Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/371

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SIX WEEKS IN UNIFORM.
367

mitted without passes from William B. Mann, who was provost-marshal at the bridge. On one occasion a party, consisting of a gentleman and two or three ladies, came up the hill when I was on duty and requested admission, but not having the requisite passes of course I could not permit them to enter. They seemed to be very much disappointed and one of the ladies asked me whether I really would bayonet her if she should attempt to run by, and added that I did not look very dangerous. I told her that I would not advise her to try such a course, so the ladies sat down on the bank, while the gentleman went back to procure a pass. He was absent about an hour, during which time we carried on a conversation upon various matters and they entertained me very agreeably. I learned that the principal talker of the party was a Miss Schall from Ogdensburg on the Schuylkill, who was very well acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and other members of the family. Several persons from Phoenixville came to see us, among others Jerome John and Miss Boyle,[1] who were then on their way with hospital stores for the wounded at Gettysburg. On the afternoon of the ninth, Uncle Joe[2] came into the fort and found me on drill. The next morning he came again bringing a vial of mixture for dysentery, and after talking and looking about for some time, he and a friend left for the battlefield.

I was soon afterward put on guard. It is the duty of the sentinel to salute an approaching Lieutenant or Captain by bringing the piece to a shoulder, any officer above that rank by presenting arms. During my watch in the afternoon a supercilious puppy of a Major, who was in undress uniform and had a small leaf upon the front of his coat, came riding

  1. Rebecca E. Boyle.
  2. J. R. Whitaker.