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
I am sure that none of Hancock’s old corps will ever cease to remember the
motherly Mrs. Husband, Miss Clara Barton, Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Anna Holstein,
Miss Cornelia Hancock, a relative of the general; Miss Willetts, or Mrs.
Barlow, wife of Gen. Francis C. Barlow of the 1st division.
The story of the army life of the last named woman is full of interest and
romance. She was a true friend of the men in the ranks, and her purse was
frequently opened to give money to some wounded soldier who was being sent
to some northern hospital without a cent in his pocket.
She followed her husband’s troops through the unequaled and appalling
scenes of blood and hardship in Grant’s campaign of ’64, using her
strength so that she finally sickened and went home to die in a few
months. If ever there was a pure noble woman it was Mrs. Barlow.
I heard an incident of a lady going among the wounded at Spottsylvania.
Seeing a pale-faced boy whose helplessness had touched her heart, she
stopped by his side and said: “Is there anything that can be done for you,
my poor boy?”
“No, thank you,” was the reply, “but there’s a fellow at my left that you
might help,” pointing to an ashen-faced man dressed in confederate gray.
“He’s a rebel,” she said, “and there’s thousands of our own boys that need
attention.”
“That’s so,” the boy in blue said, “but he is far from home, helpless and
among the enemy, and is somebody’s boy and if he is a rebel, he’s an
American.”
The reb feigned sleep, but he had heard every word, and when the woman
kneeled down by his side and commenced to bathe his face and hands with
bay rum the tears began to steal out from under his eyelashes and he
finally burst right out crying. This was too much for the tender heart of
woman and she cried, too, and rough men about them who had marched up in
front of flaming guns the day before wept like children.
THE ARMY SUTLER.
The sutler was a prominent person in war times. He sold everything, from a
molasses cookie to butter, at 80 or 90 cents a pound.
When the boys did not have the money they would get an order on the sutler
from their captain, and the amount was charged up against their pay. The
sutler would issue tickets in various amounts from 5 cents up.
The business was very profitable and many made fortunes. The soldiers used
to regard the prosperous sutler with envy, but he is never heard of now,
and I do not know of one who makes claim to having assisted in saving the
Union in that capacity.
I remember our first pay day in Virginia. Our colonel thought it would be
a fine thing to give the men a three days’ holiday, so after dress parade
he made a little speech about as follows:
“My poys, I vas browd of you and I vas goin’ to gif you a tree day
holiday. There vill pe no drills, no parades, no notting but fun. Haf a
good time. Pe good poys and after it vas all ofer we vill go after that
Sheneral Shackson and lick him like h--l.”