y blouse,
and was ready to die, if need be. I placed a Testament I had brought
from home, inside my blouse, in a breast pocket, as I had read of
many cases where a Testament had been struck with a bullet and saved a
soldier's life. I placed all my keepsakes in a package, and told my tent
mate that I was going out with ten picked men, and it was possible I
might never show up again, and if I fell he was to send the articles
to my family. I wondered that I did not feel afraid to die. I was no
professor of religion, though I had always tried to do the square thing
all around, but with no consolation of religion at all, I felt a sweet
peace that was indescribable. If it was my fate to fall in defence of my
country, at the head of ten picked men, so be it. Somebody must die, and
why not me. I was no better than thousands of others, and while life was
sweet to me, and I had anticipated much pleasure in life, after the war,
in shooting ducks and holding office, I was willing to give up all hope
of pleasure in the future, and die like a thoroughbred. I was glad that
I had been promoted, and wondered if they would put "Corporal" on my
tombstone. I wondered, if I fell that day at the head of my mem, if
the papers at the North, and particularly in Wisconsin, would say "The
deceased had just been promoted, for gallant conduct, to the position of
Corporal, and it will be hard to fill his place." With these thoughts
I sadly reported to the orderly. The ten picked men were in line. They
were four of them Irishmen, two Yankees, two Germans, a Welshman and a
Scotchman. The orderly gave me a paper, sealed in an envelope. I turned
to my men, and said, "Boys, whatever happens today, I don't want to see
any man show the white feather. The world will read the accounts of this
day's work with feelings of awe, and the country will care for those
we leave behind." We started off, and it occurred to me to read my
instructions. I opened the envelope with the air of a general who was
accustomed to receive important messages. I read it, and almost fainted,
It read "Report to the quartermaster, at the steamboat landing, to
unload quartermaster's stores from steamer Gazelle." Ye gods! And this
was the hard service that I was to lead ten picked men into. They had
picked out ten stevedores, to carry sacks of corn, and hard-tack boxes,
and barrels of pork, and that was the action I was to engage in as my
first duty as corporal.

I almost cried. We rode