iana boys were making havoc among the fowls of the chivalry. They
fired too much at random to suit my taste, and I made tracks for a safer
abode. Beating a hasty retreat to the hill where my company was
stationed, I found a large crowd gathered around some of the captured
wagons, overhauling the plunder. And what a mixed-up mess! Old guns,
sabres, bowie-knives, pistols made in Richmond in 1808, old uniforms
that looked like the property of some strolling actor, and love-letters
which the bold chivalry had received from fair damsels, who all
expressed the desire that, their 'lovyers' would bring home, Old Abe's
scalp. These letters afforded great amusement to our boys, though it was
hard to read many of them, and were they put into print, Artemus Ward
would have to look to his 'lorrels.'

Bang! bang! bang! they kept on shooting till dark. It is useless to say
we had chickens for supper that night; and I would not be surprised if
the chicken crop of Phillippi and vicinity should be rather small for a
few years to come.

Wild rumors were running through the camp all day that the 'secesh' had
been reinforced, were ten thousand strong, and, with forty pieces of
cannon, would attack us that night. Some said they were commanded by
Gov. Wise, the lunatic, others by Beauregard, and some positively
asserted that Jeff Davis led the rebel forces himself. At all events, it
was pretty well settled that we were to be attacked forthwith. Our men
slept on their arms, but not a secesh appeared.

I, as usual, was on guard that night, and, feeling that a great
responsibility rested on my shoulders, was 'doubly armed.' A well-known
professor, a member of the same company as myself, was on the first
relief; I was on the second. I went on duty at ten o'clock, P.M., and
the professor kindly loaned me his revolver, and, in addition, soon
returned with an extra musket, a secession sabre, and one of the
captured pistols. Thus loaded down with swords, pistols, and muskets,
and guarding a six-pounder, I felt _tolerably_ safe. After walking up
and down my beat a few times, I found the two muskets began to feel
rather heavy, and the two sabres to be rather uncomfortable dangling
about my legs; and thinking that two revolvers and a _secesh_ pistol
would be all that I could use to advantage, I divested myself of the
extra equipments, and passed the residue of my 'two-hours' watch' in
committing to memory 'my last dying words,' for use in case the sec