It can hardly be said that "the order to march" came unlooked for,
though it most certainly was sudden. The tender of the services of the
regiment had long since been in the hands of Gov. Andrew; meetings of
the field and staff officers had been held; there was a free and
thorough interchange of opinions and sentiments among the line officers;
and not a single soldier could be found who had not fully digested all
the particulars of a possible future.
The ready response of our citizen-soldiers to the call of the governor
furnishes an apt illustration of the peculiar character of our people.
Under a government that requires the constant maintenance of a strong
military force, "General Orders" would have been issued to the various
camps and garrisons scattered throughout the country. When danger
threatened us it became manifest at once, that every peaceful village
was a garrison, and every city a fortified camp. It was often a subject
of merriment while we, like Christopher North were "under canvas," to
relate the particular circumstances of time, place, and occupation at
the moment when each of us found himself suddenly transformed into a
soldier.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178