Drum Taps in Dixie: Memories of a Drummer Boy, 1861-1865 — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Drum Taps in Dixie: Memories of a Drummer Boy, 1861-1865
John Stuart Mill · en
Perhaps you will think me yarning, but it is the truth that our Dennis
whipped four strapping Onondagas and was ready for more when his little
guardian angel slid into the ring, and, taking Garrity by the arm, led him
away as though he had been a child.
It was a wonderful influence this little boy had over his great, strong
comrade.
Garrity loved a strenuous life and wanted something doing all the time if
it was nothing more than tossing the colonel’s darkey up in a blanket or
tipping over the cart of a pie peddler.
He could play cards behind the breastworks with the shells screeching over
his head or joke a comrade on the firing line.
In this connection I am reminded of an incident at the opening of the
second Bull Run battle. The regiment was in line of battle nearly two
hours in the morning without firing a shot. The artillery on both sides
were pounding away at each other, and the strain on the men’s nerves was
something intense. A certain lieutenant who had incurred the dislike of
his men by his pompousness in camp duties thought that before going into
battle he would make peace with the boys, so he walked along in front of
the company and said: “Now, my men, we are about to meet the enemy for the
first time and it is more than likely that some of us will never see the
sun rise again. In my position it has become my duty on various occasions
to criticise and reprove, but I hope you will understand that I meant it
for your good. I can assure you, that I have a warm place in my heart for
every one of you, and if any man in the ranks feels the least ill will
towards me I beg of him to put it away out of his heart as we stand here
facing our foes.
“I have a further request to make and that is, if I fall in this fight,
and it is possible for you to do so, that you will have my body embalmed
and sent home.”
There was not a response for a minute or two and then Garrity spoke up:
“The boys don’t mind forgivin’ you, leftenant, but if I may be pardoned
the observation, the facilities for embalming the dead on a battlefield
are devilish poor.”
That same lieutenant covered the distance between Bull Run bridge and the
outposts near Alexandria before taps were sounded that night, and being a
large man, he stripped for the race and those who saw him at the finish
claimed that a shirt, trousers and a pair of socks were all that were left
of his former showy uniform and equipment.
His name? Well, the boys of the regiment who read this will know and it
does not matter to the rest whether it was Smith, Jones or Brown.
Gen. Lee surrendered his army to Gen. Grant the 9th day of April, 1865.
There was skirmishing right up to the last minute, notwithstanding the
fact that negotiations were in progress for 24 hours, but the last hotly
contested battle that occurred between the forces was on the afternoon of
the 7th, when the second corps of the army of the Potomac came in contact
with the bulk of Lee’s army on the old Lynchburg stage road.