o the
people of Mt. Sterling, the court held its regular sessions, a thing that
had not been done since the war broke out. We were paid off; money was
spent freely and Mt. Sterling put on her holiday attire. After we moved
down into the court house grounds there was no guard kept around the camp,
the boys were allowed to go and come as they pleased so long as they
behaved themselves and were present at roll-call. In a short time they
became acquainted with the people of the village and in the country
around. They used to wander off into the country for miles, call at the
farmers' houses, and buy things to eat. In this way they became acquainted
in families, and those acquaintances in many instances ripened into
friendships. A Company E man and I went off into the country one day some
three or four miles. We came to a medium-sized, pleasantly situated house,
with a lot of hens in the yard. We thought this our opportunity to get
some eggs, which was our errand, and walked up to the door and knocked. We
were invited in. As we were buying our eggs two young ladies appeared. We
did not feel like rushing away then, although the girls were a little
slighting in their answers to questions and in speaking of the
Confederates referred to them as "our men." In the course of the
conversation it was disclosed that they had relations in the Confederate
army. However, the girls were young and attractive and we did not hurry.
There was a piano in the room and my friend suggested that one of them
favor us with a selection. The younger one, a girl about twenty, sat down
and played "Dixie" and "My Maryland." As she finished she swung around on
her chair and glanced at each of us in a way that said, what do you think
of that. We complimented her and asked her to play the "Star Spangled
Banner," and "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean" which she did as a favor. My
friend then asked her to play the Marsellaise. She did not recognize it.
Would he hum it?--she might remember it. He hummed it, but it was evident
she did not know it. Finally, she said in a rather saucy way, "Why don't
you play it yourself?" He said he would if it was agreeable. A plainly
dressed private soldier sat down to the piano but from that moment the
instrument seemed inspired. He played the "Marsellaise," "The Watch on the
Rhine;" then he played a number of selections of dance music from Strauss
and other things. If he stopped they would say, "Oh don't stop, play
something els