ral Beauregard say, raising his hand
and pointing in the direction of the Federal camp, whose
drums we could plainly hear, 'Gentlemen, we sleep in the
enemy's camp to-morrow night.'"

The Confederate General, the same writer says, had minute information of
General Grant's position and numbers. This knowledge was obtained
through spies and informers, some of whom lived in the vicinity, had
been in and out of Grant's camp again and again, and knew every foot of
ground.

Under these circumstances, with a superior force, with accurate
knowledge of the position of every brigade in General Grant's army, with
troops in the best spirits, enthusiastic, ardent, expecting a victory,
stealing upon a foe unsuspicious, unprepared, with brigades and
divisions widely separated, with General Grant, the commander-in-chief,
ten miles away, and General Buell's nearest troops twenty miles distant,
the Rebel generals waited impatiently for the coming of the morning.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE BATTLE.

FROM DAYBREAK TILL TEN O'CLOCK.

It was a lovely morning. A few fleecy clouds floated in the sky. The
trees were putting out their tender leaves. The air was fragrant with
the first blossoms of spring. The birds were singing their sweetest
songs.

At three o'clock the Rebel troops were under arms, their breakfasts
eaten, their blankets folded, their knapsacks laid aside. They were to
move unencumbered, that they might fight with more vigor. The morning
brightened, and the long lines moved through the forest.

The Union army was asleep. The reveille had not been beaten. The
soldiers were still dreaming of home, or awaiting the morning drum-beat.
The mules and horses were tied to the wagons, whinnying for their oats
and corn. A few teamsters were astir. Cooks were rekindling the
smouldering camp-fires. The pickets, a mile out, had kept watch through
the night. There had been but little firing. There was nothing to
indicate the near approach of fifty thousand men. Beauregard had ordered
that there should be no picket-firing through the night.

General Prentiss had strengthened his picket-guard on the Corinth Ridge
road Saturday night. Some of his officers reported that Rebel cavalry
were plenty in the woods. He therefore doubled his grand guard, and
extended the line. He also ordered Colonel Moore, of the Twenty-first
Missouri, to go to the front with five companies of his regiment.
Colonel Moore marched at three o'clock.