Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-07-15

guard was detailed, my boy, with or
| ders to make no resistance if they were
fired upon occasionally from the windows
of the house, and then Captain William
| Brown pushed forward with what was left
of Company 3, to engage the Confederacy
on the edge of Duck Lake, supported by
the Orange County Howitzers. Headed by
the band, who played patriotic airs as soon
as he could shake the crumbs out of his
key-bugle, the cavalcade advanced to the
edge of the lake and opened u heavy salute
of round shot and musketry on the atmos-
phere, whilst Commodore Head kept up a
hot fire at the horizon with his iron-plated
fleet and swivel gun.
Only waiting to finish game of base
ball, in which they bad been engaged, four
regiments of Oonfederacies, at WHOM this
deadly assault was directed, threw aside
their bats and ball dresses. put on their
uniforms, loaded their muskets aud bat
teries, aud sent an iron shower in all direc-
tious. Greatly demoralized by this un-
seemly occurrence, file of Mackerels un-
der Sergeant O'Pake Immediately threw
down their mnskets and knapsacks, emp
tied their pockets upon the ground, piled
their neck-ties in heap, and were making
II rapid retrogade movement when William
suddenly threw himself in their path, and
says he:
where are you going to, my fearless
eaglets?"
"Hem !" says the sergeant, with much
Freuch in his manner, 1--WE thought of vis-
iting the Great Exhibition in London"
"AhI" says William, understandingIy.-
lyon have acquired French in one easy
lesson, and :"
Here an orderly rode up with an order
for the Mackerels to fall back from the
edge of the Lake immediately, leaving
their artillery, bayonets, havelocks, and
baggage behind them; and William was
obliged to conduct the movement, which
was part of the great strategtcal scheme
of the general of the Mackerel Brigade.
As we retreated back into Paris, my boy,
we were Joined by the Comic Section, and
shortly after by the Anatomical Cavalry,
both of which had succeeded in leaving all
their announcements on the field.
As we all rushed together before head
quarters in perfect order, and while the
ConfederHcy was eating some provisions
which we had refrained from bringing off
the late scene of conflict, the general of the
Mackeral Brigade came from under a tree,
where he had been tanning himself, and
says he:
"My children, we have whipped them at
all points, and the day is ours"
"AhP says William, abstractedly, "the
day is hours"
"My children" says the general, in con-
tinuation, ''we have pushed the enemy 10
the wall without fracturing the Constitu-
tiOn, and have only put the war back six
months. We can say with pride, my chill
dren, that we belong to the Army of Duck
Lake, and shall have no more Bull Runs.
My children, Love you. Accept my bless
ing"
Wewere rejecting upon this soul l-stirring
speech, my boy, and silently admiring the
strategy which had brought US all together
again so soon, when the sound of drum aud
fife called our attention to club of politi-
cal chaps who had just arriyed by steamer
from the Sixth Ward, and were filing pust
us to platform recently erected in the very
centre of Paris.
81 do believe" says Captain Bob Shorty,
whisperingly, 81 do believe we're going to
have "A mass meeting"
Onward went the political chaps to the
platform.
delegation mounted the steps, advanc-
ed to the front rails, and commenced ln-
furling vast linen banner. The sun was
just setting, my boy, aud as his parting
beams fell upon the uplifted faces of the Po-
litical chaps, soft breeze unrolled the
standard, and the Mackerels read upon its
folds