Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-12-04

of personal popularity, or some other special
reason, l shall not assume to determine. L am
positively certain, however, that it was not ow
ing to my familiarity with the pages of Scott,
Gillian, or Hardee, as the sequel demonstrated,
for
''had never set squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knew,
More than a spinster."
In the latter part of the same month, the
company glorying In the euphoneous and signi-
fcant appellation of the ''Dinie Rijles," was
regularly mustered into the service of the Con-
federate States, sO-cdlled, at the great Falls of
the Kanawha, by Brig. Gen. Henry A. Wise,
to whose Legion it was attached
[ had just returned from Lewisburg, and
sported gray jacket, gotten up in anticipation
of the honor that awaited me, by a tailor Of that
place, who, by way of securing the job, had as
sured NE that he was perfectly au fat in all the
naiputia pertaining to the decoration of military
rank. 70 use his own language ''if there was
any job which he was perfectly at home on, it
was a military coat.
was quite proud Of my up-buttoned, close
fitting Jacket of gray" and felt all the impor-
tance of the commander, until l was startled
from my dream of consequentiality by being ad-
dressed by an old soldier as Corporal Jones /"
With marked irritation of manner, involving no
small amount of wounded vanity, [ promptly
replied to what [ regarded as an impertinent
salutation: Private, you are mistaken, sir y
sir!' Thereupon he redeemed, touched his
cap after the most approved military style, and
apologized by saying he had formed his opinion
of my rank from the trimming on the sleeves of
my jacket! Sure enough my Knight of the
Shears, equally ignorant with myself, had braid
ed me Corporal! My modification was ex-
cessive, nor did | recover my usual composure,
until [ had sought the friendly seclusion of a
neighboring paw paw thicket, where, with ma
ny and serious imprecatlons upon the head of
my tailor, | spasmodically tore off the ibellous
braid and cast it disdainfillly upon the ground.
In the afternoon of that day it became neces-
sary to draw rations, or, as | would then have
expressed it, get something for the men to
eat And as our supplies were at Gauley
Bridge, two miles above our encampment, and
no transportation at hand, [ was under the ne
cessity of marching the men up, so they might
carry down their hard tack and bacon" Ig-
norant of the command necessary to form two
ranks, or even to face them in the direction [
wished to move, took my orderly sergeant a.
side, communicated my intention to move at
once upon the supply depot, and directed him
to form the company in single line, with the
men facing toward the Bridge. He thought
the suggestion a happy one, and proceeded to
execute the order, by taking each man by the
jacket collar and forcibly establishing him in
the proper position, always accompanied with
the important injunction to 'stdndrTght there. .
At the command, 'toraoard-naarchr r. given
with all the energy | could summon to the aid
of a strong pair of lungs, the Dixie Rifles, y
| Capt Jones in the lead, moved off in the most
| approved STYLE There was space of about
FIVE feet from "back to breast, SO that the dis
tance from the head to the rear of the company
| was at least l75 yards. Onward we moved, the
nterminable line winding with the frequent
curves and angles of the road, which, coupled
with the irregular and unrestraned swinging to
and fro, and right to left, and from left to right,