In the Trenches 175 



the "gorrillas" were now forbidden game, he might 

 be allowed to go after guinea-hens instead. 



Even after the truce, however, some of my sharp- 

 shooters had occupation, for two guerillas in our 

 rear took occasional shots at the men who were 

 bathing in a pond, until one of our men spied them, 

 when they were both speedily brought down. One 

 of my riflemen who did best at this kind of work, by 

 the way, got into trouble because of it. He was 

 much inflated by my commendation of him, and 

 when he went back to his troop he declined to obey 

 the first Sergeant's orders on the ground that he was 

 "the Colonel's sharp-shooter." The Lieutenant in 

 command, being somewhat puzzled, brought him to 

 me, and I had to explain that if the offence, disobe- 

 dience of orders in face of the enemy, was repeated 

 he might incur the death penalty ; whereat he looked 

 very crestfallen. That afternoon he got permission, 

 like Fred Herrig, to go after guinea-hens, which 

 were found wild in some numbers round about ; and 

 he sent me the only one he got as a peace offering. 

 The few guinea-hens thus procured were all used 

 for the sick. 



Dr. Church had established a little field hospital 

 under the shoulder of the hill in our rear. He was 

 himself very sick and had almost nothing in the way 

 of medicine or supplies or apparatus of any kind, 

 but the condition of the wounded in the big field 



