The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-06-26


when he attempted to deceive me with
smile his face was horribly cOntorted. We
reached Cambridge, passed the remotest
fort, and fell into the wake of wagons on
the Leesburg turnpike. The country was
wild, the farms desolate. I came to one
dwelling where some pertinacioas Vandal
had even forced out the window-frames,
and perilled his neck to tear down the
roof-beams; a dead vulture was pinned
over the door by broken bayonets, and
horse, which had expired near by, was
facetiously propped up in the lawn. So
ghastly spectacle / never beheld.
Darkness closed solemnly about me,
with seven miles of the journey yet to be
accomplished; and as, at eight O'Clock, I
turned into lonesome by-road, full of
ruts, pools and euicksands, feeling Of
great uneasiness began to possess me.
Owls hooted in the depth of the woods,
and wild Pigs, darting across the road,
went crashing into the bushes. The phos-
phorescent bark of a blasted tree glimmer
cd on neighboring knoll, and as l halted
at rivulet to water my beast, a solitary
star floated down the ripples. Presently
l came upon clearing" where the
moonlight shOne through the rents of
crumbling dwelling, and from the distance
broke the faint howl of farm-dogs. At
last, climbing stony hill, the skies lay
beneath me, reddening with the flame Of
camps, and at ten o'clock 1 reached the
headquarters of Colonel Tuggert, COM
manding regiment of Pennsylvania re-
serves. The men were doing upon the
sloppy ground, round tagot-fres, and the
Colonel was asleep in wagon. He greet
ed me warmly, and directed the cook to
prepare a supper of coffee and fried pork
Too hungry to feel the chatting of my sores,
l fell to the oleaginous repast with my
teeth and fingers, and having eaten raven
Ously, asked to be shown to my apart
ments. These consisted of a covered
wagon, already occupied by four team
sters, and blanket which savOred strong
ly of horse. a man named Google, being
nudged by the Colonel, and requested to
take other quarters, asked dolarously if it
was time to turn out, and roared ''whOa!"
as if he had some consciousness of being
kicked. When l asked for a pillow, the
Colonel laughed, and I had an intuition
that the man Google was looking at me in
the darkness with intense disgust. The
Colonel said that he had once put man
in the guardhouse for placing his head on
a SNOWFALL. He recommended me not to
catch cold if I could help it, but said that
people in camp commonly caught several
colds at once; and added grimly, that his
Orderly" had ground sabre down to the
nice edge Of a razor, and could be made
to shave me in the morning.
There were cracks in the bottom of the
wagon through which cold drafts came
like knives, and I was allotted space
four feet in length by three feet in width.
Being six feet high, my relation to these
prOcrustean quarters was most embarrass
ing, and l doubled up like an armadillo.
The man next to me snored very loudly,
and adopted the brilliant idea of making
pillow of his thigh, which answered my
best expectations. was aroused after
while by what I thought to be the violent
hands of this person, but found to my
chagrin that Glumley insisted upon divid-
ing my place with me. l had a general
sensation in the morning of being cut off
at the knees. Through the good Offices
of Gen. Mccall, / obtained blue roam
horse, of famous size and strength, and he
ordered my Rosinante to be taken away
and split up perhaps) for kindling
wood. The blue roam exhibited frequent
intentions OF breaking my neck, but as l
generally kept my seat, and abandoned
my rein for the pommel of my saddle, /
gained the reputation of being a dashing
equestrian. Being attired in civil gray,
and in request at headquarters, rumor
was developed and gained currency that /
was attached to the division in the capaci-
ty of scout. Whenever my horse be-
came unmanageable, therefore, his speed
was accelerated by the cheers of soldiers,
and / became an object of great interest.
Glumley was even less fortunate, since,
having confused ideas of the freedom of
the press and the law of confscation, he
appropriated farmers stray nag, and was
reported thereupon to the Provost Mar
shal.
On the day of Stuart's raid, had rid
den to the depot with dispatches, and re-
turned. AS was refining up at farm
house gate, to enter and refresh, my name
was called by passing horseman. recog-
nized Capt. Baillie, of New York, once
city reporter, but now transformed into
tall, hardy, courageous cavalry-man. -
"Would you like to join scouting par
ty 2" said he. s1...g t,,E sf
(which way?' p. ..r.....
Beyond the right, on the Old Church
road. ..- .. a--
l forgot my wearied horse and the re-
strictiOns upon correspondents. 1t was
enough to know that an adventure might
ensue, and possibly incidents of grave i'm
portance. We came to the regiment at
Old Cold Harbour, an insignificant coun-
try inn, where the nags were being water
ed at windlass well. The Major COM
manding was thick, sunburned man,
with grizzled beard, and as we rounded