could walk away from anything on the ground, especially as the greater number of the others were city chaps. There was one wagon belonging to our regiment, and those who were sick or unable to carry their baggage, were allowed to have it hauled. Of course, the accommodation was restricted to a very few, but Rolly who was favored in that respect, succeeded in getting his blanket and my knapsack taken as his own, a relief for which I was very thankful. He thought he would not be able to keep up, but said he intended to hold on as long as possible. One regiment after another to the number of four or five came winding out of the woods and took position along the pike until all were stretched out in one long line. We brought up the rear which is by far the most difficult station on a march, for the following reasons: It is usual to rest about ten minutes in each half hour at the head of the column. Now wherever there is a break in the road such as a mud puddle, a run or something of that nature, each man of course hesitates an instant either to choose his way or make a jump. This seems to be but a little matter, but as it is increased at every rank, by the time the rear is reached it frequently becomes many minutes. Let us suppose that each rank of two men loses only one second at a run, which is certainly a very moderate estimate. In a regiment of eight hundred men this would be 400 seconds, and in four such regiments 1600 seconds or twenty-seven minutes expended at every crossing which have to be made up from the “rests,” or by running, and consequently the rear generally gets up to the place for a halt too late to be benefitted by it. Soon after we started the clouds cleared away and the sun shone out warmly. The pike was so cut up by the passage of two armies and their wagons during the heavy rains, that the water in some places stood knee deep, and rendered travelling
