John Newton.
To Col. Barnett,
Pay Mr. O. Pattin the sum of one hundred 100$ dollars in Ohio money for one iron grey horse, weight eleven hundred, six years old, fifteen hands high, wich we ar a going to keep with us. Sargt. Gruninger want to keep him to ride and send the livery horse home.
T. R. Wells.
Col. James Barnett,
Please pay Wm. Lamb one hundred and sixty dollars for two sorrel mairs, 160$.
Henry Faring.
These orders, besides being of historical interest, go to show that correct orthography is not essential to the purest and loftiest patriotism. The “mairs” for which the last order was given were accepted, although of the wrong sex to comply with army regulations, which requires that horses purchased for the cavalry and artillery service shall be of the masculine gender. Only males, of the equine as well as the human race, are considered to be fit for war.
Within two days the required number of horses was obtained. All hands were busy “breaking them in” to their new sphere of usefulness. Trained horses are only second in value to trained men for artillery service. When it comes to “standing fire” there is as much difference in horses as there is in men. Some animals appear to have a plentiful supply of “sand” and display an intelligent courage that is almost heroic, while others become sadly demoralized under fire and are totally unmanageable.
Meantime the air was full of rumors of projected campaigns into the enemy’s country in which the Cleveland Light Artillery was to participate. Something fresh in this line was circulated through the camp every hour. No two of these “grape vines”—as the boys learned later to call them—were alike, and they sufficed to keep everybody in a state of furious agitation. The artillerymen had a consuming desire to do something that would help to put down the rebellion. Like all new troops, at every stage of the war, they were impressed with the idea that their mission was to fight somebody, and they chafed at the weeks of inactivity in camp. While it might not be strictly true to say that any of them were anxious to test the truth of the somewhat apocryphal statement that “it is sweet to die for one’s country,” it may safely be recorded that they were eager to go on the war-path, and as to the rest they were willing to take the chances. An order to move was daily expected and the utmost activity prevailed in the work of getting everything in perfect readiness to respond at once to the summons.