of corn heaped up just
as it was cut in the field and all around it sat the negroes husking. They
sang most of the time a monotonous sing-song tune. There were present
negroes from different parts of the plantation and there was a feud to be
avenged. All at once each man whipped out an axe-handle and at each other
they went with a fury thoroughly brutal, pounding each other on the body,
head or anywhere. The overseers were soon after them and had them
separated and at their husking again. The axe-handles, all that could be
got hold of, were taken away from them. These field negroes, or cornfield
negroes, are about the lowest and worst in the South. Great care has to be
exercised to prevent them from getting hold of knives. Had half a dozen of
these negroes had knives at that time there would have been a lot of
blood spilled. There was quite a little spilled as it was.

October 22. There has been quite a bit of excitement the last two days in
camp caused by the secreting in the grounds of a negro slave who was also
assisted in his escape by some of the boys. The negro belonged to Governor
Hicks and he was seen making his escape into the grounds. Colonel Morse
did his best to find the negro but no one else gave himself any trouble
about the matter. The negro was carefully hidden in an old chimney until
night, when one of the boys stole a rowboat in the town, took it around to
a little dark place behind some old sheds, loaded Mr. Negro into the boat,
gave him a bag of hardtack and started him off down the sound in the
direction of Baltimore.

It was no uncommon thing for negroes to be assisted in making their escape
by the boys, but this negro, having been seen entering the grounds by the
main gate, and the owner being no less a person than the Governor of the
State, the affair was given exceptional importance.

Those of us boys who were fond of shell fish, had a treat at Annapolis.
The famous Chesapeake Bay oysters were in abundance, cheap and delicious.
Besides these, there was a kind of crab the fishermen brought to the
wharf and sold to us, that was as sweet and as delicious as they could be.

October 29. Company K and three other companies were sent out on to the
railroad between Annapolis and Annapolis Junction to do picket duty along
the railroad, relieving the companies that had been out there while we
were at Annapolis. When we boarded the train to go out, it was discovered
that the orderly sergeant was drunk. I