Hazards of the Drill:

On the 10th of August, 1861, horses were procured, and the men in uniform were detailed as drivers and cannoneers and two full de­tachments formed. Everything being in readiness they left the armory in column for the made land northwest of the old prison and west of the Park, and were commanded by a lieutenant of the Marine Corps of Artillery, who was to drill them. They arrived on the field in fair condition, everything considered, accompanied by a large concourse of people of all sizes and condition to witness the fun. Considerable time was spent in explanation of the move­ments to the drivers. Then the drill commenced, and several move­ments were ordered. The drivers of the pieces executed them after a fashion, but the drivers of the caissons would stand fast or keep on marching, unless they received special orders, they thinking they were independent of the pieces. At last the lieutenant in very forcible language informed them that they must follow their pieces at all times, even if they went to h———.

What soon followed was convincing that the drivers were no dull scholars, and that they now fully understood the orders. The horses on the first piece were quite high spirited, and became very unmanageable by the frequent starting and stopping, so at the next movement ordered, they suddenly wheeled from the line, and started for the city on a run, in spite of all the drivers could do to stop them. They ran into Exchange Place. The drivers of the caisson who belonged to the runaway piece, with the orders of the lieutenant fresh in their minds to follow their piece if it went to h——, wheeled out of line, and with whip and spur urged their horses into a run after the piece in spite of the lieutenant, who shouted to them to halt. It now became very exciting; the piece had disappeared out of sight, the caisson making a lively good time, and the lieutenant a close third in the race. Those left behind were watching the pro­ceedings with much perplexity and doubt, for in their ignorance of field drill were undecided whether it was a race, a runaway, or a part of the drill. The lieutenant finally succeeded in stopping the drivers of the caisson and asked them what they meant by leaving the line, and they very innocently reminded him of his instructions to them a few moments before, that they were to follow the piece, no matter where it went, and they supposed that they were only obey­ing orders regardless of expense.

A sergeant who had been sent after the runaway piece now returned with it, and the drill was re­sumed, when another mishap took place, this time with the second piece. On the limber chest were seated three men, the order was given to countermarch, and in wheeling made a cramped short turn, breaking the pole short off, and the horses became entangled in their harnesses, the weight of the three men caused the limber chest to tilt forward, and the men on the ends jumped off. The chest being re­lieved of its weight suddenly tilted back, and the man that sat in the middle having nothing to cling to made an involuntary somer­sault backwards and landed astride of the trail, with his blouse turned up over his head. When asked about it he said that he was not in favor of that way for the cannoneers to dismount, and would rather be a driver. This ended the first field drill of the battery, the pole was tied together and we went back to the armory, with not quite so much enthusiasm for field drill as formerly. But this was soon forgotten, for that night we received news that another battery, the Third, was to be enrolled the next day and go to the front, and the question of the hour was, who will be the lucky ones that would be accepted, for those that were accepted had to pass a thorough ex­amination, or they were told to wait until the next call.