The thought lingered with him.
St. Clair was carefully smoothing out his uniform and brushing from it
the least particle of mud. His first preoccupation always asserted
itself at the earliest opportunity, and in a very short time he was the
neatest looking man in the entire force. Harry, although he often jested
with him about it, secretly admired this characteristic of St. Clair's.
"You boys sleep while you can," said Sherburne, "because we can't afford
to linger in this region. Our safety lies in rapid marching, giving the
enemy no chance to gather a large force and trap us. Make the best of
your time because we're up and away an hour after midnight."
The young officers were asleep within ten minutes, but the vigilant
riflemen patrolled the country in a wide circuit about them. Sherburne
himself, although worn by hard riding, slept but little. Anxiety kept
his eyes open. He knew that his task to find a passage for the army
across the swollen Potomac was of the utmost importance and he meant to
achieve it. He understood to the full the dangerous position in which
the chief army of the Confederacy stood. His own force might be attacked
at any moment by overwhelming numbers and be cut off and destroyed or
captured, but he also knew the quality of the men he led, and he believed
they were equal to any task.
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