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Show • ) 212 ROEBUCK. \ law or eonscription, h " ':lS leete~l colonel, .and Lh:\( he \\'a~ ackn owl cdo·c(l to have f:t1rly won lu promotio1~ s l>y hiH g:LllanL and ~kilf'ul eo tu.ltrc~. 1\.L the u?w election l\Iark l\Iarlin ·wa cho en a hcuteuant, Wtth the unanitnotv ·n.pprobaLi"n of the youn~ gci~Llcm cn and other Jnc tnbcr:::~ of hi:::~ company. 'V 1th h1s com- 1ni~::lion he acquired the social rank ~f a g. ·~t1 ema n, accord in ('r to the theory of hi:::i youlldul ~unb1t1on, auJ his dcpo;tmcnt wa faithful to his model. . About the s:une tirne such changes took place 1n the tnilitn.ry lines that l~oebnek b cean~e acces .. ibl ~ to the Federal troops. The conn ty rcuutuwd for a t11no c1eLn table ground, mul \V:ts v isitcd occa. ionall y IJy cavalry frotn both t:>i<.le:-4. At lc ng~Lh, howc:er, a FeJcral dctncluncnt \\ras .~tation c<.l 111 the v1llage, under the cotnmancl of Uoloncl Tro1naine. It w:1s Hnfficicnt, \ViLh the t:iupport of a larger force at no great distan ce, to hold the county, bat noL to prevent occaf'iona. l an<l rapi<.l incur.· ion8 of ConfoJcrato horse. The l i'edcral cavalry in Virgini:t \\'as still inferio r, and })OVerLy ltn,d not yet unhor:::ie<l the Confederates. At the tin1e of the events about to be narrated, Colonel Fitzhugh, \vith his regin1Cil t, \vas stationc<l ~omo twenty 1niles fr01n the village, and a con ·idcrable dis· t~nce in advance of any large Southern army. The force unclcr Colonol Tremaine \vas COlnpo 'e<.l or his own reg itnent of cavalry, au<.L a r egiment of iui:Liltry. · The latter \Va~ coinznan<lcd by J.Ji cutouant-Colonel W csel, a Gennan, 'vho \Vas in daily expectation of bcino· o promoted to tho ofli.ce of colonel of hi · r. ogi- 1neut, then vac::ttlt. Jic had been a butcher 1ll :t Northern city. lie was a blatant politician of tl:o prevailillg order, and had been activo in drawillg' hw countryn10n into tho regizncnt. lie wa:, thcrcioro, .. ROEBUCK. 213 patronizecl by Ao1uc inflnontial persons. Tic ancl his men had been taught to look upon " rebels'' as atrocious crimin:11H, ont of the pale oC humanity, and 11pon th rir property a~ lawfnl prey. ~ 01ne oompanir~ of the cavalry, though co mpo~ca of native American ~1, ha<l Rimilar notion , and their oflicer ' vere not nnwi!ling to fill th ir pock ts, or furni ~h their houses, or decorate thei r \Vivc. by tho pill:1 crc of their 'ont.lwrn br thron. Among the ofl icer~; att:whcd to this lorco wm; Albeit Palmer. \V c lcf'L that gentleman, just aCtor the LattJc of 1\Innn s~:l , nnd on the 1norn ing of hi. duel wilh Daxt.cr, delibcrat.ing upon the cxpc<li<\ney of transferring himselCto the North. liaving rc~olv t1 thnt quo!'\tion in f:wor or ]Ji~ nati vc land, 110 procc c1c<1 on foot to wan IH '\Va: hingt.o n, taking care to avoid the particH oC Uonfe< leratcs ·who \v ~rc then to he expected on hi:) route. The next n1orning abQnt dawn he approached a Federal picket on the Southern si<le of the Potomac. IIo approached cantiou ·1y, :tll(l as it was thought, snspicionsly, dr--. sed in Confederate uniform, ancl the picket took alarm and retired. The panic of J.\Janas.':t had not yet Rnb~id e<l. A report soon spread as f:w a. tho city of \VaHhin gt.on that a large rebel army was at the southern bn n k of the ri ,·er and proc1nce(1 g reat COinmotion for sev ral h ur.'. In the mcantin1e P :Llmcr, by kilfnl 1nanmuvrc , co ntrived to <Yet within hnil of a Federal party, and 1nade known his fricntlly pnrpo e. A <lesertcr fron1 the reb l army, at nch a moment, wa, received with distino·uiHhcd com;idcration. Of cour~c, he profe. ~cd to haYe been a stann ·h frien <l of the Union ii·o.n1 the beginning, an<l told Inarvc1Jou::3 Htori(ls of the per.·ccutions \Vhieh he l1ad ·nJferccl until, affecting to favor the rebel canse, he had accepted |
