Cushing, Knight and Burnham did not rejoin the regiment, being discharged and mustered out of service during the Spring of 1863. Tainter never rejoined his company, and was not mustered out until the expiration of service by the regiment.
One peculiar case under the surgeon’s care deserves mention. A private from one of the companies was in hospital sick. It was difficult to diagnosis his case. There was no trace of disease except his complaint of being sick. He was in the hospital about two days, eating heartily, sleeping soundly, generally enjoying the snug place like an epicure. The surgeon got mad. It is usual to make convalescents in camp hospitals do some light work when there is any to do and they are capable of doing it. He set this fellow to do some light chores in the tent, when his peculiar disease developed itself suddenly. It was laziness. To square accounts with the impostor, Cummings pronounced him cured, but, before discharging him from the sick-list to duty, said he must take a bath; upon disrobing himself his shirt and flannels were found literally alive with vermin; they could not be cleaned; a hole was dug in the ground, a fire made, when the clothing, with vermin, was burned. The fellow was too lazy to keep himself clean.
Cummings enjoyed a good smoke before going to sleep. A look into his tent any night after he had retired would show him to be covered up to his chin with coverlids, a night-cap on almost covering his eyes, and from the small exposed part of his face volumes of smoke would be rolling upward from an old clay pipe seen in his mouth. Those who were aware of this habit used to think it a good joke to invite anybody to take a peep into the tent and see the surgeon at his devotions.
Thanksgiving Day found most of the companies with enough turkey and chicken to go around. Where they came from is not a mystery. Some from home, but not all. The complaints of farmers near by, who had poultry to lose, destroys all mystery about it. To the credit of the regiment be it said that this was the only time when any foraging was done clandestinely while at East New York. The justification must rest on the ground of neglect by proper officers to furnish proper food.
The City Government of Boston having generously furnished the regiment with a complete set of band instruments, which were received December 1st, while at East New York, a band was organized from the rank and file, consisting of the following members, viz.:
1. Bugler Joseph R. Parks, Company D, Leader.
2. Drummer Frederick L. Bowditch, Company A.
3. Private George A. Morse, Company B.
4. Private Joseph Clark, Company B.
5. Bugler Bernard McKenna, Company C—in February, 1863, gave up his connection with the band and joined his company at Camp Parapet, La.