by John McElroy
CHAPTER VIII. ON COMPANY DRILL
SI GETS TANGLED IN THE MAZES OF THE EVOLUTIONS.
"ALL in for company drill!"
These words struck the unwilling ears of Co. Q, 200th Ind., the nexttime Buell halted his army to draw a long breath.
"Wish somebody would shoot that durned Orderly," muttered Si Klegg. "Fortwo cents I'd do it myself."
"Don't do it, Si," admonished Shorty, "They'd git another one that'd bejust as bad. All orderlies are cusses."
Si believed it would be a case of justifiable homicide, and, if thetruth must be told, this feeling was largely shared by the other membersof the company. For more than a week the boys had been tramping overa "macadamized" Kentucky pike. Feet were plentifully decorated withblisters, legs were stiff and sore, and joints almost refused to performtheir functions.
It had rained nearly all the previous day, and the disgusted Hoosiersof the 200th went sloshing along, wet to the skin, for 20 dreary miles.With that diabolical care and method that were generally practiced atsuch times, the Generals selected the worst possible locations for thecamps. The 200th was turned into a cornfield, where the men sank overtheir shoetops in mud, and were ordered to bivouac for the night. Thewagons didn't get up at all. How they passed the slowly-dragging hoursof that dismal night will not be told at this time. Indeed, bare mentionis enough to recall the scene to those who have "been there."
DON'T CARE A CONTINENTAL 073 ]
In the morning, when the company was ordered out for drill, Si Klegg wasstanding before the sputtering fire trying to dry his steaming clothes,every now and then turning around to give the other side a chance. Themercury in his individual thermometer had fallen to a very low point--infact, it was a cold day for Si's patriotism. He had reached that stage,not by any means infrequent among the soldiers, when he "didn't carewhether school kept or not."
"Well, Si, I s'pose you love your country this mornin'!" said Shorty. Hewas endeavoring to be cheerful under adverse circumstances.
"I ain't quite as certain about it," said Si, reflectively, "as I waswhen I left home, up in Posey County. I'm afeared I haven't got enoughof it to last me through three years of this sort of thing!"
Si felt at that moment as though he was of no account for anything,unless it was to be decked with paint and feathers and stood for a signin front of a cigar store.
The rain had ceased, and the Colonel of the 200th felt that he must,like the busy bee, "improve each shining hour" in putting his commandinto condition for effective service. So he told the Adjutant to havethe companies marched over to an adjacent pasture for drill.
"Attention, Co. Q!" shouted the Captain, after the Orderly had got theboys limbered up enough to get into ranks. The Captain didn't know verymuch about drilling himself, but he had been reading up "Hardee," andthought he could handle the company; but it was a good deal like theblind trying to lead the blind.
"Right--Face!"
Not quite half the men faced the wrong way, turning to the left insteadof the right, which was doing pretty well for a starter.
"Get around there, Klegg, and the rest of you fellows! Can't ye everlearn anything."
"RIGHT--FACE!" 075 ]
Si was so particularly awkward that the Captain put him at the tail-endof the company. Then he tried the right face again, and as the boysseemed to get around in fair shape he commanded:
"Right shoulder shift arms! Forward--March!"
The company started off; but the Captain was not a little surprised, onlooking back, to see Si marching: off in the opposite direction. He hadfaced the wrong way again, and, as he didn't see the others, he thoughthe was all right, and away he went on his own hook, till a shout fromthe Captain told him of his mistake.
"FORWARD--MARCH!" 076 ]
When the Captain reached the field which was the drill-ground for theday, he thought he would try a wheel. After a brief lecture to thecompany on the subject he gave the command for the movement.
"COMPANY--RIGHT WHEEL!" 077 ]
It is scarcely necessary to say that the first trial was a sad failure.The line bulged out in the center, and the outer flank, unable to keepup, fell behind, the company assuming nearly the shape of a big letterC. Then the boys on the outer end took the double-quick, cutting acrossthe arc of the proper circle, which soon resulted in a hopeless wreckof the whole company. The Captain halted the chaotic mass of strugglingmen, and with the help of the Orderly finally succeeded in getting themstraightened out and into line again. The men had often seen practicedsoldiers going through this most difficult of all tactical movements,and it seemed easy enough; they didn't see why they couldn't do it justas well as the other fellows. They kept at it, and in the course of halfan hour had improved so much that they could swing around in some kindof shape without the line breaking to pieces.