The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-02-28
ARATHER BAD NIGHT.
GEORGE cARE EGGLEsroN.

We were living in the deserted vii
lage; that is to say. my battery Of light
artiI. cry was stationed at Blufton, S.
&c. Button at ordinary times has a
population of about 5000 souls; but at
the time Of which write it had no pop
ulation at all. 1t is built upon a high
bluff overlooking the sea, or, more
properly, a great bay broken by islands
into various inlets. Hilton Head lies
within sight, and all the waters Of the
great isIand-studded bay are nayigable
by large steamers. Bluffton never had
any business to do. Its population
consisted wholly of wealthy planters
and their families. It's houses were all
elegant, and its streets were shaded by
trees not planted in rows, but growing
wild in the midst of the thOrOUghfares.
But Bluffton was exposed to the direct
assaults Of the gunbOats; and so early
in the war its entire population left and
went to points in the interior Of South
Carolina, and at the time I write Of
there was not a soul in the town, except
the men Of the battery to which I be-
longed. Our Captain was acting as
commandant Of outposts, and 1 as ad-
iutant of the same.
Tsupports consisted of two or three
small troops Of cavalry, whose camps
aere several mics in the rear Of our
own. These cavalry mn did all the
picketing; and in the event Of an at
tack we and they were charged with
the duty Of harassing the advance Of
the enemy, and delaying him on his
march to the railroad, seventeen miles
away, long enough for troops to be sent
down from Charleston. 1t was
wild, free, gypsy-like life, which I
enjoyed intensely; and 1 count my six
months at Bluffton at once the idlest
and most delightful life I ever led.
We lived in the handsOmely-fUrnished
houses, made free use of the rich libra
ries, fished, played at chess, dOzed upon
jogging boards" in sea-breeze-swept
piazzas, and altogether did nothing
most industriously and delightfully."-.
The only duty to be done was the max
ing of grand rounds among the pick
cts, and this task developed on me
about once a week. The pickets were
ata1 available points of OBJ
seTvatiOn below-au points from which
the channels Of the bay could be seen;
and to visit them required an all nights
ride, which in that country is by no
mears S an agreeable undertaking. The
weeds rise above the head of a horse
man, and the dew is so heavy that it
drips as rain might from every leaf.
Riding all night in such weeds, one
becomes water-SOaked, and chilled to
the very bones, even during the fierce
Summer weather; while during the
Fall and Winter a night ride on this
coast brings with it a de-
gee of suffering from cold which no
New England weather ever produces.
To visit the picket-pOsts, however, was
necessary, as upon their
efficiency depended our safety, and that
Of the railroad We were set to defend.
If a single picket slept, a fleet Of gun
boats or ships launches might come to
wholly UnanOUnCed; and, the
battery, without support, would Of ne
cessity fall helpless into the enemy's
hands.
It was Christmas Eve, and a heap Of
nard pine was blazing in the great fire
place in my quarters. My negro ser
want was busy in the kitchen without;
and my guests, half a dozen officers
from my own and the cavalry cOmpan-
les, were already assembled. 1 had in
vited them to dine with me upon a
haunch of venisOn. a wild turkey, fish,
oysters, crabs, shrimps, etc, all of
which, except the first two, could be
taken at any time within a hundred
yards Of my door. The materials for a
bowl of egg-nOg, the universal Christ
mas drink in the South, had been pro-
vided in advance and my little party
giving promised to be thoroughly
successful bit of hospitality.
My man Curry had just begun TO put
The 6O'cIock dinner on the table, when
a messenger came to report that Lieu
tenmt C-ths officer appointed to make
t picket-rounds that night WAS ii
and could not go. It was my turn next.
and there was no escape. At the hOli-
day season Pickets especially need
and / knew very well it
would never do to Tsave them uHTs-