ROBERT KENDERDINE. 321 



him, which was evidence that he would have friends in time of 

 need. Unfortunately, through discharge and death, he was 

 soon bereft of these, but he made many friends in the company 

 and regiment to take their places. General Pope had been 

 defeated, and his demoralized army was moving northward, 

 endeavoring to screen Washington from Lee's flanking army. 

 It was a time of the most intense anxiety to the National 

 authorities, and all of the available troops in the North were 

 hurried to the Capital. Among these were the Zouaves, though 

 their organization had not been perfected. 



They broke camp at Nicetown on the night of the 31st of 

 August, 1862, and reached the Volunteer Refreshment Saloon 

 in the morning. From here they marched to the Baltimore 

 Depot. Like the rest, Company F occupied a box car, fitted up 

 with rough board seats. Leave-taking from accompanying 

 friends was over, and with the depression which fills the hearts 

 of departing soldiers, no matter about the outward appearance 

 of unconcern, the Zouaves were soon on their way to the seat 

 of war. At Newark, Delaware, an accident occurred, resulting 

 in the death of Mordecai Ryan, one of the group of Bucks 

 County boys who tented together, the others being Thaddeus 

 and Joseph A. Paxson,* Robert Kenderdine and Pierson 

 Kitchen. In reckless or forced merriment the soldiers were 

 loudly singing their camp songs. Mordecai, a tall, good- 

 natured youth, was sitting in the doorway, his long legs 

 swinging in time to the noisy song he was shouting. Suddenly 

 he was thrown from the car, his feet having been struck by a 

 coal-bin they were passing. There being no bell-rope, a young 

 Zouave was lifted to the top of the jolting car, and by running 

 along the tops of the cars he reached the engine, and the train 

 was stopped some three or four miles from the scene of the 

 accident. Reversing the engine, they found the poor fellow on 



* Dr. Paxson, of Philadelphia, who died in the Spring of 1888. 



