called to staff duty, I should have been in the advance with my
company. Glad was I that I was not called to fire upon the
unsuspecting soldiers of my Northern home. As the day dawned we
could hear the musketry, first in dropping shots, then volley after
volley, as the battle grew hotter. A little after daylight we
passed General Beauregard and staff, who were then over a mile in
rear of the troops engaged. He addressed each brigade as it passed,
assuring them of a glorious victory, telling them to fight with
perfect confidence, as he had 80,000 men available, who should come
into action as fast as needed; and wherever reinforcements were
wanted, Beauregard would be there. This boast of 80,000 men the
officers knew to be false, as he had not a man over 45,000; but as
he expected 30,000 under Price and Van Dorn he counted them in, and
added 10,000 more to strengthen confidence. But neither he nor any
other Confederate general asks any defence for such statements.
"Military necessity" will justify any course they choose to take in
advancing their cause. After we passed Beauregard, a few minutes of
"double quick" brought our division to Grant's advance pickets, who
had been surprised and cut down by Hardee's cavalry. This was the
first time many of the soldiers had seen men killed in battle, and
they stepped carefully around the dead bodies, and seemed to
shudder at the sight. General Breckenridge observing it, said
quickly, "Never mind this, boys; press on!" Before night, those who
remained walked over dead bodies in heaps without a shudder. We soon
reached an open field, about eighty rods wide, on the further side
of which we could see the camps, and the smoke of battle just
beyond. We here made a sharp _détour_ to the right, and ascended a
broken range of hills, pressing on for nearly a mile. Here we took
position just in front of General Albert Sidney Johnson and staff,
and awaited orders. General Breckenridge rode up to General Johnson,