The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-12-14

beside me, received nine pound shot
on the knapsack, and it literally dashed
him to pieces; but we were, on the
whole, fortunate to escape so well, more
fortunate, perhaps, than our want of
resolution deserved.
We did not fall back to our original
encampmcnt, but having accomplished
as much space as was deemed sufficient
to protect us against the enemy's fire,
we halted. The ground now occupied
resemblcd. in almost every particular,
that left behind. 1t was an unbroken
flat, without trees, hedges, or any other
species of natural cover; and. except
on the very left of the line, totally void
of buildings. The troops had brought
with them no tents. and of materials
Tor the construction of huts there was
4 lamentable scarcity; by far the great
est number were accordingly COM
PEELED to bivouac. But continued ex-
posure to this variable climate soon
began to affect us very sensibly, and
the bad quality as we'll as insufficient
supply of '',"'l. was ~.'r',v felt. For
all these grievances, however. no reme-
dy existed, so we digestcd them AS we
best could. in the hope that better for
tune mi .ht even yet he in store for us.
During the 2sth, 29th, Both and 3lst
strong detachments from the different
corps were employed in bringing up 4
train of heavy ordnance from the boats,
with ample supplies OF powder and
ball. 1t was not my fate to be en-
ployed in this service, SO | can speak
of it only from hearsay; but the labor
and difficulty Of accomplishing it,
were, | am told, beyond all calculation.
Nor was it the only irksome duty in
which we were engaged. The pickets
never mounted without suffering, soon
er or later, an attack. Sometimes the
enemy contcnted themselves with can
nonading the outpos,s, sometimes they
advanced large corps in the day, who
amused themselves and US, with long
and Improbable skirmshes. But
their more usual system was to steal
forward in sections. after dark, and to
harass us with Il desultory and trou-
blesome fire OF musketry till morning.
That you may the better understand
how these affairs were conducted, |
will detail to you, at length. the cir
which attended tour of
duty, in which | myself was engaged.
1t CHANGED that, on the morning of
the 3Oth, | was put in command Of a
picket. My post was abundantly ex-
posed; it was a shallow dry ditch, dis
tant about halfway between our own
and the enemy's lines. Having pa
raded my men an hour before dawn, |
marched forward, and being conducted
by the officer whom was about to re-
lieve and the sentincls, and instructed
as far as he was able to instruct me,
in the manner in which it hehooved me
to act, | set him at liberty, by assum-
ing the position which he abandoned.
For some time all remained quiet; the
day gradually dawned, and, as its light
no manifestations of hostile
design on the part OF the enemy, we
began to fiatter ourselves that we
should escape with fewer dangers and
hardships than had annoyed our pre-
decessors. But We were speedily con-
vinced that our calculations had been
formed on erroneous grounds.
AS yet neither nor the men had
to light Il fire; we found the
party whom we came to relieve with
out one, and we so far followed their
advice, as to act for some hours by the
pattern they had set us. But the day
was piercingly cold. A heavy shower
fell from time to time, and the absolute
discomfort OF our situation proved too
much for the whispers OF prudence.
Two fires were made To blaze up, one
for the men, the other for myself and
my companion. 1t seemed as if the
American artillcry-m"n had waited for
some object to direct their aim, for the
smoke had hardly begun to ascend,
when there played upon us, from Il
battery Of five guns, as perfecta a storm
of grape shot as ever whistled past the
ears of men so situated; and in five
the fires were abandoned.
But with this the enemy were not con-
tented; under cover of the cannona lie,
a body of some two or three hundred
infantry advanced, in extended order,
from the lines They came on with
loud shouts, and even before they had
arrived within anything like moderate
range, commenced running fire of
upon the s>ntinels. The Or
ders which had received were pre-
that not an inch of ground
should be given up, as long rs | was
in a condition to maintain it; so, in
stead of desiring the yilcttes to fall
back, advanced with the bo ly of the
picket to support them. At len 9Th, a
most interesting skirmish easued. Tie
it was perfectly manifest,
were raw troops; they made no de-
termined efforts, probably it was not
intended they should maze any efforts
to drive us in; but they pressed for