PICKET DUTY: WALTER OSGOOD HART OF THE 36TH WI.

Having occasion at this point to refer to the few letters that were saved from the burning, the writer was reminded of conversation between the pickets that occurred during the period of inactivity. The picket lines were so close together that they were ordered to keep up firing in the night. One night the Rebs called over, REB: "Say Yanks, we want to change pickets. You won't shoot will you?' YANKEE: "No, go ahead". Then they get up and walk around. REB: “who will be the next President.” YANK: "Who do you want?" REB: "Old Abe", was the answer. YANK TWO: "D..n Old Abe, I want McClellan". REB: "Don't you wish the war was over and we were at home?" YANK: "Yes, we do". REB: "Well then, you go home and we won't follow you any farther than the Potomac" YANK: "You lay down your arms and we won't follow any farther than Richmond," REB: You'll find that a d..,d hard road to travel". So it went till officers came around and ordered them to go to firing, "Say, Yanks, the officers say we must go to firing. Get out of the way. We'll shoot high tho". "Hello, Yanks, the officers are gone now. If you won't fire, we won't". YANK: "All right". REB: "Have you any whiskey over there?" YANK: "Yes, lots of it". REB:"Come over, and let's go to Petersburg and have a good time; we'll let you go back". YANK: "We don't doubt your word, but your officers would keep us". REB: "D..n the officers, we wouldn't let them know anything about it."