Year: 1863

ueu. lmdSue soule tNeuly-HtlH or tuEtlelH
mile of some of our long marches could account
for some of these delinquent articles, and show
where they had gone; for when men were too
tired to carry them further they bid them an ever
lasting good bye, and dumped them beside the
road and went along without them. Hard as it
was to be driven to such an alternative, it was bet
ter than to fall behind and run the risk of being
provost marshaled."


During the preliminary arrangeme nts of get
ting the men into military shape, which took the
best part of two hours and all of our patience.
Several men from the other brigade tell, under the
effect of the heat, and had to be helped off from
the ground. Besides this the inspection passed
off very pleasantly to all, unless we except few
officers that stumbled into hornets nest and had
to retreat in disorder, leaving the enemy il pos
session of the field and themselves in possession
of sore head. When we were arranged by
company in line, IN open ranks, the inspecting Of
fcer passed up and down between the rear and
front ranks, which were facing each other with
their knapsacks spread out before them, and if
any article was seen in them denoting q lack Of
care on the part of its possessor, he was sure to
have some disagreeable questions to answer. |
observed that some of these inspecting officers
could be very personal in their remarks to SOL
der that should exhibit an unusually slovenish or
negligent appearance.


We had a thanksgiving last week suppose in
common with the whole nation, although it passed
without any demonstration here, and probably a
great many never knew when it happened. We


we had not so much an exta ration of I'd tack


to celebrate the day, and how should we know or


remember it But as for the victories we have


been thankful for them ever since they happened
: and | doubt if in this we have been xceeded by
the most fayors in their peaceful holidays at home


My friend and | came very near having can


teen of milk iece to help make US thankful in


fact did get the milk, but it turned sour before


we could use itand thus cheated US out of our feast


1t is of no use to mourn over milk that split ,and


it is worse than useless to cry when milk sours


but to lose ones thank sgiving in that kind OF a


way is narrowing in the extreme. We had beer


obliged to so nearly three miles to get this o2e


luxury, to cross two str cams, one on loose fooC


wood and the other on the trunk of huge syca
more tree, where the torrent dashed and foameC
as if it would delight to engulf us for ever milk
and all and this 10 a dark night after roll cal
when good dutful soldiers who love the
country dreadfully, as We do, should have beer
; abed and asleep. But we got across th
f Rappahannock and its tributary, and got back
again safely, got into camp in season to dream o
milk and honey, Thanksgiving and Aapjacks, and t.


wake in the morning and find our milk curdled
our thanksgiving spoiled, and all our epicurea,
= dreams of feasts and felicity but miserable falls
prophets to cheat ard betray US. When Vaan
dgham and Fernando Wood have inauguratet
their peace policy we hope these things will hav
g an end.


J, Where is there friend of mine that will no
S pray for peace?


b We made our purchase of a respectable
: man, who, with his sable partner, occupy YER
substantialtwo story house Of the better sort bu
which has felt the effects of war in its most prat
tcal form, it having been pierced in severa! place
5, with solid cannon shot and an almost endles
# number of bullets. Everything within thi
: house had the appearance of scrupulouS neatnes'
= The walls chairs, ceilings, and whatever furntur
+ noticed was cleanly kept and tdily arranged
d evincing considerable taste, and refinement ever
y on the part Of the occupants, niggerss thoug