the field. Smokable tobacco was not procurable for its weight in gold; and as to wine or ale, no such luxury was now even dreamt of — execrable rum diluted with foul tepid water, was the vile and poisonous alcoholic beverage to which all were confined. I could dwell a great while upon the woful subject contained in this sombre paragraph, but I think I have said enough already, to represent the complicated distress and misery through which we had passed, and were passing during this dreadful time.
Dismal as this melancholy combination of circumstances had rendered our wretched existence, the news of the capture of Luknow threw a cheerful gleam of light over the gloom of despondency that pervaded the camp. Besides, by the fall of that turbulent city, the confidence of the people became so reassured that they voluntarily acted as spies on our behalf in the enemy’s lines; while such was the alarm created by that event that, although the rebel force had lately been augmented, they seemed more reluctant than ever to venture beyond the precincts of their stronghold.
Meanwhile the vigilance, zeal, and devotedness of the Brigade never relaxed or flagged for an hour, and the same precautions for its protection as were observed when it first reached Amorah still continued.
It was during this anxious time of unceasing vigilance that the Corps had Death ever present by its side; for while scouring the surrounding country throughout the night and reconnoitring by moonlight, a close, well-directed volley from any of the deserted
