The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-01-22
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sistancc IS the Valley except tbatof tire
uusr.lla4s was 80 an end one brigade of
Dwight 5 dlsis1u garrts8ued Winchester
another. with tae headquarters, was 81
Sgcphens1ns stations thret miles north
~ Il which was the terminus oi the
military railroad irom Harpers Ferry,
aul the Third guarded tbs road. a hno
af tw1ntt five miles The duty was a
most important one for over this road
all our forage and supplies were trans
ported, and mueh depended on It's
being maintained And The
cuerllas knew il ns well as We
There was not q vital point Of the hno
"a bridge, a switch on station that
they dsd not menaces and on more than
one occasion ihey had escorted to those
most rascally aud inhnman practices Of
firing INTO trains and throwing them of.
the track. General Hancock threaten
cd in good earnest with death at the
drum head, il caught u amy such act (;
hut They continued rs troublesome as
ever, and the Railroad Brigade as we
called it, was kept upon lie qui liyo Of
vigilance aud excitement
Ope4uau Is crossed By this road
hear Summit Point, Gud several miles
cast of Stcyensons The bridge at this
crossing, and some miles of the track in
eithor ire eiion was guarded bya veteran
Massachusetts regmnt than which
there were no better ia tho division
The camp was perchcd like an ole feu-
dial stronghold, on the summit Of hill
whence The Colonel could take com
prehonsiyc ont look over the adjacent
country III tho daytime After night
fall thcro was always some excitement
among the chain Of sentinels Listen
ing ears nc headquarters could hear the
sharp 'IIalt who goes there n Of the
picket Ealf mi.e away and musEct
shots in the silence Of the night at
providers often brought the regiment
under arms The AdjHtant Of this com
mand was but he is as modest inpeace
as be was III war, hnd viii thank me TO
disguise him under ihc name of Lieu
tenant Blake. Hc was a prompt de-
decided Young man. thoroughly con-
ycrsant win bis duties. and jdst MS I'M
assuming as brave mou always are
But be was certainly out Of hs clement
in the iufnnly A fearless, dashins
fellow an opar, sdotsa splendid horse
man, and quick as Lightning At an en-
ergenc,, lo WIS jaat tho man o head a
squadron II cavalry IN srca q charge as
that vh Ga flislelth 3ay at Winches-
ter Shet.Eal la4a iondncss for men Of
his stamp, and it may be that the Adj
utast would have won distinction had
he ridden soathwarsi.4gth lha ten thon-
sand who had already scattered Earlys
fragnentary army through R0ckfish
Gap. But however that may be, he
made himself known to rs al by tho
adventure / am about to relate Prob
ably every man Il nahcocbs army had
heard Of Lieutenant Blake and his ez-
plot a week after il occurred.
About three miles from the camp, on
the Berryville road, was the residence
Of one Of tie substantial farmers Of the
Shenandoah and this farmer had n
daughter and handsome one. The
name never heard: Darrell wi nsYcr
for the father, and Belle Darrell will
answer for the daughter With this
household Blake had contracted Il
pleasant acquaintance during The pre-
yious autumn, when the army passed
the place on one Of It's many marches.
Whether or not he had met any Of
them in the interval, / am unable to
say; but it is quite certain that the very
/ first occupation that he devoted him
self to in his leisure, after the establish
mcnt OF the camp, was to call for bis
horse and orderly, and ride over to the
/ Damells' This every military reader
viii agree, was wrong, decidedly wrong.
He knew perfectly well that tie neigh
/ borhood sUarmcd with gUcillas, and
/ that the risk lie was taking was too
great to be invited under any circum-
stances, except in the strict line Of his
dutY. Neither had be any assurance
OF the loyalty Of the barrels; tile pre-
sumption is that he never asked for any.
His cnduct was simply a reassertion for
( the venerable truth, that with lady in
[ the case, 4 man VIII brave every hazard.
lie tory speedily went round the camp
/ that the Adju,aut lad become smit "a
/ with a rebel gin past ell hope of rescue
and many were The mcss-tuble Jokes
cracked 10 his expense; among them a
proposition to send to Stephenson for
+ the Provost Maj sAal to administer the
oath Of illegieuce to Blake, to guard
yaingt contagious Influences. But the
Adjutent bore II an with mperturbabIe
good humor, and continued his visits ut
the Darrell place with great regularity.
I Twice a week. at least, he went always
armed and accompanied by an orderly;
and, 50 far as hose ~ camp could Judge,
the affair seemed TO have ripeued into
a conventional Down East Ioyomaking
Bat perhaps the sequel may show that
Blake was more pertiuacious than sue
cessful ia hls woolng,
Tie last Of these visits was the mem-
oralle one As be ai.eiwafd admitted.
he had promised Hiss Darrell to acome
on tuesday afternoon at three O'Clock,
sure and 81 two O'Clock u that alter
noon he accordingly lett camp ii bis
usual Trim, followed by bis orderly
lie reached tic house n due time. ana
without adventure. and giving his rcius
to the orderly, al sed up to the steps