ber of men, he took us up, left us in the proper hands, and though he saw me back a very short time afterward, he never thought it was any of his business to inquire how or why I returned. In the same way it is the duty of a guard to prevent any one from crossing his particular beat, and of the Commander to see that there are guards sufficient to encircle the space which is desired to be enclosed, so that if a person should persist in attempting to go over a portion of the beat, he would probably meet the bayonet, but as far as the guard is concerned, he could pass two inches beyond those bounds with perfect impunity. When guards were stationed along the bank to prevent the men from going down to the river, they always told the best way in which they could be evaded, to any one who inquired. All the water we drank was carried across their line, as that pumped up was totally unfit for use.
(Sunday, July 12th.) Some time during the night, marching orders were received. The Captain came around and threw a knapsack into each tent, which he said must answer the purpose of the whole party. By mutual consent, I took possession of the one left with us, and put in it whatever little matters, belonging to the others, were necessary. We were furnished with three days' rations, and I also stowed in my haversack, the larger portion of the piece of dried beef, which had been sent to me from home. It was not yet daylight when we bade farewell (thank fortune, a last farewell) to the fort, and marched down to the railroad. There entering freight cars in which we had the advantage of not being crowded, we started down the Cumberland Valley, a part of the State I had often longed to see. Before going many miles, the train stopped for a time, and as our canteens were empty, we filled them from a gutter running along the road, finding
