Year: 1863

dozen to fifteen or twenty from each company.
We were ordered to take with US two days ra-
tions, an order that we could not for the life OF
us obey, from the fact that there were no two
days rations to be had. | know of one fellow
that couldn't rake or scrape together dozen hard
tack, either by begging, borrowing or buying, and
| know of another-the corporal hmsef-who
had but seven crackers, and four of these he bor-
rowed unbeknCwn to the former owner. Wewere
obliged to trust to Providence and 60 ahead. The
first reserve was down to the foot Of this frigid
pinnacle, near citizens house; the second re-
serve was still further out from camp, and at this
reserve we were ordered to halt. We we're to
stay here all day. We stacked arms, and at the
word halt, we concluded the most comfortable
place to dump our knapsacks was on the sunny
side of a stone wall, and here we stationed our
Selves and picketed for the next twentyfour hours
with all our might. The succeeding twenty-four
we spent on post All day long we remained


faithfully near this reserve, according TO strict Or


ders employing our time principally in falling IN
to line and presenting arms to certain officers ev-
cry time they came around Every soldier is
aware Of the peculiar faculty these officers have
of coming around just as we busily engaged
perhaps in reading story, perhaps in trying to
indite letter to f'ierd, or perhaps endeavoring
to make cup Of tea, or drink one that is .made


in which case they VII! always make it point to


stay till our tea is cold and our appettes spoiled.


After they have remained long enough to impress
us with the importanceiof their.errand or a sense
OF their own personal dignity, they kindly conde-
scend to allow US TO break ranks again and re-
sumo our own unimportant avocations. Of course
we accept such kindness with the meekest graf
itude, and straghtway forget that that officer and


ourselves bear the remotest relation to each other


Reckless soldiers often swear about very small
things, and we have known them to indulge their


profsne propensties quite freely on occasions like


these. One fellow, at the time of which | am


speaking, had been assiduously preparing him a


cup of coffee for his dinner, and which he seemed


to regard as OF more than ordinary value becaus


it was the last that he had the material for max


ing. He had, by dint of considerable persever


ar ce, started fire, and had just got his coffee


heated to the boiling point, when the officer Of


the day came along and se was ordered with the


rest of Us to fall in. Every body knows that wher


coffee frs. boils it takes nischlverous fancy tC


running over, and at that critical moment 1t has t
he attended 10 or i will waste Tbs fellow il


his anxiety to see his coffee in safe condition t.


cave waited little too long. His coffee mad
out to boil, however, but in his hurry to remov


it from the FIRE he spilled the whole of it, ant
burned himself in the bargain. This was not


yery important event of itself, but it was NOR


than this soldier could master, and the conse
auence was that he invoked terrible imprecation
OF wrath upon the beads Of all officers in genel
=, al and this one in particular. If the suprem
control Of events had been left to his discretion
we should have trembled for the fate of that oil
Ger, engaged as he was, in the innocent dischare


of bis duties. We do not wish to be misunde
= stood as trying to speak lightly of these nitai


transactions, for as a means of discipline, no dou


they are very useful, but common soldier is q
to overlook that point and consider only what IL
:, portant bearing they can have in putting doV
rebellion.


"A Night came, and we built us great rousing fir
7 of rails, that we appropriated from fence clio
mn 10 this citizen q house. In Verm ont we shou
:, have thought such sacrege objectionable, b
"A here it was a very comfortable nececessty. II
:. ,ext morning, when we went to buy csnteen
,. milk of the lady there, we could not help not
~ ing the wearing effect that daily contemplate
49, Of the dissertations going on here was having u
- on her health and spirits. She was worrying ht
b self to death. The provost guard, who had bel
!. stationed there to protect her and her proper
Il. and who probably was allowed Liberties that


stranger might not assume, advised her in c
!; hearing not to care" so much. He warned
- that she was killing herself, and she did not
ID. tempt to deny the truth of what he said l ne'
-. saw more complete specimen OF broken hea
,ao ed woman in my life. Nothing but the presun
- ton that she might be notorously rebel in her
~ cnations could have prevented me from giv
go her my fullest sympathes. AS it was | had
.aI heart to burn any more of her rails, or conf
~ a,v other depredatons whereby she might
w tho sufferer. know nothing Of her history
~ her circumstances, | only Judge from what s'


Tho ,ext dav we went out or to the line.