The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-08-21

wavside. We passed, in our march
more than one stream Of water. AS
may be imagined, there was no keep
mo the men i'm their rams on these oc-
casions: and. indeed, to speak the truth
| became myself, at last, SO completely
overpowered, that not only ceased to
forbid their haIting to drink, but joined
in the act of INSTRUMENTATION and drank
also
| The sun had set, and, as in the case,
in this quarter of the world. darkness
WAS fast following his departure, when,
to the ineXpressible satisfaction ofevery
officer and man in the army, the halt
was sounded We had reached Il space
of ground more open than usual, and
lst sufficiently elevated to give us, in
case of an attack, the advantage of a
rising ground. On the slope OF this,
and among few stubhle-felds, the diff
ferent corps drew up. The guns were
then. as usual, dragged to the summit
the arms were piled, fires were lighted
and the ordinary preparations for a
bivouac gone throueh; but in these,
| and i'm the rest which was to follow
them, it fell not to the lot of my friend
or myself to take part. AS soon as the
column halted, we were called upon to
muster our company, and moved of
towards the front. where the charge OF
on, of the out-pickets was committed
to us.
The post in question was distant
about quarter of mile from the
camp. 1t was farmhouse, situated
near the high-road, surrounded by nu-
merous barns and buildings, and which,
strange to say, had not been deserted
by its inmates. OF these, however-at
least of the females,-we saw nothing;
the father, an old, weather-beaten,
rough-spOken parsonage, alone making
his appearance. He was keen Demo
crat, thorough Yankee, and abhorred
the English with all his heart; ii feel
ing which he took no care to conceal,
and which We, of course, resented only
by turning it into ridiculc. He spoke
much Of the iniquity of our invasion;
but comforted himself by anticipating
the utter destruction of those engaged
in it, who would, as he asserted, be OPP
posed by the bravest men, and the most
expert shots, which the whole world
could produce. His two sons, he in
formed us, had gone off only this morn
ing to join the army, and his principal
source Of regre. appeared to he, that
his own age and intirmities hindered
him from joining in it also. The read
er will easily believe, that we enjoyed
the old mans conversation a great deal
more, than if he had pretended to sen
timents which he could hardly expert
encc, or put on manner which was
not natural to him. Nor, to say the
truth. was he more hostile in his Ian
guage, than he proved himself friendly
in his behaviour as q landlord. He
produced his bread and cheese and
peach whisky literally and freely; and
though he drank to our speedy defeat
we willingly joined him, if not in his
sentiment, at all events in his pota-
tions.
The greater part of our time was,
however, spent out of doors. Though
there was no enemy in sight, nor, as
far as we could learn, any force collect
ell within days march of us, we were
not on that account the less careful to
see that the sentries occupied proper
posts, and were attentive to their duty.
On the contrary, the circumstance that
we knew not where to look for danger,
induced us the more cautiously to
guard against it; and as it might come
upon us from either flank, or from the
rear, just as readily as from the front
the whole encampment was girdled in
by circle of watchmen. These took
their ground at the distance of perhaps
half musket shot from the different
pickets which furnished them. They
stood not more than forty or fifty yards
apart from one another, and except
upon the great road, they stood singly
On the road, agar, there were Il cou.
pie planted together, in order that one
might from time to time patrol on.
ward to ascertain whether all was safe
whilst the other remained stationary
1t was our business to see that these
respectfully fulfilled the trusts rcposed
> in them; and the business was one
which could not otherwise he accom-
plished except by constantly travers
ing from one extremity of the chain tC
the other.
For several hours, no other incon
venience attended these perambula
: tions. besides feeling of considcrabl,
fatigue, for which the toilsome marcl
of the day had amply prepared us; bu
towards midnight the case was differ
: ent. \ mass of black clouds suddenl,
collected together, and the stars, whicl
: but moment ago shone out Lrightl,
in Il clear blue SKY, were completed,
obscured. \ tremendous storm o
thunder, lightning, and rain ensued
There was not breath of wind, it i
true, but the thunder was terrific, an'
| the rain rushed down like cataract il
perpendicular streams. The effect O