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25 took every occassion to preach to others made me many enemies when I first entered the service. But I believe I also made friends of another class by the same meanes. My disposition is not half way conservatism. and I have no desire that it should be so. I am radical in my nature and I am glad of it. This same spirit has often caused me to be accused of hero worship. I confess that when I do admire any one I am liable to the mistake of lauding him to the skies. Whereas no human being will bear praise beyond a certain degree. I carry my dislikes in a similar manner entirely too far. But it is time to return to my narrative.

Nov. 26th About this time, I received notice of my brother Benjamins death. I was in rather poor health my self at the time and the sad news went very hard with me. I had in those days a very poetical idea of drill and discipline. I supposed it was absolutely necessary to understand the bayonet exercise to perfection. But in reality this branch military instruction is merely ornamental since the bayonet is never used in action. The time was passed during the winter in drilling, and in doing guard and picket duty. Finally on the 25th of February we broke up camp and marched. The roads were very bad. We marched that day about 13 miles and encamped near Sugar Loaf mountain. The next day we marched to Adams Town where we took cars to Harpers Ferry. On the way we passed Point of Rocks where there was a rebel battery that might have shelled our train very easily, and in fact a few nights afterwards did open on a train as it was passing. We went over into Harpers Ferry village and quartered for the night in one of the old government buildings. The next morn The town was thoroughly ransacked even the halls of secret societies were broken open and their records scattered. I visited the engine room where John Brown was captured it still bore the marks of the contest. I also went to what is stiled Jeffersons Rock. This is a flat table like rock on top, and is about 100 feet above the level of the river. It is reported that Jefferson once addressed the people of