prospect has a tendency to elevate
one's spirits. There are men, doubtless, who enjoy having their legs
sawed off, their heads trepanned, and their ribs reset, but I am not one
of them. I am disposed to think of home and family--of the great
suffering which results from engagements between immense armies.
Somebody--Wellington, I guess--said there was nothing worse than a great
victory except a great defeat.

Rode with Colonel Mitchell four miles up the river to General Davis'
quarters; met there General Morgan, commanding First Brigade of our
division; Colonel Dan McCook, commanding Third Brigade, and Mr. Dana,
Assistant Secretary of War.

23. It is now half-past five o'clock in the morning. The moon has gone
down, and it is that darkest hour which is said to precede the dawn. My
troops have been up since three o'clock busily engaged making
preparation for the day's work. Judging from the almost continuous
whistling of the cars off beyond Mission Ridge, the rebels have an
intimation of the attack to be made, and are busy either bringing
reinforcements or preparing to evacuate.

Noon. There has been a hitch in affairs, and I am still in my tent at
the old place.

About 2 P. M. a division or more was sent out to reconnoiter the enemy's
front. The movement resulted in a sharp fight, which lasted until after
sunset. Both artillery and infantry were engaged. As night grew on we
could see the flash of the enemy's guns all along the crest of Mission
Ridge, and then hear the report, and the prolonged reverberations as the
sound went crashing among ridges, hills, and mountains. Rumor says that
our troops captured five hundred prisoners.

24. Moved to Caldwell's, four miles up the river. A pontoon bridge was
thrown across the stream; but there were many troops in advance of us,
and my brigade did not reach the south side until after one o'clock. Our
division was held in reserve; so we stacked arms and lay upon the grass
midway between the river and the foot of Mission Ridge, and listened to
the preliminary music of the guns as the National line was being
adjusted for to-morrow's battle.

25. During the day, as we listened to the roar of the conflict, I
thought I detected in the management what I had never discovered before
on the battle-field, a little common sense. Dash is handsome, genius
glorious; but modest, old-fashioned, practical, every-day sense is the
trump, after all, and the only thing one can securely rely upo