The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-10

-, =
ithlllaun 8ispaift.
SATURDAY MORNING. DEC, 70 isss.
HAe IEswitsers.
xrsnpwr,r n,of<>s4d 10 write the expedit ton
~ ss.,s. s. .srcs< ~ history Of the ten thou.
..,sA rar~ss attached 70 IL Laramie chilled
- s..,s !. narrative sf the Rnseian campaign:
Il /. btstcry Of the part taken in that memo
rab,e 81 pedition by the corps commanded by
the vfccroy Of italy, EraxSE BxAuHARNAIs.
Colonel NAPIER has been charged BY his critics
with writing the history of the ssih Regiment,
I'VE believe that is the number, and passing II
on for . full narrative of the Peninsniar war.
We do not know that we are moro impartial
than these great writers, and we rather sus-
meet that il we should hereafter be called upon
70 write history Of the Ossawatomie war II
uonld degenerate in our hands ine0 q memoir
Of the Howitzers. We think we have already
glanced at their sayings and doings down to
the Immortal night of the 3oth November, when
tAcy were frs, called upon 70 60 on picket
duty
on the night OF Thursday, LIST, the whole
company, with the exception Of those who
were left to guard the quarters. was detailed
for this duty. At four o'clock in the evening
the detachment to which we belonged was
marched to the headquarters of the Cadets,
upon the extreme southeastern quarter OF the
town. and was informed that that was to be
their guard. house. We were commanded by
Lieutenant Brown, Sergeant Mayo and Corr
poral Matthews being also with us. A little
before six, we were marched to our several
tha ha
us was wheat field on the top of hill
1ii-disposed individuals have represented this
post as aturnip-pasch In order to put stop
TO the SANDER at once, we take this OCCASION TO
aver most positively that it was not turnip-
patch, but wheat field, and most luxuri-
ant wheat field to boot. We were posted on
NE very top Of high hill. the walk selected for
us being a narrow path, a dead level, to
the road running from The South into Charles
town. Mt the bottom of this hill to
tho North runs tine Charlestown Railroad
Another sentinel was posted below us, in the
same field, exactly at the railroad. His walk
extended up the hill TO ours. the common ter
minus being a small tree, which we took TO be
persimmon. As the snn was not yet down,
and VIC had been told not to challenge before
six O'Clock, we sat quietly down under the
tree, and our brother-in harms, extending his
march TO the end of his walk, sat down by us.
This condition Of affairs, however, was too
happy to last Six O'Clock cane, and we had
to take up the line Of march to and fro, as
10 the fashion of sentries. This continued
only until eight, when we were relieved, and
carried TO our guard house, at the Cadets quar-
ters. Here we were Immediately surrounded
by these yoaog soldiers, and pressed with So
licitations to take our place. To this we would
by no means consent; so at ten Off we were
marched again. Barring a narrow escape from
falling into mili-race, which we crossed on
narrow plank, no accident worthy of notice
occurred So we were once more perched. |
gun in hand, upon the top Of the hill, in the
midst OF the wheat field, occupying the ex-
treme southern post of the outer guard there
being three lines Of sentinels around the
town.
The moon was about an hour and a half
high when we commenced our round. As
long as it was up, we had plain sailing. fol-
lowing, our narrow path, about eighty wards
long TO the fence on the road without any diff
&. eulty- We watched il, we confess, with some
Interest As 1t yerged towards the horizon
we are not particularly afraid of spirits. and
we had loo much knowledge of mankind to
osiiess that an abolition force was going to
venture IN that neighborhood. Yet not being
one OF those children of prediction who are
described as loving darkness rather than Light.
we preferred To have the company of the
moon, as long as it could conveniently be af
Iorded AT last, however, down it went and
We were lett In darkness so thick we thought
we could almost cut it with knife. Weneyer
Knew oeiore the full strength of MILLIONS
darkness Visibie." Had we been either mn.
eical, sentimental, or heroic we might have
HAeheo our case to that Of the sentry in DR.
DkN's famous song:
Deserted BIZ the wap,np moon
a., ,n. saais proclaim nights cherries noon,
ny lower, or Tort, or tented groun,
me sentra walks his lonely round
hnu SHOULD some footsteps happy stray
WE We ca.t ion marks the guarded way.
" 10 goes tnere, stranger QuIckl. teII'
ltiend the word! Good night Ais
oht the truth is, we are none of these. In
stead OF our thoughts running wild upon the
ood ends of old songs they became vastly
practical. We confess it, we were thinking in
Csc iaserious alarm, how we were 10 find the
way 10 The guard-house. There were some
Ioity paiings between rs and il. and we had roo
A'tle confidence in our agility to be,ieve that
we could scale them. Besides after setti,o
oeyono these palings, we knew not what di.
1ecuoh 10 take, for We had entirely lost tho
points OF the compass. Worse than al, we
coulo not see the narrow path which we wara
70 Keep as our assigned walk. Howexer VIC
haa nothing for it but to plunge at once into
ths wafer instead of standing on sbore and
Trying the temperature, by dipping our foot in
Tue stream SO OF we set trusting to provi-
oence and the justice of the cause for tho s.ka
Of which We had buckled On our armor For
twenty yards We kept the path. but at tbaf
point we diverged SO decidedly. that we cane
OUT nifty yards above bush which had hoa,
poihted out as the limit of our walk w.
cast our eyes back, to look for the trso
Aro'i which we had set out. but il was i'm
possible to distinguish it from others tho,
eiosed up the back aground, at the dis
sanee Of one hundred yards in its rear W.
w'saed TO stoop down to the ground 70 90,
oe'ser view. bnt we were SO cprionslv o;rd.a
mp with cartridge box, revolver belt and hay-
inv Scaopard. mat our knees obst;nateIv 70
Aa'eu 70 Dend. so we set out again ON a yovaoa
discovery. Tnis time We corrected our reclx
S WIN vengeance, Tor we came ont at
.uA.s seventy yards below the tree and some
'ee IA Tue walk OF the sentinel below us
mil an hour before our eyes became
accustomed IL the darkness, and enabled US to
A'e STACK with any degree of accuracy
'ao heahtime, the walking that we did
foHad sure enough. We looked at our
aeAs she next day. They reminded us of a
9seohlaanlng the tracks OF the various cir
ihat igators OF the globe. They crossed
eAsu otner Ia all imaginable directions. How
ever, not SO much as mouse stirred, until
ABOUT two We were relieved, considerably to
ouI satisfaction. Our brothers Of ne watch