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330 ECHOES OF THE CIVIL WAR
mercifuHy guyed. It was very singular how accurately the common soldiers always estimated their companions. They knew at once their true characters and treated them ac¬ cordingly. If they were cowards, no amount of pretense or sham, could make them appear brave. This was true of the officers, also. The men who carried the knapsacks, never failed to place an officer just where he belonged, as to his intelligence and bravery. Even if they said nothing, yet their instinctive and unconscious action in 'oattle, placed upon the officers the unavoidable brand of approval or dis¬ approval. For no regiment acted well its part under fire and great danger, without the officers had the confidence of the rank and file.
Almost every company had its wit, while good-humor was quite universal. The ill-humored soldiers were in a decided minority. The way in which the whole army fastened upon certain officers descriptive nicknames that cling to them yet, has in it a grim humor, highly inspiring. The Army of the Potomac always called General McClellan, "Little Mac." General Grant was "Unconditional Surrender." General Thomas was called by the Army of the Cumber¬ land, "Pap Thomas," and General Rosecrans, "Old Rosy," General Sheridan, "Littie Phil," and General Sherman was " Uncle BHly." These are terms of affection.
Before Savannah, at the close of the luxurious march across Georgia, the army had nothing but rice in the straw from which to draw rations. An hour before each meal every soldier would be pounding a little sack filled with un- hulled rice, to prepare it for cooking. While a whole regi-
Object Description
| Title | Echoes of the Civil War As I Hear Them |
| Source Title | Michael H. Fitch's Echoes of the Civil War as I hear them |
| Regiment | 21st Infantry |
| Volume | 1 |
| Author/Creator | Fitch, Michael Hendrick, b. 1837 |
| Description | Lt. Col. Michael H. Fitch (1837-1930) of the 21st Infantry was a Milwaukee attorney when he enlisted in 1861. He wrote this 370-page memoir in 1905 to record his experiences. Fitch participated in all the major engagements in the West, including the battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga and the Atlanta Campaign. He commanded his regiment during Sherman’s March to the Sea and was leading it north when the war ended. He describes not only battles but also malaria and pneumonia, Menominee Indian soldiers, media influence on the war, language problems between English speaking and non-English speaking soldiers, and details of camp life. After the war Fitch became a successful banker in Colorado, where he died in 1930. |
| Subcollection | Personal Narratives |
| Source | Microfiche |
| Source Type | personal narrative |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Source Creation Date | 1905 |
| Source Publisher | R.F. Fenno & Co. |
| Publisher-Electronic | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Publication Date-Electronic | 2011 |
| Rights | © Copyright 2011 by the Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Digital Format | XML |
| Digital Identifier | CWPN006010000 |
Description
| Title | 330 |
| Source Title | Michael H. Fitch's Echoes of the Civil War as I hear them |
| Regiment | 21st Infantry |
| Volume | 1 |
| People | Fitch, Michael H., Lt. Col. |
| Topic | food |
| Source Type | personal narrative |
| Publisher-Electronic | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Publication Date-Electronic | 2011 |
| Rights | © Copyright 2011 by the Wisconsin Historical Society (Madison, Wisconsin) |
| Digital Format | JPG |
| Full text | 330 ECHOES OF THE CIVIL WAR mercifuHy guyed. It was very singular how accurately the common soldiers always estimated their companions. They knew at once their true characters and treated them ac¬ cordingly. If they were cowards, no amount of pretense or sham, could make them appear brave. This was true of the officers, also. The men who carried the knapsacks, never failed to place an officer just where he belonged, as to his intelligence and bravery. Even if they said nothing, yet their instinctive and unconscious action in 'oattle, placed upon the officers the unavoidable brand of approval or dis¬ approval. For no regiment acted well its part under fire and great danger, without the officers had the confidence of the rank and file. Almost every company had its wit, while good-humor was quite universal. The ill-humored soldiers were in a decided minority. The way in which the whole army fastened upon certain officers descriptive nicknames that cling to them yet, has in it a grim humor, highly inspiring. The Army of the Potomac always called General McClellan, "Little Mac." General Grant was "Unconditional Surrender." General Thomas was called by the Army of the Cumber¬ land, "Pap Thomas" and General Rosecrans, "Old Rosy" General Sheridan, "Littie Phil" and General Sherman was " Uncle BHly." These are terms of affection. Before Savannah, at the close of the luxurious march across Georgia, the army had nothing but rice in the straw from which to draw rations. An hour before each meal every soldier would be pounding a little sack filled with un- hulled rice, to prepare it for cooking. While a whole regi- |
| Digital Identifier | CWPN006010332 |