when reporting the stage of water and the response from the pilot-house, repeating it. Many had learned before a day passed to repeat the calls with great skill and accuracy, thus "f-o-u-r feet!"-s-i-x feet!"—"e-i-g-h-t feet!"-m-a-r-k twain!" "n-o bottom!"— which caused some ridiculous complications in the boat's discipline and much amusement for the men.

The "War Eagle" arrived at the city of St. Louis during Saturday afternoon, August 10th, and steamed down past the city and the crowded levee to where the troops were landed and camped for the night on the bank of the river just above the U. S. Arsenal. The sixty or seventy Mississippi and Missouri river steamboats moored at the levee, receiving and discharging their cargoes, together with the hugh piles of freight, army stores, munitions of war, and the thousands of marching soldiers all contributed to a scene of activity and a display of war preparation, which furnished an object lesson and a sort of realization of the magnitude of the preparations being made by the government for the suppression of the great southern insurrection.

It was while securing firewood along the bank of the river to prepare the evening meal, to which a vigorous protest was made by the owners, that Captain Henry Saunders, commanding Company E, announced the famous order, "Stand firm Company E and take all the wood you want"; which afterwards became famous throughout the army, wherever the regiment served.

The next morning, August 11th, the regiment was reembarked on board the steamer and proceeded down the river twelve miles to Jefferson Barracks, the United States military post situated on the west bank of the river, where it was disembarked and went into camp in

the woods on the high bluff below the barracks on the government grounds without tents or arms. During the night the troops were drenched in a violent rainstorm-giving everybody a good thorough soaking. An issue of woolen blankets was made to the regiment while at the post.

A large number of troops were encamped on the reservation and about the barracks. New commands and regiments were arriving almost hourly, giving to the place an importance as a great military rendezvous.

The troops were kept in a fever of excitement by the flying reports and camp rumors of large forces of the enemy approaching from the interior for the capture of the post and the reoccupation of the city of St. Louis. Generals Sterling Price and Benjamin McCulloch were mentioned as being the great chieftains in Missouri and Arkansas. They were reckoned to be marching north with an army of "Texas Rangers", "Arkansas Riflemen", and "Missouri Border Ruffians", who were sweeping like a cyclone across the country, annihilating everything before them. The most improbable and preposterous stories were circulated through the camps causing much anxiety among the young men, who had no means of discriminating as to the truth or falsity of the reports, all of which had a most chilling effect on the enthusiastic ardor of the young volunteers - especially was it so while occupying the enemy's country while still unarmed.

Jefferson Barracks was one of the oldest and most important military posts in the western portion of the country, and everything about the place was of great interest to the officers and men, who thoroughly inspected every nook and corner for information concerning their duties as soldiers.

It is a pertinent fact that the regiment had its first real battalion drill, August 14th, on the historic ground of Jefferson Barracks, where so many famed men and commands had their first experience in military and army service.

During the evening the regiment was embarked on board a steamer and proceeded up the river to the United States Arsenal, where it disembarked and the whole command encamped inside of the walled enclosure. An issue of clothing was made while at the Arsenal consisting of linen pants, cotton drawers, woolen shirts, socks and coarse shoes, also Sibley tents. It was stated and so understood at the time by the men in the regiment that General Fremont had purchased the clothing, on his own account, and had given it as a present to the regiment.

On August 16th, while in the Arsenal, battalion drill was again attempted; and, considering the limited knowledge had by the field and line officers of battalion maneuvers; and considering that the enlisted men hardly knew their right foot from their left foot, when indicated by a military command — the appearance and performance was fairly creditable to all concerned.

The large cannon mounted in the Arsenal enclosure and the great piles of huge cannon balls at convenient places in the grounds, together with the display of other munitions of war in great quantity, awakened admiration and inspired confidence among the young volunteers. Every day opened up new lessons in the great drama of war, and the young men from the prairies of Iowa were apt students of the movements and preparations, nothing escaping their critical observations.

III

MISSOURI CAMPS

On August 17, 1861, the regiment marched out of the United States Arsenal, passed through the south portion of the city and out to La Fayette Park, where the camp was pitched in the midst of the floral beauty of that public resort. On the 19th, each company received five Fremont tents for the enlisted men and two wall tents for the officers, and the camp was then regularly laid out and permanently established on the south side of the park, and named Camp Jessie in honor of Jessie Benton Fremont, wife of the commanding general.

The 18th and 23rd Indiana and the 2nd Kansas regiments were also camped in the park, the latter having just returned from Southwest Missouri, where it had participated in the battle of Wilson's Creek, and its motley crowd of ragged men were looked upon as veritable heroes by the young volunteers.

A regular camp routine of duty was established by orders, the calls were sounded from headquarters by drums and bugles, and guards were placed in and around the park, bringing the men under strict military discipline for the first time. The orders required that no one could pass in or out during the day unless provided with a pass properly approved by the commanding officer, and at night a camp countersign was put out. Any one attempting to pass the guards was promptly arrested and taken to the guard house.

In the absence of skilled instruction and the almost

total lack of knowledge, on the part of officers and men of the elementary military duties to be performed, there were many comical and almost tragical occurrences, wherein officers and men alike shared in the humiliation. The band received their instruments and were at once organized to furnish music, and this, as well as the soldierly bearing of the men, was an attraction in making the evening parades of the regiment - held in the street in front of the camp- so popular.

Instruction in company and squad drill was commenced in real earnest and from four to six hours each day was devoted to that exercise. The large vacant space south and west of the park was utilized as the drill ground, and from morning till night it was dotted with detachments maneuvering in the primary lessons of Hardee's Military Tactics, which was adopted by both Unionists and Confederates at the beginning of hostilities.

A prevalence of fever and diarrhoea in camp caused a large number of patients to be sent to the general hospitals established in the city, where they would receive better treatment and have more comfortable accommodations, than had yet been provided in the camp hospitals.

It was while the regiment was undergoing its first stage in enforcing strict military discipline that Colonel McDowell issued his famous orders providing fines and penalties for using profane language or common swearing about the camp, by officers or men. It was a camp story, and probably strictly true, that Major John M.

4 William J. Hardee, who became a Lieutenant General in the Confederate army, prepared, in 1856, by order of the War Department, The United States Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics. - Appletons' Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. III, p. 77.