rly the location of one of
the great national arsenals. When encamped there in '63 the Regiment was
in tents on Camp Hill; the officers were quartered in a building which
had been the home of the officers of the arsenal.

Our Regiment, nominally a heavy artillery regiment, was thoroughly
schooled in the heavy tactics and also as light or field artillery and
infantry; able or qualified to be used in either arm of the service with
equal facility. The order to proceed to the front was hailed with
delight, duty in the field being a panacea for garrison bickerings.

Later the regiment was moved to Halltown, encamped on the Miller farm,
and threw out pickets. I was on first detail there. I learned how to get
a fair sleep on top of a "herring-bone" rail fence. My proclivity for
"prying into things" manifested itself there. An attack was expected, so
our regiment slept on arms, anxiously waiting; it became tedious. I
asked permission to reconnoitre alone, and was permitted. In the dark I
sneaked out about a mile, and listened; three or four cavalrymen came
whirling down the road as if riding for life; they roused the regiment.
They were blood stained, but upon examination the blood was found to
have come from one of their own horses. Such scares and mistakes were
frequent, especially with fresh troops. I was in a dilemma to get back
into line without being shot, but it was accomplished. The regiment was
ordered back to Baltimore for garrison duty.

I was detailed to convey prisoners away many times. Once I took ninety
odd Confederate officers to Johnson's Island, Sandusky, Ohio. Among them
was Lieutenant General Pemberton, who had commanded at Vicksburg, and
who had, on July 4th, surrendered Vicksburg with thirty-seven thousand
men, fifteen general officers and sixty thousand stand of arms. I was
surprised at the great number of "Copperheads" we met in crossing Ohio.
My exhibition of Confederate prisoners was treated as a first-class
circus; it "drew" the "Copperheads" and they flocked to the stations
along the route to express sympathy and admiration. What was a
"Copperhead"? I will try to tell you: he stood, relatively, as the
Tories to the Revolution. They were composed of several elements; some
wore so greedy of gain they wanted no war that might interfere with
their finances; some were too cowardly; some were too partisan
politically, really thinking their fealty was due to those who were
fighting against an administrati