Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-10-25
incidents Of Camp Life.



The Manassas correspondent of the
Richmond Dispatch relates the following
anecdotes,
Among the little incidents Of camp life
there was one night orstwo ago which
caused us some amusement The band of
the LIST Virginia regiment had been sere
nading one Of the Generals, and che whole
town was out to listen 20 their sweet music
as it foated on the calm night air. Eve
rything was very quiet The usual sounds
Of the night we're still; the katy dds had
retired the eeaseless cbirrup Of the myr
lads of crickets, who consort with the
glow of werms in the grass, was pitched
below its usual key. One could almost
hear the beating of HIS own heart After
the band had ceased, fine tenor voice
commenced singing lone ditty under tire
window Of fair-faced girl who still gra.
ces the town with her presence. The sash
was thrown up and the fair face testified
her pleasure by her appearance on the
stage. A crowd began to collect around
and the young man went on from song to
song, gaining in confidence aud enthusi-
asm. every moment, and finally struck up
that beautiful air from the Bohemian Girl
"Then you'll remember me-
Mindful Of a midsummer night in Ha-
vana years ago, (start not gentle reader !;
am still on the sunny side of iorty) and
similar rendering of au air from Don
Pasquale, the scene was enchanting, and
we leaned over the balcony with envy in
our hearts towards the fortunate beauty
But there were those among the listeners
who did not appreciate the music as much
as we did, for soldier interrupted the
song by shouting at the top of his voice
"He's married mani he S married mani"
This sudden descent from the sublime to
the Ridiculous changed the scene com
pletely. In popped the fair face down
crashed the window the wicked soldier
laughed all the way from his boots, and
the mortified minstrel ended his tenor So
10 in basso curses. Shaking with laugh
ter, we, too, descended from the lofty
dreams induced by the music, to the prac-
teal realities of life, and retired to court
the drowsy"-ih other words, went to bed
It's but step from sorrow to happiness
and single moment may contain both
pleasure and pain We hold wreath of
laurel and find it changed to bouquet of
asphodels while in the grasp. From the
cradle to the grave, and from old age to
childhood, our thoughts revert with rapid
flight Hardly had the pang of grief at
the death of a soldier passed away, when
we were called in to witness the christen-
ing of an infant which nestled sweetly in
its mothers arms, as unconscious of the
In q
was strange and novel sight to a man in
the army. The mother, Mrs. NJ, was
young and pretty woman, with jet black
hair and eyes, graceful form, regular fea-
lures, and face that must have been very
beautiful before its maiden roundness had
been angulated By contact with the world
Like a skillful engineer in the survey of
new country, one could but lay off the
pensive face in mental angles, and read
the evident marks of sorrow indicated on
its surface, and gaze through the cold eyes
into the inner chambers of the heart 1t
was not difficult to read the secrets laid
away in the tore-house of memory, or to
fancy the story of her life--a life of dis
appointed ambition, of some happiness,
and much pain.
The baby was wee bit Of thing
dressed in white, very quiet, and, during
the ceremony, rolled his big black eyes
around in wonder at the strange scene
DIR. James A. Harold oficiated, Rev Mr..
Cameron, of Maryland, stood as god-fath-
err, and the little boy was christened AR.
thur d. Beauregard. The scene was an
interesting one, and was pleasing relief
of the routine of our daily life, Baby
bears the honors Of his new name very
quietly, and crows all day from his couch
on the balcony, sucking gold pen, the
sponsorial gift Of his god father, while we,
like an ola habitute at the spring, who
know as little about tending babies as of
calculating an eclipse, smoke our cigars
beside him, aud watch his infant motions
as if he belonged to us all,