eals closely
in the rear of their stacks. The night was a pleasant one. An open air
encampment upon such a night is one of the finest phases of a soldier's
life. Meals over, the events of the day were discussed, or such matters
as proved of interest to the different groups.

One group we must not pass unnoticed. The majority lounged lazily upon
the grass, some squatted upon their knapsacks, while a large stone was
given by common consent to a tall, fine-looking Lieutenant, the
principal officer present.

"Corporal," said he, addressing the little Irish Corporal, "do you know
how near we are to Martinsburg?"

"Faith I don't, Lieutenant."

"I do not know the exact distance myself, but we are not over three or
four miles from the road that we took when we guarded the ammunition
train from Martinsburg to Charlestown."

"Oh, it's the ould First ye are spaking about, is it? Ov coorse I
ricollect Martinsburg, and the markit-house where I guarded the fifty
nagurs that Gineral Patterson had ordered to be arrested for having
stripes on their pantaloons, Uncle Sam's buttons on their caps, and
belts with these big brass U. S. plates on. Oh, but it was a swate
crowd. The poor divils were crowded like cattle on cars, and it was one
of the hot smothering nights. I couldn't help thinkin', that by and by,
if our armies didn't move faster, the nagurs would have little trouble
gettin' into uniforms. They have a nat'ral concate about such things.
One poor fellow rolled the whites of his eyes awfully, and almost cried
when I ordered him out of his red breeches."

"The day has not come yet, and need not," rejoined the Lieutenant, "if
our generals do their duty. Don't you recollect how we were hurried from
Frederick, and after marching seven miles out of the way, made good time
for all to Williamsport--how bayonets appeared to glisten upon every
road leading into the town; and then our crossing the river, the band
all the while playing 'The Star-spangled Banner,' and the march we made
to Martinsburg, passing over the ground where the battle of Falling
Waters had but a few days before been fought? If that battle had been
followed up as it should have been, Johnson would never have reached
Bull Run."

"Be jabers! do you know, Lieutenant, that that fight was all a mistake
upon our part? Shure, our ginerals niver intended it."

A laugh, with the inquiry "how he knew that?" followed.

"Didn't I hear a Big Gineral, that I was acting as o