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SIX WEEKS IN UNIFORM.
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upon it almost impracticable. We were compelled to make a detour by some side roads on the right, and in this way lengthened our journey considerably. Even then we marched a good part of the time in the fields on account of the ill condition of the roads. A guard was placed in the rear of each regiment to pick up all who straggled without a pass from the Surgeon, and at nearly every halt the roll was called before we were permitted to sit down. Sometimes the Orderly would be interrupted in the midst of it by that never-ceasing command, “Fall in.” Those who were absent on such occasions were marked for guard duty the next night. To guard against sunstroke, I filled my cap with leaves and every once in a while poured water on them from my canteen. The march that morning on account of the heat was very hard, and before noon we were continually passing men lying in the fence corners and along the road completely overcome. Some of them died from the effects of the sun. I think fully one-fourth of one of the Philadelphia regiments straggled, and I overheard Colonel Jennings as he was looking at some of them, rather sneeringly remark “city fellows,” a class for whom he apparently had a contempt. Often some poor, tired creature would start the cry of “rest,” which then ran all along the column, but it seldom had any influence upon the officers who rode upon horseback and having nothing to carry, of course, were unable to tell by experience how much the privates endured. It is well it is so, for 1 am afraid if the commanders had to go on foot and carry their own baggage there would be very little progress made. I was still very much troubled with diarrhoea, and at times had very severe pain. Rolly kept up with a great deal of difficulty, and very early threw away a small piece of pork and his tinplate with the exclamation, “D——n it Sam, I've got to come down to