e performed the duties of that office for "Stonewall" Jackson in
Virginia. The officer who is supposed _really_ to command the advancing
Federals, is Weitzel; and he is acknowledged by all here to be an able
man, a good soldier, and well acquainted with the country in which he is
manoeuvring.

[14] He is reported to have died in August 1863.

[15] Such a stampede did occur when the blockaders threw two or three
shells. All the negroes ran, showing every sign of great dismay, and two
of them, in their terror, ran into the sea, and were unfortunately
drowned. It is now, however, too late for the ships to try this
experiment, as some heavy guns are in position. A description of the
different works is of course omitted here.

* * * * *

_3d May_ (Sunday).--I paid a long visit this morning to Mr Lynn the
British Consul, who told me that he had great difficulty in
communicating with the outer world, and had seen no British man-of-war
since the Immortalite.

At 1.30 I saw Pyron's regiment embark for Niblitt's Bluff to meet
Banks. This corps is now dismounted cavalry, and the procession was a
droll one. First came eight or ten instruments braying discordantly,
then an enormous Confederate flag, followed by about four hundred men
moving by fours--dressed in every variety of costume, and armed with
every variety of weapon; about sixty had Enfield rifles; the remainder
carried shot-guns (fowling-pieces), carbines, or long rifles of a
peculiar and antiquated manufacture. None had swords or bayonets--all
had six-shooters and bowie-knives. The men were a fine,
determined-looking lot; and I saw amongst them a short stout boy of
fourteen who had served through the Arizona campaign. I saw many of the
soldiers take off their hats to the French priests, who seemed much
respected in Galveston. This regiment is considered down here to be a
very good one, and its colonel is spoken of as one of the bravest
officers in the army. The regiment was to be harangued by Old Houston
before it embarked.[16]

In getting into the cars to return to Houston I was nearly forced to
step over the dead body of the horse shot by the soldier yesterday, and
which the authorities had not thought necessary to remove.

I got back to General Scurry's house at Houston at 4.30 P.M. The
general took me out for a drive in his ambulance, and I saw innumerable
negroes and negresses parading about the streets in the most
outrageously