My guard was composed of this conscript material too, and a pretty guard it was. They thought nothing of smoking their pipes when on duty, or halloaing to their companions at a distance; they would carry their muskets in all sorts of fashions, but generally dragging it by the bayonet, and as to keeping them on post when they felt hungry, that was out of the question, although I punished many of them severely for this breach of discipline. One day I was making one of my usual rounds, when I espied a sentinel in front of the officer of the day’s tent resting his arm and chin upon the muzzle of his gun. When I approached he never moved, but began to whistle a lively tune. I stopped directly in front of him and asked “what he was doing there?” “Wall, not much of anything,” he replied, “looking after that ar feller’s things back thar, I believe,” at the same time kicking back towards the officer’s tent, and still in the same attitude. “Come,” said I, “straighten yourself up; have you never been taught to salute your officers when they approach?” “No I haven’t, and I don’t keer much about larnin,” was his reply; “say, mister, what did that thar rig cost you’ve got on?” This was unbearable, and after using no gentle force to straighten the fellow and make him shoulder his musket, I set to work to instruct him in the duties of a sentinel. After half an hour’s hard work I left him thinking I had succeeded pretty well. A short time after I had occasion to return the same way in company with Captain Schaffer, the officer of the day, to whom I related what had occurred in front of his tent. He laughed, and offered to lay a wager that he had forgotten every word I had told him, which I readily accepted. As we approached what was my chagrin to find the fellow in exactly the same position I had at first found him, nor did he move when we got directly opposite to him. Again I asked him “what he had been put there for?” As before, he answered “to look after that thar feller’s things back thar,” accompanied with the old kick. “Have you not been taught the duties of a sentinel, sir?” I demanded in an angry tone. “Wall,” said he, without moving an inch, “thar was a feller ’round here a bit ago, who wor a tellin of me somethin’, _but I kinder believe he didn’t know any more about it than I do_.” I troubled myself no more about that sentinel, the reader can rest assured.