od day's march passing through the town
of Lancaster. The 14th we passed through the village of Crab Orchard,
camping for the night a little way beyond the town.

The 15th we remained in camp, but the 16th we moved on a good distance in
spite of the dreadful roads, along the sides of which lay numerous wrecks
of army wagons, dead mules, etc. We were then getting into the foothills
of the Cumberland range, and also into the abode of the rattlesnake, a
number having been seen the last day or two. Colonel Hawks made an
interesting discovery as he started to retire last night. He found a
rattlesnake about two feet and a half long comfortably coiled up in his
blankets, that was not the kind of bedfellow the colonel was looking for,
and he was despatched at short notice. The 17th we met a lot of
Confederate prisoners being taken to the rear. They had been captured at
Cumberland Gap. They were about the dirtiest and most repulsive looking
lot of men I have ever seen. We climbed Wildcat Mountain, a hill so steep
it did not seem as if the trains could ever get up it; but by going slow
and with a good deal of pushing and pulling by the boys they did succeed
in reaching the top without accident. We passed through the town of Loudon
and Barboursville, and September 21st crossed the Cumberland River at
Cumberland Ford.

September 22. We passed through Cumberland Gap. Two days' march brought us
to the Clinch River, which we forded. Fording rivers and some of them
pretty deep ones, was a new experience for us, but before we left East
Tennessee we had learned that lesson,--if experience will teach a
lesson,--pretty thoroughly.

September 25. We crossed the Clinch range, the descent from which on the
south side was dreadfully steep. Ropes were tied to the wagons and they
were held back by the boys and prevented from tipping over. Thus they were
eased down and reached the foot of the hill safely. Along the foot of the
hill lay wagons and dead mules by the dozen, a whole line of them
extending all along around the foot of the hill.

September 26. Lunched at the famous and glorious Panther Spring. What a
spring! The water is as clear as crystal and enough of it to make a river
ten feet wide and three feet deep. We continued our march through
Newmarket and Strawberry Plains, reaching the immediate vicinity of
Knoxville the 28th.

A word must be said right here about the unpretending, never-flinching
army mule. I do not believe we shall