The Irish Volunteer Official Newsletter of the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Co. B VoL. X. - No. 1] PENNSYLVANIA, February, 1863 [SINGLE COPIES SIX CENTS Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1863, by Sullivan et-al in the Clerk's Office for the Far Western District of Pennsylvania February 2005 Joe and Holly Sullivan Editors ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ ADMINISTRATION IN THE FIELD Capt. Steve Stowell BEHIND THE DESK Chairman, Kevin Burton ON THE HOME FRONT Civilian Advocate, Holly Sullivan Official Web Site of 116 PVI http://www.116pvi.org ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS February 26-27 Winter quarters at camp Rilea. ** March 12, 2005. School of the Soldier and School of the Company - at Fort Vancouver, starts 1PM April 9, 2005. School of the Soldier and School of the Company - at Fort Vancouver, starts 1PM April 23-24 Estacada, Oregon, McIver Park. Battle Event ** **For more information and for a full calendar of events please visit our web page at http://www.116pvi.org/ and follow the events link. Election Results! The following positions have been filled for 2005: Chairman - Kevin Burton Secr. Treas. - John Baker Quartermaster - Mark Stevens Civilian Advocate - Holly Sullivan Board Member - David Baty Board Member - Lynette Stowell Board Member - Joe Sullivan ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ 54th Massachusetts Infantry being formed By Mark Stevens and Aaron Harris We are currently recruiting and training members for the 54th Mass Infantry. As this is a both a new unit and made up of new reenactors, training is one of our top priorities. Our vision for the 54th is simple, do honor to the nearly 200,000 African American soldiers which fought for their freedom and the Union, and equally to all the other soldiers who served in the civil war. To do this, we seek recruits who value hard work, teamwork, honor and respect to serve with us. We do not wish to further anything more or less than as true of a living history as we can. We wish to represent the most recognized colored regiment of the civil war by period correct equipment, drill, and organization. To make this happen for the 2005-reenacting season, we are inviting you to help in two ways. First, if you know an interested or potential recruit of African-American descent, please direct them our way, and/or to our web site: First Sergeant Aaron Harris 360.903.1690 Pdxcwfamily@yahoo.com Training Sergeant Mark Stevens 503.623.6817 CoBCorp@aol.com -School of the Soldier and School of the Company drills- Second, we are holding basic school of the Soldier and School of the Company drills at historic Fort Vancouver, Washington, every second Saturday from December through May 2005. These dates are as follows: Saturday, December 11 Saturday, January 8 Saturday, February 12 Saturday, March 12 Saturday, April 9 Saturday, May 14 All open drilling will start at 1 pm (1300) at the Parade Grounds. Per the park, we are portraying a portion of the history of the site, so drill participates must be Union. Also, we will not be firing at this time. We will advise of any changes, etc. before each month. We welcome all who wish to practice & drill with us, contact us with any questions! From the Civilian Advocate: Greetings to the Civilians of Pennsylvania! I don't think anyone was more surprised than I at the events which led to my becoming your Civilian Advocate. I am honored by the position. My personal belief is that the 116th is the best reenacting club in the Northwest. I admit to some slight bias in my estimate, but contend that it is a true statement nevertheless. I have a few ideas for this year, (1863! Surprise!), but would very much appreciate any insights and recommendations my fellow civilians may have to share. I believe that it would be a good idea to put together a "handbook" for new 116th civilian reenactors, or for those of us wanting to improve our impressions. This could be done inexpensively by making it a "folder" on our website. We could write a different chapter of it each month during the coming year. Some chapters I thought would be helpful are: Civilian Women's Clothing, Civilian Men's Clothing, Nineteenth-Century Etiquette, Campfire Cooking (along with recipes that might have been used in regular household cooking; we must face the fact that by and large, civilians in Pennsylvania in the 1860s did not live in wall tents :) ), Children's Clothing, Education, Behavior, and Amusements, Nineteenth-Century Culture and Mindset, (in many ways as foreign to us twenty-first-century reenactors as Chinese Culture and Mindset would be!), Hairstyles of the Civil War Period, (both for men and for women), Pennsylvania in the Civil War, (which would be handy, since we represent people living in Pennsylvania), Irish Immigrants, (we are attached to the Irish Brigade, and should be justifiably proud of it!), Civilian Trades and Occupations of the Nineteenth Century, and Domestic Accomplishments, (quilting/ sewing/ fancy-work/ &c). If any of you can remember back to when you started reenacting, and can recall some of the Burning Questions you had when you began - those would be the questions I would like to cover in our Handbook. I would also like to hear what questions you may have now. If I have not listed them in the above tentative catalogue of chapters, please write and tell me what they are so that we may be sure to address them! Given that most civilian reenactors are women, and that the first order of business for the lady reenactor is dressing herself a la 1863, I believe the first chapter we should write would be the one on Women's Clothing in the Civil War. I would like to have the chapter written by the next Irish Volunteer, (the end of February). If any of you would like to write an article pertaining to the issue of women's clothing, or would like to have a question answered, please send it to me. (Private Sullivan has arranged an address where I can be reached: civilian @ 116pvi .org) I would also very much like any reviews of books regarding, (for this month,) women's clothing, reviews, both pro and con, of patterns you have tried, best sources you have found for obtaining patterns, dry goods, shoes, gloves, hats, accessories, &c, and links to any web sites you have found helpful. Of special interest would be source information, that is, articles written during, or photos taken during, the 1860's. My hope is to publish each chapter in the Irish Volunteer simultaneously with posting it on the web site. I would also very much like to hear from you with regard to our reenactments, and what we might do to make them both more enjoyable for ourselves and more instructive to The Public. What would you like to see and do? Would you enjoy having a Lyceum? An around-the-campfire sing? Would you enjoy pot lucking for a meal during reenctments? Please let me know! Would any of you like to get together at any time outside of reenactments, to work on our impressions, to sew our reenacting clothing, or just to have tea and a chat? Again, let me know! And lastly, what can we, the Civilians of the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers, do to support our soldiers? I believe that the 116th soldiers are the best on the field! What can we do, if anything, to help our soldiers with their impressions? (Soldiers - I'd like to hear from you all on this one, too!) Our goal as civilian reenactors should always be to strive to honor the memory of the men and women we claim to represent - in our case, the men and women of Pennsylvania in 1863 whose husbands, sons, and brothers were fighting a war to save the Union. We should do our best to understand and correctly portray the average Pennsylvanian of the mid-nineteenth-century. Again, I can be reached at civilian @ 116pvi .org. Your two cents is needed! Let me hear from you! Looking forward to the victory of our boys in their fight to save to Union, I remain, Your most humble servant, Mrs. Joseph T. Sullivan ("Molly" Sullivan) Last Union Soldier to be buried? From Daughters of Union Veterans web site: Corporal John P. Byrne of the 21st MO. Infantry is finally coming home to be laid to rest. He died in 1920 and was cremated. His sealed urn was placed on a shelf in a storage mausoleum waiting for someone to bring him home. After an extensive search by a niece, he was located and will be buried next to two brothers, Harrison and Lucian, who also fought for the Union. Funeral and burial arrangements are being made for Saturday, May 28, 2005. The wake and vigil will run from 12:00 noon on Friday till 12:00 noon on Saturday at the Payne Funeral Home and at the Courthouse which sits in the center of the town of Memphis, MO. The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865 organization is assisting the family with these arrangements to give this soldier a Veteran's service. Since this may be the last funeral and burial of a Union Veteran, the family understands that there may be many who will want to come and pay their honors. They are most graciously permitting us to claim John as one of our own, so that we may use this as an educational example of our Civil War history. Corporal Byrne's funeral and burial will bring to light our plight to save our historic sites, cemeteries, monuments and battlefields. A Memorial Fund has been established to help with this. We are planning for Friday evening at the Courthouse Square, a time to celebrate the lives of John and other soldiers from the Memphis, MO. area. Some of the historical and educational entertainment programs are: a.. Memphis, MO. during the Civil War. b.. The history of the 21st MO. Inf. c.. The MO. Medical Brigade explaining John's war injuries. d.. Musicians and singers performing period and patriotic music. e.. Reading of Gen. John Logan's Memorial Day Order # 11. f.. The evening will end with John's eulogy. John not only had two brothers that also fought for the Union, but he had another older brother Charles, who fought for the Confederacy. Charles was living in Virginia at the outbreak of the Civil War and joined the 27th VR. Inf. CSA. To our knowledge, the brothers never met on a field of battle and continued their relationships after the war. The family has asked that we honor all of these brothers. Therefore, Charles will be represented as a pallbearer, with a CSA cannon salute and with a CSA Taps salute. More will be added later on the lives of all four brothers. This web site will be a way to record John P. Byrne and his family's history for those interested. It will also be a way to get information to those wanting to attend, such as directions, maps, schedule etc., so continue to check back for updates. Pallbearers, Honor Guards, Escorts and Sentries. If you would like to offer your services in any of these positions then please submit an email to the following email address. Please include your name, address, phone number, reenacting Unit affiliation, descendent's organization affiliation and your ability to conform to representing the 21st MO. Inf. You will first receive a form letter reply as to what is needed from you. The John McNeil Camp # 62 of the Sons of Union Veterans is the military organizers for this. johnbyrneburial@hotmail.com Encampment Locations. If you have period tenting and need a location to camp, then you need to submit your name, address, phone number and reenacting Unit affiliation to the following email address. For military guards and sentries with duties, their tenting locations will be at the Memphis Cemetary and Court House lawn. Soon we will announce the location for the encampment for USA, CSA and civilian tents. You will need to plan early to get on the list. James Country Merchantile will be at that location with the list to show you your area to tent. You also should plan to arrive no later than Thursday, May 26, 2004 to be ensured that you will be able to enter the town of Memphis. johnstents@yahoo.com Parade Entries. If your Unit is wanting to be in the 1 & 1/2 mile funeral parade route from the funeral home to the cemetary, then you need to have your Commander submit his name, address, phone number and your reenacting Unit's name, including an estimated head count, to the following email address. Missouri Units will march first followed by other State's Units. We may need to dispatch some of the other States Unit's to form the guards on the road of honor, keeping back the public and then fall in as the parade passes. This is for both USA and CSA. If you have drummers for cadence, they will need to have their drums covered with black crape. johnsparade@yahoo.com Horses and Conveyances. This will be the time when the only mode of transportation to quickly get around will be by horse back or horse driven conveyances. Individual Officers with their Infantry Units and Cavalry Units will be in the funeral parade. If you have a horse driven conveyance, we are asking for your assistance in conveying the family and dignitaries from the funeral home to the cemetary and back. We will need a head count on horses to be able to have water and feed available. Please submit to the following email address your name, address, phone number, number of horses and type of conveyance that you are willing to offer. This is USA, CSA and civilian. johnsriders@yahoo.com Relatives of John P. Byrn and descendents of 21st MO. Inf. Please submit your inquiries to webmaster@duvcw.org They will be forwarded on to the family and spokesperson for the 21st MO. Inf. Widows or those dressed in period mourning wishing to attend and pay their honors. We have planned a very special ceremony for these ladies to take part in. Please send your info as to what style of mourning attire that you will be wearing. You will first receive a form letter reply as to what will be needed of you. johnswidows@yahoo.com A schedule of the two days of activities will also soon be added. Until then please contact the webmaster of the Daughters of Union Veterans as to any other questions or suggestions. webmaster@duvcw.org Please use the Forum below to submit your information and questions. This will be the best way for you to get in contact with others such as relatives of the family, descendents of the 21st MO. Inf. or Reenacting Units sharing travel information etc. We can not share your personal information, but you can on the Forum. James Country Merchantile is the official merchant and info center as to what you will need in the way of mourning attire. They will also be on location for last minute purchases of black crape etc. http://www.jamescountry.com/ Contributions may be sent to: John P. Byrne Memorial Fund Community Bank of Memphis 112 East Madison Memphis, MO. 63555 ¾¾¾¾¾(¾¾¾¾¾ SI KLEGG: HIS TRANSFORMATION FROM A RAW RECRUIT TO A VETERAN by John McElroy CHAPTER 11 THE PLAGUE OF THE SOLDIER INTRODUCTION TO "ONE WHO STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER." HELLO, Si; goin' for a soijer, ain't ye?" "You bet!" "Wall, you'd better b'lieve its great fun; it's jest a picnic all the time! But, say, Si, let's see yer finger-nails !" "I'd like ter know what finger-nails 's got to do with soljerin' !" said Si. "The 'cruitin' ossifer 'n' the man 't keeps the doctor shop made me shuck myself, 'n' then they 'xamined my teeth, 'n' thumped me in the ribs, 'n' rubbed down my legs, 'n' looked at my hoofs, same 's if I'd bin a hoss they wuz buyin', but they didn't say nothin' 'bout my finger-nails." "You jest do 's I tell ye; let 'em grow, 'n' keep 'em right sharp. Ye'll find plenty o' use fer 'em arter a while, 'n' 'twont be long, nuther. I know what I'm talkin' 'bout; I've bin thar !" This conversation took place a day or two before Si bade farewell to his mother and sister Marier and pretty Annabel and left the peaceful precincts of Posey County to march away with the 200th Ind. for that awful place vaguely designated as "the front !" He had promptly responded to the call, and his name was near the top of the list of Company Q. Si already had his blue clothes on. By enlisting early he had a good pick of the various garments, and so got a suit that fitted his form-which was plump as an apple-dumpling - tolerably well. It was left for the tail-enders of the company to draw trousers that were six inches too long or too short, and blouses that either wouldn't reach around, and left yawning chasms in front, or were so large that they looked as if they were hung on bean-poles. Of course, Si couldn't be expected to do any more plodding farm work, now that he had "jined" the army. While the company was filling up he spent most of his time on dress parade in the village near by eliciting admiring smiles from all the girls, and an object of the profoundest awe and wonder to the small boys. One day Si was sitting on the sugar-barrel in the corner grocery, gnawing a "blind robin," and telling how he thought the war wouldn't last long after the 200th Ind. got down there and took a hand and got fairly interested in the game; they would wind it up in short meter. Such ardent emotions always seethed and bubbled in the swelling breasts of the new troops when they came down to show the veterans just how to do it. One of the town boys who had been a year in the service, had got a bullet through his arm in a skirmish, and was at home on furlough, came into the store, and then took place the dialog between him and Si that opens this chapter. Si wondered a good deal what the veteran meant about the finger-nails. He did not even know that there existed in animated nature a certain active and industrious insect which, before he had been in the army a great while, would cause his heart to overflow with gratitude to a beneficent Providence for providing him with nails on his fingers. When the 200th left Indiana all the boys had, of course, brand-new outfits right from Uncle Sam's great one-price clothing house. Their garments were nice and clean, their faces well washed, and their hair yet showed marks of the comb. At Louisville they stuck up their noses, with a lofty consciousness of superiority, at the sight of Buell's tanned and ragged tramps, who had just come up on the gallop from Tennessee and northern Alabama. If the new Hoosier regiment had been quartered for a while in long-used barracks, or had pitched its tents in an old camp, Si would very soon have learned, in the school of experience, the delightful uses of finger-nails. But the 200th stayed only a single night in Louisville and then joined the procession that started on the chase after the rebel army. It generally camped on new ground. and under these circumstances the insect to which allusion has been made did not begin its work of devastation with that suddenness that usually marked its attack upon soldiers entering the field. But he never failed to "git there" sooner or later, and it was more frequently sooner than later. One afternoon, when a few days out on this march, a regiment of Wisconsin veterans bivouacked next to the 200th Ind. The strange antics as they threw off their accouterments attracted Si's attention. "Look a' thar," he said to Shorty. "What 'n name of all the prophets 's them fellers up to ?" "Seems like they was scratchin' theirselves !" "I s'pose that's on account of the dust 'n' sweat," said Si. "It's a mighty sight worse 'n that !" replied Shorty, who knew more about these things than Si did. "I reckon we'll all be doin' like they are 'fore long. Si whistled softly to himself as he watched the Wisconsin boys. They were hitching and twisting their shoulders about, evidently enjoying the friction of the clothing upon their skins. There was a general employment of fingers, and often one would be seen getting some other fellow to scratch his back around where he couldn't reach himself. If everybody was too busy to do this for him he would back up to a tree and rub up and down against the bark. Life has few pleasures that can equal the sensations of delightful enjoyment produced in those days, when graybacks were plenty, by rubbing against a tree that nicely fitted the hollow of the back, after throwing off one's "traps" at the end of a day's march. Directly the Wisconsin chaps began to scatter into the woods. Si watched them as they got behind the trees and threw off their blouses and shirts. He thought at first that perhaps they were going in swimming, but there was no stream of water at hand large enough to justify this theory in explanation of their nudity. As each man set down, spread his nether garment over his knees and appeared to be intently engaged, with eyes and fingers, Si's curiosity was very much excited. "Looks 's if they wuz all mendin' up their shirts an' sewin' on buttons," said Si, "Guess it's part o' their regular drill, ain't it, Shorty ?" Shorty laughed at Si's ignorant simplicity. He knew what those veterans were doing, and he knew that Si would have to come to it, but he didn't want to shock his tender sensibilities by telling him of it. "Them fellers ain't sewin' on no buttons, Si," he replied; "they're skirmishin'." "Skirmishin' !" exclaimed Si, opening his eyes very wide. "I haint seen any signs o' rebs 'round here, 'n' there aint any shootin' goin' on, 'nless I've lost my hearin'. Durned if 't aint the funniest skirmishin' I ever hearn tell of !" "Now, don't ax me nuthin' more 'bout it, Si," said Shorty. "All I'm goin' to tell ye is that the longer ye live the more ye'll find things out. Let's flax 'round 'n' git supper !" A little while after, as Si was squatting on the ground holding the frying-pan over the fire, he saw a strange insect vaguely wandering about on the sleeve of his blouse. It seemed to be looking for something, and Si became interested as he watched it traveling up and down his arm. He had never seen one like it before, and he thought he would like to know what it was. He would have asked Shorty, but his comrade had gone to the spring for water. Casting his eye around he saw the Captain, who chanced to be sauntering through the camp. The Captain of Co. Q had been the Principal of a seminary in Posey County, and was looked upon with awe by the simple folk as a man who knew about all that was worth knowing. Si thought he might be able to tell him all about the harmless-looking little stranger. So he put down his frying-pan and stepped up to the Captain, holding out his arm and keeping his eye on the insect so that he shouldn't get away. "Good evenin', Cap.," said Si, touching his hat, and addressing him with that familiar disregard of official dignity that characterised the average volunteer, who generally felt that he was just as good as anybody who wore shoulder straps. "Good evening, Klegg," said the Captain, returning the salute. "Say, Cap, you've been ter collidge 'n' got filled up with book-l'arnin'; p'raps ye kin tell me what kind o' bug this is. I'm jest a little bit curus to know." And Si pointed to the object of his inquiry that was leisurely creeping toward a hole in the elbow of his outer garment. "Well, Josiah," said the Captain, after a brief inspection, "I presume I don't know quite as much as some people think I do; but I guess I can tell you something about that insect. I never had any of them myself, but I've read of them." "Never had 'em himself," thought Si. "What 'n the world does he mean ?" And Si's big eyes opened with wonder and fear at the thought that whatever it was he had "got em" "I suppose," continued the Captain, "you would like to know the scientific name ?" "I reck'n that'll do 's well 's any." 'Well, sir, that is a Pediculus. That's a Latin word, but it's his name." "Purty big name fer such a leetle bug, ain't it, Perfessor ?" observed Si. "Name's big enough for an elfant er a 'pot amus" "It may seem so, Klegg; but when you get intimately acquainted with him I think you will find that his name isn't any too large for him. There is a good deal more of him than you think. The young soldier's eyes opened still wider. "I was going on to tell you," continued the Captain, "that there are several kinds of Pediculi-we don't say Pediculuses. There is the Pediculus Capitis-Latin again-but it means the kind that lives on the head. I presume when you were a little shaver your mother now and then harrowed your head with a fine-tooth comb ?" "Ya-as" said Si; "she almost took the hide off sometimes, 'n' made me yell like an Injun." "Now, Klegg, I don't wish to cause you unnecessary alarm, but I will say that the head insect isn't a circumstance to this one on your arm. As yon would express it, perhaps, he can't hold a candle to him. This fellow is the Pediculus Corporis !" "I s'pose that means they eats up Corporals" said Si. "I do not think the Pediculus Corporis confines himself exclusively to Corporals, as his name might indicate," said the Captain, laughing at Si's literal translation and his personal application of the word. "He no doubt likes a juicy and succulent Corporal, but I don't believe he is any respecter of persons. That's my opinion, from what I've heard about him. It is likely that I will be able to speak more definitely, from experience, after a while. Corporis means that he is the kind that pastures on the human body. But there's one thing more about this fellow. They sometimes call him Pediculus Vestimenti; that is because he lives around in the clothing." "But we don't wear no vests," said Si, taking a practical view of this new word; "nothin' hut blouses, 'n' pants, 'n' shirts." "You are too literal, Klegg. That word means any kind of clothes. But I guess I've told you as much about him as you care to know at present. If you want any more information, after two or three weeks, come and see me again. I think by that time you will not find it necessary to ask any more questions." Si went back to his cooking, with the Pediculus still on his arm. He wanted to show it to Shorty. The Captain's profound explanation, with its large words, was a little too much for Si. He did not yet clearly comprehend the matter, and as he walked thoughtfully to where Shorty was "bilin'" the coffee he was trying to get through his head what it all meant. "Hello, Si," said Shorty; "whar ye bin? What d'ye mean, goin' off 'n' leavin' yer sowbelly half done ?" "Sh-h !" replied Si. "Ye needn't git yer back up about it. Bin talkin' to the Cap'n. Shorty, look at that 'ere bug!" And Si pointed to the object of the Captain's lecture on natural history that was still creeping on his arm. Shorty slapped his thigh and burst into a loud laugh. "Was that what ye went to see the Cap'n 'bout?" he asked as soon as he could speak. "Why-ya-as," replied Si, somewhat surprised at Shorty's unseemly levity. "I saw that thing crawlin' round, 'n' I was a-wonderin' what it was, fer I never seen one afore. I knowed Cap was a scolard, 'n' a perfesser, 'n' all that 'n' I 'lowed he c'd tell me all about it. So I went 'n' axed him." "What'd he tell ye?" "He told me lots o' big, heathenish words, 'n' said this bug was a ridiculous, or suthin' like that." "'Diculus be blowed !" said Shorty. "The ole man was a'stuffin' ye. I'll tell ye what that is, Si," he added solemnly, "that's a grayback !" "A grayback !" said Si. "I've hearn 'em call the Johnnies graybacks, but I didn't know 's there was any other kind." "I reck'n 'twont be long, now, t'll yer catches on ter the meanin' of what a grayback is. Ye'll know all 'bout it purty sudden. This ain't the first one I ever seen." Si was impressed, as he had often been before, by Shorty's superior wisdom and experience. "See here, Si," Shorty continued, as his eye suddenly lighted up with a brilliant thought, "I guess I kin make ye understand what a grayback is. What d'ye call that coat ye've got on ?" "Why, that's a fool question; it's a blouse, of course !" "Jesso !" said Shorty. "Now, knock off the fust letter o' that word, 'n' see what ye got left !" Si looked at Shorty as if he thought his conundrums were an indication of approaching idiocy. Then he said, half to himself: "Let's see! Blouse-blouse-take off the 'b' 'n' she spells l-o-u-s-e, louse! Great Scott, Shorty, is that a louse?" "That's jest the size of it, Si. Ye'll have millions of 'em 'fore the war's over 'f they don't hurry up the cakes." Si looked as if he would like to dig a hole in the ground, get into it, and have Shorty cover him up. "Why didn't the Cap'n tell me it was that? He said suthin' about ricliculus corporalis, and I thought he was makin' fun o' me. He said these bugs liked to eat fat Corporals." "I reck'n that's so," replied Shorty; "but they likes other people jest as well-even a skinny feller like me. They lunches off'n privits, 'n' Corp'rils, 'n' Kurnals, 'n' Gin'rals, all the same. They ain't satisfied with three square meals a day, nuther; they jest eats right along all the time 'tween regular meals. They allus gits hungry in the night, too, and chaws a feller up while he sleeps. They don't give ye no show at all. I rayther think the graybacks likes the ossifers best if they could have their ch'ice, cause they's fatter 'n the privits; they gits better grub." Si fairly turned pale as he contemplated the picture so graphically portrayed by Shorty. The latter's explanation was far more effectual in letting the light in upon Si's mind than the scientific disquisition of the "Perfesser." He had now a pretty clear idea of what a "grayback" was. Whatever he lacked to make his knowledge complete was soon supplied in the regular way. But Si was deeply grieved and shocked at what Shorty had told him. It was some minutes before he said anything more. "Shorty," he said, with a sadness in his tone that would almost have moved a mule to tears, "who'd a-thought I'd ever git as low down 's this, to have them all-fired graybacks, 's ye call 'em, crawlin' over me. How'd mother feel if she knew about 'em. She wouldn't sleep a wink fer a month !" "Ye'll have to come to it, Si. All the soljers does, from the Major-Gin'rals down to the tail-end of the mule-whackers. Ye mind them 'Sconsin chaps we was lookin' at a little bit ago ?" "Yes," said Si. "Well, graybacks was what ailed 'em. The fellers with their shirts on their knees was killin' 'em off. That's what they calls 'skirmishin'. There's other kinds o' skirmishing besides fitin' rebels! Ye'd better git rid of that one on yer arm, if he hasn't got inside already; then there'll be one less of 'em." Si found him after a short search, and proposed to get a chip, carry him to the fire and throw him in. "Naw !" said Shorty in disgust, "that's no way. Lemme show yer how !" Shorty placed one thumb-nail on each side of the insect. There was a quick pressure, a snap like the crack of a percussion cap, and all was over. Si shuddered, and wondered if he could ever engage in such a work of slaughter. "D'ye s'pose," he said to Shorty, "that there's any more of 'em on me?" And he began to hitch his shoulders about, and to feel a desire to put his fingers to active use. "Shouldn't wonder," replied Shorty. "Mebbe I've got 'em, too. Let's go out'n do a little skirmishin' ourselves." "We'd better go off a good ways," said Si, " so's the boys won't see us." "You're too nice and pertickler fer a soljer, Si. They'll all be doin' it, even the Cap'n himself, by termorrer or nex' day." They went out back of the camp, where Si insisted on getting behind the largest tree he could find. Then they sat down and engaged in that exciting chase of the Pediculus up and down the seams of their garments, so familiar to all who wore either the blue or the gray. Thousands of nice young men who are now preachers and doctors and lawyers and statesmen, felt just as bad about it at first as Si did. "Shorty," said Si, as they slowly walked back to eat their supper, which had been neglected in the excitement of the hour, "before Co. Q left Posey County to jine the rigiment a feller 't was home on furlow told me ter let my finger-nails grow long 'n' sharp. He said I'd need 'em. I didn't know what he meant then, but I b'lieve I do now." 1