. The recollections of a drummer-boy . ouldanswer. But we always deemed it a pity that we were not left in thefield until the great civil war came to an end with the surrender ofLee at Appomattox, and that we had no part in the final gathering ofthe troops at Washington, where the grand old Army of the Potomacpassed in review for .the last time. But so it was, that after some months of monotonous garrison dutyat Elmira, the great and good news came at last one day that peacehad been declared, and that the great war was over! My youngreaders can scarcely imagine Avhat joy instantly burst forth
. The recollections of a drummer-boy . ouldanswer. But we always deemed it a pity that we were not left in thefield until the great civil war came to an end with the surrender ofLee at Appomattox, and that we had no part in the final gathering ofthe troops at Washington, where the grand old Army of the Potomacpassed in review for .the last time. But so it was, that after some months of monotonous garrison dutyat Elmira, the great and good news came at last one day that peacehad been declared, and that the great war was over! My youngreaders can scarcely imagine Avhat joy instantly burst forth all overthe land. Bells were rung all day long, bonfires burned, and peopleparaded the streets half the night, and everybody was glad beyondpossibility of expression. And among the joyful thousands all over 248 becollections of a drummer boy. the land, the Boys in Blue were probably the gladdest of all; for was not the war over now, and would not Johnny come marching home ? But before we could go home we must be mustered out, and then. IIIL WELCOMK HUME. we must return to our State capital to be paid off and finally dis-banded, and say a last good by to our comrades in arms, the greatmajority of whom we should never, in all probability, see again. And JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME: 249 a more hearty, rough and ready, affectionate good by there never wasin all this wide world. In the rooms of one of tlie hotels at the Statecapital we were gathered, waiting for our respective trains. Knap-sacks slung, Sharps rifles at a right shoulder shift or a carry ;songs were sung, hands were shaken, or rather wrung ; loud, hearty God bless yon, old fellows ! resounded ; and many were the toastsand the healths that were drunk before the men parted for goodand all. It was past midnight when the last camp-fire of the 150th brokeup. Good by, boys ! Good by I God bless you, old fellow ! wasshouted again and again, as by companies, or in little squads, we wereoff for our several trains, some of us bo
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