The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1861-11-20
From tie National Republican.
4 CAMPFIRE STORY.

Doing guard duty on one of these clear,
! frosty nights, is wha; call "big thing"
Standing before huge fire, whose gimer-
ing rays shoot into The dense pine forest
which surrounds you, as il they 100, had
paTiaken OF the spirit of vigilance, and were
searching for some hidden Zoe, ones mind
naturally is affected, and every shadow and
:Tee has association which awakens the
soldier 10 full appreciation of his sentinel
dnlIes Blu; such a night as last night
dark drenry. wet, and disagreeable IA The
extreme-has an entirely different effect,
and we clustered around the FIRE, piled hIgh
with Secesh rails which al lines seemed 10
exert its best light and most genial rays TO
spread hunor and lite among these who
stood smoking around il. Then, as il exas-
Petaled at the failure, it would splinter aud
crack, conlenuiag furiously with every drop
of rain, and hiss out strong reproof al the
element which was making the sentinels so
uncomfortable But the guard must be Wig
ilantly maintained through The night, and
we dare not sleep for you must know, MIR.
Editor, that sleep courts the soldiers eye
lids as sweetIy under the dropping ra as il
does in his ent ii petchance he has gum
blanke for bed, and his knapssclI for a
pillow.
proposed song, but the only music
that could be raised, was made by Is:e
corporal, who doled out, in mos. melan-
choIy Style,
"Some days must be dark and dreary."
This seemed 10 be the only song that the
corporal knew, and the only one OF that
kind which we wanted 10 hear. Under
these auspices, proposed story, md The
+ sergeant OF guard, an old Mexican soldier
! up aud told" the following story which |
! quote, IS nearly as | can Iecolleci, in his
own words
Seated in my tent. one evening, inst be
fore the battle OF the city of Mexico, the
captain came 10 me with, Corporal, have
been requested 10 send a trusty non-com.
missioned officer to the general coinci TO
night messenger. Will you 20 !'
replied in the affirmative thanking he cap.
tain Tor his confidence. Our company was,
+ at that time, detached from his Regiment,
and was doing specialdnty at Geners Scott'c
headquarters. In the discharge OF that duty
+ had made point of being spec ally at.
/ tenive and had thereby gained lhs conf.
/. dence OF our captain, and once or twice was
commended by old Fuss and Fsalhers'
himself | brushed up my old clothes, and
frightened my shoes and bras, plates
! in the Ueates: manner possible that evening,
and prese nied my sell TO the Adiutmt Gen.
eral Tor instructions. ! found that tie coun-
ell about to meet for the couside ration oil
General SCOTS plans for taking he CITY,
was 10 be composed of all the Co ouels in
! the division, and that my duty would be 10
go errands, and attend 10 bringing charts
paper, or whatever might be required.
Well, ths council met, aud was at my
| post. Ii was the fines, body of military
men ! had ever seen together, and when
they assembled around that table, and the
old general STOOD towering high above the
rest, could no, help but admire I'm more
Than ever. After the customary saIu,ion
and organization: they sat down III regard
TO rank, beginning with General " ool, and
succeeding each other in seats, as seniority
OF rank gave them privilege. 1t was no
| time for delay, and the General 50 oke rap.
idly and with earnestness, occasionally re-
ierrins 10 some one on the righ. OF left iol
Information or corroboration. Thus care
fully and explicitly wefe The m,,vemenis
and marches, the sallies, and &C ries. the
Whole plan developed. so than all semed to
understand. Bnt presently plan was dis
covered, something was wrong. aid I saw