The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-11-22

Gone touch of Nature makes the whole world
kim" Shakespeare.
The main idea of this little story was sug.
gested by some anonymous verses current in
the newspapers some time ago, called "The
Pride of Battery B." 1t is the suggestion only,
however, that is due to the verses; the tale, as
it is here told, is the writer's own.
We were party of artillerymen; rough,
Western men, for the most part, although
Ransom, our sergeant, was a fine featured,
delicate.handed fellow, not overbearng
nor proud since he had always pleasant
word or kindly smile for most of us, and
yet, with a certain distinction Of bearing,
which made one wonder how he had come
to be Il simple sergeant |, at least, knew
him to be gentleman, for although it is a
tale too long to be told now why l had left
home and friends and refined surroundings
for the rude life of private soldier in time
of war, | could very well see that Ramsons
past had been no less refined than my own;
and during the campaign of 1864 we had
been assigned to the same post of duty,
and fraternized at once, most naturally. /
shared his tent throughout that busy sum-
mer, but although he proved to be the most
agreeable of companions, he rarely spoke
of his past life, and when he did, cloud
of such painful remembrance seemed to
pass across his fair, handsome features that
| soon learned to avoid all allusion to it,
and only enjoyed the good fortune which
had thrown this pleasant, debonair com
rade across my path.
For Ransom was the life of our CAMP
| He had rich baritone voice, which had
evidently been carefully cultivated, Won
derful memory, which retained with the
most vivid distihctness every occurrence,
and powers Of narration of the highest Or
der, so that he was eagerly welcome at every
camp fire-for the times when soldier is
not on active duty are very sure to be
tedious. Neither Ransom nor myself set
up for saints among our wild Western CON
freres, and yet there were times when their
lawless ways shocked us both; and this
fact, probably, made our sergeant even
more willing to turn the thoughts of the
rollicking boys to more innocent amuse-
ment than draw-poker and such like evil
devices. Even the charms of draw-poker
would often yield to Ramson's powers of
entertainment, and first one and then an.
other of the great-bearded gamblers would
the little knot of listeners which were sure
to be grouped around the sergeant when.
ever the tinkling of the guitar, which he
carried everywhere with him, was heard in
the stiffness of the summer evenings.
We had chosen very romantic spot for
the camp. We were part of the advance
guard of the army, and very well knew
that across the wooded hill to the right
the enemy's outposts were stationed, only
a stones throw, as it were, from our own.
Indeed, the pickets often came in sight of
one another beyond the rocky mountain
stream which dashed around the foot of
the hill, while the drums could be distinct
| ly heard when the wind blew from the
west, where against the horizon the South
Mountain rose, blue and misty in the sum-
mer distance. 1t was beautiful valley,
smiling and peaceful, when we first saw it,
but month OF constant fighting had left
its mark even upon the calm face of nature,
for scarcely day had passed without a
skirmsh of some sort, and one or two des-
perate battles had been fought.
1t was only an evening or two after one
of these skirmishes that we were grouped
as usual around the sergeant and his guitar.
Somebody had brought some good tobacco
into the camp, and it was circulating free
| ly among the men. Every one OF us was
smoking as we listened to the sergeant, and
the pleasant evening wind blew great whiffs
of smoke up the hillside, where it hung in
little clouds among the bushes. The to-
bacco itself was sufficient to put us all into
good humor even had we not come out
best in the fight, and as we sat in the moon.
light beside the stream, some one called
out to Ransom to sing wild, dare devil
kind of song that was great favorite
with some of the men.
There was no harm in the song, only 0
go-lucky species of composition
hitting off with considerable humor the
life of a soldier in camp, and Ransom had
scarcely uttered the last words of the first
verse before every man of us was startled
by the reverberation of childish laugh
which came from some point in the thick
lly-wooded hillside close by.