PREFACE. DURING the summer of 1881 I was a sojourner for a few weeks at a popular hotel in the White Mountains. Among the two hundred or more guests who were enjoying its retirement and good cheer were from twelve to twenty lads, varying in age from ten to fifteen years. When tea had been disposed of, and darkness had put an end to their daily romp and hurrah without, they were wont to take in charge a gentleman from Chicago, formerly a gallant soldier in the Army of the Cumberland, and in a quiet corner of the spacious hotel parlor, or a remote part of the piazza, would listen with eager attention as he related chapters of his personal experience in the Civil War. Less than two days elapsed before they pried out of the writer the acknowledgment that he too had served Uncle Sam; and immediately followed up this bit of information by requesting me to alternate evenings with the veteran from the West in entertaining them with stories of the war as I saw it. I assented to the plan readily enough, and a more interested or interesting audience of its size could not be desired than that knot of boys who clustered around us on alternate nights, while we related to them in an offhand way many facts regarded as too commonplace for the general histories of the war. This trifling piece of personal experience led to the preparation of these sketches, and will largely account for the didactic manner in which they are written. They are far from complete. Many topics of interest are left untreated - they will readily suggest themselves to veterans; but it was thought best not to expand this volume beyond its present proportions. It is believed that what is herein. written will appeal largely to a common experience among soldiers. In full faith that such is the case, they are now presented to veterans, their children, and the public as an important contribution of warp to the more majestic woof which comprises the history of the Great Civil War already written. That history, to date, is a history of battles, of campaigns and of generals. This is the first attempt to record comprehensively army life in detail; in which both text and illustrations aim to permanently record information which the history of no other war has preserved with equal accuracy and completeness. I am under obligations to many veterans for kindly suggestions and criticisms during the progress of this work, to Houghton & Mifflin for the use of Holmes' "Sweet Little Man," and especially to Comrade Charles W. Reed, for his many truthful and spirited illustrations. The large number of sketches which he brought from the field in 1865 has enabled him to reproduce with telling effect many sights and scenes once very familiar to the veterans of the Union armies, which cannot fail to recall stirring experiences in their soldier's life. Believing they will do this, and that these pages will appeal to a large number to whom the Civil War is yet something more than a myth, they are confidently put forth, the pleasant labor of spare hours, with no claim for their literary excellence, but with the full assurance that they will partially meet a want hitherto unsupplied: CAMBRIDGEPORT, Mass., March 30, 1887. CONTENTS. The Four Parties - Their Candidates - Freedom of Speech Abridged - Secession Decreed - Lincoln Elected - Oh, for Andrew Jackson! Exit Buchanan "Long-heeled Abolitionists" and Republicans" "Wide-awakes" and "Rail-splitters"-"Copper- heads" Men of All Parties Unite - The First Rally-Preparation in the Bay State and in Other States- Her War Governor - Showing The President's Error-"Three Years Unless Sooner Discharged " How Volunteer Companies were Raised-Filling the Quotas - What General Sherman Says - Recruiting Offices - for Recruits A War Meeting in Roxbury - A Typical War Meeting in the Country - A Small-Sized Patriot-Signing the PAGE HOW THE SOLDIERS WERE SHELTERED. The Distinction Noted Between the Militia and the U. S. Volunteers - The Oath of Muster - Barracks Described - Sibley or Bell Tents - A or Wedge Tents - Spooning-Stockading - Hospital or Wall Tents - Dog or Shelter Tent Described - Chumming - Pitching Shelters Stockaded Shelters Fireplaces - Chimneys - Door 1 Life in a Sibley-The Stove-The Pastimes-Postage Stamps as Money-Soldier's Letter-"Nary Red"-Illustrated Envelopes -Army Reading - The Recluse - Evenings of Sociability-Pipe The Plan of a Camp - Inside a Stockade · The Bunks-The Arrange- ment of the Furniture - Esthetic Dish-washing - Lighting by Candles and Slush Lamps - Candlesticks Night-Gowns and Night-Caps-The Shelters in a Rain-"I. C." Insect Life — Pediculus Vestimenti, the Old-time Grayback-Not a Respecter of Rank The First Grayback Found (K) nitting Work- "Skirmishing" - Boiling Water the Sovereign Balm - Cleanliness -The Versatile Mess-Kettles - No Magee Ranges Supplied the Soldiers Washerwomen - No "Boiled Shirts" - Darning and The Jonah as a Guardsman A Midnight Uproar- "Put him in the Guard-house" -The Jonah Spills Pea-Soup, and Coffee, and Ink-Always Cooking -Steps on the Rails - Tableau - Jonah as a Wood-chopper Beats - The Beat as a Fireman-Without Water, and Rations, and Money - His Letters Containing Money always Miscarry-Allotments - The Beat as a Guard Dodger-His Corporal Does the Duty-As a Fatigue Detail - Horse-Burying as a Civilizer for Jonahs and Beats-The Detail for the Burial The Over-worked Man-The Rheumatic Dodge- The Sick Man-The Chief Mourner-The Explosive Man - The Were They Adequate ?- Their Quality-A List of Them- What was Ration ?— -- - - Officers' Allowance The Company Fund" "Hardtack" - - - CHAPTER VIII. OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS. - - The Offences Enumerated—“Back Talk”—Absence from Camp without Leave - The Punishments-The Guard Tent - The Black List Its Occupations - Buck and Gag - The Barrel and its Uses The Crucifixion- The Wooden Horse - The Knapsack Drill-Tied up by the Thumbs - The Sweat-Box- The Placard―The Spare Wheel - Log-Lugging-Double Guard — The Model Regiment — Commanders often Tyrants by Nature, or from Effects of Rum, or Ignorance-A Regiment with Hundreds of Colonels-Inactivity Productive of Offences and Punishments-Kid-Glove Warfare - Drumming out of Camp- Rogue's March — Ball and Chain-Sleeping on Post-Desertion -Death of a Deserter Described → Death of a Spy Described Bounty-jumpers - Amnesty to Deserters - Desertion to Enemy Hanging of Three Criminals at Once for this Offence Described - - - A DAY IN CAMP. ASSEMBLY OF BUGLERS." " TURN OUT!" " ASSEMBLY." How the Men Came into Line-A Canteen Wash The Shirks-"I Can't Get 'Em Up"-"All Present or Accounted For "-"Stable Call" - Kingly Cannoneers and Spare Horses "Breakfast Call". "Sick Call"-"Fall In for Your Quinine". -The Beats again Animals were Watered - Number of Animals in the Army - |