Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-01-21
Soldiers on Picket Duty.

., The life of q picket is one that fasclnates
From its daring and danger most citizens
would shrink, while scarce one soldier 10
ten but prefers it to all else. Ina hostile
country or when the armies of the enemy
are near, it requires vigilance and the keen
est watchfulness TO prevent surprise or cap.
ture. The faithful guardians Of the camp
are Of two kinds: First, the pickets proper;
these are stationed from one TO two miles
from camp, depending on the topography OF
the country somewhat. Beyond these are
the videttes. They are mounted, and SIT
on their horses all the time. At the least
sound Of approach, or anything unusual It
is his duty to ascertain the cause. 1t 1t Is
| an enemy he fires upon them and falls back
to the picket lines The discharge Of his
piece gives notice of the danger to all within
1 its sound. A messenger is dispatched to
the nearest command with the intelligence
and the nature of the alarm. This gives
the officer in command time to form his
men and be cady for the attack if enc il
contem plated. With pickets properly post
ed no army can be surprised. Of course II
: will not prevent an attack, but good troops
| if forewarned, will contend with ten time:
) their numbers, while the bravest will some
, times fee if the onset is surprise. 49,.
Ii have seen an army thrown inte the Wild
est alarm by the stampede Of one or two
mules at midnight, and felt that the 70,
, were about to trample usto death-so mpcl
y for imagination and the fear Of iii. One at
o ternoon, in the calm of November Of Mis-
4 sissippi, about fifteen miles East Of Vicks
n burg, it was proposed that we should go L
e grove about three miles off, and gaths
q pecan nuts Our outposts were there. Al
: ter gathering as many ss we could carry
i the day closing beautifully, with gloriou
e sunset, and that soft, sweet mood whlc
"a makes nature at times so lovely, that make
!. us feel that man has other heritage tha
q sorrow-we sat in silence to rest and cor
). template. We had not spoken for fey
n moments, each doubtless thinking Of other
n far away, and yielding to the Influence OF
d beautiful day fading away, while the loi
a years are buried in the nevermoIe.
" A vidette sat almost motionless on h
u horse, only few feet from US, gazing int
n ii the grey evening beyond the grove. Pre-
!, emily we saw him bring his piece to a pr
of sent" Softly we crept to where he stoo'
" plainly we could hear the footsteps of son
70 one approaching. Crack, snap, said tt
or or dry weeds at each football. Nearer al
neaer, until we could see the outlines of h
maa form, came the doomed one, for door
ed he seemed. "Halt!" cried the videt
in tones that were earnest, his Tiece leveilt
rs and his eye upon the barrel. Instead
'r- hating the form turned and fed. III
nc moon had just now risen above the trees
lie the horizon, and shone upon the shoe sol
ng Of the fugitive. So fast did he lift the
e, e, that they seemed pieces Of tire revolving
Y lu the moonlight.
ne He had not made many steps ere "banne
nd and the marksman brought low the fu
sse tive. We all ran to where the dead IN
eat lay, to see who he was-or, perhaps,
'ut night only be wounded. At the first gu
en- ton are you much hurt?" Il dun no. y
ses "Well, get up" Up from the weeds ar
-: the ''irrepressible," unhurt. why the d
w1 were ordered tor 81 jest couldn't. l tr
nd and fore God, desc legs wouldn't. 60
=, oder way. never tried so hard to do al
ND thing in my life. - From this negro we
ga the information of the rebels husking co
lI rn, only eight miles away. At daylight
me took one regiment and fifty wagons, v
lti him for our guide, and filled forty-six ofth
ons with excellent corn. The fact was, the p
ute fellow did not dream he was SO close to
IN lines and was so taken by surprise, that
3. o. fears ran away with him, against his bel
lieu judgment