p yer head
there, now, or I'll make yer hold it up. Keep quiet; what the h--ll yer
'bout there, now? D--n you! do you want me to hit you a lick over the
snoot, now--do you? Are you a inviten' me to pound you over the head
with a saw-log? D--n yer ugly pictures, whoa!"

18. This afternoon, when riding down to Huttonville, I met three or four
hundred sorry-looking soldiers. They were without arms. On inquiry, I
found they were a part of the secession army, who, finding no way of
escape, had come into our lines and surrendered. They were badly
dressed, and a hard, dissolute-looking lot of men. To use the language
of one of the soldiers, they were "a milk-sickly set of fellows," and
would have died off probably without any help from us if they had been
kept in the mountains a little longer. They were on their way to
Staunton. General McClellan had very generously provided them with
provisions for three days, and wagons to carry the sick and wounded; and
so, footsore, weary, and chopfallen, they go over the hills.

An unpleasant rumor is in camp to-night, to the effect that General
Patterson has been defeated at Williamsport. This, if true, will
counterbalance our successes in Western Virginia, and make the game an
even one.

The Southern soldiers mentioned above are encamped for the night a
little over a mile from here. About dusk I walked over to their camp.
They were gathered around their fires preparing supper. Many of them
say they were deceived, and entered the service because they were led to
believe that the Northern army would confiscate their property, liberate
their slaves, and play the devil generally. As they thought this was
true, there was nothing left for them to do but to take up arms and
defend themselves.

While we were at Buckhannon, an old farmer-looking man visited us daily,
bringing tobacco, corn-bread, and cucumber pickles. This innocent old
gentleman proves to have been a spy, and obtained his reward in the loss
of a leg at Rich mountain.

19. To-day, eleven men belonging to a company of cavalry which
accompanied the Fourteenth Indiana to the Summit, were sent out on a
scouting expedition. When about ten miles from camp, on the opposite
side of the mountain, they halted, and while watering their horses were
fired upon. One man was killed and three wounded. The other seven fled.
Colonel Kimball sent out a detachment to bring in the wounded; but
whether it succeeded or not I have not heard.

A