shed; but finds the day altogether too
short for the work, and abandons the job in despair.

14. Every day we have the roar of artillery, the rattle of musketry, the
prancing of impatient steeds, the marching and countermarching of
battalions, the roll of the drum, the clash and clatter of sabers, and
the thunder of a thousand mounted men, as they hurry hither and yon. But
nobody is hurt; it is all practice and drill.

16. People who live in houses would hardly believe one can sleep
comfortably with his nose separated from the coldest winter wind by
simply a thin cotton canvas; but such is the fact.

19. General Dumont called. He is to-day commandant of the camp. The
General is an eccentric genius, and has an inexhaustible fund of good
stories. He uses the words "damned" and "be-damned" rather too often;
but this adds, rather than detracts, from his popularity. He dispenses
good whisky at his quarters very freely, and this has a tendency also to
elevate him in the estimation of his subordinates.

General Mitchell never drinks and never swears. Occasionally he uses
the words "confound it" in rather savage style; but further than this I
have never heard him go. Mitchell is military; Dumont militia. The
latter winks at the shortcomings of the soldier; the former does not.

25. We are not studying so much as we were. The General's grasp has
relaxed, and he does not hold us with a tight reign and stiff bit any
longer.

There is a great deal of sickness among the troops; many cases of colds,
rheumatism, and fever, resulting from exposure. Passing through the
company quarters of our regiment at midnight, I was alarmed by the
constant and heavy coughing of the men. I fear the winter will send many
more to the grave than the bullets of the enemy, for a year to come.

26. A body of cavalry got in our rear last night and attempted to
destroy the Nolan creek bridge; but it was driven off by the guard,
after a sharp engagement, in which report says nine of the enemy were
killed and six of our men.

The enemy is doing but little in our front. A night or two ago he
ventured to within a few miles of our forces on Green river, burnt a
station-house, and retired.

28. The Colonel returned at noon. I was among the first to visit him. He
greeted me very cordially, and called God to witness that he had never
spoken a disparaging word of me. Busy bodies and liars, he said, had
created all the trouble between us. He had heard that c