Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 206, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 August 1911 — AROUND THE AMP FIRE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AROUND THE AMP FIRE

NEWSPAPERS OF CIVIL WAR Publication of Regimental Journal* Wae Prolific Source of Interest— Some of Papers Recalled. Some of the “soldier boy" newspapers of Civil war times are recalled in an article by Martha Pickens Halsey in the Chicago Daily News.' Subjected as he was to the monotonous routine of army life, recreation was indispensable to the well-being of the soldier. Concerts, were given with great Buccess, many of the men having musical instrument* with them. These Were guarded jealously through the exigencies of the campaign. To those who were of a literary turn of mind the publication of the regimental newspaper was a prolific source of interest. It was eagerly read and. its daily Issue was awaited with keen pleasure, its appearance being second only in importance to the arrival of the mail from home. Some of these old army papers are now in the possession of the Chicago Historical society. It is interesting to note the variety of, topics treated. Poems, grave and gay, advertisements, some of them very amusing, incidents, jokes, ardent appeals to the public sentiment, notices of entertainments to be given, racy descriptions of encounters with pretty rebels, gibes at the quality of the food supplied by Uncle Bam, are all to be found in these old-time publications. i As an offset to the “poetry side” of war is quoted a "hard prose” side from the pen of one of the boys in blue of the Nineteenth Illinois volunteers written for the Zouvave Gazette. "Those who think it a romantic life to go a-soldierlng would do well to take a blanket into the back yard to sleep upon one of these cold nights and they would soon discover the reality by trying to keep warm under such circumstances. Uncle Sam furnishes us with an allowance of clothing and blankets, but for the vicissitudes of camp life it is insufficient We would suggest to the friends of our soldiery to supply Us with warm underclothing and warm woolen socks and we would then give the enemy a ' warm, reception.” The editors of the Zouave Gazette were W. B. Redfleld, formerly of the Chicago Evening Journal, and Lieut

Lyman Bridges. While the Nineteenth Illinois was stationed at Elizabeth* town, Ky., the paper was published for several months in the office of the Democrat of that place, then oat of business on account of the advent of the federal troops. Another paper had the sounding title"?* the War Eagle and Camp Journal of the the West It contained the touching little poem, “The Countersign,” that became so popular. On,e of thetonakeßhlfts during the war was the- utilising of wall paper taken from the houses for printing purposes. It will be recalled that Confederate money was printed on this same material. A facsimile of a page of the "Unconditional S. Grant.” one of the old campaign publications, shows on the other side a specimen of mural decoration. It is divided into squares, perhaps to represent a kind of trellis, and upon it Immense roses are blooming in profusion.

Regimental Paper Was a Prolific Source of Interest.