"Are you ruptured," he continued.
"Ruptured! what is that?"
"Are you bursted?"
"No, I ain't quite busted yet; I've a couple of dollars left."
"You don't understand me, Mr. Ruggles," continued the surgeon, placing his hands on my abdomen. "Are your bowels all right?"
"Oh, I understand you now! They are a little thin; the rations don't relish well yet."
The doctor succeeded at last in making me understand, and having finished his examination, we were accepted as a soldier in the United States army.
Like all other recruits, as soon as mustered in I was placed under drill. To me the "steps" and "facings," "times" and "motions," were perfectly incomprehensible. I formed a dislike to them that I could never get over. I was expert in the forest at handling my piece, and I did not see why the same times and motions that would kill a bear would not kill a "reb."
The following is a list of the commissioned officers that were in the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the time that I entered it:
Charles Whittlesy, Colonel,
M. F. Force, Lt. Colonel,
J. N. McElroy, Major,
E. L. Hill, Surgeon,
J. G. Purple, Asst. Surgeon,
E. N. Owen, Adjutant,
P. M. Hitchcock, Qr.-Master,
James Knapp, Chaplain.