y,
cheerily tramping along, going they know not where, nor care much
either, so it be not in retreat. Ready to make roads, throw up works,
tear up railroads, or hew out and build wooden bridges; or, best of all,
to go for the Johnnies under hot sun or heavy rain, through swamp and
mire and quicksand. They marched ten miles to storm Fort McAllister. And
how the cheers broke from them when the pop pop pop of the skirmish line
began after we came in sight of Savannah! No man who has seen but not
shared their life may talk of personal hardship.

We arrived at this pretty little town yesterday, so effecting a junction
with Schofield, who got in with the 3d Corps the day before. I am
writing at General Schofield's headquarters. There was a bit of a battle
on Tuesday at Bentonville, and we have come hither in smoke, as usual.
But this time we thank Heaven that it is not the smoke of burning
homes,--only some resin the "Johnnies" set on fire before they left.

I must close. General Sherman has just sent for me.

ON BOARD DESPATCH BOAT "MARTIN."
AT SEA, March 25, 1865.

DEAR MOTHER: A most curious thing has happened. But I may as well begin
at the beginning. When I stopped writing last evening at the summons
of the General, I was about to tell you something of the battle of
Bentonville on Tuesday last. Mower charged through as bad a piece
of wood and swamp as I ever saw, and got within one hundred yards of
Johnston himself, who was at the bridge across Mill Creek. Of course we
did not know this at the time, and learned it from prisoners.

As I have written you, I have been under fire very little since coming
to the staff. When the battle opened, however, I saw that if I stayed
with the General (who was then behind the reserves) I would see little
or nothing; I went ahead "to get information" beyond the line of battle
into the woods. I did not find these favorable to landscape views, and
just as I was turning my horse back again I caught sight of a commotion
some distance to my right. The Rebel skirmish line had fallen back just
that instant, two of our skirmishers were grappling with a third man,
who was fighting desperately. It struck me as singular that the fellow
was not in gray, but had on some sort of dark clothes.

I could not reach them in the swamp on horseback, and was in the act of
dismounting when the man fell, and then they set out to carry him to the
rear, still farther to my r