise and fire on the colors.
+His order was promptly obeyed. The color-bearer pitched forward and
+fell, with his colors, heavily to the ground. The guard of two men on
+either side shared the same fate, or else feigned it. Immediately the
+line of battle broke into disorder, and came swarming down the hill,
+firing, yelling, and cursing as they came. An officer, mounted, rode his
+horse close to the fence on the roadside, and with the most superb
+insolence mocked McRae and his squad, already, as he thought, hopelessly
+intermingled with the enemy. McRae, in his rage, swore back at him, and
+in the hearing of the man, called on a man near him to shoot "that ----
+----," calling him a fearfully hard name. But the private's gun was not
+in working order, and the fellow escaped for the time. Before he reached
+the woods, whither he was going to hurry up the "boys," a Howitzer let
+fly at him, and at the shock of the bullet's stroke he threw his arms up
+in the air, and his horse bore him into the woods a corpse.
+
+[Illustration: LAST SHOT. SAILOR'S CREEK.]
+
+A little to the left, where the road crossed the creek, the crack of
+pistols and the "bang" of muskets was continuous. The enemy had
+surrounded the wagons and were mercilessly shooting down the unarmed and
+helpless drivers, some of whom, however, managed to cut the traces,
+mount, and ride away.
+
+In order to escape from the right of the line, it was necessary to
+follow the road, which was along the foot of the hill, some distance to
+the left. The enemy seeing this were pushing their men rapidly at a
+right oblique to gain the road and cut off retreat. Consequently those
+who attempted escape in that direction had to run the gauntlet of a
+constant fusilade from a mass of troops near enough to select
+individuals, curse them, and command them to throw down their arms or be
+shot.
+
+Most of McRae's squad, in spite of the difficulties surrounding them,
+gained the creek, plunged in, and began a race for life up the long,
+open hill-side of plowed ground, fired upon at every step by the swarm
+of men behind, and before they reached the top, by a battery in close
+proximity, which poured down a shower of canister.
+
+The race to the top of the long hill was exceedingly trying to men
+already exhausted by continual marching, hunger, thirst, and loss of
+sleep. They ran, panting for breath, like chased animals, fairly
+staggering as they went.
+
+On the top of this long hill there was a skirmish line of cavalry
+posted, with orders to stop all men with arms in their hands, and form
+a new line; but the view down the hill to the creek and beyond revealed
+such a host of the enemy, and the men retiring before them were so few,
+that the order was disregarded and the fleeing band allowed to pass
+through.
+
+The men's faces were black with powder. They had bitten cartridges until
+there was a deep black circle around their mouths. The burnt powder from
+the ramrods had blackened their hands, and in their efforts to remove
+the perspiration from their faces they had completed the coloring from
+the roots of the hair to the chin. Here was no place for rest, however,
+as the enemy's battery behind the creek on the opposite hills, having
+gotten the range, was pouring in a lively fire. Soon after passing the
+brow of the hill darkness came on. Groups of men from the battalion
+halted on the roadside, near a framed building of some sort, and
+commenced shouting, "Fall in, Howitzers!" "This way, Garber's men!"
+"Fry's battery!" "Fall in!" "Cutshaw's battalion, fall in here!" thus of
+their own accord trying to recover the organization from its disorder.
+Quite a number of the battalion got together, and in spite of hunger,
+thirst, defeat, and dreadful weariness, pushed on to the High Bridge. So
+anxious were the men to escape capture and the insinuation of desertion,
+that when threatened with shooting by the rear guard if they did not
+move on they scarcely turned to see who spoke: but the simple
+announcement, "The Yankees are coming!" gave them a little new strength,
+and again they struggled painfully along, dropping in the road sound
+asleep, however, at the slightest halt of the column.
+
+At the bridge there was quite a halt, and in the darkness the men
+commenced calling to each other by name--the rascally infantry around,
+still ready for fun, answering for every name. Brother called brother,
+comrade called comrade, friend called friend; and there were many happy
+reunions there that night. Some alas! of the best and bravest did not
+answer the cry of anxious friends.
+
+Before the dawn of day the column was again in motion. What strange
+sensations the men had as they marched slowly across the High Bridge.
+They knew its great height, but the night was so dark that they could
+not see the abyss on either side. Arrived on the other side, the
+worn-out soldiers fell to the ground and slept, more dead than alive.
+Some had slept as they marched across the bridge, and declared that they
+had no distinct recollection of when they left it, or how long they were
+upon it.
+
+Early on the morning of the 7th the march was resumed and continued
+through Farmville, across the bridge and to Cumberland Heights,
+overlooking the town. Here, on the bare hill-side, a line of battle was
+formed, for what purpose the men did not know--the Howitzers occupying a
+central place in the line, and standing with their feet in the midst of
+a number of the graves of soldiers who had perished in the hospitals in
+the town.
+
+While standing thus in line a detail was sent into the town to hunt up
+some rations. They found a tierce of bacon surrounded by a ravenous
+crowd, fighting and quarreling. The man on duty guarding the bacon was
+quickly overpowered, and the bacon distributed to the crowd. The detail
+secured a piece and marched back triumphantly to their waiting comrades.
+
+After considerable delay the line broke into column and marched away in
+the direction of Curdsville. It was on this march that Cutshaw's
+battalion showed itself proof against the demoralization which was
+appearing, and received, almost from the lips of the Commander-in-Chief,
+a compliment of which any regiment in the army might be proud.
+
+All along the line of march the enemy's cavalry followed close on the
+flanks of the column, and whenever an opportunity offered swooped down
+upon the trains. Whenever this occurred the battalion, with the
+division, was faced towards the advancing cavalry, and marched in line
+to meet them, generally repulsing them with ease. In one of these
+attacks the cavalry approached so near the column that a dash was made
+at them, and the infantry returned to the road with General Gregg, of
+the enemy's cavalry, a prisoner. He was splendidly equipped and greatly
+admired by the ragged crowd around him. He was, or pretended to be,
+greatly surprised at his capture. When the column had reached a point
+two or three miles beyond Farmville, it was found that the enemy was
+driving in the force which was protecting the marching column and
+trains. The troops hurrying back were panic-stricken; all efforts to
+rally them were vain, and the enemy was almost upon the column. General
+Gordon ordered General Walker to form his division and drive the enemy
+back from the road. The division advanced gallantly, and conspicuous in
+the charge was Cutshaw's battalion. When the line was formed, the
+battalion occupied rising ground on the right. The line was visible for
+a considerable distance. In rear of the battalion there was a group of
+unarmed men under command of Sergeant Ellett, of the Howitzers. In the
+distribution of muskets at Amelia Court House the supply fell short of
+the demand, and this squad had made the trip so far unarmed. Some, too,
+had been compelled to ground their arms at Sailor's Creek. A few yards
+to the left and rear of the battalion, in the road, was General Lee,
+surrounded by a number of officers, gazing eagerly about him. An
+occasional musket ball whistled over, but there was no enemy in sight.
+In the midst of this quiet a general officer, at the left and rear of
+the battalion, fell from his horse, severely wounded. A messenger was
+sent from the group in the road to ask the extent of his injury. After a
+short while the enemy appeared, and the stampeded troops came rushing
+by. Cutshaw's battalion stood firmly and quietly, as if on parade,
+awaiting orders. General officers galloped about, begging the fleeing
+men to halt, but in vain. Several of the fugitives, as they passed the
+battalion, were collared by the disarmed squad, relieved of their
+muskets and ammunition, and with a kick allowed to proceed to the rear.
+There was now between the group in the road and the enemy only the
+battalion of improvised infantry. There they stood, on the crest of the
+hill, in sharp relief. Not a man moved from his place. Did they know the
+Great Commander was watching them? Some one said, "Forward!" The cry
+passed from lip to lip, and, with cheers, the battalion moved rapidly
+to meet the enemy, while the field was full of the stampeded troops
+making to the rear. A courier came out with orders to stop the advance,
+but they heeded him not. Again he came, but on they went. Following the
+line was the unarmed squad, unable to do more than swell the volume of
+the wild shouts of their comrades. Following them, also, was the
+commissary department, consisting of two men, with a piece of bacon
+swung on a pole between them, yelling and hurrahing. As the line
+advanced, the blue-jackets sprang up and ran through the broom-straw
+like hares, followed by a shower of balls. Finally an officer--some say
+General Gordon, and others an aide of Longstreet's--rode out to the
+front of the battalion, ordered a halt, and in the name of General Lee
+thanked the men for their gallant conduct and complimented them in
+handsome style. His words were greeted with loud cheers, and the
+battalion marched back to the road carrying several prisoners and having
+retaken two pieces of artillery which had been abandoned to the enemy.
+After the enemy was driven back out of reach of our trains and column of
+march, and the troops were in line of battle, General Lee in person rode
+up in rear of the division, and addressing himself directly to the men
+in ranks (a thing very unusual with him) used language to this effect:
+"That is right, men; that is all I want you to do. Just keep _those
+people_ back awhile. I do not wish you to expose yourselves to
+unnecessary danger." Mahone's division then coming up took the place of
+Walker's, and the march was resumed. The battalion passed on, the men
+cutting slices from their piece of bacon and eagerly devouring them. As
+night came on the signs of disaster increased.
+
+At several places whole trains were standing in the road abandoned;
+artillery, chopped down and burning, blocked the way, and wagonloads of
+ammunition were dumped out in the road and trampled under foot. There
+were abundant signs of disaster. So many muskets were dropped on the
+road that Cutshaw's unarmed squad _armed itself_ with abandoned muskets,
+ammunition, and equipments.
+
+There was a halt during the night in a piece of stunted woods. The land
+was low and soggy. In the road passing through the woods were several
+batteries, chopped down and deserted. There was a little flour on hand,
+which had been picked up on the road. An oil-cloth was spread, the flour
+placed on it, water was found, and the dough mixed. Then some clean
+partition boards were knocked out of a limber chest, the dough was
+spread on them and held near the fire till partially cooked. Then with
+what delight it was devoured!
+
+At daybreak, Saturday, the march was resumed, and continued almost
+without interruption during the whole day; the men, those whose gums and
+teeth were not already too sore, crunching parched corn and raw bacon as
+they trudged along. Saturday night the battalion rested near Appomattox
+Court House, in a pine woods. Sunday morning, April 9th, after a short
+march, the column entered the village of Appomattox Court House by what
+seemed to be the main road. Several dead men, dressed in the uniform of
+United States regular artillery, were lying on the roadside, their faces
+turned up to the blaze of the sun. One had a ghastly wound in the
+breast, which must have been made by grape or canister.
+
+On through the village without halting marched the column. "Whitworth"
+shots went hurtling through the air every few minutes, indicating very
+clearly that the enemy was ahead of the column and awaiting its arrival.
+On the outskirts of the village the line of battle was formed. Indeed,
+there seemed to be _two_ lines, one slightly in advance of the other.
+Wagons passed along the line and dropped boxes of cartridges. The men
+were ordered to knock them open and supply themselves with forty rounds
+each. They filled their breeches' pockets to the brim. The general
+officers galloped up and down the line, apparently hurrying everything
+as much as possible. The shots from a battery in advance were
+continually passing over the line, going in the direction of the
+village, but without harm to any one. The more experienced men predicted
+a severe struggle. It was supposed that this was to be an attack with
+the whole army in mass, for the purpose of breaking through the enemy's
+line and making one more effort to move on.
+
+Finally the order "Forward!" ran along the line, and as it advanced the
+chiefs of detachments, gunners, and commissioned officers marched in
+rear, keeping up a continual cry of "Close up, men; close up!" "Go
+ahead, now; don't lag!" "Keep up!" Thus marching, the line entered a
+body of woods, proceeded some distance, changed direction to the left,
+and, emerging from the woods, halted in a large open field, beyond which
+was another body of woods which concealed further view in front.
+
+After some delay, a detail for skirmish duty was ordered. Captain Jones
+detailed four men, Fry and Garber the same number. Lieutenant McRae was
+placed in command. The infantry detailed skirmishers for their front.
+All arrangements completed, the men deployed and entered the woods. They
+had advanced but a short distance, when they encountered a strong line
+of picket posts. Firing and cheering they rushed on the surprised men,
+who scampered away, leaving all their little conveniences behind them,
+and retreating for about a mile. From this point large bodies of the
+enemy were visible, crowding the hill-tops like a blue or black cloud.
+It was not many minutes before a strong line of dismounted cavalry,
+followed by mounted men, deployed from this mass to cover the retreat of
+their fleeing brethren, and restore the picket line. They came down the
+hills and across the fields, firing as they came. On looking around to
+see what were the chances for making a stand, Lieutenant McRae found
+that the infantry skirmishers had been withdrawn. The officer who had
+commanded them could be seen galloping away in the distance. The little
+squad, knowing they were alone, kept up a brisk fire on the advancing
+enemy, till he was close up in front, and well to the rear of both
+flanks. On the left, not more than two hundred yards, a column of
+cavalry, marching by twos, had crossed the line and were still marching,
+as unconcernedly as possible, to the rear of McRae. Seeing this, McRae
+ordered his squad to retire, saying at the same time, "But don't let
+them see you running, boys!"
+
+So they retired, slowly, stubbornly, and returning shot for shot with
+the enemy, who came on at a trot, cheering valiantly, as they pursued
+four men and a lieutenant. The men dragged the butts of their old
+muskets behind them, loading as they walked. All loaded, they turned,
+halted, fired, received a shower of balls in return, and then again
+moved doggedly to the rear. A little lieutenant of infantry, who had
+been on the skirmish line, joined the squad. He was armed with a
+revolver, and had his sword by his side. Stopping behind the corner of a
+corn-crib he swore he would not go any further to the rear. The squad
+moved on and left him standing there, pistol in hand, waiting for the
+enemy, who were now jumping the fences and coming across the field,
+running at the top of their speed. What became of this singular man no
+one knows. He was, as he said, "determined to make a stand." A little
+further on the squad found a single piece of artillery, manned by a
+lieutenant and two or three men. They were selecting individuals in the
+enemy's skirmish line, and _firing at them with solid shot_! Lieutenant
+McRae laughed at the ridiculous sight, remonstrated with the officer,
+and offered his squad to serve the gun, if there was any canister in the
+limber chest. The offer was refused, and again the squad moved on.
+Passing a cow-shed about this time, the squad halted to look with
+horror upon several dead and wounded Confederates who lay there upon the
+manure pile. They had suffered wounds and death upon this the last day
+of their country's struggle. Their wounds had received no attention, and
+those living were famished and burning with fever.
+
+Lieutenant McRae, noticing a number of wagons and guns parked in a field
+near by, surprised at what he considered great carelessness in the
+immediate presence of the enemy, approached an officer on horseback and
+said, in his usual impressive manner, "I say there, what does this
+mean?" The man took his hand and quietly said, "We have surrendered." "I
+don't believe it, sir!" replied McRae, strutting around as mad as a
+hornet. "You mustn't talk so, sir! you will demoralize my men!" He was
+soon convinced, however, by seeing Yankee cavalrymen walking their
+horses around as composedly as though the Army of Northern Virginia had
+never existed. To say that McRae was surprised, disgusted, indignant,
+and incredulous, is a mild way of expressing his state of mind as he
+turned to his squad and said, "Well, boys, it must be so, _but it's very
+strange behavior_. Let's move on and see about it." As though dreaming,
+the squad and the disgusted officer moved on.
+
+Learning that the army had gone into camp, the skirmishers went on in
+the direction of the village, and found the battalion in the woods near
+the main road. Fires were burning, and those who had been fortunate
+enough to find anything eatable were cooking. Federal troops were riding
+up and down the road and loafing about the camps trying to be familiar.
+They seemed to think that "How are you, Johnny?" spoken in condescending
+style, was sufficient introduction.
+
+During the day a line of men came single file over the hill near the
+camp, each bearing on his shoulder a box of "hardtack" or crackers.
+Behind these came a beef, driven by soldiers. The crackers and beef were
+a present from the Federal troops near, who, knowing the famishing
+condition of the surrounded army, had contributed their day's rations
+for its relief. All honor to them. It was a soldierly act which was
+thoroughly appreciated.
+
+The beef was immediately shot and butchered, and before the animal heat
+had left the meat, it was impaled in little strips on sticks, bayonets,
+swords, and pocket-knives, and roasting over the fires.
+
+Though numbers of the enemy visited the camps and plied the men with all
+sorts of questions, seeming very curious and inquisitive, not an unkind
+word was said on either side that day. When the skirmishers under McRae
+entered the camp of the battalion, their enthusiastic descriptions of
+driving the enemy and being driven in turn failed to produce any effect.
+Many of the men were sobbing and crying, like children recovering from
+convulsions of grief after a severe whipping. They were sorely grieved,
+mortified, and humiliated. Of course they had not the slightest
+conception of the numbers of the enemy who surrounded them.
+
+Other men fairly raved with indignation, and declared their desire to
+escape or die in the attempt; but not a man was heard to blame General
+Lee. On the contrary, all expressed the greatest sympathy for him and
+declared their willingness to submit at once, or fight to the last man,
+as he ordered. At no period of the war was he held in higher veneration
+or regarded with more sincere affection, than on that sad and tearful
+day.
+
+In the afternoon the little remnant of the army was massed in a field.
+General Gordon spoke to them most eloquently, and bade them farewell.
+General Walker addressed his division, to which Cutshaw's battalion was
+attached, bidding them farewell. In the course of his remarks he
+denounced fiercely the men who had thrown down their arms on the march,
+and called upon the true men before him to go home and tell their
+wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts how shamefully these cowards
+had behaved.
+
+General Henry A. Wise also spoke, sitting on his horse and bending
+forward over the pommel of his saddle. Referring to the surrender, he
+said, "I would rather have embraced the tabernacle of death."
+
+There were many heaving bosoms and tear-stained faces during the
+speaking. A tall, manly fellow, with his colors pressed to his side,
+stood near General Gordon, convulsed with grief.
+
+The speaking over, the assembly dispersed, and once more the camp-fires
+burned brightly. Night brought long-needed rest. The heroes of many
+hard-fought battles, the conquerors of human nature's cravings, the
+brave old army, fell asleep--securely guarded by the encircling hosts of
+the enemy. Who will write the history of that march? Who will be able to
+tell the story? Alas! how many heroes fell!
+
+The paroles, which were distributed on Tuesday, the 11th, were printed
+on paper about the size of an ordinary bank check, with blank spaces for
+the date, name of the prisoner, company, and regiment, and signature of
+the commandant of the company or regiment. They were signed by the
+Confederate officers themselves, and were as much respected by all
+picket officers, patrols, etc., of the Federal army as though they bore
+the signature of U. S. Grant. The following is a copy of one of these
+paroles, recently made from the original:
+
+     APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, VIRGINIA,
+     _April 10, 1865_.
+
+   The bearer, Private ---- ----, of Second Company Howitzers, Cutshaw's
+   Battalion, a paroled prisoner of the Army of Northern Virginia, has
+   permission to go to his home and there remain undisturbed.
+
+     L.F. JONES,
+     _Captain Commanding Second Company Howitzers_.
+
+The "guidon," or color-bearer, of the Howitzers had concealed the battle
+flag of the company about his person, and before the final separation
+cut it into pieces of about four by six inches, giving each man present
+a piece. Many of these scraps of faded silk are still preserved, and
+will be handed down to future generations. Captain Fry, who commanded
+after Colonel Cutshaw was wounded, assembled the battalion, thanked the
+men for their faithfulness, bid them farewell, and read the following:--
+
+     HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
+     APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, _April 10, 1865_.
+
+     GENERAL ORDER NO. 9.
+
+   After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage
+   and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to
+   yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.
+
+   I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard-fought battles,
+   who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to
+   this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and
+   devotion could accomplish nothing that would compensate for the loss
+   that must have attended a continuance of the contest, I determined to
+   avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have
+   endeared them to their countrymen.
+
+   By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes
+   and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction
+   that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed,
+   and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his
+   blessing and protection.
+
+   With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your
+   country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous
+   consideration for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.
+
+     R.E. LEE.
+
+This grand farewell from the man who had in the past personified the
+glory of his army and now bore its grief in his own great heart, was the
+signal for tearful partings. Comrades wept as they gazed upon each
+other, and with choking voices said, farewell! And so--they parted.
+Little groups of two or three or four, without food, without money, but
+with "the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty
+faithfully performed," were soon plodding their way homeward.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+"BRAVE SURVIVORS" HOMEWARD BOUND.
+
+
+Bitter grief for the past, which seemed to be forever lost, and present
+humiliation, could not long suppress the anxious thought and question,
+"What now?" The discussion of the question brought relief from the
+horrid feeling of vacuity which oppressed the soldier and introduced him
+to the new sensations of liberty of choice, freedom of action--full
+responsibility. For capital he had a clear conscience, a brave heart,
+health, strength, and a good record. With these he sought his home.
+
+Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 12th of April, without the
+stirring drum or the bugle call of old, the camp awoke to the new life.
+Whether or not they had a country these soldiers did not know. Home to
+many, when they reached it, was graves and ashes. At any rate there must
+be, somewhere on earth, a better place than a muddy, smoky camp in a
+piece of scrubby pines--better company than gloomy, hungry comrades and
+inquisitive enemies, and something in the future more exciting, if not
+more hopeful, than nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, nothing to do, and
+nowhere to go. The disposition to start was apparent, and the
+preparations were promptly begun.
+
+To roll up the old blanket and oil-cloth, gather up the haversack,
+canteen, axe, perhaps, and a few trifles, in time of peace of no value,
+eat the fragments that remained, and light a pipe, was the work of a few
+moments. This slight employment, coupled with pleasant anticipations of
+the unknown, and therefore possibly enjoyable future, served to restore
+somewhat the usual light-hearted manner of soldiers, and relieve the
+final farewells of much of their sadness. There was even a smack of hope
+and cheerfulness as the little groups sallied out into the world to
+combat they scarcely knew what. As we cannot follow all these groups, we
+will join ourselves to one and see them home.
+
+Two "brothers-in-arms," whose objective point is Richmond, take the road
+on foot. They have nothing to eat and no money. They are bound for their
+home in a city, which, when they last heard from it, was in flames. What
+they will see when they arrive there they cannot imagine; but the
+instinctive love of home urges them. They walk on steadily and rapidly
+and are not diverted by surroundings. It does not even occur to them
+that their situation, surrounded on all sides by armed enemies and
+walking a road crowded with them, is at all novel. They are suddenly
+roused to a sense of their situation by a sharp "Halt! show your
+parole!" They had struck the cordon of picket posts which surrounded the
+surrendered army. It was the first exercise of authority by the Federal
+army. A sergeant, accompanied by a couple of muskets, stepped into the
+road, with a modest air examined the paroles and said quietly, "Pass
+on."
+
+The strictly military part of the operation being over, the social
+commenced. As the two "survivors" moved on they were followed by
+numerous remarks, such as "Hello! Johnny, I say! going home?" "Ain't you
+glad!" They made no reply, these wayfarers, but they _thought_ some very
+_emphatic remarks_.
+
+From this point "On to Richmond!" was the grand thought. Steady work it
+was. The road, strangely enough considering the proximity of two armies,
+was quite lonesome, and not an incident of interest occurred during the
+day. Darkness found the two comrades still pushing on.
+
+Some time after dark a light was seen a short distance ahead and there
+was a "sound of revelry." On approaching, the light was found to proceed
+from a large fire, built on the floor of an old and dilapidated
+outhouse, and surrounded by a ragged, hungry, singing, and jolly crowd
+of paroled prisoners of the Army of Northern Virginia, who had gotten
+possession of a quantity of corn meal and were waiting for the ash-cakes
+then in the ashes. Being liberal, they offered the new-comers some of
+their bread. Being hungry, the "survivors" accepted--and eat their first
+meal that day. Here seemed a good place to spend the night, but the
+party in possession were so noisy, and finally so quarrelsome and
+disagreeable generally, that the "survivors," after a short rest, pushed
+on in the darkness, determined, if possible, to find some shelter more
+quiet. The result was a night march, which was continued till the
+morning dawned.
+
+Thursday morning they entered the village of Buckingham Court House, and
+traded a small pocket mirror for a substantial breakfast. There was
+quite a crowd of soldiers gathered around a cellar door, trying to
+persuade an ex-Confederate A.A.A. Commissary of Subsistence that he
+might as well, in view of the fact that the army had surrendered, let
+them have some of his stores; and, after considerable persuasion and
+some threats, he relinquished the hope of keeping them for himself, and
+told the men to help themselves. They did so.
+
+The people of the village did not exactly doubt the _fact_ of the
+surrender, but evidently thought matters had been _somewhat
+exaggerated_, facts suppressed, and everything allowed to fall into a
+very doubtful condition. Confederate money would not pass, however;
+_that_ was settled _beyond doubt_.
+
+As the two tramps were about to leave the village, and were hurrying
+along the high road which led through it, they saw a solitary horseman
+approaching from their rear. It was easy to recognize at once General
+Lee. He rode slowly, calmly along. As he passed an old tavern on the
+roadside, some ladies and children waved their handkerchiefs, smiled,
+and wept. The General turned his eyes to the porch on which they stood,
+and slowly putting his hand to his hat, raised it slightly, and as
+slowly again dropped his hand to his side. The survivors did not weep,
+but they had strange sensations. They pushed on, steering, so to speak,
+for Cartersville and the ferry.
+
+Before leaving the village it was the sad duty of the survivors to stop
+at the humble abode of Mrs. P., and tell her of the death of her
+husband, who fell mortally wounded, pierced by a musket ball, near
+Sailor's Creek. She was also told that a comrade who was by his side
+when he fell, but who was not able to stay with him, would come along
+soon and give her the particulars. That comrade came and repeated the
+story. In a few days the "dead man" reached home alive and scarcely
+hurt. He was originally an infantryman, recently transferred to
+artillery, and therefore wore a small knapsack, as infantrymen did. The
+ball struck the knapsack with a "whack!" and knocked the man down. That
+was all.
+
+Some time during the night the travelers reached the ferry at
+Cartersville. Darkness and silence prevailed there. Loud and continued
+shouts brought no ferryman, and eager searchings revealed no boat. The
+depth of the water being a thing unknown and not easily found out, it
+was obviously prudent to camp for the night.
+
+On the river's edge there was an old building which seemed a brick one;
+one wall near the water's edge. A flight of steep, rough steps led to an
+open door on the second floor. Up these steps climbed the weary men.
+Inside there was absolute darkness, but there was shelter from the wind.
+Feeling about on the floor they satisfied themselves of its cleanliness
+and dryness. The faithful old blankets were once more spread, their
+owners laid down and at once fell into a deep sleep which was not broken
+till morning. The room was surprisingly small. When the soldiers
+entered they had no idea of the size of it, and went to sleep with the
+impression that it was very large. The morning revealed its
+dimensions--about ten by twelve feet. The ferryman was early at his
+post, and put the travelers across cheerfully without charge.
+
+[Illustration: ANY BUTTERMILK AUNTY]
+
+Soon after crossing, a good silver-plated table-spoon, bearing the
+monogram of one of the travelers, purchased from an aged colored woman a
+large chunk of ash-cake and about half a gallon of buttermilk. This old
+darkey had lived in Richmond in her younger days. She spoke of grown men
+and women there as "children whar I raised." "Lord! boss, does you know
+Miss Sadie? Well, I nussed her and I nussed all uv them chillun; that I
+did, sah! Yawl chillun does look hawngry, that you does. Well, you's
+welcome to them vittles, and I'm powful glad to git dis spoon. God bless
+you, honey!" A big log on the roadside furnished a seat for the
+comfortable consumption of the before-mentioned ash-cake and milk. The
+feast was hardly begun when the tramp of a horse's hoofs was heard.
+Looking up the survivors saw, with surprise, General Lee approaching. He
+was entirely alone, and rode slowly along. Unconscious that any one saw
+him, he was yet erect, dignified, and apparently as calm and peaceful as
+the fields and woods around him. Having caught sight of the occupants of
+the log, he kept his eyes fixed on them, and as he passed, turned
+slightly, saluted, and said, in the most gentle manner: "Good morning,
+gentlemen; taking your breakfast?" The soldiers had only time to rise,
+salute, and say "Yes, sir!" and he was gone.
+
+Having finished as far as they were able the abundant meal furnished by
+the liberality of the good "old mammy," the travelers resumed their
+journey greatly refreshed.
+
+It seems that General Lee pursued the road which the survivors chose,
+and, starting later than they, overtook them, he being mounted and they
+on foot. At any rate, it was their good fortune to see him three
+times between Appomattox and Richmond. The incidents introducing General
+Lee are peculiarly interesting, and while the writer is in doubt as to
+the _day_ on which the next and last incident occurred, the reader may
+rest assured of the truthfulness of the narration.
+
+[Illustration: GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.]
+
+About the time when men who have eaten a hearty breakfast become again
+hungry--as good fortune would have it happen--the travellers reached a
+house pleasantly situated, and a comfortable place withal. Approaching
+the house they were met by an exceedingly kind, energetic, and
+hospitable woman. She promptly asked, "You are not deserters?" "No,"
+said the soldiers, "we have our paroles. We are from Richmond; we are
+homeward bound, and called to ask if you could spare us a dinner?"
+"Spare you a dinner? certainly I can. My husband is a miller; his mill
+is right across the road there, down the hill, and I have been cooking
+all day for the poor starving men. Take a seat on the porch there and I
+will get you something to eat." By the time the travelers were seated,
+this admirable woman was in the kitchen at work. The "pat-a-pat, pat,
+pat, pat, pat-a-pat-a-pat" of the sifter, and the cracking and "fizzing"
+of the fat bacon as it fried, saluted their hungry ears, and the
+delicious smell tickled their olfactory nerves most delightfully.
+Sitting thus, entertained by delightful sounds, breathing the fragrant
+air, and wrapped in meditation,--or anticipation rather,--the soldiers
+saw the dust rise in the air, and heard the sound of an approaching
+party.
+
+Several horsemen rode up to the road-gate, threw their bridles over the
+posts or tied to the overhanging boughs, and dismounted. They were
+evidently officers, well dressed, fine looking men, and about to enter
+the gate. Almost at once the men on the porch recognized General Lee and
+his son. An ambulance had arrived at the gate also. Without delay the
+party entered and approached the house, General Lee preceding the
+others. Satisfied that it was the General's intention to enter the
+house, the two "brave survivors" instinctively and respectfully,
+venerating the approaching man, determined to give him and his
+companions the porch. As they were executing a rather rapid and
+undignified flank movement to gain the right and rear of the house, the
+voice of General Lee overhauled them, thus: "Where are you men going?"
+"This lady has offered to give us a dinner, and we are waiting for it,"
+replied the soldiers. "Well, you had better move on now--this gentleman
+will have quite a large party on him to-day," said the General. The
+soldiers touched their caps, said "Yes, sir," and retired, somewhat
+hurt, to a strong position on a hencoop in the rear of the house. The
+party then settled on the porch.
+
+The General had, of course, no authority, and the surrender of the porch
+was purely respectful. Knowing this the soldiers were at first hurt, but
+a moment's reflection satisfied them that the General was right. He _had
+suspicions of plunder_, and these were increased by the movement of the
+men to the rear as he approached. He _misinterpreted their conduct_.
+
+The lady of the house (_a reward for her name_!) hearing the dialogue in
+the yard, pushed her head through the crack of the kitchen door, and, as
+she tossed a lump of dough from hand to hand and gazed eagerly out,
+addressed the soldiers: "Ain't that old General Lee?" "Yes; General Lee
+and his son and other officers come to dine with you," they replied.
+"Well," she said, "he ain't no better than the men that fought for him,
+and I don't reckon he is as hungry; so you just come in here. I am going
+to give you yours first, and then I'll get something for him!"
+
+What a meal it was! Seated at the kitchen table, the large-hearted woman
+bustling about and talking away, the ravenous tramps attacked a pile of
+old Virginia hoe-cake and corn-dodger, a frying pan with an inch of
+gravy and slices of bacon, streak of lean and streak of fat, very
+numerous. To finish--as much rich buttermilk as the drinkers could
+contain. With many heartfelt thanks the survivors bid farewell to this
+immortal woman, and leaving the General and his party in quiet
+possession of the front porch, pursued their way.
+
+Night found the survivors at the gate of a quite handsome, framed,
+country residence. The weather was threatening, and it was desirable to
+have shelter as well as rest. Entering, and knocking at the door, they
+were met by a servant girl. She was sent to her mistress with a request
+for permission to sleep on her premises. The servant returned, saying,
+"Mistis say she's a widder, and there ain't no gentleman in the house,
+and she can't let you come in." She was sent with a second message,
+which informed the lady that the visitors were from Richmond, members of
+a certain company from there, and would be content to sleep on the
+porch, in the stable, or in the barn. They would protect her property,
+etc., etc., etc.
+
+This brought the lady of the house to the door. She said, "If you are
+members of the ---- ----, you must know my nephew; he was in that
+company." Of course they knew him. "Old chum," "Comrade," "Particular
+friend," "Splendid fellow," "Hope he was well when you heard from him.
+Glad to meet you, madam!" These and similar hearty expressions brought
+the longed for "Come in, gentlemen; you are welcome. I will see that
+supper is prepared for you at once." (Invitation accepted.)
+
+The old haversacks were deposited in a corner under the steps, and their
+owners conducted down-stairs to a spacious dining-room, quite prettily
+furnished. A large table occupied the centre of the room, and at one
+side there was a handsome display of silver in a glass-front case. A
+good big fire lighted the room. The lady sat quietly working at some
+woman's work, and from time to time questioning, in a _rather
+suspicious_ manner, her guests. Their correct answers satisfied her, and
+their respectful manner reassured her, so that by the time supper was
+brought in she was chatting and laughing with her "defenders."
+
+The supper came in steaming hot. It was abundant, well prepared, and
+served elegantly. Splendid coffee, hot biscuit, luscious butter, fried
+ham, eggs, fresh milk! The writer could not expect to be believed if he
+should tell the quantity eaten at that meal. The good lady of the house
+enjoyed the sight. She relished every mouthful, and no doubt realized
+then and there the blessing which is conferred on hospitality, and the
+truth of that saying of old: "It is more blessed to give than to
+receive."
+
+The wayfarers were finally shown to a neat little chamber. The bed was
+soft and glistening white. Too white and clean to be soiled by the
+occupancy of two Confederate soldiers who had not had a change of
+underclothing for many weeks. They looked at it, felt of it, spread
+their old blankets on the neat carpet, and slept there till near the
+break of day.
+
+While it was yet dark the travelers, unwilling to lose time waiting for
+breakfast, crept out of the house, leaving their thanks for their kind
+hostess, and pressed rapidly on to Manikin Town, on the James River and
+Kanawha Canal, half a day's march from Richmond, where they arrived
+while it was yet early morning. The green sward between the canal and
+river was inviting, and the survivors laid there awhile to rest and
+determine whether or not they would push on to the city. They decided to
+do so as soon as they could find a breakfast to fit them for the day's
+march.
+
+A short walk placed them at the yard gate of a house prominent by reason
+of its size and finish. Everything indicated comfort, plenty, and
+freedom from the ravages of war. The proprietor, a well-fed, hearty man,
+of not more than forty-two or three, who, as a soldier could tell at a
+glance, had never seen a day's service, stood behind the tall gate, and,
+without a motion towards opening it, replied to the cheery "Good
+morning, sir," of the soldiers with a sullen "morn; what do you want
+here?" "We are from Richmond, sir, members of the --------. We are on
+our way home from Appomattox, where the army was surrendered, and called
+to ask if you could spare us something to eat before we start on the
+day's march." "Oh, yes! _I_ know about the surrender, _I_ do. Some
+scoundrels were here last night and stole my best mare, d--- 'em! No, I
+don't want any more of such cattle here," replied the patriot. (A
+_large_ reward for _his_ name.) The foragers, having worked for a meal
+before and being less sensitive than "penniless gentlemen" sometimes
+are, replied, "_We_ are not horse-thieves or beggars. If you do not feel
+that it would be a pleasure and a privilege to feed us, _don't do it_.
+We don't propose to press the matter."
+
+At last he said, "Come in, then; I'll see what I can do." The seekers
+after food accepted the ungracious invitation, followed the dog through
+his yard and into his house, and took seats at his table. At a signal
+from the master a servant went out. The host followed, and, it is
+supposed, instructed her. The host returned, and was soon followed by
+the servant bearing two plates, which were placed before the survivors.
+Alas! that they should "survive" to see that the plates contained the
+heads, tails, fins, and vertebræ of the fish, fresh from the river,
+which the family of this hero and sufferer from the evils of war had
+devoured at their early, and, no doubt, cozy breakfast.
+
+Survivor No. 1 looked at Survivor No. 2, Survivor No. 2 looked at
+Survivor No. 1, and simultaneously they rose to their feet, glanced at
+the "host," and strode to and out of the door. The "host" followed,
+amazed. "What's the matter, gentlemen? You did not eat." The "poor
+soldiers" replied: "No, we didn't eat; we are not dogs. Permit us to say
+we are satisfied it would be an injustice to the canine race to call
+_you_ one. You deserve to lose another mare. You are meaner than any
+epithets at our command."
+
+The man fairly trembled. His face was pale with rage, but he dared not
+reply as he would. Recovering himself, and seeing an "odorous" name in
+the future, he attempted apology and reparation for the insult, and
+complete reconciliation. "Oh, come in, come in! I'll have something
+cooked for you. Sorry the mistake occurred. All right, all right, boys;
+come in," pulling and patting the "boys." But the boys wouldn't "go
+in." On the contrary, they stayed out persistently, and, before they
+left that gate, heaped on its owner all the contempt, disdain, and scorn
+which they could express; flung at him all the derisive epithets which
+four years in the army places at a man's disposal; pooh poohed at his
+hypocritical regrets; and shaking off the dust of that place from their
+feet, pushed on to the city, the smoke of which rose to heaven.
+
+At eleven A.M. of the same day, two footsore, despondent, and
+penniless men stood facing the ruins of the home of a comrade who had
+sent a message to his mother. "Tell mother I am coming." The ruins yet
+smoked. A relative of the lady whose home was in ashes, and whose son
+said "I am coming," stood by the survivors. "Well, then," he said, "it
+must be true that General Lee has surrendered." The solemnity of the
+remark, coupled with the certainty in the minds of the survivors, was
+almost amusing. The relative pointed out the temporary residence of the
+mother, and thither the survivors wended their way.
+
+A knock at the door startled the mother, and, with agony in her eyes,
+she appeared at the open door, exclaiming, "My poor boys!"--"Are safe,
+and coming home," said the survivors. "Thank God!" said the mother, and
+the tears flowed down her cheeks.
+
+A rapid walk through ruined and smoking streets, some narrow escapes
+from negro soldiers on police duty, the satisfaction of seeing two of
+the "boys in blue" hung up by their thumbs for pillaging, a few
+handshakings, and the survivors found their way to the house of a
+relative where they did eat bread with thanks.
+
+A friend informed the survivors that farm hands were needed all around
+the city. They made a note of the name of one farmer. Saturday night the
+old blankets were spread on the parlor floor. Sunday morning, the 16th
+of April, they bid farewell to the household, and started for the
+farmer's house.
+
+As they were about to start away, the head of the family took from his
+pocket a handful of odd silver pieces, and extending it to his guests,
+told them it was all he had, but they were _welcome to half of it_!
+Remembering that he had a wife and three or four children to feed, the
+soldiers smiled through _their_ tears at his, bade him keep it all, and
+"weep for himself rather than for them." So saying, they departed, and
+at sundown were at the farmer's house, fourteen miles away. Monday
+morning, the 17th, they "beat their swords" (muskets, in this case) into
+plow-shares, and did the first day's work of the _sixty_ which the
+simple farmer secured at a cost to himself of about _half rations_ for
+two men. Behold the gratitude of a people!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+SOLDIERS TRANSFORMED.
+
+
+Sunday night, April 16th, the two survivors sat down to a cozy supper at
+the farmer's house. Plentiful it was, and, to hungry travelers, sweet
+and satisfying. The presence of the farmer's wife and children, two lady
+refugees, and an old gentleman, who was also a refugee, added greatly to
+the novelty and pleasure of the meal.
+
+After supper the soldiers were plied with questions till they were
+almost overcome by fatigue and about to fall asleep in their chairs.
+
+At last the farmer, with many apologies, led them kindly to the best
+room in the house, the parlor, where they spread their blankets on the
+carpeted floor and were soon sound asleep.
+
+In the morning the breakfast was enough to craze a Confederate soldier.
+Buttermilk-biscuit, fresh butter, eggs, milk, fried bacon, coffee! After
+the breakfast, business.
+
+The farmer proposed to feed and lodge the soldiers, and pay them eleven
+dollars monthly, for such manual labor as they could perform on his
+farm. The soldiers, having in remembrance the supper and breakfast,
+accepted the terms. The new "hands" were now led to the garden, where
+the farmer had half an acre plowed up, and each was furnished with an
+old, dull hoe, with crooked, knotty handles. The farmer then, with
+blushes and stammering, explained that he desired to have each
+particular clod chopped up fine with the hoe. The soldiers--town
+men--thought this an almost superhuman task and a great waste of time,
+but, so that the work procured food, they cared not what the work might
+be, and at it they went with a will. All that morning, until the dinner
+hour, those two hoes rose and fell as regularly as the pendulum of a
+clock swings from side to side, and almost as fast.
+
+The negro men and women in the neighborhood, now in the full enjoyment
+of newly-conferred liberty, and consequently having no thought of doing
+any work, congregated about the garden, leaned on the fence, gazed
+sleepily at the toiling soldiers, chuckled now and then, and
+occasionally explained their presence by remarking to each other, "Come
+here to see dem dar white folks wuckin."
+
+There were onions growing in that garden, which the soldiers were glad
+to pull up and eat. It was angel's food to men who had fed for months
+on salt bacon and corn bread without one mouthful of any green thing.
+When dinner time came the "hands" were, to say the least, very decidedly
+hungry.
+
+[Illustration: SEE DEM WHITE FOLKS WUCKIN]
+
+Buttermilk-biscuit figured prominently again, and the soldiers found
+great difficulty in exercising any deliberation in the eating of them.
+It really seemed to them that, were it reasonable behavior, they could
+devour every morsel provided for the entire family. But when they had
+devoured about two thirds of all there was to eat, and the host said,
+"Have another biscuit?" they replied, "No, thank you, _plenty_--greatest
+plenty!" all the while as hungry as when they sat down. It was only a
+question of _who_ was to be hungry--the soldiers or the children. There
+was not enough for all. After dinner the survivors went again to the
+garden and chopped those clods of earth until the merry voice of the
+farmer called them to supper.
+
+At supper there was a profusion of flowers which, the kind lady of the
+house explained, were there to cheer the soldiers. She had noticed they
+were sad, and hoped that this little attention would cheer them. But the
+thing the soldiers most needed to enliven them was more to eat. They
+were not feeling romantic at all.
+
+After the supper the whole family adjourned to the parlor and were
+entertained with some good old-fashioned piano playing and homespun
+duets and solos. The veterans added their mite to the entertainment in
+the shape of a tolerably fair tenor and an intolerable bass. Singing in
+the open air, with a male chorus, is not the best preparation for a
+parlor mixed quartette.
+
+When the war ceased the negroes on the farm had left their quarters and
+gone out in search of a glorious something which they had heard
+described as "liberty," freedom, "manhood," and the like. Consequently
+the "quarters" suggested themselves to the farmer as a good place for
+the new field hands to occupy for sleeping apartments. They were carried
+to an out-building and shown their room, ten by fifteen feet,
+unplastered, greasy, and dusty. The odor of the "man and brother" did
+cling there still. A bench, a stool, an old rickety bedstead, and a bed
+of straw, completed the fitting out of the room. Save for the shelter of
+the roof, anywhere in the fields would have been far preferable. The
+first night disclosed the presence of fleas in abundance, and other
+things worse.
+
+While it was yet dark the farmer, still somewhat embarrassed by the
+possession of the new style of laborer, began to call, "Time to get up
+bo--gentlemen!" "Hallo there!" bang, bang, bang! After a while the new
+hands appeared outside, and as they looked around noticed that the sun
+was looking larger and redder than they remembered it and too low down.
+The morning air was chilling, and grass, bushes, everything, dripping
+with dew.
+
+The farmer led the way to the stable yard, and pointing to a very
+lively, restless, muscular young bull with handsome horns and glaring
+eyes, said he was to be yoked and hitched to the cart. If he had asked
+them to bridle and saddle an untamed African lion they would not have
+been more unwilling or less competent. So the farmer, telling them the
+animal was very gentle and harmless, proceeded to yoke and hitch him,
+hoping, he said, that having once seen the operation, his new hands
+would know how. The yoke was a sort of collar, and when the hitching was
+done the bull stood in the shafts of the cart just as a horse would.
+Instead of a bridle and reins a heavy iron chain with links an inch and
+a half long was passed around the base of the animal's horns. The driver
+held the end of the chain and managed the animal by giving it tremendous
+jerks, which never failed to thrill the bull with agony, if one might
+judge from the expression of his countenance and the eagerness with
+which he rammed his horns into pine-trees, or anything near, whenever
+he felt the shock. The soldiers constantly marveled that his horns did
+not drop off. But they were not familiar with country life, and
+especially ignorant of the art of driving an ox-cart.
+
+[Illustration: Bull Team]
+
+After breakfast the younger of the two survivors was told to take the
+cart, drawn by the animal already described, and go down into the woods
+after a load of cord-wood for the kitchen fire. The trip _to_ the woods
+was comparatively easy. The wood was soon loaded on the cart, and the
+journey home commenced. After going a few yards the animal concluded to
+stop. His driver, finding that coaxing would not induce him to start,
+slacked the chain, gave it a quick, strong jerk, and started him. He
+went off at a fearful rate, with his nose on the ground and his tail
+flying like a banner in the air. In a moment he managed to hang a
+sapling which halted him, but summoning all his strength for a great
+effort, he bent himself to the yoke, the sapling slowly bent forward,
+and the axle mounted it. In another moment the sapling had righted
+itself, but the cart was turned over completely, and the wood on the
+ground. There were a great many mosquitoes, gnats, and flies in those
+woods, and they were biting furiously. Possibly that may account for the
+exasperated condition of the driver and his use of strong expressions
+there.
+
+The cart was righted, the wood piled on again, and, strange to say, got
+out of the woods without further mishap. But in order to reach the house
+it was necessary to drive up the slope of a hill-side, with here and
+there a stump. On the way up the driver saw a stump ahead and determined
+to avoid it. So he gave the chain a shake. But the animal preferred to
+"straddle" the stump, and would have succeeded but for the fact that it
+was too high to pass beneath the axle. As soon as he felt the resistance
+of the stump against the axle, he made splendid exertions to overcome
+it, and succeeded in walking off with the body of the cart, leaving the
+axle and wheels behind. He didn't go far, however. The farmer came down
+and released the weary animal. The survivor then "toted" the wood,
+stick by stick, to the house, and learned thereby the value of cord-wood
+ready to hand. People who are raised in the country have simple ways,
+but they can do some things much better than town-people can. They are
+useful people. They are not afraid of cattle or horses. The next day
+this awful animal was yoked to a plow and placed under the care of the
+elder of the survivors, who was to plow a field near the house. In a few
+minutes he did something displeasing to the bull, which started him to
+running at a fearful speed. He dashed away towards the house, the plow
+flying and flapping about like the arms of a flail; tore through the
+flower-beds, ripping them to pieces; tore down all the choice young
+trees about the house; frightened the ladies and children nearly to
+death, and demoralized the whole farm. He was at last captured and
+affectionately cared for by the farmer, who, no doubt, felt that it was
+a pity for any man to be compelled to trust his valuable stock to the
+management of green hands.
+
+In the mean time the "other man" had been furnished with a harrow and a
+mule and sent to harrow a field. The farmer pointed, carelessly no
+doubt, to a field and said, "Now you go there and drag that field. You
+know how, don't you? Well!" So he went and dragged that old harrow up
+and down, up and down, for many a weary hour. Towards dinner time he
+heard a voice in the distance, as of some one in distress. "Heigh!
+Ho-o-o-o! Say there! Stop! Sto-o-o-o-op! Hold on!"
+
+There came the farmer running, panting, gesticulating, and screaming.
+Standing in astonishment the agricultural survivor awaited his arrival
+and an explanation of his strange conduct. As soon as the farmer had
+breath to speak he said, "Ah, me! Oh my! Mister, my dear sir! You have
+gone sir, and sir, you have tore up _all my turnip salad_!" And he wept
+there sorely. You see the farmer pointed out the field carelessly, and
+the "hand" got on the _wrong_ one. He noticed some vegetation shooting
+up here and there, but supposed it was some weed the farmer wished to
+eradicate. Town-people don't know everything, and soldiers _are so
+careless_.
+
+The three refugees before mentioned were an old gentleman, his aged
+wife, and their widowed daughter. Having lost their home and all their
+worldly possessions, they had agreed to work for the farmer for food and
+lodging. The old gentleman was acting somewhat in the character of
+coachman; his wife was nurse; and the widowed daughter was cook and
+house-servant. The three were fully the equals if not the superiors of
+the family in which they were serving. Happily for them they soon got
+some good news, and drove away in their own carriage. The farmer did the
+best he could for them while they stayed, and for his survivors; but he
+was burdened with a large family, a miserably poor farm, deep poverty,
+and hopeless shiftlessness.
+
+One day the farmer made up his mind to cultivate a certain field, in the
+centre of which he had an extensive cow-pen, inclosed by a ten-rail
+fence. To prepare the way he wanted that fence taken down, carried rail
+by rail to the corner of the field, and there piled up. He put one of
+his new hands to work at this interesting job, and went home, probably
+to take a nap. The survivor toted rails that day on one shoulder until
+it was bleeding, and then on the other until that was too sensitive.
+Then he walked over to see how the other "hand" was getting along with
+the horse and mule team and the harrow.
+
+He found him very warm, very much exasperated, using excited language,
+beating the animals, and declaring that no man under the sun ever
+encountered such formidable difficulties in the pursuit of agricultural
+profit. He explained that the horse was too large and the mule too
+small; the traces were too old, and would break every few yards; the
+harness was dropping to pieces; the teeth constantly dropping out of the
+harrow; and the harrow itself ready to tumble into firewood. In addition
+to these annoyances, the mule and the horse alternated between going the
+wrong way and not going at all. The man almost wept as he described the
+aggravating calmness of the animals. When a trace broke they turned,
+gazed on the wreck, stood still, groaned (by way of a sigh), and seemed
+to say, "One more brief respite, thank Providence! Fifteen minutes to
+tie up that old chain, _at least_!" After a careful survey of the
+situation and some tolerably accurate guesses as to the proximity of the
+dinner hour, the two battered remnants of the glorious old army decided
+to suspend operations, and slowly wended their way to the house: one
+carrying his lacerated shoulders, and the other steering the remains of
+the harrow.
+
+It had been agreed--indeed, the "remnants" had insisted--that they were
+to be directed about their work and made to serve exactly as the negro
+hands would have been had they remained. But, so novel was the
+situation, the farmer had constantly to be reminded of his authority. At
+last a bright idea occurred to the farmer. He would undertake a little
+extra-fine work for a neighbor, and thus relieve the survivors of the
+monotony of the hoe, the plow, and the harrow. Some old ladies wanted
+their household goods moved from one house to another, and we were to
+undertake the job.
+
+The entire force consisted of the mule and the cart thereto belonging,
+and the bull and his cart. The mule had precedence in the line, and was
+closely followed by the bull. The farmer walked in front as pioneer, the
+elder survivor drove the mule, and the hero of the cow-pen held the
+chain which agonized the bull when necessary.
+
+At the brow of a certain long hill, which the humble mule had quietly
+walked down, the bull halted for meditation. His impatient and less
+romantic driver thoughtlessly gave the chain a rude jerk. In an instant
+he felt himself whirled down that hill at breakneck speed. Almost
+simultaneous with the start was the shock of the stop. Picking himself
+up, the driver found his cart securely fastened to a pine-tree, which
+was jammed between the wheel and the body of it. The steed was unhurt,
+but excited. After a long coaxing the farmer persuaded him to back far
+enough to disengage the cart, and the progress continued.
+
+The furniture was found in a small room, up a crooked and narrow stairs.
+Nothing was as large as the furniture. How to get it out was a
+conundrum. One of the survivors suggested to the farmer to knock off the
+roof of the house, and take it out that way. But he wouldn't hear of it.
+Finally, the cart was driven under the eaves, and while "those whose
+past services had endeared them to their countrymen" rolled the
+furniture out of the window and lowered it "by hand" from the eaves, the
+farmer stowed it in the cart. The ladies, though greatly agitated by the
+imminent danger of the furniture, found time to admire the ingenuity and
+originality of the plan and the intrepid daring of its execution. The
+farmer, who had several times been in danger of having himself mashed
+flat, was entirely overlooked. Both the carts being loaded, the train
+moved off in good order.
+
+After a few days the farmer mounted one of the men, "not conquered, but
+wearied with victory," on the mule, gave him an old meal-bag, and sent
+him to a neighbor's for meal and bacon. He got, say, a peck of one and a
+pound or two of the other. This proceeding was repeated at intervals of
+a day or two, and finally led to the conclusion that the farmer was
+living from hand to mouth certainly, and in all probability on charity.
+Besides, the "new hands" felt a growing indisposition, owing to the
+meagre supplies on the table, to allow themselves any latitude in the
+matter of eating. So they resolved to try the good old plan of days
+gone by, and send out a foraging party. The plans were discussed at
+length, and everything decided.
+
+One morning, early, the senior of the "endeared" survivors took the road
+for Richmond, distant about fourteen miles, intending there to lay in
+food, tobacco, pipes, information, and any other little thing calculated
+to brighten life on a farm. During his absence the other forlorn
+survivor groaned with impatience and doubt, questioning the possibility
+of a man returning to such a place after seeing the luxurious supplies
+of good eating on exhibition by the Yankee sutlers in Richmond.
+
+But he did return, like a good comrade, bringing his "plunder" with him.
+He made the round trip of twenty-eight miles on foot, and at midnight
+reached the "quarters" with cold ham, good bread, pipes, smoking
+tobacco, chewing tobacco, a few clean clothes, and a good pair of shoes,
+which one of the party needed. These were the gift of an old friend in
+town. Sitting on the bedside, as morning approached, they made a hearty
+meal, and then smoked, smoked, smoked, as only men can smoke who love to
+smoke and have not had the wherewithal for a week or two.
+
+The returned forager told of the strange sights he had seen in town.
+Some young Confederates, who were smart, were at work in the ruins
+cleaning bricks at five dollars a day. Others had government work, as
+clerks, mechanics, and laborers, earning from one to five dollars a day.
+The government had established commissary stores at different points in
+the city, where rations were sold, at nominal prices, to those who could
+buy, and supplied gratis to those who could not. He had seen gray-haired
+old gentlemen, all their lives used to plenty, standing about these
+places, waiting "their turn" to "draw." Soldiers marched by twos and
+fours and by companies, everywhere. Captains and lieutenants, sergeants
+and corporals, were the masters of the city and a sort of temporary
+Providence, dictating what sort of clothes the people were to wear, what
+they might eat, what they might do, what they might say and think; in
+short, allowing the people to live, as it were, on a "limited" ticket.
+
+But among other things the forager brought information to the effect
+that he had secured employment for both at the cheering rate of five
+dollars per week.
+
+So one day these two "laid down the shovel and the hoe," and made most
+excellent time for Richmond, arriving there early in the day, and
+entering at once upon the new work.
+
+[Illustration: C.S. Buttons off]
+
+During the stay at the farm the survivors felt that they were not yet
+returned to civil life, but "foraging" on the neutral ground between war
+and peace,--neither soldiers nor citizens. But now, in regular
+employment, in a city,--_their own city_!--with so much per week and the
+responsibility of "finding themselves," and especially after the provost
+made them cut the brass buttons off their jackets, and more especially
+after they were informed that they must take the oath before doing
+anything else, they began to think that probably the war was nearing
+its end. But a real good hearty war like that dies hard. No country
+likes to part with a good earnest war. It likes to talk about the war,
+write its history, fight its battles over and over again, and build
+monument after monument to commemorate its glories.
+
+A long time after a war, people begin to find out, as they read, that
+the deadly struggle marked a grand period in their history!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+CAMP-FIRES OF THE BOYS IN GRAY.
+
+
+The soldier may forget the long, weary march, with its dust, heat, and
+thirst, and he may forget the horrors and blood of the battle-field, or
+he may recall them sadly, as he thinks of the loved dead; but the
+cheerful, happy scenes of the camp-fire he will never forget. How
+willingly he closes his eyes to the present to dream of those happy,
+careless days and nights! Around the fire crystallize the memories of
+the soldier's life. It was his home, his place of rest, where he met
+with good companionship. _Who kindled the fire?_ Nobody had matches,
+there was no fire in sight, and yet scarcely was the camp determined
+when the bright blaze of the camp-fire was seen. _He_ was a shadowy
+fellow who kindled the fire. Nobody knows who he was; but no matter how
+wet the leaves, how sobby the twigs, no matter if there was no fire in a
+mile of the camp, that fellow could start one. Some men might get down
+on hands and knees, and blow it and fan it, rear and charge, and fume
+and fret, and yet "she wouldn't burn." But this fellow would come, kick
+it all around, scatter it, rake it together again, shake it up a little,
+and oh, _how it burned_! The little flames would bite the twigs and snap
+at the branches, embrace the logs, and leap and dance and laugh, at the
+touch of the master's hand, and soon lay at his feet a bed of glowing
+coals.
+
+As soon as the fire is kindled all hands want water. Who can find it?
+Where is it? Never mind; we have a man who knows where to go. He says,
+"Where's our bucket?" and then we hear the rattle of the old tin cup as
+it drops to the bottom of it, and away he goes, nobody knows where. But
+_he_ knows, and he doesn't stop to think, but without the slightest
+hesitation or doubt strikes out in the darkness. From the camp-fire as a
+centre, draw 500 radii, and start an ordinary man on any of them, and
+let him walk a mile on each, and he will miss the water. But that fellow
+in the mess with the water instinct never failed. He would go as
+straight for the spring, or well, or creek, or river, as though he had
+lived in that immediate neighborhood all his life and never got water
+anywhere else. What a valuable man he was! A modest fellow, who never
+knew his own greatness. But others remember and honor him. May he never
+want for any good thing!
+
+Having a roaring fire and a bucket of good water, we settle down. A man
+cannot be comfortable "_anywhere_;" so each man and his "chum" picks out
+a tree, and that particular tree becomes the homestead of the two. They
+hang their canteens on it, lay their haversacks and spread their
+blankets at the foot of it, and sit down and lean their weary backs
+against it, and feel that they are at home. How gloomy the woods are
+beyond the glow of our fire! How cozy and comfortable we are who stand
+around it and inhale the aroma of the coffee-boiler and skillet!
+
+The man squatting by the fire is a person of importance. He doesn't
+talk, not he; his whole mind is concentrated on that skillet. He is our
+cook,--volunteer, natural and talented cook. Not in a vulgar sense. He
+doesn't mix, but simply bakes, the biscuit. Every faculty, all the
+energy, of the man is employed in that great work. Don't suggest
+anything to him if you value his friendship. Don't attempt to put on or
+take off from the top of that skillet one single coal, and don't be in a
+hurry for the biscuit. You need not say you "like yours half done," etc.
+Simply wait. When he thinks they are ready, and not before, you get
+them. _He_ may raise the lid cautiously now and then and look in, but
+don't _you_ look in. Don't say you think they are done, because it's
+useless. Ah! his face relaxes; he raises the lid, turns it upside down
+to throw off the coals, and says, _All right, boys_! And now, with the
+air of a wealthy philanthropist, he distributes the solid and weighty
+product of his skill to, as it were, the humble dependents around him.
+
+The "General" of the mess, having satisfied the cravings of the inner
+man, now proceeds to enlighten the ordinary members of it as to when,
+how, and why, and where, the campaign will open, and what will be the
+result. He arranges for every possible and impossible contingency, and
+brings the war to a favorable and early termination. The greatest
+mistake General Lee ever made was that he failed to consult this man.
+Who can tell what "might have been" if he had?
+
+Now, to the consternation of all hands, our old friend "the Bore,"
+familiarly known as "the old Auger," opens his mouth to tell us of a
+little incident illustrative of his personal prowess, and, by way of
+preface, commences at Eden, and goes laboriously through the patriarchal
+age, on through the Mosaic dispensation, to the Christian era, takes in
+Grecian and Roman history by the way, then Spain and Germany and England
+and colonial times, and the early history of our grand republic, the
+causes of and necessity for our war, and a complete history up to date,
+and then slowly unfolds the little matter. We always loved to hear this
+man, and prided ourselves on being the only mess in the army having such
+treasure _all our own_.
+
+The "Auger," having been detailed for guard-duty, walks off; his voice
+grows fainter and fainter in the distance, and we call forth our poet.
+One eye is bandaged with a dirty cotton rag. He is bareheaded, and his
+hair resembles a dismantled straw stack. His elbows and knees are out,
+and his pants, from the knee down, have a brown-toasted tinge imparted
+by the genial heat of many a fire. His toes protrude themselves
+prominently from his shoes. You would say, "What a dirty, ignorant
+fellow." But listen to his rich, well-modulated voice. How perfect his
+memory! What graceful gestures! How his single eye glows! See the color
+on his cheek! See the strained and still attention of the little group
+around him as he steps into the light of the fire! Hear him!
+
+     "I am dying, Egypt, dying!
+       Ebbs the crimson life-tide fast,
+     And the dark Plutonian shadows
+       Gather on the evening blast.
+     Let thine arms, O Queen, support me,
+       Hush thy sobs and bow thine ear;
+     Listen to the great heart secrets--
+       Thou, and thou alone, must hear.
+
+        "I am dying, Egypt, dying!
+       Hark! the insulting foeman's cry.
+     They are coming! quick! my falchion!!
+       Let me front them ere I die.
+     Ah! no more amid the battle
+       Shall my heart exulting swell--
+     Isis and Osiris guard thee--
+       Cleopatra! Rome! Farewell!"
+
+[Illustration: THE POET OF OUR MESS.]
+
+"Good!" "Bully!" "Go ahead, Jack!" "Give us some more, old fellow!" And
+he generally did, much to everybody's satisfaction. We all loved Jack,
+_the Poet_ of our mess. He sleeps, his battles o'er, in Hollywood.
+
+The _Singing_ man generally put in towards the last, and sung us to bed.
+He was generally a diminutive man, with a sweet voice and a sweetheart
+at home. His songs had in them rosy lips, blue eyes, golden hair, pearly
+teeth, and all that sort of thing. Of course he would sing some good
+rollicking songs, in order to give all a chance. And so, with hearty
+chorus, "Three times around went she," "Virginia, Virginia, the Land of
+the Free," "No surrender," "Lula, Lula, Lula is gone," "John Brown's
+Body," with many variations, "Dixie," "The Bonny Blue Flag," "Farewell
+to the Star-Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia," with immense variations,
+and "Maryland, My Maryland," till about the third year of the war, when
+we began to think Maryland had "breathed and burned" long enough, and
+ought to "come." What part of her did come was _first-class_. How the
+woods did ring with song! There were patriotic songs, romantic and love
+songs, sarcastic, comic, and war songs, pirates' glees, plantation
+melodies, lullabies, good old hymn tunes, anthems, Sunday-school songs,
+and everything but vulgar and obscene songs; these were scarcely ever
+heard, and were nowhere in the army well received or encouraged.
+
+The recruit--our latest acquisition--was _so_ interesting. His nice
+clean clothes, new hat, new shoes, trimming on his shirt front, letters
+and cross-guns on his hat, new knife for all the fellows to borrow, nice
+comb for general use, nice little glass to shave by, good smoking
+tobacco, money in his pocket to lend out, oh, what a great convenience
+he was! How _many_ things he had that a fellow could borrow, and how
+willing he was to go on guard, and get wet, and give away his rations,
+and bring water, and cut wood, and ride horses to water! And he was so
+clean and sweet, and his cheeks so rosy, all the fellows wanted to bunk
+with him under his nice new blanket, and impart to him some of their
+numerous and energetic "tormentors."
+
+And then it was so _interesting_ to hear him talk. He knew _so much_
+about war, arms, tents, knapsacks, ammunition, marching, fighting,
+camping, cooking, shooting, and everything a soldier is and does. It is
+remarkable how much a recruit and how little an old soldier knows about
+such things. After a while the recruit forgets all, and is as ignorant
+as any veteran. How good the fellows were to a really gentlemanly boy!
+How they loved him!
+
+The _Scribe_ was a wonderful fellow and very useful. He could write a
+two-hours' pass, sign the captain's name better than the captain
+himself, and endorse it "respectfully forwarded approved," sign the
+colonel's name after "respectfully forwarded approved," and then on up
+to the commanding officer. And do it so well! Nobody wanted anything
+better. The boys had great veneration for the scribe, and used him
+constantly.
+
+The _Mischievous_ man was very useful. He made fun. He knew how to
+volunteer to shave a fellow with a big beard and moustache. He wouldn't
+lend his razor, but he'd shave him very well. He shaves one cheek, one
+half the chin, one side of the upper lip, puts his razor in his pocket,
+walks off, and leaves his customer the most one-sided chap in the army.
+He knew how to do something like this _every day_. What a treasure to a
+mess!
+
+The _Forager_ was a good fellow. He always divided with the mess. If
+there was buttermilk anywhere inside of ten miles he found it. Apples he
+could smell from afar off. If anybody was killing pork in the county he
+got the spare-ribs. If a man had a cider cart on the road he saw him
+first and bought him out. No _hound_ had a keener scent, no eagle a
+sharper eye. How indefatigable he was! Distance, rivers, mountains,
+pickets, patrols, roll-calls,--nothing could stop or hinder him. He
+never bragged about his exploits; simply brought in the spoils, laid
+them down, and said, "Pitch in." Not a word of the weary miles he had
+traveled, how he begged or how much he paid,--simply "Pitch in."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The _Commissary_ man--he happened to be in our mess--never had any sugar
+over, any salt, any soda, any coffee--oh, no! But beg him, plead with
+him, bear with him when he says, "Go way, boy! Am I the
+commissary-general? Have I got all the sugar in the Confederacy? Don't
+you know rations are short now?" Then see him relax. "Come here, my son;
+untie that bag there, and look in that old jacket, and you will find
+another bag,--a little bag,--and look in there and you will find some
+sugar. Now go round and tell everybody in camp, won't you. Tell 'em all
+to come and get some sugar. _Oh! I know you won't. Oh yes, of course!_"
+
+As a general rule every mess had a "Bully" and an "Argument man." Time
+would fail me to tell of the "lazy man," the "brave man," the "worthless
+man," the "ingenious man," the "helpless man," the "sensitive man," and
+the "gentleman," but they are as familiar to the members of the mess as
+the "honest man," who would not eat stolen pig, but would "take a little
+of the gravy."
+
+Every soldier remembers--indeed, was personally acquainted with--the
+_Universal_ man. How he denied vehemently his own identity, and talked
+about "poison oak," and heat, and itch, and all those things, and
+strove, in the presence of those who knew how it was themselves, to
+prove his absolute freedom from anything like "universality!" Poor
+fellow! sulphur internally and externally would not do. Alas! his only
+hope was to acknowledge his unhappy state, and stand, in the presence of
+his peers, confessed.
+
+The "Boys in Blue" generally preferred to camp in the open fields. The
+Confeds took to the woods, and so the Confederate camp was not as
+orderly or as systematically arranged, but the most picturesque of the
+two. The blazing fire lit up the forms and faces and trees around it
+with a ruddy glow, but only deepened the gloom of the surrounding woods;
+so that the soldier pitied the poor fellows away off on guard in the
+darkness, and, hugging himself, felt how good it was to be with the
+fellows around the fire. How companionable was the blaze and the glow of
+the coals! They warmed the heart as well as the foot. The imagination
+seemed to feed on the glowing coals and surrounding gloom, and when the
+soldier gazed on the fire peace, liberty, home, strolls in the woods and
+streets with friends, the church, the school, playmates, and sweethearts
+all passed before him, and even the dead came to mind. Sadly, yet
+pleasantly, he thought of the loved and lost; the future loomed up, and
+the possibility of death and prison and the grief at home would stir his
+heart, and the tears would fall trickling to the ground. Then was the
+time to fondle the little gifts from home; simple things,--the little
+pin-cushion, the needle-case, with thread and buttons, the embroidered
+tobacco bag, and the knitted gloves. Then the time to gaze on
+photographs, and to read and re-read the letter telling of the struggles
+at home, and the coming box of good things,--butter and bread, toasted
+and ground coffee, sugar cakes and pies, and other comfortable things,
+prepared, by self-denial, for the soldier, brother, and son. Then the
+time to call on God to spare, protect, and bless the dear, defenseless,
+helpless ones at home. Then the time for high resolves; to read to
+himself his duty; to "re-enlist for the war." Then his heart grew to his
+comrades, his general, and his country; and as the trees, swept by the
+wintry winds, moaned around him, the soldier slept and dreamed, and
+dreamed of home, sweet home.
+
+Those whose knowledge of war and its effects on the character of the
+soldier was gleaned from the history of the wars of Europe and of
+ancient times, greatly dreaded the demoralization which they supposed
+would result from the Confederate war for independence, and their
+solicitude was directed mainly towards the young men of Virginia and the
+South who were to compose the armies of the Confederate States. It was
+feared by many that the bivouac, the camp-fires, and the march would
+accustom the ears of their bright and innocent boys to obscenity, oaths,
+and blasphemy, and forever destroy that purity of mind and soul which
+was their priceless possession when they bid farewell to home and
+mother. Some feared the destruction of the battle-field; the wiser
+feared hardship and disease; and others, more than all, the destruction
+of morals and everything good and pure in character. That the fears of
+the last named were realized in some cases cannot be denied; but that
+the general result was demoralization can be denied, and the contrary
+demonstrated.
+
+Let us consider the effect of camp-life upon a pure and noble boy; and
+to make the picture complete, let us go to his home and witness the
+parting. The boy is clothed as a soldier. His pockets and his haversack
+are stored with little conveniences made by the loving hands of mother,
+sister, and sweetheart, and the sad yet proud hour has arrived. Sisters,
+smiling through their tears, filled with commingled pride and sorrow,
+kiss and embrace their great hero. The mother, with calm heroism
+suppressing her tender maternal grief, impresses upon his lips a
+fervent, never-to-be-forgotten kiss, presses him to her heart, and
+resigns him to God, his country, and his honor. The father, last to
+part, presses his hand, gazes with ineffable love into his bright eyes,
+and, fearing to trust his feelings for a more lengthy farewell, says,
+"Good-by, my boy; God bless you; be a man!"
+
+Let those scoff who will; but let them know that such a parting is
+itself a new and wonderful power, a soul-enlarging, purifying, and
+elevating power, worth the danger, toil, and suffering of the soldier.
+The sister's tears, the father's words, the mother's kiss, planted in
+the memory of that boy, will surely bring forth fruit beautiful as a
+mother's love.
+
+As he journeys to the camp, how dear do all at home become! Oh, what
+holy tears he sheds! His heart, how tender! Then, as he nears the line,
+and sees for the first time the realities of war, the passing sick and
+weary, and the wounded and bloody dead, his soldier spirit is born; he
+smiles, his chest expands, his eyes brighten, his heart swells with
+pride. He hurries on, and soon stands in the magic circle around the
+glowing fire, the admired and loved pet of a dozen true hearts. Is he
+happy? Aye! Never before has he felt such glorious, swelling, panting
+joy. He's a soldier now! He is put on guard. No longer the object of
+care and solicitude he stands in the solitude of the night, himself a
+guardian of those who sleep. Courage is his now. He feels he is trusted
+as a man, and is ready at once nobly to perish in the defense of his
+comrades.
+
+He marches. Dare he murmur or complain? No; the eyes of all are upon
+him, and endurance grows silently, till pain and weariness are familiar,
+and cheerfully borne. At home he would be pitied and petted; but now he
+must endure, or have the contempt of the strong spirits around him.
+
+He is hungry,--so are others; and he must not only bear the privation,
+but he must divide his pitiful meal, when he gets it, with his comrades;
+and so generosity strikes down selfishness. In a thousand ways he is
+tried, and that by sharp critics. His smallest faults are necessarily
+apparent, for, in the varying conditions of the soldier, every quality
+is put to the test. If he shows the least cowardice he is undone. His
+courage must never fail. He must be manly and independent, or he will be
+told he's a baby, ridiculed, teased, and despised. When war assumes her
+serious dress, he sees the helplessness of women and children, he hears
+their piteous appeals, and chivalry burns him, till he does his utmost
+of sacrifice and effort to protect, and comfort, and cheer them.
+
+It is a mistake to suppose that the older men in the army encouraged
+vulgarity and obscenity in the young recruit; for even those who
+themselves indulged in these would frown on the first show of them in a
+boy, and without hesitation put him down mercilessly. No parent could
+watch a boy as closely as his mess-mates did and could, because they saw
+him at all hours of the day and night, dependent on himself alone, and
+were merciless critics, who demanded more of their _protégé_ than they
+were willing to submit to themselves.
+
+The young soldier's piety had to perish ignominiously, or else assume a
+boldness and strength which nothing else could so well impart as the
+temptations, sneers, and dangers of the army. Religion had to be bold,
+practical, and courageous, or die.
+
+In the army the young man learned to value men for what they were, and
+not on account of education, wealth, or station; and so his attachments,
+when formed, were sincere and durable, and he learned what constitutes a
+man and a desirable and reliable friend. The stern demands upon the boy,
+and the unrelenting criticisms of the mess, soon bring to mind the
+gentle forbearance, kind remonstrance, and loving counsels of parents
+and homefolks; and while he thinks, he weeps, and loves, and reverences,
+and yearns after the things against which he once strove, and under
+which he chafed and complained. Home, father, mother, sister,--oh, how
+far away; oh, how dear! Himself, how contemptible, ever to have felt
+cold and indifferent to such love! Then, how vividly he recalls the warm
+pressure of his mother's lips on the forehead of her boy! How he loves
+his mother! See him as he fills his pipe from the silk-embroidered bag.
+There is his name embroidered carefully, beautifully, by his sister's
+hand. Does he forget her? Does he not now love her more sincerely and
+truly and tenderly than ever? Could he love her quite as much had he
+never parted; never longed to see her and could not; never been
+uncertain if she was safe; never felt she might be homeless, helpless,
+insulted, a refugee from home? Can he ever now look on a little girl and
+not treat her kindly, gently, and lovingly, remembering his sister? A
+boy having ordinary natural goodness, and the home supports described,
+and the constant watching of men, ready to criticise, could but improve.
+The least exhibition of selfishness, cowardice, vulgarity, dishonesty,
+or meanness of any kind, brought down the dislike of every man upon
+him, and persistence in _any one_ disreputable practice, or habitual
+laziness and worthlessness, resulted in complete ostracism, loneliness,
+and misery; while, on the other hand, he might, by good behavior and
+genuine generosity and courage, secure unbounded love and sincere
+respect from all.
+
+Visits home, after prolonged absence and danger, open to the young
+soldier new treasures--new, because, though possessed always, never
+before felt and realized. The affection once seen only in every-day
+attention, as he reaches home, breaks out in unrestrained vehemence. The
+warm embrace of the hitherto dignified father, the ecstatic pleasure
+beaming in the mother's eye, the proud welcome of the sister, and the
+wild enthusiasm even of the old black mammy, crowd on him the knowledge
+of their love, and make him braver, and stronger, and nobler. He's a
+hero from that hour! Death for these, how easy!
+
+The dangers of the battle-field, and the demands upon his energy,
+strength, and courage, not only strengthen the old, but almost create
+new, faculties of mind and heart. The death, sudden and terrible, of
+those dear to him, the imperative necessity of standing to his duty
+while the wounded cry and groan, and while his heart yearns after them
+to help them, the terrible thirst, hunger, heat, and weariness,--all
+these teach a boy self-denial, attachment to duty, the value of peace
+and safety; and, instead of hardening him, as some suppose they do, make
+him pity and love even the enemy of his country, who bleeds and dies for
+_his_ country.
+
+The acquirement of subordination is a useful one, and that the soldier
+perforce has; and that not in an abject, cringing way, but as realizing
+the necessity of it, and seeing the result of it in the good order and
+consequent effectiveness and success of the army as a whole, but more
+particularly of his own company and detachment. And if the soldier rises
+to office, the responsibility of command, attention to detail and
+minutiæ, the critical eyes of his subordinates and the demands of his
+superiors, all withdraw him from the enticements of vice, and mould him
+into a solid, substantial character, both capable and willing to meet
+and overcome difficulties.
+
+The effect of out-door life on the physical constitution is undoubtedly
+good, and as the physical improves the mental is improved; and as the
+mind is enlightened the spirit is ennobled. Who can calculate the
+benefit derived from the contemplation of the beautiful in nature, as
+the soldier sees? Mountains and valleys, dreary wastes and verdant
+fields, rivers, sequestered homes, quiet, sleepy villages, as they lay
+in the morning light, doomed to the flames at evening; scenes which
+alternately stir and calm his mind, and store it with a panorama whose
+pictures he may pass before him year after year with quiet pleasure. War
+is horrible, but still it is in a sense a privilege to have lived in
+time of war. The emotions are never so stirred as then. Imagination
+takes her highest flights, poetry blazes, song stirs the soul, and every
+noble attribute is brought into full play.
+
+It does seem that the production of one Lee and one Jackson is worth
+much blood and treasure, and the building of a noble character all the
+toil and sacrifice of war. The camp-fires of the Army of Northern
+Virginia were not places of revelry and debauchery. They often exhibited
+scenes of love and humanity, and the purest sentiments and gentlest
+feelings of man were there admired and loved, while vice and debauch, in
+any from highest to lowest, were condemned and punished more severely
+than they are among those who stay at home and shirk the dangers and
+toils of the soldier's life. Indeed, the demoralizing effects of the
+late war were far more visible "at home," among the skulks and
+bomb-proofs and suddenly diseased, than in the army. And the demoralized
+men of to-day are not those who served in the army. The defaulters, the
+renegades, the bummers and cheats, are the boys who enjoyed fat places
+and salaries and easy comfort; while the solid, respected, and reliable
+men of the community are those who did their duty as soldiers, and,
+having learned to suffer in war, have preferred to labor and suffer and
+earn, rather than steal, in peace.
+
+And, strange to say, it is not those who suffered most and lost most,
+fought and bled, saw friend after friend fall, wept the dead and buried
+their hopes,--who are now bitter and dissatisfied, quarrelsome and
+fretful, growling and complaining; no, they are the peaceful,
+submissive, law-abiding, order-loving, of the country, ready to join
+hands with all good men in every good work, and prove themselves as
+brave and good in peace as they were stubborn and unconquerable in war.
+
+Many a weak, puny boy was returned to his parents a robust, healthy,
+_manly man_. Many a timid, helpless boy went home a brave, independent
+man. Many a wild, reckless boy went home sobered, serious, and
+trustworthy. And many whose career at home was wicked and blasphemous
+went home changed in heart, with principles fixed, to comfort and
+sustain the old age of those who gave them to their country, not
+expecting to receive them again. Men learned that life was passable and
+enjoyable without a roof or even a tent to shelter from the storm; that
+cheerfulness was compatible with cold and hunger; and that a man without
+money, food, or shelter need not feel utterly hopeless, but might, by
+employing his wits, find something to eat where he never found it
+before; and feel that, like a terrapin, he might make himself at home
+wherever he might be. Men did actually become as independent of the
+imaginary "necessities" as the very wild beasts. And can a man learn all
+this and not know better than another how to economize what he has, and
+how to appreciate the numberless superfluities of life? Is he not made,
+by the knowledge he has of how little he really needs, more independent
+and less liable to dishonest exertions to procure a competency?
+
+If there were any true men in the South, any brave, any noble, they were
+in the army. If there are good and true men in the South now, they would
+go into the army for similar cause. And to prove that the army
+demoralized, you must prove that the men who came out of it are the
+worst in the country to-day. Who will try it?
+
+Strange as it may seem, religion flourished in the army. So great was
+the work of the chaplains that whole volumes have been written to
+describe the religious history of the four years of war. Officers who
+were ungodly men found themselves restrained alike by the grandeur of
+the piety of the great chiefs, and the earnestness of the humble
+privates around them. Thousands embraced the Gospel, and died triumphing
+over death. Instead of the degradation so dreaded, was the strange
+ennobling and purifying which made men despise all the things for which
+they ordinarily strive, and glory in the sternest hardships, the most
+bitter self-denials, cruel suffering, and death. Love for home, kindred,
+and friends, intensified, was denied the gratification of its yearnings,
+and made the motive for more complete surrender to the stern demands of
+duty. Discipline, the cold master of our enemies, never caught up with
+the gallant devotion of our Christian soldiers, and the science of war
+quailed before the majesty of an army singing hymns.
+
+Hypocrisy went home to dwell with the able-bodied skulkers, being too
+closely watched in the army, and too thoroughly known to thrive. And so
+the camp-fire often lighted the pages of the best Book, while the
+soldier read the orders of the Captain of his salvation. And often did
+the songs of Zion ring out loud and clear on the cold night air, while
+the muskets rattled and the guns boomed in the distance, each
+intensifying the significance of the other, testing the sincerity of the
+Christian while trying the courage of the soldier. Stripped of all
+sensual allurements, and offering only self-denial, patience, and
+endurance, the Gospel took hold of the deepest and purest motives of the
+soldiers, won them thoroughly, and made the army as famous for its
+forbearance, temperance, respect for women and children, sobriety,
+honesty, and morality as it was for endurance and invincible courage.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Never was there an army where feeble old age received such sympathy,
+consideration, and protection. Women, deprived of their natural
+protectors, fled from the advancing hosts of the enemy, and found safe
+retreat and chivalrous protection and shelter in the lines of the Army
+of Northern Virginia. Children played in the camps, delighted to nestle
+in the arms of the roughly-clad but tender-hearted soldiers. Such was
+the behavior of the troops on the campaign in Pennsylvania, that the
+citizens of Gettysburg have expressed wonder and surprise at their
+perfect immunity from insult, violence, or even intrusion, when their
+city was occupied by and in complete possession of the Boys in Gray.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE-FLAG.
+
+
+This banner, the witness and inspiration of many victories, which was
+proudly borne on every field from Manassas to Appomattox, was conceived
+on the field of battle, lived on the field of battle, and on the last
+fatal field ceased to have place or meaning in the world. But the men
+who followed it, and the world which watched its proud advance or
+defiant stand, see in it still the unstained banner of a brave and
+generous people, whose deeds have outlived their country, and whose
+final defeat but added lustre to their grandest victories.
+
+It was not the flag of the Confederacy, but simply the banner, the
+battle-flag, of the Confederate soldier. As such it should not share in
+the condemnation which our _cause_ received, or suffer from its
+downfall. The whole world can unite in a chorus of praise to the
+gallantry of the men who followed where this banner led.
+
+It was at the battle of Manassas, about four o'clock of the afternoon of
+the 21st of July, 1861, when the fate of the Confederacy seemed
+trembling in the balance, that General Beauregard, looking across the
+Warrenton turnpike, which passed through the valley between the position
+of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal
+line, saw a body of troops moving towards his left and the Federal
+right. He was greatly concerned to know, but could not decide, what
+troops they were, whether Federal or Confederate. The similarity of
+uniform and of the colors carried by the opposing armies, and the clouds
+of dust, made it almost impossible to decide.
+
+Shortly before this time General Beauregard had received from the signal
+officer, Captain Alexander, a dispatch, saying that from the signal
+station in the rear he had sighted the colors of this column, drooping
+and covered with the dust of journeyings, but could not tell whether
+they were the Stars and Stripes or the Stars and Bars. He thought,
+however, that they were probably Patterson's troops arriving on the
+field and reënforcing the enemy.
+
+General Beauregard was momentarily expecting help from the right, and
+the uncertainty and anxiety of this hour amounted to anguish. Still the
+column pressed on. Calling a staff officer, General Beauregard
+instructed him to go at once to General Johnston, at the Lewis House,
+and say that the enemy were receiving heavy reënforcements, that the
+troops on the plateau were very much scattered, and that he would be
+compelled to retire to the Lewis House, and there re-form, hoping that
+the troops ordered up from the right would arrive in time to enable him
+to establish and hold the new line.
+
+[Illustration: HERE ARE THE COLORS!]
+
+Meanwhile, the unknown troops were pressing on. The day was sultry, and
+only at long intervals was there the slightest breeze. The colors of the
+mysterious column hung drooping on the staff. General Beauregard tried
+again and again to decide what colors they carried. He used his glass
+repeatedly, and handing it to others begged them to look, hoping that
+their eyes might be keener than his.
+
+General Beauregard was in a state of great anxiety, but finally
+determined to hold his ground, relying on the promised help from the
+right; knowing that if it arrived in time victory might be secured, but
+feeling also that if the mysterious column should be Federal troops the
+day was lost.
+
+Suddenly a puff of wind spread the colors to the breeze. It was the
+Confederate flag,--the Stars and Bars! It was Early with the
+Twenty-Fourth Virginia, the Seventh Louisiana, and the Thirteenth
+Mississippi. The column had by this time reached the extreme right of
+the Federal lines. The moment the flag was recognized, Beauregard
+turned to his staff, right and left, saying, "See that the day is ours!"
+and ordered an immediate advance. In the mean time Early's brigade
+deployed into line and charged the enemy's right; Elzey, also, dashed
+upon the field, and in one hour not an enemy was to be seen south of
+Bull Run.
+
+While on this field and suffering this terrible anxiety, General
+Beauregard determined that the Confederate soldier must have a flag so
+distinct from that of the enemy that no doubt should ever again endanger
+his cause on the field of battle.
+
+Soon after the battle he entered into correspondence with Colonel
+William Porcher Miles, who had served on his staff during the day, with
+a view to securing his aid in the matter, and proposing a blue field,
+red bars crossed, and gold stars.
+
+They discussed the matter at length. Colonel Miles thought it was
+contrary to the law of heraldry that the ground should be blue, the bars
+red, and the stars gold. He proposed that the ground should be red, the
+bars blue, and the stars white. General Beauregard approved the change,
+and discussed the matter freely with General Johnston. Meanwhile it
+became known that designs for a flag were under discussion, and many
+were sent in. One came from Mississippi; one from J.B. Walton and E.C.
+Hancock, which coincided with the design of Colonel Miles. The matter
+was freely discussed at headquarters, till, finally, when he arrived at
+Fairfax Court House, General Beauregard caused his draughtsman (a
+German) to make drawings of all the various designs which had been
+submitted. With these designs before them the officers at headquarters
+agreed on the famous old banner,--the red field, the blue cross, and the
+white stars. The flag was then submitted to the War Department, and was
+approved.
+
+The first flags sent to the army were presented to the troops by General
+Beauregard in person, he then expressing the hope and confidence that
+they would become the emblem of honor and of victory.
+
+The first three flags received were made from "_ladies' dresses_" by the
+Misses Carey, of Baltimore and Alexandria, at their residences and the
+residences of friends, as soon as they could get a description of the
+design adopted. One of the Misses Carey sent the flag she made to
+General Beauregard. Her sister presented hers to General Van Dorn, who
+was then at Fairfax Court House. Miss Constance Carey, of Alexandria,
+sent hers to General Joseph E. Johnston.
+
+General Beauregard sent the flag he received at once to New Orleans for
+safe keeping. After the fall of New Orleans, Mrs. Beauregard sent the
+flag by a Spanish man-of-war, then lying in the river opposite New
+Orleans, to Cuba, where it remained till the close of the war, when it
+was returned to General Beauregard, who presented it for safe keeping to
+the Washington Artillery, of New Orleans.
+
+This much about the battle-flag, to accomplish, if possible, two things:
+first, preserve the little history connected with the origin of the
+flag; and, second, place the _battle_ flag in a place of security, as it
+were, separated from all the political significance which attaches to
+the _Confederate_ flag, and depending for its future place solely upon
+the deeds of the armies which bore it, amid hardships untold, to many
+victories.
+
+[Illustration: Finis]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in
+the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25603-8.txt or 25603-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/6/0/25603/
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/25603-8.zip b/25603-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5d0578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-8.zip
diff --git a/25603-h.zip b/25603-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27a0fce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h.zip
diff --git a/25603-h/25603-h.htm b/25603-h/25603-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a13e82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/25603-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,5385 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
+    "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Detailed Minutiæ of Soldier Life in the Army of Northern Virginia 1861-1865, by Carlton Mccarthy.
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css">
+/*<![CDATA[  XML blockout */
+<!--
+    p {  margin-top: .75em;
+         text-align: justify;
+         margin-bottom: .75em;
+         }
+    h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {
+         text-align: center; /* all headings centered */
+         clear: both;
+         }
+    hr { width: 33%;
+	 margin-top: 2em;
+	 margin-bottom: 2em;
+         margin-left: auto;
+         margin-right: auto;
+         clear: both;
+       }
+
+
+
+    body{margin-left: 10%;
+         margin-right: 10%;
+        }
+
+    .pagenum  { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */
+            /*  visibility: hidden;  */
+                position: absolute;
+                left: 92%;
+                font-size: smaller;
+                text-align: right;
+              } /* page numbers */
+
+
+    .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;}
+
+
+    .bb       {border-bottom: solid 2px;}
+    .bl       {border-left: solid 2px;}
+    .bt       {border-top: solid 2px;}
+    .br       {border-right: solid 2px;}
+    .bbox     {border: solid 2px;}
+
+    .center   {text-align: center;}
+    .smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
+    .u        {text-decoration: underline;}
+
+
+
+
+    // -->
+    /* XML end  ]]>*/
+    </style>
+  </head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the
+Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
+
+Author: Carlton McCarthy
+
+Illustrator: William L. Sheppard
+
+Release Date: May 26, 2008 [EBook #25603]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus02.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'>see page 106.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<h3>DETAILED MINUTI&AElig;</h3>
+
+<h5>OF</h5>
+
+<h1>SOLDIER LIFE</h1>
+
+<h5>IN THE</h5>
+
+<h2>ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA</h2>
+
+<h3>1861-1865</h3>
+
+
+<h5 style="margin-top: 5em;">BY</h5>
+
+<h2>CARLTON MCCARTHY</h2>
+
+<p class='center'><small>PRIVATE SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, CUTSHAW'S BATTALION
+ARTILLERY, SECOND CORPS, A.N.V.</small></p>
+
+
+<p class='center' style="margin-top: 5em;"><i>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS</i></p>
+
+<h5>BY</h5>
+
+<h4>WM. L. SHEPPARD, Esq.</h4>
+
+<p class='center'><small>LIEUTENANT SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, A.N.V.</small></p>
+
+
+<p class='center' style="margin-top: 10em;"><small>
+RICHMOND<br />
+CARLTON MCCARTHY AND COMPANY<br />
+1882</small>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center' style="margin-top: 5em;"><small>
+Copyright, 1882,<br />
+<span class="smcap">By</span> CARLTON McCARTHY.</small>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><small>
+<i>The Riverside Press, Cambridge</i>:<br />
+Printed by H.O. Houghton and Company.</small>
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+<p class='center' style="margin-top: 10em;">
+To<br />
+<br />
+THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER,<br />
+<br />
+<b>EDWARD STEVENS McCARTHY,</b><br />
+<br />
+CAPTAIN FIRST COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS:<br />
+<br />
+WHO FELL AT COLD HARBOR,<br />
+<br />
+<i>June 4, 1864</i>,<br />
+<br />
+<b>A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.</b><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span><br />
+</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS.</h2>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">A Voice from the Ranks</span></b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">The Outfit Modified</span> </b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Romantic Ideas Dissipated</span></b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">On the March</span></b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Cooking and Eating</span></b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Comforts, Conveniences, and Consolations</span> </b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Fun and Fury on the Field</span>  </b></p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></p>
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Improvised Infantry</span>  </b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">"Brave Survivors" Homeward Bound</span> </b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Soldiers Transformed</span> </b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">Camp Fires of the Boys in Gray</span></b></p>
+
+<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></h3>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 10em;"><b><span class="smcap">The Battle Flag</span>  </b></p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>SOLDIER LIFE</h2>
+
+<h4>IN THE</h4>
+
+<h2>ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.</h2>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2>
+
+<h3>A VOICE FROM THE RANKS.&mdash;INTRODUCTORY.</h3>
+
+
+<p>We are familiar with the names and deeds of the "generals," from the
+commander-in-chief down to the almost innumerable brigadiers, and we are
+all more or less ignorant of the habits and characteristics of the
+individuals who composed the rank and file of the "grand armies" of
+1861-65.</p>
+
+<p>As time rolls on, the historian, condensing matters, mentions "the men"
+by brigades, divisions, and corps. But here let us look at the
+individual soldier separated from the huge masses of men composing the
+armies, and doing his own work and duty.</p>
+
+<p>The fame of Lee and Jackson, world-wide, and as the years increase ever
+brighter, is but condensed and personified admiration of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span>
+Confederate soldier, wrung from an unwilling world by his matchless
+courage, endurance, and devotion. Their fame is an everlasting monument
+to the mighty deeds of the nameless host who followed them through so
+much toil and blood to glorious victories.</p>
+
+<p>The weak, as a rule, are borne down by the strong; but that does not
+prove that the strong are also the right. The weak suffer wrong, learn
+the bitterness of it, and finally, by resisting it, become the defenders
+of right and justice. When the mighty nations of the earth oppress the
+feeble, they nerve the arms and fire the hearts of God's instruments for
+the restoration of justice; and when one section of a country oppresses
+and insults another, the result is the pervasive malady,&mdash;war! which
+will work out the health of the nation, or leave it a bloody corpse.</p>
+
+<p>The principles for which the Confederate soldier fought, and in defense
+of which he died, are to-day the harmony of this country. So long as
+they were held in abeyance, the country was in turmoil and on the verge
+of ruin.</p>
+
+<p>It is not fair to demand a reason for actions above reason. The heart is
+greater than the mind. No man can exactly define the cause for which the
+Confederate soldier fought. He was above human reason and above human
+law, secure in his own rectitude of purpose,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> accountable to God only,
+having assumed for himself a "nationality," which he was minded to
+defend with his life and his property, and thereto pledged his sacred
+honor.</p>
+
+<p>In the honesty and simplicity of his heart, the Confederate soldier had
+neglected his own interests and rights, until his accumulated wrongs and
+indignities forced him to one grand, prolonged effort to free himself
+from the pain of them. He dared not refuse to hear the call to arms, so
+plain was the duty and so urgent the call. His brethren and friends were
+answering the bugle-call and the roll of the drum. To stay was dishonor
+and shame!</p>
+
+<p>He would not obey the dictates of tyranny. To disobey was death. He
+disobeyed and fought for his life. The romance of war charmed him, and
+he hurried from the embrace of his mother to the embrace of death. His
+playmates, his friends, and his associates were gone; he was lonesome,
+and he sought a reunion "in camp." He would not receive as gospel the
+dogmas of fanatics, and so he became a "rebel." Being a rebel, he must
+be punished. Being punished, he resisted. Resisting, he died.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier opposed immense odds. In the "seven days
+battles" around Richmond, 80,000 drove to the James River 115,000 of the
+enemy. At Fredericksburg, in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> 1862, 78,000 of them routed 110,000
+Federal troops. At Chancellorsville, in 1863, 57,000 under Lee and
+Jackson whipped, and but for the death of Jackson would have
+annihilated, an army of 132,000 men,&mdash;more than double their own number.
+At Gettysburg, 62,000 of them assailed the heights manned by 112,000. At
+the Wilderness, in 1864, 63,000 met and successfully resisted 141,000 of
+the enemy. At Appomattox, in April, 1865, 8,000 of them surrendered to
+the host commanded by Grant. The United States government, at the end of
+the war, mustered out of service 1,000,000 of men, and had in the field,
+from first to last, 2,600,000. If the Confederate soldier had then had
+only this disparity of numbers to contend with, he would have driven
+every invader from the soil of Virginia.</p>
+
+<p>But the Confederate soldier fought, in addition to these odds, the
+facilities for the transportation and concentration of troops and
+supplies afforded by the network of railways in the country north of
+him, all of which were subject to the control of the government, and
+backed by a treasury which was turning out money by the ton, one dollar
+of which was equal to sixty Confederate dollars.</p>
+
+<p>It should be remembered also that, while the South was restricted to its
+own territory for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> supplies, and its own people for men, the North drew
+on the world for material, and on every nation of the earth for men.</p>
+
+<p>The arms and ammunition of the Federal soldiers were abundant and
+good,&mdash;so abundant and so good that they supplied <i>both</i> armies, and
+were greatly preferred by Confederate officers. The equipment of the
+Federal armies was well-nigh perfect. The facilities for manufacture
+were simply unlimited, and the nation thought no expenditure of treasure
+too great, if only the country, the <i>Union</i>! could be saved. The factory
+and the foundry chimneys made a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by
+night. The latest improvements were hurried to the front, and adopted by
+both armies almost simultaneously; for hardly had the Federal bought,
+when the Confederate captured, and used, the <i>very latest</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Commissary stores were piled up all over Virginia, for the use of the
+invading armies. They had more than they could protect, and their loss
+was gain to the hungry defenders of the soil.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier fought a host of ills occasioned by the
+deprivation of chloroform and morphia, which were excluded from the
+Confederacy, by the blockade, as contraband of war. The man who has
+submitted to amputation without chloroform, or tossed on a couch of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>
+agony for a night and a day without sleep for the want of a dose of
+morphia, may possibly be able to estimate the advantages which resulted
+from the possession by the Federal surgeons of an unlimited supply of
+these.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier fought bounties and regular monthly pay; the
+"Stars and Stripes," the "Star Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia,"
+"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "John Brown's Body," "Rally round the Flag," and
+all the fury and fanaticism which skilled minds could create,&mdash;opposing
+this grand array with the modest and homely refrain of "Dixie,"
+supported by a mild solution of "Maryland, My Maryland." He fought good
+wagons, fat horses, and tons of quartermaster's stores; pontoon trains,
+of splendid material and construction, by the mile; gunboats, wooden and
+iron, and men-of-war; illustrated papers, to cheer the "Boys in Blue"
+with sketches of the glorious deeds they did not do; Bibles by the car
+load, and tracts by the million,&mdash;the first to prepare them for death,
+and the second to urge upon them the duty of dying.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier fought the "Sanitary Commission," whose members,
+armed with every facility and convenience, quickly carried the sick and
+wounded of the Federal army to comfortable quarters, removed the bloody
+gar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>ments, laid the sufferer on a clean and dry couch, clothed him in
+clean things, and fed him on the best the world could afford and money
+buy.</p>
+
+<p>He fought the well-built, thoroughly equipped ambulances, the countless
+surgeons, nurses, and hospital stewards, and the best surgical
+appliances known to the medical world. He fought the commerce of the
+United States and all the facilities for war which Europe could supply,
+while his own ports were closed to all the world. He fought the trained
+army officers and the regular troops of the United States Army, assisted
+by splendid native volunteer soldiers, besides swarms of men, the refuse
+of the earth,&mdash;Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, Scotch,
+English, French, Chinese, Japanese,&mdash;white, black, olive, and brown. He
+laid down life for life with this hireling host, who died for pay,
+mourned by no one, missed by no one, loved by no one; who were better
+fed and clothed, fatter, happier, and more contented in the army than
+ever they were at home, and whose graves strew the earth in lonesome
+places, where none go to weep. When one of these fell, two could be
+bought to fill the gap. The Confederate soldier killed these without
+compunction, and their comrades buried them without a tear.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier fought the cries of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> distress which came from
+his home,&mdash;tales of woe, want, insult, and robbery. He fought men who
+knew that <i>their</i> homes (when they had any) were safe, their wives and
+children, their parents and sisters, sheltered, and their business
+affairs more than usually prosperous; who could draw sight drafts, have
+them honored, and make the camp table as bountiful and luxurious as that
+of a New York hotel. He fought a government founded by the genius of his
+fathers, which derived its strength from principles they formulated, and
+which persuaded its soldiers that they were the champions of the
+constitutional liberty which they were marching to invade, and
+eventually to destroy.</p>
+
+<p>The relative strength of armies becomes a matter of secondary importance
+when these facts are considered. The disparity of numbers only, would
+never have produced the result which the combination of these various
+forces did,&mdash;the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier was purely patriotic. He foresaw clearly, and
+deliberately chose, the trials which he endured. He was an individual
+who could not become the indefinite portion of a mass, but fought for
+himself, on his own account. He was a self-sacrificing hero, but did not
+claim that distinction or any merit, feeling<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> only that he was in the
+line of duty to self, country, and God. He fought for a principle, and
+needed neither driving nor urging, but was eager and determined to
+fight. He was not a politic man, but a man under fervent feeling,
+forgetful of the possibilities and calamities of war, pressing his
+claims to the rights of humanity.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier was a monomaniac for four years. His mania was,
+the independence of the Confederates States of America, secured by force
+of arms.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier was a venerable old man, a youth, a child, a
+preacher, a farmer, merchant, student, statesman, orator, father,
+brother, husband, son,&mdash;the wonder of the world, the terror of his foes!</p>
+
+<p>If the peace of this country can only be preserved by forgetting the
+Confederate soldier's deeds and his claims upon the South, the blessing
+is too dearly bought. We have sworn to be grateful to him. Dying, his
+head pillowed on the bosom of his mother, Virginia, he heard that his
+name would be honored.</p>
+
+<p>When we fill up, hurriedly, the bloody chasm opened by war, we should be
+careful that we do not bury therein many noble deeds, some tender
+memories, some grand examples, and some hearty promises washed with
+tears.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The following letter, written by an aged father to his only son, then a
+mere boy, who had volunteered as an infantry soldier and was already in
+the field, is an appropriate conclusion to this chapter; showing
+admirably well the kind of inspiration which went from Southern homes to
+Southern soldiers:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;"><span class="smcap">At Home</span>, <i>July 17, 1861</i>.</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p><span class="smcap">My dear Son</span>,&mdash;It may have seemed strange to you that a
+professing Christian father so freely gave you, a Christian son, to
+enlist in the volunteer service. My reason was that I regarded this
+as a <i>purely defensive war</i>. Not only did the Southern Confederacy
+propose to adjust the pending difficulties by peaceful and equitable
+negotiations, but Virginia used again and again the most earnest and
+noble efforts to prevent a resort to the sword. These overtures
+having been proudly spurned, and our beloved South having been
+threatened with invasion and subjugation, it seemed to me that
+nothing was left us but stern resistance, or abject submission, to
+unconstitutional power. A brave and generous people could not for a
+moment hesitate between such alternatives. A war in defense of our
+homes and firesides, of our wives and children, of all that makes
+life worth possessing, is the result. While I most deeply deplored
+the necessity for the sacrifice, I could not but rejoice that I had a
+son to offer to the service of the country, and if I had a dozen, <i>I
+would most freely give them all</i>. As you are now cheerfully enduring
+the hardships of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>the camp, I know you will listen to a father's
+suggestions touching the duties of your new mode of life.</p>
+
+<p>1. Take special care of your health. More soldiers die of disease
+than in battle. A thin piece of damp sponge in the crown of your hat
+during exposure to the hot sun, the use of thick shoes and a
+water-proof coat in rainy weather, the practice of drinking cold
+water when you are very warm as slowly as you sip hot tea, the
+thorough mastication of your food, the avoiding of damp tents and
+damp grounds during sleep, and frequent ablutions of your person are
+all the hints I can give you on this point. Should you need anything
+that I can supply, let me hear from you. I will do what I can to make
+you comfortable. After all, you must learn to endure hardness as a
+good soldier. Having never slept a single night in your whole life
+except in a pleasant bed, and never known a scarcity of good food,
+you doubtless find the ways of the camp rough; but never mind. The
+war, I trust, will soon be over, and then the remembrance of your
+hardships will sweeten the joy of peace.</p>
+
+<p>2. The rules of war require prompt and unquestioning obedience. You
+may sometimes think the command arbitrary and the officer
+supercilious, but <i>it is yours to obey</i>. An undisciplined army is a
+curse to its friends and a derision to its foes. Give your whole
+influence, therefore, to the maintenance of lawful authority and of
+strict order. Let your superiors feel assured that whatever they
+entrust to <i>you</i> will be faithfully done. Composed of such soldiers,
+and led <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span>by skillful and brave commanders, our army, by the blessing
+of God, will never be defeated. It is, moreover, engaged in a holy
+cause, and must triumph.</p>
+
+<p>3. Try to maintain your Christian profession among your comrades. I
+need not caution you against strong drink as useless and hurtful, nor
+against profanity, so common among soldiers. Both these practices you
+abhor. Aim to take at once a decided stand for God. If practicable
+have prayers regularly in your tent, or unite with your
+fellow-disciples in prayer-meetings in the camp. Should preaching be
+accessible, always be a hearer. Let the world know that you are a
+Christian. Read a chapter in the New Testament, which your mother
+gave you, every morning and evening, when you can, and engage in
+secret prayer to God for his holy Spirit to guide and sustain you. I
+would rather hear of your death than of the shipwreck of your faith
+and good conscience.</p>
+
+<p>4. As you will come into habitual contact with men of every grade,
+make special associates only of those whose influence on your
+character is felt to be good. Some men love to tell extravagant
+stories, to indulge in vulgar wit, to exult in a swaggering carriage,
+to pride themselves on their coarse manners, to boast of their
+heroism, and to give utterance to feelings of revenge against the
+enemy. All this is injurious to young and impressible minds. If you
+admire such things, you will insensibly imitate them, and imitation
+will work gradual but certain detriment to your character. Other men
+are refined without being affected. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>They can relax into occasional
+pleasantries without violating modesty. They can be loyal to their
+government without indulging private hatred against her foes. They
+can be cool and brave in battle, and not be braggarts in the absence
+of danger. Above all, they can be humble, spiritual, and active
+Christians, and yet mingle in the stirring and perilous duties of
+soldier-life. Let these be your companions and models. You will thus
+return from the dangers of camp without a blemish on your name.</p>
+
+<p>5. Should it be your lot to enter into an engagement with the enemy,
+lift up your heart in secret ejaculations to the ever-present and
+good Being, that He will protect you from sudden death, or if you
+fall, that He will receive your departing spirit, cleansed in the
+blood of Jesus, into His kingdom. It is better to trust in the Lord
+than to put confidence in princes. Commit your eternal interests,
+therefore, to the keeping of the Almighty Saviour. You should not,
+even in the hour of deadly conflict, cherish personal rage against
+the enemy, any more than an officer of the law hates the victim of
+the law. How often does a victorious army tenderly care for the dead
+and wounded of the vanquished. War is a tremendous scourge which
+Providence sometimes uses to chastise proud and wicked nations. Both
+parties must suffer, even though one may get the advantage. There is
+no occasion then for adding to the intrinsic evils of the system the
+odious feature of animosity to individuals. In the ranks of the foe
+are thousands of plain men who do not understand the principles for
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>which we are struggling. They are deceived by artful demagogues into
+a posture of hostility to those whom, knowing, they would love. It is
+against such men that you may perhaps be arrayed, and the laws of war
+do not forbid you to pity them even in the act of destroying them. It
+is the more important that <i>we</i> should exhibit a proper temper in
+this unfortunate contest, because many professed Christians and
+ministers of the gospel at the North are breathing out, in their very
+prayers and sermons, threatenings and slaughter against us. Oh! how
+painful that a gray-headed pastor should publicly exclaim, "<i>I would
+hang them as quick as I would shoot a mad dog!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>6. Providence has placed you in the midst of thoughtless and
+unpardoned men. What a beautiful thing it would be if you could win
+some of them to the Saviour. Will you not try? You will have many
+opportunities of saying a word in season. The sick you may comfort,
+the wavering you may confirm, the backslidden you may reclaim, the
+weary and heavy laden you may point to Jesus for rest to the soul. It
+is not presumptuous for a young man kindly and meekly to commend the
+gospel to his brother soldiers. The hardest of them will not repel a
+gentle approach, made in private. And many of them would doubtless be
+glad to have the subject introduced to them. They desire to hear of
+Jesus, but they lack courage to inquire of his people. An unusually
+large proportion of pious men have entered the army, and I trust they
+will give a new complexion to military life. Let them search out each
+other, and establish a fraternity <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>among all the worshipers of God.
+To interchange religious views and administer brotherly counsel will
+be mutually edifying. "He that watereth shall be watered also
+himself."</p>
+
+<p>And now, as a soldier has but little leisure, I will not occupy you
+longer. Be assured that every morning and evening we remember you, at
+the family altar, to our Father in Heaven. We pray for "a speedy,
+just, and honorable peace," and for the safe return of all the
+volunteers to their loved homes. All the children speak often of
+"brother," and hear your letters read with intense interest. That God
+Almighty may be your shield and your exceeding great reward, is the
+constant prayer of your loving father.</p></div><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE OUTFIT MODIFIED.</h3>
+
+
+<p>With the men who composed the Army of Northern Virginia will die the
+memory of those little things which made the Confederate soldier
+peculiarly what he was.</p>
+
+<p>The historian who essays to write the "grand movements" will hardly stop
+to tell how the hungry private fried his bacon, baked his biscuit, and
+smoked his pipe; how he was changed from time to time by the necessities
+of the service, until the gentleman, the student, the merchant, the
+mechanic, and the farmer were merged into a perfect, all-enduring,
+never-tiring and invincible soldier. To preserve these little details,
+familiar to all soldiers, and by them not thought worthy of mention to
+others, because of their familiarity, but still dear to them and always
+the substance of their "war talks," is the object of this book.</p>
+
+<p>The volunteer of 1861 made extensive preparations for the field. Boots,
+he thought, were an absolute necessity, and the heavier the soles and
+longer the tops the better. His pants were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> stuffed inside the tops of
+his boots, of course. A double-breasted coat, heavily wadded, with two
+rows of big brass buttons and a long skirt, was considered comfortable.
+A small stiff cap, with a narrow brim, took the place of the comfortable
+"felt," or the shining and towering tile worn in civil life.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus03.jpg" alt="outfit"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> THE OUTFIT OF 1861.</p>
+
+<p>Then over all was a huge overcoat, long and heavy, with a cape reaching
+nearly to the waist. On his back he strapped a knapsack containing a
+full stock of underwear, soap, towels, comb, brush, looking-glass,
+tooth-brush, paper and envelopes, pens, ink, pencils, blacking,
+photographs, smoking and chewing tobacco, pipes, twine string, and
+cotton strips for wounds and other emergencies, needles and thread,
+buttons, knife, fork, and spoon, and many other things as each man's
+idea of what he was to encounter varied. On the outside of the knapsack,
+solidly folded, were two great blankets and a rubber or oil-cloth. This
+knapsack, etc., weighed from fifteen to twenty-five pounds, sometimes
+even more. All seemed to think it was impossible to have on too many or
+too heavy clothes, or to have too many conveniences, and each had an
+idea that to be a good soldier he must be provided against every
+possible emergency.</p>
+
+<p>In addition to the knapsack, each man had a haversack, more or less
+costly, some of cloth<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> and some of fine morocco, and stored with
+provisions always, as though he expected any moment to receive orders to
+march across the Great Desert, and supply his own wants on the way. A
+canteen was considered indispensable, and at the outset it was thought
+prudent to keep it full of water. Many, expecting terrific hand-to-hand
+encounters, carried revolvers, and even bowie-knives. Merino shirts (and
+flannel) were thought to be the right thing, but experience demonstrated
+the contrary. Gloves were also thought to be very necessary and good
+things to have in winter time, the favorite style being buck gauntlets
+with long cuffs.</p>
+
+<p>In addition to each man's private luggage, each mess, generally composed
+of from five to ten men, drawn together by similar tastes and
+associations, had <i>its</i> outfit, consisting of a large camp chest
+containing skillet, frying pan, coffee boiler, bucket for lard, coffee
+box, salt box, sugar box, meal box, flour box, knives, forks, spoons,
+plates, cups, etc., etc. These chests were so large that eight or ten of
+them filled up an army wagon, and were so heavy that two strong men had
+all they could do to get one of them into the wagon. In addition to the
+chest each mess owned an axe, water bucket, and bread tray. Then the
+tents of each company, and little sheet-iron stoves, and stove pipe,
+and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> the trunks and valises of the company officers, made an immense
+pile of stuff, so that each company had a small wagon train of its own.</p>
+
+<p>All thought money to be absolutely necessary, and for awhile rations
+were disdained and the mess supplied with the best that could be bought
+with the mess fund. Quite a large number had a "boy" along to do the
+cooking and washing. Think of it! a Confederate soldier with a body
+servant all his own, to bring him a drink of water, black his boots,
+dust his clothes, cook his corn bread and bacon, and put wood on his
+fire. Never was there fonder admiration than these darkies displayed for
+their masters. Their chief delight and glory was to praise the courage
+and good looks of "Mahse Tom," and prophesy great things about his
+future. Many a ringing laugh and shout of fun originated in the queer
+remarks, shining countenance, and glistening teeth of this now forever
+departed character.</p>
+
+<p>It is amusing to think of the follies of the early part of the war, as
+illustrated by the outfits of the volunteers. They were so heavily clad,
+and so burdened with all manner of things, that a march was torture, and
+the wagon trains were so immense in proportion to the number of troops,
+that it would have been impossible to guard them in an enemy's country.
+Subor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>dinate officers thought themselves entitled to transportation for
+trunks, mattresses, and folding bedsteads, and the privates were as
+ridiculous in their demands.</p>
+
+<p>Thus much by way of introduction. The change came rapidly, and stayed
+not until the transformation was complete. Nor was this change
+attributable alone to the orders of the general officers. The men soon
+learned the inconvenience and danger of so much luggage, and, as they
+became more experienced, they vied with each other in reducing
+themselves to light-marching trim.</p>
+
+<p>Experience soon demonstrated that boots were not agreeable on a long
+march. They were heavy and irksome, and when the heels were worn a
+little one-sided, the wearer would find his ankle twisted nearly out of
+joint by every unevenness of the road. When thoroughly wet, it was a
+laborious undertaking to get them off, and worse to get them on in time
+to answer the morning roll-call. And so, good, strong brogues or
+brogans, with broad bottoms and big, flat heels, succeeded the boots,
+and were found much more comfortable and agreeable, easier put on and
+off, and altogether the more sensible.</p>
+
+<p>A short-waisted and single-breasted jacket usurped the place of the
+long-tailed coat, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> became universal. The enemy noticed this
+peculiarity, and called the Confederates gray jackets, which name was
+immediately transferred to those lively creatures which were the
+constant admirers and inseparable companions of the Boys in Gray and in
+Blue.</p>
+
+<p>Caps were destined to hold out longer than some other uncomfortable
+things, but they finally yielded to the demands of comfort and common
+sense, and a good soft felt hat was worn instead. A man who has never
+been a soldier does not know, nor indeed can know, the amount of comfort
+there is in a good soft hat in camp, and how utterly useless is a
+"soldier hat" as they are generally made. Why the Prussians, with all
+their experience, wear their heavy, unyielding helmets, and the French
+their little caps, is a mystery to a Confederate who has enjoyed the
+comfort of an old slouch.</p>
+
+<p>Overcoats an inexperienced man would think an absolute necessity for men
+exposed to the rigors of a northern Virginia winter, but they grew
+scarcer and scarcer; they were found to be a great inconvenience. The
+men came to the conclusion that the trouble of carrying them on hot days
+outweighed the comfort of having them when the cold day arrived. Besides
+they found that life in the open air hardened them to such an extent
+that changes in the temperature<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> were not felt to any degree. Some clung
+to their overcoats to the last, but the majority got tired lugging them
+around, and either discarded them altogether, or trusted to capturing
+one about the time it would be needed. Nearly every overcoat in the army
+in the latter years was one of Uncle Sam's captured from his boys.</p>
+
+<p>The knapsack vanished early in the struggle. It was inconvenient to
+"change" the underwear too often, and the disposition not to change
+grew, as the knapsack was found to gall the back and shoulders, and
+weary the man before half the march was accomplished. The better way was
+to dress out and out, and wear that outfit until the enemy's knapsacks,
+or the folks at home supplied a change. Certainly it did not pay to
+carry around clean clothes while waiting for the time to use them.</p>
+
+<p>Very little washing was done, as a matter of course. Clothes once given
+up were parted with forever. There were good reasons for this: cold
+water would not cleanse them or destroy the vermin, and hot water was
+not always to be had. One blanket to each man was found to be as much as
+could be carried, and amply sufficient for the severest weather. This
+was carried generally by rolling it lengthwise, with the rubber cloth
+outside, tying the ends of the roll together, and throwing the loop thus
+made over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> the left shoulder with the ends fastened together hanging
+under the right arm.</p>
+
+<p>The haversack held its own to the last, and was found practical and
+useful. It very seldom, however, contained rations, but was used to
+carry all the articles generally carried in the knapsack; of course the
+stock was small. Somehow or other, many men managed to do without the
+haversack, and carried absolutely nothing but what they wore and had in
+their pockets.</p>
+
+<p>The infantry threw away their heavy cap boxes and cartridge boxes, and
+carried their caps and cartridges in their pockets. Canteens were very
+useful at times, but they were as a general thing discarded. They were
+not much used to carry water, but were found useful when the men were
+driven to the necessity of foraging, for conveying buttermilk, cider,
+sorghum, etc., to camp. A good strong tin cup was found better than a
+canteen, as it was easier to fill at a well or spring, and was
+serviceable as a boiler for making coffee when the column halted for the
+night.</p>
+
+<p>Revolvers were found to be about as useless and heavy lumber as a
+private soldier could carry, and early in the war were sent home to be
+used by the women and children in protecting themselves from insult and
+violence at the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> hands of the ruffians who prowled about the country
+shirking duty.</p>
+
+<p>Strong cotton was adopted in place of flannel and merino, for two
+reasons: first, because easier to wash; and second, because the vermin
+did not propagate so rapidly in cotton as in wool. Common white cotton
+shirts and drawers proved the best that could be used by the private
+soldier.</p>
+
+<p>Gloves to any but a mounted man were found useless, worse than useless.
+With the gloves on, it was impossible to handle an axe, buckle harness,
+load a musket, or handle a rammer at the piece. Wearing them was found
+to be simply a habit, and so, on the principle that the less luggage the
+less labor, <i>they</i> were discarded.</p>
+
+<p>The camp-chest soon vanished. The brigadiers and major-generals, even,
+found them too troublesome, and soon they were left entirely to the
+quartermasters and commissaries. One skillet and a couple of frying
+pans, a bag for flour or meal, another bag for salt, sugar, and coffee,
+divided by a knot tied between, served the purpose as well. The skillet
+passed from mess to mess. Each mess generally owned a frying pan, but
+often one served a company. The oil-cloth was found to be as good as the
+wooden tray for making up the dough. The water bucket held its own to
+the last!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Tents were <i>rarely seen</i>. All the poetry about the "<i>tented field</i>"
+died. Two men slept together, each having a blanket and an oil-cloth;
+one oil-cloth went next to the ground. The two laid on this, covered
+themselves with two blankets, protected from the rain with the second
+oil-cloth on top, and slept very comfortably through rain, snow or hail,
+as it might be.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus04.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>Very little money was seen in camp. The men did not expect, did not care
+for, or often get any pay, and they were not willing to deprive the old
+folks at home of their little supply, so they learned to do without any
+money.</p>
+
+<p>When rations got short and were getting shorter, it became necessary to
+dismiss the darkey servants. Some, however, became company servants,
+instead of private institutions, and held<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> out faithfully to the end,
+cooking the rations away in the rear, and at the risk of life carrying
+them to the line of battle to their "young mahsters."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus05.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>Reduced to the minimum, the private soldier consisted of one man, one
+hat, one jacket, one shirt, one pair of pants, one pair of drawers, one
+pair of shoes, and one pair of socks. His baggage was one blanket, one
+rubber blanket, and one haversack. The haversack generally contained
+smoking tobacco and a pipe, and a small piece of soap, with temporary
+additions of apples, persimmons, blackberries, and such other
+commodities as he could pick up on the march.</p>
+
+<p>The company property consisted of two or three skillets and frying pans,
+which were sometimes carried in the wagon, but oftener in the hands of
+the soldiers. The infantrymen generally preferred to stick the handle of
+the frying pan in the barrel of a musket, and so carry it.</p>
+
+<p>The wagon trains were devoted entirely to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> the transportation of
+ammunition and commissary and quartermaster's stores, which had not been
+issued. Rations which had become company property, and the baggage of
+the men, when they had any, was carried by the men themselves. If, as
+was sometimes the case, three days' rations were issued at one time and
+the troops ordered to cook them, and be prepared to march, they did cook
+them, <i>and eat them if possible</i>, so as to avoid the labor of carrying
+them. It was not such an undertaking either, to eat three days' rations
+in one, as frequently none had been issued for more than a day, and when
+issued were cut down one half.</p>
+
+<p>The infantry found out that bayonets were not of much use, and did not
+hesitate to throw them, with the scabbard, away.</p>
+
+<p>The artillerymen, who started out with heavy sabres hanging to their
+belts, stuck them up in the mud as they marched, and left them for the
+ordnance officers to pick up and turn over to the cavalry.</p>
+
+<p>The cavalrymen found sabres very tiresome when swung to the belt, and
+adopted the plan of fastening them to the saddle on the left side, with
+the hilt in front and in reach of the hand. Finally sabres got very
+scarce even among the cavalrymen, who relied more and more on their
+short rifles.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>No soldiers ever marched with less to encumber them, and none marched
+faster or held out longer.</p>
+
+<p>The courage and devotion of the men rose equal to every hardship and
+privation, and the very intensity of their sufferings became a source of
+merriment. Instead of growling and deserting, they laughed at their own
+bare feet, ragged clothes and pinched faces; and weak, hungry, cold,
+wet, worried with vermin and itch, dirty, with no hope of reward or
+rest, marched cheerfully to meet the well-fed and warmly clad hosts of
+the enemy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2>
+
+<h3>ROMANTIC IDEAS DISSIPATED.</h3>
+
+
+<p>To offer a man promotion in the early part of the war was equivalent to
+an insult. The higher the social position, the greater the wealth, the
+more patriotic it would be to serve in the humble position of a private;
+and many men of education and ability in the various professions,
+refusing promotion, served under the command of men greatly their
+inferiors, mentally, morally, and as soldiers. It soon became apparent
+that the country wanted knowledge and ability, as well as muscle and
+endurance, and those who had capacity to serve in higher positions were
+promoted. Still it remained true that inferior men commanded their
+superiors in every respect, save one&mdash;rank; and leaving out the one
+difference of rank, the officers and men were about on a par.</p>
+
+<p>It took years to teach the educated privates in the army that it was
+their duty to give unquestioning obedience to officers because they were
+such, who were awhile ago their playmates and associates in business. It
+frequently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> happened that the private, feeling hurt by the stern
+authority of the officer, would ask him to one side, challenge him to
+personal combat, and thrash him well. After awhile these privates
+learned all about extra duty, half rations, and courts-martial.</p>
+
+<p>It was only to conquer this independent resistance of discipline that
+punishment or force was necessary. The privates were as willing and
+anxious to fight and serve as the officers, and needed no pushing up to
+their duty. It is amusing to recall the disgust with which the men would
+hear of their assignment to the rear as reserves. They regarded the
+order as a deliberate insult, planned by some officer who had a grudge
+against their regiment or battery, who had adopted this plan to prevent
+their presence in battle, and thus humiliate them. How soon did they
+learn the sweetness of a day's repose in the rear!</p>
+
+<p>Another romantic notion which for awhile possessed the boys was that
+soldiers should not try to be comfortable, but glory in getting wet,
+being cold, hungry, and tired. So they refused shelter in houses or
+barns, and "like true soldiers" paddled about in the mud and rain,
+thinking thereby to serve their country better. The real troubles had
+not come, and they were in a hurry to suffer some. They had not long<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>
+thus impatiently to wait, nor could they latterly complain of the want
+of a chance "to do or die." Volunteering for perilous or very onerous
+duty was popular at the outset, but as duties of this kind thickened it
+began to be thought time enough when the "orders" were peremptory, or
+the orderly read the "detail."</p>
+
+<p>Another fancy idea was that the principal occupation of a soldier should
+be actual conflict with the enemy. They didn't dream of such a thing as
+camping for six months at a time without firing a gun, or marching and
+countermarching to mislead the enemy, or driving wagons and ambulances,
+building bridges, currying horses, and the thousand commonplace duties
+of the soldier.</p>
+
+<p>On the other hand, great importance was attached to some duties which
+soon became mere drudgery. Sometimes the whole detail for guard&mdash;first,
+second, and third relief&mdash;would make it a point of honor to sit up the
+entire night, and watch and listen as though the enemy might pounce upon
+them at any moment, and hurry them off to prison. Of course they soon
+learned how sweet it was, after two hours' walking of the beat, to turn
+in for <i>four hours</i>! which seemed to the sleepy man an eternity in
+anticipation, but only a brief time in retrospect, when the corporal
+gave him a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> "chunk," and remarked, "Time to go on guard."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus06.jpg" alt="relief"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> <span class="smcap">Fall in here third relief!</span></p>
+
+<p>Everybody remembers how we used to talk about "one Confederate whipping
+a dozen Yankees." Literally true sometimes, but, generally speaking, two
+to one made hard work for the boys. They didn't know at the beginning
+anything about the advantage the enemy had in being able to present man
+for man in front and then send as many more to worry the flanks and
+rear. They learned something about this very soon, and had to contend
+against it on almost every field they won.</p>
+
+<p>Wounds were in great demand after the first wounded hero made his
+appearance. His wound<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> was the envy of thousands of unfortunates who had
+not so much as a scratch to boast, and who felt "small" and of little
+consequence before the man with a bloody bandage. Many became despondent
+and groaned as they thought that perchance after all they were doomed to
+go home safe and sound, and hear, for all time, the praises of the
+fellow who had lost his arm by a cannon shot, or had his face ripped by
+a sabre, or his head smashed with a fragment of shell. After awhile the
+wound was regarded as a practical benefit. It secured a furlough of
+indefinite length, good eating, the attention and admiration of the
+fair, and, if permanently disabling, a discharge. Wisdom, born of
+experience, soon taught all hands better sense, and the fences and trees
+and ditches and rocks became valuable, and eagerly sought after when
+"the music" of "minie" and the roar of the "Napoleon" twelve-pounders
+was heard. Death on the field, glorious first and last, was dared for
+duty's sake, but the good soldier learned to guard his life, and yield
+it only at the call of duty.</p>
+
+<p>Only the wisest men, those who had seen war before, imagined that the
+war would last more than a few months. The young volunteers thought one
+good battle would settle the whole matter; and, indeed, after "first
+Manassas"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> many thought they might as well go home! The whole North was
+frightened, and no more armies would dare assail the soil of Old
+Virginia. Colonels and brigadiers, with flesh wounds not worthy of
+notice, rushed to Richmond to report the victory and the end of the war!
+They had "seen sights" in the way of wounded and killed, plunder, etc.,
+and according to their views, no sane people would try again to conquer
+the heroes of that remarkable day.</p>
+
+<p>The newspaper men delighted in telling the soldiers that the Yankees
+were a diminutive race, of feeble constitution, timid as hares, with no
+enthusiasm, and that they would perish in short order under the glow of
+our southern sun. Any one who has seen a regiment from Ohio or Maine
+knows how true these statements were. And besides, the newspapers did
+not mention the English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swiss,
+Portuguese, and negroes, who were to swell the numbers of the enemy, and
+as our army grew less make his larger. True, there was not much fight in
+all this rubbish, but they answered well enough for drivers of wagons
+and ambulances, guarding stores and lines of communication, and doing
+all sorts of duty, while the good material was doing the fighting.
+Sherman's army, marching through Richmond after the surrender of Lee and
+Johnston,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> seemed to be composed of a race of giants, well-fed and
+well-clad.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus07.jpg" alt="hero"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> AN EARLY HERO. 1861.</p>
+
+<p>Many feared the war would end before they would have a fair chance to
+"make a record," and that when "the cruel war was over" they would have
+to sit by, dumb, and hear the more fortunate ones, who had "smelt the
+battle," tell to admiring home circles the story of the bloody field.
+Most of these "got in" in time to satisfy their longings, and "got out"
+to learn that the man who did not go, but "kept out," and made money,
+was more admired and courted than the "poor fellow" with one leg or arm
+less than is "allowed."</p>
+
+<p>It is fortunate for those who "skulked" that the war ended as it did,
+for had the South been successful, the soldiers would have been favored
+with every mark of distinction and honor, and they "despised and
+rejected," as they deserved to be. While the war lasted it was the
+delight of some of the stoutly built fellows to go home for a few days,
+and kick and cuff and tongue-lash the able-bodied bomb-proofs. How
+coolly and submissively they took it all! How "big" they are now!</p>
+
+<p>The rubbish accumulated by the hope of recognition burdened the soldiers
+nearly to the end. England was to abolish the blockade and send us
+immense supplies of fine arms, large<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> and small. France was thinking
+about landing an imperial force in Mexico, and marching thence to the
+relief of the South. But the "Confederate yell" never had an echo in the
+"Marseillaise," or "God save the Queen;" and Old Dixie was destined to
+sing her own song, without the help even of "Maryland, my Maryland." The
+"war with England," which was to give Uncle Sam trouble and the South an
+ally, never came.</p>
+
+<p>Those immense balloons which somebody was always inventing, and which
+were to sail over the enemy's camps dropping whole cargoes of
+explosives, never "tugged" at their anchors, or "sailed majestically
+away."</p>
+
+<p>As discipline improved and the men began to feel that they were no
+longer simply volunteers, but <i>enlisted volunteers</i>, the romantic
+devotion which they had felt was succeeded by a feeling of constraint
+and necessity, and while the army was in reality very much improved and
+strengthened by the change, the soldiers imagined the contrary to be the
+case. And if discipline had been pushed to too great an extent, the army
+would have been deprived of the very essence of its life and power.</p>
+
+<p>When the officers began to assert superiority by withdrawing from the
+messes and organizing "officers' messes," the bond of brotherhood was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>
+weakened; and who will say that the dignity which was thus maintained
+was compensation for the loss of personal devotion as between comrades?</p>
+
+<p>At the outset, the fact that men were in the same company put them
+somewhat on the same level, and produced an almost perfect bond of
+sympathy; but as time wore on, the various peculiarities and weaknesses
+of the men showed themselves, and each company, as a community,
+separated into distinct circles, as indifferent to each other, save in
+the common cause, as though they had never met as friends.</p>
+
+<p>The pride of the volunteers was sorely tried by the incoming of
+conscripts,&mdash;the most despised class in the army,&mdash;and their devotion to
+company and regiment was visibly lessened. They could not bear the
+thought of having these men for comrades, and felt the flag insulted
+when claimed by one of them as "his flag." It was a great source of
+annoyance to the true men, but was a necessity. Conscripts crowded
+together in companies, regiments, and brigades would have been useless,
+but scattered here and there among the good men, were utilized. And so,
+gradually, the pleasure that men had in being associated with others
+whom they respected as equals was taken away, and the social aspect of
+army life seriously marred.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The next serious blow to romance was the abolishment of elections, and
+the appointment of officers. Instead of the privilege and pleasure of
+picking out some good-hearted, brave comrade and making him captain, the
+lieutenant was promoted without the consent of the men, or, what was
+harder to bear, some officer hitherto unknown was sent to take command.
+This was no doubt better for the service, but it had a serious effect on
+the minds of volunteer patriot soldiers, and looked to them too much
+like arbitrary power exercised over men who were fighting that very
+principle. They frequently had to acknowledge, however, that the
+officers were all they could ask, and in many instances became devotedly
+attached to them.</p>
+
+<p>As the companies were decimated by disease, wounds, desertions, and
+death, it became necessary to consolidate them, and the social pleasures
+received another blow. Men from the same neighborhoods and villages, who
+had been schoolmates together, were no longer in companies, but mingled
+indiscriminately with all sorts of men from anywhere and everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>Those who have not served in the army as privates can form no idea of
+the extent to which such changes as those just mentioned affect the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>
+spirits and general worth of a soldier. Men who, when surrounded by
+their old companions, were brave and daring soldiers, full of spirit and
+hope, when thrust among strangers for whom they cared not, and who cared
+not for them, became dull and listless, lost their courage, and were
+slowly but surely "demoralized." They did, it is true, in many cases,
+stand up to the last, but they did it on dry principle, having none of
+that enthusiasm and delight in duty which once characterized them.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight,
+but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp
+or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their
+own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought
+best. The officers saw the necessity for doing otherwise, and so the
+conflict was commenced and maintained to the end.</p>
+
+<p>It is doubtful whether the Southern soldier would have submitted to any
+hardships which were purely the result of discipline, and, on the other
+hand, no amount of hardship, clearly of necessity, could cool his ardor.
+And in spite of all this antagonism between the officers and men, the
+presence of conscripts, the consolidation of commands, and many other
+discouraging facts, the privates in the ranks so conducted them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>selves
+that the historians of the North were forced to call them the finest
+body of infantry ever assembled.</p>
+
+<p>But to know the men, we must see them divested of all their false
+notions of soldier life, and enduring the incomparable hardships which
+marked the latter half of the war.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2>
+
+<h3>ON THE MARCH.</h3>
+
+
+<p>It is a common mistake of those who write on subjects familiar to
+themselves, to omit the details, which, to one not so conversant with
+the matters discussed, are necessary to a clear appreciation of the
+meaning of the writer. This mistake is fatal when the writer lives and
+writes in one age and his readers live in another. And so a soldier,
+writing for the information of the citizen, should forget his own
+familiarity with the every-day scenes of soldier life and strive to
+record even those things which seem to him too common to mention.</p>
+
+<p>Who does not know all about the marching of soldiers? Those who have
+never marched with them and some who have. The varied experience of
+thousands would not tell the whole story of the march. Every man must be
+heard before the story is told, and even then the part of those who fell
+by the way is wanting.</p>
+
+<p>Orders to move! Where? when? what for?&mdash;are the eager questions of the
+men as they begin their preparations to march. Generally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> nobody can
+answer, and the journey is commenced in utter ignorance of where it is
+to end. But shrewd guesses are made, and scraps of information will be
+picked up on the way. The main thought must be to "get ready to move."
+The orderly sergeant is shouting "Fall in!" and there is no time to
+lose. The probability is that before you get your blanket rolled up,
+find your frying pan, haversack, axe, etc., and "fall in," the roll-call
+will be over, and some "extra duty" provided.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus08.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>No wonder there is bustle in the camp. Rapid decisions are to be made
+between the various conveniences which have accumulated, for some must
+be left. One fellow picks up the skillet, holds it awhile, mentally
+determining<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> how much it weighs, and what will be the weight of it after
+carrying it five miles, and reluctantly, with a half-ashamed, sly look,
+drops it and takes his place in ranks. Another having added to his store
+of blankets too freely, now has to decide which of the two or three he
+will leave. The old water-bucket looks large and heavy, but one
+stout-hearted, strong-armed man has taken it affectionately to his care.</p>
+
+<p>This is the time to say farewell to the breadtray, farewell to the
+little piles of clean straw laid between two logs, where it was so easy
+to sleep; farewell to those piles of wood, cut with so much labor;
+farewell to the girls in the neighborhood; farewell to the spring,
+farewell to "our tree" and "our fire," good-by to the fellows who are
+not going, and a general good-by to the very hills and valleys.</p>
+
+<p>Soldiers commonly threw away the most valuable articles they possessed.
+Blankets, overcoats, shoes, bread and meat,&mdash;all gave way to the
+necessities of the march; and what one man threw away would frequently
+be the very article that another wanted and would immediately pick up;
+so there was not much lost after all.</p>
+
+<p>The first hour or so of the march was generally quite orderly, the men
+preserving their places in ranks and marching in solid column;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> but soon
+some lively fellow whistles an air, somebody else starts a song, the
+whole column breaks out with roars of laughter; "route step" takes the
+place of order, and the jolly singing, laughing, talking, and joking
+that follows no one could describe.</p>
+
+<p>Now let any young officer who sports a new hat, coat, saddle, or
+anything odd, or fine, dare to pass along, and how nicely he is attended
+to. The expressions of good-natured fun, or contempt, which one regiment
+of infantry was capable of uttering in a day for the benefit of such
+passers-by, would fill a volume. As one thing or another in the dress of
+the "subject" of their remarks attracted attention, they would shout,
+"Come out of that hat!&mdash;you can't hide in thar!" "Come out of that coat,
+come out&mdash;there's a man in it!" "Come out of them boots!" The infantry
+seemed to know exactly what to say to torment cavalry and artillery, and
+generally said it. If any one on the roadside was simple enough to
+recognize and address by name a man in the ranks, the whole column would
+kindly respond, and add all sorts of pleasant remarks, such as, "Halloa,
+John, here's your brother!" "Bill! oh, Bill! here's your ma!" "Glad to
+see you! How's your grandma?" "How d 'ye do!" "Come out of that 'biled
+shirt'!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Troops on the march were generally so cheerful and gay that an outsider,
+looking on them as they marched, would hardly imagine how they suffered.
+In summer time, the dust, combined with the heat, caused great
+suffering. The nostrils of the men, filled with dust, became dry and
+feverish, and even the throat did not escape. The "grit" was felt
+between the teeth, and the eyes were rendered almost useless. There was
+dust in eyes, mouth, ears, and hair. The shoes were full of sand, and
+the dust, penetrating the clothes, and getting in at the neck, wrists,
+and ankles, mixed with perspiration, produced an irritant almost as
+active as cantharides. The heat was at times terrific, but the men
+became greatly accustomed to it, and endured it with wonderful ease.
+Their heavy woolen clothes were a great annoyance; tough linen or cotton
+clothes would have been a great relief; indeed, there are many
+objections to woolen clothing for soldiers, even in winter. The sun
+produced great changes in the appearance of the men: their skins, tanned
+to a dark brown or red, their hands black almost, and long uncut beard
+and hair, burned to a strange color, made them barely recognizable to
+the home folks.</p>
+
+<p>If the dust and the heat were not on hand to annoy, their very able
+substitutes were: mud,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> cold, rain, snow, hail and wind took their
+places. Rain was the greatest discomfort a soldier could have; it was
+more uncomfortable than the severest cold with clear weather. Wet
+clothes, shoes, and blankets; wet meat and bread; wet feet and wet
+ground; wet wood to burn, or rather not to burn; wet arms and
+ammunition; wet ground to sleep on, mud to wade through, swollen creeks
+to ford, muddy springs, and a thousand other discomforts attended the
+rain. There was no comfort on a rainy day or night except in
+"bed,"&mdash;that is, under your blanket and oil-cloth. Cold winds, blowing
+the rain in the faces of the men, increased the discomfort. Mud was
+often so deep as to submerge the horses and mules, and at times it was
+necessary for one man or more to extricate another from the mud holes in
+the road. Night marching was attended with additional discomforts and
+dangers, such as falling off bridges, stumbling into ditches, tearing
+the face and injuring the eyes against the bushes and projecting limbs
+of trees, and getting separated from your own company and hopelessly
+lost in the multitude. Of course, a man lost had no sympathy. If he
+dared to ask a question, every man in hearing would answer, each
+differently, and then the whole multitude would roar with laughter at
+the lost man, and ask him "if his mother knew he was out?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Very few men had comfortable or fitting shoes, and fewer had socks, and,
+as a consequence, the suffering from bruised and inflamed feet was
+terrible. It was a common practice, on long marches, for the men to take
+off their shoes and carry them in their hands or swung over the
+shoulder. Bloody footprints in the snow were not unknown to the soldiers
+of the Army of Northern Virginia!</p>
+
+<p>When large bodies of troops were moving on the same road, the alternate
+"halt" and "forward" was very harassing. Every obstacle produced a halt,
+and caused the men at once to sit and lie down on the roadside where
+shade or grass tempted them; about the time they got fixed they would
+hear the word "forward!" and then have to move at increased speed to
+close up the gap in the column. Sitting down for a few minutes on a long
+march is pleasant, but it does not always pay; when the march is resumed
+the limbs are stiff and sore, and the man rather worsted by the halt.</p>
+
+<p>About noon on a hot day, some fellow with the water instinct would
+determine in his own mind that a well was not far ahead, and start off
+in a trot to reach it before the column. Of course another and another
+followed, till a stream of men were hurrying to the well, which was soon
+completely surrounded by a thirsty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> mob, yelling and pushing and pulling
+to get to the bucket as the windlass brought it again and again to the
+surface. But their impatience and haste would soon overturn the
+windlass, and spatter the water all around the well till the whole crowd
+were wading in mud, the rope would break, and the bucket fall to the
+bottom. But there was a substitute for rope and bucket. The men would
+hasten away and get long, slim poles, and on them tie, by the straps a
+number of canteens, which they lowered into the well and filled; and
+unless, as was frequently the case, the whole lot slipped off and fell
+to the bottom, drew them to the top and distributed them to their
+owners, who at once<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> threw their heads back, inserted the nozzles in
+their mouths and drank the last drop, hastening at once to rejoin the
+marching column, leaving behind them a dismantled and dry well. It was
+in vain that the officers tried to stop the stream of men making for the
+water, and equally vain to attempt to move the crowd while a drop
+remained accessible. Many, who were thoughtful, carried full canteens to
+comrades in the column, who had not been able to get to the well; and no
+one who has not had experience of it knows the thrill of gratification
+and delight which those fellows felt when the cool stream gurgled from
+the battered canteen down their parched throats.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus09.jpg" alt="well"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'><span class="smcap">A Well</span></p>
+
+<p>In very hot weather, when the necessities of the service permitted,
+there was a halt about noon, of an hour or so, to rest the men and give
+them a chance to cool off and get the sand and gravel out of their
+shoes. This time was spent by some in absolute repose; but the lively
+boys told many a yarn, cracked many a joke, and sung many a song between
+"Halt" and "Column forward!" Some took the opportunity, if water was
+near, to bathe their feet, hands, and face, and nothing could be more
+enjoyable.</p>
+
+<p>The passage of a cider cart (a barrel on wheels) was a rare and exciting
+occurrence.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> The rapidity with which a barrel of sweet cider was
+consumed would astonish any one who saw it for the first time, and
+generally the owner had cause to wonder at the small return in cash.
+Sometimes a desperately enterprising darkey would approach the column
+with a cartload of pies, "so-called." It would be impossible to describe
+accurately the taste or appearance of those pies. They were generally
+similar in appearance, size, and thickness to a pale specimen of "Old
+Virginia" buckwheat cakes, and had a taste which resembled a combination
+of rancid lard and crab apples. It was generally supposed that they
+contained dried apples, and the sellers were careful to state that they
+had "sugar in 'em" and were "mighty nice." It was rarely the case that
+any "trace" of sugar was found, but they filled up a hungry man
+wonderfully.</p>
+
+<p>Men of sense, and there were many such in the ranks, were necessarily
+desirous of knowing where or how far they were to march, and suffered
+greatly from a feeling of helpless ignorance of where they were and
+whither bound&mdash;whether to battle or camp. Frequently, when anticipating
+the quiet and rest of an ideal camp, they were thrown, weary and
+exhausted, into the face of a waiting enemy, and at times, after
+anticipating a sharp fight, having formed line<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> of battle and braced
+themselves for the coming danger, suffered all the apprehension and got
+themselves in good fighting trim, they were marched off in the driest
+and prosiest sort of style and ordered into camp, where, in all
+probability, they had to "wait for the wagon," and for the bread and
+meat therein, until the proverb, "Patient waiting is no loss," lost all
+its force and beauty.</p>
+
+<p>Occasionally, when the column extended for a mile or more, and the road
+was one dense moving mass of men, a cheer would be heard away
+ahead,&mdash;increasing in volume as it approached, until there was one
+universal shout. Then some favorite general officer, dashing by,
+followed by his staff, would explain the cause. At other times, the same
+cheering and enthusiasm would result from the passage down the column of
+some obscure and despised officer, who knew it was all a joke, and
+looked mean and sheepish accordingly. But no <i>man</i> could produce more
+prolonged or hearty cheers than the "old hare" which jumped the fence
+and invited the column to a chase; and often it was said, when the
+rolling shout arose: "There goes old General Lee or a Molly Cotton
+Tail!"</p>
+
+<p>The men would help each other when in real distress, but their delight
+was to torment any one who was unfortunate in a ridiculous way.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> If, for
+instance, a piece of artillery was fast in the mud, the infantry and
+cavalry passing around the obstruction would rack their brains for words
+and phrases applicable to the situation, and most calculated to worry
+the cannoniers, who, waist deep in the mud, were tugging at the wheels.</p>
+
+<p>Brass bands, at first quite numerous and good, became very rare and
+their music very poor in the latter years of the war. It was a fine
+thing to see the fellows trying to keep the music going as they waded
+through the mud. But poor as the music was, it helped the footsore and
+weary to make another mile, and encouraged a cheer and a brisker step
+from the lagging and tired column.</p>
+
+<p>As the men tired, there was less and less talking, until the whole mass
+became quiet and serious. Each man was occupied with his own thoughts.
+For miles nothing could be heard but the steady tramp of the men, the
+rattling and jingling of canteens and accoutrements, and the occasional
+"Close up, men,&mdash;close up!" of the officers.</p>
+
+<p>The most refreshing incidents of the march occurred when the column
+entered some clean and cosy village where the people loved the troops.
+Matron and maid vied with each other in their efforts to express their
+devotion to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> defenders of their cause. Remembering with tearful eyes
+the absent soldier brother or husband, they yet smiled through their
+tears, and with hearts and voices welcomed the coming of the
+road-stained troops. Their scanty larders poured out the last morsel,
+and their bravest words were spoken, as the column moved by. But who
+will tell the bitterness of the lot of the man who thus passed by his
+own sweet home, or the anguish of the mother as she renewed her farewell
+to her darling boy? Then it was that men and women learned to long for
+the country where partings are no more.</p>
+
+<p>As evening came on, questioning of the officers was in order, and for an
+hour it would be, "Captain, when are we going into camp?" "I say,
+lieutenant, are we going to &mdash;&mdash; or to &mdash;&mdash;?" "Seen anything of our
+wagon?" "How long are we to stay here?" "Where's the spring?" Sometimes
+these questions were meant simply to tease, but generally they betrayed
+anxiety of some sort, and a close observer would easily detect the
+seriousness of the man who asked after "our wagon," because he spoke
+feelingly, as one who wanted his supper and was in doubt as to whether
+or not he would get it. People who live on country roads rarely know how
+far it is from anywhere to any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>where else. This is a distinguishing
+peculiarity of that class of people. If they do know, then they are a
+malicious crew. "Just over the hill there," "Just beyond those woods,"
+"'Bout a mile," "Round the bend," and other such encouraging replies,
+mean anything from a mile to a day's march!</p>
+
+<p>An accomplished straggler could assume more misery, look more horribly
+emaciated, tell more dismal stories of distress, eat more and march
+further (to the rear), than any ten ordinary men. Most stragglers were
+real sufferers, but many of them were ingenious liars, energetic
+foragers, plunder hunters and gormandizers. Thousands who kept their
+place in ranks to the very end were equally as tired, as sick, as
+hungry, and as hopeless, as these scamps, but too proud to tell it or
+use it as a means of escape from hardship. But many a poor fellow
+dropped in the road and breathed his last in the corner of a fence, with
+no one to hear his last fond mention of his loved ones. And many whose
+ambition it was to share every danger and discomfort with their
+comrades, overcome by the heat, or worn out with disease, were compelled
+to leave the ranks, and while friend and brother marched to battle, drag
+their weak and staggering frames to the rear, perhaps to die pitiably
+alone, in some hospital.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus10.jpg" alt="straggler"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> AN ACCOMPLISHED STRAGGLER.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>After all, the march had more pleasure than pain. Chosen friends walked
+and talked and smoked together; the hills and valleys made themselves a
+panorama for the feasting of the soldiers' eyes; a turnip patch here and
+an onion patch there invited him to occasional refreshment; and it was
+sweet to think that "camp" was near at hand, and rest, and the journey
+almost ended.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2>
+
+<h3>COOKING AND EATING.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Rations in the Army of Northern Virginia were alternately superabundant
+and altogether wanting. The quality, quantity, and frequency of them
+depended upon the amount of stores in the hands of the commissaries, the
+relative position of the troops and the wagon trains, and the many
+accidents and mishaps of the campaign. During the latter years and
+months of the war, so uncertain was the issue as to time, quantity, and
+composition, that the men became in large measure independent of this
+seeming absolute necessity, and by some mysterious means, known only to
+purely patriotic soldiers, learned to fight without pay and to find
+subsistence in the field, the stream, or the forest, and a shelter on
+the bleak mountain side.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes there was an abundant issue of bread, and no meat; then meat
+in any quantity, and no flour or meal; sugar in abundance, and no coffee
+to be had for "love or money;" and then coffee in plenty, without a
+grain of sugar; for months nothing but flour for bread, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> then
+nothing but meal (till all hands longed for a biscuit); or fresh meat
+until it was nauseating, and then salt-pork without intermission.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus11.jpg" alt="cook"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'>THE COOK'S PREROGATIVES INVADED.</p>
+
+<p>To be one day without anything to eat was common. Two days' fasting,
+marching and fighting was not uncommon, and there were times when no
+rations were issued for three or four days. On one march, from
+Petersburg to Appomattox, no rations were issued to Cutshaw's battalion
+of artillery for one entire week, and the men subsisted on the corn
+intended for the battery horses, raw bacon captured from the enemy, and
+the water of springs, creeks, and rivers.</p>
+
+<p>A soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia was fortunate when he had his
+flour, meat, sugar, and coffee all at the same time and in proper
+quantity. Having these, the most skillful axeman of the mess hewed down
+a fine hickory or oak, and cut it into "lengths." All hands helped to
+"tote" it to the fire. When wood was convenient, the fire was large, the
+red coals abundant, and the meal soon prepared.</p>
+
+<p>The man most gifted in the use of the skillet was the one most highly
+appreciated about the fire, and as tyrannical as a Turk; but when he
+raised the lid of the oven and exposed the brown-crusted tops of the
+biscuit, animosity sub<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>sided. The frying-pan, full of "grease," then
+became the centre of attraction. As the hollow-cheeked boy "sopped" his
+biscuit, his poor, pinched countenance wrinkled into a smile, and his
+sunken eyes glistened with delight. And the coffee, too,&mdash;how delicious
+the aroma of it, and how readily each man disposed of a quart! The
+strong men gathered round, chuckling at their good luck, and "cooing"
+like a child with a big piece of cake. Ah, this was a sight which but
+few of those who live and die are permitted to see!</p>
+
+<p>And now the last biscuit is gone, the last drop of coffee, and the
+frying-pan is "wiped" clean. The tobacco-bag is pulled wide open, pipes
+are scraped, knocked out, and filled, the red coal is applied, and the
+blue smoke rises in wreaths and curls from the mouths of the no longer
+hungry, but happy and contented soldiers. Songs rise on the still night
+air, the merry laugh resounds, the woods are bright with the rising
+flame of the fire, story after story is told, song after song is sung,
+and at midnight the soldiers steal away one by one to their blankets on
+the ground, and sleep till reveille. Such was a meal when the mess was
+fortunate.</p>
+
+<p>How different when the wagons have not been heard from for forty-eight
+hours. Now the ques<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>tion is, how to do the largest amount of good to the
+largest number with the smallest amount of material? The most
+experienced men discuss the situation and decide that "somebody" must go
+foraging. Though the stock on hand is small, no one seems anxious to
+leave the small certainty and go in search of the large uncertainty of
+supper from some farmer's well-filled table; but at last several
+comrades start out, and as they disappear the preparations for immediate
+consumption commence. The meat is too little to cook alone, and the
+flour will scarcely make six biscuits. The result is that "slosh" or
+"coosh" must do. So the bacon is fried out till the pan is half full of
+boiling grease. The flour is mixed with water until it flows like milk,
+poured into the grease and rapidly stirred till the whole is a dirty
+brown mixture. It is now ready to be served. Perhaps some dainty fellow
+prefers the more imposing "slapjack." If so, the flour is mixed with
+less water, the grease reduced, and the paste poured in till it covers
+the bottom of the pan, and, when brown on the underside, is, by a nimble
+twist of the pan, turned and browned again. If there is any sugar in
+camp it makes a delicious addition.</p>
+
+<p>About the time the last scrap of "slapjack" and the last spoonful of
+"slosh" are disposed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> of, the unhappy foragers return. They take in the
+situation at a glance, realize with painful distinctness that they have
+sacrificed the homely slosh for the vain expectancy of apple butter,
+shortcake, and milk, and, with woeful countenance and mournful voice,
+narrate their adventure and disappointment thus: "Well, boys, we have
+done the best we could. We have walked about nine miles over the
+mountain, and haven't found a mouthful to eat. Sorry, but it's a fact.
+Give us our biscuits." Of course there are none, and, as it is not
+contrary to army etiquette to do so, the whole mess professes to be very
+sorry. Sometimes, however, the foragers returned well laden with good
+things, and as good comrades should, shared the fruits of their toilsome
+hunt with their comrades.</p>
+
+<p>Foragers thought it not indelicate to linger about the house of the
+unsuspecting farmer till the lamp revealed the family at supper, and
+then modestly approach and knock at the door. As the good-hearted man
+knew that his guests were "posted" about the meal in progress in the
+next room, the invitation to supper was given, and, shall I say it,
+accepted with an unbecoming lack of reluctance.</p>
+
+<p>The following illustrates the ingenuity of the average forager. There
+was great scarcity of meat, and no prospect of a supply from the
+wag<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>ons. Two experienced foragers were sent out, and as a farmer about
+ten miles from the camp was killing hogs, guided by soldier instinct,
+they went directly to his house, and found the meat nicely cut up, the
+various pieces of each hog making a separate pile on the floor of an
+outhouse. The proposition to buy met with a surprisingly ready response
+on the part of the farmer. He offered one entire pile of meat, being one
+whole hog, for such a small sum that the foragers instantly closed the
+bargain, and as promptly opened their eyes to the danger which menaced
+them. They gave the old gentleman a ten-dollar bill and requested
+change. Pleased with their honest method he hastened away to his house
+to obtain it. The two honest foragers hastily examined the particular
+pile of pork which the simple-hearted farmer designated as theirs, found
+it very rank and totally unfit for food, transferred half of it to
+another pile, from which they took half and added to theirs, and awaited
+the return of the farmer. On giving them their change, he assured them
+that they had a bargain. They agreed that they had, tossed good and bad
+together in a bag, said good-by, and departed as rapidly as artillerymen
+on foot can. The result of the trip was a "pot-pie" of large dimensions;
+and some six or eight men gorged with fat pork declared<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> that they had
+never cared for and would not again wish to eat pork,&mdash;especially
+pork-pies.</p>
+
+<p>A large proportion of the eating of the army was done in the houses and
+at the tables of the people, not by the use of force, but by the wish
+and invitation of the people. It was at times necessary that whole towns
+should help to sustain the army of defense, and when this was the case,
+it was done voluntarily and cheerfully. The soldiers&mdash;all who conducted
+themselves properly&mdash;were received as honored guests and given the best
+in the house. There was a wonderful absence of stealing or plundering,
+and even when the people suffered from depredation they attributed the
+cause to terrible necessity rather than to wanton disregard of the
+rights of property. And when armed guards were placed over the
+smoke-houses and barns, it was not so much because the commanding
+general doubted the honesty as that he knew the necessities of his
+troops. But even pinching hunger was not held to be an excuse for
+marauding expeditions.</p>
+
+<p>The inability of the government to furnish supplies forced the men to
+depend largely upon their own energy and ingenuity to obtain them. The
+officers, knowing this, relaxed discipline to an extent which would
+seem, to a European officer, for instance, ruinous. It was no uncommon
+sight to see a brigade or division, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> was but a moment before
+marching in solid column along the road, scattered over an immense field
+searching for the luscious blackberries. And it was wonderful to see how
+promptly and cheerfully all returned to the ranks when the field was
+gleaned. In the fall of the year a persimmon tree on the roadside would
+halt a column and detain it till the last persimmon disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>The sutler's wagon, loaded with luxuries, which was so common in the
+Federal army, was unknown in the Army of Northern Virginia, for two
+reasons: the men had no money to buy sutlers' stores, and the country no
+men to spare for sutlers. The nearest approach to the sutler's wagon was
+the "cider cart" of some old darkey, or a basket of pies and cakes
+displayed on the roadside for sale.</p>
+
+<p>The Confederate soldier relied greatly upon the abundant supplies of
+eatables which the enemy was kind enough to bring him, and he cheerfully
+risked his life for the accomplishment of the twofold purpose of
+whipping the enemy and getting what he called "a square meal." After a
+battle there was general feasting on the Confederate side. Good things,
+scarcely ever seen at other times, filled the haversacks and the
+stomachs of the "Boys in Gray." Imagine the feelings of men half<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span>
+famished when they rush into a camp at one side, while the enemy flees
+from the other, and find the coffee on the fire, sugar at hand ready to
+be dropped into the coffee, bread in the oven, crackers by the box, fine
+beef ready cooked, desiccated vegetables by the bushel, canned peaches,
+lobsters, tomatoes, milk, barrels of ground and roasted coffee, soda,
+salt, and in short everything a hungry soldier craves. Then add the
+liquors, wines, cigars, and tobacco found in the tents of the officers
+and the wagons of the sutlers, and, remembering the condition of the
+victorious party, hungry, thirsty, and weary, say if it did not require
+wonderful devotion to duty, and great self-denial to push on, trampling
+under foot the plunder of the camp, and pursue the enemy till the sun
+went down.</p>
+
+<p>When it was allowable to halt, what a glorious time it was! Men, who a
+moment before would have been delighted with a pone of cornbread and a
+piece of fat meat, discuss the comparative merits of peaches and milk
+and fresh tomatoes, lobster and roast beef, and, forgetting the
+briar-root pipe, faithful companion of the vicissitudes of the soldier's
+life, snuff the aroma of imported Havanas.</p>
+
+<p>In sharp contrast with the mess-cooking at the big fire was the serious
+and diligent work of the man separated from his comrades, out of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> reach
+of the woods, but bent on cooking and eating. He has found a coal of
+fire, and having placed over it, in an ingenious manner, the few leaves
+and twigs near his post, he fans the little pile with his hat. It soon
+blazes. Fearing the utter consumption of his fuel, he hastens to balance
+on the little fire his tin cup of water. When it boils, from some secure
+place in his clothes he takes a little coffee and drops it in the cup,
+and almost instantly the cup is removed and set aside; then a slice of
+fat meat is laid on the coals, and when brown and crisp, completes the
+meal&mdash;for the "crackers," or biscuit, are ready. No one but a soldier
+would have undertaken to cook with such a fire, as frequently it was no
+bigger than a quart cup.</p>
+
+<p>Crackers, or "hard tack" as they were called, are notoriously poor
+eating, but in the hands of the Confederate soldier were made to do good
+duty. When on the march and pressed for time, a piece of solid fat pork
+and a dry cracker was passable or luscious, as the time was long or
+short since the last meal. When there was leisure to do it, hardtack was
+soaked well and then fried in bacon grease. Prepared thus, it was a dish
+which no Confederate had the weakness or the strength to refuse.</p>
+
+<p>Sorghum, in the absence of the better molasses of peace times, was
+greatly prized and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> eagerly sought after. A "Union" man living near the
+Confederate lines was one day busy boiling his crop. Naturally enough,
+some of "our boys" smelt out the place and determined to have some of
+the sweet fluid. They had found a yearling dead in the field hard by,
+and in thinking over the matter determined to sell the Union man if
+possible. So they cut from the dead animal a choice piece of beef,
+carried it to the old fellow and offered to trade. He accepted the
+offer, and the whole party walked off with canteens full.</p>
+
+<p>Artillerymen, having tender consciences and no muskets, seldom, if ever,
+shot stray pigs; but they did sometimes, as an act of friendship, wholly
+disinterested, point out to the infantry a pig which seemed to need
+shooting, and by way of dividing the danger and responsibility of the
+act, accept privately a choice part of the deceased.</p>
+
+<p>On one occasion, when a civilian was dining with the mess, there was a
+fine pig for dinner. This circumstance caused the civilian to remark on
+the good fare. The "forager" replied that pig was an uncommon dish, this
+one having been kicked by one of the battery horses while stealing corn,
+and instantly killed. The civilian seemed to doubt the statement after
+his teeth had come down hard on a pistol<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> bullet, and continued to
+doubt, though assured that it was the head of a horse-shoe nail.</p>
+
+<p>The most melancholy eating a soldier was ever forced to do, was, when
+pinched with hunger, cold, wet, and dejected, he wandered over the
+deserted field of battle and satisfied his cravings with the contents of
+the haversacks of the dead. If there is anything which will overcome the
+natural abhorrence which a man feels for the enemy, the loathing of the
+bloated dead, and the awe engendered by the presence of death, solitude,
+and silence, it is hunger. Impelled by its clamoring, men of high
+principle and tenderest humanity become for the time void of
+sensibility, and condescend to acts which, though justified by their
+extremity, seem afterwards, even to the doers, too shameless to mention.</p>
+
+<p>When rations became so very small that it was absolutely necessary to
+supplement them, and the camp was permanently established, those men who
+had the physical ability worked for the neighborhood farmers at cutting
+cord-wood, harvesting the crops, killing hogs, or any other farm-work. A
+stout man would cut a cord of wood a day and receive fifty cents in
+money, or its equivalent in something eatable. Hogs were slaughtered for
+the "fifth quarter." When the corn became large enough to eat, the
+roasting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> ears, thrown in the ashes with the shucks on, and nicely
+roasted, made a grateful meal. Turnip and onion patches also furnished
+delightful and much-needed food, good raw or cooked.</p>
+
+<p>Occasionally, when a mess was hard pushed for eatables, it became
+necessary to resort to some ingenious method of disgusting a part of the
+mess, that the others might eat their fill. The "pepper treatment" was a
+common method practiced with the soup, which once failed. A shrewd
+fellow, who loved things "hot," decided to have plenty of soup, and to
+accomplish his purpose, as he passed and repassed the boiling pot,
+dropped in a pod of red pepper. But, alas! for him, there was another
+man like minded who adopted the same plan, and the result was that all
+the mess waited in vain for that pot of soup to cool.</p>
+
+<p>The individual coffee-boiler of one man in the Army of Northern Virginia
+was always kept at the boiling point. The owner of it was an enigma to
+his comrades. They could not understand his strange fondness for
+"red-hot" coffee. Since the war he has explained that he found the heat
+of the coffee prevented its use by others, and adopted the plan of
+placing his cup on the fire after every sip. This same character never
+troubled himself to carry a canteen, though a great water drinker. When
+he found a good<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> canteen he would kindly give it to a comrade, reserving
+the privilege of an occasional drink when in need. He soon had an
+interest in thirty or forty canteens and their contents, and could
+always get a drink of water if it was to be found in any of them. He
+pursued the same plan with blankets, and always had plenty in that line.
+His entire outfit was the clothes on his back and a haversack accurately
+shaped to hold one half pone of corn bread.</p>
+
+<p>Roasting-ear time was a trying time for the hungry private. Having been
+fed during the whole of the winter on salt meat and coarse bread, his
+system craved the fresh, luscious juice of the corn, and at times his
+honesty gave way under the pressure. How could he resist? He didn't,&mdash;he
+took some roasting ears! Sometimes the farmer grumbled, sometimes he
+quarreled, and sometimes he complained to the officers of the
+depredations of "the men." The officers apologized, ate what corn they
+had on hand, and sent their "boy" for some more. One old farmer
+conceived the happy plan of inviting some privates to his house, stating
+his grievances, and securing their co&ouml;peration in the effort to protect
+his corn. He told them that of course <i>they</i> were not the <i>gentlemen</i>
+who took his corn! Oh no! of course <i>they</i> would not do such a thing;
+but wouldn't they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> please speak to the others and ask them please not to
+take his corn? Of course! certainly! oh, yes! they would remonstrate
+with their comrades. How they burned, though, as they thought of the
+past and contemplated the near future. As they returned to camp through
+the field they filled their haversacks with the silky ears, and were met
+on the other side of the field by the kind farmer and a file of men, who
+were only too eager to secure the plucked corn "in the line of duty."</p>
+
+<p>A faithful officer, worn out with the long, weary march, sick, hungry,
+and dejected, leaned his back against a tree and groaned to think of his
+inability to join in the chase of an old hare, which, he knew, from the
+wild yells in the wood, his men were pursuing. But the uproar approached
+him&mdash;nearer, nearer, and nearer, until he saw the hare bounding towards
+him with a regiment at her heels. She spied an opening made by the folds
+of the officer's cloak and jumped in, and he embraced his first meal for
+forty-eight hours.</p>
+
+<p>An artilleryman, camped for a day where no water was to be found easily,
+awakened during the night by thirst, went stumbling about in search of
+water; and to his great delight found a large bucketful. He drank his
+fill, and in the morning found that what he drank had washed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> a
+bullock's head, and was crimson with its blood.</p>
+
+<p>Some stragglers came up one night and found the camp silent. All hands
+asleep. Being hungry they sought and to their great delight found a
+large pot of soup. It had a peculiar taste, but they "worried" it down,
+and in the morning bragged of their good fortune. The soup had defied
+the stomachs of the whole battery, being strongly impregnated with the
+peculiar flavor of defunct cockroaches.</p>
+
+<p>Shortly before the evacuation of Petersburg, a country boy went hunting.
+He killed and brought to camp a muskrat. It was skinned, cleaned, buried
+a day or two, disinterred, cooked, and eaten with great relish. It was
+splendid.</p>
+
+<p>During the seven days' battles around Richmond, a studious private
+observed the rats as they entered and emerged from a corn-crib. He
+killed one, cooked it privately, and invited a friend to join him in
+eating a fine squirrel. The comrade consented, ate heartily, and when
+told what he had eaten, forthwith disgorged. But he confesses that up to
+the time when he was enlightened he had greatly enjoyed the meal.</p>
+
+<p>It was at this time, when rats were a delicacy, that the troops around
+Richmond agreed to divide their rations with the poor of the city, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>
+they were actually hauled in and distributed. Comment here would be like
+complimenting the sun on its brilliancy.</p>
+
+<p>Orators dwell on the genius and skill of the general officers;
+historians tell of the movements of divisions and army corps, and the
+student of the art of war studies the geography and topography of the
+country and the returns of the various corps: they all seek to find and
+to tell the secret of success or failure. The Confederate soldier knows
+the elements of his success&mdash;courage, endurance, and devotion. He knows
+also by whom he was defeated&mdash;sickness, starvation, death. He fought not
+men only, but food, raiment, pay, glory, fame, and fanaticism. He
+endured privation, toil, and contempt. He won, and despite the cold
+indifference of all and the hearty hatred of some, he will have for all
+time, in all places where generosity is, a fame untarnished.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2>
+
+<h3>COMFORTS, CONVENIENCES, AND CONSOLATIONS.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Have you ever been a soldier? No? Then you do not know what comforts
+are! Conveniences you never had; animal consolations, never! You have
+not enjoyed the great exceptional luxuries which once in a century,
+perhaps, bless a limited number of men. How sad, that you have allowed
+your opportunity to pass unimproved!</p>
+
+<p>But you <i>have</i> been a soldier! Ah, then let us together recall with
+pleasure, the past! once more be hungry, and eat; once more tired, and
+rest; once more thirsty, and drink; once more, cold and wet, let us sit
+by the roaring fire and feel comfort creep over us. So!&mdash;isn't it very
+pleasant?</p>
+
+<p>Now let us recount, repossess rather, the treasures which once were
+ours, not forgetting that values have shrunk, and that the times have
+changed, and that men also are changed; some happily, some woefully.
+Possibly we, also, are somewhat modified.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Eating, you will remember, was more than a convenience; it was a comfort
+which rose almost to the height of a consolation. Probably the most
+universally desired comfort of the Confederate soldier was "something to
+eat." But this, like all greatly desired blessings, was shy, and when
+obtained was, to the average seeker, not replete with satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>But he did eat, at times, with great energy, great endurance, great
+capacity, and great satisfaction; the luscious slapjack, sweetened
+perhaps with sorghum, the yellow and odoriferous soda-biscuit, ash-cake,
+or, it might chance to be, the faithful "hardtack" (which "our friends
+the enemy" called "crackers") serving in rotation as bread.</p>
+
+<p>The faithful hog was everywhere represented. His cheering presence was
+manifested most agreeably by the sweet odors flung to the breeze from
+the frying-pan,&mdash;that never failing and always reliable utensil. The
+solid slices of streaked lean and fat, the limpid gravy, the brown pan
+of slosh inviting you to sop it, and the rare, delicate shortness of the
+biscuit, made the homely animal to be in high esteem.</p>
+
+<p>Beef, glorious beef! how seldom were you seen, and how welcome was your
+presence. In the generous pot you parted with your mysterious strength
+and sweetness. Impaled upon the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> cruel ramrod you suffered slow torture
+over the fire. Sliced, chopped, and pounded; boiled, stewed, fried, or
+broiled, always a trusty friend, and sweet comforter.</p>
+
+<p>Happy the "fire" where the "stray" pig found a lover, and unhappy the
+pig! Innocence and youth were no protection to him, and his cries of
+distress availed him not as against the cruel purpose of the rude
+soldiery.</p>
+
+<p>What is that faint aroma which steals about on the night air? Is it a
+celestial breeze? No! it is the mist of the coffee-boiler. Do you not
+hear the tumult of the tumbling water? Poor man! you have eaten, and now
+other joys press upon you. Drink! drink more! Near the bottom it is
+sweeter. Providence hath now joined together for you the bitter and the
+sweet,&mdash;there is sugar in that cup!</p>
+
+<p>Some poor fellows, after eating, could only sleep. They were incapable
+of the noble satisfaction of "a good smoke." But there were some good
+men and true, thoughtful men, quietly disposed men, gentle and kind,
+who, next to a good "square" meal prized a smoke. Possibly, here begins
+consolation. Who can find words to tell the story of the soldier's
+affection for his faithful briar-root pipe! As the cloudy incense of the
+weed rises in circling wreaths about his head, as he hears the
+mur<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>muring of the fire, and watches the glowing and fading of the
+embers, and feels the comfort of the hour pervading his mortal frame,
+what bliss!</p>
+
+<p>But yonder sits a man who scorns the pipe&mdash;and why? He is a chewer of
+the weed. To him, the sweetness of it seems not to be drawn out by the
+fiery test, but rather by the persuasion of moisture and pressure. But
+he, too, is under the spell. There are pictures in the fire for him,
+also, and he watches them come and go. Now draw near. Are not those
+cheerful voices? Do you not hear the contented tones of men sitting in a
+cosy home? What glowing hopes here leap out in rapid words! No
+bitterness of hate, no revenge, no cruel purpose; but simply the firm
+resolve to march in the front of their country's defenders. Would you
+hear a song? You shall,&mdash;for even now they sing:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 15em;">
+"Aha! a song for the trumpet's tongue!<br />
+For the bugle to sing before us,<br />
+When our gleaming guns, like clarions,<br />
+Shall thunder in battle chorus!"<br />
+</p>
+
+<p>Would you hear a soldier's prayer? Well, there kneels one, behind that
+tree, but he talks with God: you may not hear him&mdash;nor I!</p>
+
+<p>But now, there they go, one by one; no, two by two. Down goes an old
+rubber blanket, and then a good, thick, woolen one, probably<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> with a big
+"U.S." in the centre of it. Down go two men. They are hidden under
+another of the "U.S." blankets. They are resting their heads on their
+old battered haversacks. They love each other to the death, those men,
+and sleep there, like little children, locked in close embrace. They are
+asleep now,&mdash;no, not quite; they are thinking of home, and it may be, of
+heaven. But now, surely they are asleep! No, they are not quite asleep,
+they are falling off to sleep. Happy soldiers, they are asleep.</p>
+
+<p>At early dawn the bugle sounds the reveille. Shout answers to shout, the
+roll is called and the day begins. What new joys will it bring? Let us
+stay and see.</p>
+
+<p>The sun gladdens the landscape; the fresh air, dashing and whirling over
+the fields and through the pines is almost intoxicating. Here are noble
+chestnut-oaks, ready for the axe and the fire; and there, at the foot of
+the hill, a mossy spring. The oven sits enthroned on glowing coals,
+crowned with fire; the coffee boils, the meat fries, the soldier&mdash;smiles
+and waits.</p>
+
+<p>But waiting is so very trying that some, seizing towels, soap, and comb
+from their haversacks, step briskly down the hill, and plunge their
+heads into the cool water of the brook.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> Then their cheeks glow with
+rich color, and, chatting merrily, they seek again the fire, carrying
+the old bucket brimming full of water for the mess. All hands welcome
+the bucket, and breakfast begins. Now see the value of a good tin-plate.
+What a treasure that tin cup is, and that old fork! Who would have a
+more comfortable seat than that log affords!</p>
+
+<p>But here comes the mail,&mdash;papers, letters, packages. Here comes news
+from home, sweet, tender, tearful, hopeful, sad, distressing news;
+joyful news of victory and sad news of defeat; pictures of happy homes,
+or sad wailing over homes destroyed! But the mail has arrived and we
+cannot change the burden it has brought. We can only pity the man who
+goes empty away from the little group assembled about the mail-bag, and
+rejoice with him who strolls away with a letter near his heart. Suppose
+he finds therein the picture of a curly head. Just four years old!
+Suppose the last word in it is "Mother." Or suppose it concludes with a
+signature having that peculiarly helpless, but courageous and hopeful
+air, which can be imparted only by the hand of a girl whose heart goes
+with the letter! Once more, happy, happy soldier!</p>
+
+<p>The artilleryman tarrying for a day only in a camp had only time to eat
+and do his work.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> Roll-call, drill, watering the horses, greasing
+caissons and gun-carriages; cleaning, repairing, and greasing harness;
+cleaning the chests of the limbers and caissons; storing and arranging
+ammunition; and many little duties, filled the day. In the midst of a
+campaign, comfortable arrangements for staying were hardly completed by
+the time the bugle sounded the assembly and orders to move were given.
+But however short the stay might be, the departure always partook of the
+nature of a move from home. More especially was this true in the case of
+the sick man, whose weary body was finding needed rest in the camp; and
+peculiarly true of the man who had fed at the table of a hospitable
+neighbor, and for a day, perhaps, enjoyed the society of the fair
+daughters of the house.</p>
+
+<p>Orders to move were frequently heralded by the presence of the
+"courier," a man who rarely knew a word of the orders he had brought;
+who was always besieged with innumerable questions, always tried to
+appear to know more than his position allowed him to disclose, and who
+never ceased to be an object of interest to every camp he entered. Many
+a gallant fellow rode the country over; many a one led in the thickest
+of the fight and died bravely, known only as "my courier."</p>
+
+<p>When the leaves began to fall and the wind<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> to rush in furious frolics
+through the woods, the soldier's heart yearned for comfort. Chilling
+rains, cutting sleet, drifting snow, muddy roads, all the miseries of
+approaching winter, pressed him to ask and repeat the question, "When
+will we go into winter quarters?"</p>
+
+<p>After all, the time did come. But first the place was known. The time
+was always doubtful. Leisurely and steady movement towards the place
+might be called the first "comfort" of winter quarters; and as each
+day's march brought the column nearer the appointed camp, the
+anticipated pleasures assumed almost the sweetness of present enjoyment.</p>
+
+<p>But at last comes the welcome "Left into park!" and the fence goes down,
+the first piece wheels through the gap, the battery is parked, the
+horses are turned over to the "horse sergeant," the old guns are snugly
+stowed under the tarpaulins, and the winter has commenced. The woods
+soon resound with the ring of the axe; trees rush down, crashing and
+snapping, to the ground; fires start here and there till the woods are
+illuminated, and the brightest, happiest, busiest night of all the year
+falls upon the camp. Now around each fire gathers the little group who
+are, for a while, to make it the centre of operations. Hasty plans for
+comfort and convenience are eagerly discussed till late into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> night,
+and await only the dawn of another day for execution.</p>
+
+<p>Roll-call over and breakfast eaten, the work of the day commences with
+the preparation of comfortable sleeping places, varying according to the
+"material" on hand. A favorite arrangement for two men consisted of a
+bed of clean straw between the halves of a large oak log, covered, in
+the event of rain, with a rubber blanket. The more ambitious builders
+made straw pens, several logs high, and pitched over these a fly-tent,
+adding sometimes a chimney. In this structure, by the aid of a bountiful
+supply of dry, clean straw, and their blankets, the occupants bade
+defiance to cold, rain, and snow.</p>
+
+<p>Other men, gifted with that strange facility for comfort without work
+which characterizes some people, found resting-places ready made. They
+managed to steal away night after night and sleep in the sweet security
+of a haystack, a barn, a stable, a porch, or, if fortune favored them,
+in some farmer's feather bed.</p>
+
+<p>Others still, but more especially the infantry and cavalry, built
+"shelters" open to the south, covered them with pine-tags and brush,
+built a huge fire in front, and made themselves at home for a season.</p>
+
+<p>But all these things were mere make-shifts, temporary stopping-places,
+occupying about the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> same relation to winter quarters as the
+boarding-house does to a happy and comfortable home. During the
+occupancy of these, and while the work of building was progressing, the
+Confederate soldier wrote many letters home. He saw an opportunity for
+enjoyment ahead, and tried to improve it. His letters were somewhat
+after the following order:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">Camp near Williams' Mill</span>,</p>
+<p style="margin-left: 30em;"><i>December 2, 1864</i>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">Dear Father</span>,&mdash;You will no doubt be glad to hear that we are
+at last in winter quarters! We are quite comfortably fixed, though we
+arrived here only two days ago. We are working constantly on our log
+cabins, and hope to be in them next week. We are near the &mdash;&mdash;
+railroad, and anything you may desire to send us may be shipped to
+&mdash;&mdash; depot. If you can possibly spare the money to buy them, please
+send at once four pounds ten-penny nails; one pair wrought hinges
+(for door); one good axe; two pairs shoes (one for me and one for
+J.); four pairs socks (two for me and two for J.); five pounds
+Killickinick smoking tobacco; one pound bi-carb. soda. Please send
+also two or three old church music books, and any good books you are
+willing to part with forever. Underclothing of any sort, shirts,
+drawers, socks,&mdash;cotton or woollen,&mdash;would be very, very acceptable,
+as it is much less trouble to put on the clean and throw away the
+soiled clothes than to wash them. Some coffee, roasted and ground,
+with sugar to match, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>and <i>anything good to eat</i> would do to fill up.
+Do not imagine, however, that we are suffering or unhappy. Our only
+concern is for all at home; and if compliance with the above requests
+would cost you the slightest self-denial at home, we would rather
+withdraw them.</p>
+
+<p>Why don't &mdash;&mdash; and &mdash;&mdash; go into the army? They are old enough, hearty
+enough, able to provide themselves with every comfort, and ought to
+be here.</p>
+
+<p>Many furloughs will be granted during the winter, and we may get
+home, some of us, before another month is past.</p>
+
+<p>Love to mother, dear mother; and to sister, and tell them we are
+happy and contented. Write as soon as you can, and believe me, Your
+affectionate son,</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+&mdash;&mdash; &mdash;&mdash; &mdash;&mdash;.</p>
+<p>
+P.S. Don't forget the tobacco. &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;      W.<br />
+</p>
+</div>
+<p>And now another night comes to the soldier, inviting him to nestle in
+clean straw, under dry blankets, and sleep. To-morrow he will lay the
+foundation of a village destined to live till the grass grows again.
+To-morrow he will be architect, builder, and proprietor of a cosy cabin
+in the woods. Let him sleep.</p>
+
+<p>A pine wood of heavy original growth furnishes the ground and the
+timber. Each company is to have two rows of houses, with a street
+between, and each street is to end on the main road to the railroad
+depot. The width of the street is decided; it is staked off; each
+"mess"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> selects its site for a house, and the work commences.</p>
+
+<p>The old pines fall rapidly under the energetic strokes of the axes,
+which glide into the hearts of the trees with a malicious and cruel
+willingness; the logs are cut into lengths, notched and fitted one upon
+another, and the structure begins to rise. The builders stagger about
+here and there, under the weight of the huge logs, occasionally falling
+and rolling in the snow. They shout and whistle and sing, and are as
+merry as children at play.</p>
+
+<p>At last the topmost log is rolled into place and the artistic work
+commences,&mdash;the "riving" of slabs. Short logs of oak are to be split
+into huge shingles for the roof, and tough and tedious work it is. But
+it is done; the roof is covered in, and the house is far enough advanced
+for occupancy.</p>
+
+<p>Now the "bunks," which are simply broad shelves one above another, wide
+enough to accommodate two men "spoon fashion," are built. Merry parties
+sally forth to seek the straw stack of the genial farmer of the period,
+and, returning heavily laden with sweet clean straw, bestow it in the
+bunks. Here they rest for a night.</p>
+
+<p>Next day the chimney, built like the house, of notched sticks or small
+logs, rises rapidly, till it reaches the apex of the roof and is crowned
+with a nail keg or flour barrel.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Next, a pit is dug deep enough to reach the clay; water is poured in and
+the clay well mixed, and the whole mess takes in hand the "daubing" of
+the "chinks." Every crack and crevice of house and chimney receives
+attention at the hands of the builders, and when the sun goes down the
+house is proof against the most searching winter wind.</p>
+
+<p>Now the most skillful man contrives a door and swings it on its hinges;
+another makes a shelf for the old water bucket; a short bench or two
+appear, like magicians' work, before the fire, and the family is settled
+for the winter.</p>
+
+<p>It would be a vain man indeed who thought himself able to describe the
+happy days and cozy nights of that camp. First among the luxuries of
+settled life was the opportunity to part forever with a suit of
+underwear which had been on constant duty for, possibly, three months,
+and put on the sweet clean clothes from home. They looked so pure, and
+the very smell of them was sweet.</p>
+
+<p>Then there was the ever-present thought of a dry, warm, undisturbed
+sleep the whole night through. What a comfort!</p>
+
+<p>Remember, now, there is a pile of splendid oak, ready cut for the fire,
+within easy reach of the door&mdash;several cords of it&mdash;and it is all ours.
+Our mess cut it and "toted" it there.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> It will keep a good fire, night
+and day, for a month.</p>
+
+<p>The wagons, which have been "over the mountains and far away," have come
+into camp loaded with the best flour in abundance; droves of cattle are
+bellowing in the road, and our commissary, as he hurries from camp to
+camp with the glad tidings, is the embodiment of happiness. All this
+means plenty to eat.</p>
+
+<p>This is a good time to make and carve beautiful pipes of hard wood with
+horn mouth-pieces, very comfortable chairs, bread trays, haversacks, and
+a thousand other conveniences.</p>
+
+<p>At night the visiting commences, and soon in many huts are little social
+groups close around the fire. The various incidents of the campaign pass
+in review, and pealing laughter rings out upon the crisp winter air.
+Then a soft, sweet melody floats out of that cabin door as the favorite
+singer yields to the entreaty of his little circle of friends; or a
+swelling chorus of manly voices, chanting a grand and solemn anthem,
+stirs every heart for half a mile around.</p>
+
+<p>Now think of an old Confederate veteran, who passed through
+Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness, sitting in front
+of a cheerful fire in a snug log cabin, reading, say, "The Spectator!"
+Think of another by his side reading a letter from his sweetheart; and
+an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>other still, a warm and yearning letter from his mother. Think of
+two others in the corner playing "old sledge," or, it may be, chess.
+<i>Hear</i> another, "off guard," snoring in his bunk. Ah! what an amount of
+condensed contentment that little hut contains.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus12.jpg" alt="victim"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> AN INNOCENT VICTIM</p>
+
+<p>And now the stables are finished. The whole battalion did the work, and
+the poor old shivering and groaning horses are under cover. And the
+guard-house, another joint production, opens wide its door every day to
+receive the unhappy men whose time for detail has at last arrived. The
+chapel, an afterthought, is also ready for use, having been duly
+dedicated to the worship of God. The town is complete and its citizens
+are happy.</p>
+
+<p>Men thus comfortably fixed, with light guard duty and little else to do,
+found time, of course, to do a little foraging in the country around. By
+this means often during the winter the camp enjoyed great abundance and
+variety of food. Apples and apple-butter, fresh pork, dried fruit, milk,
+eggs, risen bread, and even <i>cakes and preserves</i>. Occasionally a whole
+mess would be filled with the liveliest expectations by the information
+that "Bob" or "Joe" was expecting <i>a box from home</i>. The wagon comes
+into camp escorted by the expectant "Bob" and several of his intimate
+friends; the box is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> dropped from the wagon to the ground; off goes the
+top and in go busy hands and eyes. Here are clothes, shoes, and hats;
+here is coffee, sugar, soda, salt, bread, fresh butter, roast beef, and
+turkey; here is <i>a bottle</i>! marked "to be used in case of sickness or
+wounds." Here is paper, ink, pen and pencil. What shall be done with
+this pile of treasure? It is evident one man cannot eat the eatables or
+smoke the tobacco and pipes. Call in, then, the friendly aid of willing
+comrades. They come; they see; they devour!</p>
+
+<p>And now the ever true and devoted citizens of the much and often
+besieged city of Richmond conclude to send a New Year's dinner to their
+defenders in the army. That portion destined for the camp above
+described arrived in due time in the shape of one good turkey. Each of
+the three companies composing the battalion appointed a man to "draw
+straws" for the turkey; the successful company appointed a man from each
+detachment to draw again; then the detachment messes took a draw, and
+the fortunate mess devoured the turkey. But the soldiers, remembering
+that in times past they had felt constrained to divide their rations
+with the poor of that city, did not fail in gratitude, or question the
+liberality of those who had, in the midst of great distress, remembered
+with self-denying affection the soldiers in the field.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Not the least among the comforts of life in winter quarters, was the
+pleasure of sitting under the ministrations of an amateur barber, and
+hearing the snip, snip, of his scissors, as the long growth of hair fell
+to the ground. The luxury of "a shave;" the possession of comb, brush,
+small mirror, towels and soap; boots blacked every day; white collars,
+and occasionally a starched bosom, called, in the expressive language of
+the day, a "<i>biled shirt</i>," completed the restoration of the man to
+decency. Now, also, the soldier with painful care threaded his needle
+with huge thread, and with a sort of left-handed awkwardness sewed on
+the long-absent button, or, with even greater trepidation, attempted a
+patch. At such a time the soldier pondered on the peculiar fact that war
+separates men from women. A man cannot thread a needle with ease;
+certainly not with grace. He sews backwards.</p>
+
+<p>In winter quarters every man had his "chum" or bunk-mate, with whom he
+slept, walked, talked, and divided hardship or comfort as they came
+along; and the affectionate regard of each for the other was often
+beautiful to see. Many such attachments led to heroic self-denials and
+death, one for the other, and many such unions remain unbroken after
+twenty years have passed away.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>It was a rare occurrence, but occasionally the father or mother or
+brother or sister of some man paid him a visit. The males were almost
+sure to be very old or very young. In either case they were received
+with great hospitality, given the best place to sleep, the best the camp
+afforded in the way of eatables, and treated with the greatest courtesy
+and kindness by the whole command. But the lady visitors! the girls! Who
+could describe the effect of their appearance in camp! They produced
+conflict in the soldier's breast. They looked so clean, they were so
+gentle, they were so different from all around them, they were so
+attractive, they were so agreeable, and sweet, and fresh, and happy,
+that the poor fellows would have liked above all things to have gotten
+very near to them and have heard their kind words,&mdash;possibly shake
+hands; but no, some were barefooted, some almost bareheaded; some were
+still expecting clean clothes from home; some were sick and
+disheartened; some were on guard; some <i>in the guard-house</i>, and others
+too modest; and so, to many, the innocent visitor became a sort of
+pleasant agony; as it were, a "bitter sweet." Nothing ever so promptly
+convinced a Confederate soldier that he was dilapidated and not
+altogether as neat as he might be, as sudden precipitation into the
+presence of a neatly dressed,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> refined, and modest woman. Fortunately
+for the men, the women loved the very rags they wore, if they were gray;
+and when the war ended, they welcomed with open arms and hearts full of
+love the man and his rags.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus13.jpg" alt="girls"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> GIRLS IN CAMP.</p>
+
+<p>Preaching in camp was to many a great pleasure and greatly profitable.
+At times intense religious interest pervaded the whole army, and
+thousands of men gladly heard the tidings of salvation. Many afterwards
+died triumphant, and many others are yet living, daily witnesses of the
+great change wrought in them by the preaching of the faithful and able
+men who, as chaplains, shared the dangers, hardships, and pleasures of
+the campaign.</p>
+
+<p>To all the foregoing comforts and conven<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>iences must be added the
+consolation afforded by the anticipation and daily expectation of a
+furlough; which meant, of course, a blissful reunion with the dear ones
+at home,&mdash;perhaps an interview or two with that historic maid who is
+"left behind" by the soldier of all times and lands; plenty to eat;
+general admiration of friends and relatives; invitations to dine, to
+spend a week; and last, but not least, an opportunity to express
+contempt for every able-bodied "bomb-proof" found sneaking about home.
+Food, shelter, and rest, the great concerns, being thus all provided
+for, the soldier enjoyed intensely his freedom from care and
+responsibility, living, as near as a man may, the innocent life of a
+child. He played marbles, spun his top, played at foot-ball, bandy, and
+hop-scotch; slept quietly, rose early, had a good appetite, and was
+happy. He had time now comfortably to review the toils, dangers, and
+hardships of the past campaign, and with allowable pride to dwell on the
+cheerfulness and courage with which he had endured them all; and to feel
+the supporting effect of the unanimity of feeling and pervasive sympathy
+which linked together the rank and file of the army.</p>
+
+<p>Leaving out of view every other consideration, he realized with
+exquisite delight, that he was resisting manfully the coercive force of
+other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> men, and was resolved to die rather than yield his liberty. He
+felt that he was beyond doubt in the line of duty, and expected no
+relief from toil by any other means than the accomplishment of his
+purpose and the end of the war. To strengthen his resolve he had ever
+present with him the unchanging love of the people for whom he fought;
+the respect and confidence of his officers; unshaken faith in the valor
+of his comrades and the justice of his cause. And, finally, he had an
+opportunity to brace himself for another, and, if need be, for still
+another struggle, with the ever increasing multitude of invaders, hoping
+that each would usher in the peace so eagerly coveted and the liberty
+for which already a great price had been paid. Was he not badly
+disappointed?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2>
+
+<h3>FUN AND FURY ON THE FIELD.</h3>
+
+
+<p>A battle-field, when only a few thousands of men are engaged, is a more
+extensive area than most persons would suppose. When large bodies of
+men&mdash;twenty to fifty thousand on each side&mdash;are engaged, a mounted man,
+at liberty to gallop from place to place, could scarcely travel the
+field over during the continuance of the battle; and a private soldier,
+in the smallest affair, sees very little indeed of the field. What
+occurs in his own regiment, or probably in his own company, is about
+all, and is sometimes more than he actually sees or knows. Thus it is
+that, while the field is extensive, it is to each individual limited to
+the narrow space of which he is cognizant.</p>
+
+<p>The dense woods of Virginia, often choked with heavy undergrowth, added
+greatly to the difficulty of observing the movements of large bodies of
+troops extended in line of battle. The commanders were compelled to rely
+almost entirely upon the information gained from their staff officers
+and the couriers of those in immediate command on the lines.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The beasts of burden which travel the Great Desert scent the oasis and
+the well miles away, and, cheered by the prospect of rest and
+refreshment, press on with renewed vigor; and in the book of Job it is
+said of the horse, "He saith among the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth
+the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shoutings." So
+a soldier, weary and worn, recognizing the signs of approaching battle,
+did quicken his lagging steps and cry out for joy at the prospect.</p>
+
+<p>The column, hitherto moving forward with the steadiness of a mighty
+river, hesitates, halts, steps back, then forward, hesitates again,
+halts. The colonels talk to the brigadier, the brigadiers talk to the
+major-general, some officers hurry forward and others hurry to the rear.
+Infantry stands to one side of the road while cavalry trots by to the
+front. Now some old wagons marked "Ord. Dept." go creaking and rumbling
+by. One or two light ambulances, with a gay and careless air, seem to
+trip along with the ease of a dancing-girl. They and the surgeons seem
+cheerful. Some, not many, ask "What is the matter?" Most of the men
+there know exactly: they are on the edge of battle.</p>
+
+<p>Presently a very quiet, almost sleepy looking man on horseback, says,
+"Forward, 19th!" and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> away goes the leading regiment. A little way ahead
+the regiment jumps a fence, and&mdash;pop! bang! whiz! thud! is all that can
+be heard, until the rebel yell reverberates through the woods. Battle?
+No! skirmishers advancing.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus14.jpg" alt="going"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> GOING IN</p>
+
+<p>Step into the woods now and watch these skirmishers. See how cheerfully
+they go in. How rapidly they load, fire, and re-load. They stand six and
+twelve feet apart, calling to each other, laughing, shouting and
+cheering, but advancing. There: one fellow has dropped his musket like
+something red hot. His finger is shot away. His friends congratulate
+him, and he walks sadly away to the rear. Another staggers and falls
+with a ball through his neck, mortally wounded. Two comrades raise him
+to his feet and try to lead him away, but one of them receives a ball in
+his thigh which crushes the bone, and he falls groaning to the ground.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span>
+The other advises his poor dying friend to lie down, helps him to do so,
+and runs to join his advancing comrades. When he overtakes them he finds
+every man securely posted behind a tree, loading, firing, and conducting
+himself generally with great deliberation and prudence. They have at
+last driven the enemy's skirmishers in upon the line of battle, and are
+waiting. A score of men have fallen here, some killed outright, some
+slightly, some sorely, and some mortally wounded. The elements now add
+to the horrors of the hour. Dense clouds hovering near the tree tops add
+deeper shadows to the woods. Thunder, deep and ominous, rolls in
+prolonged peals across the sky, and lurid lightning darts among the
+trees and glistens on the gun barrels. But still they stand.</p>
+
+<p>Now a battery has been hurried into position, the heavy trails have
+fallen to the ground, and at the command "Commence firing!" the
+cannoniers have stepped in briskly and loaded. The first gun blazes at
+the muzzle and away goes a shell. The poor fellows in the woods rejoice
+as it crashes through the trees over their heads, and cheer when it
+explodes over the enemy's line. Now, what a chorus! Thunder, gun after
+gun, shell after shell, musketry, pelting rain, shouts, groans, cheers,
+and commands!</p>
+
+<p>But help is coming. At the edge of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> woods, where the skirmishers
+entered, the brigade is in line. Somebody has ordered, "Load!"</p>
+
+<p>The ramrods glisten and rattle down the barrels of a thousand muskets.
+"F-o-o-o-o-r-r-r-r-w-a-a-a-r-r-r-d!" is the next command, and the
+brigade disappears in the woods, the canteens rattling, the bushes
+crackling, and the officers never ceasing to say, "Close up, men; close
+up! guide c-e-n-t-r-r-r-r-e!"</p>
+
+<p>The men on that skirmish line have at last found it advisable to lie
+down at full length on the ground, though it is so wet, and place their
+heads against the trees in front. They cannot advance and they cannot
+retire without, in either case, exposing themselves to almost certain
+death. They are waiting for the line of battle to come to their relief.</p>
+
+<p>At last, before they see, they hear the line advancing through the
+pines. The snapping of the twigs, the neighing of horses, and hoarse
+commands, inspire a husky cheer, and when the line of the old brigade
+breaks through the trees in full view, they fairly yell! Every man jumps
+to his feet, the brigade presses firmly forward, and soon the roll of
+musketry tells all who are waiting to hear that serious work is
+progressing away down in the woods. All honor to the devoted infantry.
+The hour of glory has arrived for couriers, aides-de-camp,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> and staff
+officers generally. They dash about from place to place like spirits of
+unrest. Brigade after brigade and division after division is hurried
+into line, and pressed forward into action. Battalions of artillery open
+fire from the crests of many hills, and the battle is begun.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus15.jpg" alt="rear"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> EXTENDING THE REAR.</p>
+
+<p>Ammunition trains climb impassable places, cross ditches without
+bridges, and manage somehow to place themselves in reach of the troops.
+Ambulances, which an hour before went gayly forward, now slowly and
+solemnly return loaded. Shells and musket balls which must have lost
+their way, go flitting about here and there, wounding and killing men
+who deem themselves far away from danger. The negro cooks turn pale as
+these unexpected visitors enter the camps at the rear, and the rear is
+"extended" at once.</p>
+
+<p>But our place now is at the front, on the field. We are to watch the
+details of a small part of the great expanse. As we approach, a
+ludicrous scene presents itself. A strong-armed artilleryman is
+energetically thrashing a dejected looking individual with a hickory
+bush, and urging him to the front. He has managed to keep out of many a
+fight, but now he <i>must</i> go in. The captain has detailed a man to <i>whip</i>
+him in, and the man is doing it. With every blow the poor fellow yells
+and begs to be spared,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> but his determined guardian will not cease. They
+press on, the one screaming and the other lashing, till they reach the
+battery in position and firing on the retiring enemy. A battery of the
+enemy is replying, and shells are bursting overhead, or ploughing huge
+furrows in the ground. Musket balls are "rapping" on the rims of the
+wheels and sinking with a deep "thud" into the bodies of the poor
+horses. Smoke obscures the scene, but the cannoniers in faint outline
+can be seen cheerfully serving the guns.</p>
+
+<p>As the opposing battery ceases firing, and having limbered up, scampers
+away, and the last of the enemy's infantry slowly sinks into the woods
+out of sight and out of reach, a wild cheer breaks from the cannoniers,
+who toss their caps in the air and shout, shake hands and shout again,
+while the curtain of smoke is raised by the breeze and borne away.</p>
+
+<p>The cavalry is gone. With jingle and clatter they have passed through
+the lines and down the hill, and are already demanding surrender from
+many a belated man. There will be no rest for that retreating column.
+Stuart, with a twinkle in his eye, his lips puckered as if to whistle a
+merry lay, is on their flanks, in their rear, and in their front. The
+enemy will send their cavalry after him, of course, but he will stay
+with them, nevertheless.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus16.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>Add now the stream of wounded men slowly making their way to the rear;
+the groups of dejected prisoners plodding along under guard, and you
+have about as much of a battle as one private soldier ever sees.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus17.jpg" alt="out"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> COMING OUT</p>
+
+<p>But after the battle, man will tell to man<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> what each has seen and felt,
+until every man will feel that he has seen the whole. Hear, then, the
+stories of battle.</p>
+
+<p>An artilleryman&mdash;he must have been a driver&mdash;says: when the firing had
+ceased an old battery horse, his lower jaw carried away by a shot, with
+blood streaming from his wound, staggered up to him, gazed beseechingly
+at him, and, groaning piteously, laid his bloody jaws on his shoulder,
+and so made his appeal for sympathy. He was beyond help.</p>
+
+<p>The pathetic nature of this story reminds a comrade that a new man in
+the battery, desiring to save the labor incident to running up the gun
+after the rebound, determined to hold on to the handspike, press the
+trail into the ground, and hold her fast. He did try, but the rebound
+proceeded as usual, and the labor-saving man was "shocked" at the
+failure of his effort. Nothing daunted, the same individual soon after
+applied his lips to the vent of the gun, which was choked, and
+endeavored to clear it by an energetic blast from his lungs. The vent
+was not cleared but the lips of the recruit were nicely browned, and the
+detachment greatly amused.</p>
+
+<p>At another gun it has happened that No. 1 and No. 3 have had a
+difficulty. No. 3 having failed to serve the vent, there was a premature
+explosion, and No. 1, being about to withdraw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> the rammer, fell heavily
+to the ground, apparently dead. No. 3, seeing what a calamity he had
+caused, hung over the dead man and begged him to speak and exonerate him
+from blame. After No. 3 had exhausted all his eloquence and pathos, No.
+1 suddenly rose to his feet and informed him that the premature
+explosion was a fact, but the death of No. 1 was a joke intended to warn
+him that if he ever failed again to serve that vent, he would have his
+head broken by a blow from a rammer-head. This joke having been
+completed in all its details, the firing was continued.</p>
+
+<p>Another man tells how Eggleston had his arm torn away by a solid shot,
+and, as he walked away, held up the bleeding, quivering stump,
+exclaiming, "Never mind, boys; I'll come back soon and try 'em with this
+other one." Alas! poor fellow, he had fought his last fight.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Tom, he who was always, as he said, "willing to give 'em half a
+leg, or so," was struck about the waist by a shot which almost cut him
+in two. He fell heavily to the ground, and, though in awful agony,
+managed to say: "Tell mother I died doing my duty."</p>
+
+<p>While the fight lasted, several of the best and bravest received wounds
+apparently mortal, and were laid aside covered by an old army blanket.
+They refused to die, however, and remain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> to this day to tell their own
+stories of the war and of their marvelous recovery.</p>
+
+<p>At the battle of the Wilderness, May, 1864, a man from North Carolina
+precipitated a severe fight by asking a very simple and reasonable
+question. The line of battle had been pressed forward and was in close
+proximity to the enemy. The thick and tangled undergrowth prevented a
+sight of the enemy, but every man felt he was near. Everything was
+hushed and still. No one dared to speak above a whisper. It was evening,
+and growing dark. As the men lay on the ground, keenly sensible to every
+sound, and anxiously waiting, they heard the firm tread of a man walking
+along the line. As he walked they heard also the jingle-jangle of a pile
+of canteens hung around his neck. He advanced with deliberate mien to
+within a few yards of the line and opened a terrific fight by quietly
+saying, "Can any you fellows tell a man whar he can git some water?"
+Instantly the thicket was illumined by the flash of a thousand muskets,
+the men leaped to their feet, the officers shouted, and the battle was
+begun. Neither side would yield, and there they fought till many died.</p>
+
+<p>Soon, however, the reserve brigade began to make its way through the
+thicket. The first man to appear was the brigadier, thirty yards<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> ahead
+of his brigade, his sword between his teeth, and parting the bushes with
+both hands as he spurred his horse through the tangled growth. Eager for
+the fight, his eyes glaring and his countenance lit up with fury, his
+first word was "Forward!" and forward went the line.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus18.jpg" alt="battle"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> THE BATTLE OPENS</p>
+
+<p>On the march from Petersburg to Appomattox, after a sharp engagement,
+some men of Cutshaw's artillery battalion, acting as infantry, made a
+stand for a while on a piece of high ground. They noticed, hanging
+around in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> lonely, distracted way, a tall, lean, shaggy fellow
+holding, or rather leaning on, a long staff, around which hung a faded
+battle-flag. Thinking him out of his place and skulking, they suggested
+to him that it would be well for him to join his regiment. He replied
+that his regiment had all run away, and he was merely waiting a chance
+to be useful. Just then the enemy's advancing skirmishers poured a hot
+fire into the group, and the artillerymen began to discuss the propriety
+of leaving. The color-bearer, remembering their insinuations, saw an
+opportunity for retaliation. Standing, as he was, in the midst of a
+shower of musket balls, he seemed almost ready to fall asleep. But
+suddenly his face was illumined with a singularly pleased and childish
+smile. Quietly walking up close to the group, he said, "Any you boys
+want to <i>charge</i>?" The boys answered, "Yes." "Well," said the
+imperturbable, "I'm the man to carry this here old flag for you. Just
+follow me." So saying he led the squad full into the face of the
+advancing enemy, and never once seemed to think of stopping until he was
+urged to retire with the squad. He came back smiling from head to foot,
+and suffered no more insinuations.</p>
+
+<p>At Gettysburg, when the artillery fire was at its height, a brawny
+fellow, who seemed happy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> at the prospect for a hot time, broke out
+singing:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 15em;">
+"Backward, roll backward, O Time in thy flight:<br />
+Make me a child again, just for this <i>fight</i>!"<br />
+</p>
+
+<p>Another fellow near him replied, "Yes; and a <i>gal</i> child at that."</p>
+
+<p>At Fredericksburg a good soldier, now a farmer in Chesterfield County,
+Virginia, was desperately wounded and lay on the field all night. In the
+morning a surgeon approached him and inquired the nature of his wound.
+Finding a wound which is always considered fatal, he advised the man to
+remain quietly where he was and die. The man insisted on being removed
+to a hospital, saying in the most emphatic manner, that though every man
+ever wounded as he was (his bowels were punctured by the ball) had died,
+he was determined not to die. The surgeon, struck by the man's courage
+and nerve, consented to remove him, advising him, however, not to
+cherish the hope of recovery. After a hard struggle he did recover, and
+is to-day a living example of the power of a determined will.</p>
+
+<p>At the Wilderness, when the fight was raging in the tangled woods and a
+man could scarcely trust himself to move in any direction for fear of
+going astray or running into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> hands of the enemy, a mere boy was
+wounded. Rushing out of the woods, his eyes staring and his face pale
+with fright, he shouted, "Where's the rear. Mister! I say, Mister!
+where's the rear?" Of course he was laughed at. The very grim fact that
+there was no "rear," in the sense of safety, made the question
+irresistibly ludicrous. The conduct of this boy was not exceptional. It
+was no uncommon thing to see the best men badly demoralized and eager to
+go to the rear because of a wound scarcely worthy of the name. On the
+other hand, it sometimes happened that men seriously wounded could not
+be convinced of their danger, and remained on the field.</p>
+
+<p>The day General Stuart fell, mortally wounded, there was a severe fight
+in the woods not far from the old Brook Church, a few miles from
+Richmond; the enemy was making a determined stand, in order to gain time
+to repair a bridge which they were compelled to use, and the Confederate
+infantry skirmishers were pushing them hard. The fighting was stubborn
+and the casualties on the Confederate side very numerous. In the midst
+of the fight a voice was heard shouting, "Where's my boy? I'm looking
+for my boy!" Soon the owner of the voice appeared, tall, slim, aged,
+with silver gray hair, dressed in a full suit of broadcloth. A tall
+silk<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> hat and a clerical collar and cravat completed his attire. His
+voice, familiar to the people of Virginia, was deep and powerful. As he
+continued to shout, the men replied, "Go back, old gentleman; you'll get
+hurt here. Go back; go back!" "No, no;" said he, "I can go anywhere my
+boy has to go, and the Lord is here. I want to see my boy, and I will
+see him!" Then the order, "Forward!" was given and the men made once
+more for the enemy. The old gentleman, his beaver in one hand, a big
+stick in the other, his long hair flying, shouting, "Come on, boys!"
+disappeared in the depths of the woods, well in front. He was a
+Methodist minister, an old member of the Virginia Conference, but his
+carriage that day was soldierly and grand. One thought&mdash;that <i>his boy
+was there</i>&mdash;made the old man feel that he might brave the danger, too.
+No man who saw him there will ever forget the parson who led the charge
+at Brook Church.</p>
+
+<p>At the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, a gun in position somewhat
+in advance of the line was so much exposed to the enemy's fire that it
+was abandoned. Later in the day the battery being ordered to move, the
+captain directed the sergeant to take his detachment and bring in the
+gun. The sergeant and his gunner, with a number of men, went out to
+bring in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> the gun by hand. Two men lifted the trail and the sergeant
+ordered, "All together!" The gun moved, but moved <i>in a circle</i>. The
+fire was hot, and <i>all hands were on the same side</i>&mdash;the side farthest
+from the enemy! After some persuasion the corporal and the sergeant
+managed to induce a man or two to get on the other side, with them, and
+they were moving along very comfortably when a shrapnel whacked the
+sergeant on his breast, breaking his ribs and tearing away the muscle of
+one arm. He fell into the arms of the corporal. Seeing that their only
+hope of escaping from this fire was work, the cannoniers bent to the
+wheels, and the gun rolled slowly to shelter.</p>
+
+<p>It was at Spottsylvania Court House that the Federal infantry rushed
+over the works, and, engaging in a hand-to-hand fight, drove out the
+Confederate infantry. On one part of the line the artillerymen stood to
+their posts, and when the Federal troops passing the works had massed
+themselves inside, fired to the right and left, up and down the lines,
+cutting roadways through the compact masses of men, and holding their
+positions until the Confederate infantry reformed, drove out the enemy
+and re-occupied the line. Several batteries were completely overrun, and
+the cannoniers sought and found safety <i>in front of the works</i>, whence
+the enemy had made their charge.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At another point on the lines, where there was no infantry support, the
+enemy charged repeatedly and made every effort to carry the works, but
+were handsomely repulsed by <i>artillery alone</i>. An examination of the
+ground in front of the works after the fight, disclosed the fact that
+all the dead and wounded were victims of artillery fire. The dead were
+literally torn to pieces, and the wounded dreadfully mangled. Scarcely a
+man was hurt on the Confederate side.</p>
+
+<p>At Fort Harrison, a few miles below Richmond, in 1864, a ludicrous scene
+resulted from the firing of a salute with shotted guns. Federal
+artillery occupied the fort, and the lines immediately in front of it
+were held by the "Department Battalion," composed of the clerks in the
+various government offices in Richmond, who had been ordered out to meet
+an emergency. Just before sundown the detail for picket duty was formed,
+and about to march out to the picket line, the clerks presenting quite a
+soldierly appearance. Suddenly bang! went a gun in the fort, and a shell
+came tearing over. Bang! again, and bang! bang! and more shells
+exploding. Pow! pow! what consternation! In an instant the beautiful
+line melted away as by magic. Every man took to shelter, and the place
+was desolate. The firing was rapid, reg<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>ular, and apparently aimed to
+strike the Confederate lines, but ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
+General Custis Lee, whose tent was near by, observing the panic, stepped
+quietly up to the parapet of the works, folded his arms, and walked back
+and forth without uttering a word or looking to the right or to the
+left. His cool behavior, coupled with the silence of the guns, soon
+reassured the trembling clerks, and one by one they dropped into line
+again. General Butler had heard some news that pleased him, and ordered
+a salute with shotted guns. That was all.</p>
+
+<p>Two boys who had volunteered for service with the militia in the same
+neighborhood, were detailed for picket duty. It was the custom to put
+three men on each post,&mdash;two militia boys and one veteran. The boys and
+an old soldier of Johnston's division were marched to their post, where
+they found, ready dug, a pit about five feet deep and three feet wide.
+It was quite dark, and the boys, realizing fully their exposed position,
+at once occupied the pit. The old soldier saw he had an opportunity to
+have a good time, knowing that those boys would keep wide awake. Giving
+them a short lecture about the importance of great watchfulness, he
+warned them to be ready to leave there very rapidly at any moment, and,
+above all, to keep very quiet.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> His words were wasted, as the boys would
+not have closed their eyes or uttered a word for the world. These little
+details arranged, the cunning old soldier prepared to make himself
+comfortable. First he gathered a few small twigs and made a <i>very small</i>
+fire. On the fire he put a battered old tin cup. Into this he poured
+some coffee from his canteen. From some mysterious place in his clothes
+he drew forth sugar and dropped it into the cup. Next, from an old worn
+haversack, he took a "chunk" of raw bacon and a "pone" of corn bread.
+Then, drawing a large pocket knife, in a dexterous manner he sliced and
+ate his bread and meat, occasionally sipping his coffee. His evening
+meal leisurely completed, he filled his pipe, smoked, and stirred up the
+imaginations of the boys by telling how dangerous a duty they were
+performing; told them how easy it would be for the Yankees to creep up
+and shoot them or capture and carry them off. Having finished his smoke,
+he knocked out the ashes and dropped the pipe in his pocket. Then he
+actually unrolled his blanket and oil-cloth. It made the perspiration
+start on the brows of the boys to see the man's folly. Then taking off
+his shoes, he laid down on one edge, took hold of the blanket and
+oil-cloth, rolled himself over to the other side, and with a kind "good
+night" to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> the boys, began to snore. The poor boys stood like statues in
+the pit till broad day. In the morning the old soldier thanked them for
+not disturbing him, and quietly proceeded to prepare his breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>After the fight at Fisher's Hill, in 1864, Early's army, in full retreat
+and greatly demoralized, was strung out along the valley pike. The
+Federal cavalry was darting around picking up prisoners, shooting
+drivers, and making themselves generally disagreeable. It happened that
+an artilleryman, who was separated from his gun, was making pretty good
+time on foot, getting to the rear, and had the <i>appearance</i> of a
+demoralized infantryman who had thrown away his musket. So one of these
+lively cavalrymen trotted up, and, waving his sabre, told the
+artilleryman to "surrender!" But he didn't stop. He merely glanced over
+his shoulder, and kept on. Then the cavalryman became indignant and
+shouted, "Halt, d&mdash;n you; halt!" And still he would not. "Halt," said
+the cavalryman, "halt, you d&mdash;n s&mdash; of a &mdash;&mdash;-; halt!" Then the
+artilleryman halted, and remarking that he didn't allow any man to speak
+to <i>him</i> that way, seized a huge stick, turned on the cavalryman,
+knocked him out of his saddle, and proceeded on his journey to the
+rear.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>This artilleryman fought with a musket at Sailor's Creek. He found
+himself surrounded by the enemy, who demanded surrender. He refused;
+said they must take him; and laid about him with the butt of his musket
+till he had damaged some of the party considerably. He was, however,
+overpowered and made a prisoner.</p>
+
+<p>Experienced men, in battle, always availed themselves of any shelter
+within reach. A tree, a fence, a mound of earth, a ditch, anything.
+Sometimes their efforts to find shelter were very amusing and even
+silly. Men lying on the ground have been seen to put an old canteen
+before their heads as a shelter from musket balls; and during a heavy
+fire of artillery, seemed to feel safer <i>under a tent</i>. Only recruits
+and fools neglected the smallest shelter.</p>
+
+<p>The more experienced troops knew better when to give up than green ones,
+and never fought well after they were satisfied that they could not
+accomplish their purpose. Consequently it often happened that the best
+troops failed where the raw ones did well. The old Confederate soldier
+<i>would</i> decide some questions for himself. To the last he maintained the
+right of private judgment, and especially on the field of battle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2>
+
+<h3>IMPROVISED INFANTRY.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Sunday, April 2, 1865, found Cutshaw's battalion of artillery occupying
+the earthworks at Fort Clifton on the Appomattox, about two miles below
+Petersburg, Virginia. The command was composed of the Second Company
+Richmond Howitzers, Captain Lorraine F. Jones, Garber's battery, Fry's
+battery, and remnants of five other batteries (saved from the battle of
+Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864), and had present for duty
+nearly five hundred men, with a total muster-roll, including the men in
+prison, of one thousand and eighty.</p>
+
+<p>The place&mdash;the old "Clifton House"&mdash;was well fortified, and had the
+additional protection of the river along the entire front of perhaps a
+mile. The works extended from the Appomattox on the right to Swift Creek
+on the left. There were some guns of heavy calibre mounted and ready for
+action, and in addition to these some field-pieces disposed along the
+line at suitable points. The enemy had formidable works opposite, but
+had not used their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> guns to disturb the quiet routine of the camp. The
+river bank was picketed by details from the artillery, armed as
+infantry, but without the usual equipments. The guard duty was so heavy
+that half the men were always on guard.</p>
+
+<p>The huts, built by the troops who had formerly occupied the place, were
+located, with a view to protection from the enemy's fire, under the
+hills on the sides of the ravines or gullies which divided them, and
+were underground to the eaves of the roof. Consequently, the soil being
+sandy, there was a constant filtering of sand through the cracks, and in
+spite of the greatest care, the grit found its way into the flour and
+meal, stuck to the greasy frying-pan, and even filled the hair of the
+men as they slept in their bunks.</p>
+
+<p>At this time rations were reduced to the minimum of quantity and
+quality, being generally worm-eaten peas, sour or rancid mess-pork, and
+unbolted corn meal, relieved occasionally with a small supply of
+luscious canned beef, imported from England, good flour (half rations),
+a little coffee and sugar, and, once, apple brandy for all hands.
+Ragged, barefooted, and even bareheaded men were so common that they did
+not excite notice or comment, and did not expect or seem to feel the
+want of sympathy. And yet there was scarcely a complaint or murmur<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> of
+dissatisfaction, and not the slightest indication of fear or doubt. The
+spirit of the men was as good as ever, and the possibility of immediate
+disaster had not cast its shadow there.</p>
+
+<p>Several incidents occurred during the stay of the battalion at Fort
+Clifton which will serve to illustrate every-day life on the lines. It
+occurred to a man picketing the river bank that it would be amusing to
+take careful aim at the man on the other side doing the same duty for
+the enemy, fire, laugh to see the fellow jump and dodge, and then try
+again. He fired, laughed, dropped his musket to re-load, and while
+smiling with satisfaction, heard the "thud" of a bullet and felt an
+agonizing pain in his arm. His musket fell to the ground, and he walked
+back to camp with his arm swinging heavily at his side. The surgeon soon
+relieved him of it altogether. The poor fellow learned a lesson. The
+"Yank" had beat him at his own game.</p>
+
+<p>The guard-house was a two-story framed building, about twelve feet
+square, having two rooms, one above the other. The detail for guard duty
+was required to stay in the guard-house; those who wished to sleep going
+up-stairs, while others just relieved or about to go on duty clustered
+around the fire in the lower room. One night, when the upper floor was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>
+covered with sleeping men, an improvised infantryman who had been
+relieved from duty walked in, and, preparatory to taking his stand at
+the fire, threw his musket carelessly in the corner. A loud report and
+angry exclamations immediately followed. The sergeant of the guard,
+noticing the direction of the ball, hurried up-stairs, and to the
+disgust of the sleepy fellows, ordered all hands to "turn out."
+Grumbling, growling, stretching, and rubbing their eyes, the men got up.
+Some one inquired, "Where's Pryor?" His chum, who had been sleeping by
+his side, replied, "there he is, asleep; shake him." His blanket was
+drawn aside, and with a shake he was commanded to "get up!" But there
+was no motion, no reply. The ball had passed through his heart, and he
+had passed without a groan or a sigh from deep sleep to death. The man
+who was killed and the man who was sleeping by his side under the same
+blanket, were members of the Second Company Richmond Howitzers. The
+careless man who made the trouble was also an artilleryman, from one of
+the other batteries.</p>
+
+<p>Shortly after this accident, after a quiet day, the men retired to their
+huts, and the whole camp was still as a country church-yard. The pickets
+on the river's edge could hear those on the opposite side asking the
+corporal of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> guard the hour, and complaining that they had not been
+promptly relieved. Suddenly a terrific bombardment commenced, and the
+earth fairly trembled. The men, suddenly awakened, heard the roar of the
+guns, the rush of the shots, and the explosion of the shells. To a man
+only half awake, the shells seemed to pass very near and in every
+direction. In a moment all were rushing out of their houses, and soon
+the hillsides and bluffs were covered with an excited crowd, gazing
+awe-struck on the sight. The firing was away to the right, and there was
+not the slightest danger. Having realized this fact, the interest was
+intense. The shells from the opposite lines met and passed in
+mid-air&mdash;their burning fuses forming an arch of fire, which paled
+occasionally as a shell burst, illuminating the heavens with its blaze.
+The uproar, even at such a distance, was terrible. The officers, fearing
+that fire would be opened along the whole line, ordered the cannoniers
+to their posts; men were sent down into the magazine with lanterns to
+arrange the ammunition for the heavy guns; the lids of the limbers of
+the field-pieces were thrown up; the cannoniers were counted off at
+their posts; the brush which had been piled before the embrasures was
+torn away; and, with implements in hand, all stood at "attention!" till
+the last shot was fired.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> The heavens were dark again, and silence
+reigned. Soon all hands were as sound asleep as though nothing had
+occurred.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning an artilleryman came walking leisurely towards the
+camp, and being recognized as belonging to a battery which was in
+position on that part of the line where the firing of the last night
+occurred, was plied with questions as to the loss on our side, who was
+hurt, etc., etc. Smiling at the anxious faces and eager questions, he
+replied: "When? Last night? Nobody!" It was astounding, but nevertheless
+true.</p>
+
+<p>On another occasion some scattering shots were heard up the river, and
+after a while a body came floating down the stream. It was hauled on
+shore and buried in the sand a little above high-water mark. It was a
+poor Confederate who had attempted to desert to the enemy, but was shot
+while swimming for the opposite bank of the river. His grave was the
+centre of the beat of one of the picket posts on the river bank, and
+there were few men so indifferent to the presence of the dead as not to
+prefer some other post.</p>
+
+<p>And so, while there had been no fighting, there were always incidents to
+remind the soldier that danger lurked around, and that he could not long
+avoid his share. The camp was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> not as joyous as it had been, and all
+felt that the time was near which would try the courage of the stoutest.
+The struggles of the troops on the right with overwhelming numbers and
+reports of adversities, caused a general expectation that the troops
+lying so idly at the Clifton House would be ordered to the point of
+danger. They had not long to wait.</p>
+
+<p>Sunday came and went as many a Sunday had. There was nothing unusual
+apparent, unless, perhaps, the dull and listless attitudes of the men,
+and the monotonous call of those on guard were more oppressive than
+usual. The sun went down, the hills and valleys and the river were
+veiled in darkness. Here and there twinkling lights were visible. On the
+other side of the river could be heard a low rumbling which experienced
+men said was the movement of artillery and ammunition trains bound to
+the enemy's left to press the already broken right of the Confederate
+line.</p>
+
+<p>Some had actually gone to sleep for the night. Others were huddled
+around the fires in the little huts, and a few sat out on the hill-side
+discussing the probabilities of the near future. A most peaceful scene;
+a most peaceful spot. Hymns were sung and prayers were made, though no
+preacher was there. Memory reverted fondly to the past, to home and
+friends.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> The spirit of the soldier soared away to other scenes, and
+left <i>him</i> to sit blankly down, gaze at the stars, and feel unspeakable
+longings for undefined joys, and weep, for very tenderness of heart, at
+his own sad loneliness.</p>
+
+<p>At ten <span class="smcap">P.M.</span> some man mounted on horseback rode up to one of the
+huts, and said the battalion had orders to move. It was so dark that his
+face was scarcely visible. In a few minutes orders were received to
+destroy what could be destroyed without noise or fire. This was promptly
+done. Then the companies were formed, the roll was called, and the
+battalion marched slowly and solemnly away. No one doubted that the
+command would march at once to the assistance of the troops at or near
+Five Forks. It was thought that before morning every man would have his
+musket and his supply of ammunition, and the crack of day would see the
+battalion rushing into battle in regular infantry style, whooping and
+yelling like demons. But they got no arms that night. The march was
+steady till broad day of Monday the 3d of April. Of course the men felt
+mortified at having to leave the guns, but there was no help for it, as
+the battery horses which had been sent away to winter had not returned.
+It was evident that the battalion had bid farewell to artillery, and
+commenced a new career as infantry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>As the night wore on the men learned that the command was not going to
+any point on the lines. That being determined, no one could guess its
+destination. Later in the night, probably as day approached, the sky in
+the direction of Richmond was lit with the red glare of distant
+conflagration, and at short intervals there were deep, growling
+explosions of magazines. The roads were filled with other troops, all
+hurrying in the same direction. There was no sign of panic or fear, but
+the very wheels seemed turning with unusual energy. The men wore the
+look of determination, haste, and eagerness. One could feel the energy
+which surrounded him and animated the men and things which moved so
+steadily on, on, on! There was no laughing, singing, or talking. Nothing
+but the steady tread of the column and the surly rumbling of the trains.</p>
+
+<p>As morning dawned the battalion struck the main road leading from
+Richmond. Refugees told the story of the evacuation, and informed the
+boys from the city that it was in the hands of the enemy and burning,
+and the chances were that not one house would be left standing. Here it
+became clearly understood that the whole army was in full retreat. From
+this point the men began to say, as they marched, that it was easier to
+march away than it would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> be to get back, but that they expected and
+hoped to <i>fight</i> their way back if they had to contest every inch. Some
+even regretted the celerity of the march, for, they said, "the further
+we march the more difficult it will be to win our way back." Little did
+they know of the immense pressure at the rear, and the earnest push of
+the enemy on the flank as he strove to reach and overlap the advance of
+his hitherto defiant, but now retreating, foe.</p>
+
+<p>A detail had been left at Fort Clifton with orders to spike the guns,
+blow up the magazine, destroy everything which could be of value to the
+enemy, and rejoin the command. The order was obeyed, and every man of
+the detail resumed his place in the ranks.</p>
+
+<p>From this point to Appomattox the march was almost continuous, day and
+night, and it is with the greatest difficulty that a private in the
+ranks can recall with accuracy the dates and places on the march. Night
+was day&mdash;day was night. There was no stated time to sleep, eat, or rest,
+and the events of morning became strangely intermingled with the events
+of evening. Breakfast, dinner, and supper were merged into "something to
+eat," whenever and wherever it could be had. The incidents of the march,
+however, lose none of their significance on this account, and so far as
+possible they will<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> be given in the order in which they occurred, and
+the day and hour fixed as accurately as they can be by those who
+witnessed and participated in its dangers and hardships.</p>
+
+<p>Monday, the 3d, the column was pushed along without ceremony, at a rapid
+pace, until night, when a halt was ordered and the battalion laid down
+in a piece of pine woods to rest. There was some "desultory" eating in
+this camp, but so little of it that there was no lasting effect. At
+early dawn of Tuesday, the 4th, the men struggled to their feet, and
+with empty stomachs and brave hearts resumed their places in the ranks,
+and struggled on with the column as it marched steadily in the direction
+of Moore's Church, in Amelia County, where it arrived in the night. The
+men laid down under the shelter of a fine grove, and friend divided with
+friend the little supplies of raw bacon and bread picked up on the day's
+march. They were scarcely stretched on the ground ready for a good nap,
+when the orderly of the Howitzers commenced bawling, "Detail for guard!
+detail for guard! Fall in here; fall in!" then followed the names of the
+detail. Four men answered to their names, but declared they could not
+keep awake if placed on guard. Their remonstrance was in vain. They were
+marched off to picket a road leading to camp, and when they were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>
+relieved, said they had slept soundly on their posts. No one blamed
+them.</p>
+
+<p>While it was yet night all hands were roused from profound sleep; the
+battalion was formed, and away they went, stumbling, bumping against
+each other, and <i>sleeping as they walked</i>. Whenever the column halted
+for a moment, as it did frequently during the night, the men dropped
+heavily to the ground and were instantly asleep. Then the officers would
+commence: "Forward! column forward!" Those first on their feet went
+stumbling on over their prostrate comrades, who would in turn be
+awakened, and again the column was in motion, and nothing heard but the
+monotonous tread of the weary feet, the ringing and rattling of the
+trappings of the horses, and the never-ending cry of "Close up, men;
+close up!"</p>
+
+<p>Through the long, weary night there was no rest. The alternate halting
+and hurrying was terribly trying, and taxed the endurance of the most
+determined men to the very utmost; and yet on the morning of Wednesday,
+the 5th, when the battalion reached the neighborhood of Scott's Shops,
+every man was in place and ready for duty. From this point, after some
+ineffectual efforts to get a breakfast, the column pushed on in the
+direction of Amelia Court House, at which point Colonel Cutshaw was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>
+ordered to report to General James A. Walker, and the battalion was
+thereafter a part of Walker's division. The 5th was spent at or near the
+court house&mdash;how, it is difficult to remember; but the day was marked by
+several incidents worthy of record.</p>
+
+<p>About two hundred and twenty-five muskets (not enough to arm all the
+men), cartridges, and caps were issued to the battalion&mdash;simply the
+muskets and ammunition. Not a cartridge-box, cap-box, belt, or any other
+convenience ornamented the persons of these new-born infantrymen. They
+stored their ammunition in their pockets along with their corn, salt,
+pipes, and tobacco.</p>
+
+<p>When application was made for rations, it was found that the last morsel
+belonging to the division had been issued to the command, and the
+battalion was again thrown on its own resources, to wit: corn on the cob
+intended for the horses. Two ears were issued to each man. It was
+parched in the coals, mixed with salt, stored in the pockets, and eaten
+on the road. Chewing the corn was hard work. It made the jaws ache and
+the gums and teeth so sore as to cause almost unendurable pain.</p>
+
+<p>After the muskets were issued a line of battle was formed with Cutshaw
+on the right. For what purpose the line was formed the men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> could not
+tell. A short distance from the right of the line there was a grove
+which concealed an ammunition train which had been sent from Richmond to
+meet the army. The ammunition had been piled up ready for destruction.
+An occasional musket ball passed over near enough and often enough to
+produce a realizing sense of the proximity of the enemy and solemnize
+the occasion. Towards evening the muskets were stacked, artillery style
+of course, the men were lying around, chatting and eating raw bacon, and
+there was general quiet, when suddenly the earth shook with a tremendous
+explosion and an immense column of smoke rushed up into the air to a
+great height. For a moment there was the greatest consternation. Whole
+regiments broke and fled in wild confusion. Cutshaw's men stood up,
+seized their muskets, and stood at attention till it was known that the
+ammunition had been purposely fired and no enemy was threatening the
+line. Then what laughter and hilarity prevailed, for a while, among
+these famishing men!</p>
+
+<p>Order having been restored, the march was resumed, and moving by way of
+Amelia Springs, the column arrived near Deatonsville, about ten o'clock,
+on the morning of Thursday the 6th. The march, though not a long one,
+was exceedingly tiresome, as, the main roads being<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> crowded, the column
+moved by plantation roads, which were in wretched condition and crowded
+with troops and trains. That the night was spent in the most trying
+manner may best be learned from the fact that when morning dawned the
+column was only six or seven miles from the starting point of the
+evening before.</p>
+
+<p>This delay was fatal. The whole army&mdash;trains and all&mdash;left Amelia Court
+House in advance of Walker's division, which was left to cover the
+retreat, Cutshaw's battalion being the last to leave the court house,
+thus bringing up the rear of the army, and being in constant view of the
+enemy's hovering cavalry. The movement of the division was regulated to
+suit the movements of the wagon trains, which should have been destroyed
+on the spot, and the column allowed to make its best time, as, owing to
+the delay they occasioned, the army lost the time it had gained on the
+enemy in the start, and was overtaken the next day.</p>
+
+<p>At Deatonsville another effort to cook was made, but before the simplest
+articles of food could be prepared, the order to march was given, and
+the battalion took the road once more.</p>
+
+<p>A short while after passing Deatonsville the column was formed in line
+of battle,&mdash;Cutshaw's battalion near the road and in an old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> field with
+woods in front and rear. The officers, anticipating an immediate attack,
+ordered the men to do what they could for their protection. They
+immediately scattered along the fence on the roadside, and taking down
+the rails stalked back to their position in line, laid the rails on the
+ground and returned for another load. This they continued to do until
+the whole of the fence was removed. Behind this slim defense they
+silently awaited the advance of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Soon it was decided that this was not the place to make a stand. The
+first detachment of the Second Company of Richmond Howitzers, and twenty
+men each from Garber and Fry, under the command of Lieutenant Henry
+Jones, were left behind the fence-rail work, with orders to resist and
+retard the advance of the enemy while the column continued its march.</p>
+
+<p>This little band was composed of true spirits,&mdash;the best material in the
+battalion. Right well did they do their duty. Left alone to face the
+advance of the immense host eagerly pursuing the worn remnant of the
+invincible army, they waited until the enemy's skirmishers appeared in
+the field, when, with perfect deliberation, they commenced their fire.
+Though greatly outnumbered, and flanked right and left, they stubbornly
+held on till the line of battle follow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span>ing the skirmishers broke from
+the woods, and advancing rapidly poured into them a murderous volley.
+And yet, so unused were they to running, they moved not till the
+infantry skirmishers had retired, and the word of command was heard.
+Then stubbornly contesting the ground, they fought their way back
+through the woods. The gallant Lieutenant Jones fell mortally wounded,
+having held control of his little band to the moment he fell. His friend
+Kemp refused to leave him, and they were captured together, but were
+immediately separated by the enemy. Pearson was pierced through by a
+musket ball as he was hurrying through the woods, and fell heavily to
+the ground. Binford was severely wounded, but managed to escape.
+Hamilton was killed outright.</p>
+
+<p>The battalion had left this point but a short time, marching in column
+of fours with the division, and had reached the brow of a gently sloping
+hill, perfectly open for perhaps a mile, with a broad valley on the
+left, and beyond it a range of hills partly wooded. In an open space on
+this range the enemy placed a battery in position, and, in anticipation
+of doing great slaughter from a safe distance, opened a rapid fire on
+the exposed and helpless column. The shells came hurtling over the
+valley, exploding<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> in front, rear, and overhead, and tearing up the
+ground in every direction. Ah! how it grieved those artillerymen to
+stand, musket in hand, and receive that shower of insolence. How they
+longed for the old friends they had left at Fort Clifton. They knew how
+those rascals on the other side of the valley were enjoying the sport.
+They could hear, in imagination, the shouts of the cannoniers as they
+saw their shells bursting so prettily, and rammed home another shot.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus19.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>There was some impediment ahead, and there the column stood, a fair mark
+for these rascals. There was no help near, and all that could be done
+was to stand firm and wait orders; but help was coming.</p>
+
+<p>A cloud of dust was approaching from the rear of the column. All eyes
+were strained to see what it might mean. Presently the artil<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>lerymen
+recognized a well-known sound. A battery was coming in full gallop, the
+drivers lashing their horses and yelling like madmen. The guns bounded
+along as though they would outrun the horses, and with rush, roar, and
+rattle they approached the front of the battalion. Some fellow in the
+Second Company Howitzers sung out, "Old Henry Carter! Hurrah! for the
+Third Company! Give it to 'em, boys!" It was, indeed, the Third Company
+of Howitzers, long separated from the Second, with their gallant captain
+at their head!</p>
+
+<p>Not a moment was lost. The guns were in battery, and the smoke of the
+first shot was curling about the heads of the men in the column in
+marvelously quick time. Friends and comrades in the column called to the
+men at the guns, and they, as they stepped in and out, responded with
+cheerful, ringing voices, "Hello, Bill!" "How are you, Joe?" Bang!
+"Pretty"&mdash;Bang!&mdash;"well, I thank you." Bang! "Oh! we're giving it to 'em
+now." Bang!</p>
+
+<p>As the battalion moved on, the gallant boys of the Third Company
+finished their work. The disappointed enemy limbered up, slipped into
+the woods and departed. Cheered by this fortunate meeting with old
+comrades, with the pleasant odor of the smoke lingering around<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> them,
+these hitherto bereft and mournful artillerymen pushed on, laughing at
+the discomfiture of the enemy, and feeling that though deprived of their
+guns by the misfortunes of war, there was still left at least one
+battery worthy to represent the artillery of the army.</p>
+
+<p>As the column marched slowly along, some sharp-eyed man discovered three
+of the enemy's skirmishers in a field away on the left. More for
+amusement than anything else, it was proposed to fire at them. A group
+of men gathered on the roadside, a volley was fired, and, to the
+amazement of the marksmen, for the distance was great, one of the
+skirmishers fell. One of his comrades started on a run to his
+assistance, and he, too, was stopped. The third man then scampered away
+as fast as his legs could carry him. The battalion applauded the good
+shots and marched on.</p>
+
+<p>At Sailor's Creek the detachment which had been left at Deatonsville,
+behind the fence rails, to watch and retard the approach of the enemy,
+having slowly retired before their advance, rejoined the command.
+Indeed, their resistance and retreat was the beginning of and ended in
+the battle of Sailor's Creek.</p>
+
+<p>The line of battle was formed on Locket's Hill, which sloped gently down
+from the line to the creek, about one hundred and fifty or two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> hundred
+yards in rear of and running nearly parallel with the line of battle. A
+road divided the battalion near the centre. The Howitzers were on the
+left of this road and in the woods; Garber's men were on the right of
+the Howitzers, on the opposite side of the road, in a field; Fry's men
+on the extreme left. To cross the road dividing the line was a hazardous
+experiment, as the enemy, thinking it an important avenue, swept it with
+musketry.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus20.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>It was amusing to see the men hauling out of their pockets a mixture of
+corn, salt, caps, and cartridges, and, selecting the material needed,
+loading. They were getting ready to stand. They did not expect to run,
+and did not until ordered to do so.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy's skirmishers advanced confidently and in rather free and easy
+style, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> suddenly met a volley which drove them to cover. Again they
+advanced, in better order, and again the improvised infantry forced them
+back. Then came their line of battle with overwhelming numbers; but the
+battalion stubbornly resisted their advance. The men, not accustomed to
+the orderly manner of infantry, dodged about from tree to tree, and with
+the deliberation of huntsmen picked off here and there a man. When a
+shot "told," the marksman hurrahed, all to himself. There was an evident
+desire to press forward and drive the advancing foe. Several of the men
+were so enthusiastic that they had pushed ahead of the line, and several
+yards in advance they could be seen loading and firing as deliberately
+as though practicing at a mark.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Cutshaw received a wound which so shattered his leg that he had
+to be lifted from his horse into an ambulance. He was near being
+captured, but by hurrying away the ambulance at a gallop, he escaped to
+a house a short distance in the rear, where he fell into the hands of
+the enemy. The same night he suffered amputation of a leg. Captain
+Garber was struck, and called for the ambulance corps, but on
+examination found the ball in his pocket. It had lodged against the
+rowel of a spur which he found the day before and dropped in his
+pocket.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At last the enemy appeared in strong force on both flanks, while he
+pushed hard in front. It was useless to attempt a further stand. The
+voice of Captain Jones, of the Howitzers, rang out loud and clear,
+"Boys, take care of yourselves!" Saying this, he planted himself against
+a pine, and, as his men rushed by him, emptied every chamber of his
+revolver at the enemy, and then reluctantly made his way, in company
+with several privates, down the hill to the creek.</p>
+
+<p>At the foot of the hill a group of perhaps a dozen men gathered around
+Lieutenant McRae. He was indignant. He proposed another stand, and his
+comrades agreed. They stood in the road, facing the gentle slope of the
+hill from which they had been ordered to retire. The enemy's skirmishers
+were already on the brow of the hill, dodging about among the trees and
+shouting to those behind to hurry up. Their favorite expressions were,
+"Come along, boys; here are the damned rebel wagons!" "Damn 'em shoot
+'em down!"</p>
+
+<p>In a few moments their line of battle, in beautiful order, stepped out
+of the woods with colors flying, and for a moment halted. In front of
+the centre of that portion of the line which was visible&mdash;probably a
+full regimental front&mdash;marched the colors, and color-guard. McRae<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> saw
+his opportunity. He ordered his squad to rise and fire on the colors.
+His order was promptly obeyed. The color-bearer pitched forward and
+fell, with his colors, heavily to the ground. The guard of two men on
+either side shared the same fate, or else feigned it. Immediately the
+line of battle broke into disorder, and came swarming down the hill,
+firing, yelling, and cursing as they came. An officer, mounted, rode his
+horse close to the fence on the roadside, and with the most superb
+insolence mocked McRae and his squad, already, as he thought, hopelessly
+intermingled with the enemy. McRae, in his rage, swore back at him, and
+in the hearing of the man, called on a man near him to shoot "that &mdash;&mdash;
+----," calling him a fearfully hard name. But the private's gun was not
+in working order, and the fellow escaped for the time. Before he reached
+the woods, whither he was going to hurry up the "boys," a Howitzer let
+fly at him, and at the shock of the bullet's stroke he threw his arms up
+in the air, and his horse bore him into the woods a corpse.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus21.jpg" alt="creek"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'>LAST SHOT. SAILOR'S CREEK.</p>
+
+<p>A little to the left, where the road crossed the creek, the crack of
+pistols and the "bang" of muskets was continuous. The enemy had
+surrounded the wagons and were mercilessly shooting down the unarmed and
+helpless drivers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> some of whom, however, managed to cut the traces,
+mount, and ride away.</p>
+
+<p>In order to escape from the right of the line, it was necessary to
+follow the road, which was along the foot of the hill, some distance to
+the left. The enemy seeing this were pushing their men rapidly at a
+right oblique to gain the road and cut off retreat. Consequently those
+who attempted escape in that direction had to run the gauntlet of a
+constant fusilade from a mass of troops near enough to select
+individuals, curse them, and command them to throw down their arms or be
+shot.</p>
+
+<p>Most of McRae's squad, in spite of the difficulties surrounding them,
+gained the creek, plunged in, and began a race for life up the long,
+open hill-side of plowed ground, fired upon at every step by the swarm
+of men behind, and before they reached the top, by a battery in close
+proximity, which poured down a shower of canister.</p>
+
+<p>The race to the top of the long hill was exceedingly trying to men
+already exhausted by continual marching, hunger, thirst, and loss of
+sleep. They ran, panting for breath, like chased animals, fairly
+staggering as they went.</p>
+
+<p>On the top of this long hill there was a skirmish line of cavalry
+posted, with orders to stop all men with arms in their hands, and form
+a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> new line; but the view down the hill to the creek and beyond revealed
+such a host of the enemy, and the men retiring before them were so few,
+that the order was disregarded and the fleeing band allowed to pass
+through.</p>
+
+<p>The men's faces were black with powder. They had bitten cartridges until
+there was a deep black circle around their mouths. The burnt powder from
+the ramrods had blackened their hands, and in their efforts to remove
+the perspiration from their faces they had completed the coloring from
+the roots of the hair to the chin. Here was no place for rest, however,
+as the enemy's battery behind the creek on the opposite hills, having
+gotten the range, was pouring in a lively fire. Soon after passing the
+brow of the hill darkness came on. Groups of men from the battalion
+halted on the roadside, near a framed building of some sort, and
+commenced shouting, "Fall in, Howitzers!" "This way, Garber's men!"
+"Fry's battery!" "Fall in!" "Cutshaw's battalion, fall in here!" thus of
+their own accord trying to recover the organization from its disorder.
+Quite a number of the battalion got together, and in spite of hunger,
+thirst, defeat, and dreadful weariness, pushed on to the High Bridge. So
+anxious were the men to escape capture and the insinuation of desertion,
+that when threatened with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> shooting by the rear guard if they did not
+move on they scarcely turned to see who spoke: but the simple
+announcement, "The Yankees are coming!" gave them a little new strength,
+and again they struggled painfully along, dropping in the road sound
+asleep, however, at the slightest halt of the column.</p>
+
+<p>At the bridge there was quite a halt, and in the darkness the men
+commenced calling to each other by name&mdash;the rascally infantry around,
+still ready for fun, answering for every name. Brother called brother,
+comrade called comrade, friend called friend; and there were many happy
+reunions there that night. Some alas! of the best and bravest did not
+answer the cry of anxious friends.</p>
+
+<p>Before the dawn of day the column was again in motion. What strange
+sensations the men had as they marched slowly across the High Bridge.
+They knew its great height, but the night was so dark that they could
+not see the abyss on either side. Arrived on the other side, the
+worn-out soldiers fell to the ground and slept, more dead than alive.
+Some had slept as they marched across the bridge, and declared that they
+had no distinct recollection of when they left it, or how long they were
+upon it.</p>
+
+<p>Early on the morning of the 7th the march<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> was resumed and continued
+through Farmville, across the bridge and to Cumberland Heights,
+overlooking the town. Here, on the bare hill-side, a line of battle was
+formed, for what purpose the men did not know&mdash;the Howitzers occupying a
+central place in the line, and standing with their feet in the midst of
+a number of the graves of soldiers who had perished in the hospitals in
+the town.</p>
+
+<p>While standing thus in line a detail was sent into the town to hunt up
+some rations. They found a tierce of bacon surrounded by a ravenous
+crowd, fighting and quarreling. The man on duty guarding the bacon was
+quickly overpowered, and the bacon distributed to the crowd. The detail
+secured a piece and marched back triumphantly to their waiting comrades.</p>
+
+<p>After considerable delay the line broke into column and marched away in
+the direction of Curdsville. It was on this march that Cutshaw's
+battalion showed itself proof against the demoralization which was
+appearing, and received, almost from the lips of the Commander-in-Chief,
+a compliment of which any regiment in the army might be proud.</p>
+
+<p>All along the line of march the enemy's cavalry followed close on the
+flanks of the column, and whenever an opportunity offered swooped down
+upon the trains. Whenever this occurred<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> the battalion, with the
+division, was faced towards the advancing cavalry, and marched in line
+to meet them, generally repulsing them with ease. In one of these
+attacks the cavalry approached so near the column that a dash was made
+at them, and the infantry returned to the road with General Gregg, of
+the enemy's cavalry, a prisoner. He was splendidly equipped and greatly
+admired by the ragged crowd around him. He was, or pretended to be,
+greatly surprised at his capture. When the column had reached a point
+two or three miles beyond Farmville, it was found that the enemy was
+driving in the force which was protecting the marching column and
+trains. The troops hurrying back were panic-stricken; all efforts to
+rally them were vain, and the enemy was almost upon the column. General
+Gordon ordered General Walker to form his division and drive the enemy
+back from the road. The division advanced gallantly, and conspicuous in
+the charge was Cutshaw's battalion. When the line was formed, the
+battalion occupied rising ground on the right. The line was visible for
+a considerable distance. In rear of the battalion there was a group of
+unarmed men under command of Sergeant Ellett, of the Howitzers. In the
+distribution of muskets at Amelia Court House the supply fell short of
+the demand, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> this squad had made the trip so far unarmed. Some, too,
+had been compelled to ground their arms at Sailor's Creek. A few yards
+to the left and rear of the battalion, in the road, was General Lee,
+surrounded by a number of officers, gazing eagerly about him. An
+occasional musket ball whistled over, but there was no enemy in sight.
+In the midst of this quiet a general officer, at the left and rear of
+the battalion, fell from his horse, severely wounded. A messenger was
+sent from the group in the road to ask the extent of his injury. After a
+short while the enemy appeared, and the stampeded troops came rushing
+by. Cutshaw's battalion stood firmly and quietly, as if on parade,
+awaiting orders. General officers galloped about, begging the fleeing
+men to halt, but in vain. Several of the fugitives, as they passed the
+battalion, were collared by the disarmed squad, relieved of their
+muskets and ammunition, and with a kick allowed to proceed to the rear.
+There was now between the group in the road and the enemy only the
+battalion of improvised infantry. There they stood, on the crest of the
+hill, in sharp relief. Not a man moved from his place. Did they know the
+Great Commander was watching them? Some one said, "Forward!" The cry
+passed from lip to lip, and, with cheers, the battalion moved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> rapidly
+to meet the enemy, while the field was full of the stampeded troops
+making to the rear. A courier came out with orders to stop the advance,
+but they heeded him not. Again he came, but on they went. Following the
+line was the unarmed squad, unable to do more than swell the volume of
+the wild shouts of their comrades. Following them, also, was the
+commissary department, consisting of two men, with a piece of bacon
+swung on a pole between them, yelling and hurrahing. As the line
+advanced, the blue-jackets sprang up and ran through the broom-straw
+like hares, followed by a shower of balls. Finally an officer&mdash;some say
+General Gordon, and others an aide of Longstreet's&mdash;rode out to the
+front of the battalion, ordered a halt, and in the name of General Lee
+thanked the men for their gallant conduct and complimented them in
+handsome style. His words were greeted with loud cheers, and the
+battalion marched back to the road carrying several prisoners and having
+retaken two pieces of artillery which had been abandoned to the enemy.
+After the enemy was driven back out of reach of our trains and column of
+march, and the troops were in line of battle, General Lee in person rode
+up in rear of the division, and addressing himself directly to the men
+in ranks (a thing very unusual with him) used language<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> to this effect:
+"That is right, men; that is all I want you to do. Just keep <i>those
+people</i> back awhile. I do not wish you to expose yourselves to
+unnecessary danger." Mahone's division then coming up took the place of
+Walker's, and the march was resumed. The battalion passed on, the men
+cutting slices from their piece of bacon and eagerly devouring them. As
+night came on the signs of disaster increased.</p>
+
+<p>At several places whole trains were standing in the road abandoned;
+artillery, chopped down and burning, blocked the way, and wagonloads of
+ammunition were dumped out in the road and trampled under foot. There
+were abundant signs of disaster. So many muskets were dropped on the
+road that Cutshaw's unarmed squad <i>armed itself</i> with abandoned muskets,
+ammunition, and equipments.</p>
+
+<p>There was a halt during the night in a piece of stunted woods. The land
+was low and soggy. In the road passing through the woods were several
+batteries, chopped down and deserted. There was a little flour on hand,
+which had been picked up on the road. An oil-cloth was spread, the flour
+placed on it, water was found, and the dough mixed. Then some clean
+partition boards were knocked out of a limber chest, the dough was
+spread on them and held near the fire till partially cooked. Then with
+what delight it was devoured!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At daybreak, Saturday, the march was resumed, and continued almost
+without interruption during the whole day; the men, those whose gums and
+teeth were not already too sore, crunching parched corn and raw bacon as
+they trudged along. Saturday night the battalion rested near Appomattox
+Court House, in a pine woods. Sunday morning, April 9th, after a short
+march, the column entered the village of Appomattox Court House by what
+seemed to be the main road. Several dead men, dressed in the uniform of
+United States regular artillery, were lying on the roadside, their faces
+turned up to the blaze of the sun. One had a ghastly wound in the
+breast, which must have been made by grape or canister.</p>
+
+<p>On through the village without halting marched the column. "Whitworth"
+shots went hurtling through the air every few minutes, indicating very
+clearly that the enemy was ahead of the column and awaiting its arrival.
+On the outskirts of the village the line of battle was formed. Indeed,
+there seemed to be <i>two</i> lines, one slightly in advance of the other.
+Wagons passed along the line and dropped boxes of cartridges. The men
+were ordered to knock them open and supply themselves with forty rounds
+each. They filled their breeches' pockets to the brim. The gen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span>eral
+officers galloped up and down the line, apparently hurrying everything
+as much as possible. The shots from a battery in advance were
+continually passing over the line, going in the direction of the
+village, but without harm to any one. The more experienced men predicted
+a severe struggle. It was supposed that this was to be an attack with
+the whole army in mass, for the purpose of breaking through the enemy's
+line and making one more effort to move on.</p>
+
+<p>Finally the order "Forward!" ran along the line, and as it advanced the
+chiefs of detachments, gunners, and commissioned officers marched in
+rear, keeping up a continual cry of "Close up, men; close up!" "Go
+ahead, now; don't lag!" "Keep up!" Thus marching, the line entered a
+body of woods, proceeded some distance, changed direction to the left,
+and, emerging from the woods, halted in a large open field, beyond which
+was another body of woods which concealed further view in front.</p>
+
+<p>After some delay, a detail for skirmish duty was ordered. Captain Jones
+detailed four men, Fry and Garber the same number. Lieutenant McRae was
+placed in command. The infantry detailed skirmishers for their front.
+All arrangements completed, the men deployed and entered the woods. They
+had advanced but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> a short distance, when they encountered a strong line
+of picket posts. Firing and cheering they rushed on the surprised men,
+who scampered away, leaving all their little conveniences behind them,
+and retreating for about a mile. From this point large bodies of the
+enemy were visible, crowding the hill-tops like a blue or black cloud.
+It was not many minutes before a strong line of dismounted cavalry,
+followed by mounted men, deployed from this mass to cover the retreat of
+their fleeing brethren, and restore the picket line. They came down the
+hills and across the fields, firing as they came. On looking around to
+see what were the chances for making a stand, Lieutenant McRae found
+that the infantry skirmishers had been withdrawn. The officer who had
+commanded them could be seen galloping away in the distance. The little
+squad, knowing they were alone, kept up a brisk fire on the advancing
+enemy, till he was close up in front, and well to the rear of both
+flanks. On the left, not more than two hundred yards, a column of
+cavalry, marching by twos, had crossed the line and were still marching,
+as unconcernedly as possible, to the rear of McRae. Seeing this, McRae
+ordered his squad to retire, saying at the same time, "But don't let
+them see you running, boys!"</p>
+
+<p>So they retired, slowly, stubbornly, and re<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span>turning shot for shot with
+the enemy, who came on at a trot, cheering valiantly, as they pursued
+four men and a lieutenant. The men dragged the butts of their old
+muskets behind them, loading as they walked. All loaded, they turned,
+halted, fired, received a shower of balls in return, and then again
+moved doggedly to the rear. A little lieutenant of infantry, who had
+been on the skirmish line, joined the squad. He was armed with a
+revolver, and had his sword by his side. Stopping behind the corner of a
+corn-crib he swore he would not go any further to the rear. The squad
+moved on and left him standing there, pistol in hand, waiting for the
+enemy, who were now jumping the fences and coming across the field,
+running at the top of their speed. What became of this singular man no
+one knows. He was, as he said, "determined to make a stand." A little
+further on the squad found a single piece of artillery, manned by a
+lieutenant and two or three men. They were selecting individuals in the
+enemy's skirmish line, and <i>firing at them with solid shot</i>! Lieutenant
+McRae laughed at the ridiculous sight, remonstrated with the officer,
+and offered his squad to serve the gun, if there was any canister in the
+limber chest. The offer was refused, and again the squad moved on.
+Passing a cow-shed about this time, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> squad halted to look with
+horror upon several dead and wounded Confederates who lay there upon the
+manure pile. They had suffered wounds and death upon this the last day
+of their country's struggle. Their wounds had received no attention, and
+those living were famished and burning with fever.</p>
+
+<p>Lieutenant McRae, noticing a number of wagons and guns parked in a field
+near by, surprised at what he considered great carelessness in the
+immediate presence of the enemy, approached an officer on horseback and
+said, in his usual impressive manner, "I say there, what does this
+mean?" The man took his hand and quietly said, "We have surrendered." "I
+don't believe it, sir!" replied McRae, strutting around as mad as a
+hornet. "You mustn't talk so, sir! you will demoralize my men!" He was
+soon convinced, however, by seeing Yankee cavalrymen walking their
+horses around as composedly as though the Army of Northern Virginia had
+never existed. To say that McRae was surprised, disgusted, indignant,
+and incredulous, is a mild way of expressing his state of mind as he
+turned to his squad and said, "Well, boys, it must be so, <i>but it's very
+strange behavior</i>. Let's move on and see about it." As though dreaming,
+the squad and the disgusted officer moved on.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Learning that the army had gone into camp, the skirmishers went on in
+the direction of the village, and found the battalion in the woods near
+the main road. Fires were burning, and those who had been fortunate
+enough to find anything eatable were cooking. Federal troops were riding
+up and down the road and loafing about the camps trying to be familiar.
+They seemed to think that "How are you, Johnny?" spoken in condescending
+style, was sufficient introduction.</p>
+
+<p>During the day a line of men came single file over the hill near the
+camp, each bearing on his shoulder a box of "hardtack" or crackers.
+Behind these came a beef, driven by soldiers. The crackers and beef were
+a present from the Federal troops near, who, knowing the famishing
+condition of the surrounded army, had contributed their day's rations
+for its relief. All honor to them. It was a soldierly act which was
+thoroughly appreciated.</p>
+
+<p>The beef was immediately shot and butchered, and before the animal heat
+had left the meat, it was impaled in little strips on sticks, bayonets,
+swords, and pocket-knives, and roasting over the fires.</p>
+
+<p>Though numbers of the enemy visited the camps and plied the men with all
+sorts of questions, seeming very curious and inquisitive, not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> an unkind
+word was said on either side that day. When the skirmishers under McRae
+entered the camp of the battalion, their enthusiastic descriptions of
+driving the enemy and being driven in turn failed to produce any effect.
+Many of the men were sobbing and crying, like children recovering from
+convulsions of grief after a severe whipping. They were sorely grieved,
+mortified, and humiliated. Of course they had not the slightest
+conception of the numbers of the enemy who surrounded them.</p>
+
+<p>Other men fairly raved with indignation, and declared their desire to
+escape or die in the attempt; but not a man was heard to blame General
+Lee. On the contrary, all expressed the greatest sympathy for him and
+declared their willingness to submit at once, or fight to the last man,
+as he ordered. At no period of the war was he held in higher veneration
+or regarded with more sincere affection, than on that sad and tearful
+day.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon the little remnant of the army was massed in a field.
+General Gordon spoke to them most eloquently, and bade them farewell.
+General Walker addressed his division, to which Cutshaw's battalion was
+attached, bidding them farewell. In the course of his remarks he
+denounced fiercely the men who had thrown down their arms on the march,
+and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> called upon the true men before him to go home and tell their
+wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts how shamefully these cowards
+had behaved.</p>
+
+<p>General Henry A. Wise also spoke, sitting on his horse and bending
+forward over the pommel of his saddle. Referring to the surrender, he
+said, "I would rather have embraced the tabernacle of death."</p>
+
+<p>There were many heaving bosoms and tear-stained faces during the
+speaking. A tall, manly fellow, with his colors pressed to his side,
+stood near General Gordon, convulsed with grief.</p>
+
+<p>The speaking over, the assembly dispersed, and once more the camp-fires
+burned brightly. Night brought long-needed rest. The heroes of many
+hard-fought battles, the conquerors of human nature's cravings, the
+brave old army, fell asleep&mdash;securely guarded by the encircling hosts of
+the enemy. Who will write the history of that march? Who will be able to
+tell the story? Alas! how many heroes fell!</p>
+
+<p>The paroles, which were distributed on Tuesday, the 11th, were printed
+on paper about the size of an ordinary bank check, with blank spaces for
+the date, name of the prisoner, company, and regiment, and signature of
+the commandant of the company or regiment. They<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> were signed by the
+Confederate officers themselves, and were as much respected by all
+picket officers, patrols, etc., of the Federal army as though they bore
+the signature of U. S. Grant. The following is a copy of one of these
+paroles, recently made from the original:</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">Appomattox Court House, Virginia</span>,</p>
+<p style="margin-left: 30em;"><i>April 10, 1865</i>.
+</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>The bearer, Private &mdash;&mdash; &mdash;&mdash;, of Second Company Howitzers, Cutshaw's
+Battalion, a paroled prisoner of the Army of Northern Virginia, has
+permission to go to his home and there remain undisturbed.</p></div>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">L.F. Jones</span>,</p>
+<p><i>Captain Commanding Second Company Howitzers</i>.
+</p>
+
+<p>The "guidon," or color-bearer, of the Howitzers had concealed the battle
+flag of the company about his person, and before the final separation
+cut it into pieces of about four by six inches, giving each man present
+a piece. Many of these scraps of faded silk are still preserved, and
+will be handed down to future generations. Captain Fry, who commanded
+after Colonel Cutshaw was wounded, assembled the battalion, thanked the
+men for their faithfulness, bid them farewell, and read the following:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">Headquarters Army Northern Virginia</span>,<br />
+<span class="smcap">Appomattox Court House</span>, <i>April 10, 1865</i>.</p>
+<p>
+<span class="smcap">General Order No. 9.</span>
+</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p><div class="blockquot"><p>After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage
+and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to
+yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.</p>
+
+<p>I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard-fought battles,
+who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to
+this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and
+devotion could accomplish nothing that would compensate for the loss
+that must have attended a continuance of the contest, I determined to
+avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have
+endeared them to their countrymen.</p>
+
+<p>By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes
+and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction
+that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed,
+and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his
+blessing and protection.</p>
+
+<p>With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your
+country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous
+consideration for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.</p></div>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">R.E. Lee.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>This grand farewell from the man who had in the past personified the
+glory of his army and now bore its grief in his own great heart, was the
+signal for tearful partings. Comrades wept as they gazed upon each
+other, and with choking voices said, farewell! And so&mdash;they parted.
+Little groups of two or three or four,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> without food, without money, but
+with "the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty
+faithfully performed," were soon plodding their way homeward.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2>
+
+<h3>"BRAVE SURVIVORS" HOMEWARD BOUND.</h3>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>Bitter grief for the past, which seemed to be forever lost, and present
+humiliation, could not long suppress the anxious thought and question,
+"What now?" The discussion of the question brought relief from the
+horrid feeling of vacuity which oppressed the soldier and introduced him
+to the new sensations of liberty of choice, freedom of action&mdash;full
+responsibility. For capital he had a clear conscience, a brave heart,
+health, strength, and a good record. With these he sought his home.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 12th of April, without the
+stirring drum or the bugle call of old, the camp awoke to the new life.
+Whether or not they had a country these soldiers did not know. Home to
+many, when they reached it, was graves and ashes. At any rate there must
+be, somewhere on earth, a better place than a muddy, smoky camp in a
+piece of scrubby pines&mdash;better company than gloomy, hungry comrades and
+inquisitive enemies, and something in the future more exciting, if not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span>
+more hopeful, than nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, nothing to do, and
+nowhere to go. The disposition to start was apparent, and the
+preparations were promptly begun.</p>
+
+<p>To roll up the old blanket and oil-cloth, gather up the haversack,
+canteen, axe, perhaps, and a few trifles, in time of peace of no value,
+eat the fragments that remained, and light a pipe, was the work of a few
+moments. This slight employment, coupled with pleasant anticipations of
+the unknown, and therefore possibly enjoyable future, served to restore
+somewhat the usual light-hearted manner of soldiers, and relieve the
+final farewells of much of their sadness. There was even a smack of hope
+and cheerfulness as the little groups sallied out into the world to
+combat they scarcely knew what. As we cannot follow all these groups, we
+will join ourselves to one and see them home.</p>
+
+<p>Two "brothers-in-arms," whose objective point is Richmond, take the road
+on foot. They have nothing to eat and no money. They are bound for their
+home in a city, which, when they last heard from it, was in flames. What
+they will see when they arrive there they cannot imagine; but the
+instinctive love of home urges them. They walk on steadily and rapidly
+and are not diverted by surroundings. It does not even occur to them
+that their situation, sur<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span>rounded on all sides by armed enemies and
+walking a road crowded with them, is at all novel. They are suddenly
+roused to a sense of their situation by a sharp "Halt! show your
+parole!" They had struck the cordon of picket posts which surrounded the
+surrendered army. It was the first exercise of authority by the Federal
+army. A sergeant, accompanied by a couple of muskets, stepped into the
+road, with a modest air examined the paroles and said quietly, "Pass
+on."</p>
+
+<p>The strictly military part of the operation being over, the social
+commenced. As the two "survivors" moved on they were followed by
+numerous remarks, such as "Hello! Johnny, I say! going home?" "Ain't you
+glad!" They made no reply, these wayfarers, but they <i>thought</i> some very
+<i>emphatic remarks</i>.</p>
+
+<p>From this point "On to Richmond!" was the grand thought. Steady work it
+was. The road, strangely enough considering the proximity of two armies,
+was quite lonesome, and not an incident of interest occurred during the
+day. Darkness found the two comrades still pushing on.</p>
+
+<p>Some time after dark a light was seen a short distance ahead and there
+was a "sound of revelry." On approaching, the light was found to proceed
+from a large fire, built on the floor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> of an old and dilapidated
+outhouse, and surrounded by a ragged, hungry, singing, and jolly crowd
+of paroled prisoners of the Army of Northern Virginia, who had gotten
+possession of a quantity of corn meal and were waiting for the ash-cakes
+then in the ashes. Being liberal, they offered the new-comers some of
+their bread. Being hungry, the "survivors" accepted&mdash;and eat their first
+meal that day. Here seemed a good place to spend the night, but the
+party in possession were so noisy, and finally so quarrelsome and
+disagreeable generally, that the "survivors," after a short rest, pushed
+on in the darkness, determined, if possible, to find some shelter more
+quiet. The result was a night march, which was continued till the
+morning dawned.</p>
+
+<p>Thursday morning they entered the village of Buckingham Court House, and
+traded a small pocket mirror for a substantial breakfast. There was
+quite a crowd of soldiers gathered around a cellar door, trying to
+persuade an ex-Confederate A.A.A. Commissary of Subsistence that he
+might as well, in view of the fact that the army had surrendered, let
+them have some of his stores; and, after considerable persuasion and
+some threats, he relinquished the hope of keeping them for himself, and
+told the men to help themselves. They did so.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The people of the village did not exactly doubt the <i>fact</i> of the
+surrender, but evidently thought matters had been <i>somewhat
+exaggerated</i>, facts suppressed, and everything allowed to fall into a
+very doubtful condition. Confederate money would not pass, however;
+<i>that</i> was settled <i>beyond doubt</i>.</p>
+
+<p>As the two tramps were about to leave the village, and were hurrying
+along the high road which led through it, they saw a solitary horseman
+approaching from their rear. It was easy to recognize at once General
+Lee. He rode slowly, calmly along. As he passed an old tavern on the
+roadside, some ladies and children waved their handkerchiefs, smiled,
+and wept. The General turned his eyes to the porch on which they stood,
+and slowly putting his hand to his hat, raised it slightly, and as
+slowly again dropped his hand to his side. The survivors did not weep,
+but they had strange sensations. They pushed on, steering, so to speak,
+for Cartersville and the ferry.</p>
+
+<p>Before leaving the village it was the sad duty of the survivors to stop
+at the humble abode of Mrs. P., and tell her of the death of her
+husband, who fell mortally wounded, pierced by a musket ball, near
+Sailor's Creek. She was also told that a comrade who was by his side
+when he fell, but who was not able to stay with him,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> would come along
+soon and give her the particulars. That comrade came and repeated the
+story. In a few days the "dead man" reached home alive and scarcely
+hurt. He was originally an infantryman, recently transferred to
+artillery, and therefore wore a small knapsack, as infantrymen did. The
+ball struck the knapsack with a "whack!" and knocked the man down. That
+was all.</p>
+
+<p>Some time during the night the travelers reached the ferry at
+Cartersville. Darkness and silence prevailed there. Loud and continued
+shouts brought no ferryman, and eager searchings revealed no boat. The
+depth of the water being a thing unknown and not easily found out, it
+was obviously prudent to camp for the night.</p>
+
+<p>On the river's edge there was an old building which seemed a brick one;
+one wall near the water's edge. A flight of steep, rough steps led to an
+open door on the second floor. Up these steps climbed the weary men.
+Inside there was absolute darkness, but there was shelter from the wind.
+Feeling about on the floor they satisfied themselves of its cleanliness
+and dryness. The faithful old blankets were once more spread, their
+owners laid down and at once fell into a deep sleep which was not broken
+till morning. The room was surpris<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>ingly small. When the soldiers
+entered they had no idea of the size of it, and went to sleep with the
+impression that it was very large. The morning revealed its
+dimensions&mdash;about ten by twelve feet. The ferryman was early at his
+post, and put the travelers across cheerfully without charge.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus22.jpg" alt="milk"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> ANY BUTTERMILK AUNTY</p>
+
+<p>Soon after crossing, a good silver-plated table-spoon, bearing the
+monogram of one of the travelers, purchased from an aged colored woman a
+large chunk of ash-cake and about half a gallon of buttermilk. This old
+darkey had lived in Richmond in her younger days. She spoke of grown men
+and women there as "children whar I raised." "Lord! boss, does you know
+Miss Sadie? Well, I nussed her and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> I nussed all uv them chillun; that I
+did, sah! Yawl chillun does look hawngry, that you does. Well, you's
+welcome to them vittles, and I'm powful glad to git dis spoon. God bless
+you, honey!" A big log on the roadside furnished a seat for the
+comfortable consumption of the before-mentioned ash-cake and milk. The
+feast was hardly begun when the tramp of a horse's hoofs was heard.
+Looking up the survivors saw, with surprise, General Lee approaching. He
+was entirely alone, and rode slowly along. Unconscious that any one saw
+him, he was yet erect, dignified, and apparently as calm and peaceful as
+the fields and woods around him. Having caught sight of the occupants of
+the log, he kept his eyes fixed on them, and as he passed, turned
+slightly, saluted, and said, in the most gentle manner: "Good morning,
+gentlemen; taking your breakfast?" The soldiers had only time to rise,
+salute, and say "Yes, sir!" and he was gone.</p>
+
+<p>Having finished as far as they were able the abundant meal furnished by
+the liberality of the good "old mammy," the travelers resumed their
+journey greatly refreshed.</p>
+
+<p>It seems that General Lee pursued the road which the survivors chose,
+and, starting later than they, overtook them, he being mounted and they
+on foot. At any rate, it was their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> good fortune to see him three
+times between Appomattox and Richmond. The incidents introducing General
+Lee are peculiarly interesting, and while the writer is in doubt as to
+the <i>day</i> on which the next and last incident occurred, the reader may
+rest assured of the truthfulness of the narration.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus23.jpg" alt="morning"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.</p>
+
+<p>About the time when men who have eaten a hearty breakfast become again
+hungry&mdash;as good fortune would have it happen&mdash;the travellers reached a
+house pleasantly situated, and a comfortable place withal. Approaching
+the house they were met by an exceedingly kind, energetic, and
+hospitable woman. She promptly asked, "You are not deserters?" "No,"
+said the soldiers, "we have our paroles. We are from Richmond; we are
+homeward bound, and called to ask if you could spare us a dinner?"
+"Spare you a dinner? certainly I can. My husband is a miller; his mill
+is right across the road there, down the hill, and I have been cooking
+all day for the poor starving men. Take a seat on the porch there and I
+will get you something to eat." By the time the travelers were seated,
+this admirable woman was in the kitchen at work. The "pat-a-pat, pat,
+pat, pat, pat-a-pat-a-pat" of the sifter, and the cracking and "fizzing"
+of the fat bacon as it fried, saluted their hungry ears, and the
+delicious smell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> tickled their olfactory nerves most delightfully.
+Sitting thus, entertained by delightful sounds, breathing the fragrant
+air, and wrapped in meditation,&mdash;or anticipation rather,&mdash;the soldiers
+saw the dust rise in the air, and heard the sound of an approaching
+party.</p>
+
+<p>Several horsemen rode up to the road-gate, threw their bridles over the
+posts or tied to the overhanging boughs, and dismounted. They were
+evidently officers, well dressed, fine looking men, and about to enter
+the gate. Almost at once the men on the porch recognized General Lee and
+his son. An ambulance had arrived at the gate also. Without delay the
+party entered and approached the house, General Lee preceding the
+others. Satisfied that it was the General's intention to enter the
+house, the two "brave survivors" instinctively and respectfully,
+venerating the approaching man, determined to give him and his
+companions the porch. As they were executing a rather rapid and
+undignified flank movement to gain the right and rear of the house, the
+voice of General Lee overhauled them, thus: "Where are you men going?"
+"This lady has offered to give us a dinner, and we are waiting for it,"
+replied the soldiers. "Well, you had better move on now&mdash;this gentleman
+will have quite a large party on him to-day," said the General.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> The
+soldiers touched their caps, said "Yes, sir," and retired, somewhat
+hurt, to a strong position on a hencoop in the rear of the house. The
+party then settled on the porch.</p>
+
+<p>The General had, of course, no authority, and the surrender of the porch
+was purely respectful. Knowing this the soldiers were at first hurt, but
+a moment's reflection satisfied them that the General was right. He <i>had
+suspicions of plunder</i>, and these were increased by the movement of the
+men to the rear as he approached. He <i>misinterpreted their conduct</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The lady of the house (<i>a reward for her name</i>!) hearing the dialogue in
+the yard, pushed her head through the crack of the kitchen door, and, as
+she tossed a lump of dough from hand to hand and gazed eagerly out,
+addressed the soldiers: "Ain't that old General Lee?" "Yes; General Lee
+and his son and other officers come to dine with you," they replied.
+"Well," she said, "he ain't no better than the men that fought for him,
+and I don't reckon he is as hungry; so you just come in here. I am going
+to give you yours first, and then I'll get something for him!"</p>
+
+<p>What a meal it was! Seated at the kitchen table, the large-hearted woman
+bustling about and talking away, the ravenous tramps attacked a pile of
+old Virginia hoe-cake and corn-dodger,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> a frying pan with an inch of
+gravy and slices of bacon, streak of lean and streak of fat, very
+numerous. To finish&mdash;as much rich buttermilk as the drinkers could
+contain. With many heartfelt thanks the survivors bid farewell to this
+immortal woman, and leaving the General and his party in quiet
+possession of the front porch, pursued their way.</p>
+
+<p>Night found the survivors at the gate of a quite handsome, framed,
+country residence. The weather was threatening, and it was desirable to
+have shelter as well as rest. Entering, and knocking at the door, they
+were met by a servant girl. She was sent to her mistress with a request
+for permission to sleep on her premises. The servant returned, saying,
+"Mistis say she's a widder, and there ain't no gentleman in the house,
+and she can't let you come in." She was sent with a second message,
+which informed the lady that the visitors were from Richmond, members of
+a certain company from there, and would be content to sleep on the
+porch, in the stable, or in the barn. They would protect her property,
+etc., etc., etc.</p>
+
+<p>This brought the lady of the house to the door. She said, "If you are
+members of the &mdash;&mdash; &mdash;&mdash;, you must know my nephew; he was in that
+company." Of course they knew him. "Old chum," "Comrade," "Particular<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>
+friend," "Splendid fellow," "Hope he was well when you heard from him.
+Glad to meet you, madam!" These and similar hearty expressions brought
+the longed for "Come in, gentlemen; you are welcome. I will see that
+supper is prepared for you at once." (Invitation accepted.)</p>
+
+<p>The old haversacks were deposited in a corner under the steps, and their
+owners conducted down-stairs to a spacious dining-room, quite prettily
+furnished. A large table occupied the centre of the room, and at one
+side there was a handsome display of silver in a glass-front case. A
+good big fire lighted the room. The lady sat quietly working at some
+woman's work, and from time to time questioning, in a <i>rather
+suspicious</i> manner, her guests. Their correct answers satisfied her, and
+their respectful manner reassured her, so that by the time supper was
+brought in she was chatting and laughing with her "defenders."</p>
+
+<p>The supper came in steaming hot. It was abundant, well prepared, and
+served elegantly. Splendid coffee, hot biscuit, luscious butter, fried
+ham, eggs, fresh milk! The writer could not expect to be believed if he
+should tell the quantity eaten at that meal. The good lady of the house
+enjoyed the sight. She relished every mouthful, and no doubt realized
+then and there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> the blessing which is conferred on hospitality, and the
+truth of that saying of old: "It is more blessed to give than to
+receive."</p>
+
+<p>The wayfarers were finally shown to a neat little chamber. The bed was
+soft and glistening white. Too white and clean to be soiled by the
+occupancy of two Confederate soldiers who had not had a change of
+underclothing for many weeks. They looked at it, felt of it, spread
+their old blankets on the neat carpet, and slept there till near the
+break of day.</p>
+
+<p>While it was yet dark the travelers, unwilling to lose time waiting for
+breakfast, crept out of the house, leaving their thanks for their kind
+hostess, and pressed rapidly on to Manikin Town, on the James River and
+Kanawha Canal, half a day's march from Richmond, where they arrived
+while it was yet early morning. The green sward between the canal and
+river was inviting, and the survivors laid there awhile to rest and
+determine whether or not they would push on to the city. They decided to
+do so as soon as they could find a breakfast to fit them for the day's
+march.</p>
+
+<p>A short walk placed them at the yard gate of a house prominent by reason
+of its size and finish. Everything indicated comfort, plenty, and
+freedom from the ravages of war. The proprietor, a well-fed, hearty man,
+of not more than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> forty-two or three, who, as a soldier could tell at a
+glance, had never seen a day's service, stood behind the tall gate, and,
+without a motion towards opening it, replied to the cheery "Good
+morning, sir," of the soldiers with a sullen "morn; what do you want
+here?" "We are from Richmond, sir, members of the &mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;. We are on
+our way home from Appomattox, where the army was surrendered, and called
+to ask if you could spare us something to eat before we start on the
+day's march." "Oh, yes! <i>I</i> know about the surrender, <i>I</i> do. Some
+scoundrels were here last night and stole my best mare, d&mdash;- 'em! No, I
+don't want any more of such cattle here," replied the patriot. (A
+<i>large</i> reward for <i>his</i> name.) The foragers, having worked for a meal
+before and being less sensitive than "penniless gentlemen" sometimes
+are, replied, "<i>We</i> are not horse-thieves or beggars. If you do not feel
+that it would be a pleasure and a privilege to feed us, <i>don't do it</i>.
+We don't propose to press the matter."</p>
+
+<p>At last he said, "Come in, then; I'll see what I can do." The seekers
+after food accepted the ungracious invitation, followed the dog through
+his yard and into his house, and took seats at his table. At a signal
+from the master a servant went out. The host followed, and, it is
+supposed, instructed her. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> host returned, and was soon followed by
+the servant bearing two plates, which were placed before the survivors.
+Alas! that they should "survive" to see that the plates contained the
+heads, tails, fins, and vertebr&aelig; of the fish, fresh from the river,
+which the family of this hero and sufferer from the evils of war had
+devoured at their early, and, no doubt, cozy breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>Survivor No. 1 looked at Survivor No. 2, Survivor No. 2 looked at
+Survivor No. 1, and simultaneously they rose to their feet, glanced at
+the "host," and strode to and out of the door. The "host" followed,
+amazed. "What's the matter, gentlemen? You did not eat." The "poor
+soldiers" replied: "No, we didn't eat; we are not dogs. Permit us to say
+we are satisfied it would be an injustice to the canine race to call
+<i>you</i> one. You deserve to lose another mare. You are meaner than any
+epithets at our command."</p>
+
+<p>The man fairly trembled. His face was pale with rage, but he dared not
+reply as he would. Recovering himself, and seeing an "odorous" name in
+the future, he attempted apology and reparation for the insult, and
+complete reconciliation. "Oh, come in, come in! I'll have something
+cooked for you. Sorry the mistake occurred. All right, all right, boys;
+come in," pulling and patting the "boys." But the boys<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> wouldn't "go
+in." On the contrary, they stayed out persistently, and, before they
+left that gate, heaped on its owner all the contempt, disdain, and scorn
+which they could express; flung at him all the derisive epithets which
+four years in the army places at a man's disposal; pooh poohed at his
+hypocritical regrets; and shaking off the dust of that place from their
+feet, pushed on to the city, the smoke of which rose to heaven.</p>
+
+<p>At eleven <span class="smcap">A.M.</span> of the same day, two footsore, despondent, and
+penniless men stood facing the ruins of the home of a comrade who had
+sent a message to his mother. "Tell mother I am coming." The ruins yet
+smoked. A relative of the lady whose home was in ashes, and whose son
+said "I am coming," stood by the survivors. "Well, then," he said, "it
+must be true that General Lee has surrendered." The solemnity of the
+remark, coupled with the certainty in the minds of the survivors, was
+almost amusing. The relative pointed out the temporary residence of the
+mother, and thither the survivors wended their way.</p>
+
+<p>A knock at the door startled the mother, and, with agony in her eyes,
+she appeared at the open door, exclaiming, "My poor boys!"&mdash;"Are safe,
+and coming home," said the survivors. "Thank God!" said the mother, and
+the tears flowed down her cheeks.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>A rapid walk through ruined and smoking streets, some narrow escapes
+from negro soldiers on police duty, the satisfaction of seeing two of
+the "boys in blue" hung up by their thumbs for pillaging, a few
+handshakings, and the survivors found their way to the house of a
+relative where they did eat bread with thanks.</p>
+
+<p>A friend informed the survivors that farm hands were needed all around
+the city. They made a note of the name of one farmer. Saturday night the
+old blankets were spread on the parlor floor. Sunday morning, the 16th
+of April, they bid farewell to the household, and started for the
+farmer's house.</p>
+
+<p>As they were about to start away, the head of the family took from his
+pocket a handful of odd silver pieces, and extending it to his guests,
+told them it was all he had, but they were <i>welcome to half of it</i>!
+Remembering that he had a wife and three or four children to feed, the
+soldiers smiled through <i>their</i> tears at his, bade him keep it all, and
+"weep for himself rather than for them." So saying, they departed, and
+at sundown were at the farmer's house, fourteen miles away. Monday
+morning, the 17th, they "beat their swords" (muskets, in this case) into
+plow-shares, and did the first day's work of the <i>sixty</i> which the
+simple farmer secured at a cost to himself of about <i>half rations</i> for
+two men. Behold the gratitude of a people!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2>
+
+<h3>SOLDIERS TRANSFORMED.</h3>
+
+
+<p>Sunday night, April 16th, the two survivors sat down to a cozy supper at
+the farmer's house. Plentiful it was, and, to hungry travelers, sweet
+and satisfying. The presence of the farmer's wife and children, two lady
+refugees, and an old gentleman, who was also a refugee, added greatly to
+the novelty and pleasure of the meal.</p>
+
+<p>After supper the soldiers were plied with questions till they were
+almost overcome by fatigue and about to fall asleep in their chairs.</p>
+
+<p>At last the farmer, with many apologies, led them kindly to the best
+room in the house, the parlor, where they spread their blankets on the
+carpeted floor and were soon sound asleep.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the breakfast was enough to craze a Confederate soldier.
+Buttermilk-biscuit, fresh butter, eggs, milk, fried bacon, coffee! After
+the breakfast, business.</p>
+
+<p>The farmer proposed to feed and lodge the soldiers, and pay them eleven
+dollars monthly, for such manual labor as they could perform on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> his
+farm. The soldiers, having in remembrance the supper and breakfast,
+accepted the terms. The new "hands" were now led to the garden, where
+the farmer had half an acre plowed up, and each was furnished with an
+old, dull hoe, with crooked, knotty handles. The farmer then, with
+blushes and stammering, explained that he desired to have each
+particular clod chopped up fine with the hoe. The soldiers&mdash;town
+men&mdash;thought this an almost superhuman task and a great waste of time,
+but, so that the work procured food, they cared not what the work might
+be, and at it they went with a will. All that morning, until the dinner
+hour, those two hoes rose and fell as regularly as the pendulum of a
+clock swings from side to side, and almost as fast.</p>
+
+<p>The negro men and women in the neighborhood, now in the full enjoyment
+of newly-conferred liberty, and consequently having no thought of doing
+any work, congregated about the garden, leaned on the fence, gazed
+sleepily at the toiling soldiers, chuckled now and then, and
+occasionally explained their presence by remarking to each other, "Come
+here to see dem dar white folks wuckin."</p>
+
+<p>There were onions growing in that garden, which the soldiers were glad
+to pull up and eat. It was angel's food to men who had fed for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> months
+on salt bacon and corn bread without one mouthful of any green thing.
+When dinner time came the "hands" were, to say the least, very decidedly
+hungry.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus24.jpg" alt="wuckin"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'>SEE DEM WHITE FOLKS WUCKIN</p>
+
+<p>Buttermilk-biscuit figured prominently again, and the soldiers found
+great difficulty in exercising any deliberation in the eating of them.
+It really seemed to them that, were it reasonable behavior, they could
+devour every morsel provided for the entire family. But when they had
+devoured about two thirds of all there was to eat, and the host said,
+"Have another biscuit?" they replied, "No, thank you, <i>plenty</i>&mdash;greatest
+plenty!" all the while as hungry as when they sat down. It was only a
+question of <i>who</i> was to be hungry&mdash;the soldiers or the children. There
+was not enough for all. After dinner the survivors went again to the
+garden and chopped those clods of earth until the merry voice of the
+farmer called them to supper.</p>
+
+<p>At supper there was a profusion of flowers which, the kind lady of the
+house explained, were there to cheer the soldiers. She had noticed they
+were sad, and hoped that this little attention would cheer them. But the
+thing the soldiers most needed to enliven them was more to eat. They
+were not feeling romantic at all.</p>
+
+<p>After the supper the whole family adjourned<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> to the parlor and were
+entertained with some good old-fashioned piano playing and homespun
+duets and solos. The veterans added their mite to the entertainment in
+the shape of a tolerably fair tenor and an intolerable bass. Singing in
+the open air, with a male chorus, is not the best preparation for a
+parlor mixed quartette.</p>
+
+<p>When the war ceased the negroes on the farm had left their quarters and
+gone out in search of a glorious something which they had heard
+described as "liberty," freedom, "manhood," and the like. Consequently
+the "quarters" suggested themselves to the farmer as a good place for
+the new field hands to occupy for sleeping apartments. They were carried
+to an out-building and shown their room, ten by fifteen feet,
+unplastered, greasy, and dusty. The odor of the "man and brother" did
+cling there still. A bench, a stool, an old rickety bedstead, and a bed
+of straw, completed the fitting out of the room. Save for the shelter of
+the roof, anywhere in the fields would have been far preferable. The
+first night disclosed the presence of fleas in abundance, and other
+things worse.</p>
+
+<p>While it was yet dark the farmer, still somewhat embarrassed by the
+possession of the new style of laborer, began to call, "Time to get up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>
+bo&mdash;gentlemen!" "Hallo there!" bang, bang, bang! After a while the new
+hands appeared outside, and as they looked around noticed that the sun
+was looking larger and redder than they remembered it and too low down.
+The morning air was chilling, and grass, bushes, everything, dripping
+with dew.</p>
+
+<p>The farmer led the way to the stable yard, and pointing to a very
+lively, restless, muscular young bull with handsome horns and glaring
+eyes, said he was to be yoked and hitched to the cart. If he had asked
+them to bridle and saddle an untamed African lion they would not have
+been more unwilling or less competent. So the farmer, telling them the
+animal was very gentle and harmless, proceeded to yoke and hitch him,
+hoping, he said, that having once seen the operation, his new hands
+would know how. The yoke was a sort of collar, and when the hitching was
+done the bull stood in the shafts of the cart just as a horse would.
+Instead of a bridle and reins a heavy iron chain with links an inch and
+a half long was passed around the base of the animal's horns. The driver
+held the end of the chain and managed the animal by giving it tremendous
+jerks, which never failed to thrill the bull with agony, if one might
+judge from the expression of his countenance and the eagerness with
+which he rammed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> his horns into pine-trees, or anything near, whenever
+he felt the shock. The soldiers constantly marveled that his horns did
+not drop off. But they were not familiar with country life, and
+especially ignorant of the art of driving an ox-cart.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus25.jpg" alt="bull"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> Bull Team</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast the younger of the two survivors was told to take the
+cart, drawn by the animal already described, and go down into the woods
+after a load of cord-wood for the kitchen fire. The trip <i>to</i> the woods
+was comparatively easy. The wood was soon loaded on the cart, and the
+journey home commenced. After going a few yards the animal concluded to
+stop. His driver, finding that coaxing would not induce him to start,
+slacked the chain, gave it a quick, strong jerk, and started him. He
+went off at a fearful rate, with his nose on the ground and his tail
+flying like a banner in the air. In<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> a moment he managed to hang a
+sapling which halted him, but summoning all his strength for a great
+effort, he bent himself to the yoke, the sapling slowly bent forward,
+and the axle mounted it. In another moment the sapling had righted
+itself, but the cart was turned over completely, and the wood on the
+ground. There were a great many mosquitoes, gnats, and flies in those
+woods, and they were biting furiously. Possibly that may account for the
+exasperated condition of the driver and his use of strong expressions
+there.</p>
+
+<p>The cart was righted, the wood piled on again, and, strange to say, got
+out of the woods without further mishap. But in order to reach the house
+it was necessary to drive up the slope of a hill-side, with here and
+there a stump. On the way up the driver saw a stump ahead and determined
+to avoid it. So he gave the chain a shake. But the animal preferred to
+"straddle" the stump, and would have succeeded but for the fact that it
+was too high to pass beneath the axle. As soon as he felt the resistance
+of the stump against the axle, he made splendid exertions to overcome
+it, and succeeded in walking off with the body of the cart, leaving the
+axle and wheels behind. He didn't go far, however. The farmer came down
+and released the weary animal. The survivor then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> "toted" the wood,
+stick by stick, to the house, and learned thereby the value of cord-wood
+ready to hand. People who are raised in the country have simple ways,
+but they can do some things much better than town-people can. They are
+useful people. They are not afraid of cattle or horses. The next day
+this awful animal was yoked to a plow and placed under the care of the
+elder of the survivors, who was to plow a field near the house. In a few
+minutes he did something displeasing to the bull, which started him to
+running at a fearful speed. He dashed away towards the house, the plow
+flying and flapping about like the arms of a flail; tore through the
+flower-beds, ripping them to pieces; tore down all the choice young
+trees about the house; frightened the ladies and children nearly to
+death, and demoralized the whole farm. He was at last captured and
+affectionately cared for by the farmer, who, no doubt, felt that it was
+a pity for any man to be compelled to trust his valuable stock to the
+management of green hands.</p>
+
+<p>In the mean time the "other man" had been furnished with a harrow and a
+mule and sent to harrow a field. The farmer pointed, carelessly no
+doubt, to a field and said, "Now you go there and drag that field. You
+know how, don't you? Well!" So he went and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> dragged that old harrow up
+and down, up and down, for many a weary hour. Towards dinner time he
+heard a voice in the distance, as of some one in distress. "Heigh!
+Ho-o-o-o! Say there! Stop! Sto-o-o-o-op! Hold on!"</p>
+
+<p>There came the farmer running, panting, gesticulating, and screaming.
+Standing in astonishment the agricultural survivor awaited his arrival
+and an explanation of his strange conduct. As soon as the farmer had
+breath to speak he said, "Ah, me! Oh my! Mister, my dear sir! You have
+gone sir, and sir, you have tore up <i>all my turnip salad</i>!" And he wept
+there sorely. You see the farmer pointed out the field carelessly, and
+the "hand" got on the <i>wrong</i> one. He noticed some vegetation shooting
+up here and there, but supposed it was some weed the farmer wished to
+eradicate. Town-people don't know everything, and soldiers <i>are so
+careless</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The three refugees before mentioned were an old gentleman, his aged
+wife, and their widowed daughter. Having lost their home and all their
+worldly possessions, they had agreed to work for the farmer for food and
+lodging. The old gentleman was acting somewhat in the character of
+coachman; his wife was nurse; and the widowed daughter was cook and
+house-servant. The three were fully the equals if not the supe<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span>riors of
+the family in which they were serving. Happily for them they soon got
+some good news, and drove away in their own carriage. The farmer did the
+best he could for them while they stayed, and for his survivors; but he
+was burdened with a large family, a miserably poor farm, deep poverty,
+and hopeless shiftlessness.</p>
+
+<p>One day the farmer made up his mind to cultivate a certain field, in the
+centre of which he had an extensive cow-pen, inclosed by a ten-rail
+fence. To prepare the way he wanted that fence taken down, carried rail
+by rail to the corner of the field, and there piled up. He put one of
+his new hands to work at this interesting job, and went home, probably
+to take a nap. The survivor toted rails that day on one shoulder until
+it was bleeding, and then on the other until that was too sensitive.
+Then he walked over to see how the other "hand" was getting along with
+the horse and mule team and the harrow.</p>
+
+<p>He found him very warm, very much exasperated, using excited language,
+beating the animals, and declaring that no man under the sun ever
+encountered such formidable difficulties in the pursuit of agricultural
+profit. He explained that the horse was too large and the mule too
+small; the traces were too old, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> would break every few yards; the
+harness was dropping to pieces; the teeth constantly dropping out of the
+harrow; and the harrow itself ready to tumble into firewood. In addition
+to these annoyances, the mule and the horse alternated between going the
+wrong way and not going at all. The man almost wept as he described the
+aggravating calmness of the animals. When a trace broke they turned,
+gazed on the wreck, stood still, groaned (by way of a sigh), and seemed
+to say, "One more brief respite, thank Providence! Fifteen minutes to
+tie up that old chain, <i>at least</i>!" After a careful survey of the
+situation and some tolerably accurate guesses as to the proximity of the
+dinner hour, the two battered remnants of the glorious old army decided
+to suspend operations, and slowly wended their way to the house: one
+carrying his lacerated shoulders, and the other steering the remains of
+the harrow.</p>
+
+<p>It had been agreed&mdash;indeed, the "remnants" had insisted&mdash;that they were
+to be directed about their work and made to serve exactly as the negro
+hands would have been had they remained. But, so novel was the
+situation, the farmer had constantly to be reminded of his authority. At
+last a bright idea occurred to the farmer. He would undertake a little
+extra-fine work for a neighbor, and thus relieve the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> survivors of the
+monotony of the hoe, the plow, and the harrow. Some old ladies wanted
+their household goods moved from one house to another, and we were to
+undertake the job.</p>
+
+<p>The entire force consisted of the mule and the cart thereto belonging,
+and the bull and his cart. The mule had precedence in the line, and was
+closely followed by the bull. The farmer walked in front as pioneer, the
+elder survivor drove the mule, and the hero of the cow-pen held the
+chain which agonized the bull when necessary.</p>
+
+<p>At the brow of a certain long hill, which the humble mule had quietly
+walked down, the bull halted for meditation. His impatient and less
+romantic driver thoughtlessly gave the chain a rude jerk. In an instant
+he felt himself whirled down that hill at breakneck speed. Almost
+simultaneous with the start was the shock of the stop. Picking himself
+up, the driver found his cart securely fastened to a pine-tree, which
+was jammed between the wheel and the body of it. The steed was unhurt,
+but excited. After a long coaxing the farmer persuaded him to back far
+enough to disengage the cart, and the progress continued.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture was found in a small room, up a crooked and narrow stairs.
+Nothing was as large as the furniture. How to get it out was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> a
+conundrum. One of the survivors suggested to the farmer to knock off the
+roof of the house, and take it out that way. But he wouldn't hear of it.
+Finally, the cart was driven under the eaves, and while "those whose
+past services had endeared them to their countrymen" rolled the
+furniture out of the window and lowered it "by hand" from the eaves, the
+farmer stowed it in the cart. The ladies, though greatly agitated by the
+imminent danger of the furniture, found time to admire the ingenuity and
+originality of the plan and the intrepid daring of its execution. The
+farmer, who had several times been in danger of having himself mashed
+flat, was entirely overlooked. Both the carts being loaded, the train
+moved off in good order.</p>
+
+<p>After a few days the farmer mounted one of the men, "not conquered, but
+wearied with victory," on the mule, gave him an old meal-bag, and sent
+him to a neighbor's for meal and bacon. He got, say, a peck of one and a
+pound or two of the other. This proceeding was repeated at intervals of
+a day or two, and finally led to the conclusion that the farmer was
+living from hand to mouth certainly, and in all probability on charity.
+Besides, the "new hands" felt a growing indisposition, owing to the
+meagre supplies on the table, to allow themselves any latitude in the
+matter of eating. So they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> resolved to try the good old plan of days
+gone by, and send out a foraging party. The plans were discussed at
+length, and everything decided.</p>
+
+<p>One morning, early, the senior of the "endeared" survivors took the road
+for Richmond, distant about fourteen miles, intending there to lay in
+food, tobacco, pipes, information, and any other little thing calculated
+to brighten life on a farm. During his absence the other forlorn
+survivor groaned with impatience and doubt, questioning the possibility
+of a man returning to such a place after seeing the luxurious supplies
+of good eating on exhibition by the Yankee sutlers in Richmond.</p>
+
+<p>But he did return, like a good comrade, bringing his "plunder" with him.
+He made the round trip of twenty-eight miles on foot, and at midnight
+reached the "quarters" with cold ham, good bread, pipes, smoking
+tobacco, chewing tobacco, a few clean clothes, and a good pair of shoes,
+which one of the party needed. These were the gift of an old friend in
+town. Sitting on the bedside, as morning approached, they made a hearty
+meal, and then smoked, smoked, smoked, as only men can smoke who love to
+smoke and have not had the wherewithal for a week or two.</p>
+
+<p>The returned forager told of the strange<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> sights he had seen in town.
+Some young Confederates, who were smart, were at work in the ruins
+cleaning bricks at five dollars a day. Others had government work, as
+clerks, mechanics, and laborers, earning from one to five dollars a day.
+The government had established commissary stores at different points in
+the city, where rations were sold, at nominal prices, to those who could
+buy, and supplied gratis to those who could not. He had seen gray-haired
+old gentlemen, all their lives used to plenty, standing about these
+places, waiting "their turn" to "draw." Soldiers marched by twos and
+fours and by companies, everywhere. Captains and lieutenants, sergeants
+and corporals, were the masters of the city and a sort of temporary
+Providence, dictating what sort of clothes the people were to wear, what
+they might eat, what they might do, what they might say and think; in
+short, allowing the people to live, as it were, on a "limited" ticket.</p>
+
+<p>But among other things the forager brought information to the effect
+that he had secured employment for both at the cheering rate of five
+dollars per week.</p>
+
+<p>So one day these two "laid down the shovel and the hoe," and made most
+excellent time for Richmond, arriving there early in the day, and
+entering at once upon the new work.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus26.jpg" alt="buttons"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> C.S. Buttons off</p>
+
+<p>During the stay at the farm the survivors felt that they were not yet
+returned to civil life, but "foraging" on the neutral ground between war
+and peace,&mdash;neither soldiers nor citizens. But now, in regular
+employment, in a city,&mdash;<i>their own city</i>!&mdash;with so much per week and the
+responsibility of "finding themselves," and especially after the provost
+made them cut the brass buttons off their jackets, and more especially
+after they were informed that they must take the oath before doing
+anything else,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> they began to think that probably the war was nearing
+its end. But a real good hearty war like that dies hard. No country
+likes to part with a good earnest war. It likes to talk about the war,
+write its history, fight its battles over and over again, and build
+monument after monument to commemorate its glories.</p>
+
+<p>A long time after a war, people begin to find out, as they read, that
+the deadly struggle marked a grand period in their history!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2>
+
+<h3>CAMP-FIRES OF THE BOYS IN GRAY.</h3>
+
+
+<p>The soldier may forget the long, weary march, with its dust, heat, and
+thirst, and he may forget the horrors and blood of the battle-field, or
+he may recall them sadly, as he thinks of the loved dead; but the
+cheerful, happy scenes of the camp-fire he will never forget. How
+willingly he closes his eyes to the present to dream of those happy,
+careless days and nights! Around the fire crystallize the memories of
+the soldier's life. It was his home, his place of rest, where he met
+with good companionship. <i>Who kindled the fire?</i> Nobody had matches,
+there was no fire in sight, and yet scarcely was the camp determined
+when the bright blaze of the camp-fire was seen. <i>He</i> was a shadowy
+fellow who kindled the fire. Nobody knows who he was; but no matter how
+wet the leaves, how sobby the twigs, no matter if there was no fire in a
+mile of the camp, that fellow could start one. Some men might get down
+on hands and knees, and blow it and fan it, rear and charge, and fume
+and fret, and yet "she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> wouldn't burn." But this fellow would come, kick
+it all around, scatter it, rake it together again, shake it up a little,
+and oh, <i>how it burned</i>! The little flames would bite the twigs and snap
+at the branches, embrace the logs, and leap and dance and laugh, at the
+touch of the master's hand, and soon lay at his feet a bed of glowing
+coals.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the fire is kindled all hands want water. Who can find it?
+Where is it? Never mind; we have a man who knows where to go. He says,
+"Where's our bucket?" and then we hear the rattle of the old tin cup as
+it drops to the bottom of it, and away he goes, nobody knows where. But
+<i>he</i> knows, and he doesn't stop to think, but without the slightest
+hesitation or doubt strikes out in the darkness. From the camp-fire as a
+centre, draw 500 radii, and start an ordinary man on any of them, and
+let him walk a mile on each, and he will miss the water. But that fellow
+in the mess with the water instinct never failed. He would go as
+straight for the spring, or well, or creek, or river, as though he had
+lived in that immediate neighborhood all his life and never got water
+anywhere else. What a valuable man he was! A modest fellow, who never
+knew his own greatness. But others remember and honor him. May he never
+want for any good thing!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Having a roaring fire and a bucket of good water, we settle down. A man
+cannot be comfortable "<i>anywhere</i>;" so each man and his "chum" picks out
+a tree, and that particular tree becomes the homestead of the two. They
+hang their canteens on it, lay their haversacks and spread their
+blankets at the foot of it, and sit down and lean their weary backs
+against it, and feel that they are at home. How gloomy the woods are
+beyond the glow of our fire! How cozy and comfortable we are who stand
+around it and inhale the aroma of the coffee-boiler and skillet!</p>
+
+<p>The man squatting by the fire is a person of importance. He doesn't
+talk, not he; his whole mind is concentrated on that skillet. He is our
+cook,&mdash;volunteer, natural and talented cook. Not in a vulgar sense. He
+doesn't mix, but simply bakes, the biscuit. Every faculty, all the
+energy, of the man is employed in that great work. Don't suggest
+anything to him if you value his friendship. Don't attempt to put on or
+take off from the top of that skillet one single coal, and don't be in a
+hurry for the biscuit. You need not say you "like yours half done," etc.
+Simply wait. When he thinks they are ready, and not before, you get
+them. <i>He</i> may raise the lid cautiously now and then and look in, but
+don't <i>you</i> look in.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> Don't say you think they are done, because it's
+useless. Ah! his face relaxes; he raises the lid, turns it upside down
+to throw off the coals, and says, <i>All right, boys</i>! And now, with the
+air of a wealthy philanthropist, he distributes the solid and weighty
+product of his skill to, as it were, the humble dependents around him.</p>
+
+<p>The "General" of the mess, having satisfied the cravings of the inner
+man, now proceeds to enlighten the ordinary members of it as to when,
+how, and why, and where, the campaign will open, and what will be the
+result. He arranges for every possible and impossible contingency, and
+brings the war to a favorable and early termination. The greatest
+mistake General Lee ever made was that he failed to consult this man.
+Who can tell what "might have been" if he had?</p>
+
+<p>Now, to the consternation of all hands, our old friend "the Bore,"
+familiarly known as "the old Auger," opens his mouth to tell us of a
+little incident illustrative of his personal prowess, and, by way of
+preface, commences at Eden, and goes laboriously through the patriarchal
+age, on through the Mosaic dispensation, to the Christian era, takes in
+Grecian and Roman history by the way, then Spain and Germany and England
+and colonial times, and the early history of our grand republic, the
+causes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> of and necessity for our war, and a complete history up to date,
+and then slowly unfolds the little matter. We always loved to hear this
+man, and prided ourselves on being the only mess in the army having such
+treasure <i>all our own</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The "Auger," having been detailed for guard-duty, walks off; his voice
+grows fainter and fainter in the distance, and we call forth our poet.
+One eye is bandaged with a dirty cotton rag. He is bareheaded, and his
+hair resembles a dismantled straw stack. His elbows and knees are out,
+and his pants, from the knee down, have a brown-toasted tinge imparted
+by the genial heat of many a fire. His toes protrude themselves
+prominently from his shoes. You would say, "What a dirty, ignorant
+fellow." But listen to his rich, well-modulated voice. How perfect his
+memory! What graceful gestures! How his single eye glows! See the color
+on his cheek! See the strained and still attention of the little group
+around him as he steps into the light of the fire! Hear him!</p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 15em;">
+"I am dying, Egypt, dying!<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ebbs the crimson life-tide fast,</span><br />
+And the dark Plutonian shadows<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gather on the evening blast.</span><br />
+Let thine arms, O Queen, support me,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hush thy sobs and bow thine ear;</span><br />
+Listen to the great heart secrets&mdash;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thou, and thou alone, must hear.</span><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">"I am dying, Egypt, dying!</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hark! the insulting foeman's cry.</span><br />
+They are coming! quick! my falchion!!<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Let me front them ere I die.</span><br />
+Ah! no more amid the battle<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shall my heart exulting swell&mdash;</span><br />
+Isis and Osiris guard thee&mdash;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cleopatra! Rome! Farewell!"</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus27.jpg" alt="poet"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> THE POET OF OUR MESS.</p>
+
+<p>"Good!" "Bully!" "Go ahead, Jack!" "Give us some more, old fellow!" And
+he generally did, much to everybody's satisfaction. We all loved Jack,
+<i>the Poet</i> of our mess. He sleeps, his battles o'er, in Hollywood.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Singing</i> man generally put in towards the last, and sung us to bed.
+He was generally a diminutive man, with a sweet voice and a sweetheart
+at home. His songs had in them rosy lips, blue eyes, golden hair, pearly
+teeth, and all that sort of thing. Of course he would sing some good
+rollicking songs, in order to give all a chance. And so, with hearty
+chorus, "Three times around went she," "Virginia, Virginia, the Land of
+the Free," "No surrender," "Lula, Lula, Lula is gone," "John Brown's
+Body," with many variations, "Dixie," "The Bonny Blue Flag," "Farewell
+to the Star-Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia," with immense variations,
+and "Maryland, My Maryland," till about the third year of the war, when
+we be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>gan to think Maryland had "breathed and burned" long enough, and
+ought to "come." What part of her did come was <i>first-class</i>. How the
+woods did ring with song! There were patriotic songs, romantic and love
+songs, sarcastic, comic, and war songs, pirates' glees, plantation
+melodies, lullabies, good old hymn tunes, anthems, Sunday-school songs,
+and everything but vulgar and obscene songs; these were scarcely ever
+heard, and were nowhere in the army well received or encouraged.</p>
+
+<p>The recruit&mdash;our latest acquisition&mdash;was <i>so</i> interesting. His nice
+clean clothes, new hat, new shoes, trimming on his shirt front, letters
+and cross-guns on his hat, new knife for all the fellows to borrow, nice
+comb for general use, nice little glass to shave by, good smoking
+tobacco, money in his pocket to lend out, oh, what a great convenience
+he was! How <i>many</i> things he had that a fellow could borrow, and how
+willing he was to go on guard, and get wet, and give away his rations,
+and bring water, and cut wood, and ride horses to water! And he was so
+clean and sweet, and his cheeks so rosy, all the fellows wanted to bunk
+with him under his nice new blanket, and impart to him some of their
+numerous and energetic "tormentors."</p>
+
+<p>And then it was so <i>interesting</i> to hear him talk. He knew <i>so much</i>
+about war, arms, tents,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> knapsacks, ammunition, marching, fighting,
+camping, cooking, shooting, and everything a soldier is and does. It is
+remarkable how much a recruit and how little an old soldier knows about
+such things. After a while the recruit forgets all, and is as ignorant
+as any veteran. How good the fellows were to a really gentlemanly boy!
+How they loved him!</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Scribe</i> was a wonderful fellow and very useful. He could write a
+two-hours' pass, sign the captain's name better than the captain
+himself, and endorse it "respectfully forwarded approved," sign the
+colonel's name after "respectfully forwarded approved," and then on up
+to the commanding officer. And do it so well! Nobody wanted anything
+better. The boys had great veneration for the scribe, and used him
+constantly.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Mischievous</i> man was very useful. He made fun. He knew how to
+volunteer to shave a fellow with a big beard and moustache. He wouldn't
+lend his razor, but he'd shave him very well. He shaves one cheek, one
+half the chin, one side of the upper lip, puts his razor in his pocket,
+walks off, and leaves his customer the most one-sided chap in the army.
+He knew how to do something like this <i>every day</i>. What a treasure to a
+mess!</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Forager</i> was a good fellow. He always<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> divided with the mess. If
+there was buttermilk anywhere inside of ten miles he found it. Apples he
+could smell from afar off. If anybody was killing pork in the county he
+got the spare-ribs. If a man had a cider cart on the road he saw him
+first and bought him out. No <i>hound</i> had a keener scent, no eagle a
+sharper eye. How indefatigable he was! Distance, rivers, mountains,
+pickets, patrols, roll-calls,&mdash;nothing could stop or hinder him. He
+never bragged about his exploits; simply brought in the spoils, laid
+them down, and said, "Pitch in."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> Not a word of the weary miles he had
+traveled, how he begged or how much he paid,&mdash;simply "Pitch in."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus28.jpg" alt="poet"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>The <i>Commissary</i> man&mdash;he happened to be in our mess&mdash;never had any sugar
+over, any salt, any soda, any coffee&mdash;oh, no! But beg him, plead with
+him, bear with him when he says, "Go way, boy! Am I the
+commissary-general? Have I got all the sugar in the Confederacy? Don't
+you know rations are short now?" Then see him relax. "Come here, my son;
+untie that bag there, and look in that old jacket, and you will find
+another bag,&mdash;a little bag,&mdash;and look in there and you will find some
+sugar. Now go round and tell everybody in camp, won't you. Tell 'em all
+to come and get some sugar. <i>Oh! I know you won't. Oh yes, of course!</i>"</p>
+
+<p>As a general rule every mess had a "Bully" and an "Argument man." Time
+would fail me to tell of the "lazy man," the "brave man," the "worthless
+man," the "ingenious man," the "helpless man," the "sensitive man," and
+the "gentleman," but they are as familiar to the members of the mess as
+the "honest man," who would not eat stolen pig, but would "take a little
+of the gravy."</p>
+
+<p>Every soldier remembers&mdash;indeed, was personally acquainted with&mdash;the
+<i>Universal</i> man.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> How he denied vehemently his own identity, and talked
+about "poison oak," and heat, and itch, and all those things, and
+strove, in the presence of those who knew how it was themselves, to
+prove his absolute freedom from anything like "universality!" Poor
+fellow! sulphur internally and externally would not do. Alas! his only
+hope was to acknowledge his unhappy state, and stand, in the presence of
+his peers, confessed.</p>
+
+<p>The "Boys in Blue" generally preferred to camp in the open fields. The
+Confeds took to the woods, and so the Confederate camp was not as
+orderly or as systematically arranged, but the most picturesque of the
+two. The blazing fire lit up the forms and faces and trees around it
+with a ruddy glow, but only deepened the gloom of the surrounding woods;
+so that the soldier pitied the poor fellows away off on guard in the
+darkness, and, hugging himself, felt how good it was to be with the
+fellows around the fire. How companionable was the blaze and the glow of
+the coals! They warmed the heart as well as the foot. The imagination
+seemed to feed on the glowing coals and surrounding gloom, and when the
+soldier gazed on the fire peace, liberty, home, strolls in the woods and
+streets with friends, the church, the school, playmates, and sweethearts
+all passed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> before him, and even the dead came to mind. Sadly, yet
+pleasantly, he thought of the loved and lost; the future loomed up, and
+the possibility of death and prison and the grief at home would stir his
+heart, and the tears would fall trickling to the ground. Then was the
+time to fondle the little gifts from home; simple things,&mdash;the little
+pin-cushion, the needle-case, with thread and buttons, the embroidered
+tobacco bag, and the knitted gloves. Then the time to gaze on
+photographs, and to read and re-read the letter telling of the struggles
+at home, and the coming box of good things,&mdash;butter and bread, toasted
+and ground coffee, sugar cakes and pies, and other comfortable things,
+prepared, by self-denial, for the soldier, brother, and son. Then the
+time to call on God to spare, protect, and bless the dear, defenseless,
+helpless ones at home. Then the time for high resolves; to read to
+himself his duty; to "re-enlist for the war." Then his heart grew to his
+comrades, his general, and his country; and as the trees, swept by the
+wintry winds, moaned around him, the soldier slept and dreamed, and
+dreamed of home, sweet home.</p>
+
+<p>Those whose knowledge of war and its effects on the character of the
+soldier was gleaned from the history of the wars of Europe and of
+ancient times, greatly dreaded the demoraliza<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>tion which they supposed
+would result from the Confederate war for independence, and their
+solicitude was directed mainly towards the young men of Virginia and the
+South who were to compose the armies of the Confederate States. It was
+feared by many that the bivouac, the camp-fires, and the march would
+accustom the ears of their bright and innocent boys to obscenity, oaths,
+and blasphemy, and forever destroy that purity of mind and soul which
+was their priceless possession when they bid farewell to home and
+mother. Some feared the destruction of the battle-field; the wiser
+feared hardship and disease; and others, more than all, the destruction
+of morals and everything good and pure in character. That the fears of
+the last named were realized in some cases cannot be denied; but that
+the general result was demoralization can be denied, and the contrary
+demonstrated.</p>
+
+<p>Let us consider the effect of camp-life upon a pure and noble boy; and
+to make the picture complete, let us go to his home and witness the
+parting. The boy is clothed as a soldier. His pockets and his haversack
+are stored with little conveniences made by the loving hands of mother,
+sister, and sweetheart, and the sad yet proud hour has arrived. Sisters,
+smiling through their tears, filled with commingled pride and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> sorrow,
+kiss and embrace their great hero. The mother, with calm heroism
+suppressing her tender maternal grief, impresses upon his lips a
+fervent, never-to-be-forgotten kiss, presses him to her heart, and
+resigns him to God, his country, and his honor. The father, last to
+part, presses his hand, gazes with ineffable love into his bright eyes,
+and, fearing to trust his feelings for a more lengthy farewell, says,
+"Good-by, my boy; God bless you; be a man!"</p>
+
+<p>Let those scoff who will; but let them know that such a parting is
+itself a new and wonderful power, a soul-enlarging, purifying, and
+elevating power, worth the danger, toil, and suffering of the soldier.
+The sister's tears, the father's words, the mother's kiss, planted in
+the memory of that boy, will surely bring forth fruit beautiful as a
+mother's love.</p>
+
+<p>As he journeys to the camp, how dear do all at home become! Oh, what
+holy tears he sheds! His heart, how tender! Then, as he nears the line,
+and sees for the first time the realities of war, the passing sick and
+weary, and the wounded and bloody dead, his soldier spirit is born; he
+smiles, his chest expands, his eyes brighten, his heart swells with
+pride. He hurries on, and soon stands in the magic circle around the
+glowing fire, the admired and loved pet of a dozen true hearts. Is he
+happy? Aye!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> Never before has he felt such glorious, swelling, panting
+joy. He's a soldier now! He is put on guard. No longer the object of
+care and solicitude he stands in the solitude of the night, himself a
+guardian of those who sleep. Courage is his now. He feels he is trusted
+as a man, and is ready at once nobly to perish in the defense of his
+comrades.</p>
+
+<p>He marches. Dare he murmur or complain? No; the eyes of all are upon
+him, and endurance grows silently, till pain and weariness are familiar,
+and cheerfully borne. At home he would be pitied and petted; but now he
+must endure, or have the contempt of the strong spirits around him.</p>
+
+<p>He is hungry,&mdash;so are others; and he must not only bear the privation,
+but he must divide his pitiful meal, when he gets it, with his comrades;
+and so generosity strikes down selfishness. In a thousand ways he is
+tried, and that by sharp critics. His smallest faults are necessarily
+apparent, for, in the varying conditions of the soldier, every quality
+is put to the test. If he shows the least cowardice he is undone. His
+courage must never fail. He must be manly and independent, or he will be
+told he's a baby, ridiculed, teased, and despised. When war assumes her
+serious dress, he sees the helplessness of women and children, he hears
+their pit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span>eous appeals, and chivalry burns him, till he does his utmost
+of sacrifice and effort to protect, and comfort, and cheer them.</p>
+
+<p>It is a mistake to suppose that the older men in the army encouraged
+vulgarity and obscenity in the young recruit; for even those who
+themselves indulged in these would frown on the first show of them in a
+boy, and without hesitation put him down mercilessly. No parent could
+watch a boy as closely as his mess-mates did and could, because they saw
+him at all hours of the day and night, dependent on himself alone, and
+were merciless critics, who demanded more of their <i>prot&eacute;g&eacute;</i> than they
+were willing to submit to themselves.</p>
+
+<p>The young soldier's piety had to perish ignominiously, or else assume a
+boldness and strength which nothing else could so well impart as the
+temptations, sneers, and dangers of the army. Religion had to be bold,
+practical, and courageous, or die.</p>
+
+<p>In the army the young man learned to value men for what they were, and
+not on account of education, wealth, or station; and so his attachments,
+when formed, were sincere and durable, and he learned what constitutes a
+man and a desirable and reliable friend. The stern demands upon the boy,
+and the unrelenting criticisms of the mess, soon bring to mind the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span>
+gentle forbearance, kind remonstrance, and loving counsels of parents
+and homefolks; and while he thinks, he weeps, and loves, and reverences,
+and yearns after the things against which he once strove, and under
+which he chafed and complained. Home, father, mother, sister,&mdash;oh, how
+far away; oh, how dear! Himself, how contemptible, ever to have felt
+cold and indifferent to such love! Then, how vividly he recalls the warm
+pressure of his mother's lips on the forehead of her boy! How he loves
+his mother! See him as he fills his pipe from the silk-embroidered bag.
+There is his name embroidered carefully, beautifully, by his sister's
+hand. Does he forget her? Does he not now love her more sincerely and
+truly and tenderly than ever? Could he love her quite as much had he
+never parted; never longed to see her and could not; never been
+uncertain if she was safe; never felt she might be homeless, helpless,
+insulted, a refugee from home? Can he ever now look on a little girl and
+not treat her kindly, gently, and lovingly, remembering his sister? A
+boy having ordinary natural goodness, and the home supports described,
+and the constant watching of men, ready to criticise, could but improve.
+The least exhibition of selfishness, cowardice, vulgarity, dishonesty,
+or meanness of any kind, brought down the dislike of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> every man upon
+him, and persistence in <i>any one</i> disreputable practice, or habitual
+laziness and worthlessness, resulted in complete ostracism, loneliness,
+and misery; while, on the other hand, he might, by good behavior and
+genuine generosity and courage, secure unbounded love and sincere
+respect from all.</p>
+
+<p>Visits home, after prolonged absence and danger, open to the young
+soldier new treasures&mdash;new, because, though possessed always, never
+before felt and realized. The affection once seen only in every-day
+attention, as he reaches home, breaks out in unrestrained vehemence. The
+warm embrace of the hitherto dignified father, the ecstatic pleasure
+beaming in the mother's eye, the proud welcome of the sister, and the
+wild enthusiasm even of the old black mammy, crowd on him the knowledge
+of their love, and make him braver, and stronger, and nobler. He's a
+hero from that hour! Death for these, how easy!</p>
+
+<p>The dangers of the battle-field, and the demands upon his energy,
+strength, and courage, not only strengthen the old, but almost create
+new, faculties of mind and heart. The death, sudden and terrible, of
+those dear to him, the imperative necessity of standing to his duty
+while the wounded cry and groan, and while his heart yearns after them
+to help them, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> terrible thirst, hunger, heat, and weariness,&mdash;all
+these teach a boy self-denial, attachment to duty, the value of peace
+and safety; and, instead of hardening him, as some suppose they do, make
+him pity and love even the enemy of his country, who bleeds and dies for
+<i>his</i> country.</p>
+
+<p>The acquirement of subordination is a useful one, and that the soldier
+perforce has; and that not in an abject, cringing way, but as realizing
+the necessity of it, and seeing the result of it in the good order and
+consequent effectiveness and success of the army as a whole, but more
+particularly of his own company and detachment. And if the soldier rises
+to office, the responsibility of command, attention to detail and
+minuti&aelig;, the critical eyes of his subordinates and the demands of his
+superiors, all withdraw him from the enticements of vice, and mould him
+into a solid, substantial character, both capable and willing to meet
+and overcome difficulties.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of out-door life on the physical constitution is undoubtedly
+good, and as the physical improves the mental is improved; and as the
+mind is enlightened the spirit is ennobled. Who can calculate the
+benefit derived from the contemplation of the beautiful in nature, as
+the soldier sees? Mountains and val<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>leys, dreary wastes and verdant
+fields, rivers, sequestered homes, quiet, sleepy villages, as they lay
+in the morning light, doomed to the flames at evening; scenes which
+alternately stir and calm his mind, and store it with a panorama whose
+pictures he may pass before him year after year with quiet pleasure. War
+is horrible, but still it is in a sense a privilege to have lived in
+time of war. The emotions are never so stirred as then. Imagination
+takes her highest flights, poetry blazes, song stirs the soul, and every
+noble attribute is brought into full play.</p>
+
+<p>It does seem that the production of one Lee and one Jackson is worth
+much blood and treasure, and the building of a noble character all the
+toil and sacrifice of war. The camp-fires of the Army of Northern
+Virginia were not places of revelry and debauchery. They often exhibited
+scenes of love and humanity, and the purest sentiments and gentlest
+feelings of man were there admired and loved, while vice and debauch, in
+any from highest to lowest, were condemned and punished more severely
+than they are among those who stay at home and shirk the dangers and
+toils of the soldier's life. Indeed, the demoralizing effects of the
+late war were far more visible "at home," among the skulks and
+bomb-proofs and suddenly diseased, than in the army. And the demoralized
+men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> of to-day are not those who served in the army. The defaulters, the
+renegades, the bummers and cheats, are the boys who enjoyed fat places
+and salaries and easy comfort; while the solid, respected, and reliable
+men of the community are those who did their duty as soldiers, and,
+having learned to suffer in war, have preferred to labor and suffer and
+earn, rather than steal, in peace.</p>
+
+<p>And, strange to say, it is not those who suffered most and lost most,
+fought and bled, saw friend after friend fall, wept the dead and buried
+their hopes,&mdash;who are now bitter and dissatisfied, quarrelsome and
+fretful, growling and complaining; no, they are the peaceful,
+submissive, law-abiding, order-loving, of the country, ready to join
+hands with all good men in every good work, and prove themselves as
+brave and good in peace as they were stubborn and unconquerable in war.</p>
+
+<p>Many a weak, puny boy was returned to his parents a robust, healthy,
+<i>manly man</i>. Many a timid, helpless boy went home a brave, independent
+man. Many a wild, reckless boy went home sobered, serious, and
+trustworthy. And many whose career at home was wicked and blasphemous
+went home changed in heart, with principles fixed, to comfort and
+sustain the old age of those who gave them to their country,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> not
+expecting to receive them again. Men learned that life was passable and
+enjoyable without a roof or even a tent to shelter from the storm; that
+cheerfulness was compatible with cold and hunger; and that a man without
+money, food, or shelter need not feel utterly hopeless, but might, by
+employing his wits, find something to eat where he never found it
+before; and feel that, like a terrapin, he might make himself at home
+wherever he might be. Men did actually become as independent of the
+imaginary "necessities" as the very wild beasts. And can a man learn all
+this and not know better than another how to economize what he has, and
+how to appreciate the numberless superfluities of life? Is he not made,
+by the knowledge he has of how little he really needs, more independent
+and less liable to dishonest exertions to procure a competency?</p>
+
+<p>If there were any true men in the South, any brave, any noble, they were
+in the army. If there are good and true men in the South now, they would
+go into the army for similar cause. And to prove that the army
+demoralized, you must prove that the men who came out of it are the
+worst in the country to-day. Who will try it?</p>
+
+<p>Strange as it may seem, religion flourished in the army. So great was
+the work of the chap<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>lains that whole volumes have been written to
+describe the religious history of the four years of war. Officers who
+were ungodly men found themselves restrained alike by the grandeur of
+the piety of the great chiefs, and the earnestness of the humble
+privates around them. Thousands embraced the Gospel, and died triumphing
+over death. Instead of the degradation so dreaded, was the strange
+ennobling and purifying which made men despise all the things for which
+they ordinarily strive, and glory in the sternest hardships, the most
+bitter self-denials, cruel suffering, and death. Love for home, kindred,
+and friends, intensified, was denied the gratification of its yearnings,
+and made the motive for more complete surrender to the stern demands of
+duty. Discipline, the cold master of our enemies, never caught up with
+the gallant devotion of our Christian soldiers, and the science of war
+quailed before the majesty of an army singing hymns.</p>
+
+<p>Hypocrisy went home to dwell with the able-bodied skulkers, being too
+closely watched in the army, and too thoroughly known to thrive. And so
+the camp-fire often lighted the pages of the best Book, while the
+soldier read the orders of the Captain of his salvation. And often did
+the songs of Zion ring out loud and clear on the cold night air, while
+the muskets rattled and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> the guns boomed in the distance, each
+intensifying the significance of the other, testing the sincerity of the
+Christian while trying the courage of the soldier. Stripped of all
+sensual allurements, and offering only self-denial, patience, and
+endurance, the Gospel took hold of the deepest and purest motives of the
+soldiers, won them thoroughly, and made the army as famous for its
+forbearance, temperance, respect for women and children, sobriety,
+honesty, and morality as it was for endurance and invincible courage.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus29.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>Never was there an army where feeble old<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> age received such sympathy,
+consideration, and protection. Women, deprived of their natural
+protectors, fled from the advancing hosts of the enemy, and found safe
+retreat and chivalrous protection and shelter in the lines of the Army
+of Northern Virginia. Children played in the camps, delighted to nestle
+in the arms of the roughly-clad but tender-hearted soldiers. Such was
+the behavior of the troops on the campaign in Pennsylvania, that the
+citizens of Gettysburg have expressed wonder and surprise at their
+perfect immunity from insult, violence, or even intrusion, when their
+city was occupied by and in complete possession of the Boys in Gray.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt="illo"  />
+</p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2>
+
+<h3>THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE-FLAG.</h3>
+
+
+<p>This banner, the witness and inspiration of many victories, which was
+proudly borne on every field from Manassas to Appomattox, was conceived
+on the field of battle, lived on the field of battle, and on the last
+fatal field ceased to have place or meaning in the world. But the men
+who followed it, and the world which watched its proud advance or
+defiant stand, see in it still the unstained banner of a brave and
+generous people, whose deeds have outlived their country, and whose
+final defeat but added lustre to their grandest victories.</p>
+
+<p>It was not the flag of the Confederacy, but simply the banner, the
+battle-flag, of the Confederate soldier. As such it should not share in
+the condemnation which our <i>cause</i> received, or suffer from its
+downfall. The whole world can unite in a chorus of praise to the
+gallantry of the men who followed where this banner led.</p>
+
+<p>It was at the battle of Manassas, about four o'clock of the afternoon of
+the 21st of July, 1861, when the fate of the Confederacy seemed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>
+trembling in the balance, that General Beauregard, looking across the
+Warrenton turnpike, which passed through the valley between the position
+of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal
+line, saw a body of troops moving towards his left and the Federal
+right. He was greatly concerned to know, but could not decide, what
+troops they were, whether Federal or Confederate. The similarity of
+uniform and of the colors carried by the opposing armies, and the clouds
+of dust, made it almost impossible to decide.</p>
+
+<p>Shortly before this time General Beauregard had received from the signal
+officer, Captain Alexander, a dispatch, saying that from the signal
+station in the rear he had sighted the colors of this column, drooping
+and covered with the dust of journeyings, but could not tell whether
+they were the Stars and Stripes or the Stars and Bars. He thought,
+however, that they were probably Patterson's troops arriving on the
+field and re&euml;nforcing the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>General Beauregard was momentarily expecting help from the right, and
+the uncertainty and anxiety of this hour amounted to anguish. Still the
+column pressed on. Calling a staff officer, General Beauregard
+instructed him to go at once to General Johnston, at the Lewis House,
+and say that the enemy were receiving<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> heavy re&euml;nforcements, that the
+troops on the plateau were very much scattered, and that he would be
+compelled to retire to the Lewis House, and there re-form, hoping that
+the troops ordered up from the right would arrive in time to enable him
+to establish and hold the new line.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus30.jpg" alt="colors"  />
+</p>
+<p class='center'> HERE ARE THE COLORS!</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile, the unknown troops were pressing on. The day was sultry, and
+only at long intervals was there the slightest breeze. The colors of the
+mysterious column hung drooping on the staff. General Beauregard tried
+again and again to decide what colors they carried. He used his glass
+repeatedly, and handing it to others begged them to look, hoping that
+their eyes might be keener than his.</p>
+
+<p>General Beauregard was in a state of great anxiety, but finally
+determined to hold his ground, relying on the promised help from the
+right; knowing that if it arrived in time victory might be secured, but
+feeling also that if the mysterious column should be Federal troops the
+day was lost.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly a puff of wind spread the colors to the breeze. It was the
+Confederate flag,&mdash;the Stars and Bars! It was Early with the
+Twenty-Fourth Virginia, the Seventh Louisiana, and the Thirteenth
+Mississippi. The column had by this time reached the extreme right of
+the Federal lines. The moment the flag was recog<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>nized, Beauregard
+turned to his staff, right and left, saying, "See that the day is ours!"
+and ordered an immediate advance. In the mean time Early's brigade
+deployed into line and charged the enemy's right; Elzey, also, dashed
+upon the field, and in one hour not an enemy was to be seen south of
+Bull Run.</p>
+
+<p>While on this field and suffering this terrible anxiety, General
+Beauregard determined that the Confederate soldier must have a flag so
+distinct from that of the enemy that no doubt should ever again endanger
+his cause on the field of battle.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after the battle he entered into correspondence with Colonel
+William Porcher Miles, who had served on his staff during the day, with
+a view to securing his aid in the matter, and proposing a blue field,
+red bars crossed, and gold stars.</p>
+
+<p>They discussed the matter at length. Colonel Miles thought it was
+contrary to the law of heraldry that the ground should be blue, the bars
+red, and the stars gold. He proposed that the ground should be red, the
+bars blue, and the stars white. General Beauregard approved the change,
+and discussed the matter freely with General Johnston. Meanwhile it
+became known that designs for a flag were under discussion, and many
+were sent in. One came<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> from Mississippi; one from J.B. Walton and E.C.
+Hancock, which coincided with the design of Colonel Miles. The matter
+was freely discussed at headquarters, till, finally, when he arrived at
+Fairfax Court House, General Beauregard caused his draughtsman (a
+German) to make drawings of all the various designs which had been
+submitted. With these designs before them the officers at headquarters
+agreed on the famous old banner,&mdash;the red field, the blue cross, and the
+white stars. The flag was then submitted to the War Department, and was
+approved.</p>
+
+<p>The first flags sent to the army were presented to the troops by General
+Beauregard in person, he then expressing the hope and confidence that
+they would become the emblem of honor and of victory.</p>
+
+<p>The first three flags received were made from "<i>ladies' dresses</i>" by the
+Misses Carey, of Baltimore and Alexandria, at their residences and the
+residences of friends, as soon as they could get a description of the
+design adopted. One of the Misses Carey sent the flag she made to
+General Beauregard. Her sister presented hers to General Van Dorn, who
+was then at Fairfax Court House. Miss Constance Carey, of Alexandria,
+sent hers to General Joseph E. Johnston.</p>
+
+<p>General Beauregard sent the flag he received<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> at once to New Orleans for
+safe keeping. After the fall of New Orleans, Mrs. Beauregard sent the
+flag by a Spanish man-of-war, then lying in the river opposite New
+Orleans, to Cuba, where it remained till the close of the war, when it
+was returned to General Beauregard, who presented it for safe keeping to
+the Washington Artillery, of New Orleans.</p>
+
+<p>This much about the battle-flag, to accomplish, if possible, two things:
+first, preserve the little history connected with the origin of the
+flag; and, second, place the <i>battle</i> flag in a place of security, as it
+were, separated from all the political significance which attaches to
+the <i>Confederate</i> flag, and depending for its future place solely upon
+the deeds of the armies which bore it, amid hardships untold, to many
+victories.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus31.jpg" alt="finis"  />
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in
+the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25603-h.htm or 25603-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/6/0/25603/
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus01.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus01.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81eb7dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus01.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus02.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus02.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5bdca68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus02.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus03.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus03.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe48710
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus03.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus04.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus04.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1dcc749
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus04.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus05.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus05.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..414b9f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus05.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus06.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus06.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..526b944
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus06.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus07.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus07.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61ebcdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus07.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus08.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus08.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7c785c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus08.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus09.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus09.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..800252c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus09.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus10.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus10.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba814d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus10.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus11.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus11.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ecca6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus11.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus12.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus12.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b580b0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus12.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus13.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus13.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d585442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus13.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus14.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus14.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2036ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus14.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus15.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus15.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63936cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus15.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus16.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus16.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8799b05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus16.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus17.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus17.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95e58a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus17.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus18.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus18.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2426d58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus18.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus19.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus19.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f61b0bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus19.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus20.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus20.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..438f12b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus20.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus21.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus21.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..249f6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus21.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus22.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus22.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..555ad25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus22.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus23.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus23.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d092c59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus23.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus24.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus24.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3249e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus24.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus25.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus25.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35a5510
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus25.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus26.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus26.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f24ecb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus26.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus27.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus27.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b4bce1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus27.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus28.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus28.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..055cc38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus28.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus29.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus29.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad653f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus29.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus30.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus30.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d34353
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus30.jpg
diff --git a/25603-h/images/illus31.jpg b/25603-h/images/illus31.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7592f9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-h/images/illus31.jpg
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0001-image1.png b/25603-page-images/f0001-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b78d859
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0001-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0002.png b/25603-page-images/f0002.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e07292d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0002.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0003.png b/25603-page-images/f0003.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88dc3fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0003.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0004.png b/25603-page-images/f0004.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5eddfc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0004.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0005.png b/25603-page-images/f0005.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..903cfdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0005.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/f0006.png b/25603-page-images/f0006.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..145e97c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/f0006.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0001.png b/25603-page-images/p0001.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c26c53e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0001.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0002.png b/25603-page-images/p0002.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b6d8e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0002.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0003.png b/25603-page-images/p0003.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed6bc7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0003.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0004.png b/25603-page-images/p0004.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09e5b8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0004.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0005.png b/25603-page-images/p0005.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b555f95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0005.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0006.png b/25603-page-images/p0006.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e26faf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0006.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0007.png b/25603-page-images/p0007.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f3e073
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0007.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0008.png b/25603-page-images/p0008.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbccec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0008.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0009.png b/25603-page-images/p0009.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..970664e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0009.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0010.png b/25603-page-images/p0010.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cab9981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0010.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0011.png b/25603-page-images/p0011.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29c31cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0011.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0012.png b/25603-page-images/p0012.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..459cf0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0012.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0013.png b/25603-page-images/p0013.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..132137f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0013.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0014.png b/25603-page-images/p0014.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4a0280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0014.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0015.png b/25603-page-images/p0015.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f766dc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0015.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0016-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0016-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72b3994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0016-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0016.png b/25603-page-images/p0016.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a86a09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0016.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0017.png b/25603-page-images/p0017.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e2b38e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0017.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0018.png b/25603-page-images/p0018.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24c4d74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0018.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0019.png b/25603-page-images/p0019.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d61358a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0019.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0020.png b/25603-page-images/p0020.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afb7f3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0020.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0021.png b/25603-page-images/p0021.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d51ee2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0021.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0022.png b/25603-page-images/p0022.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cc5f5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0022.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0023.png b/25603-page-images/p0023.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45b3cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0023.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0024.png b/25603-page-images/p0024.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fddb541
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0024.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0025-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0025-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2072e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0025-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0025.png b/25603-page-images/p0025.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..568a2b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0025.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0026-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0026-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d52fdd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0026-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0026.png b/25603-page-images/p0026.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c149014
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0026.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0027.png b/25603-page-images/p0027.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61829cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0027.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0028.png b/25603-page-images/p0028.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3c3c37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0028.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0029.png b/25603-page-images/p0029.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..537c8df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0029.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0030.png b/25603-page-images/p0030.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dcbcb82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0030.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0031.png b/25603-page-images/p0031.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7dfc0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0031.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0032-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0032-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06b0590
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0032-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0032.png b/25603-page-images/p0032.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36b39e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0032.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0033.png b/25603-page-images/p0033.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..762f13b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0033.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0034-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0034-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e944a85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0034-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0034.png b/25603-page-images/p0034.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ce4b2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0034.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0035.png b/25603-page-images/p0035.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9787139
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0035.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0036.png b/25603-page-images/p0036.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbd7eec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0036.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0037.png b/25603-page-images/p0037.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7771657
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0037.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0038.png b/25603-page-images/p0038.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acf65ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0038.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0039.png b/25603-page-images/p0039.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c60403
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0039.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0040.png b/25603-page-images/p0040.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33ca815
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0040.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0041.png b/25603-page-images/p0041.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..740e0c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0041.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0042-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0042-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c295298
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0042-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0042.png b/25603-page-images/p0042.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..758f721
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0042.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0043.png b/25603-page-images/p0043.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed120d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0043.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0044.png b/25603-page-images/p0044.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c86047b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0044.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0045.png b/25603-page-images/p0045.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68e37ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0045.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0046.png b/25603-page-images/p0046.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a88b94c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0046.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0047.png b/25603-page-images/p0047.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f686b72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0047.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0048-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0048-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8bce54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0048-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0048.png b/25603-page-images/p0048.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e7ac4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0048.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0049.png b/25603-page-images/p0049.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c3b317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0049.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0050.png b/25603-page-images/p0050.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84c1e83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0050.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0051.png b/25603-page-images/p0051.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0176636
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0051.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0052.png b/25603-page-images/p0052.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b5a199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0052.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0053.png b/25603-page-images/p0053.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e53a7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0053.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0054-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0054-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a06bbe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0054-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0054.png b/25603-page-images/p0054.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..909cd6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0054.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0055.png b/25603-page-images/p0055.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37667ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0055.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0056-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0056-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..058585f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0056-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0056.png b/25603-page-images/p0056.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33c35a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0056.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0057.png b/25603-page-images/p0057.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aae9a75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0057.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0058.png b/25603-page-images/p0058.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c01f83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0058.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0059.png b/25603-page-images/p0059.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..18ae2a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0059.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0060.png b/25603-page-images/p0060.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f218cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0060.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0061.png b/25603-page-images/p0061.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d1db2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0061.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0062.png b/25603-page-images/p0062.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c2a582
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0062.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0063.png b/25603-page-images/p0063.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..adf67f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0063.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0064.png b/25603-page-images/p0064.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb83e88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0064.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0065.png b/25603-page-images/p0065.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b35638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0065.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0066.png b/25603-page-images/p0066.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..399323a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0066.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0067.png b/25603-page-images/p0067.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..153ec09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0067.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0068.png b/25603-page-images/p0068.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0806af8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0068.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0069.png b/25603-page-images/p0069.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..461469f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0069.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0070.png b/25603-page-images/p0070.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5759ffc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0070.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0071.png b/25603-page-images/p0071.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca2b90a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0071.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0072.png b/25603-page-images/p0072.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9602b36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0072.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0073.png b/25603-page-images/p0073.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6095857
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0073.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0074.png b/25603-page-images/p0074.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..456316c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0074.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0075.png b/25603-page-images/p0075.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..549c6e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0075.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0076.png b/25603-page-images/p0076.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fa12db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0076.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0077.png b/25603-page-images/p0077.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86d655b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0077.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0078.png b/25603-page-images/p0078.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e476196
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0078.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0079.png b/25603-page-images/p0079.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a572ab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0079.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0080.png b/25603-page-images/p0080.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b545868
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0080.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0081.png b/25603-page-images/p0081.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5dd742
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0081.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0082.png b/25603-page-images/p0082.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4c0b99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0082.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0083.png b/25603-page-images/p0083.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11deae7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0083.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0084.png b/25603-page-images/p0084.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d36866c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0084.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0085.png b/25603-page-images/p0085.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e61786d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0085.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0086-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0086-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9db8c77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0086-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0086.png b/25603-page-images/p0086.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3603930
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0086.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0087.png b/25603-page-images/p0087.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4582055
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0087.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0088.png b/25603-page-images/p0088.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99eafca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0088.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0089.png b/25603-page-images/p0089.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30f6ab3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0089.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0090.png b/25603-page-images/p0090.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5ee7d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0090.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0091-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0091-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4e4967
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0091-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0091.png b/25603-page-images/p0091.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4c773a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0091.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0092.png b/25603-page-images/p0092.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fa7648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0092.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0093.png b/25603-page-images/p0093.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2389a73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0093.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0094.png b/25603-page-images/p0094.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79f72fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0094.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0095.png b/25603-page-images/p0095.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40b475c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0095.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0096-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0096-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac307f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0096-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0096.png b/25603-page-images/p0096.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92abb52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0096.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0097.png b/25603-page-images/p0097.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..592a4cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0097.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0098-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0098-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be23c1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0098-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0098.png b/25603-page-images/p0098.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f9071d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0098.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0099.png b/25603-page-images/p0099.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5d1c6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0099.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0100.png b/25603-page-images/p0100.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3eceb86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0100.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0101-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0101-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ad6136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0101-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0101.png b/25603-page-images/p0101.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8fde7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0101.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0102.png b/25603-page-images/p0102.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c5055f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0102.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0103.png b/25603-page-images/p0103.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b9f1d75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0103.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0104.png b/25603-page-images/p0104.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d0498f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0104.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0105-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0105-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..37fdcb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0105-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0105.png b/25603-page-images/p0105.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97a677f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0105.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0106.png b/25603-page-images/p0106.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c9bdb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0106.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0107.png b/25603-page-images/p0107.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..752c0ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0107.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0108.png b/25603-page-images/p0108.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1465500
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0108.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0109.png b/25603-page-images/p0109.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49db249
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0109.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0110.png b/25603-page-images/p0110.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b66ba35
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0110.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0111.png b/25603-page-images/p0111.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4be0bb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0111.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0112.png b/25603-page-images/p0112.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b6b459
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0112.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0113.png b/25603-page-images/p0113.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45cc4cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0113.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0114.png b/25603-page-images/p0114.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d003ada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0114.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0115.png b/25603-page-images/p0115.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..908e386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0115.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0116.png b/25603-page-images/p0116.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d59b73d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0116.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0117.png b/25603-page-images/p0117.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e35969d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0117.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0118.png b/25603-page-images/p0118.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db01332
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0118.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0119.png b/25603-page-images/p0119.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f47101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0119.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0120.png b/25603-page-images/p0120.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86aa0e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0120.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0121.png b/25603-page-images/p0121.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9220917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0121.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0122.png b/25603-page-images/p0122.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74aaa80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0122.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0123.png b/25603-page-images/p0123.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fe33ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0123.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0124.png b/25603-page-images/p0124.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02fa917
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0124.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0125.png b/25603-page-images/p0125.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60efd06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0125.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0126.png b/25603-page-images/p0126.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eeba9f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0126.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0127.png b/25603-page-images/p0127.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3d0d2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0127.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0128.png b/25603-page-images/p0128.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a92b9ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0128.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0129.png b/25603-page-images/p0129.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df3a94f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0129.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0130.png b/25603-page-images/p0130.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..935dca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0130.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0131.png b/25603-page-images/p0131.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05d0090
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0131.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0132.png b/25603-page-images/p0132.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0efe10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0132.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0133-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0133-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7bef2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0133-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0133.png b/25603-page-images/p0133.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ecf5ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0133.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0134.png b/25603-page-images/p0134.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4137c94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0134.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0135.png b/25603-page-images/p0135.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00ad543
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0135.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0136-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0136-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c93f09f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0136-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0136.png b/25603-page-images/p0136.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..822720a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0136.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0137.png b/25603-page-images/p0137.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5b895a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0137.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0138-isnert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0138-isnert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69fbdfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0138-isnert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0138.png b/25603-page-images/p0138.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d36863a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0138.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0139.png b/25603-page-images/p0139.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60276cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0139.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0140.png b/25603-page-images/p0140.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64ecf82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0140.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0141.png b/25603-page-images/p0141.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..648719c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0141.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0142.png b/25603-page-images/p0142.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ebc627
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0142.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0143.png b/25603-page-images/p0143.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cc09f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0143.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0144.png b/25603-page-images/p0144.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9e6e28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0144.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0145.png b/25603-page-images/p0145.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4e907fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0145.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0146.png b/25603-page-images/p0146.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2657cb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0146.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0147.png b/25603-page-images/p0147.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4465cc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0147.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0148.png b/25603-page-images/p0148.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbabbe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0148.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0149.png b/25603-page-images/p0149.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6347ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0149.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0150.png b/25603-page-images/p0150.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79924e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0150.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0151.png b/25603-page-images/p0151.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14b76d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0151.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0152.png b/25603-page-images/p0152.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4b92fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0152.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0153.png b/25603-page-images/p0153.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0cd06eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0153.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0154.png b/25603-page-images/p0154.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e291ec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0154.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0155.png b/25603-page-images/p0155.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34dfb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0155.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0156.png b/25603-page-images/p0156.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10f6581
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0156.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0157.png b/25603-page-images/p0157.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c4e26d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0157.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0158.png b/25603-page-images/p0158.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0546e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0158.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0159.png b/25603-page-images/p0159.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0a53c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0159.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0160.png b/25603-page-images/p0160.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a4c42e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0160.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0161.png b/25603-page-images/p0161.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e462e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0161.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0162.png b/25603-page-images/p0162.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51c8884
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0162.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0163.png b/25603-page-images/p0163.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be1379a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0163.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0164.png b/25603-page-images/p0164.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5feef14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0164.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0165-iimage1.png b/25603-page-images/p0165-iimage1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a2a8e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0165-iimage1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0165.png b/25603-page-images/p0165.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc230f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0165.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0166.png b/25603-page-images/p0166.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d60942d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0166.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0167-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0167-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c12e6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0167-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0167.png b/25603-page-images/p0167.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1f1c76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0167.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0168.png b/25603-page-images/p0168.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0ac786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0168.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0169.png b/25603-page-images/p0169.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c776e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0169.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0170.png b/25603-page-images/p0170.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e26884
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0170.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0171.png b/25603-page-images/p0171.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44eeb7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0171.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0172.png b/25603-page-images/p0172.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5983a11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0172.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0173.png b/25603-page-images/p0173.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..236e0a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0173.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0174.png b/25603-page-images/p0174.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7440e9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0174.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0175.png b/25603-page-images/p0175.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ee2149
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0175.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0176.png b/25603-page-images/p0176.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..88a6b11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0176.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0177.png b/25603-page-images/p0177.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20c57cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0177.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0178-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0178-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67a73dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0178-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0178.png b/25603-page-images/p0178.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..630f183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0178.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0179.png b/25603-page-images/p0179.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..158556f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0179.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0180.png b/25603-page-images/p0180.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5b37da8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0180.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0181.png b/25603-page-images/p0181.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2dbe2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0181.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0182-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0182-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1902c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0182-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0182.png b/25603-page-images/p0182.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c928ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0182.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0183.png b/25603-page-images/p0183.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01e5915
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0183.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0184.png b/25603-page-images/p0184.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d60388
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0184.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0185.png b/25603-page-images/p0185.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1ed9b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0185.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0186.png b/25603-page-images/p0186.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00ea78d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0186.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0187.png b/25603-page-images/p0187.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3877f58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0187.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0188.png b/25603-page-images/p0188.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f40700d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0188.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0189.png b/25603-page-images/p0189.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0eba3b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0189.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0190.png b/25603-page-images/p0190.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..491beac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0190.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0191.png b/25603-page-images/p0191.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e861b5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0191.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0192-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0192-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2d4a50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0192-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0192.png b/25603-page-images/p0192.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3933c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0192.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0193.png b/25603-page-images/p0193.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..544dfaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0193.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0194.png b/25603-page-images/p0194.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c036424
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0194.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0195.png b/25603-page-images/p0195.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..958f6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0195.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0196.png b/25603-page-images/p0196.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed32ebd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0196.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0197.png b/25603-page-images/p0197.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7510115
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0197.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0198-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0198-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2426905
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0198-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0198.png b/25603-page-images/p0198.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e19226c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0198.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0199.png b/25603-page-images/p0199.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ccb602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0199.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0200.png b/25603-page-images/p0200.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a676891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0200.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0201.png b/25603-page-images/p0201.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4217909
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0201.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0202-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0202-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a000f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0202-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0202.png b/25603-page-images/p0202.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6505850
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0202.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0203.png b/25603-page-images/p0203.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6afa016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0203.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0204.png b/25603-page-images/p0204.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94febcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0204.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0205.png b/25603-page-images/p0205.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1524670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0205.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0206.png b/25603-page-images/p0206.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07b2681
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0206.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0207.png b/25603-page-images/p0207.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..330a93d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0207.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0208.png b/25603-page-images/p0208.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e470e3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0208.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0209.png b/25603-page-images/p0209.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d779676
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0209.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0210.png b/25603-page-images/p0210.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58bfbd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0210.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0211.png b/25603-page-images/p0211.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6979225
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0211.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0212.png b/25603-page-images/p0212.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61cb9e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0212.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0213.png b/25603-page-images/p0213.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62d0bd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0213.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0214.png b/25603-page-images/p0214.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9769e2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0214.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0215.png b/25603-page-images/p0215.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0aef97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0215.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0216.png b/25603-page-images/p0216.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b1e24bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0216.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0217-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0217-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c838d85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0217-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0217.png b/25603-page-images/p0217.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4a6e30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0217.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0218-insert1.jpg b/25603-page-images/p0218-insert1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03c1dee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0218-insert1.jpg
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0218.png b/25603-page-images/p0218.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e311d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0218.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0219.png b/25603-page-images/p0219.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acb6191
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0219.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0220-insert1.png b/25603-page-images/p0220-insert1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f83897f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0220-insert1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0220.png b/25603-page-images/p0220.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ab8d07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0220.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0221.png b/25603-page-images/p0221.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b9c9d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0221.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0222.png b/25603-page-images/p0222.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31be485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0222.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0223.png b/25603-page-images/p0223.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93c1c90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0223.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0224-image1.png b/25603-page-images/p0224-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3edca03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0224-image1.png
diff --git a/25603-page-images/p0224.png b/25603-page-images/p0224.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acb2246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603-page-images/p0224.png
diff --git a/25603.txt b/25603.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96d5449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5170 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the
+Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865
+
+Author: Carlton McCarthy
+
+Illustrator: William L. Sheppard
+
+Release Date: May 26, 2008 [EBook #25603]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: See page 106.]
+
+
+
+
+DETAILED MINUTIAE
+
+OF
+
+SOLDIER LIFE
+
+IN THE
+
+ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
+
+1861-1865
+
+
+BY
+
+CARLTON MCCARTHY
+
+PRIVATE SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, CUTSHAW'S BATTALION
+ARTILLERY, SECOND CORPS, A.N.V.
+
+
+_WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_
+
+BY
+
+WM. L. SHEPPARD, Esq.
+
+LIEUTENANT SECOND COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS, A.N.V.
+
+
+RICHMOND
+CARLTON MCCARTHY AND COMPANY
+1882
+
+Copyright, 1882,
+BY CARLTON McCARTHY.
+
+_The Riverside Press, Cambridge_:
+Printed by H.O. Houghton and Company.
+
+
+
+
+To
+
+THE MEMORY OF MY BROTHER,
+
+EDWARD STEVENS McCARTHY,
+
+CAPTAIN FIRST COMPANY RICHMOND HOWITZERS:
+
+WHO FELL AT COLD HARBOR,
+
+_June 4, 1864_,
+
+A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+CHAPTER I.
+                                                         PAGE
+A VOICE FROM THE RANKS                                       1
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+THE OUTFIT MODIFIED                                         16
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+ROMANTIC IDEAS DISSIPATED                                   29
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+ON THE MARCH                                                41
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+COOKING AND EATING                                          56
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+COMFORTS, CONVENIENCES, AND CONSOLATIONS                    73
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FUN AND FURY ON THE FIELD                                   94
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+IMPROVISED INFANTRY                                        116
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+"BRAVE SURVIVORS" HOMEWARD BOUND                           159
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+SOLDIERS TRANSFORMED                                       177
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+CAMP FIRES OF THE BOYS IN GRAY                             194
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE BATTLE FLAG                                            219
+
+
+
+
+SOLDIER LIFE
+
+IN THE
+
+ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+A VOICE FROM THE RANKS.--INTRODUCTORY.
+
+
+We are familiar with the names and deeds of the "generals," from the
+commander-in-chief down to the almost innumerable brigadiers, and we are
+all more or less ignorant of the habits and characteristics of the
+individuals who composed the rank and file of the "grand armies" of
+1861-65.
+
+As time rolls on, the historian, condensing matters, mentions "the men"
+by brigades, divisions, and corps. But here let us look at the
+individual soldier separated from the huge masses of men composing the
+armies, and doing his own work and duty.
+
+The fame of Lee and Jackson, world-wide, and as the years increase ever
+brighter, is but condensed and personified admiration of the
+Confederate soldier, wrung from an unwilling world by his matchless
+courage, endurance, and devotion. Their fame is an everlasting monument
+to the mighty deeds of the nameless host who followed them through so
+much toil and blood to glorious victories.
+
+The weak, as a rule, are borne down by the strong; but that does not
+prove that the strong are also the right. The weak suffer wrong, learn
+the bitterness of it, and finally, by resisting it, become the defenders
+of right and justice. When the mighty nations of the earth oppress the
+feeble, they nerve the arms and fire the hearts of God's instruments for
+the restoration of justice; and when one section of a country oppresses
+and insults another, the result is the pervasive malady,--war! which
+will work out the health of the nation, or leave it a bloody corpse.
+
+The principles for which the Confederate soldier fought, and in defense
+of which he died, are to-day the harmony of this country. So long as
+they were held in abeyance, the country was in turmoil and on the verge
+of ruin.
+
+It is not fair to demand a reason for actions above reason. The heart is
+greater than the mind. No man can exactly define the cause for which the
+Confederate soldier fought. He was above human reason and above human
+law, secure in his own rectitude of purpose, accountable to God only,
+having assumed for himself a "nationality," which he was minded to
+defend with his life and his property, and thereto pledged his sacred
+honor.
+
+In the honesty and simplicity of his heart, the Confederate soldier had
+neglected his own interests and rights, until his accumulated wrongs and
+indignities forced him to one grand, prolonged effort to free himself
+from the pain of them. He dared not refuse to hear the call to arms, so
+plain was the duty and so urgent the call. His brethren and friends were
+answering the bugle-call and the roll of the drum. To stay was dishonor
+and shame!
+
+He would not obey the dictates of tyranny. To disobey was death. He
+disobeyed and fought for his life. The romance of war charmed him, and
+he hurried from the embrace of his mother to the embrace of death. His
+playmates, his friends, and his associates were gone; he was lonesome,
+and he sought a reunion "in camp." He would not receive as gospel the
+dogmas of fanatics, and so he became a "rebel." Being a rebel, he must
+be punished. Being punished, he resisted. Resisting, he died.
+
+The Confederate soldier opposed immense odds. In the "seven days
+battles" around Richmond, 80,000 drove to the James River 115,000 of the
+enemy. At Fredericksburg, in 1862, 78,000 of them routed 110,000
+Federal troops. At Chancellorsville, in 1863, 57,000 under Lee and
+Jackson whipped, and but for the death of Jackson would have
+annihilated, an army of 132,000 men,--more than double their own number.
+At Gettysburg, 62,000 of them assailed the heights manned by 112,000. At
+the Wilderness, in 1864, 63,000 met and successfully resisted 141,000 of
+the enemy. At Appomattox, in April, 1865, 8,000 of them surrendered to
+the host commanded by Grant. The United States government, at the end of
+the war, mustered out of service 1,000,000 of men, and had in the field,
+from first to last, 2,600,000. If the Confederate soldier had then had
+only this disparity of numbers to contend with, he would have driven
+every invader from the soil of Virginia.
+
+But the Confederate soldier fought, in addition to these odds, the
+facilities for the transportation and concentration of troops and
+supplies afforded by the network of railways in the country north of
+him, all of which were subject to the control of the government, and
+backed by a treasury which was turning out money by the ton, one dollar
+of which was equal to sixty Confederate dollars.
+
+It should be remembered also that, while the South was restricted to its
+own territory for supplies, and its own people for men, the North drew
+on the world for material, and on every nation of the earth for men.
+
+The arms and ammunition of the Federal soldiers were abundant and
+good,--so abundant and so good that they supplied _both_ armies, and
+were greatly preferred by Confederate officers. The equipment of the
+Federal armies was well-nigh perfect. The facilities for manufacture
+were simply unlimited, and the nation thought no expenditure of treasure
+too great, if only the country, the _Union_! could be saved. The factory
+and the foundry chimneys made a pillar of smoke by day and of fire by
+night. The latest improvements were hurried to the front, and adopted by
+both armies almost simultaneously; for hardly had the Federal bought,
+when the Confederate captured, and used, the _very latest_.
+
+Commissary stores were piled up all over Virginia, for the use of the
+invading armies. They had more than they could protect, and their loss
+was gain to the hungry defenders of the soil.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought a host of ills occasioned by the
+deprivation of chloroform and morphia, which were excluded from the
+Confederacy, by the blockade, as contraband of war. The man who has
+submitted to amputation without chloroform, or tossed on a couch of
+agony for a night and a day without sleep for the want of a dose of
+morphia, may possibly be able to estimate the advantages which resulted
+from the possession by the Federal surgeons of an unlimited supply of
+these.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought bounties and regular monthly pay; the
+"Stars and Stripes," the "Star Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia,"
+"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp," "John Brown's Body," "Rally round the Flag," and
+all the fury and fanaticism which skilled minds could create,--opposing
+this grand array with the modest and homely refrain of "Dixie,"
+supported by a mild solution of "Maryland, My Maryland." He fought good
+wagons, fat horses, and tons of quartermaster's stores; pontoon trains,
+of splendid material and construction, by the mile; gunboats, wooden and
+iron, and men-of-war; illustrated papers, to cheer the "Boys in Blue"
+with sketches of the glorious deeds they did not do; Bibles by the car
+load, and tracts by the million,--the first to prepare them for death,
+and the second to urge upon them the duty of dying.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought the "Sanitary Commission," whose members,
+armed with every facility and convenience, quickly carried the sick and
+wounded of the Federal army to comfortable quarters, removed the bloody
+garments, laid the sufferer on a clean and dry couch, clothed him in
+clean things, and fed him on the best the world could afford and money
+buy.
+
+He fought the well-built, thoroughly equipped ambulances, the countless
+surgeons, nurses, and hospital stewards, and the best surgical
+appliances known to the medical world. He fought the commerce of the
+United States and all the facilities for war which Europe could supply,
+while his own ports were closed to all the world. He fought the trained
+army officers and the regular troops of the United States Army, assisted
+by splendid native volunteer soldiers, besides swarms of men, the refuse
+of the earth,--Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, Scotch,
+English, French, Chinese, Japanese,--white, black, olive, and brown. He
+laid down life for life with this hireling host, who died for pay,
+mourned by no one, missed by no one, loved by no one; who were better
+fed and clothed, fatter, happier, and more contented in the army than
+ever they were at home, and whose graves strew the earth in lonesome
+places, where none go to weep. When one of these fell, two could be
+bought to fill the gap. The Confederate soldier killed these without
+compunction, and their comrades buried them without a tear.
+
+The Confederate soldier fought the cries of distress which came from
+his home,--tales of woe, want, insult, and robbery. He fought men who
+knew that _their_ homes (when they had any) were safe, their wives and
+children, their parents and sisters, sheltered, and their business
+affairs more than usually prosperous; who could draw sight drafts, have
+them honored, and make the camp table as bountiful and luxurious as that
+of a New York hotel. He fought a government founded by the genius of his
+fathers, which derived its strength from principles they formulated, and
+which persuaded its soldiers that they were the champions of the
+constitutional liberty which they were marching to invade, and
+eventually to destroy.
+
+The relative strength of armies becomes a matter of secondary importance
+when these facts are considered. The disparity of numbers only, would
+never have produced the result which the combination of these various
+forces did,--the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.
+
+The Confederate soldier was purely patriotic. He foresaw clearly, and
+deliberately chose, the trials which he endured. He was an individual
+who could not become the indefinite portion of a mass, but fought for
+himself, on his own account. He was a self-sacrificing hero, but did not
+claim that distinction or any merit, feeling only that he was in the
+line of duty to self, country, and God. He fought for a principle, and
+needed neither driving nor urging, but was eager and determined to
+fight. He was not a politic man, but a man under fervent feeling,
+forgetful of the possibilities and calamities of war, pressing his
+claims to the rights of humanity.
+
+The Confederate soldier was a monomaniac for four years. His mania was,
+the independence of the Confederates States of America, secured by force
+of arms.
+
+The Confederate soldier was a venerable old man, a youth, a child, a
+preacher, a farmer, merchant, student, statesman, orator, father,
+brother, husband, son,--the wonder of the world, the terror of his foes!
+
+If the peace of this country can only be preserved by forgetting the
+Confederate soldier's deeds and his claims upon the South, the blessing
+is too dearly bought. We have sworn to be grateful to him. Dying, his
+head pillowed on the bosom of his mother, Virginia, he heard that his
+name would be honored.
+
+When we fill up, hurriedly, the bloody chasm opened by war, we should be
+careful that we do not bury therein many noble deeds, some tender
+memories, some grand examples, and some hearty promises washed with
+tears.
+
+The following letter, written by an aged father to his only son, then a
+mere boy, who had volunteered as an infantry soldier and was already in
+the field, is an appropriate conclusion to this chapter; showing
+admirably well the kind of inspiration which went from Southern homes to
+Southern soldiers:--
+
+   AT HOME, _July 17, 1861_.
+
+   MY DEAR SON,--It may have seemed strange to you that a
+   professing Christian father so freely gave you, a Christian son, to
+   enlist in the volunteer service. My reason was that I regarded this
+   as a _purely defensive war_. Not only did the Southern Confederacy
+   propose to adjust the pending difficulties by peaceful and equitable
+   negotiations, but Virginia used again and again the most earnest and
+   noble efforts to prevent a resort to the sword. These overtures
+   having been proudly spurned, and our beloved South having been
+   threatened with invasion and subjugation, it seemed to me that
+   nothing was left us but stern resistance, or abject submission, to
+   unconstitutional power. A brave and generous people could not for a
+   moment hesitate between such alternatives. A war in defense of our
+   homes and firesides, of our wives and children, of all that makes
+   life worth possessing, is the result. While I most deeply deplored
+   the necessity for the sacrifice, I could not but rejoice that I had a
+   son to offer to the service of the country, and if I had a dozen, _I
+   would most freely give them all_. As you are now cheerfully enduring
+   the hardships of the camp, I know you will listen to a father's
+   suggestions touching the duties of your new mode of life.
+
+   1. Take special care of your health. More soldiers die of disease
+   than in battle. A thin piece of damp sponge in the crown of your hat
+   during exposure to the hot sun, the use of thick shoes and a
+   water-proof coat in rainy weather, the practice of drinking cold
+   water when you are very warm as slowly as you sip hot tea, the
+   thorough mastication of your food, the avoiding of damp tents and
+   damp grounds during sleep, and frequent ablutions of your person are
+   all the hints I can give you on this point. Should you need anything
+   that I can supply, let me hear from you. I will do what I can to make
+   you comfortable. After all, you must learn to endure hardness as a
+   good soldier. Having never slept a single night in your whole life
+   except in a pleasant bed, and never known a scarcity of good food,
+   you doubtless find the ways of the camp rough; but never mind. The
+   war, I trust, will soon be over, and then the remembrance of your
+   hardships will sweeten the joy of peace.
+
+   2. The rules of war require prompt and unquestioning obedience. You
+   may sometimes think the command arbitrary and the officer
+   supercilious, but _it is yours to obey_. An undisciplined army is a
+   curse to its friends and a derision to its foes. Give your whole
+   influence, therefore, to the maintenance of lawful authority and of
+   strict order. Let your superiors feel assured that whatever they
+   entrust to _you_ will be faithfully done. Composed of such soldiers,
+   and led by skillful and brave commanders, our army, by the blessing
+   of God, will never be defeated. It is, moreover, engaged in a holy
+   cause, and must triumph.
+
+   3. Try to maintain your Christian profession among your comrades. I
+   need not caution you against strong drink as useless and hurtful, nor
+   against profanity, so common among soldiers. Both these practices you
+   abhor. Aim to take at once a decided stand for God. If practicable
+   have prayers regularly in your tent, or unite with your
+   fellow-disciples in prayer-meetings in the camp. Should preaching be
+   accessible, always be a hearer. Let the world know that you are a
+   Christian. Read a chapter in the New Testament, which your mother
+   gave you, every morning and evening, when you can, and engage in
+   secret prayer to God for his holy Spirit to guide and sustain you. I
+   would rather hear of your death than of the shipwreck of your faith
+   and good conscience.
+
+   4. As you will come into habitual contact with men of every grade,
+   make special associates only of those whose influence on your
+   character is felt to be good. Some men love to tell extravagant
+   stories, to indulge in vulgar wit, to exult in a swaggering carriage,
+   to pride themselves on their coarse manners, to boast of their
+   heroism, and to give utterance to feelings of revenge against the
+   enemy. All this is injurious to young and impressible minds. If you
+   admire such things, you will insensibly imitate them, and imitation
+   will work gradual but certain detriment to your character. Other men
+   are refined without being affected. They can relax into occasional
+   pleasantries without violating modesty. They can be loyal to their
+   government without indulging private hatred against her foes. They
+   can be cool and brave in battle, and not be braggarts in the absence
+   of danger. Above all, they can be humble, spiritual, and active
+   Christians, and yet mingle in the stirring and perilous duties of
+   soldier-life. Let these be your companions and models. You will thus
+   return from the dangers of camp without a blemish on your name.
+
+   5. Should it be your lot to enter into an engagement with the enemy,
+   lift up your heart in secret ejaculations to the ever-present and
+   good Being, that He will protect you from sudden death, or if you
+   fall, that He will receive your departing spirit, cleansed in the
+   blood of Jesus, into His kingdom. It is better to trust in the Lord
+   than to put confidence in princes. Commit your eternal interests,
+   therefore, to the keeping of the Almighty Saviour. You should not,
+   even in the hour of deadly conflict, cherish personal rage against
+   the enemy, any more than an officer of the law hates the victim of
+   the law. How often does a victorious army tenderly care for the dead
+   and wounded of the vanquished. War is a tremendous scourge which
+   Providence sometimes uses to chastise proud and wicked nations. Both
+   parties must suffer, even though one may get the advantage. There is
+   no occasion then for adding to the intrinsic evils of the system the
+   odious feature of animosity to individuals. In the ranks of the foe
+   are thousands of plain men who do not understand the principles for
+   which we are struggling. They are deceived by artful demagogues into
+   a posture of hostility to those whom, knowing, they would love. It is
+   against such men that you may perhaps be arrayed, and the laws of war
+   do not forbid you to pity them even in the act of destroying them. It
+   is the more important that _we_ should exhibit a proper temper in
+   this unfortunate contest, because many professed Christians and
+   ministers of the gospel at the North are breathing out, in their very
+   prayers and sermons, threatenings and slaughter against us. Oh! how
+   painful that a gray-headed pastor should publicly exclaim, "_I would
+   hang them as quick as I would shoot a mad dog!_"
+
+   6. Providence has placed you in the midst of thoughtless and
+   unpardoned men. What a beautiful thing it would be if you could win
+   some of them to the Saviour. Will you not try? You will have many
+   opportunities of saying a word in season. The sick you may comfort,
+   the wavering you may confirm, the backslidden you may reclaim, the
+   weary and heavy laden you may point to Jesus for rest to the soul. It
+   is not presumptuous for a young man kindly and meekly to commend the
+   gospel to his brother soldiers. The hardest of them will not repel a
+   gentle approach, made in private. And many of them would doubtless be
+   glad to have the subject introduced to them. They desire to hear of
+   Jesus, but they lack courage to inquire of his people. An unusually
+   large proportion of pious men have entered the army, and I trust they
+   will give a new complexion to military life. Let them search out each
+   other, and establish a fraternity among all the worshipers of God.
+   To interchange religious views and administer brotherly counsel will
+   be mutually edifying. "He that watereth shall be watered also
+   himself."
+
+   And now, as a soldier has but little leisure, I will not occupy you
+   longer. Be assured that every morning and evening we remember you, at
+   the family altar, to our Father in Heaven. We pray for "a speedy,
+   just, and honorable peace," and for the safe return of all the
+   volunteers to their loved homes. All the children speak often of
+   "brother," and hear your letters read with intense interest. That God
+   Almighty may be your shield and your exceeding great reward, is the
+   constant prayer of your loving father.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+THE OUTFIT MODIFIED.
+
+
+With the men who composed the Army of Northern Virginia will die the
+memory of those little things which made the Confederate soldier
+peculiarly what he was.
+
+The historian who essays to write the "grand movements" will hardly stop
+to tell how the hungry private fried his bacon, baked his biscuit, and
+smoked his pipe; how he was changed from time to time by the necessities
+of the service, until the gentleman, the student, the merchant, the
+mechanic, and the farmer were merged into a perfect, all-enduring,
+never-tiring and invincible soldier. To preserve these little details,
+familiar to all soldiers, and by them not thought worthy of mention to
+others, because of their familiarity, but still dear to them and always
+the substance of their "war talks," is the object of this book.
+
+The volunteer of 1861 made extensive preparations for the field. Boots,
+he thought, were an absolute necessity, and the heavier the soles and
+longer the tops the better. His pants were stuffed inside the tops of
+his boots, of course. A double-breasted coat, heavily wadded, with two
+rows of big brass buttons and a long skirt, was considered comfortable.
+A small stiff cap, with a narrow brim, took the place of the comfortable
+"felt," or the shining and towering tile worn in civil life.
+
+[Illustration: THE OUTFIT OF 1861.]
+
+Then over all was a huge overcoat, long and heavy, with a cape reaching
+nearly to the waist. On his back he strapped a knapsack containing a
+full stock of underwear, soap, towels, comb, brush, looking-glass,
+tooth-brush, paper and envelopes, pens, ink, pencils, blacking,
+photographs, smoking and chewing tobacco, pipes, twine string, and
+cotton strips for wounds and other emergencies, needles and thread,
+buttons, knife, fork, and spoon, and many other things as each man's
+idea of what he was to encounter varied. On the outside of the knapsack,
+solidly folded, were two great blankets and a rubber or oil-cloth. This
+knapsack, etc., weighed from fifteen to twenty-five pounds, sometimes
+even more. All seemed to think it was impossible to have on too many or
+too heavy clothes, or to have too many conveniences, and each had an
+idea that to be a good soldier he must be provided against every
+possible emergency.
+
+In addition to the knapsack, each man had a haversack, more or less
+costly, some of cloth and some of fine morocco, and stored with
+provisions always, as though he expected any moment to receive orders to
+march across the Great Desert, and supply his own wants on the way. A
+canteen was considered indispensable, and at the outset it was thought
+prudent to keep it full of water. Many, expecting terrific hand-to-hand
+encounters, carried revolvers, and even bowie-knives. Merino shirts (and
+flannel) were thought to be the right thing, but experience demonstrated
+the contrary. Gloves were also thought to be very necessary and good
+things to have in winter time, the favorite style being buck gauntlets
+with long cuffs.
+
+In addition to each man's private luggage, each mess, generally composed
+of from five to ten men, drawn together by similar tastes and
+associations, had _its_ outfit, consisting of a large camp chest
+containing skillet, frying pan, coffee boiler, bucket for lard, coffee
+box, salt box, sugar box, meal box, flour box, knives, forks, spoons,
+plates, cups, etc., etc. These chests were so large that eight or ten of
+them filled up an army wagon, and were so heavy that two strong men had
+all they could do to get one of them into the wagon. In addition to the
+chest each mess owned an axe, water bucket, and bread tray. Then the
+tents of each company, and little sheet-iron stoves, and stove pipe,
+and the trunks and valises of the company officers, made an immense
+pile of stuff, so that each company had a small wagon train of its own.
+
+All thought money to be absolutely necessary, and for awhile rations
+were disdained and the mess supplied with the best that could be bought
+with the mess fund. Quite a large number had a "boy" along to do the
+cooking and washing. Think of it! a Confederate soldier with a body
+servant all his own, to bring him a drink of water, black his boots,
+dust his clothes, cook his corn bread and bacon, and put wood on his
+fire. Never was there fonder admiration than these darkies displayed for
+their masters. Their chief delight and glory was to praise the courage
+and good looks of "Mahse Tom," and prophesy great things about his
+future. Many a ringing laugh and shout of fun originated in the queer
+remarks, shining countenance, and glistening teeth of this now forever
+departed character.
+
+It is amusing to think of the follies of the early part of the war, as
+illustrated by the outfits of the volunteers. They were so heavily clad,
+and so burdened with all manner of things, that a march was torture, and
+the wagon trains were so immense in proportion to the number of troops,
+that it would have been impossible to guard them in an enemy's country.
+Subordinate officers thought themselves entitled to transportation for
+trunks, mattresses, and folding bedsteads, and the privates were as
+ridiculous in their demands.
+
+Thus much by way of introduction. The change came rapidly, and stayed
+not until the transformation was complete. Nor was this change
+attributable alone to the orders of the general officers. The men soon
+learned the inconvenience and danger of so much luggage, and, as they
+became more experienced, they vied with each other in reducing
+themselves to light-marching trim.
+
+Experience soon demonstrated that boots were not agreeable on a long
+march. They were heavy and irksome, and when the heels were worn a
+little one-sided, the wearer would find his ankle twisted nearly out of
+joint by every unevenness of the road. When thoroughly wet, it was a
+laborious undertaking to get them off, and worse to get them on in time
+to answer the morning roll-call. And so, good, strong brogues or
+brogans, with broad bottoms and big, flat heels, succeeded the boots,
+and were found much more comfortable and agreeable, easier put on and
+off, and altogether the more sensible.
+
+A short-waisted and single-breasted jacket usurped the place of the
+long-tailed coat, and became universal. The enemy noticed this
+peculiarity, and called the Confederates gray jackets, which name was
+immediately transferred to those lively creatures which were the
+constant admirers and inseparable companions of the Boys in Gray and in
+Blue.
+
+Caps were destined to hold out longer than some other uncomfortable
+things, but they finally yielded to the demands of comfort and common
+sense, and a good soft felt hat was worn instead. A man who has never
+been a soldier does not know, nor indeed can know, the amount of comfort
+there is in a good soft hat in camp, and how utterly useless is a
+"soldier hat" as they are generally made. Why the Prussians, with all
+their experience, wear their heavy, unyielding helmets, and the French
+their little caps, is a mystery to a Confederate who has enjoyed the
+comfort of an old slouch.
+
+Overcoats an inexperienced man would think an absolute necessity for men
+exposed to the rigors of a northern Virginia winter, but they grew
+scarcer and scarcer; they were found to be a great inconvenience. The
+men came to the conclusion that the trouble of carrying them on hot days
+outweighed the comfort of having them when the cold day arrived. Besides
+they found that life in the open air hardened them to such an extent
+that changes in the temperature were not felt to any degree. Some clung
+to their overcoats to the last, but the majority got tired lugging them
+around, and either discarded them altogether, or trusted to capturing
+one about the time it would be needed. Nearly every overcoat in the army
+in the latter years was one of Uncle Sam's captured from his boys.
+
+The knapsack vanished early in the struggle. It was inconvenient to
+"change" the underwear too often, and the disposition not to change
+grew, as the knapsack was found to gall the back and shoulders, and
+weary the man before half the march was accomplished. The better way was
+to dress out and out, and wear that outfit until the enemy's knapsacks,
+or the folks at home supplied a change. Certainly it did not pay to
+carry around clean clothes while waiting for the time to use them.
+
+Very little washing was done, as a matter of course. Clothes once given
+up were parted with forever. There were good reasons for this: cold
+water would not cleanse them or destroy the vermin, and hot water was
+not always to be had. One blanket to each man was found to be as much as
+could be carried, and amply sufficient for the severest weather. This
+was carried generally by rolling it lengthwise, with the rubber cloth
+outside, tying the ends of the roll together, and throwing the loop thus
+made over the left shoulder with the ends fastened together hanging
+under the right arm.
+
+The haversack held its own to the last, and was found practical and
+useful. It very seldom, however, contained rations, but was used to
+carry all the articles generally carried in the knapsack; of course the
+stock was small. Somehow or other, many men managed to do without the
+haversack, and carried absolutely nothing but what they wore and had in
+their pockets.
+
+The infantry threw away their heavy cap boxes and cartridge boxes, and
+carried their caps and cartridges in their pockets. Canteens were very
+useful at times, but they were as a general thing discarded. They were
+not much used to carry water, but were found useful when the men were
+driven to the necessity of foraging, for conveying buttermilk, cider,
+sorghum, etc., to camp. A good strong tin cup was found better than a
+canteen, as it was easier to fill at a well or spring, and was
+serviceable as a boiler for making coffee when the column halted for the
+night.
+
+Revolvers were found to be about as useless and heavy lumber as a
+private soldier could carry, and early in the war were sent home to be
+used by the women and children in protecting themselves from insult and
+violence at the hands of the ruffians who prowled about the country
+shirking duty.
+
+Strong cotton was adopted in place of flannel and merino, for two
+reasons: first, because easier to wash; and second, because the vermin
+did not propagate so rapidly in cotton as in wool. Common white cotton
+shirts and drawers proved the best that could be used by the private
+soldier.
+
+Gloves to any but a mounted man were found useless, worse than useless.
+With the gloves on, it was impossible to handle an axe, buckle harness,
+load a musket, or handle a rammer at the piece. Wearing them was found
+to be simply a habit, and so, on the principle that the less luggage the
+less labor, _they_ were discarded.
+
+The camp-chest soon vanished. The brigadiers and major-generals, even,
+found them too troublesome, and soon they were left entirely to the
+quartermasters and commissaries. One skillet and a couple of frying
+pans, a bag for flour or meal, another bag for salt, sugar, and coffee,
+divided by a knot tied between, served the purpose as well. The skillet
+passed from mess to mess. Each mess generally owned a frying pan, but
+often one served a company. The oil-cloth was found to be as good as the
+wooden tray for making up the dough. The water bucket held its own to
+the last!
+
+Tents were _rarely seen_. All the poetry about the "_tented field_"
+died. Two men slept together, each having a blanket and an oil-cloth;
+one oil-cloth went next to the ground. The two laid on this, covered
+themselves with two blankets, protected from the rain with the second
+oil-cloth on top, and slept very comfortably through rain, snow or hail,
+as it might be.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Very little money was seen in camp. The men did not expect, did not care
+for, or often get any pay, and they were not willing to deprive the old
+folks at home of their little supply, so they learned to do without any
+money.
+
+When rations got short and were getting shorter, it became necessary to
+dismiss the darkey servants. Some, however, became company servants,
+instead of private institutions, and held out faithfully to the end,
+cooking the rations away in the rear, and at the risk of life carrying
+them to the line of battle to their "young mahsters."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Reduced to the minimum, the private soldier consisted of one man, one
+hat, one jacket, one shirt, one pair of pants, one pair of drawers, one
+pair of shoes, and one pair of socks. His baggage was one blanket, one
+rubber blanket, and one haversack. The haversack generally contained
+smoking tobacco and a pipe, and a small piece of soap, with temporary
+additions of apples, persimmons, blackberries, and such other
+commodities as he could pick up on the march.
+
+The company property consisted of two or three skillets and frying pans,
+which were sometimes carried in the wagon, but oftener in the hands of
+the soldiers. The infantrymen generally preferred to stick the handle of
+the frying pan in the barrel of a musket, and so carry it.
+
+The wagon trains were devoted entirely to the transportation of
+ammunition and commissary and quartermaster's stores, which had not been
+issued. Rations which had become company property, and the baggage of
+the men, when they had any, was carried by the men themselves. If, as
+was sometimes the case, three days' rations were issued at one time and
+the troops ordered to cook them, and be prepared to march, they did cook
+them, _and eat them if possible_, so as to avoid the labor of carrying
+them. It was not such an undertaking either, to eat three days' rations
+in one, as frequently none had been issued for more than a day, and when
+issued were cut down one half.
+
+The infantry found out that bayonets were not of much use, and did not
+hesitate to throw them, with the scabbard, away.
+
+The artillerymen, who started out with heavy sabres hanging to their
+belts, stuck them up in the mud as they marched, and left them for the
+ordnance officers to pick up and turn over to the cavalry.
+
+The cavalrymen found sabres very tiresome when swung to the belt, and
+adopted the plan of fastening them to the saddle on the left side, with
+the hilt in front and in reach of the hand. Finally sabres got very
+scarce even among the cavalrymen, who relied more and more on their
+short rifles.
+
+No soldiers ever marched with less to encumber them, and none marched
+faster or held out longer.
+
+The courage and devotion of the men rose equal to every hardship and
+privation, and the very intensity of their sufferings became a source of
+merriment. Instead of growling and deserting, they laughed at their own
+bare feet, ragged clothes and pinched faces; and weak, hungry, cold,
+wet, worried with vermin and itch, dirty, with no hope of reward or
+rest, marched cheerfully to meet the well-fed and warmly clad hosts of
+the enemy.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+ROMANTIC IDEAS DISSIPATED.
+
+
+To offer a man promotion in the early part of the war was equivalent to
+an insult. The higher the social position, the greater the wealth, the
+more patriotic it would be to serve in the humble position of a private;
+and many men of education and ability in the various professions,
+refusing promotion, served under the command of men greatly their
+inferiors, mentally, morally, and as soldiers. It soon became apparent
+that the country wanted knowledge and ability, as well as muscle and
+endurance, and those who had capacity to serve in higher positions were
+promoted. Still it remained true that inferior men commanded their
+superiors in every respect, save one--rank; and leaving out the one
+difference of rank, the officers and men were about on a par.
+
+It took years to teach the educated privates in the army that it was
+their duty to give unquestioning obedience to officers because they were
+such, who were awhile ago their playmates and associates in business. It
+frequently happened that the private, feeling hurt by the stern
+authority of the officer, would ask him to one side, challenge him to
+personal combat, and thrash him well. After awhile these privates
+learned all about extra duty, half rations, and courts-martial.
+
+It was only to conquer this independent resistance of discipline that
+punishment or force was necessary. The privates were as willing and
+anxious to fight and serve as the officers, and needed no pushing up to
+their duty. It is amusing to recall the disgust with which the men would
+hear of their assignment to the rear as reserves. They regarded the
+order as a deliberate insult, planned by some officer who had a grudge
+against their regiment or battery, who had adopted this plan to prevent
+their presence in battle, and thus humiliate them. How soon did they
+learn the sweetness of a day's repose in the rear!
+
+Another romantic notion which for awhile possessed the boys was that
+soldiers should not try to be comfortable, but glory in getting wet,
+being cold, hungry, and tired. So they refused shelter in houses or
+barns, and "like true soldiers" paddled about in the mud and rain,
+thinking thereby to serve their country better. The real troubles had
+not come, and they were in a hurry to suffer some. They had not long
+thus impatiently to wait, nor could they latterly complain of the want
+of a chance "to do or die." Volunteering for perilous or very onerous
+duty was popular at the outset, but as duties of this kind thickened it
+began to be thought time enough when the "orders" were peremptory, or
+the orderly read the "detail."
+
+Another fancy idea was that the principal occupation of a soldier should
+be actual conflict with the enemy. They didn't dream of such a thing as
+camping for six months at a time without firing a gun, or marching and
+countermarching to mislead the enemy, or driving wagons and ambulances,
+building bridges, currying horses, and the thousand commonplace duties
+of the soldier.
+
+On the other hand, great importance was attached to some duties which
+soon became mere drudgery. Sometimes the whole detail for guard--first,
+second, and third relief--would make it a point of honor to sit up the
+entire night, and watch and listen as though the enemy might pounce upon
+them at any moment, and hurry them off to prison. Of course they soon
+learned how sweet it was, after two hours' walking of the beat, to turn
+in for _four hours_! which seemed to the sleepy man an eternity in
+anticipation, but only a brief time in retrospect, when the corporal
+gave him a "chunk," and remarked, "Time to go on guard."
+
+[Illustration: FALL IN HERE THIRD RELIEF!]
+
+Everybody remembers how we used to talk about "one Confederate whipping
+a dozen Yankees." Literally true sometimes, but, generally speaking, two
+to one made hard work for the boys. They didn't know at the beginning
+anything about the advantage the enemy had in being able to present man
+for man in front and then send as many more to worry the flanks and
+rear. They learned something about this very soon, and had to contend
+against it on almost every field they won.
+
+Wounds were in great demand after the first wounded hero made his
+appearance. His wound was the envy of thousands of unfortunates who had
+not so much as a scratch to boast, and who felt "small" and of little
+consequence before the man with a bloody bandage. Many became despondent
+and groaned as they thought that perchance after all they were doomed to
+go home safe and sound, and hear, for all time, the praises of the
+fellow who had lost his arm by a cannon shot, or had his face ripped by
+a sabre, or his head smashed with a fragment of shell. After awhile the
+wound was regarded as a practical benefit. It secured a furlough of
+indefinite length, good eating, the attention and admiration of the
+fair, and, if permanently disabling, a discharge. Wisdom, born of
+experience, soon taught all hands better sense, and the fences and trees
+and ditches and rocks became valuable, and eagerly sought after when
+"the music" of "minie" and the roar of the "Napoleon" twelve-pounders
+was heard. Death on the field, glorious first and last, was dared for
+duty's sake, but the good soldier learned to guard his life, and yield
+it only at the call of duty.
+
+Only the wisest men, those who had seen war before, imagined that the
+war would last more than a few months. The young volunteers thought one
+good battle would settle the whole matter; and, indeed, after "first
+Manassas" many thought they might as well go home! The whole North was
+frightened, and no more armies would dare assail the soil of Old
+Virginia. Colonels and brigadiers, with flesh wounds not worthy of
+notice, rushed to Richmond to report the victory and the end of the war!
+They had "seen sights" in the way of wounded and killed, plunder, etc.,
+and according to their views, no sane people would try again to conquer
+the heroes of that remarkable day.
+
+The newspaper men delighted in telling the soldiers that the Yankees
+were a diminutive race, of feeble constitution, timid as hares, with no
+enthusiasm, and that they would perish in short order under the glow of
+our southern sun. Any one who has seen a regiment from Ohio or Maine
+knows how true these statements were. And besides, the newspapers did
+not mention the English, Irish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swiss,
+Portuguese, and negroes, who were to swell the numbers of the enemy, and
+as our army grew less make his larger. True, there was not much fight in
+all this rubbish, but they answered well enough for drivers of wagons
+and ambulances, guarding stores and lines of communication, and doing
+all sorts of duty, while the good material was doing the fighting.
+Sherman's army, marching through Richmond after the surrender of Lee and
+Johnston, seemed to be composed of a race of giants, well-fed and
+well-clad.
+
+[Illustration: AN EARLY HERO. 1861.]
+
+Many feared the war would end before they would have a fair chance to
+"make a record," and that when "the cruel war was over" they would have
+to sit by, dumb, and hear the more fortunate ones, who had "smelt the
+battle," tell to admiring home circles the story of the bloody field.
+Most of these "got in" in time to satisfy their longings, and "got out"
+to learn that the man who did not go, but "kept out," and made money,
+was more admired and courted than the "poor fellow" with one leg or arm
+less than is "allowed."
+
+It is fortunate for those who "skulked" that the war ended as it did,
+for had the South been successful, the soldiers would have been favored
+with every mark of distinction and honor, and they "despised and
+rejected," as they deserved to be. While the war lasted it was the
+delight of some of the stoutly built fellows to go home for a few days,
+and kick and cuff and tongue-lash the able-bodied bomb-proofs. How
+coolly and submissively they took it all! How "big" they are now!
+
+The rubbish accumulated by the hope of recognition burdened the soldiers
+nearly to the end. England was to abolish the blockade and send us
+immense supplies of fine arms, large and small. France was thinking
+about landing an imperial force in Mexico, and marching thence to the
+relief of the South. But the "Confederate yell" never had an echo in the
+"Marseillaise," or "God save the Queen;" and Old Dixie was destined to
+sing her own song, without the help even of "Maryland, my Maryland." The
+"war with England," which was to give Uncle Sam trouble and the South an
+ally, never came.
+
+Those immense balloons which somebody was always inventing, and which
+were to sail over the enemy's camps dropping whole cargoes of
+explosives, never "tugged" at their anchors, or "sailed majestically
+away."
+
+As discipline improved and the men began to feel that they were no
+longer simply volunteers, but _enlisted volunteers_, the romantic
+devotion which they had felt was succeeded by a feeling of constraint
+and necessity, and while the army was in reality very much improved and
+strengthened by the change, the soldiers imagined the contrary to be the
+case. And if discipline had been pushed to too great an extent, the army
+would have been deprived of the very essence of its life and power.
+
+When the officers began to assert superiority by withdrawing from the
+messes and organizing "officers' messes," the bond of brotherhood was
+weakened; and who will say that the dignity which was thus maintained
+was compensation for the loss of personal devotion as between comrades?
+
+At the outset, the fact that men were in the same company put them
+somewhat on the same level, and produced an almost perfect bond of
+sympathy; but as time wore on, the various peculiarities and weaknesses
+of the men showed themselves, and each company, as a community,
+separated into distinct circles, as indifferent to each other, save in
+the common cause, as though they had never met as friends.
+
+The pride of the volunteers was sorely tried by the incoming of
+conscripts,--the most despised class in the army,--and their devotion to
+company and regiment was visibly lessened. They could not bear the
+thought of having these men for comrades, and felt the flag insulted
+when claimed by one of them as "his flag." It was a great source of
+annoyance to the true men, but was a necessity. Conscripts crowded
+together in companies, regiments, and brigades would have been useless,
+but scattered here and there among the good men, were utilized. And so,
+gradually, the pleasure that men had in being associated with others
+whom they respected as equals was taken away, and the social aspect of
+army life seriously marred.
+
+The next serious blow to romance was the abolishment of elections, and
+the appointment of officers. Instead of the privilege and pleasure of
+picking out some good-hearted, brave comrade and making him captain, the
+lieutenant was promoted without the consent of the men, or, what was
+harder to bear, some officer hitherto unknown was sent to take command.
+This was no doubt better for the service, but it had a serious effect on
+the minds of volunteer patriot soldiers, and looked to them too much
+like arbitrary power exercised over men who were fighting that very
+principle. They frequently had to acknowledge, however, that the
+officers were all they could ask, and in many instances became devotedly
+attached to them.
+
+As the companies were decimated by disease, wounds, desertions, and
+death, it became necessary to consolidate them, and the social pleasures
+received another blow. Men from the same neighborhoods and villages, who
+had been schoolmates together, were no longer in companies, but mingled
+indiscriminately with all sorts of men from anywhere and everywhere.
+
+Those who have not served in the army as privates can form no idea of
+the extent to which such changes as those just mentioned affect the
+spirits and general worth of a soldier. Men who, when surrounded by
+their old companions, were brave and daring soldiers, full of spirit and
+hope, when thrust among strangers for whom they cared not, and who cared
+not for them, became dull and listless, lost their courage, and were
+slowly but surely "demoralized." They did, it is true, in many cases,
+stand up to the last, but they did it on dry principle, having none of
+that enthusiasm and delight in duty which once characterized them.
+
+The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight,
+but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp
+or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their
+own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought
+best. The officers saw the necessity for doing otherwise, and so the
+conflict was commenced and maintained to the end.
+
+It is doubtful whether the Southern soldier would have submitted to any
+hardships which were purely the result of discipline, and, on the other
+hand, no amount of hardship, clearly of necessity, could cool his ardor.
+And in spite of all this antagonism between the officers and men, the
+presence of conscripts, the consolidation of commands, and many other
+discouraging facts, the privates in the ranks so conducted themselves
+that the historians of the North were forced to call them the finest
+body of infantry ever assembled.
+
+But to know the men, we must see them divested of all their false
+notions of soldier life, and enduring the incomparable hardships which
+marked the latter half of the war.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+ON THE MARCH.
+
+
+It is a common mistake of those who write on subjects familiar to
+themselves, to omit the details, which, to one not so conversant with
+the matters discussed, are necessary to a clear appreciation of the
+meaning of the writer. This mistake is fatal when the writer lives and
+writes in one age and his readers live in another. And so a soldier,
+writing for the information of the citizen, should forget his own
+familiarity with the every-day scenes of soldier life and strive to
+record even those things which seem to him too common to mention.
+
+Who does not know all about the marching of soldiers? Those who have
+never marched with them and some who have. The varied experience of
+thousands would not tell the whole story of the march. Every man must be
+heard before the story is told, and even then the part of those who fell
+by the way is wanting.
+
+Orders to move! Where? when? what for?--are the eager questions of the
+men as they begin their preparations to march. Generally nobody can
+answer, and the journey is commenced in utter ignorance of where it is
+to end. But shrewd guesses are made, and scraps of information will be
+picked up on the way. The main thought must be to "get ready to move."
+The orderly sergeant is shouting "Fall in!" and there is no time to
+lose. The probability is that before you get your blanket rolled up,
+find your frying pan, haversack, axe, etc., and "fall in," the roll-call
+will be over, and some "extra duty" provided.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+No wonder there is bustle in the camp. Rapid decisions are to be made
+between the various conveniences which have accumulated, for some must
+be left. One fellow picks up the skillet, holds it awhile, mentally
+determining how much it weighs, and what will be the weight of it after
+carrying it five miles, and reluctantly, with a half-ashamed, sly look,
+drops it and takes his place in ranks. Another having added to his store
+of blankets too freely, now has to decide which of the two or three he
+will leave. The old water-bucket looks large and heavy, but one
+stout-hearted, strong-armed man has taken it affectionately to his care.
+
+This is the time to say farewell to the breadtray, farewell to the
+little piles of clean straw laid between two logs, where it was so easy
+to sleep; farewell to those piles of wood, cut with so much labor;
+farewell to the girls in the neighborhood; farewell to the spring,
+farewell to "our tree" and "our fire," good-by to the fellows who are
+not going, and a general good-by to the very hills and valleys.
+
+Soldiers commonly threw away the most valuable articles they possessed.
+Blankets, overcoats, shoes, bread and meat,--all gave way to the
+necessities of the march; and what one man threw away would frequently
+be the very article that another wanted and would immediately pick up;
+so there was not much lost after all.
+
+The first hour or so of the march was generally quite orderly, the men
+preserving their places in ranks and marching in solid column; but soon
+some lively fellow whistles an air, somebody else starts a song, the
+whole column breaks out with roars of laughter; "route step" takes the
+place of order, and the jolly singing, laughing, talking, and joking
+that follows no one could describe.
+
+Now let any young officer who sports a new hat, coat, saddle, or
+anything odd, or fine, dare to pass along, and how nicely he is attended
+to. The expressions of good-natured fun, or contempt, which one regiment
+of infantry was capable of uttering in a day for the benefit of such
+passers-by, would fill a volume. As one thing or another in the dress of
+the "subject" of their remarks attracted attention, they would shout,
+"Come out of that hat!--you can't hide in thar!" "Come out of that coat,
+come out--there's a man in it!" "Come out of them boots!" The infantry
+seemed to know exactly what to say to torment cavalry and artillery, and
+generally said it. If any one on the roadside was simple enough to
+recognize and address by name a man in the ranks, the whole column would
+kindly respond, and add all sorts of pleasant remarks, such as, "Halloa,
+John, here's your brother!" "Bill! oh, Bill! here's your ma!" "Glad to
+see you! How's your grandma?" "How d 'ye do!" "Come out of that 'biled
+shirt'!"
+
+Troops on the march were generally so cheerful and gay that an outsider,
+looking on them as they marched, would hardly imagine how they suffered.
+In summer time, the dust, combined with the heat, caused great
+suffering. The nostrils of the men, filled with dust, became dry and
+feverish, and even the throat did not escape. The "grit" was felt
+between the teeth, and the eyes were rendered almost useless. There was
+dust in eyes, mouth, ears, and hair. The shoes were full of sand, and
+the dust, penetrating the clothes, and getting in at the neck, wrists,
+and ankles, mixed with perspiration, produced an irritant almost as
+active as cantharides. The heat was at times terrific, but the men
+became greatly accustomed to it, and endured it with wonderful ease.
+Their heavy woolen clothes were a great annoyance; tough linen or cotton
+clothes would have been a great relief; indeed, there are many
+objections to woolen clothing for soldiers, even in winter. The sun
+produced great changes in the appearance of the men: their skins, tanned
+to a dark brown or red, their hands black almost, and long uncut beard
+and hair, burned to a strange color, made them barely recognizable to
+the home folks.
+
+If the dust and the heat were not on hand to annoy, their very able
+substitutes were: mud, cold, rain, snow, hail and wind took their
+places. Rain was the greatest discomfort a soldier could have; it was
+more uncomfortable than the severest cold with clear weather. Wet
+clothes, shoes, and blankets; wet meat and bread; wet feet and wet
+ground; wet wood to burn, or rather not to burn; wet arms and
+ammunition; wet ground to sleep on, mud to wade through, swollen creeks
+to ford, muddy springs, and a thousand other discomforts attended the
+rain. There was no comfort on a rainy day or night except in
+"bed,"--that is, under your blanket and oil-cloth. Cold winds, blowing
+the rain in the faces of the men, increased the discomfort. Mud was
+often so deep as to submerge the horses and mules, and at times it was
+necessary for one man or more to extricate another from the mud holes in
+the road. Night marching was attended with additional discomforts and
+dangers, such as falling off bridges, stumbling into ditches, tearing
+the face and injuring the eyes against the bushes and projecting limbs
+of trees, and getting separated from your own company and hopelessly
+lost in the multitude. Of course, a man lost had no sympathy. If he
+dared to ask a question, every man in hearing would answer, each
+differently, and then the whole multitude would roar with laughter at
+the lost man, and ask him "if his mother knew he was out?"
+
+Very few men had comfortable or fitting shoes, and fewer had socks, and,
+as a consequence, the suffering from bruised and inflamed feet was
+terrible. It was a common practice, on long marches, for the men to take
+off their shoes and carry them in their hands or swung over the
+shoulder. Bloody footprints in the snow were not unknown to the soldiers
+of the Army of Northern Virginia!
+
+When large bodies of troops were moving on the same road, the alternate
+"halt" and "forward" was very harassing. Every obstacle produced a halt,
+and caused the men at once to sit and lie down on the roadside where
+shade or grass tempted them; about the time they got fixed they would
+hear the word "forward!" and then have to move at increased speed to
+close up the gap in the column. Sitting down for a few minutes on a long
+march is pleasant, but it does not always pay; when the march is resumed
+the limbs are stiff and sore, and the man rather worsted by the halt.
+
+About noon on a hot day, some fellow with the water instinct would
+determine in his own mind that a well was not far ahead, and start off
+in a trot to reach it before the column. Of course another and another
+followed, till a stream of men were hurrying to the well, which was soon
+completely surrounded by a thirsty mob, yelling and pushing and pulling
+to get to the bucket as the windlass brought it again and again to the
+surface. But their impatience and haste would soon overturn the
+windlass, and spatter the water all around the well till the whole crowd
+were wading in mud, the rope would break, and the bucket fall to the
+bottom. But there was a substitute for rope and bucket. The men would
+hasten away and get long, slim poles, and on them tie, by the straps a
+number of canteens, which they lowered into the well and filled; and
+unless, as was frequently the case, the whole lot slipped off and fell
+to the bottom, drew them to the top and distributed them to their
+owners, who at once threw their heads back, inserted the nozzles in
+their mouths and drank the last drop, hastening at once to rejoin the
+marching column, leaving behind them a dismantled and dry well. It was
+in vain that the officers tried to stop the stream of men making for the
+water, and equally vain to attempt to move the crowd while a drop
+remained accessible. Many, who were thoughtful, carried full canteens to
+comrades in the column, who had not been able to get to the well; and no
+one who has not had experience of it knows the thrill of gratification
+and delight which those fellows felt when the cool stream gurgled from
+the battered canteen down their parched throats.
+
+[Illustration: A WELL]
+
+In very hot weather, when the necessities of the service permitted,
+there was a halt about noon, of an hour or so, to rest the men and give
+them a chance to cool off and get the sand and gravel out of their
+shoes. This time was spent by some in absolute repose; but the lively
+boys told many a yarn, cracked many a joke, and sung many a song between
+"Halt" and "Column forward!" Some took the opportunity, if water was
+near, to bathe their feet, hands, and face, and nothing could be more
+enjoyable.
+
+The passage of a cider cart (a barrel on wheels) was a rare and exciting
+occurrence. The rapidity with which a barrel of sweet cider was
+consumed would astonish any one who saw it for the first time, and
+generally the owner had cause to wonder at the small return in cash.
+Sometimes a desperately enterprising darkey would approach the column
+with a cartload of pies, "so-called." It would be impossible to describe
+accurately the taste or appearance of those pies. They were generally
+similar in appearance, size, and thickness to a pale specimen of "Old
+Virginia" buckwheat cakes, and had a taste which resembled a combination
+of rancid lard and crab apples. It was generally supposed that they
+contained dried apples, and the sellers were careful to state that they
+had "sugar in 'em" and were "mighty nice." It was rarely the case that
+any "trace" of sugar was found, but they filled up a hungry man
+wonderfully.
+
+Men of sense, and there were many such in the ranks, were necessarily
+desirous of knowing where or how far they were to march, and suffered
+greatly from a feeling of helpless ignorance of where they were and
+whither bound--whether to battle or camp. Frequently, when anticipating
+the quiet and rest of an ideal camp, they were thrown, weary and
+exhausted, into the face of a waiting enemy, and at times, after
+anticipating a sharp fight, having formed line of battle and braced
+themselves for the coming danger, suffered all the apprehension and got
+themselves in good fighting trim, they were marched off in the driest
+and prosiest sort of style and ordered into camp, where, in all
+probability, they had to "wait for the wagon," and for the bread and
+meat therein, until the proverb, "Patient waiting is no loss," lost all
+its force and beauty.
+
+Occasionally, when the column extended for a mile or more, and the road
+was one dense moving mass of men, a cheer would be heard away
+ahead,--increasing in volume as it approached, until there was one
+universal shout. Then some favorite general officer, dashing by,
+followed by his staff, would explain the cause. At other times, the same
+cheering and enthusiasm would result from the passage down the column of
+some obscure and despised officer, who knew it was all a joke, and
+looked mean and sheepish accordingly. But no _man_ could produce more
+prolonged or hearty cheers than the "old hare" which jumped the fence
+and invited the column to a chase; and often it was said, when the
+rolling shout arose: "There goes old General Lee or a Molly Cotton
+Tail!"
+
+The men would help each other when in real distress, but their delight
+was to torment any one who was unfortunate in a ridiculous way. If, for
+instance, a piece of artillery was fast in the mud, the infantry and
+cavalry passing around the obstruction would rack their brains for words
+and phrases applicable to the situation, and most calculated to worry
+the cannoniers, who, waist deep in the mud, were tugging at the wheels.
+
+Brass bands, at first quite numerous and good, became very rare and
+their music very poor in the latter years of the war. It was a fine
+thing to see the fellows trying to keep the music going as they waded
+through the mud. But poor as the music was, it helped the footsore and
+weary to make another mile, and encouraged a cheer and a brisker step
+from the lagging and tired column.
+
+As the men tired, there was less and less talking, until the whole mass
+became quiet and serious. Each man was occupied with his own thoughts.
+For miles nothing could be heard but the steady tramp of the men, the
+rattling and jingling of canteens and accoutrements, and the occasional
+"Close up, men,--close up!" of the officers.
+
+The most refreshing incidents of the march occurred when the column
+entered some clean and cosy village where the people loved the troops.
+Matron and maid vied with each other in their efforts to express their
+devotion to the defenders of their cause. Remembering with tearful eyes
+the absent soldier brother or husband, they yet smiled through their
+tears, and with hearts and voices welcomed the coming of the
+road-stained troops. Their scanty larders poured out the last morsel,
+and their bravest words were spoken, as the column moved by. But who
+will tell the bitterness of the lot of the man who thus passed by his
+own sweet home, or the anguish of the mother as she renewed her farewell
+to her darling boy? Then it was that men and women learned to long for
+the country where partings are no more.
+
+As evening came on, questioning of the officers was in order, and for an
+hour it would be, "Captain, when are we going into camp?" "I say,
+lieutenant, are we going to ---- or to ----?" "Seen anything of our
+wagon?" "How long are we to stay here?" "Where's the spring?" Sometimes
+these questions were meant simply to tease, but generally they betrayed
+anxiety of some sort, and a close observer would easily detect the
+seriousness of the man who asked after "our wagon," because he spoke
+feelingly, as one who wanted his supper and was in doubt as to whether
+or not he would get it. People who live on country roads rarely know how
+far it is from anywhere to anywhere else. This is a distinguishing
+peculiarity of that class of people. If they do know, then they are a
+malicious crew. "Just over the hill there," "Just beyond those woods,"
+"'Bout a mile," "Round the bend," and other such encouraging replies,
+mean anything from a mile to a day's march!
+
+An accomplished straggler could assume more misery, look more horribly
+emaciated, tell more dismal stories of distress, eat more and march
+further (to the rear), than any ten ordinary men. Most stragglers were
+real sufferers, but many of them were ingenious liars, energetic
+foragers, plunder hunters and gormandizers. Thousands who kept their
+place in ranks to the very end were equally as tired, as sick, as
+hungry, and as hopeless, as these scamps, but too proud to tell it or
+use it as a means of escape from hardship. But many a poor fellow
+dropped in the road and breathed his last in the corner of a fence, with
+no one to hear his last fond mention of his loved ones. And many whose
+ambition it was to share every danger and discomfort with their
+comrades, overcome by the heat, or worn out with disease, were compelled
+to leave the ranks, and while friend and brother marched to battle, drag
+their weak and staggering frames to the rear, perhaps to die pitiably
+alone, in some hospital.
+
+[Illustration: AN ACCOMPLISHED STRAGGLER.]
+
+After all, the march had more pleasure than pain. Chosen friends walked
+and talked and smoked together; the hills and valleys made themselves a
+panorama for the feasting of the soldiers' eyes; a turnip patch here and
+an onion patch there invited him to occasional refreshment; and it was
+sweet to think that "camp" was near at hand, and rest, and the journey
+almost ended.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+COOKING AND EATING.
+
+
+Rations in the Army of Northern Virginia were alternately superabundant
+and altogether wanting. The quality, quantity, and frequency of them
+depended upon the amount of stores in the hands of the commissaries, the
+relative position of the troops and the wagon trains, and the many
+accidents and mishaps of the campaign. During the latter years and
+months of the war, so uncertain was the issue as to time, quantity, and
+composition, that the men became in large measure independent of this
+seeming absolute necessity, and by some mysterious means, known only to
+purely patriotic soldiers, learned to fight without pay and to find
+subsistence in the field, the stream, or the forest, and a shelter on
+the bleak mountain side.
+
+Sometimes there was an abundant issue of bread, and no meat; then meat
+in any quantity, and no flour or meal; sugar in abundance, and no coffee
+to be had for "love or money;" and then coffee in plenty, without a
+grain of sugar; for months nothing but flour for bread, and then
+nothing but meal (till all hands longed for a biscuit); or fresh meat
+until it was nauseating, and then salt-pork without intermission.
+
+[Illustration: THE COOK'S PREROGATIVES INVADED.]
+
+To be one day without anything to eat was common. Two days' fasting,
+marching and fighting was not uncommon, and there were times when no
+rations were issued for three or four days. On one march, from
+Petersburg to Appomattox, no rations were issued to Cutshaw's battalion
+of artillery for one entire week, and the men subsisted on the corn
+intended for the battery horses, raw bacon captured from the enemy, and
+the water of springs, creeks, and rivers.
+
+A soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia was fortunate when he had his
+flour, meat, sugar, and coffee all at the same time and in proper
+quantity. Having these, the most skillful axeman of the mess hewed down
+a fine hickory or oak, and cut it into "lengths." All hands helped to
+"tote" it to the fire. When wood was convenient, the fire was large, the
+red coals abundant, and the meal soon prepared.
+
+The man most gifted in the use of the skillet was the one most highly
+appreciated about the fire, and as tyrannical as a Turk; but when he
+raised the lid of the oven and exposed the brown-crusted tops of the
+biscuit, animosity subsided. The frying-pan, full of "grease," then
+became the centre of attraction. As the hollow-cheeked boy "sopped" his
+biscuit, his poor, pinched countenance wrinkled into a smile, and his
+sunken eyes glistened with delight. And the coffee, too,--how delicious
+the aroma of it, and how readily each man disposed of a quart! The
+strong men gathered round, chuckling at their good luck, and "cooing"
+like a child with a big piece of cake. Ah, this was a sight which but
+few of those who live and die are permitted to see!
+
+And now the last biscuit is gone, the last drop of coffee, and the
+frying-pan is "wiped" clean. The tobacco-bag is pulled wide open, pipes
+are scraped, knocked out, and filled, the red coal is applied, and the
+blue smoke rises in wreaths and curls from the mouths of the no longer
+hungry, but happy and contented soldiers. Songs rise on the still night
+air, the merry laugh resounds, the woods are bright with the rising
+flame of the fire, story after story is told, song after song is sung,
+and at midnight the soldiers steal away one by one to their blankets on
+the ground, and sleep till reveille. Such was a meal when the mess was
+fortunate.
+
+How different when the wagons have not been heard from for forty-eight
+hours. Now the question is, how to do the largest amount of good to the
+largest number with the smallest amount of material? The most
+experienced men discuss the situation and decide that "somebody" must go
+foraging. Though the stock on hand is small, no one seems anxious to
+leave the small certainty and go in search of the large uncertainty of
+supper from some farmer's well-filled table; but at last several
+comrades start out, and as they disappear the preparations for immediate
+consumption commence. The meat is too little to cook alone, and the
+flour will scarcely make six biscuits. The result is that "slosh" or
+"coosh" must do. So the bacon is fried out till the pan is half full of
+boiling grease. The flour is mixed with water until it flows like milk,
+poured into the grease and rapidly stirred till the whole is a dirty
+brown mixture. It is now ready to be served. Perhaps some dainty fellow
+prefers the more imposing "slapjack." If so, the flour is mixed with
+less water, the grease reduced, and the paste poured in till it covers
+the bottom of the pan, and, when brown on the underside, is, by a nimble
+twist of the pan, turned and browned again. If there is any sugar in
+camp it makes a delicious addition.
+
+About the time the last scrap of "slapjack" and the last spoonful of
+"slosh" are disposed of, the unhappy foragers return. They take in the
+situation at a glance, realize with painful distinctness that they have
+sacrificed the homely slosh for the vain expectancy of apple butter,
+shortcake, and milk, and, with woeful countenance and mournful voice,
+narrate their adventure and disappointment thus: "Well, boys, we have
+done the best we could. We have walked about nine miles over the
+mountain, and haven't found a mouthful to eat. Sorry, but it's a fact.
+Give us our biscuits." Of course there are none, and, as it is not
+contrary to army etiquette to do so, the whole mess professes to be very
+sorry. Sometimes, however, the foragers returned well laden with good
+things, and as good comrades should, shared the fruits of their toilsome
+hunt with their comrades.
+
+Foragers thought it not indelicate to linger about the house of the
+unsuspecting farmer till the lamp revealed the family at supper, and
+then modestly approach and knock at the door. As the good-hearted man
+knew that his guests were "posted" about the meal in progress in the
+next room, the invitation to supper was given, and, shall I say it,
+accepted with an unbecoming lack of reluctance.
+
+The following illustrates the ingenuity of the average forager. There
+was great scarcity of meat, and no prospect of a supply from the
+wagons. Two experienced foragers were sent out, and as a farmer about
+ten miles from the camp was killing hogs, guided by soldier instinct,
+they went directly to his house, and found the meat nicely cut up, the
+various pieces of each hog making a separate pile on the floor of an
+outhouse. The proposition to buy met with a surprisingly ready response
+on the part of the farmer. He offered one entire pile of meat, being one
+whole hog, for such a small sum that the foragers instantly closed the
+bargain, and as promptly opened their eyes to the danger which menaced
+them. They gave the old gentleman a ten-dollar bill and requested
+change. Pleased with their honest method he hastened away to his house
+to obtain it. The two honest foragers hastily examined the particular
+pile of pork which the simple-hearted farmer designated as theirs, found
+it very rank and totally unfit for food, transferred half of it to
+another pile, from which they took half and added to theirs, and awaited
+the return of the farmer. On giving them their change, he assured them
+that they had a bargain. They agreed that they had, tossed good and bad
+together in a bag, said good-by, and departed as rapidly as artillerymen
+on foot can. The result of the trip was a "pot-pie" of large dimensions;
+and some six or eight men gorged with fat pork declared that they had
+never cared for and would not again wish to eat pork,--especially
+pork-pies.
+
+A large proportion of the eating of the army was done in the houses and
+at the tables of the people, not by the use of force, but by the wish
+and invitation of the people. It was at times necessary that whole towns
+should help to sustain the army of defense, and when this was the case,
+it was done voluntarily and cheerfully. The soldiers--all who conducted
+themselves properly--were received as honored guests and given the best
+in the house. There was a wonderful absence of stealing or plundering,
+and even when the people suffered from depredation they attributed the
+cause to terrible necessity rather than to wanton disregard of the
+rights of property. And when armed guards were placed over the
+smoke-houses and barns, it was not so much because the commanding
+general doubted the honesty as that he knew the necessities of his
+troops. But even pinching hunger was not held to be an excuse for
+marauding expeditions.
+
+The inability of the government to furnish supplies forced the men to
+depend largely upon their own energy and ingenuity to obtain them. The
+officers, knowing this, relaxed discipline to an extent which would
+seem, to a European officer, for instance, ruinous. It was no uncommon
+sight to see a brigade or division, which was but a moment before
+marching in solid column along the road, scattered over an immense field
+searching for the luscious blackberries. And it was wonderful to see how
+promptly and cheerfully all returned to the ranks when the field was
+gleaned. In the fall of the year a persimmon tree on the roadside would
+halt a column and detain it till the last persimmon disappeared.
+
+The sutler's wagon, loaded with luxuries, which was so common in the
+Federal army, was unknown in the Army of Northern Virginia, for two
+reasons: the men had no money to buy sutlers' stores, and the country no
+men to spare for sutlers. The nearest approach to the sutler's wagon was
+the "cider cart" of some old darkey, or a basket of pies and cakes
+displayed on the roadside for sale.
+
+The Confederate soldier relied greatly upon the abundant supplies of
+eatables which the enemy was kind enough to bring him, and he cheerfully
+risked his life for the accomplishment of the twofold purpose of
+whipping the enemy and getting what he called "a square meal." After a
+battle there was general feasting on the Confederate side. Good things,
+scarcely ever seen at other times, filled the haversacks and the
+stomachs of the "Boys in Gray." Imagine the feelings of men half
+famished when they rush into a camp at one side, while the enemy flees
+from the other, and find the coffee on the fire, sugar at hand ready to
+be dropped into the coffee, bread in the oven, crackers by the box, fine
+beef ready cooked, desiccated vegetables by the bushel, canned peaches,
+lobsters, tomatoes, milk, barrels of ground and roasted coffee, soda,
+salt, and in short everything a hungry soldier craves. Then add the
+liquors, wines, cigars, and tobacco found in the tents of the officers
+and the wagons of the sutlers, and, remembering the condition of the
+victorious party, hungry, thirsty, and weary, say if it did not require
+wonderful devotion to duty, and great self-denial to push on, trampling
+under foot the plunder of the camp, and pursue the enemy till the sun
+went down.
+
+When it was allowable to halt, what a glorious time it was! Men, who a
+moment before would have been delighted with a pone of cornbread and a
+piece of fat meat, discuss the comparative merits of peaches and milk
+and fresh tomatoes, lobster and roast beef, and, forgetting the
+briar-root pipe, faithful companion of the vicissitudes of the soldier's
+life, snuff the aroma of imported Havanas.
+
+In sharp contrast with the mess-cooking at the big fire was the serious
+and diligent work of the man separated from his comrades, out of reach
+of the woods, but bent on cooking and eating. He has found a coal of
+fire, and having placed over it, in an ingenious manner, the few leaves
+and twigs near his post, he fans the little pile with his hat. It soon
+blazes. Fearing the utter consumption of his fuel, he hastens to balance
+on the little fire his tin cup of water. When it boils, from some secure
+place in his clothes he takes a little coffee and drops it in the cup,
+and almost instantly the cup is removed and set aside; then a slice of
+fat meat is laid on the coals, and when brown and crisp, completes the
+meal--for the "crackers," or biscuit, are ready. No one but a soldier
+would have undertaken to cook with such a fire, as frequently it was no
+bigger than a quart cup.
+
+Crackers, or "hard tack" as they were called, are notoriously poor
+eating, but in the hands of the Confederate soldier were made to do good
+duty. When on the march and pressed for time, a piece of solid fat pork
+and a dry cracker was passable or luscious, as the time was long or
+short since the last meal. When there was leisure to do it, hardtack was
+soaked well and then fried in bacon grease. Prepared thus, it was a dish
+which no Confederate had the weakness or the strength to refuse.
+
+Sorghum, in the absence of the better molasses of peace times, was
+greatly prized and eagerly sought after. A "Union" man living near the
+Confederate lines was one day busy boiling his crop. Naturally enough,
+some of "our boys" smelt out the place and determined to have some of
+the sweet fluid. They had found a yearling dead in the field hard by,
+and in thinking over the matter determined to sell the Union man if
+possible. So they cut from the dead animal a choice piece of beef,
+carried it to the old fellow and offered to trade. He accepted the
+offer, and the whole party walked off with canteens full.
+
+Artillerymen, having tender consciences and no muskets, seldom, if ever,
+shot stray pigs; but they did sometimes, as an act of friendship, wholly
+disinterested, point out to the infantry a pig which seemed to need
+shooting, and by way of dividing the danger and responsibility of the
+act, accept privately a choice part of the deceased.
+
+On one occasion, when a civilian was dining with the mess, there was a
+fine pig for dinner. This circumstance caused the civilian to remark on
+the good fare. The "forager" replied that pig was an uncommon dish, this
+one having been kicked by one of the battery horses while stealing corn,
+and instantly killed. The civilian seemed to doubt the statement after
+his teeth had come down hard on a pistol bullet, and continued to
+doubt, though assured that it was the head of a horse-shoe nail.
+
+The most melancholy eating a soldier was ever forced to do, was, when
+pinched with hunger, cold, wet, and dejected, he wandered over the
+deserted field of battle and satisfied his cravings with the contents of
+the haversacks of the dead. If there is anything which will overcome the
+natural abhorrence which a man feels for the enemy, the loathing of the
+bloated dead, and the awe engendered by the presence of death, solitude,
+and silence, it is hunger. Impelled by its clamoring, men of high
+principle and tenderest humanity become for the time void of
+sensibility, and condescend to acts which, though justified by their
+extremity, seem afterwards, even to the doers, too shameless to mention.
+
+When rations became so very small that it was absolutely necessary to
+supplement them, and the camp was permanently established, those men who
+had the physical ability worked for the neighborhood farmers at cutting
+cord-wood, harvesting the crops, killing hogs, or any other farm-work. A
+stout man would cut a cord of wood a day and receive fifty cents in
+money, or its equivalent in something eatable. Hogs were slaughtered for
+the "fifth quarter." When the corn became large enough to eat, the
+roasting ears, thrown in the ashes with the shucks on, and nicely
+roasted, made a grateful meal. Turnip and onion patches also furnished
+delightful and much-needed food, good raw or cooked.
+
+Occasionally, when a mess was hard pushed for eatables, it became
+necessary to resort to some ingenious method of disgusting a part of the
+mess, that the others might eat their fill. The "pepper treatment" was a
+common method practiced with the soup, which once failed. A shrewd
+fellow, who loved things "hot," decided to have plenty of soup, and to
+accomplish his purpose, as he passed and repassed the boiling pot,
+dropped in a pod of red pepper. But, alas! for him, there was another
+man like minded who adopted the same plan, and the result was that all
+the mess waited in vain for that pot of soup to cool.
+
+The individual coffee-boiler of one man in the Army of Northern Virginia
+was always kept at the boiling point. The owner of it was an enigma to
+his comrades. They could not understand his strange fondness for
+"red-hot" coffee. Since the war he has explained that he found the heat
+of the coffee prevented its use by others, and adopted the plan of
+placing his cup on the fire after every sip. This same character never
+troubled himself to carry a canteen, though a great water drinker. When
+he found a good canteen he would kindly give it to a comrade, reserving
+the privilege of an occasional drink when in need. He soon had an
+interest in thirty or forty canteens and their contents, and could
+always get a drink of water if it was to be found in any of them. He
+pursued the same plan with blankets, and always had plenty in that line.
+His entire outfit was the clothes on his back and a haversack accurately
+shaped to hold one half pone of corn bread.
+
+Roasting-ear time was a trying time for the hungry private. Having been
+fed during the whole of the winter on salt meat and coarse bread, his
+system craved the fresh, luscious juice of the corn, and at times his
+honesty gave way under the pressure. How could he resist? He didn't,--he
+took some roasting ears! Sometimes the farmer grumbled, sometimes he
+quarreled, and sometimes he complained to the officers of the
+depredations of "the men." The officers apologized, ate what corn they
+had on hand, and sent their "boy" for some more. One old farmer
+conceived the happy plan of inviting some privates to his house, stating
+his grievances, and securing their cooperation in the effort to protect
+his corn. He told them that of course _they_ were not the _gentlemen_
+who took his corn! Oh no! of course _they_ would not do such a thing;
+but wouldn't they please speak to the others and ask them please not to
+take his corn? Of course! certainly! oh, yes! they would remonstrate
+with their comrades. How they burned, though, as they thought of the
+past and contemplated the near future. As they returned to camp through
+the field they filled their haversacks with the silky ears, and were met
+on the other side of the field by the kind farmer and a file of men, who
+were only too eager to secure the plucked corn "in the line of duty."
+
+A faithful officer, worn out with the long, weary march, sick, hungry,
+and dejected, leaned his back against a tree and groaned to think of his
+inability to join in the chase of an old hare, which, he knew, from the
+wild yells in the wood, his men were pursuing. But the uproar approached
+him--nearer, nearer, and nearer, until he saw the hare bounding towards
+him with a regiment at her heels. She spied an opening made by the folds
+of the officer's cloak and jumped in, and he embraced his first meal for
+forty-eight hours.
+
+An artilleryman, camped for a day where no water was to be found easily,
+awakened during the night by thirst, went stumbling about in search of
+water; and to his great delight found a large bucketful. He drank his
+fill, and in the morning found that what he drank had washed a
+bullock's head, and was crimson with its blood.
+
+Some stragglers came up one night and found the camp silent. All hands
+asleep. Being hungry they sought and to their great delight found a
+large pot of soup. It had a peculiar taste, but they "worried" it down,
+and in the morning bragged of their good fortune. The soup had defied
+the stomachs of the whole battery, being strongly impregnated with the
+peculiar flavor of defunct cockroaches.
+
+Shortly before the evacuation of Petersburg, a country boy went hunting.
+He killed and brought to camp a muskrat. It was skinned, cleaned, buried
+a day or two, disinterred, cooked, and eaten with great relish. It was
+splendid.
+
+During the seven days' battles around Richmond, a studious private
+observed the rats as they entered and emerged from a corn-crib. He
+killed one, cooked it privately, and invited a friend to join him in
+eating a fine squirrel. The comrade consented, ate heartily, and when
+told what he had eaten, forthwith disgorged. But he confesses that up to
+the time when he was enlightened he had greatly enjoyed the meal.
+
+It was at this time, when rats were a delicacy, that the troops around
+Richmond agreed to divide their rations with the poor of the city, and
+they were actually hauled in and distributed. Comment here would be like
+complimenting the sun on its brilliancy.
+
+Orators dwell on the genius and skill of the general officers;
+historians tell of the movements of divisions and army corps, and the
+student of the art of war studies the geography and topography of the
+country and the returns of the various corps: they all seek to find and
+to tell the secret of success or failure. The Confederate soldier knows
+the elements of his success--courage, endurance, and devotion. He knows
+also by whom he was defeated--sickness, starvation, death. He fought not
+men only, but food, raiment, pay, glory, fame, and fanaticism. He
+endured privation, toil, and contempt. He won, and despite the cold
+indifference of all and the hearty hatred of some, he will have for all
+time, in all places where generosity is, a fame untarnished.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+COMFORTS, CONVENIENCES, AND CONSOLATIONS.
+
+
+Have you ever been a soldier? No? Then you do not know what comforts
+are! Conveniences you never had; animal consolations, never! You have
+not enjoyed the great exceptional luxuries which once in a century,
+perhaps, bless a limited number of men. How sad, that you have allowed
+your opportunity to pass unimproved!
+
+But you _have_ been a soldier! Ah, then let us together recall with
+pleasure, the past! once more be hungry, and eat; once more tired, and
+rest; once more thirsty, and drink; once more, cold and wet, let us sit
+by the roaring fire and feel comfort creep over us. So!--isn't it very
+pleasant?
+
+Now let us recount, repossess rather, the treasures which once were
+ours, not forgetting that values have shrunk, and that the times have
+changed, and that men also are changed; some happily, some woefully.
+Possibly we, also, are somewhat modified.
+
+Eating, you will remember, was more than a convenience; it was a comfort
+which rose almost to the height of a consolation. Probably the most
+universally desired comfort of the Confederate soldier was "something to
+eat." But this, like all greatly desired blessings, was shy, and when
+obtained was, to the average seeker, not replete with satisfaction.
+
+But he did eat, at times, with great energy, great endurance, great
+capacity, and great satisfaction; the luscious slapjack, sweetened
+perhaps with sorghum, the yellow and odoriferous soda-biscuit, ash-cake,
+or, it might chance to be, the faithful "hardtack" (which "our friends
+the enemy" called "crackers") serving in rotation as bread.
+
+The faithful hog was everywhere represented. His cheering presence was
+manifested most agreeably by the sweet odors flung to the breeze from
+the frying-pan,--that never failing and always reliable utensil. The
+solid slices of streaked lean and fat, the limpid gravy, the brown pan
+of slosh inviting you to sop it, and the rare, delicate shortness of the
+biscuit, made the homely animal to be in high esteem.
+
+Beef, glorious beef! how seldom were you seen, and how welcome was your
+presence. In the generous pot you parted with your mysterious strength
+and sweetness. Impaled upon the cruel ramrod you suffered slow torture
+over the fire. Sliced, chopped, and pounded; boiled, stewed, fried, or
+broiled, always a trusty friend, and sweet comforter.
+
+Happy the "fire" where the "stray" pig found a lover, and unhappy the
+pig! Innocence and youth were no protection to him, and his cries of
+distress availed him not as against the cruel purpose of the rude
+soldiery.
+
+What is that faint aroma which steals about on the night air? Is it a
+celestial breeze? No! it is the mist of the coffee-boiler. Do you not
+hear the tumult of the tumbling water? Poor man! you have eaten, and now
+other joys press upon you. Drink! drink more! Near the bottom it is
+sweeter. Providence hath now joined together for you the bitter and the
+sweet,--there is sugar in that cup!
+
+Some poor fellows, after eating, could only sleep. They were incapable
+of the noble satisfaction of "a good smoke." But there were some good
+men and true, thoughtful men, quietly disposed men, gentle and kind,
+who, next to a good "square" meal prized a smoke. Possibly, here begins
+consolation. Who can find words to tell the story of the soldier's
+affection for his faithful briar-root pipe! As the cloudy incense of the
+weed rises in circling wreaths about his head, as he hears the
+murmuring of the fire, and watches the glowing and fading of the
+embers, and feels the comfort of the hour pervading his mortal frame,
+what bliss!
+
+But yonder sits a man who scorns the pipe--and why? He is a chewer of
+the weed. To him, the sweetness of it seems not to be drawn out by the
+fiery test, but rather by the persuasion of moisture and pressure. But
+he, too, is under the spell. There are pictures in the fire for him,
+also, and he watches them come and go. Now draw near. Are not those
+cheerful voices? Do you not hear the contented tones of men sitting in a
+cosy home? What glowing hopes here leap out in rapid words! No
+bitterness of hate, no revenge, no cruel purpose; but simply the firm
+resolve to march in the front of their country's defenders. Would you
+hear a song? You shall,--for even now they sing:
+
+     "Aha! a song for the trumpet's tongue!
+     For the bugle to sing before us,
+     When our gleaming guns, like clarions,
+     Shall thunder in battle chorus!"
+
+Would you hear a soldier's prayer? Well, there kneels one, behind that
+tree, but he talks with God: you may not hear him--nor I!
+
+But now, there they go, one by one; no, two by two. Down goes an old
+rubber blanket, and then a good, thick, woolen one, probably with a big
+"U.S." in the centre of it. Down go two men. They are hidden under
+another of the "U.S." blankets. They are resting their heads on their
+old battered haversacks. They love each other to the death, those men,
+and sleep there, like little children, locked in close embrace. They are
+asleep now,--no, not quite; they are thinking of home, and it may be, of
+heaven. But now, surely they are asleep! No, they are not quite asleep,
+they are falling off to sleep. Happy soldiers, they are asleep.
+
+At early dawn the bugle sounds the reveille. Shout answers to shout, the
+roll is called and the day begins. What new joys will it bring? Let us
+stay and see.
+
+The sun gladdens the landscape; the fresh air, dashing and whirling over
+the fields and through the pines is almost intoxicating. Here are noble
+chestnut-oaks, ready for the axe and the fire; and there, at the foot of
+the hill, a mossy spring. The oven sits enthroned on glowing coals,
+crowned with fire; the coffee boils, the meat fries, the soldier--smiles
+and waits.
+
+But waiting is so very trying that some, seizing towels, soap, and comb
+from their haversacks, step briskly down the hill, and plunge their
+heads into the cool water of the brook. Then their cheeks glow with
+rich color, and, chatting merrily, they seek again the fire, carrying
+the old bucket brimming full of water for the mess. All hands welcome
+the bucket, and breakfast begins. Now see the value of a good tin-plate.
+What a treasure that tin cup is, and that old fork! Who would have a
+more comfortable seat than that log affords!
+
+But here comes the mail,--papers, letters, packages. Here comes news
+from home, sweet, tender, tearful, hopeful, sad, distressing news;
+joyful news of victory and sad news of defeat; pictures of happy homes,
+or sad wailing over homes destroyed! But the mail has arrived and we
+cannot change the burden it has brought. We can only pity the man who
+goes empty away from the little group assembled about the mail-bag, and
+rejoice with him who strolls away with a letter near his heart. Suppose
+he finds therein the picture of a curly head. Just four years old!
+Suppose the last word in it is "Mother." Or suppose it concludes with a
+signature having that peculiarly helpless, but courageous and hopeful
+air, which can be imparted only by the hand of a girl whose heart goes
+with the letter! Once more, happy, happy soldier!
+
+The artilleryman tarrying for a day only in a camp had only time to eat
+and do his work. Roll-call, drill, watering the horses, greasing
+caissons and gun-carriages; cleaning, repairing, and greasing harness;
+cleaning the chests of the limbers and caissons; storing and arranging
+ammunition; and many little duties, filled the day. In the midst of a
+campaign, comfortable arrangements for staying were hardly completed by
+the time the bugle sounded the assembly and orders to move were given.
+But however short the stay might be, the departure always partook of the
+nature of a move from home. More especially was this true in the case of
+the sick man, whose weary body was finding needed rest in the camp; and
+peculiarly true of the man who had fed at the table of a hospitable
+neighbor, and for a day, perhaps, enjoyed the society of the fair
+daughters of the house.
+
+Orders to move were frequently heralded by the presence of the
+"courier," a man who rarely knew a word of the orders he had brought;
+who was always besieged with innumerable questions, always tried to
+appear to know more than his position allowed him to disclose, and who
+never ceased to be an object of interest to every camp he entered. Many
+a gallant fellow rode the country over; many a one led in the thickest
+of the fight and died bravely, known only as "my courier."
+
+When the leaves began to fall and the wind to rush in furious frolics
+through the woods, the soldier's heart yearned for comfort. Chilling
+rains, cutting sleet, drifting snow, muddy roads, all the miseries of
+approaching winter, pressed him to ask and repeat the question, "When
+will we go into winter quarters?"
+
+After all, the time did come. But first the place was known. The time
+was always doubtful. Leisurely and steady movement towards the place
+might be called the first "comfort" of winter quarters; and as each
+day's march brought the column nearer the appointed camp, the
+anticipated pleasures assumed almost the sweetness of present enjoyment.
+
+But at last comes the welcome "Left into park!" and the fence goes down,
+the first piece wheels through the gap, the battery is parked, the
+horses are turned over to the "horse sergeant," the old guns are snugly
+stowed under the tarpaulins, and the winter has commenced. The woods
+soon resound with the ring of the axe; trees rush down, crashing and
+snapping, to the ground; fires start here and there till the woods are
+illuminated, and the brightest, happiest, busiest night of all the year
+falls upon the camp. Now around each fire gathers the little group who
+are, for a while, to make it the centre of operations. Hasty plans for
+comfort and convenience are eagerly discussed till late into the night,
+and await only the dawn of another day for execution.
+
+Roll-call over and breakfast eaten, the work of the day commences with
+the preparation of comfortable sleeping places, varying according to the
+"material" on hand. A favorite arrangement for two men consisted of a
+bed of clean straw between the halves of a large oak log, covered, in
+the event of rain, with a rubber blanket. The more ambitious builders
+made straw pens, several logs high, and pitched over these a fly-tent,
+adding sometimes a chimney. In this structure, by the aid of a bountiful
+supply of dry, clean straw, and their blankets, the occupants bade
+defiance to cold, rain, and snow.
+
+Other men, gifted with that strange facility for comfort without work
+which characterizes some people, found resting-places ready made. They
+managed to steal away night after night and sleep in the sweet security
+of a haystack, a barn, a stable, a porch, or, if fortune favored them,
+in some farmer's feather bed.
+
+Others still, but more especially the infantry and cavalry, built
+"shelters" open to the south, covered them with pine-tags and brush,
+built a huge fire in front, and made themselves at home for a season.
+
+But all these things were mere make-shifts, temporary stopping-places,
+occupying about the same relation to winter quarters as the
+boarding-house does to a happy and comfortable home. During the
+occupancy of these, and while the work of building was progressing, the
+Confederate soldier wrote many letters home. He saw an opportunity for
+enjoyment ahead, and tried to improve it. His letters were somewhat
+after the following order:--
+
+     CAMP NEAR WILLIAMS' MILL,
+     _December 2, 1864_.
+
+   DEAR FATHER,--You will no doubt be glad to hear that we are
+   at last in winter quarters! We are quite comfortably fixed, though we
+   arrived here only two days ago. We are working constantly on our log
+   cabins, and hope to be in them next week. We are near the ----
+   railroad, and anything you may desire to send us may be shipped to
+   ---- depot. If you can possibly spare the money to buy them, please
+   send at once four pounds ten-penny nails; one pair wrought hinges
+   (for door); one good axe; two pairs shoes (one for me and one for
+   J.); four pairs socks (two for me and two for J.); five pounds
+   Killickinick smoking tobacco; one pound bi-carb. soda. Please send
+   also two or three old church music books, and any good books you are
+   willing to part with forever. Underclothing of any sort, shirts,
+   drawers, socks,--cotton or woollen,--would be very, very acceptable,
+   as it is much less trouble to put on the clean and throw away the
+   soiled clothes than to wash them. Some coffee, roasted and ground,
+   with sugar to match, and _anything good to eat_ would do to fill up.
+   Do not imagine, however, that we are suffering or unhappy. Our only
+   concern is for all at home; and if compliance with the above requests
+   would cost you the slightest self-denial at home, we would rather
+   withdraw them.
+
+   Why don't ---- and ---- go into the army? They are old enough, hearty
+   enough, able to provide themselves with every comfort, and ought to
+   be here.
+
+   Many furloughs will be granted during the winter, and we may get
+   home, some of us, before another month is past.
+
+   Love to mother, dear mother; and to sister, and tell them we are
+   happy and contented. Write as soon as you can, and believe me, Your
+   affectionate son,
+
+                                       ---- ---- ----.
+
+     P.S. Don't forget the tobacco.        W.
+
+And now another night comes to the soldier, inviting him to nestle in
+clean straw, under dry blankets, and sleep. To-morrow he will lay the
+foundation of a village destined to live till the grass grows again.
+To-morrow he will be architect, builder, and proprietor of a cosy cabin
+in the woods. Let him sleep.
+
+A pine wood of heavy original growth furnishes the ground and the
+timber. Each company is to have two rows of houses, with a street
+between, and each street is to end on the main road to the railroad
+depot. The width of the street is decided; it is staked off; each
+"mess" selects its site for a house, and the work commences.
+
+The old pines fall rapidly under the energetic strokes of the axes,
+which glide into the hearts of the trees with a malicious and cruel
+willingness; the logs are cut into lengths, notched and fitted one upon
+another, and the structure begins to rise. The builders stagger about
+here and there, under the weight of the huge logs, occasionally falling
+and rolling in the snow. They shout and whistle and sing, and are as
+merry as children at play.
+
+At last the topmost log is rolled into place and the artistic work
+commences,--the "riving" of slabs. Short logs of oak are to be split
+into huge shingles for the roof, and tough and tedious work it is. But
+it is done; the roof is covered in, and the house is far enough advanced
+for occupancy.
+
+Now the "bunks," which are simply broad shelves one above another, wide
+enough to accommodate two men "spoon fashion," are built. Merry parties
+sally forth to seek the straw stack of the genial farmer of the period,
+and, returning heavily laden with sweet clean straw, bestow it in the
+bunks. Here they rest for a night.
+
+Next day the chimney, built like the house, of notched sticks or small
+logs, rises rapidly, till it reaches the apex of the roof and is crowned
+with a nail keg or flour barrel.
+
+Next, a pit is dug deep enough to reach the clay; water is poured in and
+the clay well mixed, and the whole mess takes in hand the "daubing" of
+the "chinks." Every crack and crevice of house and chimney receives
+attention at the hands of the builders, and when the sun goes down the
+house is proof against the most searching winter wind.
+
+Now the most skillful man contrives a door and swings it on its hinges;
+another makes a shelf for the old water bucket; a short bench or two
+appear, like magicians' work, before the fire, and the family is settled
+for the winter.
+
+It would be a vain man indeed who thought himself able to describe the
+happy days and cozy nights of that camp. First among the luxuries of
+settled life was the opportunity to part forever with a suit of
+underwear which had been on constant duty for, possibly, three months,
+and put on the sweet clean clothes from home. They looked so pure, and
+the very smell of them was sweet.
+
+Then there was the ever-present thought of a dry, warm, undisturbed
+sleep the whole night through. What a comfort!
+
+Remember, now, there is a pile of splendid oak, ready cut for the fire,
+within easy reach of the door--several cords of it--and it is all ours.
+Our mess cut it and "toted" it there. It will keep a good fire, night
+and day, for a month.
+
+The wagons, which have been "over the mountains and far away," have come
+into camp loaded with the best flour in abundance; droves of cattle are
+bellowing in the road, and our commissary, as he hurries from camp to
+camp with the glad tidings, is the embodiment of happiness. All this
+means plenty to eat.
+
+This is a good time to make and carve beautiful pipes of hard wood with
+horn mouth-pieces, very comfortable chairs, bread trays, haversacks, and
+a thousand other conveniences.
+
+At night the visiting commences, and soon in many huts are little social
+groups close around the fire. The various incidents of the campaign pass
+in review, and pealing laughter rings out upon the crisp winter air.
+Then a soft, sweet melody floats out of that cabin door as the favorite
+singer yields to the entreaty of his little circle of friends; or a
+swelling chorus of manly voices, chanting a grand and solemn anthem,
+stirs every heart for half a mile around.
+
+Now think of an old Confederate veteran, who passed through
+Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness, sitting in front
+of a cheerful fire in a snug log cabin, reading, say, "The Spectator!"
+Think of another by his side reading a letter from his sweetheart; and
+another still, a warm and yearning letter from his mother. Think of
+two others in the corner playing "old sledge," or, it may be, chess.
+_Hear_ another, "off guard," snoring in his bunk. Ah! what an amount of
+condensed contentment that little hut contains.
+
+[Illustration: AN INNOCENT VICTIM]
+
+And now the stables are finished. The whole battalion did the work, and
+the poor old shivering and groaning horses are under cover. And the
+guard-house, another joint production, opens wide its door every day to
+receive the unhappy men whose time for detail has at last arrived. The
+chapel, an afterthought, is also ready for use, having been duly
+dedicated to the worship of God. The town is complete and its citizens
+are happy.
+
+Men thus comfortably fixed, with light guard duty and little else to do,
+found time, of course, to do a little foraging in the country around. By
+this means often during the winter the camp enjoyed great abundance and
+variety of food. Apples and apple-butter, fresh pork, dried fruit, milk,
+eggs, risen bread, and even _cakes and preserves_. Occasionally a whole
+mess would be filled with the liveliest expectations by the information
+that "Bob" or "Joe" was expecting _a box from home_. The wagon comes
+into camp escorted by the expectant "Bob" and several of his intimate
+friends; the box is dropped from the wagon to the ground; off goes the
+top and in go busy hands and eyes. Here are clothes, shoes, and hats;
+here is coffee, sugar, soda, salt, bread, fresh butter, roast beef, and
+turkey; here is _a bottle_! marked "to be used in case of sickness or
+wounds." Here is paper, ink, pen and pencil. What shall be done with
+this pile of treasure? It is evident one man cannot eat the eatables or
+smoke the tobacco and pipes. Call in, then, the friendly aid of willing
+comrades. They come; they see; they devour!
+
+And now the ever true and devoted citizens of the much and often
+besieged city of Richmond conclude to send a New Year's dinner to their
+defenders in the army. That portion destined for the camp above
+described arrived in due time in the shape of one good turkey. Each of
+the three companies composing the battalion appointed a man to "draw
+straws" for the turkey; the successful company appointed a man from each
+detachment to draw again; then the detachment messes took a draw, and
+the fortunate mess devoured the turkey. But the soldiers, remembering
+that in times past they had felt constrained to divide their rations
+with the poor of that city, did not fail in gratitude, or question the
+liberality of those who had, in the midst of great distress, remembered
+with self-denying affection the soldiers in the field.
+
+Not the least among the comforts of life in winter quarters, was the
+pleasure of sitting under the ministrations of an amateur barber, and
+hearing the snip, snip, of his scissors, as the long growth of hair fell
+to the ground. The luxury of "a shave;" the possession of comb, brush,
+small mirror, towels and soap; boots blacked every day; white collars,
+and occasionally a starched bosom, called, in the expressive language of
+the day, a "_biled shirt_," completed the restoration of the man to
+decency. Now, also, the soldier with painful care threaded his needle
+with huge thread, and with a sort of left-handed awkwardness sewed on
+the long-absent button, or, with even greater trepidation, attempted a
+patch. At such a time the soldier pondered on the peculiar fact that war
+separates men from women. A man cannot thread a needle with ease;
+certainly not with grace. He sews backwards.
+
+In winter quarters every man had his "chum" or bunk-mate, with whom he
+slept, walked, talked, and divided hardship or comfort as they came
+along; and the affectionate regard of each for the other was often
+beautiful to see. Many such attachments led to heroic self-denials and
+death, one for the other, and many such unions remain unbroken after
+twenty years have passed away.
+
+It was a rare occurrence, but occasionally the father or mother or
+brother or sister of some man paid him a visit. The males were almost
+sure to be very old or very young. In either case they were received
+with great hospitality, given the best place to sleep, the best the camp
+afforded in the way of eatables, and treated with the greatest courtesy
+and kindness by the whole command. But the lady visitors! the girls! Who
+could describe the effect of their appearance in camp! They produced
+conflict in the soldier's breast. They looked so clean, they were so
+gentle, they were so different from all around them, they were so
+attractive, they were so agreeable, and sweet, and fresh, and happy,
+that the poor fellows would have liked above all things to have gotten
+very near to them and have heard their kind words,--possibly shake
+hands; but no, some were barefooted, some almost bareheaded; some were
+still expecting clean clothes from home; some were sick and
+disheartened; some were on guard; some _in the guard-house_, and others
+too modest; and so, to many, the innocent visitor became a sort of
+pleasant agony; as it were, a "bitter sweet." Nothing ever so promptly
+convinced a Confederate soldier that he was dilapidated and not
+altogether as neat as he might be, as sudden precipitation into the
+presence of a neatly dressed, refined, and modest woman. Fortunately
+for the men, the women loved the very rags they wore, if they were gray;
+and when the war ended, they welcomed with open arms and hearts full of
+love the man and his rags.
+
+[Illustration: GIRLS IN CAMP.]
+
+Preaching in camp was to many a great pleasure and greatly profitable.
+At times intense religious interest pervaded the whole army, and
+thousands of men gladly heard the tidings of salvation. Many afterwards
+died triumphant, and many others are yet living, daily witnesses of the
+great change wrought in them by the preaching of the faithful and able
+men who, as chaplains, shared the dangers, hardships, and pleasures of
+the campaign.
+
+To all the foregoing comforts and conveniences must be added the
+consolation afforded by the anticipation and daily expectation of a
+furlough; which meant, of course, a blissful reunion with the dear ones
+at home,--perhaps an interview or two with that historic maid who is
+"left behind" by the soldier of all times and lands; plenty to eat;
+general admiration of friends and relatives; invitations to dine, to
+spend a week; and last, but not least, an opportunity to express
+contempt for every able-bodied "bomb-proof" found sneaking about home.
+Food, shelter, and rest, the great concerns, being thus all provided
+for, the soldier enjoyed intensely his freedom from care and
+responsibility, living, as near as a man may, the innocent life of a
+child. He played marbles, spun his top, played at foot-ball, bandy, and
+hop-scotch; slept quietly, rose early, had a good appetite, and was
+happy. He had time now comfortably to review the toils, dangers, and
+hardships of the past campaign, and with allowable pride to dwell on the
+cheerfulness and courage with which he had endured them all; and to feel
+the supporting effect of the unanimity of feeling and pervasive sympathy
+which linked together the rank and file of the army.
+
+Leaving out of view every other consideration, he realized with
+exquisite delight, that he was resisting manfully the coercive force of
+other men, and was resolved to die rather than yield his liberty. He
+felt that he was beyond doubt in the line of duty, and expected no
+relief from toil by any other means than the accomplishment of his
+purpose and the end of the war. To strengthen his resolve he had ever
+present with him the unchanging love of the people for whom he fought;
+the respect and confidence of his officers; unshaken faith in the valor
+of his comrades and the justice of his cause. And, finally, he had an
+opportunity to brace himself for another, and, if need be, for still
+another struggle, with the ever increasing multitude of invaders, hoping
+that each would usher in the peace so eagerly coveted and the liberty
+for which already a great price had been paid. Was he not badly
+disappointed?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FUN AND FURY ON THE FIELD.
+
+
+A battle-field, when only a few thousands of men are engaged, is a more
+extensive area than most persons would suppose. When large bodies of
+men--twenty to fifty thousand on each side--are engaged, a mounted man,
+at liberty to gallop from place to place, could scarcely travel the
+field over during the continuance of the battle; and a private soldier,
+in the smallest affair, sees very little indeed of the field. What
+occurs in his own regiment, or probably in his own company, is about
+all, and is sometimes more than he actually sees or knows. Thus it is
+that, while the field is extensive, it is to each individual limited to
+the narrow space of which he is cognizant.
+
+The dense woods of Virginia, often choked with heavy undergrowth, added
+greatly to the difficulty of observing the movements of large bodies of
+troops extended in line of battle. The commanders were compelled to rely
+almost entirely upon the information gained from their staff officers
+and the couriers of those in immediate command on the lines.
+
+The beasts of burden which travel the Great Desert scent the oasis and
+the well miles away, and, cheered by the prospect of rest and
+refreshment, press on with renewed vigor; and in the book of Job it is
+said of the horse, "He saith among the trumpets, Ha! ha! and he smelleth
+the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shoutings." So
+a soldier, weary and worn, recognizing the signs of approaching battle,
+did quicken his lagging steps and cry out for joy at the prospect.
+
+The column, hitherto moving forward with the steadiness of a mighty
+river, hesitates, halts, steps back, then forward, hesitates again,
+halts. The colonels talk to the brigadier, the brigadiers talk to the
+major-general, some officers hurry forward and others hurry to the rear.
+Infantry stands to one side of the road while cavalry trots by to the
+front. Now some old wagons marked "Ord. Dept." go creaking and rumbling
+by. One or two light ambulances, with a gay and careless air, seem to
+trip along with the ease of a dancing-girl. They and the surgeons seem
+cheerful. Some, not many, ask "What is the matter?" Most of the men
+there know exactly: they are on the edge of battle.
+
+Presently a very quiet, almost sleepy looking man on horseback, says,
+"Forward, 19th!" and away goes the leading regiment. A little way ahead
+the regiment jumps a fence, and--pop! bang! whiz! thud! is all that can
+be heard, until the rebel yell reverberates through the woods. Battle?
+No! skirmishers advancing.
+
+[Illustration: GOING IN]
+
+Step into the woods now and watch these skirmishers. See how cheerfully
+they go in. How rapidly they load, fire, and re-load. They stand six and
+twelve feet apart, calling to each other, laughing, shouting and
+cheering, but advancing. There: one fellow has dropped his musket like
+something red hot. His finger is shot away. His friends congratulate
+him, and he walks sadly away to the rear. Another staggers and falls
+with a ball through his neck, mortally wounded. Two comrades raise him
+to his feet and try to lead him away, but one of them receives a ball in
+his thigh which crushes the bone, and he falls groaning to the ground.
+The other advises his poor dying friend to lie down, helps him to do so,
+and runs to join his advancing comrades. When he overtakes them he finds
+every man securely posted behind a tree, loading, firing, and conducting
+himself generally with great deliberation and prudence. They have at
+last driven the enemy's skirmishers in upon the line of battle, and are
+waiting. A score of men have fallen here, some killed outright, some
+slightly, some sorely, and some mortally wounded. The elements now add
+to the horrors of the hour. Dense clouds hovering near the tree tops add
+deeper shadows to the woods. Thunder, deep and ominous, rolls in
+prolonged peals across the sky, and lurid lightning darts among the
+trees and glistens on the gun barrels. But still they stand.
+
+Now a battery has been hurried into position, the heavy trails have
+fallen to the ground, and at the command "Commence firing!" the
+cannoniers have stepped in briskly and loaded. The first gun blazes at
+the muzzle and away goes a shell. The poor fellows in the woods rejoice
+as it crashes through the trees over their heads, and cheer when it
+explodes over the enemy's line. Now, what a chorus! Thunder, gun after
+gun, shell after shell, musketry, pelting rain, shouts, groans, cheers,
+and commands!
+
+But help is coming. At the edge of the woods, where the skirmishers
+entered, the brigade is in line. Somebody has ordered, "Load!"
+
+The ramrods glisten and rattle down the barrels of a thousand muskets.
+"F-o-o-o-o-r-r-r-r-w-a-a-a-r-r-r-d!" is the next command, and the
+brigade disappears in the woods, the canteens rattling, the bushes
+crackling, and the officers never ceasing to say, "Close up, men; close
+up! guide c-e-n-t-r-r-r-r-e!"
+
+The men on that skirmish line have at last found it advisable to lie
+down at full length on the ground, though it is so wet, and place their
+heads against the trees in front. They cannot advance and they cannot
+retire without, in either case, exposing themselves to almost certain
+death. They are waiting for the line of battle to come to their relief.
+
+At last, before they see, they hear the line advancing through the
+pines. The snapping of the twigs, the neighing of horses, and hoarse
+commands, inspire a husky cheer, and when the line of the old brigade
+breaks through the trees in full view, they fairly yell! Every man jumps
+to his feet, the brigade presses firmly forward, and soon the roll of
+musketry tells all who are waiting to hear that serious work is
+progressing away down in the woods. All honor to the devoted infantry.
+The hour of glory has arrived for couriers, aides-de-camp, and staff
+officers generally. They dash about from place to place like spirits of
+unrest. Brigade after brigade and division after division is hurried
+into line, and pressed forward into action. Battalions of artillery open
+fire from the crests of many hills, and the battle is begun.
+
+[Illustration: EXTENDING THE REAR.]
+
+Ammunition trains climb impassable places, cross ditches without
+bridges, and manage somehow to place themselves in reach of the troops.
+Ambulances, which an hour before went gayly forward, now slowly and
+solemnly return loaded. Shells and musket balls which must have lost
+their way, go flitting about here and there, wounding and killing men
+who deem themselves far away from danger. The negro cooks turn pale as
+these unexpected visitors enter the camps at the rear, and the rear is
+"extended" at once.
+
+But our place now is at the front, on the field. We are to watch the
+details of a small part of the great expanse. As we approach, a
+ludicrous scene presents itself. A strong-armed artilleryman is
+energetically thrashing a dejected looking individual with a hickory
+bush, and urging him to the front. He has managed to keep out of many a
+fight, but now he _must_ go in. The captain has detailed a man to _whip_
+him in, and the man is doing it. With every blow the poor fellow yells
+and begs to be spared, but his determined guardian will not cease. They
+press on, the one screaming and the other lashing, till they reach the
+battery in position and firing on the retiring enemy. A battery of the
+enemy is replying, and shells are bursting overhead, or ploughing huge
+furrows in the ground. Musket balls are "rapping" on the rims of the
+wheels and sinking with a deep "thud" into the bodies of the poor
+horses. Smoke obscures the scene, but the cannoniers in faint outline
+can be seen cheerfully serving the guns.
+
+As the opposing battery ceases firing, and having limbered up, scampers
+away, and the last of the enemy's infantry slowly sinks into the woods
+out of sight and out of reach, a wild cheer breaks from the cannoniers,
+who toss their caps in the air and shout, shake hands and shout again,
+while the curtain of smoke is raised by the breeze and borne away.
+
+The cavalry is gone. With jingle and clatter they have passed through
+the lines and down the hill, and are already demanding surrender from
+many a belated man. There will be no rest for that retreating column.
+Stuart, with a twinkle in his eye, his lips puckered as if to whistle a
+merry lay, is on their flanks, in their rear, and in their front. The
+enemy will send their cavalry after him, of course, but he will stay
+with them, nevertheless.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Add now the stream of wounded men slowly making their way to the rear;
+the groups of dejected prisoners plodding along under guard, and you
+have about as much of a battle as one private soldier ever sees.
+
+[Illustration: COMING OUT]
+
+But after the battle, man will tell to man what each has seen and felt,
+until every man will feel that he has seen the whole. Hear, then, the
+stories of battle.
+
+An artilleryman--he must have been a driver--says: when the firing had
+ceased an old battery horse, his lower jaw carried away by a shot, with
+blood streaming from his wound, staggered up to him, gazed beseechingly
+at him, and, groaning piteously, laid his bloody jaws on his shoulder,
+and so made his appeal for sympathy. He was beyond help.
+
+The pathetic nature of this story reminds a comrade that a new man in
+the battery, desiring to save the labor incident to running up the gun
+after the rebound, determined to hold on to the handspike, press the
+trail into the ground, and hold her fast. He did try, but the rebound
+proceeded as usual, and the labor-saving man was "shocked" at the
+failure of his effort. Nothing daunted, the same individual soon after
+applied his lips to the vent of the gun, which was choked, and
+endeavored to clear it by an energetic blast from his lungs. The vent
+was not cleared but the lips of the recruit were nicely browned, and the
+detachment greatly amused.
+
+At another gun it has happened that No. 1 and No. 3 have had a
+difficulty. No. 3 having failed to serve the vent, there was a premature
+explosion, and No. 1, being about to withdraw the rammer, fell heavily
+to the ground, apparently dead. No. 3, seeing what a calamity he had
+caused, hung over the dead man and begged him to speak and exonerate him
+from blame. After No. 3 had exhausted all his eloquence and pathos, No.
+1 suddenly rose to his feet and informed him that the premature
+explosion was a fact, but the death of No. 1 was a joke intended to warn
+him that if he ever failed again to serve that vent, he would have his
+head broken by a blow from a rammer-head. This joke having been
+completed in all its details, the firing was continued.
+
+Another man tells how Eggleston had his arm torn away by a solid shot,
+and, as he walked away, held up the bleeding, quivering stump,
+exclaiming, "Never mind, boys; I'll come back soon and try 'em with this
+other one." Alas! poor fellow, he had fought his last fight.
+
+Poor Tom, he who was always, as he said, "willing to give 'em half a
+leg, or so," was struck about the waist by a shot which almost cut him
+in two. He fell heavily to the ground, and, though in awful agony,
+managed to say: "Tell mother I died doing my duty."
+
+While the fight lasted, several of the best and bravest received wounds
+apparently mortal, and were laid aside covered by an old army blanket.
+They refused to die, however, and remain to this day to tell their own
+stories of the war and of their marvelous recovery.
+
+At the battle of the Wilderness, May, 1864, a man from North Carolina
+precipitated a severe fight by asking a very simple and reasonable
+question. The line of battle had been pressed forward and was in close
+proximity to the enemy. The thick and tangled undergrowth prevented a
+sight of the enemy, but every man felt he was near. Everything was
+hushed and still. No one dared to speak above a whisper. It was evening,
+and growing dark. As the men lay on the ground, keenly sensible to every
+sound, and anxiously waiting, they heard the firm tread of a man walking
+along the line. As he walked they heard also the jingle-jangle of a pile
+of canteens hung around his neck. He advanced with deliberate mien to
+within a few yards of the line and opened a terrific fight by quietly
+saying, "Can any you fellows tell a man whar he can git some water?"
+Instantly the thicket was illumined by the flash of a thousand muskets,
+the men leaped to their feet, the officers shouted, and the battle was
+begun. Neither side would yield, and there they fought till many died.
+
+Soon, however, the reserve brigade began to make its way through the
+thicket. The first man to appear was the brigadier, thirty yards ahead
+of his brigade, his sword between his teeth, and parting the bushes with
+both hands as he spurred his horse through the tangled growth. Eager for
+the fight, his eyes glaring and his countenance lit up with fury, his
+first word was "Forward!" and forward went the line.
+
+[Illustration: THE BATTLE OPENS]
+
+On the march from Petersburg to Appomattox, after a sharp engagement,
+some men of Cutshaw's artillery battalion, acting as infantry, made a
+stand for a while on a piece of high ground. They noticed, hanging
+around in a lonely, distracted way, a tall, lean, shaggy fellow
+holding, or rather leaning on, a long staff, around which hung a faded
+battle-flag. Thinking him out of his place and skulking, they suggested
+to him that it would be well for him to join his regiment. He replied
+that his regiment had all run away, and he was merely waiting a chance
+to be useful. Just then the enemy's advancing skirmishers poured a hot
+fire into the group, and the artillerymen began to discuss the propriety
+of leaving. The color-bearer, remembering their insinuations, saw an
+opportunity for retaliation. Standing, as he was, in the midst of a
+shower of musket balls, he seemed almost ready to fall asleep. But
+suddenly his face was illumined with a singularly pleased and childish
+smile. Quietly walking up close to the group, he said, "Any you boys
+want to _charge_?" The boys answered, "Yes." "Well," said the
+imperturbable, "I'm the man to carry this here old flag for you. Just
+follow me." So saying he led the squad full into the face of the
+advancing enemy, and never once seemed to think of stopping until he was
+urged to retire with the squad. He came back smiling from head to foot,
+and suffered no more insinuations.
+
+At Gettysburg, when the artillery fire was at its height, a brawny
+fellow, who seemed happy at the prospect for a hot time, broke out
+singing:--
+
+     "Backward, roll backward, O Time in thy flight:
+     Make me a child again, just for this _fight_!"
+
+Another fellow near him replied, "Yes; and a _gal_ child at that."
+
+At Fredericksburg a good soldier, now a farmer in Chesterfield County,
+Virginia, was desperately wounded and lay on the field all night. In the
+morning a surgeon approached him and inquired the nature of his wound.
+Finding a wound which is always considered fatal, he advised the man to
+remain quietly where he was and die. The man insisted on being removed
+to a hospital, saying in the most emphatic manner, that though every man
+ever wounded as he was (his bowels were punctured by the ball) had died,
+he was determined not to die. The surgeon, struck by the man's courage
+and nerve, consented to remove him, advising him, however, not to
+cherish the hope of recovery. After a hard struggle he did recover, and
+is to-day a living example of the power of a determined will.
+
+At the Wilderness, when the fight was raging in the tangled woods and a
+man could scarcely trust himself to move in any direction for fear of
+going astray or running into the hands of the enemy, a mere boy was
+wounded. Rushing out of the woods, his eyes staring and his face pale
+with fright, he shouted, "Where's the rear. Mister! I say, Mister!
+where's the rear?" Of course he was laughed at. The very grim fact that
+there was no "rear," in the sense of safety, made the question
+irresistibly ludicrous. The conduct of this boy was not exceptional. It
+was no uncommon thing to see the best men badly demoralized and eager to
+go to the rear because of a wound scarcely worthy of the name. On the
+other hand, it sometimes happened that men seriously wounded could not
+be convinced of their danger, and remained on the field.
+
+The day General Stuart fell, mortally wounded, there was a severe fight
+in the woods not far from the old Brook Church, a few miles from
+Richmond; the enemy was making a determined stand, in order to gain time
+to repair a bridge which they were compelled to use, and the Confederate
+infantry skirmishers were pushing them hard. The fighting was stubborn
+and the casualties on the Confederate side very numerous. In the midst
+of the fight a voice was heard shouting, "Where's my boy? I'm looking
+for my boy!" Soon the owner of the voice appeared, tall, slim, aged,
+with silver gray hair, dressed in a full suit of broadcloth. A tall
+silk hat and a clerical collar and cravat completed his attire. His
+voice, familiar to the people of Virginia, was deep and powerful. As he
+continued to shout, the men replied, "Go back, old gentleman; you'll get
+hurt here. Go back; go back!" "No, no;" said he, "I can go anywhere my
+boy has to go, and the Lord is here. I want to see my boy, and I will
+see him!" Then the order, "Forward!" was given and the men made once
+more for the enemy. The old gentleman, his beaver in one hand, a big
+stick in the other, his long hair flying, shouting, "Come on, boys!"
+disappeared in the depths of the woods, well in front. He was a
+Methodist minister, an old member of the Virginia Conference, but his
+carriage that day was soldierly and grand. One thought--that _his boy
+was there_--made the old man feel that he might brave the danger, too.
+No man who saw him there will ever forget the parson who led the charge
+at Brook Church.
+
+At the battle of Spottsylvania Court House, a gun in position somewhat
+in advance of the line was so much exposed to the enemy's fire that it
+was abandoned. Later in the day the battery being ordered to move, the
+captain directed the sergeant to take his detachment and bring in the
+gun. The sergeant and his gunner, with a number of men, went out to
+bring in the gun by hand. Two men lifted the trail and the sergeant
+ordered, "All together!" The gun moved, but moved _in a circle_. The
+fire was hot, and _all hands were on the same side_--the side farthest
+from the enemy! After some persuasion the corporal and the sergeant
+managed to induce a man or two to get on the other side, with them, and
+they were moving along very comfortably when a shrapnel whacked the
+sergeant on his breast, breaking his ribs and tearing away the muscle of
+one arm. He fell into the arms of the corporal. Seeing that their only
+hope of escaping from this fire was work, the cannoniers bent to the
+wheels, and the gun rolled slowly to shelter.
+
+It was at Spottsylvania Court House that the Federal infantry rushed
+over the works, and, engaging in a hand-to-hand fight, drove out the
+Confederate infantry. On one part of the line the artillerymen stood to
+their posts, and when the Federal troops passing the works had massed
+themselves inside, fired to the right and left, up and down the lines,
+cutting roadways through the compact masses of men, and holding their
+positions until the Confederate infantry reformed, drove out the enemy
+and re-occupied the line. Several batteries were completely overrun, and
+the cannoniers sought and found safety _in front of the works_, whence
+the enemy had made their charge.
+
+At another point on the lines, where there was no infantry support, the
+enemy charged repeatedly and made every effort to carry the works, but
+were handsomely repulsed by _artillery alone_. An examination of the
+ground in front of the works after the fight, disclosed the fact that
+all the dead and wounded were victims of artillery fire. The dead were
+literally torn to pieces, and the wounded dreadfully mangled. Scarcely a
+man was hurt on the Confederate side.
+
+At Fort Harrison, a few miles below Richmond, in 1864, a ludicrous scene
+resulted from the firing of a salute with shotted guns. Federal
+artillery occupied the fort, and the lines immediately in front of it
+were held by the "Department Battalion," composed of the clerks in the
+various government offices in Richmond, who had been ordered out to meet
+an emergency. Just before sundown the detail for picket duty was formed,
+and about to march out to the picket line, the clerks presenting quite a
+soldierly appearance. Suddenly bang! went a gun in the fort, and a shell
+came tearing over. Bang! again, and bang! bang! and more shells
+exploding. Pow! pow! what consternation! In an instant the beautiful
+line melted away as by magic. Every man took to shelter, and the place
+was desolate. The firing was rapid, regular, and apparently aimed to
+strike the Confederate lines, but ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
+General Custis Lee, whose tent was near by, observing the panic, stepped
+quietly up to the parapet of the works, folded his arms, and walked back
+and forth without uttering a word or looking to the right or to the
+left. His cool behavior, coupled with the silence of the guns, soon
+reassured the trembling clerks, and one by one they dropped into line
+again. General Butler had heard some news that pleased him, and ordered
+a salute with shotted guns. That was all.
+
+Two boys who had volunteered for service with the militia in the same
+neighborhood, were detailed for picket duty. It was the custom to put
+three men on each post,--two militia boys and one veteran. The boys and
+an old soldier of Johnston's division were marched to their post, where
+they found, ready dug, a pit about five feet deep and three feet wide.
+It was quite dark, and the boys, realizing fully their exposed position,
+at once occupied the pit. The old soldier saw he had an opportunity to
+have a good time, knowing that those boys would keep wide awake. Giving
+them a short lecture about the importance of great watchfulness, he
+warned them to be ready to leave there very rapidly at any moment, and,
+above all, to keep very quiet. His words were wasted, as the boys would
+not have closed their eyes or uttered a word for the world. These little
+details arranged, the cunning old soldier prepared to make himself
+comfortable. First he gathered a few small twigs and made a _very small_
+fire. On the fire he put a battered old tin cup. Into this he poured
+some coffee from his canteen. From some mysterious place in his clothes
+he drew forth sugar and dropped it into the cup. Next, from an old worn
+haversack, he took a "chunk" of raw bacon and a "pone" of corn bread.
+Then, drawing a large pocket knife, in a dexterous manner he sliced and
+ate his bread and meat, occasionally sipping his coffee. His evening
+meal leisurely completed, he filled his pipe, smoked, and stirred up the
+imaginations of the boys by telling how dangerous a duty they were
+performing; told them how easy it would be for the Yankees to creep up
+and shoot them or capture and carry them off. Having finished his smoke,
+he knocked out the ashes and dropped the pipe in his pocket. Then he
+actually unrolled his blanket and oil-cloth. It made the perspiration
+start on the brows of the boys to see the man's folly. Then taking off
+his shoes, he laid down on one edge, took hold of the blanket and
+oil-cloth, rolled himself over to the other side, and with a kind "good
+night" to the boys, began to snore. The poor boys stood like statues in
+the pit till broad day. In the morning the old soldier thanked them for
+not disturbing him, and quietly proceeded to prepare his breakfast.
+
+After the fight at Fisher's Hill, in 1864, Early's army, in full retreat
+and greatly demoralized, was strung out along the valley pike. The
+Federal cavalry was darting around picking up prisoners, shooting
+drivers, and making themselves generally disagreeable. It happened that
+an artilleryman, who was separated from his gun, was making pretty good
+time on foot, getting to the rear, and had the _appearance_ of a
+demoralized infantryman who had thrown away his musket. So one of these
+lively cavalrymen trotted up, and, waving his sabre, told the
+artilleryman to "surrender!" But he didn't stop. He merely glanced over
+his shoulder, and kept on. Then the cavalryman became indignant and
+shouted, "Halt, d--n you; halt!" And still he would not. "Halt," said
+the cavalryman, "halt, you d--n s-- of a -----; halt!" Then the
+artilleryman halted, and remarking that he didn't allow any man to speak
+to _him_ that way, seized a huge stick, turned on the cavalryman,
+knocked him out of his saddle, and proceeded on his journey to the
+rear.
+
+This artilleryman fought with a musket at Sailor's Creek. He found
+himself surrounded by the enemy, who demanded surrender. He refused;
+said they must take him; and laid about him with the butt of his musket
+till he had damaged some of the party considerably. He was, however,
+overpowered and made a prisoner.
+
+Experienced men, in battle, always availed themselves of any shelter
+within reach. A tree, a fence, a mound of earth, a ditch, anything.
+Sometimes their efforts to find shelter were very amusing and even
+silly. Men lying on the ground have been seen to put an old canteen
+before their heads as a shelter from musket balls; and during a heavy
+fire of artillery, seemed to feel safer _under a tent_. Only recruits
+and fools neglected the smallest shelter.
+
+The more experienced troops knew better when to give up than green ones,
+and never fought well after they were satisfied that they could not
+accomplish their purpose. Consequently it often happened that the best
+troops failed where the raw ones did well. The old Confederate soldier
+_would_ decide some questions for himself. To the last he maintained the
+right of private judgment, and especially on the field of battle.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+IMPROVISED INFANTRY.
+
+
+Sunday, April 2, 1865, found Cutshaw's battalion of artillery occupying
+the earthworks at Fort Clifton on the Appomattox, about two miles below
+Petersburg, Virginia. The command was composed of the Second Company
+Richmond Howitzers, Captain Lorraine F. Jones, Garber's battery, Fry's
+battery, and remnants of five other batteries (saved from the battle of
+Spottsylvania Court House, May 12, 1864), and had present for duty
+nearly five hundred men, with a total muster-roll, including the men in
+prison, of one thousand and eighty.
+
+The place--the old "Clifton House"--was well fortified, and had the
+additional protection of the river along the entire front of perhaps a
+mile. The works extended from the Appomattox on the right to Swift Creek
+on the left. There were some guns of heavy calibre mounted and ready for
+action, and in addition to these some field-pieces disposed along the
+line at suitable points. The enemy had formidable works opposite, but
+had not used their guns to disturb the quiet routine of the camp. The
+river bank was picketed by details from the artillery, armed as
+infantry, but without the usual equipments. The guard duty was so heavy
+that half the men were always on guard.
+
+The huts, built by the troops who had formerly occupied the place, were
+located, with a view to protection from the enemy's fire, under the
+hills on the sides of the ravines or gullies which divided them, and
+were underground to the eaves of the roof. Consequently, the soil being
+sandy, there was a constant filtering of sand through the cracks, and in
+spite of the greatest care, the grit found its way into the flour and
+meal, stuck to the greasy frying-pan, and even filled the hair of the
+men as they slept in their bunks.
+
+At this time rations were reduced to the minimum of quantity and
+quality, being generally worm-eaten peas, sour or rancid mess-pork, and
+unbolted corn meal, relieved occasionally with a small supply of
+luscious canned beef, imported from England, good flour (half rations),
+a little coffee and sugar, and, once, apple brandy for all hands.
+Ragged, barefooted, and even bareheaded men were so common that they did
+not excite notice or comment, and did not expect or seem to feel the
+want of sympathy. And yet there was scarcely a complaint or murmur of
+dissatisfaction, and not the slightest indication of fear or doubt. The
+spirit of the men was as good as ever, and the possibility of immediate
+disaster had not cast its shadow there.
+
+Several incidents occurred during the stay of the battalion at Fort
+Clifton which will serve to illustrate every-day life on the lines. It
+occurred to a man picketing the river bank that it would be amusing to
+take careful aim at the man on the other side doing the same duty for
+the enemy, fire, laugh to see the fellow jump and dodge, and then try
+again. He fired, laughed, dropped his musket to re-load, and while
+smiling with satisfaction, heard the "thud" of a bullet and felt an
+agonizing pain in his arm. His musket fell to the ground, and he walked
+back to camp with his arm swinging heavily at his side. The surgeon soon
+relieved him of it altogether. The poor fellow learned a lesson. The
+"Yank" had beat him at his own game.
+
+The guard-house was a two-story framed building, about twelve feet
+square, having two rooms, one above the other. The detail for guard duty
+was required to stay in the guard-house; those who wished to sleep going
+up-stairs, while others just relieved or about to go on duty clustered
+around the fire in the lower room. One night, when the upper floor was
+covered with sleeping men, an improvised infantryman who had been
+relieved from duty walked in, and, preparatory to taking his stand at
+the fire, threw his musket carelessly in the corner. A loud report and
+angry exclamations immediately followed. The sergeant of the guard,
+noticing the direction of the ball, hurried up-stairs, and to the
+disgust of the sleepy fellows, ordered all hands to "turn out."
+Grumbling, growling, stretching, and rubbing their eyes, the men got up.
+Some one inquired, "Where's Pryor?" His chum, who had been sleeping by
+his side, replied, "there he is, asleep; shake him." His blanket was
+drawn aside, and with a shake he was commanded to "get up!" But there
+was no motion, no reply. The ball had passed through his heart, and he
+had passed without a groan or a sigh from deep sleep to death. The man
+who was killed and the man who was sleeping by his side under the same
+blanket, were members of the Second Company Richmond Howitzers. The
+careless man who made the trouble was also an artilleryman, from one of
+the other batteries.
+
+Shortly after this accident, after a quiet day, the men retired to their
+huts, and the whole camp was still as a country church-yard. The pickets
+on the river's edge could hear those on the opposite side asking the
+corporal of the guard the hour, and complaining that they had not been
+promptly relieved. Suddenly a terrific bombardment commenced, and the
+earth fairly trembled. The men, suddenly awakened, heard the roar of the
+guns, the rush of the shots, and the explosion of the shells. To a man
+only half awake, the shells seemed to pass very near and in every
+direction. In a moment all were rushing out of their houses, and soon
+the hillsides and bluffs were covered with an excited crowd, gazing
+awe-struck on the sight. The firing was away to the right, and there was
+not the slightest danger. Having realized this fact, the interest was
+intense. The shells from the opposite lines met and passed in
+mid-air--their burning fuses forming an arch of fire, which paled
+occasionally as a shell burst, illuminating the heavens with its blaze.
+The uproar, even at such a distance, was terrible. The officers, fearing
+that fire would be opened along the whole line, ordered the cannoniers
+to their posts; men were sent down into the magazine with lanterns to
+arrange the ammunition for the heavy guns; the lids of the limbers of
+the field-pieces were thrown up; the cannoniers were counted off at
+their posts; the brush which had been piled before the embrasures was
+torn away; and, with implements in hand, all stood at "attention!" till
+the last shot was fired. The heavens were dark again, and silence
+reigned. Soon all hands were as sound asleep as though nothing had
+occurred.
+
+The next morning an artilleryman came walking leisurely towards the
+camp, and being recognized as belonging to a battery which was in
+position on that part of the line where the firing of the last night
+occurred, was plied with questions as to the loss on our side, who was
+hurt, etc., etc. Smiling at the anxious faces and eager questions, he
+replied: "When? Last night? Nobody!" It was astounding, but nevertheless
+true.
+
+On another occasion some scattering shots were heard up the river, and
+after a while a body came floating down the stream. It was hauled on
+shore and buried in the sand a little above high-water mark. It was a
+poor Confederate who had attempted to desert to the enemy, but was shot
+while swimming for the opposite bank of the river. His grave was the
+centre of the beat of one of the picket posts on the river bank, and
+there were few men so indifferent to the presence of the dead as not to
+prefer some other post.
+
+And so, while there had been no fighting, there were always incidents to
+remind the soldier that danger lurked around, and that he could not long
+avoid his share. The camp was not as joyous as it had been, and all
+felt that the time was near which would try the courage of the stoutest.
+The struggles of the troops on the right with overwhelming numbers and
+reports of adversities, caused a general expectation that the troops
+lying so idly at the Clifton House would be ordered to the point of
+danger. They had not long to wait.
+
+Sunday came and went as many a Sunday had. There was nothing unusual
+apparent, unless, perhaps, the dull and listless attitudes of the men,
+and the monotonous call of those on guard were more oppressive than
+usual. The sun went down, the hills and valleys and the river were
+veiled in darkness. Here and there twinkling lights were visible. On the
+other side of the river could be heard a low rumbling which experienced
+men said was the movement of artillery and ammunition trains bound to
+the enemy's left to press the already broken right of the Confederate
+line.
+
+Some had actually gone to sleep for the night. Others were huddled
+around the fires in the little huts, and a few sat out on the hill-side
+discussing the probabilities of the near future. A most peaceful scene;
+a most peaceful spot. Hymns were sung and prayers were made, though no
+preacher was there. Memory reverted fondly to the past, to home and
+friends. The spirit of the soldier soared away to other scenes, and
+left _him_ to sit blankly down, gaze at the stars, and feel unspeakable
+longings for undefined joys, and weep, for very tenderness of heart, at
+his own sad loneliness.
+
+At ten P.M. some man mounted on horseback rode up to one of the
+huts, and said the battalion had orders to move. It was so dark that his
+face was scarcely visible. In a few minutes orders were received to
+destroy what could be destroyed without noise or fire. This was promptly
+done. Then the companies were formed, the roll was called, and the
+battalion marched slowly and solemnly away. No one doubted that the
+command would march at once to the assistance of the troops at or near
+Five Forks. It was thought that before morning every man would have his
+musket and his supply of ammunition, and the crack of day would see the
+battalion rushing into battle in regular infantry style, whooping and
+yelling like demons. But they got no arms that night. The march was
+steady till broad day of Monday the 3d of April. Of course the men felt
+mortified at having to leave the guns, but there was no help for it, as
+the battery horses which had been sent away to winter had not returned.
+It was evident that the battalion had bid farewell to artillery, and
+commenced a new career as infantry.
+
+As the night wore on the men learned that the command was not going to
+any point on the lines. That being determined, no one could guess its
+destination. Later in the night, probably as day approached, the sky in
+the direction of Richmond was lit with the red glare of distant
+conflagration, and at short intervals there were deep, growling
+explosions of magazines. The roads were filled with other troops, all
+hurrying in the same direction. There was no sign of panic or fear, but
+the very wheels seemed turning with unusual energy. The men wore the
+look of determination, haste, and eagerness. One could feel the energy
+which surrounded him and animated the men and things which moved so
+steadily on, on, on! There was no laughing, singing, or talking. Nothing
+but the steady tread of the column and the surly rumbling of the trains.
+
+As morning dawned the battalion struck the main road leading from
+Richmond. Refugees told the story of the evacuation, and informed the
+boys from the city that it was in the hands of the enemy and burning,
+and the chances were that not one house would be left standing. Here it
+became clearly understood that the whole army was in full retreat. From
+this point the men began to say, as they marched, that it was easier to
+march away than it would be to get back, but that they expected and
+hoped to _fight_ their way back if they had to contest every inch. Some
+even regretted the celerity of the march, for, they said, "the further
+we march the more difficult it will be to win our way back." Little did
+they know of the immense pressure at the rear, and the earnest push of
+the enemy on the flank as he strove to reach and overlap the advance of
+his hitherto defiant, but now retreating, foe.
+
+A detail had been left at Fort Clifton with orders to spike the guns,
+blow up the magazine, destroy everything which could be of value to the
+enemy, and rejoin the command. The order was obeyed, and every man of
+the detail resumed his place in the ranks.
+
+From this point to Appomattox the march was almost continuous, day and
+night, and it is with the greatest difficulty that a private in the
+ranks can recall with accuracy the dates and places on the march. Night
+was day--day was night. There was no stated time to sleep, eat, or rest,
+and the events of morning became strangely intermingled with the events
+of evening. Breakfast, dinner, and supper were merged into "something to
+eat," whenever and wherever it could be had. The incidents of the march,
+however, lose none of their significance on this account, and so far as
+possible they will be given in the order in which they occurred, and
+the day and hour fixed as accurately as they can be by those who
+witnessed and participated in its dangers and hardships.
+
+Monday, the 3d, the column was pushed along without ceremony, at a rapid
+pace, until night, when a halt was ordered and the battalion laid down
+in a piece of pine woods to rest. There was some "desultory" eating in
+this camp, but so little of it that there was no lasting effect. At
+early dawn of Tuesday, the 4th, the men struggled to their feet, and
+with empty stomachs and brave hearts resumed their places in the ranks,
+and struggled on with the column as it marched steadily in the direction
+of Moore's Church, in Amelia County, where it arrived in the night. The
+men laid down under the shelter of a fine grove, and friend divided with
+friend the little supplies of raw bacon and bread picked up on the day's
+march. They were scarcely stretched on the ground ready for a good nap,
+when the orderly of the Howitzers commenced bawling, "Detail for guard!
+detail for guard! Fall in here; fall in!" then followed the names of the
+detail. Four men answered to their names, but declared they could not
+keep awake if placed on guard. Their remonstrance was in vain. They were
+marched off to picket a road leading to camp, and when they were
+relieved, said they had slept soundly on their posts. No one blamed
+them.
+
+While it was yet night all hands were roused from profound sleep; the
+battalion was formed, and away they went, stumbling, bumping against
+each other, and _sleeping as they walked_. Whenever the column halted
+for a moment, as it did frequently during the night, the men dropped
+heavily to the ground and were instantly asleep. Then the officers would
+commence: "Forward! column forward!" Those first on their feet went
+stumbling on over their prostrate comrades, who would in turn be
+awakened, and again the column was in motion, and nothing heard but the
+monotonous tread of the weary feet, the ringing and rattling of the
+trappings of the horses, and the never-ending cry of "Close up, men;
+close up!"
+
+Through the long, weary night there was no rest. The alternate halting
+and hurrying was terribly trying, and taxed the endurance of the most
+determined men to the very utmost; and yet on the morning of Wednesday,
+the 5th, when the battalion reached the neighborhood of Scott's Shops,
+every man was in place and ready for duty. From this point, after some
+ineffectual efforts to get a breakfast, the column pushed on in the
+direction of Amelia Court House, at which point Colonel Cutshaw was
+ordered to report to General James A. Walker, and the battalion was
+thereafter a part of Walker's division. The 5th was spent at or near the
+court house--how, it is difficult to remember; but the day was marked by
+several incidents worthy of record.
+
+About two hundred and twenty-five muskets (not enough to arm all the
+men), cartridges, and caps were issued to the battalion--simply the
+muskets and ammunition. Not a cartridge-box, cap-box, belt, or any other
+convenience ornamented the persons of these new-born infantrymen. They
+stored their ammunition in their pockets along with their corn, salt,
+pipes, and tobacco.
+
+When application was made for rations, it was found that the last morsel
+belonging to the division had been issued to the command, and the
+battalion was again thrown on its own resources, to wit: corn on the cob
+intended for the horses. Two ears were issued to each man. It was
+parched in the coals, mixed with salt, stored in the pockets, and eaten
+on the road. Chewing the corn was hard work. It made the jaws ache and
+the gums and teeth so sore as to cause almost unendurable pain.
+
+After the muskets were issued a line of battle was formed with Cutshaw
+on the right. For what purpose the line was formed the men could not
+tell. A short distance from the right of the line there was a grove
+which concealed an ammunition train which had been sent from Richmond to
+meet the army. The ammunition had been piled up ready for destruction.
+An occasional musket ball passed over near enough and often enough to
+produce a realizing sense of the proximity of the enemy and solemnize
+the occasion. Towards evening the muskets were stacked, artillery style
+of course, the men were lying around, chatting and eating raw bacon, and
+there was general quiet, when suddenly the earth shook with a tremendous
+explosion and an immense column of smoke rushed up into the air to a
+great height. For a moment there was the greatest consternation. Whole
+regiments broke and fled in wild confusion. Cutshaw's men stood up,
+seized their muskets, and stood at attention till it was known that the
+ammunition had been purposely fired and no enemy was threatening the
+line. Then what laughter and hilarity prevailed, for a while, among
+these famishing men!
+
+Order having been restored, the march was resumed, and moving by way of
+Amelia Springs, the column arrived near Deatonsville, about ten o'clock,
+on the morning of Thursday the 6th. The march, though not a long one,
+was exceedingly tiresome, as, the main roads being crowded, the column
+moved by plantation roads, which were in wretched condition and crowded
+with troops and trains. That the night was spent in the most trying
+manner may best be learned from the fact that when morning dawned the
+column was only six or seven miles from the starting point of the
+evening before.
+
+This delay was fatal. The whole army--trains and all--left Amelia Court
+House in advance of Walker's division, which was left to cover the
+retreat, Cutshaw's battalion being the last to leave the court house,
+thus bringing up the rear of the army, and being in constant view of the
+enemy's hovering cavalry. The movement of the division was regulated to
+suit the movements of the wagon trains, which should have been destroyed
+on the spot, and the column allowed to make its best time, as, owing to
+the delay they occasioned, the army lost the time it had gained on the
+enemy in the start, and was overtaken the next day.
+
+At Deatonsville another effort to cook was made, but before the simplest
+articles of food could be prepared, the order to march was given, and
+the battalion took the road once more.
+
+A short while after passing Deatonsville the column was formed in line
+of battle,--Cutshaw's battalion near the road and in an old field with
+woods in front and rear. The officers, anticipating an immediate attack,
+ordered the men to do what they could for their protection. They
+immediately scattered along the fence on the roadside, and taking down
+the rails stalked back to their position in line, laid the rails on the
+ground and returned for another load. This they continued to do until
+the whole of the fence was removed. Behind this slim defense they
+silently awaited the advance of the enemy.
+
+Soon it was decided that this was not the place to make a stand. The
+first detachment of the Second Company of Richmond Howitzers, and twenty
+men each from Garber and Fry, under the command of Lieutenant Henry
+Jones, were left behind the fence-rail work, with orders to resist and
+retard the advance of the enemy while the column continued its march.
+
+This little band was composed of true spirits,--the best material in the
+battalion. Right well did they do their duty. Left alone to face the
+advance of the immense host eagerly pursuing the worn remnant of the
+invincible army, they waited until the enemy's skirmishers appeared in
+the field, when, with perfect deliberation, they commenced their fire.
+Though greatly outnumbered, and flanked right and left, they stubbornly
+held on till the line of battle following the skirmishers broke from
+the woods, and advancing rapidly poured into them a murderous volley.
+And yet, so unused were they to running, they moved not till the
+infantry skirmishers had retired, and the word of command was heard.
+Then stubbornly contesting the ground, they fought their way back
+through the woods. The gallant Lieutenant Jones fell mortally wounded,
+having held control of his little band to the moment he fell. His friend
+Kemp refused to leave him, and they were captured together, but were
+immediately separated by the enemy. Pearson was pierced through by a
+musket ball as he was hurrying through the woods, and fell heavily to
+the ground. Binford was severely wounded, but managed to escape.
+Hamilton was killed outright.
+
+The battalion had left this point but a short time, marching in column
+of fours with the division, and had reached the brow of a gently sloping
+hill, perfectly open for perhaps a mile, with a broad valley on the
+left, and beyond it a range of hills partly wooded. In an open space on
+this range the enemy placed a battery in position, and, in anticipation
+of doing great slaughter from a safe distance, opened a rapid fire on
+the exposed and helpless column. The shells came hurtling over the
+valley, exploding in front, rear, and overhead, and tearing up the
+ground in every direction. Ah! how it grieved those artillerymen to
+stand, musket in hand, and receive that shower of insolence. How they
+longed for the old friends they had left at Fort Clifton. They knew how
+those rascals on the other side of the valley were enjoying the sport.
+They could hear, in imagination, the shouts of the cannoniers as they
+saw their shells bursting so prettily, and rammed home another shot.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+There was some impediment ahead, and there the column stood, a fair mark
+for these rascals. There was no help near, and all that could be done
+was to stand firm and wait orders; but help was coming.
+
+A cloud of dust was approaching from the rear of the column. All eyes
+were strained to see what it might mean. Presently the artillerymen
+recognized a well-known sound. A battery was coming in full gallop, the
+drivers lashing their horses and yelling like madmen. The guns bounded
+along as though they would outrun the horses, and with rush, roar, and
+rattle they approached the front of the battalion. Some fellow in the
+Second Company Howitzers sung out, "Old Henry Carter! Hurrah! for the
+Third Company! Give it to 'em, boys!" It was, indeed, the Third Company
+of Howitzers, long separated from the Second, with their gallant captain
+at their head!
+
+Not a moment was lost. The guns were in battery, and the smoke of the
+first shot was curling about the heads of the men in the column in
+marvelously quick time. Friends and comrades in the column called to the
+men at the guns, and they, as they stepped in and out, responded with
+cheerful, ringing voices, "Hello, Bill!" "How are you, Joe?" Bang!
+"Pretty"--Bang!--"well, I thank you." Bang! "Oh! we're giving it to 'em
+now." Bang!
+
+As the battalion moved on, the gallant boys of the Third Company
+finished their work. The disappointed enemy limbered up, slipped into
+the woods and departed. Cheered by this fortunate meeting with old
+comrades, with the pleasant odor of the smoke lingering around them,
+these hitherto bereft and mournful artillerymen pushed on, laughing at
+the discomfiture of the enemy, and feeling that though deprived of their
+guns by the misfortunes of war, there was still left at least one
+battery worthy to represent the artillery of the army.
+
+As the column marched slowly along, some sharp-eyed man discovered three
+of the enemy's skirmishers in a field away on the left. More for
+amusement than anything else, it was proposed to fire at them. A group
+of men gathered on the roadside, a volley was fired, and, to the
+amazement of the marksmen, for the distance was great, one of the
+skirmishers fell. One of his comrades started on a run to his
+assistance, and he, too, was stopped. The third man then scampered away
+as fast as his legs could carry him. The battalion applauded the good
+shots and marched on.
+
+At Sailor's Creek the detachment which had been left at Deatonsville,
+behind the fence rails, to watch and retard the approach of the enemy,
+having slowly retired before their advance, rejoined the command.
+Indeed, their resistance and retreat was the beginning of and ended in
+the battle of Sailor's Creek.
+
+The line of battle was formed on Locket's Hill, which sloped gently down
+from the line to the creek, about one hundred and fifty or two hundred
+yards in rear of and running nearly parallel with the line of battle. A
+road divided the battalion near the centre. The Howitzers were on the
+left of this road and in the woods; Garber's men were on the right of
+the Howitzers, on the opposite side of the road, in a field; Fry's men
+on the extreme left. To cross the road dividing the line was a hazardous
+experiment, as the enemy, thinking it an important avenue, swept it with
+musketry.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+It was amusing to see the men hauling out of their pockets a mixture of
+corn, salt, caps, and cartridges, and, selecting the material needed,
+loading. They were getting ready to stand. They did not expect to run,
+and did not until ordered to do so.
+
+The enemy's skirmishers advanced confidently and in rather free and easy
+style, but suddenly met a volley which drove them to cover. Again they
+advanced, in better order, and again the improvised infantry forced them
+back. Then came their line of battle with overwhelming numbers; but the
+battalion stubbornly resisted their advance. The men, not accustomed to
+the orderly manner of infantry, dodged about from tree to tree, and with
+the deliberation of huntsmen picked off here and there a man. When a
+shot "told," the marksman hurrahed, all to himself. There was an evident
+desire to press forward and drive the advancing foe. Several of the men
+were so enthusiastic that they had pushed ahead of the line, and several
+yards in advance they could be seen loading and firing as deliberately
+as though practicing at a mark.
+
+Colonel Cutshaw received a wound which so shattered his leg that he had
+to be lifted from his horse into an ambulance. He was near being
+captured, but by hurrying away the ambulance at a gallop, he escaped to
+a house a short distance in the rear, where he fell into the hands of
+the enemy. The same night he suffered amputation of a leg. Captain
+Garber was struck, and called for the ambulance corps, but on
+examination found the ball in his pocket. It had lodged against the
+rowel of a spur which he found the day before and dropped in his
+pocket.
+
+At last the enemy appeared in strong force on both flanks, while he
+pushed hard in front. It was useless to attempt a further stand. The
+voice of Captain Jones, of the Howitzers, rang out loud and clear,
+"Boys, take care of yourselves!" Saying this, he planted himself against
+a pine, and, as his men rushed by him, emptied every chamber of his
+revolver at the enemy, and then reluctantly made his way, in company
+with several privates, down the hill to the creek.
+
+At the foot of the hill a group of perhaps a dozen men gathered around
+Lieutenant McRae. He was indignant. He proposed another stand, and his
+comrades agreed. They stood in the road, facing the gentle slope of the
+hill from which they had been ordered to retire. The enemy's skirmishers
+were already on the brow of the hill, dodging about among the trees and
+shouting to those behind to hurry up. Their favorite expressions were,
+"Come along, boys; here are the damned rebel wagons!" "Damn 'em shoot
+'em down!"
+
+In a few moments their line of battle, in beautiful order, stepped out
+of the woods with colors flying, and for a moment halted. In front of
+the centre of that portion of the line which was visible--probably a
+full regimental front--marched the colors, and color-guard. McRae saw
+his opportunity. He ordered his squad to rise and fire on the colors.
+His order was promptly obeyed. The color-bearer pitched forward and
+fell, with his colors, heavily to the ground. The guard of two men on
+either side shared the same fate, or else feigned it. Immediately the
+line of battle broke into disorder, and came swarming down the hill,
+firing, yelling, and cursing as they came. An officer, mounted, rode his
+horse close to the fence on the roadside, and with the most superb
+insolence mocked McRae and his squad, already, as he thought, hopelessly
+intermingled with the enemy. McRae, in his rage, swore back at him, and
+in the hearing of the man, called on a man near him to shoot "that ----
+----," calling him a fearfully hard name. But the private's gun was not
+in working order, and the fellow escaped for the time. Before he reached
+the woods, whither he was going to hurry up the "boys," a Howitzer let
+fly at him, and at the shock of the bullet's stroke he threw his arms up
+in the air, and his horse bore him into the woods a corpse.
+
+[Illustration: LAST SHOT. SAILOR'S CREEK.]
+
+A little to the left, where the road crossed the creek, the crack of
+pistols and the "bang" of muskets was continuous. The enemy had
+surrounded the wagons and were mercilessly shooting down the unarmed and
+helpless drivers, some of whom, however, managed to cut the traces,
+mount, and ride away.
+
+In order to escape from the right of the line, it was necessary to
+follow the road, which was along the foot of the hill, some distance to
+the left. The enemy seeing this were pushing their men rapidly at a
+right oblique to gain the road and cut off retreat. Consequently those
+who attempted escape in that direction had to run the gauntlet of a
+constant fusilade from a mass of troops near enough to select
+individuals, curse them, and command them to throw down their arms or be
+shot.
+
+Most of McRae's squad, in spite of the difficulties surrounding them,
+gained the creek, plunged in, and began a race for life up the long,
+open hill-side of plowed ground, fired upon at every step by the swarm
+of men behind, and before they reached the top, by a battery in close
+proximity, which poured down a shower of canister.
+
+The race to the top of the long hill was exceedingly trying to men
+already exhausted by continual marching, hunger, thirst, and loss of
+sleep. They ran, panting for breath, like chased animals, fairly
+staggering as they went.
+
+On the top of this long hill there was a skirmish line of cavalry
+posted, with orders to stop all men with arms in their hands, and form
+a new line; but the view down the hill to the creek and beyond revealed
+such a host of the enemy, and the men retiring before them were so few,
+that the order was disregarded and the fleeing band allowed to pass
+through.
+
+The men's faces were black with powder. They had bitten cartridges until
+there was a deep black circle around their mouths. The burnt powder from
+the ramrods had blackened their hands, and in their efforts to remove
+the perspiration from their faces they had completed the coloring from
+the roots of the hair to the chin. Here was no place for rest, however,
+as the enemy's battery behind the creek on the opposite hills, having
+gotten the range, was pouring in a lively fire. Soon after passing the
+brow of the hill darkness came on. Groups of men from the battalion
+halted on the roadside, near a framed building of some sort, and
+commenced shouting, "Fall in, Howitzers!" "This way, Garber's men!"
+"Fry's battery!" "Fall in!" "Cutshaw's battalion, fall in here!" thus of
+their own accord trying to recover the organization from its disorder.
+Quite a number of the battalion got together, and in spite of hunger,
+thirst, defeat, and dreadful weariness, pushed on to the High Bridge. So
+anxious were the men to escape capture and the insinuation of desertion,
+that when threatened with shooting by the rear guard if they did not
+move on they scarcely turned to see who spoke: but the simple
+announcement, "The Yankees are coming!" gave them a little new strength,
+and again they struggled painfully along, dropping in the road sound
+asleep, however, at the slightest halt of the column.
+
+At the bridge there was quite a halt, and in the darkness the men
+commenced calling to each other by name--the rascally infantry around,
+still ready for fun, answering for every name. Brother called brother,
+comrade called comrade, friend called friend; and there were many happy
+reunions there that night. Some alas! of the best and bravest did not
+answer the cry of anxious friends.
+
+Before the dawn of day the column was again in motion. What strange
+sensations the men had as they marched slowly across the High Bridge.
+They knew its great height, but the night was so dark that they could
+not see the abyss on either side. Arrived on the other side, the
+worn-out soldiers fell to the ground and slept, more dead than alive.
+Some had slept as they marched across the bridge, and declared that they
+had no distinct recollection of when they left it, or how long they were
+upon it.
+
+Early on the morning of the 7th the march was resumed and continued
+through Farmville, across the bridge and to Cumberland Heights,
+overlooking the town. Here, on the bare hill-side, a line of battle was
+formed, for what purpose the men did not know--the Howitzers occupying a
+central place in the line, and standing with their feet in the midst of
+a number of the graves of soldiers who had perished in the hospitals in
+the town.
+
+While standing thus in line a detail was sent into the town to hunt up
+some rations. They found a tierce of bacon surrounded by a ravenous
+crowd, fighting and quarreling. The man on duty guarding the bacon was
+quickly overpowered, and the bacon distributed to the crowd. The detail
+secured a piece and marched back triumphantly to their waiting comrades.
+
+After considerable delay the line broke into column and marched away in
+the direction of Curdsville. It was on this march that Cutshaw's
+battalion showed itself proof against the demoralization which was
+appearing, and received, almost from the lips of the Commander-in-Chief,
+a compliment of which any regiment in the army might be proud.
+
+All along the line of march the enemy's cavalry followed close on the
+flanks of the column, and whenever an opportunity offered swooped down
+upon the trains. Whenever this occurred the battalion, with the
+division, was faced towards the advancing cavalry, and marched in line
+to meet them, generally repulsing them with ease. In one of these
+attacks the cavalry approached so near the column that a dash was made
+at them, and the infantry returned to the road with General Gregg, of
+the enemy's cavalry, a prisoner. He was splendidly equipped and greatly
+admired by the ragged crowd around him. He was, or pretended to be,
+greatly surprised at his capture. When the column had reached a point
+two or three miles beyond Farmville, it was found that the enemy was
+driving in the force which was protecting the marching column and
+trains. The troops hurrying back were panic-stricken; all efforts to
+rally them were vain, and the enemy was almost upon the column. General
+Gordon ordered General Walker to form his division and drive the enemy
+back from the road. The division advanced gallantly, and conspicuous in
+the charge was Cutshaw's battalion. When the line was formed, the
+battalion occupied rising ground on the right. The line was visible for
+a considerable distance. In rear of the battalion there was a group of
+unarmed men under command of Sergeant Ellett, of the Howitzers. In the
+distribution of muskets at Amelia Court House the supply fell short of
+the demand, and this squad had made the trip so far unarmed. Some, too,
+had been compelled to ground their arms at Sailor's Creek. A few yards
+to the left and rear of the battalion, in the road, was General Lee,
+surrounded by a number of officers, gazing eagerly about him. An
+occasional musket ball whistled over, but there was no enemy in sight.
+In the midst of this quiet a general officer, at the left and rear of
+the battalion, fell from his horse, severely wounded. A messenger was
+sent from the group in the road to ask the extent of his injury. After a
+short while the enemy appeared, and the stampeded troops came rushing
+by. Cutshaw's battalion stood firmly and quietly, as if on parade,
+awaiting orders. General officers galloped about, begging the fleeing
+men to halt, but in vain. Several of the fugitives, as they passed the
+battalion, were collared by the disarmed squad, relieved of their
+muskets and ammunition, and with a kick allowed to proceed to the rear.
+There was now between the group in the road and the enemy only the
+battalion of improvised infantry. There they stood, on the crest of the
+hill, in sharp relief. Not a man moved from his place. Did they know the
+Great Commander was watching them? Some one said, "Forward!" The cry
+passed from lip to lip, and, with cheers, the battalion moved rapidly
+to meet the enemy, while the field was full of the stampeded troops
+making to the rear. A courier came out with orders to stop the advance,
+but they heeded him not. Again he came, but on they went. Following the
+line was the unarmed squad, unable to do more than swell the volume of
+the wild shouts of their comrades. Following them, also, was the
+commissary department, consisting of two men, with a piece of bacon
+swung on a pole between them, yelling and hurrahing. As the line
+advanced, the blue-jackets sprang up and ran through the broom-straw
+like hares, followed by a shower of balls. Finally an officer--some say
+General Gordon, and others an aide of Longstreet's--rode out to the
+front of the battalion, ordered a halt, and in the name of General Lee
+thanked the men for their gallant conduct and complimented them in
+handsome style. His words were greeted with loud cheers, and the
+battalion marched back to the road carrying several prisoners and having
+retaken two pieces of artillery which had been abandoned to the enemy.
+After the enemy was driven back out of reach of our trains and column of
+march, and the troops were in line of battle, General Lee in person rode
+up in rear of the division, and addressing himself directly to the men
+in ranks (a thing very unusual with him) used language to this effect:
+"That is right, men; that is all I want you to do. Just keep _those
+people_ back awhile. I do not wish you to expose yourselves to
+unnecessary danger." Mahone's division then coming up took the place of
+Walker's, and the march was resumed. The battalion passed on, the men
+cutting slices from their piece of bacon and eagerly devouring them. As
+night came on the signs of disaster increased.
+
+At several places whole trains were standing in the road abandoned;
+artillery, chopped down and burning, blocked the way, and wagonloads of
+ammunition were dumped out in the road and trampled under foot. There
+were abundant signs of disaster. So many muskets were dropped on the
+road that Cutshaw's unarmed squad _armed itself_ with abandoned muskets,
+ammunition, and equipments.
+
+There was a halt during the night in a piece of stunted woods. The land
+was low and soggy. In the road passing through the woods were several
+batteries, chopped down and deserted. There was a little flour on hand,
+which had been picked up on the road. An oil-cloth was spread, the flour
+placed on it, water was found, and the dough mixed. Then some clean
+partition boards were knocked out of a limber chest, the dough was
+spread on them and held near the fire till partially cooked. Then with
+what delight it was devoured!
+
+At daybreak, Saturday, the march was resumed, and continued almost
+without interruption during the whole day; the men, those whose gums and
+teeth were not already too sore, crunching parched corn and raw bacon as
+they trudged along. Saturday night the battalion rested near Appomattox
+Court House, in a pine woods. Sunday morning, April 9th, after a short
+march, the column entered the village of Appomattox Court House by what
+seemed to be the main road. Several dead men, dressed in the uniform of
+United States regular artillery, were lying on the roadside, their faces
+turned up to the blaze of the sun. One had a ghastly wound in the
+breast, which must have been made by grape or canister.
+
+On through the village without halting marched the column. "Whitworth"
+shots went hurtling through the air every few minutes, indicating very
+clearly that the enemy was ahead of the column and awaiting its arrival.
+On the outskirts of the village the line of battle was formed. Indeed,
+there seemed to be _two_ lines, one slightly in advance of the other.
+Wagons passed along the line and dropped boxes of cartridges. The men
+were ordered to knock them open and supply themselves with forty rounds
+each. They filled their breeches' pockets to the brim. The general
+officers galloped up and down the line, apparently hurrying everything
+as much as possible. The shots from a battery in advance were
+continually passing over the line, going in the direction of the
+village, but without harm to any one. The more experienced men predicted
+a severe struggle. It was supposed that this was to be an attack with
+the whole army in mass, for the purpose of breaking through the enemy's
+line and making one more effort to move on.
+
+Finally the order "Forward!" ran along the line, and as it advanced the
+chiefs of detachments, gunners, and commissioned officers marched in
+rear, keeping up a continual cry of "Close up, men; close up!" "Go
+ahead, now; don't lag!" "Keep up!" Thus marching, the line entered a
+body of woods, proceeded some distance, changed direction to the left,
+and, emerging from the woods, halted in a large open field, beyond which
+was another body of woods which concealed further view in front.
+
+After some delay, a detail for skirmish duty was ordered. Captain Jones
+detailed four men, Fry and Garber the same number. Lieutenant McRae was
+placed in command. The infantry detailed skirmishers for their front.
+All arrangements completed, the men deployed and entered the woods. They
+had advanced but a short distance, when they encountered a strong line
+of picket posts. Firing and cheering they rushed on the surprised men,
+who scampered away, leaving all their little conveniences behind them,
+and retreating for about a mile. From this point large bodies of the
+enemy were visible, crowding the hill-tops like a blue or black cloud.
+It was not many minutes before a strong line of dismounted cavalry,
+followed by mounted men, deployed from this mass to cover the retreat of
+their fleeing brethren, and restore the picket line. They came down the
+hills and across the fields, firing as they came. On looking around to
+see what were the chances for making a stand, Lieutenant McRae found
+that the infantry skirmishers had been withdrawn. The officer who had
+commanded them could be seen galloping away in the distance. The little
+squad, knowing they were alone, kept up a brisk fire on the advancing
+enemy, till he was close up in front, and well to the rear of both
+flanks. On the left, not more than two hundred yards, a column of
+cavalry, marching by twos, had crossed the line and were still marching,
+as unconcernedly as possible, to the rear of McRae. Seeing this, McRae
+ordered his squad to retire, saying at the same time, "But don't let
+them see you running, boys!"
+
+So they retired, slowly, stubbornly, and returning shot for shot with
+the enemy, who came on at a trot, cheering valiantly, as they pursued
+four men and a lieutenant. The men dragged the butts of their old
+muskets behind them, loading as they walked. All loaded, they turned,
+halted, fired, received a shower of balls in return, and then again
+moved doggedly to the rear. A little lieutenant of infantry, who had
+been on the skirmish line, joined the squad. He was armed with a
+revolver, and had his sword by his side. Stopping behind the corner of a
+corn-crib he swore he would not go any further to the rear. The squad
+moved on and left him standing there, pistol in hand, waiting for the
+enemy, who were now jumping the fences and coming across the field,
+running at the top of their speed. What became of this singular man no
+one knows. He was, as he said, "determined to make a stand." A little
+further on the squad found a single piece of artillery, manned by a
+lieutenant and two or three men. They were selecting individuals in the
+enemy's skirmish line, and _firing at them with solid shot_! Lieutenant
+McRae laughed at the ridiculous sight, remonstrated with the officer,
+and offered his squad to serve the gun, if there was any canister in the
+limber chest. The offer was refused, and again the squad moved on.
+Passing a cow-shed about this time, the squad halted to look with
+horror upon several dead and wounded Confederates who lay there upon the
+manure pile. They had suffered wounds and death upon this the last day
+of their country's struggle. Their wounds had received no attention, and
+those living were famished and burning with fever.
+
+Lieutenant McRae, noticing a number of wagons and guns parked in a field
+near by, surprised at what he considered great carelessness in the
+immediate presence of the enemy, approached an officer on horseback and
+said, in his usual impressive manner, "I say there, what does this
+mean?" The man took his hand and quietly said, "We have surrendered." "I
+don't believe it, sir!" replied McRae, strutting around as mad as a
+hornet. "You mustn't talk so, sir! you will demoralize my men!" He was
+soon convinced, however, by seeing Yankee cavalrymen walking their
+horses around as composedly as though the Army of Northern Virginia had
+never existed. To say that McRae was surprised, disgusted, indignant,
+and incredulous, is a mild way of expressing his state of mind as he
+turned to his squad and said, "Well, boys, it must be so, _but it's very
+strange behavior_. Let's move on and see about it." As though dreaming,
+the squad and the disgusted officer moved on.
+
+Learning that the army had gone into camp, the skirmishers went on in
+the direction of the village, and found the battalion in the woods near
+the main road. Fires were burning, and those who had been fortunate
+enough to find anything eatable were cooking. Federal troops were riding
+up and down the road and loafing about the camps trying to be familiar.
+They seemed to think that "How are you, Johnny?" spoken in condescending
+style, was sufficient introduction.
+
+During the day a line of men came single file over the hill near the
+camp, each bearing on his shoulder a box of "hardtack" or crackers.
+Behind these came a beef, driven by soldiers. The crackers and beef were
+a present from the Federal troops near, who, knowing the famishing
+condition of the surrounded army, had contributed their day's rations
+for its relief. All honor to them. It was a soldierly act which was
+thoroughly appreciated.
+
+The beef was immediately shot and butchered, and before the animal heat
+had left the meat, it was impaled in little strips on sticks, bayonets,
+swords, and pocket-knives, and roasting over the fires.
+
+Though numbers of the enemy visited the camps and plied the men with all
+sorts of questions, seeming very curious and inquisitive, not an unkind
+word was said on either side that day. When the skirmishers under McRae
+entered the camp of the battalion, their enthusiastic descriptions of
+driving the enemy and being driven in turn failed to produce any effect.
+Many of the men were sobbing and crying, like children recovering from
+convulsions of grief after a severe whipping. They were sorely grieved,
+mortified, and humiliated. Of course they had not the slightest
+conception of the numbers of the enemy who surrounded them.
+
+Other men fairly raved with indignation, and declared their desire to
+escape or die in the attempt; but not a man was heard to blame General
+Lee. On the contrary, all expressed the greatest sympathy for him and
+declared their willingness to submit at once, or fight to the last man,
+as he ordered. At no period of the war was he held in higher veneration
+or regarded with more sincere affection, than on that sad and tearful
+day.
+
+In the afternoon the little remnant of the army was massed in a field.
+General Gordon spoke to them most eloquently, and bade them farewell.
+General Walker addressed his division, to which Cutshaw's battalion was
+attached, bidding them farewell. In the course of his remarks he
+denounced fiercely the men who had thrown down their arms on the march,
+and called upon the true men before him to go home and tell their
+wives, mothers, sisters, and sweethearts how shamefully these cowards
+had behaved.
+
+General Henry A. Wise also spoke, sitting on his horse and bending
+forward over the pommel of his saddle. Referring to the surrender, he
+said, "I would rather have embraced the tabernacle of death."
+
+There were many heaving bosoms and tear-stained faces during the
+speaking. A tall, manly fellow, with his colors pressed to his side,
+stood near General Gordon, convulsed with grief.
+
+The speaking over, the assembly dispersed, and once more the camp-fires
+burned brightly. Night brought long-needed rest. The heroes of many
+hard-fought battles, the conquerors of human nature's cravings, the
+brave old army, fell asleep--securely guarded by the encircling hosts of
+the enemy. Who will write the history of that march? Who will be able to
+tell the story? Alas! how many heroes fell!
+
+The paroles, which were distributed on Tuesday, the 11th, were printed
+on paper about the size of an ordinary bank check, with blank spaces for
+the date, name of the prisoner, company, and regiment, and signature of
+the commandant of the company or regiment. They were signed by the
+Confederate officers themselves, and were as much respected by all
+picket officers, patrols, etc., of the Federal army as though they bore
+the signature of U. S. Grant. The following is a copy of one of these
+paroles, recently made from the original:
+
+     APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, VIRGINIA,
+     _April 10, 1865_.
+
+   The bearer, Private ---- ----, of Second Company Howitzers, Cutshaw's
+   Battalion, a paroled prisoner of the Army of Northern Virginia, has
+   permission to go to his home and there remain undisturbed.
+
+     L.F. JONES,
+     _Captain Commanding Second Company Howitzers_.
+
+The "guidon," or color-bearer, of the Howitzers had concealed the battle
+flag of the company about his person, and before the final separation
+cut it into pieces of about four by six inches, giving each man present
+a piece. Many of these scraps of faded silk are still preserved, and
+will be handed down to future generations. Captain Fry, who commanded
+after Colonel Cutshaw was wounded, assembled the battalion, thanked the
+men for their faithfulness, bid them farewell, and read the following:--
+
+     HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
+     APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, _April 10, 1865_.
+
+     GENERAL ORDER NO. 9.
+
+   After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage
+   and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to
+   yield to overwhelming numbers and resources.
+
+   I need not tell the brave survivors of so many hard-fought battles,
+   who have remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to
+   this result from no distrust of them; but feeling that valor and
+   devotion could accomplish nothing that would compensate for the loss
+   that must have attended a continuance of the contest, I determined to
+   avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have
+   endeared them to their countrymen.
+
+   By the terms of agreement, officers and men can return to their homes
+   and remain until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction
+   that proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed,
+   and I earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his
+   blessing and protection.
+
+   With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your
+   country, and a grateful remembrance of your kind and generous
+   consideration for myself, I bid you all an affectionate farewell.
+
+     R.E. LEE.
+
+This grand farewell from the man who had in the past personified the
+glory of his army and now bore its grief in his own great heart, was the
+signal for tearful partings. Comrades wept as they gazed upon each
+other, and with choking voices said, farewell! And so--they parted.
+Little groups of two or three or four, without food, without money, but
+with "the satisfaction that proceeds from the consciousness of duty
+faithfully performed," were soon plodding their way homeward.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+"BRAVE SURVIVORS" HOMEWARD BOUND.
+
+
+Bitter grief for the past, which seemed to be forever lost, and present
+humiliation, could not long suppress the anxious thought and question,
+"What now?" The discussion of the question brought relief from the
+horrid feeling of vacuity which oppressed the soldier and introduced him
+to the new sensations of liberty of choice, freedom of action--full
+responsibility. For capital he had a clear conscience, a brave heart,
+health, strength, and a good record. With these he sought his home.
+
+Early in the morning of Wednesday, the 12th of April, without the
+stirring drum or the bugle call of old, the camp awoke to the new life.
+Whether or not they had a country these soldiers did not know. Home to
+many, when they reached it, was graves and ashes. At any rate there must
+be, somewhere on earth, a better place than a muddy, smoky camp in a
+piece of scrubby pines--better company than gloomy, hungry comrades and
+inquisitive enemies, and something in the future more exciting, if not
+more hopeful, than nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep, nothing to do, and
+nowhere to go. The disposition to start was apparent, and the
+preparations were promptly begun.
+
+To roll up the old blanket and oil-cloth, gather up the haversack,
+canteen, axe, perhaps, and a few trifles, in time of peace of no value,
+eat the fragments that remained, and light a pipe, was the work of a few
+moments. This slight employment, coupled with pleasant anticipations of
+the unknown, and therefore possibly enjoyable future, served to restore
+somewhat the usual light-hearted manner of soldiers, and relieve the
+final farewells of much of their sadness. There was even a smack of hope
+and cheerfulness as the little groups sallied out into the world to
+combat they scarcely knew what. As we cannot follow all these groups, we
+will join ourselves to one and see them home.
+
+Two "brothers-in-arms," whose objective point is Richmond, take the road
+on foot. They have nothing to eat and no money. They are bound for their
+home in a city, which, when they last heard from it, was in flames. What
+they will see when they arrive there they cannot imagine; but the
+instinctive love of home urges them. They walk on steadily and rapidly
+and are not diverted by surroundings. It does not even occur to them
+that their situation, surrounded on all sides by armed enemies and
+walking a road crowded with them, is at all novel. They are suddenly
+roused to a sense of their situation by a sharp "Halt! show your
+parole!" They had struck the cordon of picket posts which surrounded the
+surrendered army. It was the first exercise of authority by the Federal
+army. A sergeant, accompanied by a couple of muskets, stepped into the
+road, with a modest air examined the paroles and said quietly, "Pass
+on."
+
+The strictly military part of the operation being over, the social
+commenced. As the two "survivors" moved on they were followed by
+numerous remarks, such as "Hello! Johnny, I say! going home?" "Ain't you
+glad!" They made no reply, these wayfarers, but they _thought_ some very
+_emphatic remarks_.
+
+From this point "On to Richmond!" was the grand thought. Steady work it
+was. The road, strangely enough considering the proximity of two armies,
+was quite lonesome, and not an incident of interest occurred during the
+day. Darkness found the two comrades still pushing on.
+
+Some time after dark a light was seen a short distance ahead and there
+was a "sound of revelry." On approaching, the light was found to proceed
+from a large fire, built on the floor of an old and dilapidated
+outhouse, and surrounded by a ragged, hungry, singing, and jolly crowd
+of paroled prisoners of the Army of Northern Virginia, who had gotten
+possession of a quantity of corn meal and were waiting for the ash-cakes
+then in the ashes. Being liberal, they offered the new-comers some of
+their bread. Being hungry, the "survivors" accepted--and eat their first
+meal that day. Here seemed a good place to spend the night, but the
+party in possession were so noisy, and finally so quarrelsome and
+disagreeable generally, that the "survivors," after a short rest, pushed
+on in the darkness, determined, if possible, to find some shelter more
+quiet. The result was a night march, which was continued till the
+morning dawned.
+
+Thursday morning they entered the village of Buckingham Court House, and
+traded a small pocket mirror for a substantial breakfast. There was
+quite a crowd of soldiers gathered around a cellar door, trying to
+persuade an ex-Confederate A.A.A. Commissary of Subsistence that he
+might as well, in view of the fact that the army had surrendered, let
+them have some of his stores; and, after considerable persuasion and
+some threats, he relinquished the hope of keeping them for himself, and
+told the men to help themselves. They did so.
+
+The people of the village did not exactly doubt the _fact_ of the
+surrender, but evidently thought matters had been _somewhat
+exaggerated_, facts suppressed, and everything allowed to fall into a
+very doubtful condition. Confederate money would not pass, however;
+_that_ was settled _beyond doubt_.
+
+As the two tramps were about to leave the village, and were hurrying
+along the high road which led through it, they saw a solitary horseman
+approaching from their rear. It was easy to recognize at once General
+Lee. He rode slowly, calmly along. As he passed an old tavern on the
+roadside, some ladies and children waved their handkerchiefs, smiled,
+and wept. The General turned his eyes to the porch on which they stood,
+and slowly putting his hand to his hat, raised it slightly, and as
+slowly again dropped his hand to his side. The survivors did not weep,
+but they had strange sensations. They pushed on, steering, so to speak,
+for Cartersville and the ferry.
+
+Before leaving the village it was the sad duty of the survivors to stop
+at the humble abode of Mrs. P., and tell her of the death of her
+husband, who fell mortally wounded, pierced by a musket ball, near
+Sailor's Creek. She was also told that a comrade who was by his side
+when he fell, but who was not able to stay with him, would come along
+soon and give her the particulars. That comrade came and repeated the
+story. In a few days the "dead man" reached home alive and scarcely
+hurt. He was originally an infantryman, recently transferred to
+artillery, and therefore wore a small knapsack, as infantrymen did. The
+ball struck the knapsack with a "whack!" and knocked the man down. That
+was all.
+
+Some time during the night the travelers reached the ferry at
+Cartersville. Darkness and silence prevailed there. Loud and continued
+shouts brought no ferryman, and eager searchings revealed no boat. The
+depth of the water being a thing unknown and not easily found out, it
+was obviously prudent to camp for the night.
+
+On the river's edge there was an old building which seemed a brick one;
+one wall near the water's edge. A flight of steep, rough steps led to an
+open door on the second floor. Up these steps climbed the weary men.
+Inside there was absolute darkness, but there was shelter from the wind.
+Feeling about on the floor they satisfied themselves of its cleanliness
+and dryness. The faithful old blankets were once more spread, their
+owners laid down and at once fell into a deep sleep which was not broken
+till morning. The room was surprisingly small. When the soldiers
+entered they had no idea of the size of it, and went to sleep with the
+impression that it was very large. The morning revealed its
+dimensions--about ten by twelve feet. The ferryman was early at his
+post, and put the travelers across cheerfully without charge.
+
+[Illustration: ANY BUTTERMILK AUNTY]
+
+Soon after crossing, a good silver-plated table-spoon, bearing the
+monogram of one of the travelers, purchased from an aged colored woman a
+large chunk of ash-cake and about half a gallon of buttermilk. This old
+darkey had lived in Richmond in her younger days. She spoke of grown men
+and women there as "children whar I raised." "Lord! boss, does you know
+Miss Sadie? Well, I nussed her and I nussed all uv them chillun; that I
+did, sah! Yawl chillun does look hawngry, that you does. Well, you's
+welcome to them vittles, and I'm powful glad to git dis spoon. God bless
+you, honey!" A big log on the roadside furnished a seat for the
+comfortable consumption of the before-mentioned ash-cake and milk. The
+feast was hardly begun when the tramp of a horse's hoofs was heard.
+Looking up the survivors saw, with surprise, General Lee approaching. He
+was entirely alone, and rode slowly along. Unconscious that any one saw
+him, he was yet erect, dignified, and apparently as calm and peaceful as
+the fields and woods around him. Having caught sight of the occupants of
+the log, he kept his eyes fixed on them, and as he passed, turned
+slightly, saluted, and said, in the most gentle manner: "Good morning,
+gentlemen; taking your breakfast?" The soldiers had only time to rise,
+salute, and say "Yes, sir!" and he was gone.
+
+Having finished as far as they were able the abundant meal furnished by
+the liberality of the good "old mammy," the travelers resumed their
+journey greatly refreshed.
+
+It seems that General Lee pursued the road which the survivors chose,
+and, starting later than they, overtook them, he being mounted and they
+on foot. At any rate, it was their good fortune to see him three
+times between Appomattox and Richmond. The incidents introducing General
+Lee are peculiarly interesting, and while the writer is in doubt as to
+the _day_ on which the next and last incident occurred, the reader may
+rest assured of the truthfulness of the narration.
+
+[Illustration: GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN.]
+
+About the time when men who have eaten a hearty breakfast become again
+hungry--as good fortune would have it happen--the travellers reached a
+house pleasantly situated, and a comfortable place withal. Approaching
+the house they were met by an exceedingly kind, energetic, and
+hospitable woman. She promptly asked, "You are not deserters?" "No,"
+said the soldiers, "we have our paroles. We are from Richmond; we are
+homeward bound, and called to ask if you could spare us a dinner?"
+"Spare you a dinner? certainly I can. My husband is a miller; his mill
+is right across the road there, down the hill, and I have been cooking
+all day for the poor starving men. Take a seat on the porch there and I
+will get you something to eat." By the time the travelers were seated,
+this admirable woman was in the kitchen at work. The "pat-a-pat, pat,
+pat, pat, pat-a-pat-a-pat" of the sifter, and the cracking and "fizzing"
+of the fat bacon as it fried, saluted their hungry ears, and the
+delicious smell tickled their olfactory nerves most delightfully.
+Sitting thus, entertained by delightful sounds, breathing the fragrant
+air, and wrapped in meditation,--or anticipation rather,--the soldiers
+saw the dust rise in the air, and heard the sound of an approaching
+party.
+
+Several horsemen rode up to the road-gate, threw their bridles over the
+posts or tied to the overhanging boughs, and dismounted. They were
+evidently officers, well dressed, fine looking men, and about to enter
+the gate. Almost at once the men on the porch recognized General Lee and
+his son. An ambulance had arrived at the gate also. Without delay the
+party entered and approached the house, General Lee preceding the
+others. Satisfied that it was the General's intention to enter the
+house, the two "brave survivors" instinctively and respectfully,
+venerating the approaching man, determined to give him and his
+companions the porch. As they were executing a rather rapid and
+undignified flank movement to gain the right and rear of the house, the
+voice of General Lee overhauled them, thus: "Where are you men going?"
+"This lady has offered to give us a dinner, and we are waiting for it,"
+replied the soldiers. "Well, you had better move on now--this gentleman
+will have quite a large party on him to-day," said the General. The
+soldiers touched their caps, said "Yes, sir," and retired, somewhat
+hurt, to a strong position on a hencoop in the rear of the house. The
+party then settled on the porch.
+
+The General had, of course, no authority, and the surrender of the porch
+was purely respectful. Knowing this the soldiers were at first hurt, but
+a moment's reflection satisfied them that the General was right. He _had
+suspicions of plunder_, and these were increased by the movement of the
+men to the rear as he approached. He _misinterpreted their conduct_.
+
+The lady of the house (_a reward for her name_!) hearing the dialogue in
+the yard, pushed her head through the crack of the kitchen door, and, as
+she tossed a lump of dough from hand to hand and gazed eagerly out,
+addressed the soldiers: "Ain't that old General Lee?" "Yes; General Lee
+and his son and other officers come to dine with you," they replied.
+"Well," she said, "he ain't no better than the men that fought for him,
+and I don't reckon he is as hungry; so you just come in here. I am going
+to give you yours first, and then I'll get something for him!"
+
+What a meal it was! Seated at the kitchen table, the large-hearted woman
+bustling about and talking away, the ravenous tramps attacked a pile of
+old Virginia hoe-cake and corn-dodger, a frying pan with an inch of
+gravy and slices of bacon, streak of lean and streak of fat, very
+numerous. To finish--as much rich buttermilk as the drinkers could
+contain. With many heartfelt thanks the survivors bid farewell to this
+immortal woman, and leaving the General and his party in quiet
+possession of the front porch, pursued their way.
+
+Night found the survivors at the gate of a quite handsome, framed,
+country residence. The weather was threatening, and it was desirable to
+have shelter as well as rest. Entering, and knocking at the door, they
+were met by a servant girl. She was sent to her mistress with a request
+for permission to sleep on her premises. The servant returned, saying,
+"Mistis say she's a widder, and there ain't no gentleman in the house,
+and she can't let you come in." She was sent with a second message,
+which informed the lady that the visitors were from Richmond, members of
+a certain company from there, and would be content to sleep on the
+porch, in the stable, or in the barn. They would protect her property,
+etc., etc., etc.
+
+This brought the lady of the house to the door. She said, "If you are
+members of the ---- ----, you must know my nephew; he was in that
+company." Of course they knew him. "Old chum," "Comrade," "Particular
+friend," "Splendid fellow," "Hope he was well when you heard from him.
+Glad to meet you, madam!" These and similar hearty expressions brought
+the longed for "Come in, gentlemen; you are welcome. I will see that
+supper is prepared for you at once." (Invitation accepted.)
+
+The old haversacks were deposited in a corner under the steps, and their
+owners conducted down-stairs to a spacious dining-room, quite prettily
+furnished. A large table occupied the centre of the room, and at one
+side there was a handsome display of silver in a glass-front case. A
+good big fire lighted the room. The lady sat quietly working at some
+woman's work, and from time to time questioning, in a _rather
+suspicious_ manner, her guests. Their correct answers satisfied her, and
+their respectful manner reassured her, so that by the time supper was
+brought in she was chatting and laughing with her "defenders."
+
+The supper came in steaming hot. It was abundant, well prepared, and
+served elegantly. Splendid coffee, hot biscuit, luscious butter, fried
+ham, eggs, fresh milk! The writer could not expect to be believed if he
+should tell the quantity eaten at that meal. The good lady of the house
+enjoyed the sight. She relished every mouthful, and no doubt realized
+then and there the blessing which is conferred on hospitality, and the
+truth of that saying of old: "It is more blessed to give than to
+receive."
+
+The wayfarers were finally shown to a neat little chamber. The bed was
+soft and glistening white. Too white and clean to be soiled by the
+occupancy of two Confederate soldiers who had not had a change of
+underclothing for many weeks. They looked at it, felt of it, spread
+their old blankets on the neat carpet, and slept there till near the
+break of day.
+
+While it was yet dark the travelers, unwilling to lose time waiting for
+breakfast, crept out of the house, leaving their thanks for their kind
+hostess, and pressed rapidly on to Manikin Town, on the James River and
+Kanawha Canal, half a day's march from Richmond, where they arrived
+while it was yet early morning. The green sward between the canal and
+river was inviting, and the survivors laid there awhile to rest and
+determine whether or not they would push on to the city. They decided to
+do so as soon as they could find a breakfast to fit them for the day's
+march.
+
+A short walk placed them at the yard gate of a house prominent by reason
+of its size and finish. Everything indicated comfort, plenty, and
+freedom from the ravages of war. The proprietor, a well-fed, hearty man,
+of not more than forty-two or three, who, as a soldier could tell at a
+glance, had never seen a day's service, stood behind the tall gate, and,
+without a motion towards opening it, replied to the cheery "Good
+morning, sir," of the soldiers with a sullen "morn; what do you want
+here?" "We are from Richmond, sir, members of the --------. We are on
+our way home from Appomattox, where the army was surrendered, and called
+to ask if you could spare us something to eat before we start on the
+day's march." "Oh, yes! _I_ know about the surrender, _I_ do. Some
+scoundrels were here last night and stole my best mare, d--- 'em! No, I
+don't want any more of such cattle here," replied the patriot. (A
+_large_ reward for _his_ name.) The foragers, having worked for a meal
+before and being less sensitive than "penniless gentlemen" sometimes
+are, replied, "_We_ are not horse-thieves or beggars. If you do not feel
+that it would be a pleasure and a privilege to feed us, _don't do it_.
+We don't propose to press the matter."
+
+At last he said, "Come in, then; I'll see what I can do." The seekers
+after food accepted the ungracious invitation, followed the dog through
+his yard and into his house, and took seats at his table. At a signal
+from the master a servant went out. The host followed, and, it is
+supposed, instructed her. The host returned, and was soon followed by
+the servant bearing two plates, which were placed before the survivors.
+Alas! that they should "survive" to see that the plates contained the
+heads, tails, fins, and vertebrae of the fish, fresh from the river,
+which the family of this hero and sufferer from the evils of war had
+devoured at their early, and, no doubt, cozy breakfast.
+
+Survivor No. 1 looked at Survivor No. 2, Survivor No. 2 looked at
+Survivor No. 1, and simultaneously they rose to their feet, glanced at
+the "host," and strode to and out of the door. The "host" followed,
+amazed. "What's the matter, gentlemen? You did not eat." The "poor
+soldiers" replied: "No, we didn't eat; we are not dogs. Permit us to say
+we are satisfied it would be an injustice to the canine race to call
+_you_ one. You deserve to lose another mare. You are meaner than any
+epithets at our command."
+
+The man fairly trembled. His face was pale with rage, but he dared not
+reply as he would. Recovering himself, and seeing an "odorous" name in
+the future, he attempted apology and reparation for the insult, and
+complete reconciliation. "Oh, come in, come in! I'll have something
+cooked for you. Sorry the mistake occurred. All right, all right, boys;
+come in," pulling and patting the "boys." But the boys wouldn't "go
+in." On the contrary, they stayed out persistently, and, before they
+left that gate, heaped on its owner all the contempt, disdain, and scorn
+which they could express; flung at him all the derisive epithets which
+four years in the army places at a man's disposal; pooh poohed at his
+hypocritical regrets; and shaking off the dust of that place from their
+feet, pushed on to the city, the smoke of which rose to heaven.
+
+At eleven A.M. of the same day, two footsore, despondent, and
+penniless men stood facing the ruins of the home of a comrade who had
+sent a message to his mother. "Tell mother I am coming." The ruins yet
+smoked. A relative of the lady whose home was in ashes, and whose son
+said "I am coming," stood by the survivors. "Well, then," he said, "it
+must be true that General Lee has surrendered." The solemnity of the
+remark, coupled with the certainty in the minds of the survivors, was
+almost amusing. The relative pointed out the temporary residence of the
+mother, and thither the survivors wended their way.
+
+A knock at the door startled the mother, and, with agony in her eyes,
+she appeared at the open door, exclaiming, "My poor boys!"--"Are safe,
+and coming home," said the survivors. "Thank God!" said the mother, and
+the tears flowed down her cheeks.
+
+A rapid walk through ruined and smoking streets, some narrow escapes
+from negro soldiers on police duty, the satisfaction of seeing two of
+the "boys in blue" hung up by their thumbs for pillaging, a few
+handshakings, and the survivors found their way to the house of a
+relative where they did eat bread with thanks.
+
+A friend informed the survivors that farm hands were needed all around
+the city. They made a note of the name of one farmer. Saturday night the
+old blankets were spread on the parlor floor. Sunday morning, the 16th
+of April, they bid farewell to the household, and started for the
+farmer's house.
+
+As they were about to start away, the head of the family took from his
+pocket a handful of odd silver pieces, and extending it to his guests,
+told them it was all he had, but they were _welcome to half of it_!
+Remembering that he had a wife and three or four children to feed, the
+soldiers smiled through _their_ tears at his, bade him keep it all, and
+"weep for himself rather than for them." So saying, they departed, and
+at sundown were at the farmer's house, fourteen miles away. Monday
+morning, the 17th, they "beat their swords" (muskets, in this case) into
+plow-shares, and did the first day's work of the _sixty_ which the
+simple farmer secured at a cost to himself of about _half rations_ for
+two men. Behold the gratitude of a people!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+SOLDIERS TRANSFORMED.
+
+
+Sunday night, April 16th, the two survivors sat down to a cozy supper at
+the farmer's house. Plentiful it was, and, to hungry travelers, sweet
+and satisfying. The presence of the farmer's wife and children, two lady
+refugees, and an old gentleman, who was also a refugee, added greatly to
+the novelty and pleasure of the meal.
+
+After supper the soldiers were plied with questions till they were
+almost overcome by fatigue and about to fall asleep in their chairs.
+
+At last the farmer, with many apologies, led them kindly to the best
+room in the house, the parlor, where they spread their blankets on the
+carpeted floor and were soon sound asleep.
+
+In the morning the breakfast was enough to craze a Confederate soldier.
+Buttermilk-biscuit, fresh butter, eggs, milk, fried bacon, coffee! After
+the breakfast, business.
+
+The farmer proposed to feed and lodge the soldiers, and pay them eleven
+dollars monthly, for such manual labor as they could perform on his
+farm. The soldiers, having in remembrance the supper and breakfast,
+accepted the terms. The new "hands" were now led to the garden, where
+the farmer had half an acre plowed up, and each was furnished with an
+old, dull hoe, with crooked, knotty handles. The farmer then, with
+blushes and stammering, explained that he desired to have each
+particular clod chopped up fine with the hoe. The soldiers--town
+men--thought this an almost superhuman task and a great waste of time,
+but, so that the work procured food, they cared not what the work might
+be, and at it they went with a will. All that morning, until the dinner
+hour, those two hoes rose and fell as regularly as the pendulum of a
+clock swings from side to side, and almost as fast.
+
+The negro men and women in the neighborhood, now in the full enjoyment
+of newly-conferred liberty, and consequently having no thought of doing
+any work, congregated about the garden, leaned on the fence, gazed
+sleepily at the toiling soldiers, chuckled now and then, and
+occasionally explained their presence by remarking to each other, "Come
+here to see dem dar white folks wuckin."
+
+There were onions growing in that garden, which the soldiers were glad
+to pull up and eat. It was angel's food to men who had fed for months
+on salt bacon and corn bread without one mouthful of any green thing.
+When dinner time came the "hands" were, to say the least, very decidedly
+hungry.
+
+[Illustration: SEE DEM WHITE FOLKS WUCKIN]
+
+Buttermilk-biscuit figured prominently again, and the soldiers found
+great difficulty in exercising any deliberation in the eating of them.
+It really seemed to them that, were it reasonable behavior, they could
+devour every morsel provided for the entire family. But when they had
+devoured about two thirds of all there was to eat, and the host said,
+"Have another biscuit?" they replied, "No, thank you, _plenty_--greatest
+plenty!" all the while as hungry as when they sat down. It was only a
+question of _who_ was to be hungry--the soldiers or the children. There
+was not enough for all. After dinner the survivors went again to the
+garden and chopped those clods of earth until the merry voice of the
+farmer called them to supper.
+
+At supper there was a profusion of flowers which, the kind lady of the
+house explained, were there to cheer the soldiers. She had noticed they
+were sad, and hoped that this little attention would cheer them. But the
+thing the soldiers most needed to enliven them was more to eat. They
+were not feeling romantic at all.
+
+After the supper the whole family adjourned to the parlor and were
+entertained with some good old-fashioned piano playing and homespun
+duets and solos. The veterans added their mite to the entertainment in
+the shape of a tolerably fair tenor and an intolerable bass. Singing in
+the open air, with a male chorus, is not the best preparation for a
+parlor mixed quartette.
+
+When the war ceased the negroes on the farm had left their quarters and
+gone out in search of a glorious something which they had heard
+described as "liberty," freedom, "manhood," and the like. Consequently
+the "quarters" suggested themselves to the farmer as a good place for
+the new field hands to occupy for sleeping apartments. They were carried
+to an out-building and shown their room, ten by fifteen feet,
+unplastered, greasy, and dusty. The odor of the "man and brother" did
+cling there still. A bench, a stool, an old rickety bedstead, and a bed
+of straw, completed the fitting out of the room. Save for the shelter of
+the roof, anywhere in the fields would have been far preferable. The
+first night disclosed the presence of fleas in abundance, and other
+things worse.
+
+While it was yet dark the farmer, still somewhat embarrassed by the
+possession of the new style of laborer, began to call, "Time to get up
+bo--gentlemen!" "Hallo there!" bang, bang, bang! After a while the new
+hands appeared outside, and as they looked around noticed that the sun
+was looking larger and redder than they remembered it and too low down.
+The morning air was chilling, and grass, bushes, everything, dripping
+with dew.
+
+The farmer led the way to the stable yard, and pointing to a very
+lively, restless, muscular young bull with handsome horns and glaring
+eyes, said he was to be yoked and hitched to the cart. If he had asked
+them to bridle and saddle an untamed African lion they would not have
+been more unwilling or less competent. So the farmer, telling them the
+animal was very gentle and harmless, proceeded to yoke and hitch him,
+hoping, he said, that having once seen the operation, his new hands
+would know how. The yoke was a sort of collar, and when the hitching was
+done the bull stood in the shafts of the cart just as a horse would.
+Instead of a bridle and reins a heavy iron chain with links an inch and
+a half long was passed around the base of the animal's horns. The driver
+held the end of the chain and managed the animal by giving it tremendous
+jerks, which never failed to thrill the bull with agony, if one might
+judge from the expression of his countenance and the eagerness with
+which he rammed his horns into pine-trees, or anything near, whenever
+he felt the shock. The soldiers constantly marveled that his horns did
+not drop off. But they were not familiar with country life, and
+especially ignorant of the art of driving an ox-cart.
+
+[Illustration: Bull Team]
+
+After breakfast the younger of the two survivors was told to take the
+cart, drawn by the animal already described, and go down into the woods
+after a load of cord-wood for the kitchen fire. The trip _to_ the woods
+was comparatively easy. The wood was soon loaded on the cart, and the
+journey home commenced. After going a few yards the animal concluded to
+stop. His driver, finding that coaxing would not induce him to start,
+slacked the chain, gave it a quick, strong jerk, and started him. He
+went off at a fearful rate, with his nose on the ground and his tail
+flying like a banner in the air. In a moment he managed to hang a
+sapling which halted him, but summoning all his strength for a great
+effort, he bent himself to the yoke, the sapling slowly bent forward,
+and the axle mounted it. In another moment the sapling had righted
+itself, but the cart was turned over completely, and the wood on the
+ground. There were a great many mosquitoes, gnats, and flies in those
+woods, and they were biting furiously. Possibly that may account for the
+exasperated condition of the driver and his use of strong expressions
+there.
+
+The cart was righted, the wood piled on again, and, strange to say, got
+out of the woods without further mishap. But in order to reach the house
+it was necessary to drive up the slope of a hill-side, with here and
+there a stump. On the way up the driver saw a stump ahead and determined
+to avoid it. So he gave the chain a shake. But the animal preferred to
+"straddle" the stump, and would have succeeded but for the fact that it
+was too high to pass beneath the axle. As soon as he felt the resistance
+of the stump against the axle, he made splendid exertions to overcome
+it, and succeeded in walking off with the body of the cart, leaving the
+axle and wheels behind. He didn't go far, however. The farmer came down
+and released the weary animal. The survivor then "toted" the wood,
+stick by stick, to the house, and learned thereby the value of cord-wood
+ready to hand. People who are raised in the country have simple ways,
+but they can do some things much better than town-people can. They are
+useful people. They are not afraid of cattle or horses. The next day
+this awful animal was yoked to a plow and placed under the care of the
+elder of the survivors, who was to plow a field near the house. In a few
+minutes he did something displeasing to the bull, which started him to
+running at a fearful speed. He dashed away towards the house, the plow
+flying and flapping about like the arms of a flail; tore through the
+flower-beds, ripping them to pieces; tore down all the choice young
+trees about the house; frightened the ladies and children nearly to
+death, and demoralized the whole farm. He was at last captured and
+affectionately cared for by the farmer, who, no doubt, felt that it was
+a pity for any man to be compelled to trust his valuable stock to the
+management of green hands.
+
+In the mean time the "other man" had been furnished with a harrow and a
+mule and sent to harrow a field. The farmer pointed, carelessly no
+doubt, to a field and said, "Now you go there and drag that field. You
+know how, don't you? Well!" So he went and dragged that old harrow up
+and down, up and down, for many a weary hour. Towards dinner time he
+heard a voice in the distance, as of some one in distress. "Heigh!
+Ho-o-o-o! Say there! Stop! Sto-o-o-o-op! Hold on!"
+
+There came the farmer running, panting, gesticulating, and screaming.
+Standing in astonishment the agricultural survivor awaited his arrival
+and an explanation of his strange conduct. As soon as the farmer had
+breath to speak he said, "Ah, me! Oh my! Mister, my dear sir! You have
+gone sir, and sir, you have tore up _all my turnip salad_!" And he wept
+there sorely. You see the farmer pointed out the field carelessly, and
+the "hand" got on the _wrong_ one. He noticed some vegetation shooting
+up here and there, but supposed it was some weed the farmer wished to
+eradicate. Town-people don't know everything, and soldiers _are so
+careless_.
+
+The three refugees before mentioned were an old gentleman, his aged
+wife, and their widowed daughter. Having lost their home and all their
+worldly possessions, they had agreed to work for the farmer for food and
+lodging. The old gentleman was acting somewhat in the character of
+coachman; his wife was nurse; and the widowed daughter was cook and
+house-servant. The three were fully the equals if not the superiors of
+the family in which they were serving. Happily for them they soon got
+some good news, and drove away in their own carriage. The farmer did the
+best he could for them while they stayed, and for his survivors; but he
+was burdened with a large family, a miserably poor farm, deep poverty,
+and hopeless shiftlessness.
+
+One day the farmer made up his mind to cultivate a certain field, in the
+centre of which he had an extensive cow-pen, inclosed by a ten-rail
+fence. To prepare the way he wanted that fence taken down, carried rail
+by rail to the corner of the field, and there piled up. He put one of
+his new hands to work at this interesting job, and went home, probably
+to take a nap. The survivor toted rails that day on one shoulder until
+it was bleeding, and then on the other until that was too sensitive.
+Then he walked over to see how the other "hand" was getting along with
+the horse and mule team and the harrow.
+
+He found him very warm, very much exasperated, using excited language,
+beating the animals, and declaring that no man under the sun ever
+encountered such formidable difficulties in the pursuit of agricultural
+profit. He explained that the horse was too large and the mule too
+small; the traces were too old, and would break every few yards; the
+harness was dropping to pieces; the teeth constantly dropping out of the
+harrow; and the harrow itself ready to tumble into firewood. In addition
+to these annoyances, the mule and the horse alternated between going the
+wrong way and not going at all. The man almost wept as he described the
+aggravating calmness of the animals. When a trace broke they turned,
+gazed on the wreck, stood still, groaned (by way of a sigh), and seemed
+to say, "One more brief respite, thank Providence! Fifteen minutes to
+tie up that old chain, _at least_!" After a careful survey of the
+situation and some tolerably accurate guesses as to the proximity of the
+dinner hour, the two battered remnants of the glorious old army decided
+to suspend operations, and slowly wended their way to the house: one
+carrying his lacerated shoulders, and the other steering the remains of
+the harrow.
+
+It had been agreed--indeed, the "remnants" had insisted--that they were
+to be directed about their work and made to serve exactly as the negro
+hands would have been had they remained. But, so novel was the
+situation, the farmer had constantly to be reminded of his authority. At
+last a bright idea occurred to the farmer. He would undertake a little
+extra-fine work for a neighbor, and thus relieve the survivors of the
+monotony of the hoe, the plow, and the harrow. Some old ladies wanted
+their household goods moved from one house to another, and we were to
+undertake the job.
+
+The entire force consisted of the mule and the cart thereto belonging,
+and the bull and his cart. The mule had precedence in the line, and was
+closely followed by the bull. The farmer walked in front as pioneer, the
+elder survivor drove the mule, and the hero of the cow-pen held the
+chain which agonized the bull when necessary.
+
+At the brow of a certain long hill, which the humble mule had quietly
+walked down, the bull halted for meditation. His impatient and less
+romantic driver thoughtlessly gave the chain a rude jerk. In an instant
+he felt himself whirled down that hill at breakneck speed. Almost
+simultaneous with the start was the shock of the stop. Picking himself
+up, the driver found his cart securely fastened to a pine-tree, which
+was jammed between the wheel and the body of it. The steed was unhurt,
+but excited. After a long coaxing the farmer persuaded him to back far
+enough to disengage the cart, and the progress continued.
+
+The furniture was found in a small room, up a crooked and narrow stairs.
+Nothing was as large as the furniture. How to get it out was a
+conundrum. One of the survivors suggested to the farmer to knock off the
+roof of the house, and take it out that way. But he wouldn't hear of it.
+Finally, the cart was driven under the eaves, and while "those whose
+past services had endeared them to their countrymen" rolled the
+furniture out of the window and lowered it "by hand" from the eaves, the
+farmer stowed it in the cart. The ladies, though greatly agitated by the
+imminent danger of the furniture, found time to admire the ingenuity and
+originality of the plan and the intrepid daring of its execution. The
+farmer, who had several times been in danger of having himself mashed
+flat, was entirely overlooked. Both the carts being loaded, the train
+moved off in good order.
+
+After a few days the farmer mounted one of the men, "not conquered, but
+wearied with victory," on the mule, gave him an old meal-bag, and sent
+him to a neighbor's for meal and bacon. He got, say, a peck of one and a
+pound or two of the other. This proceeding was repeated at intervals of
+a day or two, and finally led to the conclusion that the farmer was
+living from hand to mouth certainly, and in all probability on charity.
+Besides, the "new hands" felt a growing indisposition, owing to the
+meagre supplies on the table, to allow themselves any latitude in the
+matter of eating. So they resolved to try the good old plan of days
+gone by, and send out a foraging party. The plans were discussed at
+length, and everything decided.
+
+One morning, early, the senior of the "endeared" survivors took the road
+for Richmond, distant about fourteen miles, intending there to lay in
+food, tobacco, pipes, information, and any other little thing calculated
+to brighten life on a farm. During his absence the other forlorn
+survivor groaned with impatience and doubt, questioning the possibility
+of a man returning to such a place after seeing the luxurious supplies
+of good eating on exhibition by the Yankee sutlers in Richmond.
+
+But he did return, like a good comrade, bringing his "plunder" with him.
+He made the round trip of twenty-eight miles on foot, and at midnight
+reached the "quarters" with cold ham, good bread, pipes, smoking
+tobacco, chewing tobacco, a few clean clothes, and a good pair of shoes,
+which one of the party needed. These were the gift of an old friend in
+town. Sitting on the bedside, as morning approached, they made a hearty
+meal, and then smoked, smoked, smoked, as only men can smoke who love to
+smoke and have not had the wherewithal for a week or two.
+
+The returned forager told of the strange sights he had seen in town.
+Some young Confederates, who were smart, were at work in the ruins
+cleaning bricks at five dollars a day. Others had government work, as
+clerks, mechanics, and laborers, earning from one to five dollars a day.
+The government had established commissary stores at different points in
+the city, where rations were sold, at nominal prices, to those who could
+buy, and supplied gratis to those who could not. He had seen gray-haired
+old gentlemen, all their lives used to plenty, standing about these
+places, waiting "their turn" to "draw." Soldiers marched by twos and
+fours and by companies, everywhere. Captains and lieutenants, sergeants
+and corporals, were the masters of the city and a sort of temporary
+Providence, dictating what sort of clothes the people were to wear, what
+they might eat, what they might do, what they might say and think; in
+short, allowing the people to live, as it were, on a "limited" ticket.
+
+But among other things the forager brought information to the effect
+that he had secured employment for both at the cheering rate of five
+dollars per week.
+
+So one day these two "laid down the shovel and the hoe," and made most
+excellent time for Richmond, arriving there early in the day, and
+entering at once upon the new work.
+
+[Illustration: C.S. Buttons off]
+
+During the stay at the farm the survivors felt that they were not yet
+returned to civil life, but "foraging" on the neutral ground between war
+and peace,--neither soldiers nor citizens. But now, in regular
+employment, in a city,--_their own city_!--with so much per week and the
+responsibility of "finding themselves," and especially after the provost
+made them cut the brass buttons off their jackets, and more especially
+after they were informed that they must take the oath before doing
+anything else, they began to think that probably the war was nearing
+its end. But a real good hearty war like that dies hard. No country
+likes to part with a good earnest war. It likes to talk about the war,
+write its history, fight its battles over and over again, and build
+monument after monument to commemorate its glories.
+
+A long time after a war, people begin to find out, as they read, that
+the deadly struggle marked a grand period in their history!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+CAMP-FIRES OF THE BOYS IN GRAY.
+
+
+The soldier may forget the long, weary march, with its dust, heat, and
+thirst, and he may forget the horrors and blood of the battle-field, or
+he may recall them sadly, as he thinks of the loved dead; but the
+cheerful, happy scenes of the camp-fire he will never forget. How
+willingly he closes his eyes to the present to dream of those happy,
+careless days and nights! Around the fire crystallize the memories of
+the soldier's life. It was his home, his place of rest, where he met
+with good companionship. _Who kindled the fire?_ Nobody had matches,
+there was no fire in sight, and yet scarcely was the camp determined
+when the bright blaze of the camp-fire was seen. _He_ was a shadowy
+fellow who kindled the fire. Nobody knows who he was; but no matter how
+wet the leaves, how sobby the twigs, no matter if there was no fire in a
+mile of the camp, that fellow could start one. Some men might get down
+on hands and knees, and blow it and fan it, rear and charge, and fume
+and fret, and yet "she wouldn't burn." But this fellow would come, kick
+it all around, scatter it, rake it together again, shake it up a little,
+and oh, _how it burned_! The little flames would bite the twigs and snap
+at the branches, embrace the logs, and leap and dance and laugh, at the
+touch of the master's hand, and soon lay at his feet a bed of glowing
+coals.
+
+As soon as the fire is kindled all hands want water. Who can find it?
+Where is it? Never mind; we have a man who knows where to go. He says,
+"Where's our bucket?" and then we hear the rattle of the old tin cup as
+it drops to the bottom of it, and away he goes, nobody knows where. But
+_he_ knows, and he doesn't stop to think, but without the slightest
+hesitation or doubt strikes out in the darkness. From the camp-fire as a
+centre, draw 500 radii, and start an ordinary man on any of them, and
+let him walk a mile on each, and he will miss the water. But that fellow
+in the mess with the water instinct never failed. He would go as
+straight for the spring, or well, or creek, or river, as though he had
+lived in that immediate neighborhood all his life and never got water
+anywhere else. What a valuable man he was! A modest fellow, who never
+knew his own greatness. But others remember and honor him. May he never
+want for any good thing!
+
+Having a roaring fire and a bucket of good water, we settle down. A man
+cannot be comfortable "_anywhere_;" so each man and his "chum" picks out
+a tree, and that particular tree becomes the homestead of the two. They
+hang their canteens on it, lay their haversacks and spread their
+blankets at the foot of it, and sit down and lean their weary backs
+against it, and feel that they are at home. How gloomy the woods are
+beyond the glow of our fire! How cozy and comfortable we are who stand
+around it and inhale the aroma of the coffee-boiler and skillet!
+
+The man squatting by the fire is a person of importance. He doesn't
+talk, not he; his whole mind is concentrated on that skillet. He is our
+cook,--volunteer, natural and talented cook. Not in a vulgar sense. He
+doesn't mix, but simply bakes, the biscuit. Every faculty, all the
+energy, of the man is employed in that great work. Don't suggest
+anything to him if you value his friendship. Don't attempt to put on or
+take off from the top of that skillet one single coal, and don't be in a
+hurry for the biscuit. You need not say you "like yours half done," etc.
+Simply wait. When he thinks they are ready, and not before, you get
+them. _He_ may raise the lid cautiously now and then and look in, but
+don't _you_ look in. Don't say you think they are done, because it's
+useless. Ah! his face relaxes; he raises the lid, turns it upside down
+to throw off the coals, and says, _All right, boys_! And now, with the
+air of a wealthy philanthropist, he distributes the solid and weighty
+product of his skill to, as it were, the humble dependents around him.
+
+The "General" of the mess, having satisfied the cravings of the inner
+man, now proceeds to enlighten the ordinary members of it as to when,
+how, and why, and where, the campaign will open, and what will be the
+result. He arranges for every possible and impossible contingency, and
+brings the war to a favorable and early termination. The greatest
+mistake General Lee ever made was that he failed to consult this man.
+Who can tell what "might have been" if he had?
+
+Now, to the consternation of all hands, our old friend "the Bore,"
+familiarly known as "the old Auger," opens his mouth to tell us of a
+little incident illustrative of his personal prowess, and, by way of
+preface, commences at Eden, and goes laboriously through the patriarchal
+age, on through the Mosaic dispensation, to the Christian era, takes in
+Grecian and Roman history by the way, then Spain and Germany and England
+and colonial times, and the early history of our grand republic, the
+causes of and necessity for our war, and a complete history up to date,
+and then slowly unfolds the little matter. We always loved to hear this
+man, and prided ourselves on being the only mess in the army having such
+treasure _all our own_.
+
+The "Auger," having been detailed for guard-duty, walks off; his voice
+grows fainter and fainter in the distance, and we call forth our poet.
+One eye is bandaged with a dirty cotton rag. He is bareheaded, and his
+hair resembles a dismantled straw stack. His elbows and knees are out,
+and his pants, from the knee down, have a brown-toasted tinge imparted
+by the genial heat of many a fire. His toes protrude themselves
+prominently from his shoes. You would say, "What a dirty, ignorant
+fellow." But listen to his rich, well-modulated voice. How perfect his
+memory! What graceful gestures! How his single eye glows! See the color
+on his cheek! See the strained and still attention of the little group
+around him as he steps into the light of the fire! Hear him!
+
+     "I am dying, Egypt, dying!
+       Ebbs the crimson life-tide fast,
+     And the dark Plutonian shadows
+       Gather on the evening blast.
+     Let thine arms, O Queen, support me,
+       Hush thy sobs and bow thine ear;
+     Listen to the great heart secrets--
+       Thou, and thou alone, must hear.
+
+        "I am dying, Egypt, dying!
+       Hark! the insulting foeman's cry.
+     They are coming! quick! my falchion!!
+       Let me front them ere I die.
+     Ah! no more amid the battle
+       Shall my heart exulting swell--
+     Isis and Osiris guard thee--
+       Cleopatra! Rome! Farewell!"
+
+[Illustration: THE POET OF OUR MESS.]
+
+"Good!" "Bully!" "Go ahead, Jack!" "Give us some more, old fellow!" And
+he generally did, much to everybody's satisfaction. We all loved Jack,
+_the Poet_ of our mess. He sleeps, his battles o'er, in Hollywood.
+
+The _Singing_ man generally put in towards the last, and sung us to bed.
+He was generally a diminutive man, with a sweet voice and a sweetheart
+at home. His songs had in them rosy lips, blue eyes, golden hair, pearly
+teeth, and all that sort of thing. Of course he would sing some good
+rollicking songs, in order to give all a chance. And so, with hearty
+chorus, "Three times around went she," "Virginia, Virginia, the Land of
+the Free," "No surrender," "Lula, Lula, Lula is gone," "John Brown's
+Body," with many variations, "Dixie," "The Bonny Blue Flag," "Farewell
+to the Star-Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia," with immense variations,
+and "Maryland, My Maryland," till about the third year of the war, when
+we began to think Maryland had "breathed and burned" long enough, and
+ought to "come." What part of her did come was _first-class_. How the
+woods did ring with song! There were patriotic songs, romantic and love
+songs, sarcastic, comic, and war songs, pirates' glees, plantation
+melodies, lullabies, good old hymn tunes, anthems, Sunday-school songs,
+and everything but vulgar and obscene songs; these were scarcely ever
+heard, and were nowhere in the army well received or encouraged.
+
+The recruit--our latest acquisition--was _so_ interesting. His nice
+clean clothes, new hat, new shoes, trimming on his shirt front, letters
+and cross-guns on his hat, new knife for all the fellows to borrow, nice
+comb for general use, nice little glass to shave by, good smoking
+tobacco, money in his pocket to lend out, oh, what a great convenience
+he was! How _many_ things he had that a fellow could borrow, and how
+willing he was to go on guard, and get wet, and give away his rations,
+and bring water, and cut wood, and ride horses to water! And he was so
+clean and sweet, and his cheeks so rosy, all the fellows wanted to bunk
+with him under his nice new blanket, and impart to him some of their
+numerous and energetic "tormentors."
+
+And then it was so _interesting_ to hear him talk. He knew _so much_
+about war, arms, tents, knapsacks, ammunition, marching, fighting,
+camping, cooking, shooting, and everything a soldier is and does. It is
+remarkable how much a recruit and how little an old soldier knows about
+such things. After a while the recruit forgets all, and is as ignorant
+as any veteran. How good the fellows were to a really gentlemanly boy!
+How they loved him!
+
+The _Scribe_ was a wonderful fellow and very useful. He could write a
+two-hours' pass, sign the captain's name better than the captain
+himself, and endorse it "respectfully forwarded approved," sign the
+colonel's name after "respectfully forwarded approved," and then on up
+to the commanding officer. And do it so well! Nobody wanted anything
+better. The boys had great veneration for the scribe, and used him
+constantly.
+
+The _Mischievous_ man was very useful. He made fun. He knew how to
+volunteer to shave a fellow with a big beard and moustache. He wouldn't
+lend his razor, but he'd shave him very well. He shaves one cheek, one
+half the chin, one side of the upper lip, puts his razor in his pocket,
+walks off, and leaves his customer the most one-sided chap in the army.
+He knew how to do something like this _every day_. What a treasure to a
+mess!
+
+The _Forager_ was a good fellow. He always divided with the mess. If
+there was buttermilk anywhere inside of ten miles he found it. Apples he
+could smell from afar off. If anybody was killing pork in the county he
+got the spare-ribs. If a man had a cider cart on the road he saw him
+first and bought him out. No _hound_ had a keener scent, no eagle a
+sharper eye. How indefatigable he was! Distance, rivers, mountains,
+pickets, patrols, roll-calls,--nothing could stop or hinder him. He
+never bragged about his exploits; simply brought in the spoils, laid
+them down, and said, "Pitch in." Not a word of the weary miles he had
+traveled, how he begged or how much he paid,--simply "Pitch in."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The _Commissary_ man--he happened to be in our mess--never had any sugar
+over, any salt, any soda, any coffee--oh, no! But beg him, plead with
+him, bear with him when he says, "Go way, boy! Am I the
+commissary-general? Have I got all the sugar in the Confederacy? Don't
+you know rations are short now?" Then see him relax. "Come here, my son;
+untie that bag there, and look in that old jacket, and you will find
+another bag,--a little bag,--and look in there and you will find some
+sugar. Now go round and tell everybody in camp, won't you. Tell 'em all
+to come and get some sugar. _Oh! I know you won't. Oh yes, of course!_"
+
+As a general rule every mess had a "Bully" and an "Argument man." Time
+would fail me to tell of the "lazy man," the "brave man," the "worthless
+man," the "ingenious man," the "helpless man," the "sensitive man," and
+the "gentleman," but they are as familiar to the members of the mess as
+the "honest man," who would not eat stolen pig, but would "take a little
+of the gravy."
+
+Every soldier remembers--indeed, was personally acquainted with--the
+_Universal_ man. How he denied vehemently his own identity, and talked
+about "poison oak," and heat, and itch, and all those things, and
+strove, in the presence of those who knew how it was themselves, to
+prove his absolute freedom from anything like "universality!" Poor
+fellow! sulphur internally and externally would not do. Alas! his only
+hope was to acknowledge his unhappy state, and stand, in the presence of
+his peers, confessed.
+
+The "Boys in Blue" generally preferred to camp in the open fields. The
+Confeds took to the woods, and so the Confederate camp was not as
+orderly or as systematically arranged, but the most picturesque of the
+two. The blazing fire lit up the forms and faces and trees around it
+with a ruddy glow, but only deepened the gloom of the surrounding woods;
+so that the soldier pitied the poor fellows away off on guard in the
+darkness, and, hugging himself, felt how good it was to be with the
+fellows around the fire. How companionable was the blaze and the glow of
+the coals! They warmed the heart as well as the foot. The imagination
+seemed to feed on the glowing coals and surrounding gloom, and when the
+soldier gazed on the fire peace, liberty, home, strolls in the woods and
+streets with friends, the church, the school, playmates, and sweethearts
+all passed before him, and even the dead came to mind. Sadly, yet
+pleasantly, he thought of the loved and lost; the future loomed up, and
+the possibility of death and prison and the grief at home would stir his
+heart, and the tears would fall trickling to the ground. Then was the
+time to fondle the little gifts from home; simple things,--the little
+pin-cushion, the needle-case, with thread and buttons, the embroidered
+tobacco bag, and the knitted gloves. Then the time to gaze on
+photographs, and to read and re-read the letter telling of the struggles
+at home, and the coming box of good things,--butter and bread, toasted
+and ground coffee, sugar cakes and pies, and other comfortable things,
+prepared, by self-denial, for the soldier, brother, and son. Then the
+time to call on God to spare, protect, and bless the dear, defenseless,
+helpless ones at home. Then the time for high resolves; to read to
+himself his duty; to "re-enlist for the war." Then his heart grew to his
+comrades, his general, and his country; and as the trees, swept by the
+wintry winds, moaned around him, the soldier slept and dreamed, and
+dreamed of home, sweet home.
+
+Those whose knowledge of war and its effects on the character of the
+soldier was gleaned from the history of the wars of Europe and of
+ancient times, greatly dreaded the demoralization which they supposed
+would result from the Confederate war for independence, and their
+solicitude was directed mainly towards the young men of Virginia and the
+South who were to compose the armies of the Confederate States. It was
+feared by many that the bivouac, the camp-fires, and the march would
+accustom the ears of their bright and innocent boys to obscenity, oaths,
+and blasphemy, and forever destroy that purity of mind and soul which
+was their priceless possession when they bid farewell to home and
+mother. Some feared the destruction of the battle-field; the wiser
+feared hardship and disease; and others, more than all, the destruction
+of morals and everything good and pure in character. That the fears of
+the last named were realized in some cases cannot be denied; but that
+the general result was demoralization can be denied, and the contrary
+demonstrated.
+
+Let us consider the effect of camp-life upon a pure and noble boy; and
+to make the picture complete, let us go to his home and witness the
+parting. The boy is clothed as a soldier. His pockets and his haversack
+are stored with little conveniences made by the loving hands of mother,
+sister, and sweetheart, and the sad yet proud hour has arrived. Sisters,
+smiling through their tears, filled with commingled pride and sorrow,
+kiss and embrace their great hero. The mother, with calm heroism
+suppressing her tender maternal grief, impresses upon his lips a
+fervent, never-to-be-forgotten kiss, presses him to her heart, and
+resigns him to God, his country, and his honor. The father, last to
+part, presses his hand, gazes with ineffable love into his bright eyes,
+and, fearing to trust his feelings for a more lengthy farewell, says,
+"Good-by, my boy; God bless you; be a man!"
+
+Let those scoff who will; but let them know that such a parting is
+itself a new and wonderful power, a soul-enlarging, purifying, and
+elevating power, worth the danger, toil, and suffering of the soldier.
+The sister's tears, the father's words, the mother's kiss, planted in
+the memory of that boy, will surely bring forth fruit beautiful as a
+mother's love.
+
+As he journeys to the camp, how dear do all at home become! Oh, what
+holy tears he sheds! His heart, how tender! Then, as he nears the line,
+and sees for the first time the realities of war, the passing sick and
+weary, and the wounded and bloody dead, his soldier spirit is born; he
+smiles, his chest expands, his eyes brighten, his heart swells with
+pride. He hurries on, and soon stands in the magic circle around the
+glowing fire, the admired and loved pet of a dozen true hearts. Is he
+happy? Aye! Never before has he felt such glorious, swelling, panting
+joy. He's a soldier now! He is put on guard. No longer the object of
+care and solicitude he stands in the solitude of the night, himself a
+guardian of those who sleep. Courage is his now. He feels he is trusted
+as a man, and is ready at once nobly to perish in the defense of his
+comrades.
+
+He marches. Dare he murmur or complain? No; the eyes of all are upon
+him, and endurance grows silently, till pain and weariness are familiar,
+and cheerfully borne. At home he would be pitied and petted; but now he
+must endure, or have the contempt of the strong spirits around him.
+
+He is hungry,--so are others; and he must not only bear the privation,
+but he must divide his pitiful meal, when he gets it, with his comrades;
+and so generosity strikes down selfishness. In a thousand ways he is
+tried, and that by sharp critics. His smallest faults are necessarily
+apparent, for, in the varying conditions of the soldier, every quality
+is put to the test. If he shows the least cowardice he is undone. His
+courage must never fail. He must be manly and independent, or he will be
+told he's a baby, ridiculed, teased, and despised. When war assumes her
+serious dress, he sees the helplessness of women and children, he hears
+their piteous appeals, and chivalry burns him, till he does his utmost
+of sacrifice and effort to protect, and comfort, and cheer them.
+
+It is a mistake to suppose that the older men in the army encouraged
+vulgarity and obscenity in the young recruit; for even those who
+themselves indulged in these would frown on the first show of them in a
+boy, and without hesitation put him down mercilessly. No parent could
+watch a boy as closely as his mess-mates did and could, because they saw
+him at all hours of the day and night, dependent on himself alone, and
+were merciless critics, who demanded more of their _protege_ than they
+were willing to submit to themselves.
+
+The young soldier's piety had to perish ignominiously, or else assume a
+boldness and strength which nothing else could so well impart as the
+temptations, sneers, and dangers of the army. Religion had to be bold,
+practical, and courageous, or die.
+
+In the army the young man learned to value men for what they were, and
+not on account of education, wealth, or station; and so his attachments,
+when formed, were sincere and durable, and he learned what constitutes a
+man and a desirable and reliable friend. The stern demands upon the boy,
+and the unrelenting criticisms of the mess, soon bring to mind the
+gentle forbearance, kind remonstrance, and loving counsels of parents
+and homefolks; and while he thinks, he weeps, and loves, and reverences,
+and yearns after the things against which he once strove, and under
+which he chafed and complained. Home, father, mother, sister,--oh, how
+far away; oh, how dear! Himself, how contemptible, ever to have felt
+cold and indifferent to such love! Then, how vividly he recalls the warm
+pressure of his mother's lips on the forehead of her boy! How he loves
+his mother! See him as he fills his pipe from the silk-embroidered bag.
+There is his name embroidered carefully, beautifully, by his sister's
+hand. Does he forget her? Does he not now love her more sincerely and
+truly and tenderly than ever? Could he love her quite as much had he
+never parted; never longed to see her and could not; never been
+uncertain if she was safe; never felt she might be homeless, helpless,
+insulted, a refugee from home? Can he ever now look on a little girl and
+not treat her kindly, gently, and lovingly, remembering his sister? A
+boy having ordinary natural goodness, and the home supports described,
+and the constant watching of men, ready to criticise, could but improve.
+The least exhibition of selfishness, cowardice, vulgarity, dishonesty,
+or meanness of any kind, brought down the dislike of every man upon
+him, and persistence in _any one_ disreputable practice, or habitual
+laziness and worthlessness, resulted in complete ostracism, loneliness,
+and misery; while, on the other hand, he might, by good behavior and
+genuine generosity and courage, secure unbounded love and sincere
+respect from all.
+
+Visits home, after prolonged absence and danger, open to the young
+soldier new treasures--new, because, though possessed always, never
+before felt and realized. The affection once seen only in every-day
+attention, as he reaches home, breaks out in unrestrained vehemence. The
+warm embrace of the hitherto dignified father, the ecstatic pleasure
+beaming in the mother's eye, the proud welcome of the sister, and the
+wild enthusiasm even of the old black mammy, crowd on him the knowledge
+of their love, and make him braver, and stronger, and nobler. He's a
+hero from that hour! Death for these, how easy!
+
+The dangers of the battle-field, and the demands upon his energy,
+strength, and courage, not only strengthen the old, but almost create
+new, faculties of mind and heart. The death, sudden and terrible, of
+those dear to him, the imperative necessity of standing to his duty
+while the wounded cry and groan, and while his heart yearns after them
+to help them, the terrible thirst, hunger, heat, and weariness,--all
+these teach a boy self-denial, attachment to duty, the value of peace
+and safety; and, instead of hardening him, as some suppose they do, make
+him pity and love even the enemy of his country, who bleeds and dies for
+_his_ country.
+
+The acquirement of subordination is a useful one, and that the soldier
+perforce has; and that not in an abject, cringing way, but as realizing
+the necessity of it, and seeing the result of it in the good order and
+consequent effectiveness and success of the army as a whole, but more
+particularly of his own company and detachment. And if the soldier rises
+to office, the responsibility of command, attention to detail and
+minutiae, the critical eyes of his subordinates and the demands of his
+superiors, all withdraw him from the enticements of vice, and mould him
+into a solid, substantial character, both capable and willing to meet
+and overcome difficulties.
+
+The effect of out-door life on the physical constitution is undoubtedly
+good, and as the physical improves the mental is improved; and as the
+mind is enlightened the spirit is ennobled. Who can calculate the
+benefit derived from the contemplation of the beautiful in nature, as
+the soldier sees? Mountains and valleys, dreary wastes and verdant
+fields, rivers, sequestered homes, quiet, sleepy villages, as they lay
+in the morning light, doomed to the flames at evening; scenes which
+alternately stir and calm his mind, and store it with a panorama whose
+pictures he may pass before him year after year with quiet pleasure. War
+is horrible, but still it is in a sense a privilege to have lived in
+time of war. The emotions are never so stirred as then. Imagination
+takes her highest flights, poetry blazes, song stirs the soul, and every
+noble attribute is brought into full play.
+
+It does seem that the production of one Lee and one Jackson is worth
+much blood and treasure, and the building of a noble character all the
+toil and sacrifice of war. The camp-fires of the Army of Northern
+Virginia were not places of revelry and debauchery. They often exhibited
+scenes of love and humanity, and the purest sentiments and gentlest
+feelings of man were there admired and loved, while vice and debauch, in
+any from highest to lowest, were condemned and punished more severely
+than they are among those who stay at home and shirk the dangers and
+toils of the soldier's life. Indeed, the demoralizing effects of the
+late war were far more visible "at home," among the skulks and
+bomb-proofs and suddenly diseased, than in the army. And the demoralized
+men of to-day are not those who served in the army. The defaulters, the
+renegades, the bummers and cheats, are the boys who enjoyed fat places
+and salaries and easy comfort; while the solid, respected, and reliable
+men of the community are those who did their duty as soldiers, and,
+having learned to suffer in war, have preferred to labor and suffer and
+earn, rather than steal, in peace.
+
+And, strange to say, it is not those who suffered most and lost most,
+fought and bled, saw friend after friend fall, wept the dead and buried
+their hopes,--who are now bitter and dissatisfied, quarrelsome and
+fretful, growling and complaining; no, they are the peaceful,
+submissive, law-abiding, order-loving, of the country, ready to join
+hands with all good men in every good work, and prove themselves as
+brave and good in peace as they were stubborn and unconquerable in war.
+
+Many a weak, puny boy was returned to his parents a robust, healthy,
+_manly man_. Many a timid, helpless boy went home a brave, independent
+man. Many a wild, reckless boy went home sobered, serious, and
+trustworthy. And many whose career at home was wicked and blasphemous
+went home changed in heart, with principles fixed, to comfort and
+sustain the old age of those who gave them to their country, not
+expecting to receive them again. Men learned that life was passable and
+enjoyable without a roof or even a tent to shelter from the storm; that
+cheerfulness was compatible with cold and hunger; and that a man without
+money, food, or shelter need not feel utterly hopeless, but might, by
+employing his wits, find something to eat where he never found it
+before; and feel that, like a terrapin, he might make himself at home
+wherever he might be. Men did actually become as independent of the
+imaginary "necessities" as the very wild beasts. And can a man learn all
+this and not know better than another how to economize what he has, and
+how to appreciate the numberless superfluities of life? Is he not made,
+by the knowledge he has of how little he really needs, more independent
+and less liable to dishonest exertions to procure a competency?
+
+If there were any true men in the South, any brave, any noble, they were
+in the army. If there are good and true men in the South now, they would
+go into the army for similar cause. And to prove that the army
+demoralized, you must prove that the men who came out of it are the
+worst in the country to-day. Who will try it?
+
+Strange as it may seem, religion flourished in the army. So great was
+the work of the chaplains that whole volumes have been written to
+describe the religious history of the four years of war. Officers who
+were ungodly men found themselves restrained alike by the grandeur of
+the piety of the great chiefs, and the earnestness of the humble
+privates around them. Thousands embraced the Gospel, and died triumphing
+over death. Instead of the degradation so dreaded, was the strange
+ennobling and purifying which made men despise all the things for which
+they ordinarily strive, and glory in the sternest hardships, the most
+bitter self-denials, cruel suffering, and death. Love for home, kindred,
+and friends, intensified, was denied the gratification of its yearnings,
+and made the motive for more complete surrender to the stern demands of
+duty. Discipline, the cold master of our enemies, never caught up with
+the gallant devotion of our Christian soldiers, and the science of war
+quailed before the majesty of an army singing hymns.
+
+Hypocrisy went home to dwell with the able-bodied skulkers, being too
+closely watched in the army, and too thoroughly known to thrive. And so
+the camp-fire often lighted the pages of the best Book, while the
+soldier read the orders of the Captain of his salvation. And often did
+the songs of Zion ring out loud and clear on the cold night air, while
+the muskets rattled and the guns boomed in the distance, each
+intensifying the significance of the other, testing the sincerity of the
+Christian while trying the courage of the soldier. Stripped of all
+sensual allurements, and offering only self-denial, patience, and
+endurance, the Gospel took hold of the deepest and purest motives of the
+soldiers, won them thoroughly, and made the army as famous for its
+forbearance, temperance, respect for women and children, sobriety,
+honesty, and morality as it was for endurance and invincible courage.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Never was there an army where feeble old age received such sympathy,
+consideration, and protection. Women, deprived of their natural
+protectors, fled from the advancing hosts of the enemy, and found safe
+retreat and chivalrous protection and shelter in the lines of the Army
+of Northern Virginia. Children played in the camps, delighted to nestle
+in the arms of the roughly-clad but tender-hearted soldiers. Such was
+the behavior of the troops on the campaign in Pennsylvania, that the
+citizens of Gettysburg have expressed wonder and surprise at their
+perfect immunity from insult, violence, or even intrusion, when their
+city was occupied by and in complete possession of the Boys in Gray.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE-FLAG.
+
+
+This banner, the witness and inspiration of many victories, which was
+proudly borne on every field from Manassas to Appomattox, was conceived
+on the field of battle, lived on the field of battle, and on the last
+fatal field ceased to have place or meaning in the world. But the men
+who followed it, and the world which watched its proud advance or
+defiant stand, see in it still the unstained banner of a brave and
+generous people, whose deeds have outlived their country, and whose
+final defeat but added lustre to their grandest victories.
+
+It was not the flag of the Confederacy, but simply the banner, the
+battle-flag, of the Confederate soldier. As such it should not share in
+the condemnation which our _cause_ received, or suffer from its
+downfall. The whole world can unite in a chorus of praise to the
+gallantry of the men who followed where this banner led.
+
+It was at the battle of Manassas, about four o'clock of the afternoon of
+the 21st of July, 1861, when the fate of the Confederacy seemed
+trembling in the balance, that General Beauregard, looking across the
+Warrenton turnpike, which passed through the valley between the position
+of the Confederates and the elevations beyond occupied by the Federal
+line, saw a body of troops moving towards his left and the Federal
+right. He was greatly concerned to know, but could not decide, what
+troops they were, whether Federal or Confederate. The similarity of
+uniform and of the colors carried by the opposing armies, and the clouds
+of dust, made it almost impossible to decide.
+
+Shortly before this time General Beauregard had received from the signal
+officer, Captain Alexander, a dispatch, saying that from the signal
+station in the rear he had sighted the colors of this column, drooping
+and covered with the dust of journeyings, but could not tell whether
+they were the Stars and Stripes or the Stars and Bars. He thought,
+however, that they were probably Patterson's troops arriving on the
+field and reenforcing the enemy.
+
+General Beauregard was momentarily expecting help from the right, and
+the uncertainty and anxiety of this hour amounted to anguish. Still the
+column pressed on. Calling a staff officer, General Beauregard
+instructed him to go at once to General Johnston, at the Lewis House,
+and say that the enemy were receiving heavy reenforcements, that the
+troops on the plateau were very much scattered, and that he would be
+compelled to retire to the Lewis House, and there re-form, hoping that
+the troops ordered up from the right would arrive in time to enable him
+to establish and hold the new line.
+
+[Illustration: HERE ARE THE COLORS!]
+
+Meanwhile, the unknown troops were pressing on. The day was sultry, and
+only at long intervals was there the slightest breeze. The colors of the
+mysterious column hung drooping on the staff. General Beauregard tried
+again and again to decide what colors they carried. He used his glass
+repeatedly, and handing it to others begged them to look, hoping that
+their eyes might be keener than his.
+
+General Beauregard was in a state of great anxiety, but finally
+determined to hold his ground, relying on the promised help from the
+right; knowing that if it arrived in time victory might be secured, but
+feeling also that if the mysterious column should be Federal troops the
+day was lost.
+
+Suddenly a puff of wind spread the colors to the breeze. It was the
+Confederate flag,--the Stars and Bars! It was Early with the
+Twenty-Fourth Virginia, the Seventh Louisiana, and the Thirteenth
+Mississippi. The column had by this time reached the extreme right of
+the Federal lines. The moment the flag was recognized, Beauregard
+turned to his staff, right and left, saying, "See that the day is ours!"
+and ordered an immediate advance. In the mean time Early's brigade
+deployed into line and charged the enemy's right; Elzey, also, dashed
+upon the field, and in one hour not an enemy was to be seen south of
+Bull Run.
+
+While on this field and suffering this terrible anxiety, General
+Beauregard determined that the Confederate soldier must have a flag so
+distinct from that of the enemy that no doubt should ever again endanger
+his cause on the field of battle.
+
+Soon after the battle he entered into correspondence with Colonel
+William Porcher Miles, who had served on his staff during the day, with
+a view to securing his aid in the matter, and proposing a blue field,
+red bars crossed, and gold stars.
+
+They discussed the matter at length. Colonel Miles thought it was
+contrary to the law of heraldry that the ground should be blue, the bars
+red, and the stars gold. He proposed that the ground should be red, the
+bars blue, and the stars white. General Beauregard approved the change,
+and discussed the matter freely with General Johnston. Meanwhile it
+became known that designs for a flag were under discussion, and many
+were sent in. One came from Mississippi; one from J.B. Walton and E.C.
+Hancock, which coincided with the design of Colonel Miles. The matter
+was freely discussed at headquarters, till, finally, when he arrived at
+Fairfax Court House, General Beauregard caused his draughtsman (a
+German) to make drawings of all the various designs which had been
+submitted. With these designs before them the officers at headquarters
+agreed on the famous old banner,--the red field, the blue cross, and the
+white stars. The flag was then submitted to the War Department, and was
+approved.
+
+The first flags sent to the army were presented to the troops by General
+Beauregard in person, he then expressing the hope and confidence that
+they would become the emblem of honor and of victory.
+
+The first three flags received were made from "_ladies' dresses_" by the
+Misses Carey, of Baltimore and Alexandria, at their residences and the
+residences of friends, as soon as they could get a description of the
+design adopted. One of the Misses Carey sent the flag she made to
+General Beauregard. Her sister presented hers to General Van Dorn, who
+was then at Fairfax Court House. Miss Constance Carey, of Alexandria,
+sent hers to General Joseph E. Johnston.
+
+General Beauregard sent the flag he received at once to New Orleans for
+safe keeping. After the fall of New Orleans, Mrs. Beauregard sent the
+flag by a Spanish man-of-war, then lying in the river opposite New
+Orleans, to Cuba, where it remained till the close of the war, when it
+was returned to General Beauregard, who presented it for safe keeping to
+the Washington Artillery, of New Orleans.
+
+This much about the battle-flag, to accomplish, if possible, two things:
+first, preserve the little history connected with the origin of the
+flag; and, second, place the _battle_ flag in a place of security, as it
+were, separated from all the political significance which attaches to
+the _Confederate_ flag, and depending for its future place solely upon
+the deeds of the armies which bore it, amid hardships untold, to many
+victories.
+
+[Illustration: Finis]
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Detailed Minutiae of Soldier life in
+the Army of Northern Virginia, 1861-1865, by Carlton McCarthy
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MINUTIAE OF SOLDIER LIFE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25603.txt or 25603.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/6/0/25603/
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell,Graeme Mackreth and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/25603.zip b/25603.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96dcb61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25603.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eacd7c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #25603 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25603)