Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-09-20

to live
When life and it's sorrows are Ger,
IA place which the Lord to me will
give;
And then | shall sorrow no more!
That blissfuf place in my Fathers
land,
And all its delights | explore!
Come! favor my flight, angelic
band,
And watt me in peace TO the
shore"
As slowly went aboutl passed
many around the camp fires pre-.
pairing dinner, cooking meat, bak-
ing bread, brewing coffee and boil
ing peas or beans. Elsewhere new
recruits were at drill, most OF them
i'm homespun, and having mountain
rifles.
The drill master read the manual
to them froma book, much to the
diversion of the veterans of ten
months service, who were present
to criticise the performance of The
newly mustered IN"
The most veteran however of the
| veterans was frisky lieutenant
" hose arm was still sore from a
wound in the Allegheny fight in
December previously. His sensi-
bilities were much shocked at hear
| ing the manual exercise read to the
soldiers instead Of being repeated
from memory, and it was not long
until he turned away, and | have
not forgotten his scornful look as
he left, squirting tobacco juice
from his largely repIenished quid.
Next to fix my attention was to
notice several of the soldier boys in
ragged uniforms promenading, arm
IN arm, trying to find out, as they
said, who might he the prettiest's
girls on the grounds.
It was evident that they were
m uch pleased with themselves, and
the girls, too. And may say, the
girls were pleased by their atten-
tions, could their observations be
relied on, which were con6dentially
made to each other from time to
time, when they thought no one
was listening.
A little farther on came to
quite a crowd gathered about vol
unteer wenrinys coat perforated
with bullet holes. He had been
desperately wounded in mction, and
had just rejoined his company, anx-
lious for another brush, as Il am
now bullet proof. Two bullets are
never known to hit in the same
place"
After leaving the bullet proof
soldier with my congratulations, l
passed near party listening to a
fiddler. Two of the number were
so en!hused BY the music-"Such a
gitten up stairs" that they cleared
a ring and danced, much to the en-
tertainment Of their comrades.
Some one however put in a word
about Uncle Abe" having q way
Of making them dance better than
what they were doing before long
if Trey didn't mind.
Thus, in meeting and parting
with friends from home, playing
ball, shutting cards, making spor'
[of new recruits and their reading
drill master, jesting with the girls
swearing oaths, telling big tale
about battles, singing hymns. dane
ing reels, cooking rations, mendins
and washing clothes, drying blank
cts, and doing nothing, the tlm'
wore away.
l now began to think OF leaving
go to my room. where l Nigh
reflect on what all this meant, tina
, | had seen this world in miniature
as it were, and so to number Thu
day as to apply my mind to tn
wisdom to be learned therefrom
, Before passing the guards howeve
q noticed young man reclining OF
5 a blanket, just outside tent, evl
IDENTIFY in distracted mood, far-a
way expression on his features, an
was taking little if any interest il
what was passing around him. Up
e on recognizing him food of in
. teresting associations at once well
8 ed up in my memory. Two year
before, in the month of April. h
e had me come from the Warn