noon
The next day a part of the regiment went out on a scout , to be gone a couple of days , and my company was along . I was unusually absorbed in thought , and wondered if I would be given a chance to do anything . It seemed reasonable that if any corporal was sent out with a squad of men , to fight , it would be an old corporal , while if there was any duty that was menial , the new corporals would get it . The second day out we stopped at noon to let our horses rest , when little scouting parties that had been sent out on different roads during the forenoon , began to come in . Many of them had picked up straggling rebels , and brought them to damp , and they were carefully guarded , and the major , who was in command of our party , was asking them questions , and pumping them to find out all he could . I went over and looked at them , and they were quite a nice looking lot of fellows , some being officers , with plenty of gold lace on their gray suits . They were home from the Confederate army on a leave of absence , probably recruiting .