An Artilleryman’s Diary–Jenkin Lloyd Jones

Etowah Bridge, Tuesday, Sept. 20. Drew hard-tack again. Orders received to prepare pay rolls. 6th Battery minstrels made their first appearance in public this evening. The troupe was taken to the old hall in town where the 1st Platoon is. Curiosity prompted me to go and see what they could do, so I fell in with a large squad of the Battery boys. Found the room well filled, a large stage erected, an old tent-fly for curtain, red horse blankets for scenery. Troupe consisted of eight players, and Corporal Dziewanowski manager. They appeared blackened and dressed in imposing style. They sang, played and danced with desperate efforts at the nigger, but their songs were stale old jokes, still the execution not bad. They need more originality; however, they did well for “green ‘uns” and it pleased soldiers.