s a way of
walking on his hind legs, for which the saddles in use are not
calculated, and there is, consequently, a constant tendency, on the part
of the rider, to slip over his tail.

Captain Wells sent a colored teamster, who had just come in, tired and
hungry, to his quarters for dinner. Simon Bolivar Buckner, who now has
charge of the commissary and culinary branch of the Captain's
establishment, was in the act of dining when the teamster entered the
tent and seated himself at the table. Buckner, astonished at this
unceremonious intrusion, exclaimed: "What you doin' har, sah?" "De Capin
tole me fer to come and get my dinnah." "Hell," shouted Buckner, "does
de Capin 'spose I'm guiane to eat wid a d--n common nigger? Git out'er
har, till I'm done got through."

Buckner gets married every time we move camp. On last Sunday Captain
Wells found him dressed very elaborately, in white vest and clean linen,
and said to him: "What's in the wind, Buckner?" "Gwine to be married dis
ebening, sah." "What time?" "Five o'clock, sah." "Can't spare you,
Buckner. Expect friends here to dine at six, and want a good dinner
gotten up." "Berry well, sah; can pos'pone de wedin', sah. Dis'pintment
to lady, sah; but it'll be all right."

24. The note of preparation for a general advance sounded late last
night. Reynolds moved at 4 A. M.; Rousseau at 7; our division will leave
at 10. A long line of cavalry is at this moment going out on the
Manchester pike.

* * * * *

Rain commenced falling soon after we left Murfreesboro, and continued
the remainder of the day. The roads were sloppy, and marching
disagreeable. Encamped at Big creek for the night; Rousseau and Reynolds
in advance.

Before leaving Murfreesboro I handed John what I supposed to be a
package of tea, and told him to fill my canteen with cold tea. On the
road I took two or three drinks, and thought it tasted strongly of
tobacco; but I accounted for it on the supposition that I had been
smoking too much, and that the tobacco taste was in my mouth, and not in
the tea. After getting into camp I drank of it again, when it occurred
to me that John had neglected to cleanse the canteen before putting the
tea in, and go I began to scold him. "I did clean it, sah," retorted
John. "Well, this tea," I replied, "tastes very much like tobacco
juice." "It is terbacker juice, sah." "Why, how is that?" "You gib me
paper terbacker, an' tole me hab some tea ma