Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/377

Rh as there was no lack of applicants. A woman in another house who saw the operation said to me as if surprised, “Yousens don't go and take what you want like the otherens did” referring to the rebels. I was shocked at the ignorance with which she placed us in the same category. As usual we were curious to know where we were bound, and it was reported that we were to go to Scotland bridge to guard some point there, which turned out to be a mistake.

About half after one we commenced our march. It was one of those hot and sultry days, which tend to make even a person in perfect inactivity feel feverish and unpleasant, when not a breath of air was stirring, and the very atmosphere we inhaled seemed almost to suffocate. We had not proceeded far before we were covered with dust and our clothing soaked with perspiration, which rolled from us in streams. For some reason we went an unusually long distance without taking a rest, and before we stopped several of the men had fallen over from the effects of the heat. Among others Ford, who was walking a few paces from me, suddenly pitched over on his face in the road, and was picked up senseless. The Colonel ordered him to be carried into a house and Rolly remained with him. He was afterward taken back to the hospital at Shippensburg and left in the care of Dr. Peck, who promised to give him every attention. A short time subsequent to that we halted in an apple orchard and stayed there over an hour, and a moist breeze having arisen, threatening a thunder storm, the rest of the march, though longer, was not so fatiguing. While at the orchard, wishing to make my load as light as possible, I gave the Sergeant-Major a large piece of my dried beef. At many of the houses which we passed the people stood at their gates with