Adventures and reminiscences of a volunteer, or A drummer boy from Maine (1892) (14576321867)

Identifier: adventuresremini00ulme (find matches)
Title: Adventures and reminiscences of a volunteer, or A drummer boy from Maine
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: Ulmer, George T
Subjects: United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865 Personal narratives
Publisher: (Chicago?
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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he wanted a foremanin the Government Printing Office. I was down foroccupation on the pay-roll as a printer. He askedme if I understood the business. I said yes, I hadsome knowledge of it, so I was detailed with an extraeight dollars per month. I.took charge of the officeat once. The first day I had orders to printfifty thousand official envelopes. The press-boybrought me the proof, I looked it over, and marked itcorrect; they were printed and sent to headquarters. A few days after Lieutenant Russell sent for meto report at his office. I didnt know what was up.Thought perhaps I was going to be sent to Washing-ton to take charge of the Government Printing Officethere. As I went in, the lieutenant turned to mewith a quizzical smile on his face: Young man, you told me you were a printer? Yes, sir. Did you O. K. this job? passing one of theenvelopes he held in his hand. Yes sir, I answered. Umph ! Is it correct ? Yes, sir. It is, eh? Yes-s, sir. Umph. how do you spell business ? :^ b a s
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THE DRUMMER BOY FROM MAINE. 71 B-u-i-s-n-e-ss, said I. You do, eh ? Yes, sir. Well, said he in an imperative manner, ourgovernment sees fit to differ with you. You will goto your of^ce and print fifty thousand more, but seethat you spell business right, and bring me the proof.The lot you have printed we will send to Washington,and recommend that they be made into a papermache statue of yourself, and label it Buisness orthe only government printer. I was a little chagrined at the mistake, but didnot take it to heart; but I was soon relieved by a manwho was more careful in his spelling. A week or soafter leaving the printing of^ce, I was sent to the fortto act as a kind of a companion to the confederate pres-ident, Jefferson Davis. I was instructed to walk andtalk with him. I presume I w^as intended for a sortof guard. Perhaps our government w^ished to makehim feel as if he were not under surveillance, and soplaced one whose insignificant appearance would puthim at his ease. However, I