. The recollections of a drummer-boy . or at no othertime does Justice wear so stern and severe a look as when she sitsenthroned amidst the camps of armed men. In different sections of the army, various expedients were resortedto for the purpose of correcting minor offences. What particularshape the punishment should assume depended very much upon theinventive faculty of the Field and Staff, or of such officers of the lineas might have charge of the case. Before taking the field, a few citizen sneak thieves were discoveredprowling amongst the tents. These were promptly drummed out ofcamp to th
. The recollections of a drummer-boy . or at no othertime does Justice wear so stern and severe a look as when she sitsenthroned amidst the camps of armed men. In different sections of the army, various expedients were resortedto for the purpose of correcting minor offences. What particularshape the punishment should assume depended very much upon theinventive faculty of the Field and Staff, or of such officers of the lineas might have charge of the case. Before taking the field, a few citizen sneak thieves were discoveredprowling amongst the tents. These were promptly drummed out ofcamp to the tune of the Rogues March, the whole regiment shout- 135 136 EECOLLECTIONS OF A DRUMMER BOY. iug in derision as the miserable fellows took to their heels when theprocession reached the limits of the camp, where they were told tobegone, and never show their faces in camp any more, on painof a more severe treatment. If, as very seldom happened, it was an enlisted man who wascaught stealing, he was often punished in the following way: A. DRUMMING SNEAK-THIEVES OUT OP CAMP. barrel, having one end knocked out and a hole in the other largeenough to allow ones head to go through, was slipped over theculprits shoulders. On the outside of the barrel the word THIEF !was printed in large letters. In this dress he presented the ludicrousappearance of an animated meal barrel; for you could see nothing ofhim but his head and legs, his hands being very significantly he was obliged to stand or sit (as best he could) about the PAINS AND PENALTIES. 137 guardhouse, or near by the coloners quarters, all day long. At othertimes he was compelled to march through the company streets andmake the tour of the camp under guard. Once m the field, however, sneak thieves soon disappeared. Norwas there frequent occasion to punish the men for any other , if not quite all of the punishments inflicted in the field werefor disobedience in some form or other. Not that the men we
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1889
