USA > Maine > First Maine bugle, 1893 (history of 1st Maine Cavalry) > Part 22
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Sergt. Robinson was on the right and I on the left of the first set of fours. We marched in columns of fours abreast, in three platoons. The road was crooked and rough, and led through woods and small fields. As we passed around a curve, we met four rebel cavalry men. There was a shout, our spurs touched the horses, a few shots, and after them we went. They were out of sight in a moment. At the next corner we saw them again, their number increasing every moment. All order was lost, the best horses went to the front. Our horses, excited by the shouts and noise of firing, did their best. Lieut. Andrews' horse fell. He was up with us in a few minutes. The rebels made the dust fly in the most lively manner. Without any waiting we burst in a large field. A large force of rebel cavalry were drawn up to receive us. It was our turn "to get."
My horse was determined to go on. I could not stop at once but we all came to right about. It was time. The rebels were at our heels. Private Trask was beside me when they overtook us. His dark face had a savage scowl when he was obliged to haul up. My horse was pushed against a fence in the mad rush. I parried a sabre cut with my carbine. It cut the front of my saddle and spoiled my watch in my waistband. I was only slightly wounded. One cavalryman wanted to buy my poncho blanket, but another one said it was his, as I was his prisoner. We did not have much to lose, as we went in with light saddles. I was put on a rebel horse. The saddle had no stirrups. A big wide sword hung on it by a strap; it had no scabbard.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
We were all hustled to the rear as the rebels swept down the road until checked by our main force. We were brought before Gen. Fitz Hugh Lec, who soon found out our instructions. That night he marched to Ashland, only to find he was on a fool's errand. He did not catch sight of Gen. Stoneman until his rear guard was crossing the Rapidan river on their return. We were sent to mislead him. What were forty-eight cavalry- men to him if he could only get Gen. Lee and his cavalrymen from his rear?
We were examined by the provost marshal at Gordonsville. One old mad dog rebel said: " If I had my way, you all would be hung before sundown." The sun was then near the hills in the west. A rebel soldier who had one arm in a sling, said : " I do not believe in hanging prisoners. When I was in a Northern hospital I was treated the same as the Yankee soldiers. When the ladies brought nice things for their boys I was given a share." We were marched into a big shed, a guard at the only door. We were twenty-seven in all, and among us was Lieut. Andrews of Company I. We did not know then how many were killed. We passed one of Company I dying by the roadside. It was then said he was shot after surrender, in revenge for a fallen comrade. We had met the Ninth Virginia Cavalry, and we met them later on well-contested fields. A3 they could run over us they did not care to kill us. We did not then realize what it was to be a prisoner in a rebel prison. Our floor was of slabs, round side up. We were all soon asleep.
" Would to God that he couldslumber, with his dreams colored well, Till the march of Time releases him from a Southern prison hell."
We had a good night's rest in our prison, rolling about over the slab floor, until we found a place to fit us. It was a new thing for us to sleep on a floor. Our captors issued some round crackers and fresh beef to us during the day, the crackers hard as a rock. One of mine was so very hard and scorched in bak- ing that I put it in my pocket, intending to carry it home-if I ever went home.
Some of the rebel soldiers came to talk to us and they were surprised that so few of us should have made so determined a
-
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MY EXPERIENCE AS PRISONER OR WAR.
charge on them. They said they "fell back" thinking a large force was coming by the noise and eagerness of the charge. A number of citizents also came to see us and talk of the war. We were the first Yankee soldiers to penetrate so far into the state. Some of them were very bitter and abused us as they pleased. I feel sure we returned their insults with interest. Finally an officer came around. He asked the sergeant of the guard why he allowed the people to annoy the prisoners. The sergeant re- plied that he "had no orders to keep them away." "Then I will give you orders. Let no one come near them. It is bad enough to be a prisoner without being insulted."
We had about concluded to tear up our slab floor, and build a fire on the ground and cook our fresh beef when we were or- dered to fall in, and being marched to the cars were put into a box car. Our guards told us that our cavalry had burned the railroad bridges on the road to Richmond, so we would have to go around by Lynchburg. A few spiteful women made faces and said some insulting things to us at some of the stations as we pulled up, but some of our boys made them beat a retreat. It was night when we arrived at Lynchburg. We were marched into a small room in the upper part of some large building, so small we could hardly all lie down.
We could get no water from the guard and of course nothing to eat. Some rebel deserters and men who would not enlist in the rebel army were confined in the next room. They handed some water to us through a small hole in the brick wall, but could give us nothing to eat. We passed a tiresome night on the small and dirty floor. It rained during the night. Two of the boys set up in the fireplace, and the rain covered them with soot. When they were pulled out by the legs in the morning they were a sight to behold.
As the day wore on a long line of rebel cavalry passed below our windows, each man leading an extra horse. Some of the boys hailed them and told them to give us some arms and horses and we would fight them for our liberty. One lean Johnnie called to us, " If you are so full of fight how came you all up there?" This was a dead shot, and all the troopers
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
laughed, while we joined in. It was extremely tiresome stand !- ing about all day in that small room, and we were glad when the order came to " fall in " again for another move.
" You all wanted to go to Richmond, now you will go there. sure," said one of the guards. Our guards on the train were two young men, or rather, boys. They had no ill-will agan -t us. They had enlisted because they were told that the Vanbre; were worse than brutes, and would destroy everything. We arrived at Richmond the next day. We were searched and our names entered in the register of the flourishing Hotel Libby. We did not have much to be robbed of. I had only a box of Ayer's pills and a volume of Cavalry Tactics. We had n blankets but were in the lightest marching order. There was but one prisoner in the room we were located in. There had been an exchange of prisoners a short time before our arrival. We were shown to the top floor where we were star boarders.
(To be continued)
" The Old Camp Ground."
C. C. HASSLER, CO. L., TWENTY-FIRST PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Vot a host of old memories vake at the sound Of the old song so often ve hear --- " Ve are Denting To-night on the Old Gamp Ground," As it mournfully fall on the ear. It prings to our minds some thoughts that are sad, Of many long nights ve haf spent, Ven tired and veary at night, ve was glad Ve could shleep in do: leedle vite dent.
Ven the days' vork vos done, and the sun he vos set Pehind the pig hills in the vest, Mit my bipe to gonsole me, you yust now can bet, I enchoy the schweet gomfort of rest. Last night I feel over me drowsiness greep, Undisturbed by no noises of sound, Und ] dream dot once more mit the poys I do shleep In a dent on the Old Gamp Ground.
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" THE OLD CAMP GROUND."
In dot leedle vite dent vos a bank ve lie on, Vile our saddles lay under our het, Dere vos bet room und kiteben und parlor in von, Vile the pantry vos under the bet. Und I dream dot again dere ve schleep und ve schnore In dot leedle bank only us tree, One veller behind, one veller pefore, Vile the one in the mittle vos me.
Und I dream dot I hear me some noise in the night Of dem gannons go bum, bum, bum, Vile the sergeant outside he yell mit his might, "Vake up, poys, the chonnies vos come ! " Und I chump to mine feet, yust so gwick as a cat, Mit a yell dot most vakens the det,
Ven my vife she come running, haf scared and haf mat, Und say, " Chon, vos you in your right het? " " Dot vos all right," I say, ven I got me avake, Und vos sure dot instead ouf a dent I skould shleep me dot nite mit our leedle poy Chake, Dot last baby poy dot vos sent, Who cheers the old solcher, und makes his heart light From sunrise until he go down. May his het nefer rest on a saddle at nite, In a leedle vite dent on the ground.
Dose hearts dot vos veary niit vaiting for beace Shall nefer grow veary some more. Dose goot poys shall no more their sorrow increase, As they did in dose days of the var. Dot old gamp ground dot vos sagred in song Has oud of sight long ago vent. May our poys in defense of the right against wrong Nefer shleep in a leedle vite dent.
Somedimes run the tears on the solcher's cheek down, As he hears dot old song vot ve love, "Ve are Denting To-night on the Old! Gamp Ground," Vile so many are gamping above. Dose days vot gone py vos all right in their blace, But ferever in dees world ve roam To a leedle vite dent, ven ve lay down at nite Ve brefer our own cottage at home.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
The Country for Which You Fought.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF A TRIP TO THE PACIFIC COAST.
BY THE EDITOR. V .- TEN DAYS AMONG ORANGE GROVES.
Ed and I reached Riverside, for a visit to my sister, Mrs. George W. Garcelon, and her family, and a good rest before starting on the long journey home, early on the evening of Thursday, June 2d, a year ago, having been a little more than twenty-four hours on the ride from San Francisco. We found Mr. and Mrs. Garcelon well, and looking for us. We expected to enter upon our rest at once on arriving there, but found there was to be a grand reception that evening, and it was desired that we should attend. This was not just what Ed and I desired but we could not very well decline so cordial an invitation, so we brushed off the dust of travel, made ourselves as presenta- ble as we could so far from home, and accompanied my brother and sister to the hall of entertainment. This proved to be the newly-fitted rooms of the Rubideux Club --- a social club very popular in Riverside --- and was really the opening of the new rooms. I have nothing to say concerning the reception, only that I failed to discover any marked difference between the looks and actions of the people of this far-away city, when at their best, and those of people nearer home. The reception might as well have been held in New England, as far as appearances went. And why not? The greater part of the people are from New England, and a few years from their old home has not changed them to any great extent. They are very like what they were when they went there, only so many years older, an ! of so much more experience. Of course we met many of the residents of the city, who greeted us cordially and made us feel very much at home, and we had a very pleasant evening. 1 was very much amused to meet an army comrade-a " dough-
THE COUNTRY FOR WHICH YOU FOUGHT.
boy "-who gave me a very vivid description of a magnificent charge which he saw our regiment make, but which the regi- ment never made. He had in mind the wrong place or some other regiment, I could not tell which. But however much I enjoyed it, I did not feel like spoiling his story by contradicting it. I was somewhat surprised to find so many army comrades so far away from home -- so many from New England regiments, I mean. And yet, this city has sprung up from a desert since the war, and all the residents are new comers, so to speak. So we enjoyed the reception, weary as we were, and were pleased to be there.
The days of rest at Riverside were truly days of thorough, pleasant rest. The air was delightful, the surroundings beau- tiful, contented quiet reigned around the vicinity of my brother's home, we were at perfect liberty to do as we chose without fear of infringing upon the pleasure of others, and we enjoyed perfect rest. We slept night or day, or rather night and day, as sleep wished to visit us, and sleep was wonderfully familiar for the first few days. Then there was always the pleasure of chatting with my brother or sister, and we had much to say after being separated all these years. They were among the pioneers of this wonderful city of oranges and raisin grapes, and we listened to the stories of the early days of Riverside with much the same kind of inter- est that I used to read of the pioneers of the great west, years ago. In fact, I was in a state of wonder all the time I was there. Only twenty-one years from a dead, dry desert, here is a beau- tiful city of thousands of inhabitants, with miles and miles of beautiful drives, with acres and acres of productive orange groves and raisin vineyards, with fine churches and school houses, with a free library, without a cent of municipal debt, with greater wealth in proportion to the population than any other place in the world, and with all the beauty of Nature's most luxuriant growth. There is scarcely an acre of its terri- tory that is not utilized, either for fruit growing. for business purposes, or for residences and beautiful grounds. All in twenty-one years. Do you wonder that we listened with much interest to the stories of the trials and privations, the experi-
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
ments, the failures and the successes of the carly days, not so far away? It sounded very much like a fairy story, as we looked about us and saw the whole city like one beautiful gar- den, to be told that only a few years ago it was a desert -- no, not a desert, the land was only dormant-and had been brought to its present fertile and beautiful condition by the labors of those whom we met every day, and who looked not unlike every day people, after all. Wonderful, wonderful, is the history of the building up of the city of Riverside -one of the most beautiful places in the world, and with a beauty that carries with it everywhere the foundation of prosperity. The good people of Riverside deserve their prosperity-they have com- pelled the earth to yield it to them by their labors, their skill, their patience, their perseverence, and their faith.
AN INDIGNATION MEETING.
The days passed away all too rapidly, as they always do when they pass pleasantly. We met many of the citizens, and enjoyed the meeting. I even met friends from my old home in Lewiston, whom I had not seen for a score of years and whom I did not know were there-did not even know were living -- and these meetings were pleasant. In short, it was pleasant all the time at Riverside. Nor were we entirely devoid of excite- ment while in this beautiful, quiet city. Ed and I joined in a demonstration of a political sort while there, and marched with as earnest a procession as ever marched through a New England town. It was a question entirely local-a question of voting to allow the county to issue a large number of bonds to build a new Court House, in which we of course could not become very much interested, but which to the tax-payers was a matter of very great importance, and we joined in the demonstration for the fun of the thing, and, more, to see how such matters are conducted in this far-away land, where nothing looks really natural except the " long-handled dipper " and the North star. So we fell in and marched behind banners bearing the legends, " Down with Tyrants and Bosses," " Vote Against the Court House Steal," etc., and shouted as loud as we were able. And
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THE COUNTRY FOR WHICH YOU FOUGHT.
ve had all the fun we wanted. We rode to Colton, where the indignation meeting was held, and of course attended the meet- ing. We were somewhat disappointed in not listening to some of the breezy utterances which we have often read about as characteristic of the Pacific coast, but we did have the satisfac- tion of seeing a people at once earnest and dignified. The speeches were all good and some of them stirring, and we enjoyed the meeting, and were in no wise ashamed that we had taken a small part in it. But it confirmed the feeling which I had all during my stay there, that Riverside is very much an castern city, though so far away.
" MACHINE-MADE WATER."
There were many places of interest to visit here, and many things to see, so we found plenty to busy ourselves about, when- ever we wished to busy ourselves. The matter of irrigation was one thing which interested me, for it must be remembered that it was only by irrigation that this desert was made into a gar- den. While we were there Mr. Garcelon irrigated both his orange grove and his home lot, and I watched the processs with a good deal of interest, for I had often wondered how it was done. I satisfied my curiosity, and obtained a new idea of the labors by which all this had been accomplished. I was reminded of a conversation between one of the Essex party and a resi- dent, some days before. Said the eastern gentleman, " I think I rather live in a country where we don't have to depend upon machine-made water." "Well," was the reply, " there are some advantages in what you call 'machine-made water'; we get it just when we want it, and neither suffer from floods or drought." There was something in this view of the case which had not before appeared to the eastern minds. But it is a good deal of worl, and requires a good deal of unceasing care, this irriga tion, though it did seem, on looking over the ground, that the land all about there was laid out especially for irrigation pur- poses. It did seem, also, sometimes, as though the water was running up hill, as it made its way along the little furrows between the trees. Indeed, had any one told me that the water
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FIRST MAINE BUGIE.
did really run up hill, I don't know but I should have bel him-it would not be any more strange than some other thi we learned in that wonderful country. It gave me an uncall" feeling one morning, though, to sit on the piazza, surrog! by the largest and finest rose bush I ever saw, listen to the p .r. of the raindrops among the trees, watch my brother impan the home lot with a rubber coat on, and see the children gow to school carrying spread umbrellas, in this land of perpe: sunshine. For it was raining on this ninth of June, much to :. surprise, and to the surprise of the residents, apparently. least, they told us as by one accord, that this was entirely uns sual, and the evening papers of that day predicted that ! little showers of the morning would do considerable dante So we concluded that it was really unusual, and continued fir. in our belief that it never rains in California during the sunc ... months. Wasn't it rather strange, though, that we should by inet so much " unusual" weather while in that State so short time? But, to be fair, it must be said that during this rain, during the heated term of a few weeks before, there were ster and floods unusual in the eastern States, thus again confirn.in the theory of our guides at Los Angeles and Fresno that i these atmospheric disturbances there indicated correspondir atmospheric disturbances all over the continent.
EXCHANGING WAR REMINISCENCES.
On this same ninth of June, which day always calls up many memories. being, as you will remember, the anniversary of t fight at Brandy Station, I made a call upon a confeder ... acquaintance I had formed there by the name of Miller. 1 thought this would be a good day to talk with him. He can! : a Yankee bullet in his body, and suffers with it daily. F received it at the battle of Port Republic. We had a real good i talk. He was pleasant, as he always was, and we chatted !! good while. He was emphatic in the expression of the f. that there were no ill-feelings between the soldiers of the ty armies, and said the Yankee soldiers always treated him w even when he was a prisoner. He was on picket duty alon.
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THE COUNTRY FOR WHICH YOU FOUGHT.
che Rappahannock in the winter of '63, opposite us, comrades, and was one of the Johnnies who during that winter sent over Attle corn-stalk rafts loaded with tobacco, to us-perhaps the very raft which Sergeant Little captured one morning, when the cruel wind and current took it down below my line as I watched : grudgingly. I had several good talks with him during my try in Riverside, and we formed a pleasant acquaintanceship.
VISIT TO A TIN MINE.
During our stay here my sister's family made up a picnic party for a visit to the famous Temescal tin mines, situated in the mountains, some twenty miles away. That was a great day. The ride was over and around mountains, the road twisting here and there hunting for the best place to advance, and there was sufficient variety to the ride to prevent any feeling of monotony. We found the people at the mine cordial, and were shown about by an old Cornishman, who made our tour, above and underneath the ground, pleasant and instructive. We saw the ore taken from the earth-a dull brown looking ore-and watched the process of separating the tin-still a dull brown- from the rock in much the same way that gold is separated from the pounded rock, and then the converting of this brown dust into bright ingots of tin by fire. It was of course an interest- ing operation, especially so after our visit to the gold mines, and we called the day one of education. We took our picnic din- wer on the piazza of the office, secured some specimens of tin. on the ore and manufactured, and drove home again, this time taking another road, and driving for miles through the wonder- fal Magnolia Avenue.
MAGNOLIA AVENUE
Il one of the beautiful features of Riverside, and furnishes one il the finest drives in the country or in the world. On our Toturn from this visit to the tin mine we rode twenty-one or twenty-two miles straight-away on this beautiful avenue, though Mit portion nearest to the mines was little worse than on ordi- nary dirt road, as it was then in the process of construction.
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FIRST MAINE BUGLE.
But some sixteen miles are completed, and a drive through : gives unqualified pleasure. The street is more than one hun dred and thirty feet wide, has a row of magnificent pepper tre in the centre, and is bordered on both sides its entire lengt! with the graceful pepper, the thrifty eucalyptus, the wondrous palm, and other handsome trees, all strange and striking to New England eyes. The roadway is kept in the best condition, an i naturally is always shady, so it is ever in excellent form for a drive. It runs through thousands of acres of orange grove, with residences here and there which suggest wealth and good taste. But this is not the only pleasant drive in Riverside. Oh, no. There are pleasant drives, with delightful variety, on many of the streets and even some of the prestige of Magnolia Avenue is in danger-not at present but in the not far distant future- for another avenue, named Victoria avenue, has been laid out. and it will not take long, in this wonderful country, to have it equally well lined with trees, shrubs, and flowers. This is par- allel with Magnolia Avenue though at a greater altitude, for nearly its entire length, and reaches the city proper over a handsome bridge nearly six hundred feet in length and sixty feet in height over an arroyo. A writer in the Arena says: " You would hardly go to old Italy without seeing Rome and the Coliseum. You will hardly go to our Italy without seeing Riverside and Magnolia Avenue."
BEAUTIFUL RESIDENCES.
We had been growing more and more enthusiastic over the wonderful vegetation of California, from the time we reached San Bernardino on our first arrival in the State, but when we were at Riverside, and had an opportunity to look about us at leisure instead of in the hurried manner rendered necessary by brief visits and while being whirled through the country by rail. we began to have a better idea of it. I will not attempt to tell you of some of the stories of rapid growth we heard, because you will be inclined not to put full faith in them, but with the evidence all around me, I could not help believing what I heard Everywhere the growth was rapid, everywhere the vegetation
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THE COUNTRY FOR WHICH YOU FOUGHT.
was luxuriant. Shade trees are abundant as well as orange trees, and shrubs and hedges as well as flowers, though flowers are everywhere. The hedges are remarkable. The Monterey cyprus seems created for hedges, the climate seems just the thing for the Monterey cyprus, and the taste and skill of the gardeners of Riverside are unexcelled in the making and train- ing of hedges. At all events, they seem to have no difficulty whatever in making them grow in any shape fancy may dictate, and fancy has been very busy at work in this direction. Fine residences, with handsome lawns, beautiful surroundings, taste- ful and sometimes grotesque hedges, an abundance of flowers. shrubbery beyond the imagination of one who has not seen -... everything beautiful -- are to be seen in all portions of this beau- tiful city. Verily there are many pretty homes in Riverside.
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