he latter with whom we talked were heartily sick of the war and
longed for the expiration of their term of service. This series of
battles, continuing, as it did, at intervals for a week, was not yet
done with.

After dark our battery was ordered to move down toward Fredericksburg
and occupy some earthworks just outside of the town. We had been well in
range of the siege-guns already, but now the only hope was that they
would overshoot us. As I was on guard that night I had ample time, while
pacing the breastworks, for cogitation. I heard distinctly the barking
of the dogs and the clocks striking the hours during the night. When
morning came, a dense fog had settled along the river, entirely
concealing us, and while it hung we were ordered to pull out quietly.

Two hundred yards back from this place we came into clear sunlight and,
as we turned, saw an immense balloon poised on the surface of the mist,
and apparently near enough to have pierced it with a shell. Not a shot
was fired at us--veiled, as we were, by the mist--until we had gotten
still farther away, but then some enormous projectiles landed around us.

A question that would naturally present itself to one who had heard of
the repeated victories won by the Confederate army would be, "Why were
no decisive results?" By carefully studying the history of the war, the
inquirer could not fail to notice that at every crisis either some
flagrant failure on the part of a subordinate to execute the duty
assigned to him occurred, or that some untoward accident befell the
Confederate arms. Conspicuous among the latter was Jackson's fall at
Chancellorsville.

That General Hooker seemed entirely ignorant of the proximity of General
Lee's army was disclosed by the discovery, by General Fitz Lee, that the
right flank of the Federal army was totally unguarded.

General Jackson, when informed of this, proceeded by a rapid march to
throw his corps well to the right and rear of this exposed wing, and by
this unexpected onset threw that portion of Hooker's army into the
utmost confusion and disorder. Falling night for a time checked his
advance, but, while making dispositions to push the advantage gained,
so as to envelope his adversary, he passed, with his staff, outside of
his picket line, and when returning to re-enter was mortally wounded by
his own men.

This May 4 closed the great effort of General Hooker, with 132,000 men,
to "crush" General Lee's army of 47,000. The