erect and had rather
a military bearing. I think he would have accepted a commission in the
company if one had been offered him, but he was not thus honored by
Company K.

While in camp my sister Lizzie came down to Worcester and visited me,
staying with some friends in the city, and the day we broke camp and
started for the front, my brother John came down to see me off. August
16th, an officer of the United States regular army visited the regiment
and mustered us into the volunteer service of the United States. The next
day we received our uniforms, a woolen and an India rubber blanket. This
last had a slit in the middle through which the head could be thrust, one
end dropping down in front, the other end covering the back, thus taking
the place of a waterproof overcoat. Our uniforms were of two colors, light
or sky blue and dark navy blue. The trousers and overcoats were of sky
blue, the latter having a cape. The blouse and cap were of a dark or navy
blue. The cap was somewhat like the McClellan cap in form, but the
circular stiff part on top tipped forward farther than on the McClellan
cap.

The uniform of the non-commissioned officers, the corporal and sergeant,
were the same as the private, they wearing chevrons on the sleeves of
their coats to indicate their ranks. The commissioned officers were not
expected to associate with the privates at all; they belonged to another
class of men entirely. They dressed in a very smart way. Their uniforms
were all tailor-made, all dark blue in color; the dress coat quite a
little like the Prince Albert coat; the cap they wore was usually the
McClellan cap. Our accoutrements consisted of a belt, a cartridge box, cap
box, bayonet-scabbard, haversack, canteen and knapsack. We were also
furnished with new guns, Springfield smoothbores. These were a little
better than those we had been using to drill with, but they were none too
good. Thus, in a few days, these hundreds of boys were converted into a
regiment of infantry soldiers, and on August 23d we marched forth from
Camp Lincoln, our belts bristling with large bowie knives and revolvers,
and started for the front. We took a train for Norwich, Conn. There we
boarded a boat for Jersey City. As we passed along through the state,
people in large numbers were gathered at the railroad stations to greet
us, and from nearly every farmhouse a little flag or handkerchief signaled
us a sympathetic goodbye. While we lay on the wharf at Je