The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-11

newspapers and news from below" AMI
| how you escaped the Rebs, etc., etc. bu
| the hum served rather as 4 lullaby to my weary
senses, as lay in the snug berth, taking
the last comfortable night's-sleep should
enjoy IN many long month.
AMONG THE BLUE-CoATS
1T dawn, after carefully reconoiterinc
took my vaiSe. and in a brisk, matter 81
fact step marched out upon the wharf, pick
ing my way among the groups of men. some
asleep, others cooking breakfast while | cN
pected at every moment to hear the voice OF
the officer on deck ordering me to halt
The soldiers cast curious glances at the long
haired youth leaving the boat at SO early an
hour; but soon passed out of view among
the wilderness Of tents which covered the
surface Of the earth as far as eye could
reach. Then came many new and novel
sights; for here was the Debris of that
''Grandest army on the Planet which less
than fortnight before had started on its
triumpha march ito New Orleans, via
Richmond, Raleigh, Charleston. and Mont
gOmery, as the Northern press had pro
claimed to all the world.
Pen cannot picture the spectacle at sun
rise, as the men swarmed out of their tents
and holes. The hum of voices was like the
buzzing Of a buckettul of bees dumped in
to barrel. 1t will be remembered that
Scotts army of sixty thousand men, after
stretching forth into Virginia like gigantic
fan, Haunting it's banners, and accompanied
by all the baggage, the extra equipage, We
hcles etc., of inexperienced troops, was sud-
denly routed, hurled back doubled up, and
joined together within the Notifications at
Arlington. There was not room, and the over
flow rolled across the Long Bridge, or the
Vladuct until Georgetown and Washington
were also crowded. Fences were torn away
and the whole space was packed with tents
wagons, artillery, baggage, piles of boxes
and barrels, hospitals, ambulances, commits
sary stores, Guartermaster stores, medical
stores. sutler stores, acres OF cavalry horses
and wagon mules pickcted as closely as the
animals could stand long rows of cook fires,
hundreds of negroes baking rations, hun
wagons, their only shelter; and surging
through this medley noisy multitude ofmen
of every nationality, tongue, and color under
the sun. They still wore the old Volunteer
Company uniforms; hence were decked
in every conceivable trapping, red, green,
blue, yellow, pink, buff, black, every shade
except white, and grey. When organized
in regiments these incongruities OF taste
were 10; 80 glaring, but now that the army
was mob, horse, foot, and artillery all jun
bled and iabbering, it was a vivid realization
of the tumult at Babel tower after the con
siOns Of tongues.
All the way down to Washington the same
condition OF things existed as if great city
had been blown in pieces, and the citizens
huddling amid the ruins.
IN THE CAPITAL.
Although much improved by the two days
rest, my feet gave me SO much trouble that
it was nearly nine clock ere | arrived in
the vicinity of Willards Hotel, which was
the headquarters of Gen. Winfield Scott.
Commander-in-C Chief of The Union forces.
During all the trip 1 had had vague idea
the Secretary of War; for pass to go
over to Alexandria, whence | hoped to
escape by lodging through the picket lines
at night. This seemed to be the only hope
for crossing the Potomac, which was the
great bete nOir of my waking and nightly
dreams. Utterly unable to swim and con
stitutionally timid in relation to deep
water, (the result of great peril in infantcy,
[ believe), dreaded above all things the rlv-
cr as there are no bridges save those at
Washington and at Harper's Ferry; while
all the ferries as we'll as the small skltts had
been destroyed, even if the there had not
been close picket line along the river for
hundreds of miles to prevent passage. So,
my only chance lay in getting a permit to
to visit the camps on the south side, and
then eluding the pickets This will suffice to
show the extreme rerdancu Of the youth at
that period 1 ought to have known that
no civilian, carrying a carpetbag, would be
allowed to even approach the pickets; and
as for eluding them, in the prevailing ner-
vous expectation of a Rebel advance, that
we're absurdity indeed! The whole front OF