Chapter 33 - In Camp

CHAPTER XXXIII

IN CAMP

Among the incidents which transpired during our stay at Dumfries, and which impressed themselves upon our mind, was the burial of “Lizzie of Dumfries.”

In an old hovel, one-and-a-half stories high, on the North bank of the creek that flows through the town, resided an old lady and her feeble minded grand-daughter who was the mother of an infant, the father of which was attached to some rebel command which had been stationed there during the previous year.

The child, a puny, delicate creature took sick and died. The old lady having no means to procure a coffin, and when several of the boys kindly volunteered to assist her and Lizzie to bury the child, they gladly accepted their service.

After a short consultation, the boys went to camp and procured a cracker box and a shelter tent.  They then wrapped the tent around the infant, placed it in the box and the corpse was ready for interment.  A member of the 7^th Ohio regiment carried the box on his shoulder and the funeral cortege, consisting of old Granny, Lizzie and about forty soldiers, was ready to move. Upon reaching the grave-yard the box was deposited in the hole prepared for it, and was hurriedly covered up, upon which the women and several soldiers ­returned to the house, whilst the men who had witnessed the burial scene returned to their regiments.

Not having been very long in the service ­the event made considerable of an impression on us, and we walked to our quarters fully impressed with the fact that death is a great demoralizer.

Many of the members of the company made their head-quarters, when on picket and the reserve post, at old Granny’s house, so many a ludicrous and laughable in­cident might be given, if space would permit.  The old lady was a staunch believe­r in the Southron cause.  Her only concern appeared to be on account of her son who she said was a member of Mr. Stewart’s critter company.

The routine of ordinary camp life was intervened on the afternoon of the 20th of March, owing to the drumming out of troop of a member of the 28^th Pennsylvania ­regiment, for striking an officer, Major Chapman we think.

The troops of the Division were all drawn up in line, and the offender was marched out in front of the troops.  The Adjutant then read the finding of the court-martial.  The man was seated upon his knapsack, and all the hair was shaved from his head and face.  The buttons were cut from his cap and coat, after which he was paraded up and down the entire line while the drum corps followed at his rear playing the rogues march.

After the man had passed the line, the troops were marched to their respective quarters whilst the disgraced man made tracks for the landing from which place he had transportation to Washington.  I have no doubt that the first thing that he purchased after he arrived in civilization was a wig.

Evidently arrangements were being made which betoken that the Army would soon be called upon to meet the foe and to retrieve, if possible, the disaster which had overtaken it the close of the disastrous Burnside campaign.

Details were made from the regiments and the pioneer, ambulance, and medical corps, whilst the regiment was being paced under a thorough state of discipline and drill.  The company was complimen­ted by the regimental and Brigade officers for its soldierly appearance and its state of military discipline, a1l of which was very gratifying to the men as well as to the officers of the company.

On the 26^th of March, General John W. Geary and staff inspected the soldiers of the Division, by regiment and Brigade, and made a number of appropriate addresses to the officers and men, calculated to inspire confidence in the officers and men of the gallant “White Star Division.”

Already the searching rays of a tropical sun were making the life-giving e1ement felt and the surroundings betokened the approach of Spring.  The health of the company compared very favorable with that of any of the other new companies.  We had had but one death, that of Lewis C. Schroyer.

Serg’t. Henry Baker, who in the very prime of life had left his wife and family of little ones, having enlisted in the comp­any to assist in restoring the Union of his fathers, was the second member of the company to die.  The members of the company all remember how sudden and unexpected the news came, he appear­ed to be enjoying his usual good health when the attack came.  Seated in our tent writing a letter home, we were startled by an unusual disturbance in one of the tents of the company, and upon going to ascertain what it was, we found that Serg’t. Baker was laboring under some strange hallucination, that some strange per­son was in his tent, and he had kicked the upper bunk, sending its occupants, Serg’t. F. H. Knight and W. E. Fausnacht up against the roof of the tent.  He was at once taken with camp fever, and in the morning he was sent to the Division Hospital in the town, and grew steadily worse until the night of the 3rd of April, when a kind Providence relieved him of his suffering by sending the angel of death to his relief.  The sudden and unexpected death of Henry W. Baker, cast a gloom over the company.  He was a model soldier, one who obeyed promptly every order, and who expected those under his command to render a willing obedience to him.  His brother, George Baker, who had come to visit him accompanied the corpse home, where it was interred in the 1st Lutheran Cemetery, near the remains of Lewis C. Schroyer.  Thus ended the brief military career of one whom, if he had been spared to serve his time of enlistment with the company, would no doubt have acquitted himself with honor and, credit.  George Baker, who had brought several pounds of Snyder County butter along with him for the Serg’t., finding him sick and unable to use the butter selfishly took the same home again although the mouths of a number of the boys, watered considerable for that butter.

On the afternoon of the 4th of April a member of Company B, whilst on picket shot his index finger off, so that he might be able to procure a discharge.  Our Doctor, when he learned the facts connected with the shooting, dressed the finger without giving the patient chloroform.  The man survived the operation, and not getting a discharge, he manufactured some soap pills, which he took, they secured him a discharge and a long one.  He was buried at Wash­ington.

On the 6th of April, Peter Laubenstine cooked the last meal for the company, after which he started a suttler shop on a small scale.  Jacob Swab furnished him with the money.  They however came near coming to grief, when they charged five cents for a three cent postage stamp.  The Colonel heard of it, and told them that if they would attempt the like again, he would con­fiscate everything they had.  This had the desired effect, only they used their money in purchasing goods from which they realized a larger profit.

The taming of the wild beasts, or entering the den of lions at Dumfries by orderly Parks, was among the most exciting events, which took place during our stay in camp.  It required considerable nerve to enter the den and stop the “growling” but the orderly was equal to the emergency.

Playing Poker was one of the characteristics of a number of the boys, among them Noll, Miller, &c. and the expression, “Pap Mull has got money, lets play Poke,” had its significant meaning those days.

The bucking of Ed Fisher for shooting off his gun, contrary to orders, caused considerable amusement to those who beheld it. The Happy family of Pennscreek, generally furnished the music for the company, prominent among the pieces came the “Blue tailed Fly.”