File:The recollections of a drummer-boy (1889) (14760455444).jpg

Identifier: recollectionsofd00kieff (find matches)
Title: The recollections of a drummer-boy
Year: 1889 (1880s)
Authors: Kieffer, Henry Martyn, 1845-1930
Subjects: United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 150th (1862-1865) United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Personal narratives United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Regimental histories
Publisher: Boston, Ticknor and Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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later and be drawn up in line again,almost on that identical spot, for the purpose of being mustered out ofthe service. And how many do you think there were ? Not more thanone hundred and fifty. As we now belonged to Uncle Sam, it was to be expected that hewould next proceed to clothe us. This he punctually did a few daysafter the muster. We had no little merriment when we were calledout and formed in line and marched up to the quartermasters depart-ment at one side of the camp, to draw our uniforms. There were somany men to be uniformed, and so little time in which to do it, thatthe blue clothes were passed out to us almost regardless of the sizeand weight of the prospective wearer. Each man received a pair ofpantaloons, a coat, cap, overcoat, shoes, blanket, and underwear, ofwhich latter the shirt was — well, a revelation to most of us, both as tosize and shape and material. It was so rough, that no living mortal,probably, could wear it, except perhaps one who wished to do penance
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CAMP SCENES. FIRST DAYS IN CAMP. 39 by wearing a hair shirt. Mine was promptly sent home along with mycitizens clothes, with the request that it be kept as a sort of heirloomin the family, for future generations to wonder at. With our clothes on our arms, we marched back to our tents, andthere proceeded to get on the inside of our new uniforms. The resultwas in most cases astonishing! For, as might have been expected,scarcely one man in ten was fitted. The tall men had invariablyreceived the short pantaloons, and presented an appearance, whenthey emerged from their tents, which was equalled only by that of theshort men who had, of course, received the long pantaloons. Onemans cap was perched away up on the top of his head, while anothersrested on his ears. Andy, who was not very tall, waddled forth intothe company street amid shouts of laughter, having his pantaloonsturned up some six inches or more from the bottoms, declaring that Uncle Sam must have got the patterns for his boys pan

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