Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-01-22
Camp at Hancock and Reconnaissance.
BY JAMES 4. Sc0TT.

trihulation perhaps the next night.
If that stable is still alive, would
like to see it to day.
The good citizens of Hancock and
the soldiery got along very we'll to-
gether, and the ladies were very kind.
Most of the disloyal elements left for
the South or some other region early
in the war Even with the pressure
upon them of the evils OF war, the
surrounding farmers could now and
then poke little fun at the soldiers.
One morning two of the latter entered
a town store where group OF farmers,
seated around the stove. were convers-
ing. s'Yes; we could once hear the
Growing of ROSTERS in three States, "
said one in raised tone as though
wishing the iucomers TO hear it.
Can tyou now3' queried one Of them
mot since the soldiers came round,
was the reply in mournful tone, and
then the silence Of the boys might
have been cut with saber.
Some Of the First Infantry, Colonel
Henley, had picket posts along the
turnpike and river. Part of the duty
Of Company &C" was to patrol the
turnpike at night, to guard and pro-
tect from injury by cutting the mill
tary telegraph Of the Upper Potomac.
i The beat for the Hancock patrol was
FIVE miles in length. The patrol
started out late in the night and re-
turned to headquarters before day
light They had to pass several
picket posts of the Maryland Infantry
} referred to, and of course were halted
T when they came near, with the de-
mand that one disnount, advance, and
) give the countersign. OF course they
: and the patrol had each the same
, word for the night. There was. how
7 ever a goodly number in the infantry
not familiar with the English tongue
| and accent, and after the word had
: been whispered into their several ears
: and uttered by their several mouths
it scarce knew itself. One snowy
l night the word was POTOMAC. The
patrol was halted as usual at the first
infantry post and one ordered to dis
5 mount, ETC., which was done, though
with no good grace in the deep snow,
for we thought as they knew us they
might let us pass without the strict
) formalities. When the countersign
was given, Oats not de word" said
the picket. eyes, it is, Dutchey and
it's all you'll get-Potomac, replied
) the cavalryman, "What word have
, your" "Buttermek IS de word" he
answered. mo, it's not buttermilk,
its water, Potomac water" said the
patrolman, and on they marched. On
another occasion the word was CAR
bela," one Of the battles of Alexander,
which these pickets corrupted to
/ "Harebelly"
= At this time no Union troops had a
! Ioothold anywhere south of the Poto-
r mac except near its mouth. None
, were in the Shenandoah Valley. The
enemy held it to the river. About
: midnight one very dark night we
} were called from our various shelters
, to saddle up mount, and go to the
river ferry prepared TO cross and pro-
! coed on a scouting expedition. Tie
|. wind was blowing and we found a
thaw had set i'll. Loose ice was float
, ing in the river. We crossed on a
fiat about twenty men and horses
going over at time. cannot now
say how large our force was. but it
was not the full strength Of Coles
i Cavalry. A couple Of pieces Of artil-
: lety accompanied US. II was daybreak
when we were all across the river and
ready so march. We marched on the
road towards what was then known
as Bath, but now berkeley Springs.
Snow still fingered on the ground in
patches, was in a state of thaw, and
the roads were "soft. AS we pro-
ceeded we saw the evidences on either
hand of Jackson's hazardous march
from Winchester to Hancock and re-
treat in the dead of the winter The
heads of slaughtered animals were as
numerous as those of buffalo used to-
be on the Western plains on an In
dian line OF march. Temporary
structures of rails and brush and logs,
canteens, haversacks. and ragged