g's army. He is a widower, and has the character of being a great
admirer of the fair sex. During the Kentucky campaign last year he was
in the habit of availing himself of the privilege of his rank and years,
and insisted upon kissing the wives and daughters of all the Kentuckian
farmers. And although he is supposed to have converted many of the
ladies to the Southern cause, yet in many instances their male relatives
remained either neutral or undecided. On one occasion General Hardee had
conferred the "accolade" upon a very pretty Kentuckian, to their mutual
satisfaction, when, to his intense disgust, the proprietor produced two
very ugly old females, saying, "Now, then, general, if you kiss any you
must kiss them all round," which the discomfited general was forced to
do, to the great amusement of his officers, who often allude to this
_contretemps_.

Another rebuff which he received, and about which he is often chaffed
by General Polk, was when an old lady told him he ought really to
"leave off fighting _at his age_." "Indeed, madam," replied Hardee,
"and how old do you take me for?" "Why, about the same age as
myself--seventy-five." The chagrin of the stalwart and gallant general,
at having twenty years added to his age, may be imagined.

Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk, Bishop of Louisiana, who commands the
other _corps d'armee_, is a good-looking, gentlemanlike man, with all
the manners and affability of a "grand seigneur." He is fifty-seven
years of age--tall, upright, and looks much more the soldier than the
clergyman. He is very rich; and I am told he owns seven hundred negroes.
He is much beloved by the soldiers on account of his great personal
courage and agreeable manners. I had already heard no end of anecdotes
of him told me by my travelling companions, who always alluded to him
with affection and admiration. In his clerical capacity I had always
heard him spoken of with the greatest respect. When I was introduced to
him he immediately invited me to come and stay at his headquarters at
Shelbyville. He told me that he was educated at West Point, and was at
that institution with the President, the two Johnstons, Lee, Magruder,
&c., and that, after serving a short time in the artillery, he had
entered the church.

Bishop Elliott, of Georgia, is a nice old man of venerable appearance
and very courteous manners. He is here at the request of General Polk,
for the purpose of confirming some officers and soldi