Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-10
the parol nor to demand IL Of US, as it was to

the parol nor TO demand II Of us, as 1t was 10
DO used by officers only.
would blow our brains out II we attempted
10 pass without giving hha the parol, and !
bellows he would have done NO had not SER
geant seized him and held him until Capt.
Brlnker came up and had him disarmed.
The captain explained TO us the cause OF
the guards bloodthirstiness on q former
occasion while on duty be had allowed an
officer 10 disarm him, and for this he had
been reprimanded by the captain and
laughed at by his comrades ; and being very
excitable, was determined To make no mis-
take this time, and therefore demanded the
parol.
WE FIND THE LOST PLATOON.
Having made another lucky escape, we
plodded on and finally reached the second
platoon Of Company X. Lieut. s., who was
In command, was absent from the " re-
serve," visiting his sentinels. 1 found the
sentinel who was ON duty nj the reserve 30
sick that he could hardly stand. As new
relief was to be put on In about fifteen min
utes, ! told the poor fellow to lie down and
that i would stand guard for him until
Lieut. $. returned. l took his musket and
walked my beat for little while, when /
saw the lieutenant emerge from the woods
into the open field In which l was standing.
lie recognized me as well rs ! did him, but
! chose not to know him at that particular
time so / challenged him with the usual
Halt Who comes there7 ~
"A person without the countersign," re-
piled tho lieutenant
Halt ~ | repeated, uor III blow your
brains out" and covered the lieutenant's
bald head with rifle.
81 have the countersign," said he, rather
beseechingly.
Advance and give the countersign."
He did so, and then said ." Didn't you
know me, lieutenant 2"
"a sentinel on picket should know no
man. said l, with assumed austerty.
"Would you have shot me II / hadn't
given you the counterslgn ?"
"ln another second l would have blown
your head off," was the reply and for q
long time the lieutenant believed was In
earnest-but / wasn't
OUR RETURN TO OUR POST.
Having discovered the whereabouts OF the
lost platoon, and finding 1t in good condition,
we fastened back along the picket line. Our
walk was long and tiresome one, but we
had the satisfaction of knowing that no sem
tinel could stop us, for If one countersign
failed to pass US, we had another one to fall
back on.
1t was after daybreak when we reached
Capt Wickersham's headquarters He was
talking to one OF his sentinels, evidently CIV
ing him some wholesome instructions In the
line OF his duties. Our opportune arrival
gave him a chance TO add example to pre-
made us advance and give the countersign
In due form, and then added:
Gentlemen, you will excuse me for halt
ing you so late in the morning but our men
are inexperienced, and 1t is necessary that
we should instruct them in their duties and
see that they strictly perform them"
To all which we gave ready assent, and
asked
"Are you quite sure, captain, that you
gave US and our men the correct countersign
last night ?"
40, yes, sir; no doubt about it 1t is
James ). Negley, brigadier general COM
msnding.'"
"weli, the countersign would not pass us
along the picket line, except where our own
men were on duty"
"To convince you that I am entirely
right" said the captain, " will show the
oountersign l received from Gen. Negley'.
He pulled from his pocket a paper and
read it. 1t was dated Camp Neyin, KY,
Nov. 8, 1861, and read
"Parcl Fremont
"Countersign-S
"JAs. s. NEaLgY,
." Brig. Gen. Comd'g."
The captain stared at the paper in blank
seconds. Then he heaved a sigh and said
"Well, well ] never saw that little s
just see how small it Isl"
took look at it, aud indeed 1t was very
small i 0ldnt huCl wonder tnat the cap
tain had overlooked it and mistook the
bold signature of Gen. Negley for the coun-
tersigu.
We bad many a laugh afterwards at the
captains expense, as he plumed himself not
little Oh his correctness in military matters.
GIT MIGHT HAVE BEEN"
Even at this late day it makes my flesh
creep a little when | think what might
have been " had the gooi-natured Dutch
sentinel jabbed me with his bayonet whom |
gave him such a ajaw-breaking countersign as
James n. Negley, Brigadier General Com.
manding," instead of the short little 90 +"
to which he was entitled or had the SER
geant and his guard opened fire on us when
we refused to recognize their authority or
had Capt. Benkerps irate sentinel managed
to pull trigger before being disarmed But
that was our first night on picket we were
green militia then we soon became better
trained, and as We got into closer quarters
with the Confeds we became more inter-
ested, not only in the integrity of our own
picket-line, but of the whereabouts OF theirs
and many a time and oft the exchanges oi
leaden compliments along the picket-line
arose almost to the dignity of a skirmish, and
were not unfrequently the prelude OF a
bloody battle. J. NJ. j.