GUARD DUTY.
Our guard duty is just outside the town. There are three
stations: one on the south side next the asylum, one at the college on the west
side, and one on the north side on the Palace Green. This last station is the
one I usually take charge of. At each station the guard is divided into three
reliefs, and the duty is simply to keep a lookout for the approach of the enemy
and turn out the guard in honor of the officer of the day and to Col. West, the
post commander. Our quarters at this station are in a small house which was
formerly negroes' quarters. In the yard stands a large, unoccupied house owned
by a Mr. Saunders, now a resident of New York. He is said to be a loyal man and
a lawyer by profession. When McClellan passed through here, Mr. Saunders
availed himself of the opportunity, and taking his family, went to New York.
When I first took command of this station several mornings ago, the
instructions given me to keep a sharp lookout for the approach of the enemy. I
had not been engaged in this business a great while, when the approach of Col.
West was announced. I turned out the guard with a great dash, extending all the
honors due his exalted rank. He inquired my instructions. I informed him of
those I had received. He then inquired if I had not received instructions in
regard to this house in the yard. I said I had not. “Then I will give you some;
I shall expect you to look after this house and see that no one goes in there
or in any way disturbs anything around it, and shall hold you responsible for
its safe keeping while you are on duty.” I promised to faithfully attend to
that important duty. He then dismissed the guard and rode over to call on a
lady friend of his.
A FRIGHTENED DARKY.
I now had a very important trust imposed on me, and I
naturally felt a sort of womanly curiosity to explore that sacred realm. Soon
after daylight the next morning, I took three of the boys and went around to
the back side of the house and effected an entrance, but it was evident we were
not the first explorers. We found nothing but a few articles of heavy furniture
until we went into the southwest corner room next to the veranda. Here was a
rich find, a large library. This room was about 15 feet square, and on all
sides were books from the floor to the ceiling. Here was history, biography,
travels, fiction, religion, law and miscellaneous works, magazines of all
kinds, public documents, reports on all manner of subjects, and a large
quantity of letters and private papers.
We tarried here over an hour, and on coming out met a darky
on the veranda. He put on one of his ugliest looks and said:
“Wot doin' in dar? Mus keep out dar!"
“What's that to you, you black cuss?”
“You fine out, you go in dar. Colonel West tole me look out
for dis yer property an' tole him wot I sees goin' on yere.”
“And do you tell Colonel West what you see done here?”
“O, yas sah, yas salı, Ize tole him ebery ting Ize sees.”
“Look here, boy, do you want to live to be old?”
“O, yas sah, yas
sah."
“Well then, if you are cherishing any such desire, you must
be a little careful what you say to West, for if he ever comes to any stories
from you, we will take you out here into the woods and leave you for the
buzzards to eat.”
“O, lorra goliy mity, boss, Ize neber ses nosin' bout de
sogers, it's on’y dese yere citizens roun yere Ise looks arter, fore ile Lord,
boss, Ise done sa nosin bout de sogers."
“That's right, boy; you stick to that and keep it right on
your mind when you see West, unless you want buzzards to your funeral.”
That darky came down from boiling heat to zero in a short
space of time, and as we have heard nothing from him he probably keeps the
buzzards on his mind.
SALUTING THE POST COMMANDER.
A few mornings ago it was warm, sunshiny and spring-like. It
was my turn on guard, and I was in command of the whole party marching through
town. On the way I saw Col. West coming, and gave the order: “Shoulder arms;
close up!” Just then we were passing a house on the right side of the street.
On the veranda were several ladies taking their morning airing. I gave the
order: “Eyes right!” West heard the order, and caught the idea; laughing, he
touched his cap as he rode past us.
I reckon he was pleased with my style of soldiering as he
called on me at the station a few hours afterwards. I turned out the guard and
extended the customary honors. After looking us over he said: "Sergeant,
suppose you should see a force of the enemy file out of the woods over yonder,
what would you do ?”
“Well, sir, that would depend altogether on the size of the
force."
“Well, say one or two regiments of infantry.”
“In that case I should deploy my men among the buildings
here, and skirmish with them until reinforcements arrived.”'
“Very well. Suppose a brigade of cavalry should dash out,
what then?"
“In that case we would empty our rifles on them once twice,
and out and run like hell for Fort Magruder.”
“You'll do, dismiss your guard;” and wheeling his horse he
rode off laughing.
SOURCE: David L. Day, My Diary of Rambles with the 25th Mass.
Volunteer Infantry, p. 128-30