Glimpses of Army Life in 1864. 415
[XL]
NEAR PETERSBURG, VA., October 14, 1864.
- There was a great disposition on the part of some to
pillage. The field being a rich one, offered many temptations to the men to stop. When I commenced upbraiding one of them for pil- laging while his comrades were fighting, and ordered him forward, he replied he only wanted a blanket to sleep on these cold nights, and I could but be amused as he went running to the front with a fine Yankee blanket under his arm. They are all delighted with the fight, and laugh at the way they made the Yankee's run. I sent Lieutenant Meade to the right to tell the colonels to conform to the movements on the left, when the enemy opened a hot fire, and he had to ride through it all. It was at this time I expect he was most generally noticed, although he behaved very handsomely through- out the engagement. See Southern Historical Society State Papers, Volume IX, page 357.
The aggregate number of killed and wounded and prisoners from my brigade, since the opening of this campaign on the 5th of May, amounts to something between seventeen and eighteen hundred. We have fought behind breastworks only once, and then only for a short time. We have charged the enemy's works four times, and our other big fighting has been mostly in flank movements. I have just cause to be proud of my command. It has a splendid reputa- tion in the army. *
[XII.] NEAR PETERSBURG, October 23, 1864.
- * * General Cooper has revoked all details, and the able-
bodied who have kept out of the army so long are now coming to the front, where all able-bodied Rebels ought to be, and stay until our liberties are secured. * *
[XIII.] NEAR PETERSBURG, December 3, 1864.
- * * I was at Colonel Pegram's quarters yesterday afternoon
to hear Bishop Lay. His text was the importance of the Holy Ghost, and the sermon was a most excellent one.
Everything continues quiet in our front. Eight Yankee deserters
