that regiment and the Eighty-Eighth New York."

"What! Gen. Meagher, the Irish Brigade! Consider yourself at home,
sergeant. The best in our camp is at your service. You can have all you
can eat and drink, and a place to rest. Orderly," addressing a soldier
in front of the tent, "send Sergeant ---- to me."

"I see by your chevrons you are a non-commissioned
officer. May I ask your name?" addressing me.

"Sergeant J---- D----, Company K, colonel," was my response.

The sergeant made his appearance, and Col. Cass (for we learned,
subsequently, it was he) gave him directions to take Sergeant D----and
his men, and give them everything they wanted for the night, and their
breakfast before leaving in the morning. As we were about retiring the
colonel remarked:--

"The night is chilly, sergeant; fog is heavy, malaria abroad, and you
are tired. Wouldn't you like something in the way of liquid
refreshments?"

"Thanks, colonel," I replied; "but the Sixty-Third is a temperance
regiment.[9] We took the pledge from Father Dillon, last January, on
David's Island, New York Harbor, for the war."

"Is it possible? I am glad to hear it! God bless you. I trust you will
keep your pledge, not only for the war, but for all future time." I
thanked him, gave him a salute and retired.

We certainly found ourselves in "the hands of our friends." Sergeant
----(unfortunately my diary is silent as to his name) took us to his
quarters, and that being inadequate, lodged out some of the strangers.
Coffee was made for us at the company's kitchen, and in less than half
an hour there was enough of that delicious beverage steaming hot before
us, with a mountain of "hard tack," to feed a company, instead of
twenty-three men. The wants of the inner man being attended to (and we
did the spread full justice) brier wood and tobacco were called into
requisition. We found ourselves the centre of an interested crowd, for
it got noised abroad that a squad of Gen. Meagher's men was in Sergeant
----'s quarters. "Taps" were sounded at the usual hour, but, by
permission of the "officer of the day" the lights in the sergeant's
tent, and others adjoining, were not extinguished, out of respect to the
New Yorkers. During the evening song and story were in order, and at
this late day it will not be giving away a secret to say that the
"liquid refreshments," so kindly offered by the colonel were not ignored
by many present, for the Ninth had a sutler with it, whose