John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[230] chagrined at the rejection of his offering, and seemed disposed to end the truce, but Dana, who was amused by the incident, suggested that the pleasant relations should be continued and that he would bring a plug of better tobacco at his next visit.

In this way newspapers and trifling presents, with much apparently innocent if not trivial information, passed backward and forward between the belligerents. Dana, as well as the rest of us, was constantly watching for whatever the Confederates might let fall. By these means, and frequently as much by what was not said as by what was said, he came to understand what was going on inside, and some time before the surrender actually took place he became certain that it would be made early in July if Johnston failed to raise the siege.

Upon another occasion, as Dana and I were returning from a swim in the Yazoo, we were set upon by a small band of marauders who threatened to maltreat us. While I compelled them to halt and held them at bay, Dana rode to the camp and brought a detachment of the provost-guard which arrested and took then in for trial. Never a day passed without our riding the lines, visiting the hospitals, or going to our base of supplies at the Landing. In this way Dana became familiar with every detail of army administration as well as with the actual military operations. He knew from personal observation every foot of the country between the Yazoo and the Mississippi on one side and the Big Black on the other, as well as every road and path which traversed it. This is well shown by a memorable ride which he took with General Grant into the Yazoo bottom around the right wing of Sherman's corps. Having gone to the steamboat landing with the general and several staff-officers, one of them suggested that the party would save considerable distance if it should return to camp by following down the river-bank and then cutting across the angle to the highlands