This valuable body of distinguished heroes was composed of nice
young men, who wore fine linen and patent leather boots, and in
appearance were unexceptionable.
It was a trying time for the nation, my son, and the young men of
this Treasury Guard felt that they had a duty to perform in
defending the capital, and must perform it with courage. There was
one little drawback, however, to their conduct as soldiers; and that
was, that each man wanted to go to the front encumbered with a
carpet bag, filled with sandwiches and clean shirts. Aside from
this, let me say, the guard was got in order for marching, and their
gallant commander, Colonel Floyd A. Willett, made a speech, in which
he declared there was not a chicken-hearted man in his ranks. And
when it marched for the front, which it did with drums beating, its
gallant colonel at its head, and Corporal Spinner, of Company B,
bringing up the rear, there was many a tear shed and handkerchief
waved by the pretty female clerks of the Department. Many of these
damsels had more than a friendly interest in these young heroes, who
they averred would never come back, but whiten the battle-field with
their bones.
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