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stronger harmony from the regiment's glee club. There was not a man who did
not feel the spirit of the hour while all could say :

"The night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs,
And as silently steal away."

The site that was selected at Centreville for the camp of the First Maryland
was on a plateau from whence could be seen the greater portion of the goodly
sized army that Johnston and Beauregard were marshaling. Centreville was
being strongly fortified, so far at least as earthworks were concerned, but had
McClellan known the real character of what looked to be such formidable
ordnance frowning so fiercely and threateningly upon all the approaches, he might
not have hesitated to push forward the vast army he had gathered before
Washington. There were few siege guns in position, but huge blackened logs
answered the purpose fully as well.

The regiment arrived at Centreville on October 16, and from that time until
it went into winter quarters Colonel Steuart devoted his energies to keeping it
up to and even exceeding the standard of efficiency which it had attained, and in
this he succeeded. Outside of camp duties the regiment was picketing along the
Little River turnpike, in the neighborhood of Chantilly, but never came into
collision with the enemy.

While in camp the election for President of the Confederacy took place.
The exiles from Maryland were ineligible to vote, but they consoled themselves
by holding an election of their own, and the scenes around a Baltimore polling-
place were enacted, no feature being missing down to the " awl." When their
vote was counted it was found that they had unanimously elected Colonel George
H. Steuart President of the Southern Confederacy.

On December 18 Elzey's Brigade was ordered into winter quarters two
miles from Manassas. It was in a dense pine thicket, which served as a shelter
from the cold blasts of winter. A large space was cleared on which rude huts
were erected, and the troops fared comfortably.

The army under General J. E. Johnston was at that time in such a weak
condition that it would have been poorly able to defend itself against the enemy.
Many of the companies in the various regiments had been enlisted for one year
only, and it was feared, and with good reason, that when that time had expired
a large number of men would return to their homes. The Government, there-
fore, issued an order in February granting furloughs to the one-year term men,
if they would re-enlist for the war. Companies A, B, C. H and I of the First
Maryland came under this ortler. and with but few exceptions the men of A and