South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-01-18

kitieo. k1o Wao living in Alexandra.
and he had slipped through the liuoe
to VISIT his old home, now dssolate
aud torn to pieces By the rnvages Of
war He spoke kindly to us. and
was much grieved about his mother'.
death, gave a. . short history OF HE
past life, and entrsatcd as to se forth
and revenge his mothers death. He
was getting old and appeared to be
about so years Of age. aud We parted
with him. with tears in our eyes.
We then went to house near BY
and stayed all night; the next morn
ing we went TO Manassas Junction. ;
got ou the cars went to. Fairfax Sta
ton, and visited the .lIampshire
Guards In the 18th VA, remained
two days aud then went back to our
respective commando I found NV
regiment about stating on picket =.
gain. This time we went 10 Falls
church. was very closa to the enemy
and had very strit orders. for We
were expecting an attack from the
whole army. l was on post the fret
night had orders 10 fire ut anything /
heard III front that would not halt
when challenged. I had not been on
post long when I heard something
walking in the leaves. Halt cried,
when 1t stopped, who comes there no
answer, directly | heard hog grunt,
by this time the Captain came from
the reserve post. having heard my
challenge. | was little mortified,
for being deceived by hog but he
said done exactly right for the enc
my had killed several OF our pickets
IN that way. by sneaking up on them
in the night. SO
We remained on picket one week !;
were not attacked and had plenty to
eat, for there was farm house near
by and the family had all lott, leav-
ing fine garden ofpotatoes aud 9th.
er vegetables behind which we dug
for them, appropriating them to our
own use. The woods were full OF
Chesinuts and Cbinkopins, which We
gathered when not on duty. We
came back 10 camp and after remain
lng few days the whole army had
orders to fall back TO Ceoterville, and
commenced fortifying Before leav-
ing this camp the raj; fence all around
the held we were camped in had dis
appeared although we had strict OR.
ders not to burn a rail, but they were
gone and OF course nobody had done
it. The Col. knew it was done by lis
regiment, and he made the whole re.
ginent go into tho woods make Lew
rails, and rebuild the fence. The day
we fell back to Centervile we were
marching very slowly, aud hating
quite often, aud one time we halted
where the lst Ky. had been camped.
hey had left some comm:ssary stores
behind IN charge of the commissary
until the wagons returned for them,
we bad not halted long until we dis
covered barrel OF whiskey in the lot,
but to get it out OF the bung- hole with
out being discovered was the trouble
with us, but one fellow happe6ed to
have a long reed pipe stem that had
never been used, we soon had it in
the bnng hole aid took it by turns
sucking through it, but that was too
slow progress to supply so many,
and we got to fitting the barrel over
and catching it in our tin cups. 3ut
the old commissary sergeant discov-
cred us, just az we were ordered to
fall in and march Oft, and he raved
and Charged and swore if the 1st Ky.,
was there he would make them whip
the whole brigade, but it did no good
for we had the whiskey and he had
the barrel. While in this camp near
Centerville we had grand review be-
fore Gov. Letcher then Gov. of Vir,
ginia, who presented each Va. regi-
ment with beautiful Va. state fac
AID made Us short speech in which
he told us we had long and bloody
war before us. 1t was against orders
for any one to sell whisky to the SOL
diers or bring any into camp but one
day huckster more bold than the
others had some five gallon kegs full
III the bottom Of his wagon and was
selling It on the sly by the key. NV
mess some eight 10 number concluded
| w guy meg WHICH we SInugyIcu
into the tent and buried it IN the
ground under the bunk and appointed
one oil the mess To- issue 1t out az VIC
needed it. In few days We were
ordered to get ready to 90 on picket
none Icing left in camp bat the sick.
We then detailed one of the mess.
who was pretty good at it anyhow, 10
play off sick the next morning, so be
would be excused from duty and get
to stay in camp, aud take charge OF
our tent which be did admirably; the
next morning, the rest of US went on
picket down OF the Little River
Turnpike aud remained one week.
w hen We returned, found him well
and the wisxey safe, but each one of
US had taken his canteen full a
long on picket for fear OF an acci.
dent
On the 4th Of Oct, Gen. jackson.
was nrOrpCfad ~ No. o.. -