9 8

WAR PREPARATIONS IN THE NORTH.

completely did the care of equipping and providing for his regiment engrosshis time and labor. The 10th Ohio was an Irish regiment, also from Cincin-nati , and its men were proud to call themselves the “ Bloody Tinth.” Thebrilliant Lytle was its commander, and his control over them, even in thebeginning of their service and near the city of their home, showed that theyhad fallen into competent hands. It happened, of course, that the guard-house pretty frequently contained representatives of the 10th, who, on theshort furloughs that were allowed them, took a parting glass too many withtheir friends in the city, and came to camp boisterously drunk. But the menof the regiment got it into their heads that the 13th, which lay just oppositethem across the railroad, took a malicious pleasure in filling the guard-housewith the Irishmen. Some threats had been made that they would go overand “ clean out ” the 13th, and one fine evening these came to a head. I sud-denly got orders from General Bates to form my brigade and march them atonce between the 10th and 13th to prevent a collision that seemed imminent.The long-roll was beaten as if the drummers realized the full importance ofthe first opportunity to sound that warlike signal. We marched by the moon-light into the space between the belligerent regiments; but Lytle already hadgot his own men under control, and the less mercurial 13th were not disposedto be aggressive, so that we were soon dismissed, with a compliment for ourpromptness.

The six weeks of our stay in Camp Dennison seem like months in the retro-spect, so full were they crowded with new experiences. The change came inan unexpected way. The initiative taken by the Confederates in West Vir-ginia had to be met by prompt action, and McClellan was forced to drop hisown plans and meet the exigency. The organization and equipment of theregiments for the three-years service was still incomplete, and the brigadeswere broken up, to take across the Ohio the regiments best prepared to go.This was discouraging to a brigade commander, for, even with veteran troops,acquaintanceship between the officer and his command is a necessary conditionof confidence and a most important element of strength. My own assign-ment to the Great Kanawha district was one I had every reason to be contentwith, except that for several months I felt the disadvantage I suffered fromhaving command of troops which I had never seen till we met in the field.

CAMP DENNISON, NEAE CINCINNATI.