Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-10
LEAVES FROM AN OLD DIARY.
COMPANY Ms FIRST Si8Hr our ON
PICKET DUTY.
Tho various Reverses suffered by the ltaw
sold,ery-How They Were Nearly shot
Two or Three Times while Going
Along the Outside Lines.


-
On the 9th OF November, 1861, our regiment
was being drilled In nm open field near our
camp at Nolan, on the line OF the Louisville
i Il Nashville railroad, In Hardin county,
KY, when ga solitary horseman" approach
| ed at broakneck speed, the horse covered
| with foam and the rider with dust Alight-
| ing at Gen. Negley's headquarters the horse.
man held a brief "coniabulation" with the
general and few moments afterwards an
| orderly rode up To our colonel, saluted him
and handed him note from the general.
The colonel read the note, and rather
| startled us by giving the following unusual
accompanies u and X, by the right flank,
right PACE! To your quarters, Gte left
| MARCH"
The companies Immediately obeyed tho
command, wondering whether they had
| been turned out of line for misconduct or III
| the colonel considered them 'learned OUT
and requiring no further military instruc-
| ton. Neither OF these suppositions proved
| to be correct, as after reaching our quarters
| we were ordered to sling knapsacks, haver-
sacks and canteens aud prepare To march
Immediately.
There had been rumors In camp for some
l days past that the rebel Gen. Buckner had an
army of from $4,000 to $4,000 men, strongly
| fortified at Bowling Green, and that the
| loyal people OF kentucky had offered a
reward oil clO,OOD Tor MS neau
Could II be possible that our two companies
| had been selected 10 capture this noted rebel
aud pocket the $1,000? We felt that we
would have no great difficulty In accomp-
fishing this feat and bringing into camp the
head Of the general, II indeed we did not
annihiiate the whole rebel army, and cover
ourselves all over with glory!
OUR FIRST NIGHT on PICKET.
Our spirits were little dashed on learning
that we were only to go on picket, mile or
two from camp. However, we accommo :
dated ourselves 10 this sli ght change of
programme, aud marched boldly forth slt h
light step, heavy knspsacks, and load ed
rifles, to spend our first night as pickets IN
the woods surrounding our camp
Arrived a mile or more To the north oil The
camp, the second platoon OF company X
was by mistake of the officer who had the
plckets I'm charge flied into by-road to the
west OF the railroad, while the first platoon
and Go. were marched mile further
north, TO Glendale Station, and then de-
ployed into the woods considerable distance
east of the railroad.
Owing to this mistake the first platoon of
Co. X was marched backwards and forwards
for some time, before 1t obtained local
habitation. Finally 1t was deployed to the
left of company r, and extended To the
right file OF a company of the 18th =. W.,
which was on our lett.
1t will be understood that the picket line
embraced troops belonging TO several other
regiments and extended entirely around the
camp OF our army of 10000 men, making
grand circle at least ten miles in length.
Captain NJ. ID. Wickersham had charge oil
our part of the line, and gave the counter
sign to the officers, who in turn gave 1t to
the men, a. they went on duty.
Our second platoon having been misplaced
(by no fault OF the company ofiicars), 1t was
considered to be desirable to find out what
part of the line 1t occupied. After midnight
obtained permission To go along the line oi
plckets until l found it. Lieutenant ii.
offered to accompany me and we marched
oil towards the left OF the line. The sentinels
were placed from 80 to 50 yards apart-within
seeing and hearing distance.
WHO aoEs THERE?
The first one we met challenged us cor
rectly thus:
"Halt" We halted.
"who comes there ,"
"Friends, with the countersign."
"Advance one, with uplifted hands and
give the countersign."
advanced towards the guard, until my
breast touched the point of his bayonet AZ
he stood at a charge, and whispered To nm
the countersign as 1t had been given by
Captain Wickersham, thus:
FLAMES s. Negley, brigsdier general conf
mandng."
fright; pass on" said the guard cad
vance two and give the countersign." My
companion did so, and soon rejoined me.
"Supposs that fellows gun had gone oil
while he was tickling us in the ribs with his
bayonet," said |.
aOr ii he had in playful mood punched
| a hole through u.s." said my comrade.
Thus we passed picket after picket, some
| of whom were wide awake to the RESPONSE
| biity resting on them, while others had but
little conceptiou of their duties. one OF
| these, as we approached him, yelled ont at
| the top OF his voice Hello, there what 'ye
| want? How soon's the next relief comm on ;
| I've been standing here moren two hours,
| and I'm id tired of it."
| Reprimanding the impatient guard, and
| giving him some nsedfui instruction from
| our own rather scant store of military knowl-
| edge, we passed on to the next sentinel. lie
was a German, and with sweet German ac-
cent called out
| "Halt Who goes dere ?'
Friends, with the countersgn."
| "Adwanch, mein frents, mid der counter
sign"
| We advanced together, and leaning up
| against the point of his biyonet, as before, !
| whispered the words, James =. Negley,
| brgadier general commanding"
| Dutchey kept his bayonet to my breast,
shook his head and said in very sympa'
T" Dot is not der recht countersign, mine
frents."
"Of course 1t is the countersign," said ],
not little alarmed" and we are officers oi
the picket" ,o.,, 10, ,,.,o, Ia oo,,,.r
sign dot vas gif to me-"
| "What countersign was given to you p
ventured to ask.
"Der countersign over here is 81 said
he in the simplicity Of his heart, thus unwit
tingly betraying To us the countersign thai
he was bound to receive from all passers anc
| give to no one
hurriedly whispered IS" over the bar
rel of his rifle, and he brought his piece to 1
shoulder. saying:
"Der countersign is recht, mine trents
bass on ~
We should have cautioned the guard to b'
| more discreet in permitting any one TO ap
. | proach him, but were too glad to have go
| out of dangerous scrape to find any iaul
with him or waste time in giving him IN
structions. Besides, We wanted to hnd on
, lost platoon, which we had reason TO believe
, was mile or two further 10 the ielt. Tn
, magic figure as" carried us safely pas
dozens of sentinelS, until we lett the wago
road and entered the edge OF thcke'
, | through which there was only trail tina
, had been beaten by the pickets who had pr
ceded us. Here we were halted by squa
OF armed men, ono of whom demanded tn
countersign.
ONCE MORE IN DANGER.
refused TO give 1t, and asked to kno
by whose order the squad was roamin
around through the woods.
a s.A,. al