es me a cordial
greeting, saying he is pleased to meet me, and from what he has heard
of me is glad that I am his color-sergeant.

There were many entertainments given during the winter, which were
often patronized by the general and his staff. Quadrille parties were
held weekly by the regiments and corps in garrison. Invitations for
these parties were general. These were delightful gatherings. We always
had the best music, and the ladies of the city who attended were
pleased at all times to be in the whirl with the gay young warriors.
Our drills outside the gymnasium were bayonet, sword and route
marching. The bandmaster during the winter organized an orchestra which
was a great help to our entertainments.

The summer of 1863 arrived and the usual set up drill, musketry course
and other exercises were engaged in. George Island is situated in
Halifax Harbor, and the fortifications were not in good shape if it
were attacked. In order to place them in an absolute state of defence,
the Royal Engineers were repairing and rebuilding the forts. To
expedite the work, two companies of "G" and "H" were detailed to move
to the island, the men to be employed on its work with extra pay. Being
the senior sergeant, I acted as sergeant-major.

The Fenians, it was said, were raising a fleet to bombard Halifax. The
other ports received the same attention and were ready to receive these
men and their fleet, but they did not come. In the summer of 1864 the
two regiments exchanged quarters, the 16th moving from the Citadel to
Wellington Barracks, and the 17th from Wellington to the Citadel. The
anniversary of the tercentenary of Shakespeare was to be celebrated in
this city on St. George's day. The St. George's Society prepared a
public meeting in the afternoon, when an oration was given in honor of
the great writer. A committee prepared a programme to be rendered by
our society on the evening of the 23rd. We obtained permission from the
general, and we did our best to head the list of the military
contributions towards the monumental fund in London, England. The
theatre being too small for this undertaking, we leased the Temperance
Hall, largest in the city, and built our own stage. The programme was
soon ready and contained the following, which was purely Shakespearean.
An orchestra of thirty pieces played the overture and accompanied the
several numbers. The Rialto, Bargain, and Trial scenes from the
Merchant of Venice, four glees, a