SOLDIER 57 



but we were spared it. At this place we remained till the 

 1st of June when we were ordered quarter of a mile to the 

 rear. Colonel Weld came up from New Orleans and assumed 

 command of the regiment. It makes me heart-sick and in- 

 dignant every time I think of the way some things have 

 been managed here and the cowardice displayed by officers ; 

 but I may not mention it here. On the 3d [June] we were 

 attacked in the rear and two brigades were despatched to 

 attend to the case of the rebs; but on reaching Clinton they 

 found they had skedaddled and fled. While lying here in 

 the woods, an awkward adventure happened to me. Being 

 acting adjutant, I was sent one dark night to report a 

 fatigue party to General Grover's headquarters. Returning 

 I lost my way. First, I found myself back at headquarters. 

 Started again, and found myself out to the front, most un- 

 pleasantly near the rifle-pits. My next essay took me to the 

 watering-place for the horses, and from there I found my 

 way in, after a couple of hours wandering in the woods. 

 June 7 we were ordered to the front to relieve the 159th 

 in the rifle-pits. We went out at night, as the enemy's 

 sharpshooters rendered it dangerous going in the day- 

 time. We had pits dug on the crest of a hill about two hun- 

 dred yards from the rifle-pits of the rebs, and had loop- 

 holes from which to fire out. About one hundred yards 

 back of us on another hill was planted one of our batteries, 

 and as they fired over our heads you can imagine what a 

 terrible report rung in our ears. It was truly deafening. 

 Our boys got the range of the rifle-pits opposite perfectly, 

 after a short practice, so that Mr. Secesh did n't dare show 

 his head, though from his hiding-places he would annoy us 

 all day long. After dark we usually held some interesting 



