harp?" Captain Mitchell called, and the
boys said: "Sergeant, don't you know him?" "Yes," he replied, "he is one
of the devils." The Captain said: "Sergeant, don't you know where you
are?" "Of course I do; I'm in hell." When they were binding him he said:
"That's right; heap on the coals; put me in the hottest place." While
Dr. Seyes was preparing something to quiet him--laudanum, perhaps--he
said: "Bring on your poison; I'll take it."

The boys, while living roughly, exposed to hardships and dangers, think
more of their sweethearts than ever before, and are constantly
recurring, in their talk, to the comfortable homes and pleasant scenes
from which they are for the present separated.

FEBRUARY, 1862.

1. The Colonel sent in his resignation this morning. It will go to
Department head-quarters to-morrow.

Saw the new moon over my right shoulder this evening, which I accept as
an omen of good luck. Let it come. It will suit me just as well now as
at any time. If deceived, I shall never more have faith in the moon; and
as for the man in the moon, I shall call him a cheat to his face.

2. The devil is to pay in the regiment. The Colonel is doing his utmost
to create a disturbance. His friends are busy among the privates. At
noon an effort was made to get up a demonstration on the color line in
his behalf. Now a petition is being circulated among the privates
requesting Major Keifer and me to resign.

The night is as dark as pitch. A few minutes ago a shout went up for the
Colonel, and was swelled from point to point along the line of company
tents, until now possibly five hundred voices have joined in the yell.
The Colonel's friends tell the boys that if he were to remain he would
obtain leave for the regiment to go back to Camp Dennison to recruit;
that he was about to obtain rifles and Zouave uniforms for them, and
that there is a conspiracy among the officers to crush him.

3. Petitions from four companies, embracing two hundred and twenty-five
names, have been presented, requesting the Major and Lieutenant-Colonel
to resign.

4. We closed up the day with a dress parade, the Colonel in command. The
camp is more boisterous than usual. No more petitions have been
presented.

The Major received a package from home to-night containing, among other
articles, a pair of slippers, which, greatly to my advantage, were too
small for him. They were turned over to me, and it happens that no
little thing could have