of benevolent, for the welfare of the rioters--until we could attend to
them in person. Under any other circumstances it would have been a
beautiful march; although oppressively hot in the early part of the day,
the weather afterward was all that could be desired. The road was wide,
smooth--tremendously hard, to be sure, for feet, as sore and badly shod as
ours, and in its windings through the passes of the South Mountain,
traversing a few more hills than were strictly agreeable--yet more
beautiful scenery than it presents to the eye of the traveler can rarely
be found.

That country is all historic ground. Those white boards on the right,
"covering many a rood," marked the last resting-places of the thousands of
unknown heroes who sealed their patriotism with their blood in the battle
of South Mountain; and all along the stone fences and among the trees on
the left, the frequent bullet-marks tell how hot the conflict raged a year
ago; for every foot of land for twenty miles around has been a
battle-ground for the contending forces.

About sun-down we arrived at Frederick City, a bustling little place, full
of soldiers, and with a large sprinkling of the fair sex, who, contrary to
the experience of last year, loyally applauded the passing troops. Many
would class it as a "one-horse town," but to us it appeared a little
paradise. It was a place where you could buy things, and although our
predecessors turned up their aristocratic noses at the food there
procurable, _our_ only grievance was that we could not get any of it.
Expecting to start directly for home, the division, without halting,
continued its march through the city to within a quarter of a mile of the
railroad depot, which, for some unknown reason, is situated about three
miles from the city, but, as usual, we were doomed to disappointment;
whether the cars were ready or not, I cannot say; but, after a long
consultation among the officers, it was settled that we could go no
further, and at about eight o'clock we went into camp; having completed a
march of over twenty-five miles since breakfast, with little or no
straggling. This, we consider, is doing pretty well for militia.

The next day we "loafed," resting under the trees and devouring the stock
in trade of the sutlers who had come down to see us, restlessly waiting
all day under orders to be ready to start at a moment's notice.

At about six P. M., the Thirty-seventh and Eleventh struck camp and
march