While
this was going on, McPherson and I sat on our horses together a
long time, observing the movement and renewing the familiar
intercourse of our youth. We had a long and free conversation on
a great variety of subjects--a rare opportunity for commanders,
even in the same army, where their troops were generally from ten
to twenty miles apart in line of battle. One of the first subjects
that came up was that question of relative rank; for our troops
had "met" and were then "doing duty together," in the language of
the old article of war. But the subject was quickly dismissed with
the remark, made almost simultaneously by both, that such a question
could not possible cause any difficulty between us. McPherson had
the senior commission of major-general, and I the senior assignment
as army commander. Perhaps it would have puzzled even Halleck to
frame a satisfactory decision in that peculiar case. I had long
before determined what my decision would be if that question ever
became a practical one between McPherson and myself on the field
of battle. I would have said, in substance at least: "Mac, just
tell me what you want me to do."

As we sat together that day, McPherson confided to me the secret
of his marriage engagement, for the purpose, as he stated, of
inquiring whether, in my opinion, he could before long find a chance
to go home and get married. I told him I thought that after the
capture of Atlanta operations would be suspended long enough for
that. But my dear and noble friend was killed in the next great
battle. After Atlanta had fallen I went home, as McPherson would
doubtless have done if he had lived; but our common friend and
classmate Hood cut the visit so short that there would have been
little time for marriage festivities.

McPherson, among other high qualities, was one of the most generous
men I ever knew. He was remarkably skilful in topographical drawing,
etching, lettering, and all other uses of the pen. Although at
the head of the class and a most conscientious student whose time
was very valuable to himself, he would spend a very large part of
that precious time in "lettering" problems for classmates who needed
such help. For this reason and others he was, by common consent
of all the classes, the most popular man in the corps. I could
not compete with "Mac" at all in the lettering business, but I
tried to follow his good example, in my own way, by helping the
boys over knotty p