The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-03-26

which surmounted it. There we found
our fire brightly blazing. little straw
got together, and a supper of boiled
goose and greens ready to be served
up. The reader will easily believe,
that we addressed ourselves to the last
with satisfaction by no means the
less lively, that we had not anticipated
anything of the kind. Our servants,
it appeared, intent, as all good servants
ought to be, upon their masters COM
fort, had instituted a search in every
direction after viands, and. in shed
near the hospital, had discovered a
flock of some sixteen or eighteen geese.
OF these they took care to secure a
couple before any other individual was
let into the secret; but the birds soon
BETRAYED themselves-th cackling
was overheard by the surgeons attend
ants, and in five minutes after they all
paid the debt of nature. Into the fate
of the birds, however, we cared not to
inquire; we were pleased with our own
share; and having proved this in the
most satisfactory of all manners, we
drank our grog and lay down. In ten
minutes after we were both fast asleep.
For the first half of the night, our
repose continued to be as sound and
unbroken as we could possibly desire.
The air was serene and mild; and the
intervention of the boughs overhead,
screened US pretty successfully from
the dews; but towards midnight we
were awakened by visitation, to guard
against which, even the dense foliage
of our bower proved wholly insufiici-
ent. The rain fell in torrents. There
was no thunder, it is true; but the
fountains of the great deep seemed for
the second time to be broken up, so
tremendous was the rush of water upon
our lairs. We rose, as may be imag
ined, not in the best humor possible;
vet we soon found out that to repine
would be useless; so drawing our cloaks
more closely around us, we crept lit
tie nearer to the fire, and sat for half
an hour listening to the storm. By
and by, however, drowsiness began
again to exert its influence. The wa
ter fell as profusely as ever: our gar
ments were not proof against it; we
were thoroughly saturated, but even
in that state sleep was precious. We
heaped on an additional quantity of
fuel, and laying ourselves as close to
the blaze as a regard to our personal
safety would allow, we were very soon
as ignorant Of passing events, as We
had been before the storm awoke us.
If any judgment may be formed from
the condition of our persons when the
orderly reused us, the rain must have
continued to fall, without any inter-
mission, from midnight up to the mo-
ment of the general muster. For my
self, | can only aver, that | got mp, alb
solutcly heavy with the load of mois-
ture which hung about me. To say
that | was wet to the skin, would be
to convey very feeble picture of my
predicamcnt. My very skin was per-
forated,-I was wet to the bones and
marrow. Yet l arose in the highest
possible spirits, and took post beside
my men, every one Of whom was as
completely drenched as |, and | firmly
believe, as merry and light hearted.
We stood in column upon the ground
of our encampment, till daylight began
to appear; after which we moved down,
and took our stations on the high road
at the head of the column. There we
found the other corps and brigades as
sembling; and ! perfectly recollect, to
this moment, the degree of mirth which
was excited among us soldiers, when
oar gallant allies, the blue,iackets. pro-
ceeded to take up their ground. Even
the unmilitary reader will probably
| u lderstand, that when Il column forms,
the different companies Of the battalion
or brigade drawn up, as nearly as may
be, at regular distances from each 9TH
er. No men ever set this technical ar
rangement SO completely at defiance,
as the sailors. TO them it appeared to
b the matter of the most perfect H.
d ference how or where they stood
whilst their garrulity exceeded all
conceivable bounds, and their laught, i
made the very woods ring. Jack is
certainly not in his element. when
brought to act with regular land
force. In storming battery, or max
ing sudden dash for any purpose. he
is, perhaps, the most efficient animal
you could employ; but in series OF
operations, where patience no less than
courage, and regularity no less than
daring, are required, he is certainly
not the being whom we would select
as most efficient He had done his
duty, however, in the affair of yester
day, and done it nobly; and if we did
smile little at his ignorance of tao
tics, there was not, in the feeling which
produced it, the most remote assimila
ton to disrespect, or the most distant
disposition to deny to him the full NEED
Of praise which his galantry had al
ready merited, and, we were aware
would merit again.