g with this scion of an illustrious house, he
complimented me by saying that he hoped soon to have the honor of
meeting me on the battle-field. I assured him that it would afford me
pleasure, and I should make all reasonable efforts to gratify him in
this regard. I did not desire to fight, of course, but I was bound not
to be excelled in the matter of knightly courtesy.

8. Major Wood, Fifteenth Indiana, thought he heard chopping last night,
and imagined that the enemy was engaged in cutting a road to our rear.

Lieutenant Driscoll and party returned to-day. They slept on the
mountains last night; were inside the enemy's picket lines; heard
reveille sounded this morning, but could not obtain a view of the camp.

Have just returned from a sixteen-mile ride, visiting picket posts. The
latter half of the ride was after nightfall. Found officers and men
vigilant and ready to meet an attack.

Obtained some fine huckleberries and blackberries on the mountain
to-day. Had a blackberry pie and pudding for dinner. Rather too much
happiness for one day; but then the crust of the pudding was tolerably
tough. The grass is a foot high in parts of my tent, where it has not
been trodden down, and the gentle grasshopper makes music all the day,
and likewise all the night.

Our fortifications are progressing slowly. If the enemy intends to
attack at all, he will probably do so before they are complete; and if
he does not, the fortifications will be of no use to us. But this is the
philosophy of a lazy man, and very similar to that of the Irishman who
did not put roof on his cabin: when it rained he could not, and in fair
weather he did not need it.

9. Pickets report firing, artillery and musketry, over the mountain, in
the direction of Kimball.

The enemy's scouts were within three miles of our camp this afternoon,
evidently looking for a path that would enable them to get to our rear.
Fifty men have just been sent in pursuit; but owing to a little
misunderstanding of instructions, I fear the expedition will be
fruitless. Colonel Wagner neither thinks clearly nor talks with any
degree of exactness. He has a loose, slip-shod, indefinite way with him,
that tends to confusion and leads to misunderstandings and trouble.

I have been over the mountain on our left, hunting up the paths and
familiarizing myself with the ground, so as to be ready to defeat any
effort that may be made to turn our flank. Colonel Owen has been
investigati