rs and wanted rooms and board. To have some protection was
a necessity; both armies were still in town, and for the past three days
every Confederate soldier I see has a cracker in his hand. There is
hardly any water in town, no prospect of rain, and the soldiers have
emptied one cistern in the yard already and begun on the other. The
colonel put a guard at the gate to limit the water given. Next came the
owner of the house and said we must move; he wanted the house, but it
was so big he'd just bring his family in; we could stay till we got one.
They brought boarders with them too, and children. Men are at work all
over the house shoveling up the plaster before repairing. Up-stairs they
are pouring it by bucketfuls through the windows. Colonel D. brought
work for H. to help with from headquarters. Making out the paroles and
copying them has taken so long they wanted help. I am surprised and
mortified to find that two thirds of all the men who have signed made
their mark; they cannot write. I never thought there was so much
ignorance in the South. One of the men at headquarters took a fancy to
H., and presented him with a portfolio that he said he had captured when
the Confederates evacuated their headquarters at Jackson. It contained
mostly family letters written in French, and a few official papers.
Among them was the following note, which I will copy here, and file away
the original as a curiosity when the war is over.

HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF TENN.
TUPELO, Aug. 6, 1862.

CAPT: The Major-General Commanding directs me to say that he
submits it altogether to your own discretion whether you make the
attempt to capture General Grant or not. While the exploit would
be very brilliant if successful, you must remember that failure
would be disastrous to you and your men. The General commends
your activity and energy, and expects you to continue to show
these qualities.

I am, very respectfully, yr. obt. svt.
THOMAS L. SNEAD, A.A.G.

CAPT. GEO. L. BAXTER,
Commanding Beauregard Scouts.

I would like to know if he tried it and came to grief or abandoned the
project. As letters can now get through to New Orleans, I wrote there.

_July 14._--Moved yesterday into a house I call "Fair Rosamond's bower"
because it would take a clue of thread to go through it without getting
lost. One room has five doors