Drum Taps in Dixie Part 25

"I thought once I had lost it. You remember the day we had that running fight at Sailor's Creek when we were chasing Lee and waded the stream waist deep? The banks were steep, you know, and fringed with bushes that got tangled with our equipments as we went through them. Well, somehow or other my coffee pot got pulled off my haversack, but I did not know it until we had got some distance away, when one of the boys who used it regularly, exclaimed: 'By thunder, Will, you've lost your coffee pot, and what in Sam Hill will we do for coffee now?'"

"I remembered having it when we crossed the creek, for several of us used it to fill our canteens, so I told my pardner I was going back after it. I found it hanging to a bush and was better pleased than if I had picked up a hundred dollar greenback."

ARMY CHAPLAINS.

Just why the 2d New York did not have a chaplain I do not know, and it is too late now to find out. Probably the officers didn't want one or else there were not enough to go around among the 2,000 or more organizations in the service, for we were not the only regiment without one.

There were some grand men who served as chaplains and they not only ministered to the soldiers in spiritual matters, but looked after the welfare of the men in many ways. Particularly were they of service to the wounded on the battlefield. I never heard of a cowardly chaplain and instances are not few in number where they were wounded or taken prisoner.

There were also several killed in battle.

Speaking of a regiment not having a chaplain, reminds me of an old camp fire story about two New York regiments between which existed great rivalry. An earnest and eloquent chaplain was conducting a series of meetings among the regiments that were without chaplains and he went to the colonel of one of the regiments referred to and asked permission to hold divine services. The colonel told him it would do no good. "The truth is, chaplain, the boys are the devil's own fighters, but I am afraid you would find it a tough job trying to make saints out of them."

The chaplain insisted he should like to hold a service and mentioned incidentally that he had preached several times to the ----d New York and there had been a number of converts. "Why only last Sunday I baptized a dozen of them."

At the mention of his rival the bluff old fighter was interested and immediately gave his consent.

The Sunday following the regiment was drawn up in a hollow square and the colonel told the men that he had invited chaplain "so-and-so" to preach to them and then added: "If one of you dares to make faces, laugh or even move I'll order you to the guard house with ball and chain."

The men were all attention during the preaching and when the chaplain had finished he was surprised to hear the colonel give the following order to the adjutant:

"Officer, detail 24 men for baptism immediately. I'll be d--d if we are going to be beaten in anything by that dirty, cowardly --d New York."

A SENTINEL'S REVERIE.

The lonely picket on an outpost between two vast contending armies occupies an important position. Great responsibilities rest upon him, hence the penalty of being found asleep on one's post used to be death.

The situation is conducive to serious meditations. You stand in the shade of a tree which screens you from any reb who may be crawling about for a shot at some careless Yank.

The moon sends a beam through the leaves right into your eye, and you recall that it is the same old moon way down in Virginia that used to s.h.i.+ne up in York State. You think how you and some one else who is far away used to lean across the gate, look at the moon and then at each other and sigh.

Then you wonder if some one is thinking of you. You wish you might get a slight wound so you could go home where all would be talking of your bravery. Perhaps it would touch some one's heart so she would say "yes."

Then you would think of your present condition; you wonder why it is that such a fellow as lazy Jim Lee should be "commissioned" instead of you, who never "s.h.i.+rked" a guard. You p.r.o.nounce the war a failure, and would like to see the leaders on both sides hung. You wonder if your regiment will get into another battle to-day, and say to yourself that you don't care if you get killed (you do though), and then you think of your poor comrade "Dave," who was killed at your side yesterday morning in a charge on the enemy in that clump of "pines" over there at the right. You put your hand in your pocket and draw forth the lock of hair you cut from his head when his life's blood was ebbing away, and _which_ he told you to send to his "dear old mother." You brush the silent tear away that has commenced to course its way down your dust covered cheek.

Then from out the half-light sounds a solitary bugle, like the first wavering note of the roused bird, chirping good morning to its mate. A second bugle answers its _reveille_. Another and another sound along the line. The drums take up their morning rattle. Soon the air is filled with their deafening jubilee, for they beat with a perfect recklessness at the "get up" time of the camp. The hum of voices begin to rise. The roll call is gone through with. Mules whinner and horses neigh. The camps are alive.

The birds sing, and--it is day. There comes the "relief guard."

A LETTER FROM THE FRONT.

The following is the copy of an old letter yellow with age, that was sent home during wartime.

"In the trenches near Petersburg, Va.

"Sept. 14, 1864."

"My Dear Friend:

Having a little leisure time I thought I would send you a few lines.

You are aware that I am attached to the 2d N. Y. Heavy Artillery, or as the infantrymen call it, the "2d Weighty." 1st brigade, 1st division, 2d Corps, under the command of Gen. Hanc.o.c.k; one of the finest looking soldiers in this or any other army, and what is better the boys all love him, and he is proud of his men. If you have kept track of the movements of the army of the Potomac I need not tell you the part that Hanc.o.c.k and his men have had in them.

We are now in camp about midway between City Point and Ream's Station, and the corps is recruiting up very rapidly. The recruits and convalescents are pouring in by thousands, and we shall soon have a grand army again, and then look out for the splinters. Johnny Reb must talk differently or find his last ditch. The impression here seems to gain ground that the rebellion is about played out, and that there will be but few more months of fighting. Within the past few days the City Point railroad has been extended several miles on our left, and where a few days since no signs of a track were visible, large trains are running regularly. It is certainly very astonis.h.i.+ng; but that is a way they have of doing business down here.

Ten or twelve days since, our corps was ordered to the left of where we now are. Arrived there after dark, and halted on a flat open s.p.a.ce with a fine pine wood on our left. In the morning the woods had almost entirely disappeared, and in our front a splendid line of breastworks had sprung up as if by magic. Those who have never been in the business can have no correct conception of how quickly and how quietly an order is executed at the front. Our new railroad runs but a few rods in front of our camp, and it seems like old times to see the trains moving, and to hear the whistle and bell. This forenoon all the bands and drum corps of the division were ordered to report to division headquarters, which we did. Numbering in all about one hundred and seventy-five, and under the leaders.h.i.+p of Mr.

Higgins, of the division band, played "Hail to the Chief," and "Hail, Columbia," after which the bra.s.s bands played the "Grand March from Belsaria," "Garry Owen," "Larry O'Gaff" and "Yankee Doodle," and if there was any lack of harmony there certainly was not of noise. We were then dismissed, with an invitation to repeat the thing at some future day.

The weather here is delightful, the days warm and pleasant, and the nights cool enough to make blankets necessary. As fast as the new recruits arrive they are set to drilling, and you can see them in all directions going through the different evolutions, and it will take but a short time to have the corps in fine trim for anything that soldiers can do, and so with the whole army. So you may look out for stirring news shortly. Speaking of news, reminds me of the many complaints of the boys.--They cannot get enough to read, and would be very thankful for anything in the way of old books, magazines and papers, in fact anything which contains stories would be very acceptable, and a few books and magazines would afford reading for several hundred, and while away many a tedious hour. If it is not asking too much, won't some of the friends of the 2d Heavy do something for the boys? They have not been paid off for the last six months, and many of them have not seen any money for a still longer time, and there is no telling when they will be paid, and there are few who have the means to purchase the Was.h.i.+ngton _Chronicle_, New York _Herald_, or Philadelphia _Enquirer_, which are brought to camp daily.

President Lincoln visited the front a short time ago and rode along our lines accompanied by Generals Grant and Meade. They were without any staff officers with them and only had three orderlies. The President wore a black tile that had seen much service and had on a long linen duster, and was an awkward looking man on his horse. But the boys love "Uncle Abe" as they call him and when the party pa.s.sed us one of our boys enthusiasm got the best of him and he sang out "three cheers for honest Abe," and they were given in true army style. The President lifted his hat and looked mightily pleased.

If Grant was like some of the new brigadiers he would have had about 25 staff officers and orderlies following him, but U. S. G. is not much on style. He keeps right on sawing wood though all the same.

"Old Spectacles" as Gen. Meade is called, is Grant's right bower, and is virtually the commander of the Army of the Potomac. Like Grant he is a silent man, too, although they do say that he makes the fur fly when things don't go to suit him.

My chum is the cook to-day and has just called out "get ready for grub."

We are to have an extra dish and you will laugh when I tell you the name.

It is called "slumgullion" by the boys, and is made by pounding up hard tack which with chopped onions fried with salt pork makes an appetizing dish fit for a king. My chum has also set up a can of peaches which he paid the sutler 75 cents for, so I will cut this short.

THE FIGHTING REGIMENTS.

Statistics are considered dry reading and the writer has not bothered the readers of his sketches with many, but they do tell the story better than pen or tongue.

There were something over 2,000 regiments in the Union Army. Some never partic.i.p.ated in a battle; others were constantly at the front. Perhaps they were no better fighters than those who were exempt from battle, but in war blood is what tells, therefore the casualty lists tell plainer than words whether a regiment was where the bullets were flying thick and fast or not.

Col. Fox, the government statistician found that of the 2,000 there were 300 whose losses of killed and died of wounds were over 130, and he has called these the "300 fighting regiments." A conservative estimate of the wounded is six to one, so the reader can easily figure out what the total casualties of these regiments probably were.

There were about 50 regiments out of the 300 "fighting regiments" that lost in killed or mortally wounded over 200.

The regiment that heads the list, both in the total and percentage was the 1st Maine Heavy artillery. Their total was 423. Their loss at Spottsylvania was 82 killed and 394 wounded. A month later at Petersburg they made the a.s.sault with 900 muskets and their casualty list was 632.

The New York regiment that suffered the greatest loss of killed was the old 69th, of the Irish brigade. Their total was 259.

A LOSS NEVER EQUALED.

In proportion to the number of men engaged, the greatest loss to any one regiment during the Civil War was that of the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg.

Gen. Hanc.o.c.k was desirous of holding back a column of confederates until reinforcements could be brought against them and, turning to the colonel of the regiment, he ordered him to capture the enemy's colors. The command was obeyed literally, and the enemy was forced back, leaving their banners in the hands of the Minnesotians. The regiment took into the fight 262 officers and men. It lost 50 killed and 174 wounded and none missing.

Seventeen officers were killed and wounded. Here is a record that has not as yet been equalled in military statistics. Gen. Hanc.o.c.k said it was the most gallant deed of history. He knew the men must be sacrificed when he issued the order, but he needed five minutes time and would have ordered the regiment if he had known every man would have been killed.

Probably the most remarkable loss on either side during the Civil War was that of the 26th North Carolina at Gettysburg. They took into the fight 820 men. Of this number 588 were killed and wounded the first day. The survivors went into the charge with Pickett the third day, and when the roll was called the next day but 80 men were present. All of the rest had been either killed or wounded.

Another remarkable case was that of Duryea's Zouaves at Mana.s.sas, or Bull Run. Out of 490 men who went into action it lost 79 killed, 170 wounded and 48 missing; total 297. This is the regiment which closed up its ranks and "counted off" anew while exposed to a terrific fire.

The following nine heavy artillery regiments lost over 200 killed and died of wounds.