Just after our arrival here, two sutlers commenced visiting us, and in the absence of competition, charged exorbitant prices. One day seeing a large crowd around one of the teams, I went up. Found the owner busy selling oranges at ten cents a piece, and cider at ten cents a glass. Apples in the same proportion. And while delivering from the front of the wagon, the soldiers, unbeknown to him, at the same time had tapped a barrel in the rear, and were doing a brisk business, filling canteens, &c. Soon after I heard an uproar, and was just in time to see his wagon tipped over, and his groceries distributed. Knowing the other sutler was in camp with gingerbread, the price of which was twenty-five cents for three pieces, about the size of my hand, I felt anxious to learn his fate. I had not long to wait, as I soon saw one side of a wagon rise in the air, the owner jump from it, and gingerbread flying in all directions. This had a tendency to lower the prices, and since then no outrages of the kind have been perpetrated, as it has not been necessary to repeat the experiment.
How often at home, when with the toil and care incident upon the life of those who "earn their bread by the sweat of the brow," have we as Saturday night approached, and with it the labors of the week were to cease, looked forward to a day of rest. A thousand miles from home, the plough exchanged for the sword, the awl for the bayonet, in the face of a desperate enemy, and the thing is changed.
The Sabbath comes as at home, but unfortunately, is more "honored in the breach than the observance," and seems to be a day specially appointed by military authorities, for fighting and marching. We received marching orders Saturday, 2d, and were to be in readiness to march the following morning. As is usual with us the night before a march, all was bustle and confusion. Some were busy packing their effects, others talking, each man having to express his opinion as to where we were to go, the chances for a fight, &c. Another portion, who at other times deny themselves, were indulging in liquor, the result of which was a general howling, extending into the small hours of the night.
The night before our march from Lexington, a portion of the men went to the city, had a plenty to drink, and some of them returned with canteens filled. The consequence was, a riotous night, and but little sleep was to be had. The men quarrelled among themselves, and to cap the climax, at two in the morning, one of the men from the company adjoining, visited Company F, and indulged in a little shillalah practice. Swinging to the right and left, much to the discomfiture of one of our men, who received a blow on the top of his head, which, judging from the sound, might have felled an ox. He was rendered _hors de combat_, and taken to the surgeon; and after this salutary lesson, the boys thinking best to keep still, we got a few hours sleep. The noisy ones of Company F were christened "lions." The name originated in Camp Casey, where they occupied two of our Sibley tents, on the left of the line, and by their continual howling, made "night hideous."