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good humor, “he has no brevet, but I am going to write to the Governor of Massachusetts to make him a Field Marshal.”
Whereat he rubbed the side of his long nose, as he always does when he laughs.
December 8, 1864
There came down an elephant of a young Englishman, who, if there be brains in his skull, they are so well concealed that nobody has found them hereabout.
To entertain him is like rolling a barrel of potatoes up a steep hill.
Nevertheless, he is a Lieutenant of Engineers.
I should think he might construct an earthwork in, say, a century.
I fancy he has played out all his intellect in trying to spell and pronounce his own name which is the euphonious one of S-tt-rthw — t; you will find it gives you a cramp in your tongue to pronounce it. Query — would it not be for the best interests of the human race to drown all Englishmen?
Gibbon's division of the 2d Corps got in a towering passion, because, having erected log huts just a little way outside the line of parapet, they were ordered to pull them all down and come inside, for of course these huts would give cover to an attacking enemy.
This was what I call a stupid thing all round.
Stupid in the infantry commanders to allow it; stupid in the inspectors not to see it; stupid in the artillerists and engineers not to stop it — in fact, stupid all round.
Gibbon came over and pitched into Duane, who received the attack with stolidity; so Gibbon thought he would get good-natured.
At evening I had the greatest sight at a lot of stragglers that ever I did. It is always customary, when possible, to sweep the path of a column and gather up all stragglers, but I never before had a chance to see the leavings of a large force, marching by a single road.
When Warren got to the Nottaway, he 