324 SKETCHES IN PROSE. 



in particular for E. Reeder, and were chagrined to find him 

 gone. They then asked if there was not a Federal soldier in 

 the house. They were taken to where Robert was lying in bed. 

 They remarked he was a very sick man, but made him prisoner, 

 and paroled him. A parole for a sick man meant a chance to 

 get home and exemption from service until exchanged ; but 

 Robert protested and demanded the officer's authority. He, 

 however, signed the necessary papers and the rebels left. 

 They were surly at first, but in the main acted kindly, as did 

 several of the Leesburg people. Secessionists though they were. 

 Many kindilesses did the sick soldier and his friends receive at 

 their hands, when the hospital people were powerless to help. 

 Robert, in less than two weeks, was able to be removed from 

 his kind Virginia home, and was brought to Philadelphia, 

 where he arrived on the 19th of November. Here he remained 

 in the hospital, with the exception of a short time spent among 

 his friends, until the 10th of February, 1863, when he was 

 exchanged, and his health being in a measure restored, he 

 was again ready for service in the field. 



There were excuses for his remaining behind. Through a 

 medical friend in the hospital he could have been detailed as 

 clerk where he was. For this there were plenty of precedents. 

 Many scholarly patriots joined the Union forces, only to find 

 after they had tasted the danger of army life awhile that they 

 might he valuable adjuncts to some quartermaster, commis- 

 sarist or medical director. Sometimes they were detailed in 

 the War Department. They got what they thought themselves 

 fitted for when they could command the required influence ; 

 in such cases they kept out of harm's way till the close of the 

 war. Robert had their chances, but he took no advantage of 

 them. He was too proud to retrace one step. He had joined 

 the army to fight, or he would have remained in the better 

 position of hospital clerk. And if he did not appreciate 

 the hardships of a soldier's life when he enlisted, he knew them 



