noon
Ranged along the right shore of Duck Lake , my boy , to witness the battle and lend lustre to the landscape , was a land-force of virtuous Mackerels , under command of the venerable grandmother of Rear Admiral Head ; and she was the one whose appearance gave rise to that rumor amongst the Confederacies in the Fort , that Secretary Welles was reviewing the troops in person . On the opposite shore of the Lake was a delegation of European chaps , come to behold the engagement ; including Fatti O'Murphy , candidate for the vacant throne of Greece ; the Hon. Mr. New Troloppe , of England ; and le Marquis Non Puebla , French Minister to Mexico . At the head of the Lake , my boy , I stood myself , with my bit of smoked glass in my hand ; and around me were the reporters of all the reliable and excellent morning journals , spitting on their hands , preparatory to writing their exciting descriptions of personal danger . Precisely at noon the Mackerels of the land force raised their umbrellas , the Mackerel crews got aboard their respective squadrons , and exercises were commenced by the singing of -- `` My country , 't is of thee . '' As the last strain died away , we could hear that grim old sea-dog , Rear Admiral Head , swearing in his iron-plated manner , and then the whole naval pageant swept magnificently to the front of Fort Piano ; the `` Shockingbadhat '' leading , closely followed by the `` Aitch , '' the `` Yew , '' the `` Em , '' the `` Bee , '' the `` You , '' and the `` Gee . '' It was a glorious sight , my boy , -- a glorious sight , and moved me like the First of May . For the purpose of testing the range and drawing the fire of the unseemly Confederacies ' Artillery , Rear Admiral Head carefully let down his old white hat into the waves , and suffered it to drift slowly past the north-east face of Fort Piano .