by John McElroy
CHAPTER VII. IN THE AWKWARD SQUAD
SI HAS MANY TRIBULATIONS LEARNING THE MANUAL OP ARMS.
WHEN Si Klegg went into active service with Co. Q of the 200th Ind.his ideas of drill and tactics were exceedingly vague. He knew that a"drill" was something to make holes with, and as he understood thathe had been sent down South to make holes through people, he supposeddrilling had something to do with it. He handled his musket very much ashe would a hoe. A "platoon" might be something to eat, for all he knew.He had a notion that a "wheel" was something that went around, and hethought a "file" was a screeching thing that his father used once a yearto sharpen up the old buck saw.
The fact was that Si and his companions hardly had a fair shake in thisrespect, and entered the field at a decided disadvantage. It had beencustomary for a regiment to be constantly drilled for a month or two incamp in its own State before being sent to the front; but the 200th wasrushed off to Kentucky the very day it was mustered in. This was whilethe cold chills were running up and down the backs of the people inthe North on account of the threatened invasion by Bragg's army. Theregiment pushed after the fleeing rebels, but whenever Suell's armyhalted to take breath, "Fall in for drill!" was shouted through its campthree or four times a day. It was liable to be called into action at anymoment, and it was deemed indispensable to begin at once the process ofmaking soldiers out of those tender-footed Hoosiers, whose zeal andpatriotism as yet far exceeded their knowledge of military things. Mostof the officers of the 200th were as green as the men, though some ofthem had seen service in other regiments; so, at first, officers andnon-commissioned officers who had been in the field a few months andwere considered veterans, and who knew, or thought they knew, all abouttactics that was worth knowing, were detailed from the old regiments toput the boys through a course of sprouts in company and squad drill.
One morning three or four days after leaving Louisville, word was passedaround that the regiment would not move that day, and the boys were soglad at the prospect of a day of rest that they wanted to get rightup and yell. Si was sitting on a log, with his shoes off, rubbing hisaching limbs and nursing his blisters, when the Orderly came along.
"Co. Q, be ready in 10 minutes to fall in for drill. Stir around, youmen, and get your traps on. Klegg, put on them gunboats, and be livelyabout it."
"Orderly," said Si, looking as if he hadn't a friend on earth, "justlook at them blisters; I can't drill to-day!"
"You'll have to or go to the guard-house," was the reply. "You'd betterhustle yourself, too!"
Si couldn't think of anything to say that would do justice to hisfeelings; and so, with wailing and gnashing of teeth, and a few mutteredwords that he didn't learn in Sunday school, he got ready to take hisplace in the company.
As a general combustion of powder by the armies of Buell and Braggwas hourly expected, it was thought best for the 200th to learn firstsomething about shooting. If called suddenly into action it was believedthe boys could "git thar," though they had not yet mastered the scienceof company and battalion evolutions. Co. Q was divided into squads ofeight for exercise in the manual of arms. The man who took Si's squadwas a grizzled Sergeant, who had been "lugging knapsack, box and gun"for a year. He fully realized his important and responsible functions asinstructor of these innocent youths, having at the same time a supremecontempt for their ignorance. "Attention, Squad!" and they all looked athim in a way that meant business.
"RIGHT SHOULDER SHIFT--ARMS!" 067 ]
"Load in nine times--Load!"
Si couldn't quite understand what the "in" meant, but he had always beenhandy with a shotgun, to the terror of the squirrels and coons up inPosey County, and he thought he would show the Sergeant how spry hewas. So he rammed in a cartridge, put on a cap, held up his musket, andblazed away, and then went to loading again as if his life depended uponhis activity. For an instant the Sergeant was speechless with amazement.At length his tongue was loosened, and he roared out:
"What in the name of General Jackson are you doing, you measly idiot!Who ordered you to load and fire your piece?"
"I--I th--thought you did!" said Si, trembling as if he had the Wabashague. "You said for us to load nine times. I thought nine loads wouldfill 'er chuck full and bust 'er and I didn't see any way but to shute'em oft as fast as I got 'em in."
"No, sir! I gave the command according to Hardee,'Load--in--nine--times!' and ef yer hadn't bin in such a hurry you'd 'a'found out what that means. Yer'll git along a good deal faster ef you'llgo slower. Yer ought ter be made ter carry a rail, and a big one, fortwo hours."
Si protested that he was sorry, and didn't mean to, and wouldn't doso again, and the drill went on. The master went through all the nine"times" of "Handle--Cartridge!" "Draw--Rammer!" etc., each with its twoor three "motions." It seemed like nonsense to Si.
"Boss," said he, "I kin get 'er loaded in just half the time ef yer'lllet me do it my own way!"
"Silence!"' thundered the Sergeant. "If you speak another word I'll haveye gagged 'n' tied up by the thumbs!"
Si had always been used to speaking right out when he had anything tosay, and had not yet got his "unruly member" under thorough subjection.He saw that it wouldn't do to fool with the Drill Sergeant, however, andhe held his peace. But Si kept thinking that if he got into a fighthe would ram in the cartridge and fire them out as fast as he could,without bothering his head about the "one time and three motions."
"FIX--BAYONETS!" 069 ]
"Order--Arms!" commanded the Sergeant, after he had explained how itwas to be done. Si brought his gun down along with the rest like apile-driver, and it landed squarely on the foot of the man next to him.
BROUGHT HIS GUN DOWN ON THE MAN'S FOOT 065 ]
"Ou-ou-ouch!" remarked the victim of Si's inexperience.
"Didn't do it a'purpose, pard," said Si compassionately; "'pon my word Ididn't. I'll be more keerful after this."
His suffering comrade, in very pointed language, urged upon Si thepropriety of exercising a little more care. He determined that he wouldmanage to get some other fellow to stand next to Si after that.
"Shoulder--Arms!" ordered the Sergeant, and the guns came straggling upinto position. Then, after a few words of instruction, "Right shouldershift--Arms!"
"Don't you know your right shoulder?" said the Sergeant, with a gooddeal of vinegar in his tone, to Si, who had his gun on the "larboard"side, as a sailor would say.
"Beg yer pardon," said Si; "I always was lefthanded. I'll learn if yeronly gimme a show!"
"Silence!" again roared the Sergeant. "One more word, sir, and I willtie ye up, fer a fact!"
The Sergeant got his squad down to an "order arms" again, and then,after showing them how, he gave the order, "Fix--Bayonets!"
There was the usual clicking and clattering, during which Si dexterouslymanaged to stick his bayonet into the eye of his comrade, whose toeswere still aching from the blow of the butt of Si's musket. Si assuredhim he was sorry, and that it was all a mistake, but his comrade thoughtthe limit of patience had been passed. So he confidently informed Sithat as soon as drill was over he was going to "pound the stuffin'" outof him, and there wouldn't be any mistake about it, either.
When the hour was up the Captain of the company came around to seehow the boys were getting along. The upshot of it was that poor Siwas immediately organized into an "awkward squad" all by himself, anddrilled an extra hour.
"We'll see, Mr. Klegg," said the Captain, "if you can't learn to handleyour arms without mashing the toes and stabbing the eyes out of the restof the company."