tain, called on me
to-day and said she had not had a cup of coffee since the war commenced.
She was evidently very poor; and, although we had no coffee to spare, I
gave her enough to remind her again of the taste.

Our soldiers have been making a clean sweep of the hogs, sheep, and
poultry on the route. For the rich rebels I have no sympathy, but the
poor we must pity. The war cuts off from them entirely the food which,
in the best of times, they acquire with great labor and difficulty. The
forage for the army horses and mules, and we have an immense number,
consists almost wholly of wheat in the sheaf--wheat that has been
selling for ten dollars per bushel in Confederate money. I have seen
hundreds of acres of wheat in the sheaf disappear in an hour. Rails have
been burned without stint, and numberless fields of growing corn left
unprotected. However much suffering this destruction of property may
entail on the people of this section, I am inclined to think the effect
will be good. It will bring them to a realizing sense of the loss
sustained when they threw aside the protecting shield of the old
Constitution, and the security which they enjoyed in the Union.

The season's crop of wheat, corn, oats, and hogs would have been of the
utmost value to the Confederate army; when destroyed, there will be
nothing in middle Tennessee to tempt it back.

7. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Tennesseeans have deserted from the
Southern army and are now wandering about in the mountains, endeavoring
to get to their homes. They are mostly conscripted men. My command has
gathered up hundreds, and the mountains and coves in this vicinity are
said to be full of them.

It rains incessantly. We moved to Decherd and encamped on a ridge, but
are now knee-deep in mud and surrounded by water.

This morning a hundred guns echoed among the mountain gorges over the
glad intelligence from the East and South: Meade has won a famous
victory, and Grant has taken Vicksburg.

Stragglers and deserters from Bragg's army continue to come in. It is
doubtless unfortunate for the country that rain and bad roads prevented
our following up Bragg closely and forcing him to fight in the present
demoralized condition of his army. We would have been certain of a
decisive victory.

9. Dined with General Negley. Colonels Stoughton and Surwell, brigade
commanders, were present. The dinner was excellent; soups, punch, wine,
blackberries were on the table; and,