n's heat under the budding trees, while grass and flowers and singing
birds indicated settled weather. To-day the storm howls music through
the bending pines, and snow several inches deep covers the earth.

We are thoroughly convinced that the character of the people here
greatly partakes of the nature of these surroundings. Is not this the
case everywhere? But we see it here more plainly than we ever did
before. The people are fitful, and their spasms are terrible; and yet we
find them at times to be as kind and hospitable as any we have ever
found elsewhere. After one has witnessed their beautiful days, cooled
with a gentle sea-breeze, which generally blows from about nine o'clock
in the morning till six at night, and then their cool, calm evenings, he
can see why there are so many lovely traits in the nature of the people.
But if he experience some of their sudden and terrific snow storms and
showers, when the thunder and the lightning are such that a Northerner
feels that all the storms he has ever witnessed are only infantile
attempts, he is inclined to extenuate, on mere climactic principles, the
outbursts of wrath, and "fire-eating" propensities of the people. He who
is gendered of fire and brimstone must have some vim in his composition.
We believe this study is not unworthy the Christian philosopher and
philanthropist.

The day following the storm, the sun came out warmly, and the snow
suddenly disappeared, but left us in a bed of mud. The soil, naturally
rich and tender, consisting of a reddish loam, trodden by many feet, and
cut by the wheels of heavy vehicles, became almost impassable. But it
has this advantage, that it soon dries. So the soil, as well as the
atmosphere and the people, is suddenly changeable.

_April 7._--To-day our expedition continued its march to Catlett's
Station, a few miles south of Bristoe. General Augur commands the
advance, which consists of a brigade of infantry and two regiments of
cavalry.

On the eighth of the month a detachment of the Harris Light was ordered
out on picket at six o'clock P. M., and we enjoyed a quiet, pleasant
trip on this usually unpleasant duty. Here we spent a few days picketing,
scouting and patrolling, and on the seventeenth we advanced from
Catlett's in the direction of Falmouth, on the Rappahannock.

DEATH OF LIEUTENANT DECKER.

Our march was rapid and lay through a country altogether new to us,
which, however, presented no very interesting featu