Louis Bir | "Remenecence of My Army Life" | Indiana Magazine of History, 101.1

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Louis Bir | "Remenecence of My Army Life" | Indiana Magazine of History, 101.1 | The History Cooperative

"Remenecence of My Army Life"

Louis Bir
Edited by George P. Clark

I was borned in Clark Co Ind.

My Father died 1849 Leaving my mother with 7 children.¹ I was the 4 So you See we all were young & had to work hard to make a Living.

A manuscript page from Louis Bir's memoir.
Courtesy Vicki Blemker and George P. Clark

I Began to work out by days work when I was 7 years old and I earned 15 to 25 cts per day and worked from daylight untill Dark throughout the spring and Sumr and went to School 3 month in a yeare this was the Extent of my Schooling.

When the war comenced I allways was very anxious to Inlist and mad Several attempts to do so but me Being at this time my mothers main suport and an obedient Child woul giv up for mothers Sake but Early in 61 Belonged to a company of Home guards and drilled Every week 1/2 Day untill August 1862.² One friday night I went Home and told my mother I was going to T[own to] Enlist in the army mother finely concen[ted so] after super myself and William Atkins and [Val Helbig] walked to this city geting here before day[light] we Stood around the market House u[ntil the] Light & went to Joseph Renn for our [breakfast.]³ After our meal we went out to find [someone] that wanted Recruits and found Lafe Frederick⁴ [on] the corner of Pearl & Market and We Three Put down our name & of Coarse we were men then and we had to go and take a Drink & then anoth[er] and So on and in the after noon we went Hom[e] & Staid home over Sunday & Monday we walked Down to Galena and Joined our company which w[as] mostly from Morsvill & Galina and Came to old Noble.⁵ On our way the People [along the route] gave us a Rousing & Hartily greeting [it instilled] in our young Harts great Patriotism and [one] feel Brave & [good].

We arived at the fair ground about 11 oclock and found that the good Ladies of our vacinity ha[d] Huried ahead of us and set us a fine diner whi[ch] I asure you we did it Justice.

So after this meal we Began our Souldier Cooking and of coars Lived Like Fighting Cocks with Plenty of coffee & Brown Sugar to Put in it us fellows that was not used to Having Sugar in our coffee used it to Freely and it made me sick. Finely had to use Sugar only moderatly.⁶

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"Remenecence of My Army Life"

Louis BirEdited by George P. Clark

Louis Bir
Edited by George P. Clark