The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-02-13
On Picket.

On one of the tours of picket duty
during this month of July, 1864, says a
writer in the Veterans Advocate, we are
on post on the left of the army, near
what is known as the "Gurley Farm"
and / am sergeant of one of the reliefs.
My line extends for couple of miles
or so, and in the center is the Gurley
mansion, situated on road which runs
across the lines. The enemy's line is
just in sight in the edge of the woods
away. While my relief is on duty Ire
main for the most of the time near this
house, occasionally riding along the line,
to see how matters are. The first day
a man from the enemy's pickets comes
along the road short distance in
front of their line and waves paper.
understand this to mean that he wants
to exchange papers, but l have moth
ing in the Newspaper line except
copy of the Free Baptist weekly paper,
the Morning Star, published at Dover,
New Hampshire, and this is more than
a week old, and not supposing he will
care for this, and knowing it is against
orders to communicate with the enemy,
] at first pay no attention to him. But
he is persistent sort of a rebel and re-
mains there, and as the man on post
wishes to 90 down and meet him,
finally give him the paper and let him
90. The reb kicks at that sort of ex-
change, but concludes to swap, and
sends me a Petersburg paper of the
morning before, and also a kind mes
sage expressed in such manner that
feel that he can be trusted. We have
pleasant communication with each
other the next day, during which l
learn that the Ninth Virginia and Fifth
North Carolina Regiments are on picket
duty in our front. eve meet that
North Carolina regiment many times
in the field and on picket, and come to
be almost like old friends. although
foes.) The third morning, as my men
are being relieved, there are sounds of
rapid firing on the right of my line.
The next relief has just gone up the
line, and some of my men have been
relieved. Myself and others are enjoy
ing good hearty morning wash at the
pump in front of the house, while some
of my men are in the house taking a
bath. We get ourselves together as
quickly as possible and ride up there,
but the firing lasts only moment, and
all is quiet long before we arrive. I
find an attack has been made on the
right of my line, Jimmy Burns cap
tured, Tom Moore's horse shot, and
others of my line driven in, and then
the enemy had fallen back. am pretty
mad-mad clear through. | can not
help feeling that | am some to blame
that perhaps my friendly relations with
the rebel picket have caused me to be
| less careful-that he has lulled me into
feeling of security purposely that the
attack may be better made, although
there is no reason for thus thinking.
am not happy bit that forenoon, and
am pretty ugly the next time my relief
gets on post. Hardly are my men
| posted when out comes my rebel friend,
waving a paper and motioning for me
to come down. | think this the height
of cheek, and am strongly tempted to
order my picket to shoot at him, but
that won't do, and seeing him more
than usually anxious, | let the picket
90 to meet him. When he comes back
he brings me nice little note from the
reb, expressing his sorrow for what oc-
Cured in the morning, and saying his
command had none of it, but that the
regiment on their left, which was op-
posite my line, had been relieved the
night before by IA Texas regiment that
knew nothing about picket duty, and
they had made the attack. Confidence
is restored, and | feel Differentiated
toward him, but don't get Jimmy
Burns back-that is, not until the next
winter.-Selected.