Not the least dismayed, the word of command was given and the advance into the woods was started, in a bee-line for the white house, a glimpse of which was occasionally seen through the trees.
By stationing a picket every twenty five yards, the space could be covered, and this was done, without the least molestation on the part of the enemy, not a rebel being visible. Scarcely was the line re-established, when one of the movements peculiar to this campaign commenced, and an order came instructing the picket line to fall back, preserving an unbroken line. This was done, and when the movement was completed we counted thirty-two rebel pickets captured on the line.
This question remains to be answered. How did the new line of union pickets cut the rebel line in two places, as evidently it did, without seeing an enemy or firing a shot?
A REBEL GIRL "SPIT IN HIS FACE."
ly for the Soldiers, none for officers," were the words that met Sergeant M——as he took a cup of water out of a bucket, at a yard-gate, in the neat village of Drainsville while the Pa. Reserves were passing through on a reconnoisance.
An aged lady and two young girls stood by the vessel of water, and one of the girls had spoken the words quoted above. The Sergeant was about to drink from the well filled cup, when Gen'l Reynolds riding up to the gate, said to him, "Sergeant! get me a cup of that water." He promptly handed the cup, still untouched, to the General, who drank the water, expressed his thanks and rode away. Deprived of his drink he now turned to get another cup for himself, but was met by a blunt refusal from one of the girls, who said, "You gave your cup of water to that officer, and you cannot have any more." His reply to this was, "I'll give my Brigade commander a cup of water every time, even if it deprives me of a drink, at the hands of a she rebel."
As he finished this direct language she turned quickly and 'spit' in his face, not once but twice. M—— turned and walked away, but took along the bucket of water.