rry affair,
compared with the elaborate reports of many others. The historian who
accepts these reports as reliable, and permits himself to be guided by
them through all the windings of a five-days' battle, with the
expectation of finally allotting to each one of forty brigades the
proper credit, will probably not be successful. My report was called for
late one evening, written hastily, without having before me the reports
of my regimental commanders, and is incomplete, unsatisfactory to me,
and unjust to my brigade.

13. General Thomas called for a moment this evening, to congratulate me
on my promotion.

The practical-joke business is occasionally resumed. Quartermaster Wells
was astonished to find that his stove would not draw, or, rather, that
the smoke, contrary to rule, insisted upon coming down instead of going
up. Examination led to the discovery that the pipe was stuffed with old
newspapers. Their removal heated the stove and his temper at the same
time, but produced a coolness elsewhere, which the practical joker
affected to think quite unaccountable.

14. Colonel Dodge, commanding the Second Brigade of Johnson's division,
called this afternoon. The Colonel is a very industrious talker, chewer,
spitter, and drinker. He has been under some tremendous hot firing, I
can tell you! Well, if he don't know what heavy firing is, and the
d--dest hottest work, too, then there is no use for men to talk! The
truth is, however much other men may try to conceal it, his command
stood its ground at Shiloh, and never gave back an inch. No, sir! Every
other brigade faltered or fell back, damned if they didn't; but he
drove the enemy, got 'em started, other brigades took courage and joined
in the chase. At Stone river he drove the enemy again. Bullets came
thicker'n hail; but his men stood up. He was with 'em. Damned hot, you
better believe! Well, if he must say it himself, he knew what hard
fighting was. Why, sir, one of his men has five bullets in him; dam' me
if he hasn't five! Says he, Dick says he, how did they hit you so many
times? The first time I fired, says Dick, I killed an officer; yes, sir,
killed him dead; saw him fall, dam me, if he didn't, sir; and at the
same time, says Dick, I got a ball in my leg; rose up to fire again, and
got one in my other leg, and one in my thigh, and fell; got on my knees
to fire the third time, says Dick, and received two more. Well, you see,
the firing was hotter'n hell, and Colone