* * * *

"Where is Old Pigey?" said one of a group of officers, suddenly turning
to a comrade, as they stood about one of their camp fires. "He has not
been near our Brigade during the day."

"No! nor near the other, except to damn it in such a style as to draw
down the rebuke of a superior officer," replied the man addressed.
"Follow me, if you desire to see how a 'cool, courageous man of
science,' one, whose face, as the Reporters say of him, 'indicates
tremendous power in reserve,' meets this crisis."

The two retired, and on a camp stool, with cloak wrapped closely about
him, in front of a fire whose bright blaze gave him enormous proportions
upon the dark background of pines, surrounded by his Staff, his hat more
pinched up and askew than usual, and receiving frequent consolation from
a long, black bottle, evidently his power in reserve upon this occasion,
the General was discovered in a pensive mood.

"Do you know," continued the officer, "that he reports, as a reason for
his absence to-day, that he did not consider it prudent to be near our
Brigade during the loading and firing exercise."

"The torturing of a guilty conscience," was the reply. "Our men, as true
soldiers, know but one enemy in the field."

* * * * *

At length, at two in the morning of the 6th of May, we cautiously
commenced our movement to the river. The dawn of a rainy day saw us
formed in line of battle, supporting artillery planted to protect the
crossing. About eight our turn came upon the swollen stream. The rain
pelted piteously as we ascended the steep slope of the opposite bank,
and after a day's march over roads resembling rivers of mud, we slept
away our sorrows under wet blankets, in the comfortable huts of our old
camp ground.

CHAPTER XXI.

_The Pigeon-hole General and his Adjutant under Charges--The Exhorting
Colonels Adieu to the Sunday Fight at Chancellorsville; Reasons
thereof--Speech of the Dutch Doctor in Reply to a Peace-Offering from
the Chaplain--The Irish Corporal stumping for Freedom--Black Charlie's
Compliments to his Master--Western Virginia at the Head of a Black
Regiment._

"HEAD-QUARTERS, ---- DIVISION.
"---- ARMY CORPS, _7th May, 1863_.

"General Orders, No. 22.

"The term of service of six of the eight Regiments forming my
Division