Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: the ear with opposing sounds, an unnatural stillness prevailed in the space of ground between the hostile pickets, who were so near each other at times, that the rattling of an officer's sword, and the click of a rifle when it was primed, were distinctly heard. As the Union officers expected a sortie, and the commander of the foe anticipated an assault, the tour of night duty rarely passed away unmarked by heavy firing; and volleys of musketry, and charges of grape, swept over the field, and a decisive battle seemed to be imminent. The midnight air chilled the soldiers, who were obliged to remain quietly upon their posts, trembling with cold; and there was so much suffering in the few hours of picketrservice, that they were willing to become disciples of Zoroaster, and worship Ormuzd when the twilight gladdened their hearts, and they retired to the ravine. The bushes and short pines affected by the breeze, and flickering light of the distant camp-fires, appeared to some excited eyes like advancing horses, and masses of men ; and shots were fired at the waving branches. Negroes and small squads of deserters, and soldiers who lost their way in attempting to pass between the posts, came inside the lines every night; and orders were given to the sentinels to allow them to approach, but to resist a large force. One rebel, who was taken by the regiment, gave an amusing account of the means by which he effected his escape. A man challenged, when he heard the sound of footsteps, and, receiving no answer, fired, and afterwards boasted that he had killed a " Yank; "but his comrades saw a dead pig in front of his post upon the next morning. The pickets, deterred by the boundless ridicule which this incident caused in their brigade, were extremely cautious, and did not discharge their piec...