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

a corner of billy road, his voice rang out,
"At-ten-tiOn! Prepare to mount!" ,.
Every rider sprang to his nag; every
nag walked instinctively to his place;
every horseman made fast lis girths, strap
ped his blankets tightly, and laid his
hands upon the bride rein ald pommel.
'At-ten-tion! Mount" :.r'
The riders vaulted to their seats; the
buglers blew a lively strain; the nags
pricked up their ears; and the long array
moved briskly forward, with the Captain,
the Major and myself at their head. Our
road was in the rear of the extreme right
position of the army, and led toward the
northwest. In very few minutes we
passed the district OF tents and wagons,
and entering wood, lost, after half
mile, even the hum and halloo of camps.
1 saw by the few tracks in the clay that
no large bodies OF men had passed before
US, and the farm houses which we noticed
were inhabited by anxious, timid people,,
who flattened their noses against the wins
dow panes, and maintained a general
ghastliness of face. The Major was en-
gagged with a cigar, and lost no words in
courtesy. Captain Baillie had introduced
me, and the favor had been acknowledge
ed by the old trooper with one eye and a
grunt.
After some time he looked at my horse
with both eyes, and said curtly: "Where
did you hist that nag?"
Iexplained that correspondent had pre-
viously been the proprietor, but that he
had not accounted to me for the origin of
the creature. ....
"Spose he froze to it " exclaimed the
Major.
Here he lit another cigar, and examined
one of the long, awkward revolvers in his
holster Iasked modestly if he sometimes
read the paper to which was attached.
"Never read any paper, he said; "they
lie so! Never read one since the Mexican
war, in AT. They lied two men below me
to Captaincies, and lied me out of my pro-
motion. If l see man in my regiment
read newspaper, l know him at once to
be bad soldier. Never had but one de-
serter in nine years; l shot him dead as
get out. He was confirmed newspaper
reader Spoils soldiers-makes 'em or
nary. One feller in Company G was
actually reading newspaper last week on
scout If wouldn't ha' shot him, CASH
ier me! but Colonel in command thought
otherwise That mans been under guard
ever since!"
The Captain, who had been some time
in the rear, now returned with a man
named Otho, First Sergeant, tall, broad
shouldered, and powerful of limb. He had
been in the Prussian service, and was held
in great esteem by the officers of the regi-
ment, with whom, indeed, he maintained
the bearing of an equal. He wore the blue
Federal cavalry jacket, trimmed with yel-.
low, but his spurs were of the Mexican
pattern, cruelty bladed, and hung with tiny
bells, that jingled as he rode. His nous
tache was twisted and curled, and he bal
anced his hat jauntily on the side of his
head. He saluted promptly, and spoke
with strong German accent.
"You haf to talk vid me, major ?"
"Take twelve of the best horsemen,'
said the old trooper; diverge from the
regiment at the church, and reconnoiter
the road before and on both sides of the
troop"
The blue eyes of the German brighten
ed he twisted his moustache till it lifted
his lip and revealed his keen teeth.
You gif to me, major, to leetle squad,
to do vat l shoose wild dem?'
''To do your duty with them," said the
major, snappishly, for he disliked foreign
ers, and gave them every advantage for
having their heads blown off.
The man Otho, rode down the line, and
indicated at various points the men that
he required. As these filed by the column
at gallop, the Major looked at them sue
cessively. "Good eye that Dutchman has
got," said he" every man regular
American
We proceeded in this way for three miles,
the sergeant's squad keeping well in front;
but when we arrived at Old Church-an
insignificant place OF worship, with some
houses close by-they had disappeared
Here the main body halted while the Ma.
jor rode back to the other two battalions,
to confer and communicate with their
Majors. The Captain came ever to me
holding revolver by the barrel.
take this said he, for l see that you
are without arms looked ruefully at
him and the weapon. I had no holsters,
and my saddle bags were inconvenient.
So told him courteously that it could be
of no possible use to me, for certainly
could hit nothing, and might accidentally
dis6gure myself. The men were now all
looking at the tubes of their carbines, and
the officers were gazing anxiouslys down
an intersecting road. All at once cloud
of dust announced something approaching,
and we were joined in q moment by two
pieces Of flying artillery and five fresh COM
panies of cavalry. In a moment more we
were again in motion, galloping due north
ward, and, as I surmised, toward Hanover
Court House. r.a4 b,a y,>.sol gat go.s3.i.
If any branch Of the military service is
feverish, adventurous and excited, it is
that Of the cavalry Ones heart beats as