one occasion two of my men were competitors before General Wheaton, our Division Commander. One was rather below medium height; a handsome, dark man, and a brave and skilful soldier-Jaque by name. The other was very tall-being about six feet three inches in height, lean as a skeleton, and a cunning, cowardly fellow. The feeling of sympathy ran high in favor of Jaque; but the other gained the slight advantage, though the contest was so close that furloughs were granted to both men.

It was asserted by those who knew that the tall man, distinguished at all times for neatness and cleanliness, had never been seen in a fight; that, during the "double quick" and rapid manoeuvering, which generally preceded actual conflict, he managed to drop out unseen, and stay away till the danger was past. While we were hurrying up to the Battle of Five Forks, this man began to lag behind. called him up, and said :—

I

"It is no use your trying that game to-day. I have made up my mind that you shall go into this fight with us, if it takes half the company to bring you up."

"I mean to go into the fight," he answered, sullenly. "Very well; then take your place in the ranks!" We were now marching at an awful pace through a swampy, dwarfish forest. As we reached an open field upon the elevated ground, General Allen called out, "Forward into line! By the right of companies to the front; double quick, march!"

When the movement was executed, and we stood facing the enemy's breastworks, I looked for my man; but he was not to be found. I then determined to have him tried by court-martial for cowardice. But from that day until the surrender of Lee we never had time to prepare and prosecute charges other than those designed by Grant and his lieutenants. After Appomattox, "malice towards none, and charity to all," even at the expense of justice, animated officers and men at the front.

I am inclined to think that phrenology comes very near being a science. It is as impossible for some men to fight as it is for others to lurk in the rear when their comrades are engaged with the enemy. While in winter quarters on the Rapidan, one of our men, who had been tried by court-martial and sentenced, was drummed out of the army to the time of "The Rogue's March." It was a painful sight. The culprit's captain had talked to him upon several occasions of his disgraceful conduct before the enemy. The man asserted that he tried to be brave, but utterly failed. He was a highly-respected member of society at home. He was quite sensible of the disgrace his cowardly conduct reflected upon his family. But he contended, what I believe was quite true in his case, that it was a physical impossibility for him to advance to the enemy's fire with his comrades. He became quite helpless; trembled violently from head to foot when the charge upon St. Marye's Heights was begun, and

failed to do his duty. He was drummed out of the service in disgrace for cowardice, especially on that occasion. When his company commander, Captain Cook (afterwards killed in battle), spoke to me of this unfortunate and irresponsible coward, grief was depicted in his mild, kindly face.

The very opposite of the coward was illustrated in one of our drummers-a small, solidly-built, dark man. As soon as a fight began, he dropped his drum, took a musket from some dead, wounded, or sick soldier, and rushed to the front. He was the most uniformly happy man I ever knew and in a fight, he laughed and swore, and blazed away at the "Johnnies," utterly oblivious of fear. The drum-major used to watch him to prevent his escaping to the front at the first sound of musketry; but his vigilance was unavailing, and George generally turned up during the fight, to the great delight of the regiment. He was a universal favorite men of conspicuous bravery generally are.

It was interesting to watch the type of men who "chummed," and became tent-mates, and shared each other's blankets. Fast, undying army friendships were generally formed between a man of robust and one of delicate constitution, a rough and a gentle nature, a light and a dark complexion. And the death of one was often a terrible blow, a source of lasting grief to the other. But occasionally, the selfish and the generous, the lazy and the willing, cast their lot together. "Now Tshon," said a type of the cunning and selfish to his

tent-mate one day," You go and get der rations, and you gook it, Tshon-you are such a good gook—and ve eat it!" This soldier would fight well under his commander's eye: not otherwise.

There is no career of life in which a man's true nature is so clearly seen at every angle as that of a soldier during war.

"No half measures.

CHAPTER XVI.

SHERIDAN'S RIDE.

No squeamishness in resolution.

Nemesis is

Does the

not a conceited prude. Let us be terrible and useful. elephant stop to look where he sets his foot? We must crush the enemy."-Vide VICTOR HUGO's "Ninety-Three."

"He taught the doubtful battle when to rage."-ADDISON.

HE passage of the James River by the Army of the Potomac was accomplished about the middle of June, 1864. Grant was then south of Richmond and Petersburg, threatening Lee's communications with the interior of the Confederacy. The Southern Chief recognised the peril in which he stood from Grant's mischievous left, and Sheridan's troopers, and he planned a third Northern invasion, with a view to forcing the Union Commander to raise the siege.

General Early, at the head

of 20,000 men, was despatched up the Shenandoah Valley to clear it of Federal troops, cross the Potomac,