Читать книгу A Summer in Maryland and Virginia; Or, Campaigning with the 149th Ohio Volunteer Infantry онлайн

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The next morning, July 21st, we drew new shoes, formed ranks, crossed the bridge and followed the Sixth Corps who were just breaking camp as we came up. We marched through Maryland via Rockville to the battle field of Monocacy, which we passed over. We saw there the signs of the fierce fighting, the high fences full of bullet holes, and the grain stacks that obstructed Gordon’s advance. We forded the river and marched on through Frederick city. Some of the boys of Company A at this point “straggled” and slept in the fields just beyond the town. They came up with the regiment the next day in time to draw rations, and resumed the march until we reached Harper’s Ferry. Somewhere on this march an incident occurred that made an impression upon my mind that I will never forget. I call it

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The army had halted at noon for a little rest and dinner. Four of us, comrades, went into the woods in search of berries. Pushing along through the pines we came to a deep valley in which was a little clearing and a small log cabin. A tiny brook flowed down the vale, and the dark pine woods shut in a scene of beauty. It was the home of a negro family, who were all out in front, listening to the banjo played by one of our colored teamsters. He was a fat, oily, good natured fellow, black as ink. Seated on a stump with his eyes rolling in ecstacy and a broad grin showing his ivory teeth, he was an example of the happy, carefree contraband of those days. After listening awhile we passed on and after getting some blackberries we returned the same way. The family were seated at dinner and when we looked in, saw the white table cloth and the dishes, with the family and the banjo player seated around the table, eating, our mouths watered and we wished we could sit with them. Thoughts of home and of our friends, at their tables in the distant north, filled our minds as we made our way back to the dusty turnpike and again took up the weary march. This scene was an oasis in our desert of dust, and its memory is pleasant.