and myself
constructed a sort of crib with fence rails put up between adjoining
trees, and, after a smoke, laid ourselves up in it to sleep. The
arrangement worked well, and we slept comfortably in this rustic
bedstead until 5 A.M.

_Monday, September 15._ After roll-call wrote letters home, and
carried some water for the cook. The latter, W.P.D., is a character in
his way, and deserves mention. Under a rough exterior he carries a
kindly heart. In his particular sphere, the importance of which we all
recognize, he is somewhat of an autocrat. In the distribution of the
eatables he is governed by the strictest principles of equity, and
shows no favoritism. He is very often justly ruffled when his
functions are usurped, or undue dictation is attempted on the part of
those bearing higher official authority. He is specially incensed at
times when stratagems are employed by the men to steal the sugar, over
which latter article he finds it necessary to maintain a vigilant
guard. We are now down to regular army fare, our bill consisting of
rations of bread, meat, coffee, and that well-known item of camp
necessaries called "hard tack," which is a host in itself, being made
to go a great way by reason of the degree of mastication which it
requires. There can be no complaint as to the strength of the coffee,
since there is no milk to dilute it, but the color of the sugar might
afford ground of exception on the part of the over-fastidious. Soups
of rice, meat-bones, and occasionally poultry, when there happen to
be any hen-roosts in close proximity, make a substantial dinner.
Soldiers' appetites are uniformly good, and little defects in the
system of cookery are not ordinarily closely criticised. Tobacco, in
all its forms, seems indispensable, by reason of the moral courage
with which it is supposed to inspire alike the soldier and the
civilian. This article is laid in by the men whenever and as often as
occasion presents. In our great country it has all sections for its
own. It is certain that the war is going to give an immense permanent
stimulus to the consumption of this standard narcotic. Alcoholic
beverages also are stored away in flasks against cases of emergency,
which, in military affairs, as is well known, are of constant
occurrence.

During the morning we were gratified with the first sight of the
enemy's paraphernalia, consisting of a train of captured baggage
wagons, taken from Longstreet, and which were being dri