ittle use to us. Men and horses all suffered together. Thus far the
month has been very wet, and this April is certainly entitled to be
classed among the Weeping Sisters.

We spent the dreary night hoping for a better morrow. But the
twenty-fourth followed the example of its predecessor, and rain poured
upon us in torrents.

The yielding clay of this region of country is soon trodden into a soft
mud, under so many hoofs, until it seems quite impossible to find a dry
spot large enough to lie down upon at night. This makes our bivouacs
very dreary and uncomfortable. And yet under these melancholy
circumstances we are not totally bereft of pleasant entertainment. The
woods and fields in this vicinity abound with quails and rabbits, whose
presence has been the cause of some excitement and not a little fun.

Ever and anon a sportive cavalier starts up a nimble rabbit and chases
the frightened little creature through the camp, crying at the top of
his voice, "stop him! stop him! catch that rabbit," etc. Poor pussy
comes flying down the road, pursued by a throng, of men, while the
shouts are caught up and repeated along the entire line of escape, men
jumping up at every bound of the animal, and joining in the sport.
Occasionally the rabbit is so perfectly surrounded as to be compelled at
last to surrender, when the trembling prisoner is caught, but carefully
treated. At this time of the year they are so very small and lean as to
be scarcely eatable, and yet now and then they are shot, as well as
quails, to increase our commissary supplies, and the cooks display
considerable skill in dressing and preparing them _a la Delmonico_.

[Illustration: CAVALRY SCOUTING PARTY HALTING FOR THE NIGHT.]

_April 27._--Colonel Davies, after quite a lengthy absence from us,
rejoined the regiment at ten o'clock A. M. He reported having a narrow
escape from guerillas near Elkton, where he was fired at and pursued for
some distance, while on his way from Falmouth. Details were ordered out
immediately to those infested regions, with instructions to capture every
thing in the shape of a bushwhacker. Captain Coon, of the Connecticut
squadron, was put in command of the reconnoitring party. We had a rich
and delightful ride, but did not succeed in overhauling the offenders.

On the twenty-eighth the first battalion of the Harris Light, commanded
by Captain Samuel McIrvin, was ordered to reconnoitre as far as
Brentsville. We went via Elkton and Br