The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-05

Il hOmewnrd march at A O'clock this
ftcrnoon, arriving here about three l
hours Inter.
BY A. R.syy. sIAcISRETH.
4 TORT DELIGHT, cHEsTERF1ELD
COUNTY VA. July 4.-Singing g
/ their way into Swift Creek at
u s:15 O'clock last night, Com.
pany B. OF the Richmond VI gilt
infantry l,lt! Blues, immedia telys debarked
and set out by forced marches for
Centralia where. after travelling over
| the muddtest and heaviest roads IL
Is possible to describe without ind,ilg-.
| Ing In profanity. they, arrived about
1880 o'clock this morning
i Wlthin5a a few yards of the little way
side station at Swift Creek Cantafn3
Palmore drew up his men. and In a,
| few minutes they had begun the long.
wearisone tramp for Centralfa. Tils,
command started out like jolly good,
tellows.fwith swinging stride.5 cl1eer-.
! ing and singing snatches of old wa
songs and cracking jokes as IL d forced
march by night were the easiest thin,r
| In the world. They expected to travel
only six miles and to arrive in can1p
at 10 O'Clock. But time dragged BY on
SLOW wheels. and 1t was not5until four
l,ol,rE later that they threw do yyn their
packs and pitched their tents. It was
always only a few miles further. some
times. In city terms, only few
squares further on. But the march
was fully ten miles. Beneath a quarter
moon and threatening sky. through
winch the stars peeped dimly at rare
,, ,n.erNais, the men trampet on and on.s
laughing. sweating and sometimes
L swearing as they sank over their shoe-
tops In the mud. IN s. 5sg5Sas
The hours drew on to i u o'clock, q,
then. In the murly darkness the rnieiaa
took the wrong turn ana the command
got lost In the woods /. ~ ssl..s
the moon had entirely wfthdra wn;
It's feeble light. and in the pitchys
blackness no man could see his 3handS
before his face. Maps were cons,'it al
by the light OF many matches. and stha
omcers gazed blankly- at vacant sky.
There was no aid from heaven, ana,
the men sat down or reclined on the
sandy road. utterly tagged out. "a few
drops OF rain pattered down. but.
though famished and weary, thaar1 . ns3
preserved their cheerful spirits. and l
encouraged each other and sflruminated9
the darkness with brilliant talk.
Finally the order was given to turn
back and and picking up their heavy packs
.heS began retracing l.a their The
right turn was discovered 4fby Lieu
tenant McD lowell two miles further
down the road. A halt was made q s.
the cross roads, the men again recIfn-
Ing in the wet sand. IT was 4 but a!s
short delay. and then the men swung
into @. stride for ca mp victuals and rest
Could Have Made Ensy Capture.
Seen atRnight and only BY the light
I OF faint moon. the turnpike traveIe1fi
seemed the lonelfest and mos desc
late IN sChristend ON. s Three uni fehterlE
farm houses. where solitary watch
dogs bayed the moon and barked their
;disfavor to. the trampng soldiers ana
one 81 ose- -shuttered school house we ra
all the signs OF inhabitantsl the conn d
pany saw. The country seemed to-.
have been deserted for the Invaders,
and possession could have heen taken
withoutsfrings shot At the turning
into camp, however, the blinking sol-.S
{diers We're surprised by several scorass$
ofunlenshed dogs, who seemed to spring
from every quarter in the wood S. TheM
advance guard was forced to proceetfss
with cautious step and several Digs
more feroclous than the rest. had To, IS
be warded off with a show OF glearl-M M
ing bayonets. The CANNES followed
the command into camp. and there they
spent the night. s s5; s3ss
The camp lay a mile and i half east
far from the signs Of water. Tents Il
and provisions had been thrown off [ al III
.Centralia. and were carried thence ny y,
wagon. Sergeant Knowles, n in ia ON. 5s3
7mand OF Privat tesS Jon es, Pond and e
Davis on, was left in charge, and they
had supper OF ham and scrambled 81
eggs in readiness over a roaring fire j,
when the boys. amishe a thirsty and 81
weary. arrived. sas
Hungry Men Pitch Tents. iES
But before sop OF bread IVA S tou c1a- q
ed or a canteen placed to parching 8
lips. Captain Palmore gave K III q $conas
mand to pitch tents. 1.-THE. light ~ \;
flckering candles placed 81 on the
ground and the red flames. from the Il
fire the men drew up b line, un -.5ss IA
packed their rolls, and proceeded IA
peg out their3llttla squares of ground. Ri
1t was half an hour orr 1ore before !,
the call for supper was sounded. 81 Then AZ
came the welcome call, and ham and ss
eggs were dlshed outfwith rapidttY,S$ ,$
equal only to the hunger OF I he me AL il
Everyth In sig t was wallowed flIp;s ;sFssss
and the accompanying dogs got little ss
for tn cir barking and 4theirFra ms II YAK
4 Full stomachss seemed to elisvesl 4 S
weariness, and men who had sworn
that they would require no rocki 4 8
when they gotstot camp found tt siMpo i
sible.f because OF the exc!tenle Mt
the OCCASION to close their eyes. III
was a long medley of shouting. sons v
and the barking Of dogs. There Yves sss
no thought OF sIeep;E Sexerybo ,ad 81
recovered from the rlness. l5sss s4i
Banter and raillery were the order sss
OF tha4 hour; some epla we'd or q ii AZ 81 sS
others indnlgad In ca rds. was gfuli R$Sgs;
4 o'clock, when every ga NJ CT, ,ssyys,a
dry and the the moon Q gains asat
fcnati ir,nsd oni r II th Pax az