, your horse holds his own mighty
well." His face brightened, and I continued: "He hasn't lost a bone
since I have known him." This nettled him, and he began to badger me
about an unsuccessful attempt which I made some time ago to get him to
taste a green persimmon. Hobart has a good education, is fluent in
conversation, and in discussion gets the better of me without
difficulty. All I can do, therefore, is to watch my opportunity to give
him an occasional thrust as best I can. Father Stanley is slow,
destitute of either education or wit, and examines applicants like a
demagogue fishes for votes.

Brigadier-General Jeff. C. Davis and Colonel Hegg called to-day. Davis
is, I think, not quite so tall as I am, but a shade heavier. Met
Captain Gaunther. He has been relieved from duty here, and ordered to
Washington. He is an excellent officer, and deserves a higher position
than he holds at present. I thought, from the very affectionate manner
with which he clung to my hand and squeezed it, that possibly, in taking
leave of his friends, he had burdened himself with that "oat" which is
said to be one too many. Hobart says that Scribner calls him Hobart up
to two glasses, and further on in his cups ycleps him Hogan.

Wood had a bout with the enemy at Chattanooga yesterday; he on the north
side and they on the south side of the river. Johnson is said to have
reinforced Bragg, and the enemy is supposed to be strong in our front.
Rosecrans was at Bridgeport yesterday looking over the ground, when a
sharpshooter blazed away at him, and put a bullet in a tree near which
the General and his son were standing.

24. Deserters are coming in almost every day. They report that secret
societies exist in the rebel army whose object is the promotion of
desertion. Eleven men from one company arrived yesterday. Not many days
ago a Confederate officer swam the river and gave himself up. For some
time past the pickets of the two armies have not been firing at each
other; but yesterday the rebels gave notice that they should commence
again, as the "Yanks were becoming too d--n thick."

26. To-day we were examining a German who desired to be recommended for
a field officer. "How do you form an oblique square, sir?" "Black
square? Black square?" exclaimed the Dutchman; "I dush not know vot you
means by de black square."

As I write the moon shines down upon me through an opening in the
branches of the beech forest in which we are encamped, an