Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27
MAJOR rOSTAISE.

1t was here that Fontaine AMI another pri-
vate named Moore formed a close friendship.
Moore was married man and fairly idoliZed
his wife and their two beautiful young children.
Moore and Fontaine were almost constantly
together. whether on picket or guard duty.
They chung to each other. They bought little
hand books Of poems-Byron, Burns and
others-and together they would sit in the cool
shade OF trees or hanging rocks that lined the
Potomac above the Falls Of Seneca and read
aloud to each other passages from their favor
lite authors.
At this section Of the two army lines the pick
cts on either side of the waters federal and
confederate. had come to an understanding and
agreement that there should be no firing at
each other while on picket duty. And but for
n treacherous violation of this contract bv q
federal soldier the incident herewith related
would not have occurred and @,An Quiet Along
the Potomac Tonight would never have been
written L give the story in Fontaine's own
graphic words:
on PICKET DUTY.
I'VE had to stand on a post six hours at a
time That night took my stand at 6 clock
and Moore retired to rest. The nights were
chilly and We usually kept some fire burning.
There was a small spring Of water close by and
large fallen pine tree that used TO sit OF
and rest AZ times after walking my beat and
have frequently stopped at the spring and
bathed my face when the dread monotony OF
the still night had tendency TO lulI me 70
sleep AZ soon as found that midnight had
arrived stepped 10 the fire and threw on some
pine knots and reused Moore TO take my place
OFF DUTY FOREVER
He rose slowly. picked up his gun, stepped
70 the fire and stretched himself as a sleepy
soldier will, and gaped and yswned. and while
his arms were extended and his hand grasping
the barrel OF his gun there q fash across
TIE river and the whiz of bullet and he sank
10 the earth with a hole just above his eve OF,
the left side, from which flowed a dark crimson
tide. Not word. not a groan escaped him.
Il removed mis- remains frora near the fire
snere he had fallen Ald as i did so nv eyes
Eel! on the te!egraphie column of a newspaper
and Il was headed All Quiet Along the Potomac
tonight And, oh. how truthful it wasI Ii
vas certainly all quiet with me and with him
whom loved as a brother.
Il could not help shedding q tear, and nv
thoughts reverted To MS home, his wife and his
cilldren ana to the falsehood told by those
whose guest had been and whose treachs ~
mad caused his death. and they grew bitter,
and a demon OF vengeance arose In nv hear
which was not stIlled until the white dove OF
peace had spread her snowy pirions over the
Whole face of the land, and the bombshell
fSiied across the sward the plaything of a
How THE SONG WAS WRITTEN.
when morning dAsned the words Of tina,
hs~sPAper were burned In my brain. They
rang In my ears and were painted on every
scene that met my view. / put my friends
effects iogether-hIs letters. sword, hat and
alI-and expressed them 20 his wife, with a true
hnd perfect description OF his death. And
nile stood beside his cold form and gazed a,
his marble face aud glazed ewes. in the I'M
broken silence Of my lonely watch, / felt wha,
Few mortais ever feel in this shadow vale
banned the outlines of the poem then and
tiere. but not a. they now appear, for the frs,
were biting and sarcastic. I read the crude
sepy 10 Orderly Sergeant W. W Williamson,
VINO was nne critic. and Lleuts Graham and
Depritt Of my company. and Williamson aug
gested that II would only make il more ma
thetlc Instead Of sarcastic 1t would take better.
Il cld 30 and on the 9th OF August l had i,
complete as the poem now stands and L read
u 10 my msssmStes and received their hiehes,
eommendations- / gaze them copies Of the
original and they recOpied and sent the m home
and soon the whole regiment brigade. division
aud army were in possession Of it.
Ny father. whom 1 met shortly after the
completion Of il, suggested that instead OF
STRAY picket / ought TO say lone picket BuI
did not alter It, The ladies Of Lsesburg. In
Loudoun county, Va, put the words TO music
and used 20 sing them for us long before they
were printed gave one copy 10 Miss Eva
Lee and one to a Miss Hemstone; also a cow q
John NJ. Orr. who al the time was mayor Of tho
tssn 1 gave copies TO many others whose