nother lay dying of a bayonet thrust, and
still another had perished under the sledge-hammer blow of his fist. The
ground was covered now with the slain. He stood knee-deep in secesh
blood; but a bugle sounded away off on the hills, and the d--d
scoundrels who were able to get away ran off as fast as their legs could
carry them. Had they stood up like men he would have destroyed the whole
regiment; for, you see, he was just getting his hand in. "But,
Corporal," inquired Captain Hunter, "what were the other soldiers of
your company doing all this time?" "Bless your sowl, Captain, and do you
think I had nothing to do but to watch the boys? Be jabers, it was a day
when every man had to look after himself."

16. The opinion seems to be growing that the rebels do not intend to
attack us. They have put it off too long.

A scouting party will start out in the morning, under the guidance of
"old Leather Breeches," a primitive West Virginian, who has spent his
life in the mountains. His right name is Bennett. He wears an antiquated
pair of buckskin pantaloons, and has a cabin-home on the mountain,
twelve miles away.

A tambourine is being played near by, and Fox, with a heart much lighter
than his complexion, is indulging in a double shuffle.

There are many snakes in the mountains: rattlesnakes, copperheads,
blacksnakes, and almost every other variety of the snake kind; in short,
the boys have snake on the brain. To-day one of the choppers made a
sudden grab for his trouser leg; a snake was crawling up. He held the
loathsome reptile tightly by the head and body, and was fearfully
agitated. A comrade slit down the leg of the pantaloon with a knife,
when lo! an innocent little roll of red flannel was discovered.

The boys are very liberal in the bestowal of titles. Colonel Hogseye is
indebted to them for his commission. The Colonel commands an ax just
now. Ordinarily he carries a musket, sleeps and dines with his
subordinates, and is not above traveling on foot.

Fox's real name, I ascertained lately, is William Washington. His
brother, now in the service of the surgeon, is called Handsome, and
Colonel Marrow's servant is known by the boys as the Bay Nigger.

17. Was awakened this morning at one o'clock, by a soldier in search of
a surgeon. One of our pickets had been wounded. The post was on the
river bank. The sentinel saw a man approaching on the opposite side of
the river, challenged, and saw him level his gun. Both fi