into line again. Another, thinking he could leap across a stream across which his comrades were plodding on some fallen tree or single plank, would just fail of reaching the opposite side, and drop souse into the water, scrambling out with musket, knapsack, haversack, and clothes all dripping, greeted with roars of laughter for his exploit, and sundry jibes far from complimentary or soothing." The pictures show the inextricable confusion of such a march. There is little effort to hold a regiment together. Every man pushes along as he may, and finds his company when he can. Hence there is little discipline and sometimes severe measures have to be resorted to. Of this march I have a recollection I can not swear to that I saw some altercation between a mounted officer and a private, probably under different command. I did not hear the first of it or learn what the isssue was, but just as I got there the officer shot the private dead, and nobody paid much attention to it, so far as I observed. There is nothing improbable about it. Jan. 23, 1863] What it Means to be Exhausted On the retreat from Chancellorsville an exhausted soldier jostled against Gen. Meade. That quick-tempered officer drew his sword and struck the soldier with all his might, and though he did not kill him he might have done so. I think I saw on this march a fight between a Frenchman and a negro, in which each used his own method of fighting. The negro watched his opportunity and suddenly butted at the Frenchman, aiming all his weight through his head with inconceivable velocity at the pit of the Frenchman's stomach. But the French 159 man was prepared and drew back in time to plant his foot in the negro's stomach with such force that the negro fell gasping to the ground as if for his last breath. I did not have interest enough to stay to see whether he recovered. Do you know what it is to be so tired that if you were told New York city was burned to the ground or Great Britain had slid into the ocean you wouldn't care whether it was true or not? I have marched when it seemed to me that my wishes and my interest were absolutely limited to a chance to sit down for five minutes. siderable comparative comfort. Jan. 24. Pleasant. The Reg't received two months pay but I received nothing. This was because the Descriptive list already referred to had not been received. Jan. 25. Pleasant. Had Brigade Inspection. Got receipt from home of box, etc. Jan 26. Rainy. Bought pack of cards. Jan. 27. Got a fine Bible and Diary from home. I have the diary still: the Bible with hundreds of others, fell by the way on my first long march. Jan. 28. Very stormy. The worst rain we have had since we were at Fairfax Station. Sold Jack Robbins my shirt for 1.00. Though the entry would indicate it, I trust the shirt sold so much below the market price was not my only one. Re ceived news of Hooker's taking command of the Army. Was much pleased. My pleasure in the appointment of Gen. Hooker came through my fellow soldiers. for our brigade looked upon Fighting Joe as our especial representative. Ours had been the first brigade he commanded, and it was to our division and our corps that he was subsequently promoted. Even now the survivors of the 1st Massachusetts guard his memory zealously. Isaac P. Gragg, GEN. JOSEPH HOOKER, 1814-79 our secretary, published in 1900, "Homes of the ancestors of Major General Joseph Hooker", and was secretary of the Hooker memorial committee under whose charge the equestrian statue of Hooker was erected in the State house grounds in 1903. Jan. 29. Cold. Was put on Orderly. There was about five inches of snow on the ground and six of mud under. So I had wet and cold feet all day. The trees presented a fine appearance, bowed down by the snow. Jan. 30. Cold. Got up a fine lot of wood, and had a gay fire at night. That is one of the advantages of exposure. If I had been spending the winter in a steam-heated house never could have enjoyed that fire. I Jan. 31. Cold. Got up a good lot of wood in self defence from the cold. We have to go about of a mile for wood and then carry it on our shoulder It was as I was coming back to camp with a log of wood about this time that I met Lincoln riding with a large staff of officers from one camp to another and it seemed to me his was the saddest face I ever looked on. It will always be a pleasant recollection that when I swung my hat to him with real admiration I got a faint little smile and an individual bow all to myself, little fifer as I was. Drawers. Seair. 1 Feb. 1. Very Pleasant. Had Company Sucks. Inspection again. Drew Blanket, Blouse, Shoes Pants, etc. Am afraid I have overrun my clothing bill this year. I find this page in my diary and have reproduced it. I do not know how long a period it covers. We were allowed $42 a year for clothes. Those of which the prices are carried out here amount to $34.06. so it is manifest my account for the year is overdrawn even if this represents a whole year, which I should hardly suppose. The soldier could draw about all the clothing he wanted when the quartermaster was around, but he was only allowed a certain amount and whatever he drew more than that was deducted from his pay. I always overdrew my allowance, but there were men in the regiment who underdrew and had quite an extra amount coming on payday. My impression is that the regular allowance was for most men ample, and that no shoddy goods were dealt out to us. Our greatest extravagance was in throwing clothing away upon the march. Grant says in his Memoirs (ii. 190-1) "I saw scattered along the road from Culpepper to Germania ford wagon loads of new blankets and overcoats thrown away by the troops to lighten their knapsacks, an imprudence I had never witnessed before." Most of my underclothing, and at least A Stair-1!!!!!!! Sair.!! Blankets. Woolen sach !! Blankets. Rubber woh Stuller Sents.- $1 packen encher. I acts each 11 lentines. auch I .32 2.05 3.53 one pair of shoes and one pair of boots had been bought outside. The uniform was anything but becoming. The trousers were particularly ugly and on the march were heavy and clogging. In the old high bicycle days what a difference it made whether one wore long trousers or short, and there is that difference in marching. The khaki suits with puttees must make it enormously easier to move the leg forward, forward, forward so many times for hours. Yet the many local uniforms with which the troops started out, zouave and all the rest, finally gave way to this homely costume. I do not remember seeing any Highlander regiment. An Englishman insinuated that the reason Highlanders wear kilts is because their feet are so large they can't get them into trousers. |