Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-03-28

-E I LA4AA WIS N44t matter 81 uL-4fllLR OAl
> of bed, called to know who wa
- there.
= The sergeant answered in 4 grea
i hurry, saying:
o "Sir, the field officer of the day i
coming, and the guard is turning ont. >
/ rushed to nv boots, pulled then
on over my unstOckinged feet, thrust
my sword-arm into my large regimen
tai cloak, which pulled over me
Jammed my forage cap on my head
c and, grasplng my sword, looked TO the
! 1 outward observer as though ''tit FOL
parade
was Just in time to receive the
held officer, who again asked me II
my guard was correct. 1 answered,
rather IN tone Of sErprise, and said:
yes, sir, all correct"
L could not imagine why my guard
should be visited twice. as such a
proceeding was unusual, and perhaps
nay tone seemed to imply that I was
So is-4--d. Wl4otho4 AZ WAS that, or
whether 1 treacherous gust OF wind
removed the folds of my cloak and
exhibited the slightest taste IL LIE OF
the end of my night shirt, / know not,
but the field officer, instead of riding
of when he received my answer,
turned his horses head in the opposite
direction and said:
''Now, sir, 1 want You to accompa-
ny me around the sentEes.
Had he told me that he wanted me
to accompany him to the regions be-
low, l should scarce have been more
! horror-struck, for already had found
f.! the change Of temperature between a
warm bed in a warn room and the
outside air, and to walk two miles on
a windy, frosty night, with no raj
ment besides boots, night shirt, and
cloak, was suffering for ones country
and no mistake.
L dared not show the slightest hesi-
tatiOn, however, for fear the state of
my attire might be suspected, though
L would have given a weeks pay to
have escaped for only five minutes.
A non-cOmnlissionedo officer was ready
with lantern, and we started on our
tour of inspection.
The field officer asked several ques- |
tions connected with the position and /
duties of sentries, to which I gave an /
swers as well as the chattering of my /
teeth would permit me. The most /
nervous work, however, was passing /
the gas lamps, which We're placed at 4
intervals of one or two hundred yards. |
The wind was-blowing so fresh that it
was with difficulty 1 could hold my
cloak around me, and conceal the alb
sence OF my undergarments. Every
now and then an extra gust of wind
would come around n corner, and
quite defeat all the precautions which
had adopted to encounter the steady
gale. l managed to dodge in the
shades as much as possible, and more
than once ran the risk of being kicked
by the field officers horse, as 1 sunk
behind him when the gas might have
revealed too much.
1t was terribly cold, to be sure, the
wind and snow almost numbing my
limbs. / had a kind of faint hope
that the field officer might think that
l belonged to a Highland regiment,
and if he did observe the scantiness
of my attire, might believe that the
kilt would explain it. l struggled
and shivered q on, knowing that all
things must have an end, and that
rounds" must come to an end before
long. But l feared that I could not
again get warm during the night.
We had nearly completed our tour,
and were within a few hundred yards
the field officers quarters. | fondly
hoped that he would not pass them,
and that he would dismiss me at the
door, but was rather surprised to
see a blaze of light come from the
windows, and to hear the sound of
music. 1t was evident that there was
a ''hop" going on inside, and already {
began to tremble from a sort of in
stinct that even worse misfortune was
yet 10 attend me.
Ny premOnitions were true, for
upon reaching his door, my persecu-
tor, in n cheerful tone, said:
'Well, we've had a cold tour; you
must come in and take n glass of wine,
and perhaps a waltz Will warm you"
''Pm really much obliged" I hasti- {
ly answered, ''but 1 should not like
to leave my guard.
Nonsense, nonsense, man-the ;
guard will be all right; you must
come in"
This ''must' he said i'll quite de- !
termined tone. 1 felt desperate, and Z
again declared that thought I Ghould {
be wrong to leave my guard.
''Iu take the responsibility" said
this demon, $50 come along" saying
which, he grasped my arm and almost q
dragged me into the porch of his i
quarters. Z
When we entered the house, and Z
we're exposed to the light of the hall I
lamps fancied l saw slight twinkle /
IN the eye of the officer, and [ began !
10 wonder whether he really knew of =
my predicament, and wished to have +
MS joke. He gave no other intima- =
lion however, that / saw, but quick a
y took off his cloak, and said that I .
lad better do the same. Seeing me I,
hesitate, he said, "Comc, look alive; '
of with it." .
Further rcmonstrance l found 1 o
would be useless, so there was no =
lelp for me but a full confession i
my courage, and fearing :
20 hesitate, blurted out, Colonel, n
I've no trousers on. +
1.-The deuce you haven't he said. y
We'll, you'd better go and put them ;
IN, and then come hero as soon as a
and have glass of some :
hing warm" Q
I rushed out of the quarters, half +
not to return. / was fully :
wake now, and shivering like half :
drowned dog; but no sooner had 1 N
iressed myself than the colonel came :
over to say that a quadrille was wait a
nc for me.
1 determined to put a bold face on +,
he matter, and entered the drawing q
Dom, where a party of about fifty had i,
assembled. It was evident by the \
itters of the young ladies, the grins Z
If the men and the subdued smiles of p
he dOwagers, that my story was 5
Known. Ii
The colonel had told it as a good +
oke to the major, who had whispered a
{ to his wife; she had breathed it into
he ear of two of her friends, and IL
lbOut ten minutes every person in the
,oOm knew 4 young subaltern had un-
willingly gone his rounds in his night Il
shirt. !
As long as I stayed az the garrison, t
was a standing Joke. When the Il
girls saw me they always looked +
away and smiled, and 1t seemed as :
for me to obtain. a serious y
answer from them as for a clown to '
preach a sermon. They even seemed Il
20 be afraid 10 dance with me, fear I
ng, as afterwards heard, 10 look at L
nv legs, lest I might be deficient in Il
some article of raiment. Z
l soon exchanged and went into /
mother regiment; and years after :
wards 1 heard nv own adventure re-
ated in n crowded draWing-rOOm, all v
.he details of the story being true c
except the name of the prisOner-my y
having been attributed TO r
N unfortunate fall. q
l never went to bed on guard after :
that night. ,