army, perhaps of the Confederacy, and the latter complete victory, would doubtless have been terrific.
Early in the morning we struck tents and moved to a more pleasant location on the edge of a wood. Here, by permission, five of us, Rhodes, Landis, Rolly, Nyce and I put up a tent together, and through the increased length had room enough to be comfortable. We took considerable pains to have it nice, selected a good position on the slope of the ground so that it could be readily drained, elevated it about the right height, put fence rails along the inner edges, stretched the muslin out to make it tight and firm, dug drains and gutters all around, and when our work was completed, had, without exception, the best tent in the company. We also admitted “Tucker,” who had lost his piece of tent while at Fort Couch. Desiring to see Greencastle, I persuaded Rhodes and “Tucker” to accompany me, and we started off across the fields for the town, which was about a mile distant. Meeting several who were returning from there we inquired of them whether we could get in without passes. Some said we could, by dodging, and others told us there was a picket on the road near the outskirts of the place, arresting all who had not the necessary documents, and even if we escaped them, we would be certain to be captured by the provosts. Determined, nevertheless, to risk it, we proceeded, and when in sight of the picket party struck off to the right through a cornfield, and making a wide circuit, came into the town from the rear. Jumping over a garden fence, we cautiously entered one of the back streets and seeing a couple of men ahead in uniform we followed them at the distance of a half a square. At the very next corner they ran against a squad of guards coming down a cross-street and were marched off. We dodged behind a stable and waited until they had departed, then emerging from our
