duality. We desire to have this growth continue
uninterruptedly, and in aid of it, in the early part of September, came
quite a large installment of horses and equipments. This occurred while
the regiment occupied a camp about three miles from Washington, on the
Bladensburg road, which we named Sussex, in honor of Sussex county, New
York, our colonel's native county. As the number of horses furnished us
at this time was not sufficient to mount the whole command, the number
received by each company was proportioned to the maximum roll of its
men. After the non-commissioned officers of each company, including all
the sergeants and corporals, had drawn their horses according to rank,
the privates were made to draw lots for the remainder--a performance
which produced no little amount of excitement.

Several of our comrades were of course unfortunately compelled for
several days to march on foot, though much against their wishes; for
nothing could be more humiliating to a dragoon than to be trudging
through the mud and dust, while his companions were gliding past him
with their neighing steeds, on their way to the drill-grounds, or to
any other post of duty. It was my good fortune to be the recipient of a
beautiful black mare, only five years old, full of life and fiery metal,
fourteen hands high, and weighing ten hundred pounds. She was a gem for
the cavalry service, or any thing else, and a friendship was to grow up
between us worthy of historic mention.

We are now fairly out upon the ocean of our new life, and are beginning
to feel its influence. It does not take the careful observer long to
notice the effects which outward changes and circumstances have upon the
characters of most men. Indeed, no man remains unaffected by them; he
either advances or retrogrades, and it is very apparent already among us
that while soldiering does make some men, it _un_ makes many. The very
lowest stratum of life among us, such as represents the loungers in the
streets and lanes of our cities,--those who have neither occupation nor
culture, is amazingly influenced for the better by military discipline.
These men now find themselves with something to do, and with somebody to
make them do it. The progress is very slow, it is true, and in some
cases exceptional, but this is evidently the general tendency.

But on the other hand, our regiment is made up partly of young men from
respectable families, reared under the influences of a pure mora