The stream twisted and turned, keeping no one general direction for
twenty rods, and hardly for twenty feet. It grew smaller, and as the
ravine narrowed the way became more difficult. Six o'clock had now come.
I could not see the sun, and only occasionally could get glimpses of the
sky. I began to realize that I was lost; but concluded finally that I
would climb the mountain again, and ascertain, if I could, in what
direction the camp lay. I have had some hard tramps, and have done some
hard work, but never labored half so hard in a whole week as I did for
one hour in getting up that mountain, pushing through vines, climbing
over logs, breaking through brush. Three or four times I lay down out of
breath, utterly exhausted, and thought I would proceed no further until
morning; but when I thought of my pickets, and reflected that General
Reynolds would not excuse a trip so foolish and untimely, I made new
efforts and pushed on. Finally I reached the summit of the mountain, but
found it not the one from which I had descended. Still higher mountains
were around me. The trees and bushes were so dense I could hardly see a
rod before me. It was now seven o'clock, an hour after the time when I
should have been in camp. I lay down, determined to remain all night;
but my clothing was so thin that I soon became chilly, and so got up and
started on again. Once I became entangled in a wilderness of grapevines
and briers, and had much difficulty in getting through them. It was now
half-past seven, and growing dark; but, fortunately, at this time, I
heard a dog bark, a good way off to the right, and, turning in that
direction, I came to a cow-path. Which end of it should I take? Either
end, I concluded, would be better than to remain where I was; so I
worked myself into a dog-trot, wound down around the side of the
mountain, and reached the road, a mile and a half south of camp, and
went to my quarters fast as my legs could carry me. I found my detail
for picket duty waiting and wondering what could so detain the officer
of the day.

31. The Fifteenth Indiana, Colonel Wagner, moved up the valley eight
miles.

The sickly months are now on us. Considerable dysentery among the men,
and many reported unfit for duty.

My limbs are stiff and sore from yesterday's exercise, but my adventure
proves to have been a lucky one. The mountain path I stumbled on was
unknown to us before, and we find, on inquiry, that it leads over the
ridges. Th