le, and remained in that line themselves. This was the
second day's battle.

On the following morning, it was discovered that fresh Confederacies
had come up from Paris. These were attacked irresistibly by the whole
Mackerel Brigade, and only succeeded in making a stand when they
formed, as it were, the left line of the triangle.

You will perceive, my boy, that a great piece of geometrical strategy
had been thus achieved; but it now turned out that the General of the
Mackerel Brigade had made a mistake, and a most serious one. While
taking his observations with his ingenious glass instrument, he had
seen just double the number of triangles (2) that might be formed by
certain great strategical evolutions, as he had seen just double the
number of the Confederacies; but, in his haste, he had neglected to
divide the ascertained number of triangles by two, as he should have
done; and now he discovered that only one triangle was formed, and that
by the unseemly and chuckling Confederacies. Such a nice thing is
strategy, and so easily is it deranged!

Owing to this error, of course nothing more could be done, and on
Tuesday evening the Mackerel Brigade returned, full of enthusiasm, to
their original side of Duck Lake. The affair had been merely a
reconnoissance.

Last evening, at dusk, I was talking to the Mackerel Chaplain about
this singular strategical affair, and says he:

"God help us! The skeleton regiments we have left standing are scarcely
more than the skeleton regiments we have left sleeping; and only the
sleeping ones can look upward."

Let gentle charity, my boy, silence our tongues to the dread mistake
that is past; for he who made it lost by it the glorious immortality
his meanest soldier slain has won.

Yours, gently,

ORPHEUS C. KERR.

LETTER XCIV.

AFFORDING AN INSTANCE OF IMPERCEPTIBLE PATRIOTISM; PRESENTING THE
PROFOUND COMMENTARY OF AN EMINENT FOREIGN MILITARY CRITIC; AND
REPORTING THE LAST EFFUSION OF THE GENERAL OF THE MACKEREL BRIGADE.

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 17th, 1863.

When great interests are at stake, my boy, and strong passions are
excited, and when it becomes necessary that a whole nation shall be
unanimous for its own preservation from destruction, we occasionally
meet with chaps of severe countenance and much shirt-ruffles, whose
patriotism is purely that of descent, and not at all of assent. Since
this great strategic war commenced, I have encountered divers