CAMP-FIRE CHATS.

INTRODUCTION.

EVER was there war or military conflict more prolific of incident than the Civil War of America. The explosion of a shell was frequently followed by the crack of a joke, and a bullet or a bayonet produced more fun than fear; yet neither were ever so close that they left no time for a prayer. The raging battle was never so intense that a dying comrade could not be given a drink of water; and no march was ever so long, nor fatigue so great, that a biscuit could not be divided with a messmate. Such was the sympathy which held the army with its common cord.

But this is easily understood; for behind the war of musketry was a war of mind. Each bullet and each bayonet was guided by a thought and an inspiration, whose constancy placed upon each fort and parapet an emblem of fraternity and liberty which put to shame the ancient banners of spoliation and conquest.

Spartan bravery could not have coped with American courage in such a struggle; nor the ominious crescent of the Saracens have been more awe-inspiring, nor the cross of the Crusaders more worshipful, than the flag which quieted the trembling sovereignty of the western world.

The history of this war has been written, the causes and results have been discussed, and the record made; but the narration of personal adventure and observation can never fail to

be of interest, and the tales, by those who survive, of the true bravery of America's noblest sons, with their daring deeds and marvelous exploits, will ever remain in the hearts of the people, like the traditions of old, and become the fireside history of a modern conflict between the brothers of a nation, in which both believed themselves in the right.

And, indeed, it is here that we must look for the real history and the exposition of the true character of a people in

time of war. The movements, campaigns and statistics of armies may be chronicled, and in their cumbersome dryness be placed away among the archives of the nation; but the veritable disposition of those who harbor the passion, the coolness, the love, the hate, the sympathy, the cruelty, the right, the wrong,-must ever be sought from individual

sources.

It is not possible to give every soldier's experience through the entire war, but the incidents in this volume are taken from actual experiences. If the aim has been accomplished, a variety of information has been disclosed which will give to the general reader a picture of war and army life such as has never been presented to the people.

Many books give a drawn-out list of battles as the history of our Civil War. The war was not in all a military conflict; it was a complete revolution, in which the many customs and whole life of one people were changed, and as a result of which new energy thrilled another people. The war was not all battles nor all marches, but a stern struggle of combined intellectual and physical forces. Intelligence and reason pervaded rank and file; and while the sword was in its scabbard, between acts, discussion held sway. It was in this way that the revolutionary features were slowly wrought out, and this will be clear only when we have paused by many a camp-fire to witness the manifestations of a change in our national character, as disclosed by the actors themselves.

CAMP-FIRE I.

THE S. P. U. H.-THE FIRST CAMP-FIRE-THE CAMP OF INSTRUCTION-THE FARMER AND THE WATERMELONS "HOW TEDIOUS AND TASTELESS THE HOURS -THE CLOSING SCENE.

HE Society for the Preservation of Unpublished History, having been duly authorized and organized, with each of its members a living embodiment of all the accomplishments desirable in a minor historian, and each a commissioned and lawful emissary of the great Muse, went forth determined to prove the beneficence of its existence, by first gathering in and giving shelter to such facts and observations in the history of the Civil War in America as had not felt the protecting hand of the "art preservative of all arts." What the society lacked in numbers it made up in spirit, and if its physical shortcoming was marked, its Muse-ical development was proportionally great.

One feature, however, was especially noticeable, and this was the unusually large ears of the members, which was only another evidence of their fitness for the work in hand. Aided by this abnormal development they would collect the dying accents of many an unwept hero; and, moreover, in the modern school of ethics, an attentive ear is more to be admired than an oily tongue; yea, than a tongue doubly oiled. Likewise, they were well equipped in every appointment. But it must not be inferred from this that the members of the S. P. U. H. belong to the long-eared race of zoology, or that

all historians have long ears, or that the long-eared race are all historians, for such an inference would be historically incorrect, and far from the purpose of the fraternity.

Enthusiastic over their worthy intention, the S. P. U. H. arrived at a post of the Grand Army of the Republic, immediately sought out the commander, and notified him that their great ears itched for stories of the war, and memoirs of army life. That eminent was astonished. Whether to consider the society a fraud or a humbug he did not know. Certainly it was not real, and yet the age of myths and miracles was past.

"War!" said he; "I surrender. Your assault has found me unarmed. The attack is a complete surprise."

Twenty years of active business life had dispelled all military thoughts. In his efforts to recall his early life the grayhaired veteran was almost tranced. But the balm of assurance was administered, his soldierly instincts returned, and the commander invited the S. P. U. H. to be at the rendezvous when the sun's rays should be succeeded by those from the camp-fire.

They consented, and at the appointed time met the assembled veterans, who had been summoned into camp by the commander. After the fire burned well and threw its comfort into the faces of those present, the historical hard-tack and coffee were served in the style a la 1861-'65. When this was done the chief bade the soldiers be quiet, and thus exhorted them:

"COMRADES-I have called you into camp this evening for special duty. We have present a representative of the Society for the Preservation of Unpublished History. The ears of this society itch for stories of our old camp-fires, marches, battles and crude experiences, and memories of our ancient valor. Let him among you who has the easiest tongue and best memory now speak. Whoever may give any curious

information about the many features of soldier life, or describe the manners and customs of the rank and file, the saddle, the battery or the gunboat, or give a strange adventure, or some point of history heretofore unrecorded, shall have his name and regiment written in the great book of the Muse, which the Society for the Preservation of Unpublished History has now in charge. If any of you have such incidents and observations of unwritten history, let it now be divulged, or forever be cast into oblivion."

Thereupon the pipe of peace was passed around the campfire of plenty. When the "boys" were all settled, Rev. A. R. Thain, a private of the 96th Illinois Infantry, remembered an anecdote, and said:

"I think of one incident that occurred in our camp of iustruction at Rockford, Ill., but, for the benefit of our visitors I will give what comes to my mind of our first experience in war, before I relate it.

"Our country knew very little about war when the Civil War broke out, and the task of forming an army from raw recruits, many of whom had never seen a soldier, was great indeed. Our only consolation in those days was that our antagonists were in somewhat the same condition of ignorance. And yet we did possess one advantage over them; we knew that we were ignorant of the art of war, while many of them thought themselves thoroughly proficient. Each Southerner was ready to meet as many Yankees' as he had fingers and toes, doubtless imagining himself the eldest son of Mars. I remember reading the statement of one writer concerning the Confederate Army in its first organization; that 'every man brought a colored servant with him to stand guard, or relieve his master of fatigue duty;' that every amateur officer had his own pet system of tactics, and the effect of the incongruous teachings, when brought out on battalion drill, closely resembled that of the music of Bob Sawyer's party,