r a soger!' Should I ever come back? Perhaps I should wish
myself home again soon enough. However, that couldn't be now, so good-by
everything and everybody, and into it head and heels.

I went, among other reasons, chiefly to see _what it was like_, and I
will record my experience;--for though, since the war began, tales and
sketches of military life have been written and read without number, and
we have all become sufficiently learned in warlike matters to see how
ignorant of, and unprepared for war the nation was at the outbreak of
the rebellion; yet, all I saw and learned was new to me, and may prove
interesting to some others.

Tuesday morning by daylight we were in Harrisburg, and marched from the
cars to the Capitol grounds through the just awaking town, escorted by
one policeman armed with a musket. There a wash at a hydrant refreshed
me--then to breakfast in a temporary shed-like erection near the depot.

An army breakfast! Huge lumps of bread and salt junk, and coffee. To
this I knew it must come; but just then, after spending the night in the
cars, the most I could do was to swallow some coffee, scorning however
to join those who dispersed through the town for a civilized
breakfast--wherein I intended to be soldierly, though before long I
learned that your old soldier is the very man who goes upon the plan of
snatching comfort whenever he can.

But the regiment was at Chambersburg; so for Chambersburg we took the
cars, a distance, I believe, of about fifty miles.

Chambersburg, however, we were not destined to reach. Along the route we
met all sorts of rumors: 71st cut up; six men in the 8th killed;
fighting still going on a little in front, &c., &c.;--a prospect of
immediate work. So in ignorance and doubt we came to Carlisle. Here we
were greeted by part of the 71st, and the truth proved to be that the
8th and 71st had retreated to this place the night before. 'Not, not the
six hundred,' however, for the left wing of our regiment had somehow
been left behind, and nothing was certainly known of it. At all events,
we were to go no farther, and out of the cars we came. Old members
exchanged greetings, and recruits made acquaintances.

But what were we going to do? I could not learn. We waited, having
stacked arms, some sleeping beneath the trees in the College grounds,
until the lieutenant-colonel appeared upon the scene. Then we marched,
back and forth; toward the cars--'going back to Harrisburg;' past t