morsel was
an old woman, lick his chops and ask for more.

Wilder came in yesterday, with his mounted infantry, from a scout of
eight or ten days, bringing sixty or seventy prisoners and a large
number of horses.

11. A railway train was destroyed by the rebels near Lavergne yesterday.
One hundred officers fell into the hands of the enemy, and probably one
hundred thousand dollars in money, on the way to soldiers' families, was
taken. This feat was accomplished right under the nose of our troops.

To the uninitiated army life is very fascinating. The long marches,
nights of picket, and ordeal of battle are so festooned by the
imagination of the inexperienced with shoulder straps, glittering
blades, music, banners, and glory, as to be irresistible; but when we
sit down to the hard crackers and salt pork, with which the soldier is
wont to regale himself, we can not avoid recurring to the loaded tables
and delicious morsels of other days, and are likely at such times to
put hard crackers and glory on one side, the good things of home and
peace on the other and owing probably to the unsubstantial quality of
glory, and the adamantine quality of the crackers, arrive at conclusions
not at all favorable to army life.

A fellow claiming to have been sent here by the Governor of Maine to
write songs for the army, and who wrote songs for quite a number of
regiments, was arrested some days ago on the charge of being a spy. Last
night he attempted to get away from the guard, and was shot. Drawings of
our fortifications were found in his boots. He was quite well known
throughout the army, and for a long time unsuspected.

12. Called on General Rousseau. He referred to his trip to Washington,
and dwelt with great pleasure on the various efforts of the people along
the route to do him honor. At Lancaster, Pennsylvania, they stood in the
cold an hour and a half awaiting his appearance. Our division, he
informs me, is understood to possess the chivalric and dashing qualities
which the people admire. With all due respect, I suggested that dash was
a good thing, doubtless, but steady, obstinate, well-directed fighting
was better, and, in the end, would always succeed.

W. D. B., of the Commercial, Major McDowell, of Rousseau's staff, and
Lieutenant Porter, called this afternoon. My report of the operations of
my brigade at Stone river was referred to. Bickham thought it did not do
justice to my command, and I have no doubt it is a so