William W. Bennett, A narrative of the great revival which prevailed in the Southern armies during the late Civil War

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The private soldier! His is the coarse fare, hard march, weary fight — the drudgery and the hardships are his!

There is something as inspiriting in his cheerfulness in the camp as there is grand in his heroism on the field. Now he is a house carpenter building him a shanty, then a dirt-dauber constructing a mud chimney. Now he is a cook frying “middling” on the coals and baking bread on a piece of bark set up before the fire. Now he is washer-man, and has stripped off his only shirt to have it done up, that he may enjoy a clean garment. In a word, he is a wonderful creature, that private soldier --he is cook, washer-woman, (?) carpenter, tent-maker, wagoner, pedestrian, clerk, butcher, baker, market huckster, groom, stable-boy, blacksmith, scout, anything and everything a man can or must be in camp, and then he wins a battle and gives the glory to his officer. We like him. His rich, ringing shout, and his merry, loud laugh, make music of a manly, stirring sort. His wit is as original as it is amusing. It is amusing to hear him, as his regiment passes through a town where hundreds of well-grown exempts stand on the side-walk, “Fall in, boys! now is your time-ain't going to fight soon?” Or to hear the mock sympathy with which he exclaims, “ Boys, ain't you almost big enough yet? Never mind, if you ain't but twenty-five years old, come along with big brother, he will take care of you.” On seeing a fellow dressed up in fine clothes, he cries out, “ Come out of them clothes; I see you, conscript; tain't worth while ahiding in them clothes.” Another will exclaim, “Here's your musket; I brought it ” specially “ for you; beautiful thing to tote; just fit your shoulder!”

He moves our sympathies perhaps yet more while we look at him alone in his tent, or by the camp-fire, holding in his hand the letter from home. We cannot decipher the sacred contents, but we are at no loss to know its effect upon the soldier as he folds up the precious