The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-04-13
NUMBER Is.
Sketches of Army Life.
SECOND SERIES. NUMBER TWO.
OUT ON THE PICKET LINE.

OUT ON TIE PICKET LINE.
AS have already stated. the winter we were
encamped at Rappahannock Station our picket
duty was light And as there was evidently no
enemy in our immediate front, this duty was
far more pleasant than that which usually falls
to the soldiers lot. The usual rigor and disci-
pine was much relaxed. \ corporal and three
men would be placed upon each post and around
good fire of oak logs the hours passed pleas
antly away. The practical Jokes and fun Were
not confined to the camp, but We're often in
dulged in on the picket line As we look back
to those months we smile as we remember how
often we We're made the victims of our COM
rades wit. No opportunity for fun was ever
allowed to pass unimproved. no matter whether
the victim was an officer or IA private. There
was an officer in our brigade who was distin-
gui>hed throughout the command as an ardent
admirer of red tape or. to use the phrase
coined by the boys for the occasion: 'He was
always on his military. When this officer was
III command of the picket line there was no
comfort or rest for himself or any other person.
At such times he evidently comprchended the
vast responsibilities that rested upon him, and
acted accordingly. He would lie up 1T all hours
of the night, proving along the picket line, evil
IDENTIFY hoping to find some uckess fellow asleep.
If a sentinel failed to challenge him. ~ laid
down in the "tactics. woe be unto him. He
would not allow four of us to remain upon q
single post and relieve each other a. the other
officers did. The regulation plan OF the relirf>
| tramping the length Of the line to relieve the
men each two hours must be carried out No
sentry was allowed to have a fire N his post
and the picket forces must sleep on their
arms, to be ready at moments warning in ease
the enemy should advance. Thus for three DAYS
and nights he would strut and parade alongth,
picket line. and each man would Sputer growI
and swear at such display. Each one felt in
spir"d to yeX and a@grayate him AS much as pos
sible, without committing any act for which he
could De punished One night in the month of
! March, 1864. | was on picket and this officer
was in charge of the line. He had established
| his headquarters with the reserve in piece of
oak woods about one third Of mile in rear of
| the picket line. For two days he had been in
| charge. making il just uncomfortable a> he
could for the men. The rain had been falling
III tVA ~ tSE Dttl -tpl iii't 'f ~ Gti q,
away. The stars >honc down through the
mi>ts. and their feeble light partially di>pelcd
| the darkness and gloom. The air was damp
and chilly, and thick fog rnvrloped Us like
mantle. The ground was soft and muddy.
This officer had passed along the line after dark,
and given orders for every man to br on The
watch. to exercise double caution. for he had
| n Gnubt buf that Mo>.h>'S trIn.iilaS u+
tack our line before morning. The reserve
We're ordered 70 fall in, and Were then COM
manded to sleep on their arms and b. ready to
reprl the enemy. Every soldier knew that in
all probability there was not a rebel within ten
miles and that this was only an exhibition of
| red tape" My relief Went on at eleven O'Clock
! to remain TWO hours ! had been standing in
the darkness about AN hour when soldier ON
| the adjoining post spoke my name in a low
| voice, | Went to where he was standing and
found that he was Il recruit who had recently
joined our regiment, and that this was his first
service on picket. He told mt that he had been
| standing there for three hours. The relief
must have passed him in the darkness, and he
was nearly frozen. He was ycry angry, and
denounced the corporal for thus passing him.
saying it was simply an old soldiers trick. play
ed upon him because he was recruit; but he
wanted them to all understand that although he
had iust enlisted. he was not Il >impcton.
When he had finished his tira,lc he asked me
what would ~ the most rtltrtua method of
arousmg the corporal and also of informing the
commanding officer Of the situation. He was
evidently determined to have the corporal court
martiaied and thus teach the old soldiers a les
son. /. of course. gave him the information he
needed. and informed him that if hr should fire
his gun he would probably arouse the corporal
and also have chance to state the facts 10 the
officer i'll charge. then FASTENED back 10 my
post. A moment after Il flash of fire glared
through the gloom, there was the sharp crack
of rifle, and mimic BAH went whi>tlmg
forth in the darkness. For moment all wa,
| still, and then there was an excitement. Clear
and shrily heard the officers voice ring out
through the forest, "FnU VIZ" "FnU b =" There
was a rattle of bayonr> as the guns were ha>ti-
| ly taken from the stacks. and hen " "Flrroyd''
| "DoaNe QHtcki" ''MARtH,' And one hundred
men under the command of this irrpprc>siblc
officer came da>hing out toward the picket lime.
The officer was on horseback. and His >tecd
sank deep in the mud at every plunge. In this
ludicrou> condition they bore down upon the
picket post where was standing. There was
no time to lose Twisting the laugh from my
features, | prepared for the desperate work of
halting the charging column. and with all my
power yelled, Halt. Who comes there" The
officer informed me of his rank, but of course |
must receive the countersign over the point of
the balonet at such perouS time before |
could believe him, and to do this he must dis
mount in the mud He gave the magic word
and then inquired about the firing | told him
it was down on our left, and that evidently our
man had fired at some object, or else some per
son had fired at him. In a moment he was
mounted and leading ON his command Again
he was challenged this time by the offender
himself. no fired that gum" roarcl the Of
ticer. Il did" answered the enraged soldier.
AT what did YOU fire." ''Nothin', sir was
the reply, ''only | have stood here three hours
and want to be relieved" The men chuckled
aloud with laughter. The officer was speechcsS
with rage and demanded, How long have you
been in the >erNice:" ''Four days" responded
was recruit and knew no better. The officer
summoned the corporal and ordered him to in
Struct the man how he could be relieved from
his duty without firing his rifle. He then rode
slowly back to his tent. and we all fancrd that
from that hour he more of Il man than he
had ever been before.
The following month four OF us were station
ed for three days at point on the picket line
where physician resided, and we took posses
sion of his stable, spread our blankets upon the
straw, and thus had very comfortable quarters.
We We're instructed to protect the property
from any raid our soldiers might make upon it.
The physician was man some sixty years old
He was one of the "chivary" in every sense
of the word. He was proud. pompous. and Il
genuine ''secesh." Once in a while he would
come out to the stable and chat with us. He
did not attempt to conceal his sympathy with
the South and would talk about the superiority
| of the Southern trOupS, and of the certain