The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-07-18
Humors of Life in Camp.


signature, "Agate," we judge to be a
typo. In one of his recent letters he
gives an amusing description of some
Of the incidents of soldiers life in
camp. He says:
Camp life is beginning to be undis-
guisedly dull. The usual drilling, the
usual guard ounting, and sending out
of pickets, the serious cases of the Com.
missarias, the stereotyped reports Of the
scouts, and the other stereotyped phrase
that the movement on Laurel Hill is to
be made "in a day or two" furnish
about all there is of the regular routine.
Still there are variations. The most
amusing, and yet the most provoking,
is the systematic, free and easy, inces-
SAINT "eyeballing," that mysteriously
spirits away everything from a pistol
to a camp.stool, the moment it is left
for an instant beyond range Of your
own eye. This "eyeballing" has been
reduced to a science. The old saying
about the Ohio volunteers in Mexico,
that if they couldn't take a town they
could always steal it, applies with literal
truthfulness to the camps here. Does
a soldier want blanket? He "eyeballs"
it, The poor fellow from whom he
takes it, is but little troubled; he "eye
balls" some other mans blanket, and so
it goes clear around. You want sad.
die. The "Orderly" doesn't see yours,
and SO he coolly picks up some other
mans, claps it on your horse, and you
are equipped. If the "other man" hap.
pens to want a saddle, he abides the
"fate of war;" may be he gets one, if be
can secure a wide.awake Orderly-and
maybe he doesn't. You can't be ex-
pected to look after that.
You are the fortunate possessor Of a
horse. You hitch him, right under
the eye of a guard, with a special in.
jun nction to "see that nobody takes that
horse" and go in to eat your dinner.
Returning to remount, you are amazed
to see no horse! Question the guard,
and he tells you that "some other man
got that horsei' "But why didn't you
stop himH" "Why he said it was his
horse, and that you had stolen him and
he was only taking him back! or
course l didn't know anything about
i'll" If you are wise you receive the
cool information as -coolly as it deserves
to be received, and simply "go and do
likewise" if you are fool you curse
and rave, and get laughed at for your
pains. ....
Blue blouses are very convenient
article for camp wear. Some man, to
whose company blue blouses haven't
been supplied, fancies that he would
like one. A soldier has just taken off
his blouse for some purpose. He turns
his back for a moment, presto, the
blouse is gone. Nobody knows any
thing about It'll What can he do?
What indeed but Ego and do likewise"
If he cant get blouse, he can get
something else.
Those blue flannel shirts are not on
ly comfortable, but are also a little
neater article than most of the boys
have. The owner of one of the blue
fannels washes it in the classic Tygart's
Valley River, and hangs it up on his
tent TO dry. lie goes inside, takes a
comfortable snooze, and goes out to see
if "that shirt amt most dry" He
speedily concludes that it must be, as
there is no shirt there. If, that even
ing, poor fellow who hadn't money
enough when at home to expend two
dollars and half for blue flannel, ap-
pears on dress parade as we'll equipped
as his more fortunate comrades, who
shall say that there is not discrimina-
ting Providence that shapes our ends2
"You have been firing your pistol, and
want to clean it. You take it apart,
and lay down the pieces while you run
into the tent for the oil. If, when you
come back, the pieces are all gone, what
can you do but "go and do likewisc?"
You have an unusually fine knife-good
alike for making quill pens, cutting 4p|
greasy pork, aud splitting old rails into
kindling for the fires, that these cold
July mornings make so comfortable
You lay it down for an instant; it dis
appears as mysteriously as did that fa-
nous big palace of Aladdin's. Of fcourse
some man, not troubled with questions
as to the right Of property, is making
good use Of it. Unless you are a very
green horn, you 90 aud do likewise.
Gen. Morris body guard is composed
of tip.top company of finely. drilled
men, who glory in calling themselves
the "Shenanagans." | need tell no one
about these camps that the Shenanagans
have favorite drill--"the Ell Paso
movement" Suppose you ask a Shen.
anagan what the FL Paso movement is
An instant afterward you are feeling in
your breast pocket. "Bless me, where
are those cigars2' Shennnagau has
simply come to El Pasol That is what
they insist on calling "huge."
But the Shenanagans are honorable.
OF course, they are. Isn't that the way
the proverbs run? My valise, in knock
ing about in camp wagons, had got the
lock broken. knew very we'll that no or.
dinary precautions would save the clean
shirts therein contained, and so | put
it intoa tent near the Generals marque,
under the Shenanagan guard. Not an
article is missingl My pistols are lying
about on the camp cots, perfectly safe
had left them in some other part of
the camp, the Shenanagans would have
come Che FL Paso on them, as sure as
fatel t......
Nor are the Shenanagans one whit
better in this respect than their neigh