n out of my face and neck, then with a stick of wood
on which to sit on the leeward side of a tree trunk, I kept myself dry and
got through the night fairly comfortably and got quite a little rest.

About seven o'clock the morning of the 8th the first brigade moved past us
down the road leading to the Confederate barracks and forts. About half a
mile down that road the Johnnies had built an earthwork and mounted
cannon. The first brigade, as it approached the earthwork, moved to the
right to attack the fort on the left flank. Two little brass howitzers
manned by sailors went next and we followed them until we were in sight
of the fort, when we moved to the left to attack the fort on the right
flank. As we got into position the Confederates finding themselves
out-flanked on both sides, retreated. The road in front of the fort was
the only dry land on that side and it was occupied by the sailors and
their howitzers. The fort, however, was built at the end of a tongue of
dry land extending toward us. This tongue of land was completely enveloped
in front and the two sides with shallow water, the troops on both sides
thus operated in water from one to three feet deep.

Directly after losing their entrenched position, the rebels surrendered,
we marched over to their barracks and went into camp. That night we had a
fine supper and slept in fine, comfortable quarters, the first time we had
slept in a real comfortable place since leaving Annapolis.

Just before we started to charge, the moment intervening between the order
to cease firing and the order to advance, George Booth was wounded in the
mouth; he was talking to me at the time and the ball entered his mouth,
leaving no mark on his lips, knocked out two or three teeth and passed
through his neck. He died in the hospital about a month and a half later.

It is always interesting to analyze the feelings one had when going into
battle, especially the first one; the feelings of the same man differ so
much, however, on going into different battles my belief is that much
depends upon the state of the nervous system at the time.

It is very well known that the bravest men have on certain occasions been
very much depressed before going into certain battles, yet went through
them doing very brave things and came out unscratched. On some occasions,
I do not remember that my feelings were exceptional at all, while on other
occasions I remember distinctly feeling very nervous. The t