e, he was always right;
it mattered not how intelligent the private might be (and so on up);
the sergeant was right over the corporal, the sergeant-major over the
sergeant, the lieutenant over him, and the captain over him, and the
major over him, and the colonel over him, and the general over him,
and so on up to Jeff Davis. You see, a private had no right to know
anything, and that is why generals did all the fighting, and that is
today why generals and colonels and captains are great men. They fought
the battles of our country. The privates did not. The generals risked
their reputation, the private soldier his life. No one ever saw a
private in battle. His history would never be written. It was the
generals that everybody saw charge such and such, with drawn sabre,
his eyes flashing fire, his nostrils dilated, and his clarion voice
ringing above the din of battle--"in a horn," over the left.

Bill Johns and Marsh Pinkard would have made Generals that would have
distinguished themselves and been an honor to the country.

I know today many a private who would have made a good General. I know
of many a General who was better fitted to be excused from detail and
fights, to hang around a camp and draw rations for the company. A
private had no way to distinguish himself. He had to keep in ranks,
either in a charge or a retreat. But now, as the Generals and Colonels
fill all the positions of honor and emoluments, the least I say, the
better.

THE RETREAT OUT OF KENTUCKY

From Perryville we went to Camp Dick Robinson and drew three days'
rations, and then set fire to and destroyed all those great deposits of
army stores which would have supplied the South for a year. We ate those
rations and commenced our retreat out of Kentucky with empty haversacks
and still emptier stomachs.

We supposed our general and commissaries knew what they were doing,
and at night we would again draw rations, but we didn't.

The Yankee cavalry are worrying our rear guards. There is danger of an
attack at any moment. No soldier is allowed to break ranks.

We thought, well surely we will draw rations tonight. But we didn't.
We are marching for Cumberland Gap; the country has long ago been made
desolate by the alternate occupation of both armies. There are no
provisions in the country. It has long since been laid waste. We wanted
rations, but we did not get them.

Fourth day out--Cumberland Gap in the distance--a great in