d Floyd, will be
neutralized and dwarfed at the behest of West Point. Napoleon's marshals
were privates once--ours--but perhaps West Point may be killed off in
the end, since they rush in so eagerly at the beginning of the war.

JULY 10TH.--There are indications of military operations on a large
scale on the Potomac. We have intelligence that McDowell is making
preparations to advance against our forces at Manassas. Gen. Johnston is
expected to be there in time; and for that purpose is manoeuvring Gen.
Patterson out of the way. Our men have _caps_ now--and will be found in
readiness. They have short-commons under the Commissary Department; but
even with empty stomachs, they can beat the Yankees at the ordeal of
dying. Fighting is a sport our men always have an appetite for.

JULY 11TH.--The colonel tried his hand to-day at dictating answers to
certain letters. Together we pitched upon the proper replies, which,
after being marked with his pencil, I elaborated with the pen. These
were first approved by the Secretary, then signed by the Chief of the
Bureau, and copied by Mr. Scott.

To-day the colonel essayed a flight with his own plumage. I followed his
dictation substantially in the answers. But the moment the Secretary's
eyes rested upon them, they were promptly _reversed_. The Secretary
himself, suspecting how it was, indeed he saw the colonel's pencil
marks, brought them to me, while a humorous smile played upon his
usually not very expressive lip. When the colonel came in, and beheld
what had been done, he groaned, and requested me to write the proper
answers. From that day he ceased to have anything more to do with the
correspondence than to sign his name to the letters I prepared for him.
He remarked to-day that if he was to have nothing to do, he would do
nothing.

JULY 12TH.--The colonel's temper is as variable as an April day--now all
smiles and sunshine, but by-and-by a cloud takes all away. He becomes
impatient with a long-winded story, told by some business applicant--and
_storms_ whenever any one asks him if the Secretary is in.

To-day, for the first time, I detected a smile on the lip of Col. Myers,
the Quartermaster-General, as he passed through the office. A moment
after, Gen. Walker, of Georgia, came in, and addressed the colonel thus:

"Is the Secretary in?"

_Col._ (_with a stare_). I don't know.

_Gen. W._ (returning the stare). Could you not ascertain for me? I have
important business with