vidently intent upon deceiving his
lady-love into the belief that he had penetrated the Yankee lines, and
was surrounded by foes. Had the letter reached her fair hands, what
earnest prayers would have gone up for the succor of this bold and
reckless youth.

There was a meeting of the generals yesterday, but for what purpose they
only know.

21. The dispatches from Indianapolis speak of the probable promotion of
Colonel Jones, Forty-second Indiana. This seems like a joke to those who
know him. He can not manage a regiment, and not even his best friends
have any confidence in his military capacity. In Indiana, however, they
promote every body to brigadierships. Sol Meredith, who went into the
service long after the war began, and who, in drilling his regiment,
would say: "Battalion, right or left face, as the case may be, march,"
was made a brigadier some time ago. Milroy, Crittenden, and many others
were promoted for inconsiderable services in engagements which have long
since been forgotten by the public. Their promotions were not made for
the benefit of the service, but for the political advancement of the men
who caused them to be made.

Last evening, a little after dark, we were startled by heavy cannonading
on our left, and thought the enemy was making an attack. The boys in our
division were all aglow with excitement, and cheered loudly; but after
ten or fifteen minutes the firing ceased, and I have heard no more about
it.

The rebels are before us in force. The old game of concentration is
probably being played. The repulse of our army at Fredericksburg will
embolden them. It will also enable them to spare troops to reinforce
Bragg. The Confederates are on the inside of the circle, while we are on
the outside, scattered far and wide. They can cut across and concentrate
rapidly, while we must move around. They can meet Burnside at
Fredericksburg, and then whip across the country and face us, thus
making a smaller army than ours outnumber us in every battle.

In the South the army makes public opinion, and moves along unaffected
by it. In the North the army has little or nothing to do with the
creation of public sentiment, and yet is its servant. The people of the
North, who were clamoring for action, are probably responsible for the
fatal repulse at Fredericksburg and the defeat at Bull run. The North
must be patient, and get to understand that the work before us is not
one that can be accomplished in a day o