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impression; but, on the left, Hancock punished the enemy so fearfully that they, that night, fell back entirely from his front and shortened their own line, as we shortened ours, leaving their dead unburied and many of their wounded on the ground.
The Rebels had a very superior knowledge of the country and had marched shorter distances.
Also I consider them more daring and sudden in their movements; and I fancy their discipline on essential points is more severe than our own — that is, I fancy they shoot a man when he ought to be shot, and we do not. As to fighting, when two people fight without cessation for the best part of two days, and then come out about even, it is hard to determine.
Headquarters Army of Potomac Wednesday, May 18, 1864
I have no right to complain: I have less hardship, more ease, and less exposure than most officers, and, if I must be with the army in the field, I have as good a place as one can well expect.
I did hope (though there was no proper ground for it) that we might have the great blessing of an overwhelming victory.
Such things you read of in books, but they do not happen often, particularly with such armies to oppose as those of the Rebels . . . .
The great feature of this campaign is the extraordinary use made of earthworks.
When we arrive on the ground, it takes of course a considerable time to put troops in position for attack, in a wooded country; then skirmishers must be thrown forward and an examination made for the point of attack, and to see if there be any impassable obstacles, such as streams or swamps.
Meantime what does the enemy?
Hastily forming a line of battle, they then collect rails from fences, stones, logs and all other materials, and pile them along the line; bayonets with a few picks 