horn mouth-pieces, very comfortable chairs, bread trays, haversacks, and
a thousand other conveniences.

At night the visiting commences, and soon in many huts are little social
groups close around the fire. The various incidents of the campaign pass
in review, and pealing laughter rings out upon the crisp winter air.
Then a soft, sweet melody floats out of that cabin door as the favorite
singer yields to the entreaty of his little circle of friends; or a
swelling chorus of manly voices, chanting a grand and solemn anthem,
stirs every heart for half a mile around.

Now think of an old Confederate veteran, who passed through
Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and the Wilderness, sitting in front
of a cheerful fire in a snug log cabin, reading, say, "The Spectator!"
Think of another by his side reading a letter from his sweetheart; and
another still, a warm and yearning letter from his mother. Think of
two others in the corner playing "old sledge," or, it may be, chess.
_Hear_ another, "off guard," snoring in his bunk. Ah! what an amount of
condensed contentment that little hut contains.

[Illustration: AN INNOCENT VICTIM]

And now the stables are finished. The whole battalion did the work, and
the poor old shivering and groaning horses are under cover. And the
guard-house, another joint production, opens wide its door every day to
receive the unhappy men whose time for detail has at last arrived. The
chapel, an afterthought, is also ready for use, having been duly
dedicated to the worship of God. The town is complete and its citizens
are happy.

Men thus comfortably fixed, with light guard duty and little else to do,
found time, of course, to do a little foraging in the country around. By
this means often during the winter the camp enjoyed great abundance and
variety of food. Apples and apple-butter, fresh pork, dried fruit, milk,
eggs, risen bread, and even _cakes and preserves_. Occasionally a whole
mess would be filled with the liveliest expectations by the information
that "Bob" or "Joe" was expecting _a box from home_. The wagon comes
into camp escorted by the expectant "Bob" and several of his intimate
friends; the box is dropped from the wagon to the ground; off goes the
top and in go busy hands and eyes. Here are clothes, shoes, and hats;
here is coffee, sugar, soda, salt, bread, fresh butter, roast beef, and
turkey; here is _a bottle_! marked "to be used in case of sickness or
wounds." Here is paper, ink,