intercourse whatever with any of his command.
Old Pigey also tried further to add insult to injury, by stating that
the Lieutenant-Colonel, who cannot, from weakness, walk twenty steps,
even though it would save his life, would be released from close
confinement, and might have the benefit of Brigade limits in our new
camp ground for exercise. You know that is so full of stumps and
undergrowth that a well man can hardly get along in it."

"So an officer of the Colonel's merit and services," remarked the
Adjutant, "was dragged off before daylight, and disgraced for what was
in its very worst light but a simple blunder, made under the most
extenuating of circumstances. Boys, if there be faith in Stanton's
pledged word, matters will be set right as soon as the record of the
case reaches the War Department. I am informed that he denounced the
whole proceeding as an outrage, and telegraphed the General; and we all
know that the General has been spending a good portion of the time since
the trial in Washington."

"And he came back," observed Bill, "yesterday morning, in a mood unusual
with him before three o'clock in the afternoon. He had his whole staff,
all his orderlies and the Provost Guard out to stop a Maine Regiment
from walking by the side of the road, when the mud was over shoe top in
the road itself,--and he flourished that thin sword of his, and raved
and swore and danced about until one of the Maine boys wanted to know
who 'that little old Cockey was with a ramrod in his hand,--' and that
set the laugh so much against him that his Aids returned their pistols
and he his sword, and he sneaked back to his marquee, and issued an
order requiring his whole command to stand at arms along the road side
upon the approach of troops from either direction."

"Which," remarked the Adjutant, "if obeyed, would keep them under arms
well nigh all the time, and would provoke a collision, as it would be an
insult to the troops of other commands, to whom the road should be
equally free. But it is a fair sample of the judgment of Pigey."

CHAPTER XIX.

_The Presentation Mania--The Western Virginia Captain in the War
Department--Politeness and Mr. Secretary Stanton--Capture of the Dutch
Doctor--A Genuine Newspaper Sell._

Presentations by men to officers should be prevented by positive orders;
not that the recipients are not usually meritorious, but the practice by
its prevalency is an unjust tax upon a class little able