for a better one, or perhaps the wearer may, in some of the numerous skirmishes in this vicinity, have been wounded and lost his leg, thus rendering this shoe no longer necessary to him. Or, probably, the gallant wearer may have been slain, and is now sleeping his last sleep in an unmarked and unknown soldier's grave. Nearly all of my company are barefoot, and most of them are almost destitute of pants. Such constant marching on rough, rocky roads, and sleeping on the bare ground, will naturally wear out the best of shoes and thickest of pants. While anxious for some attention from our quarter-masters, the men are nevertheless patient and uncomplaining. We returned at night to our camp near Stevenson's depot.
September 12th—Welcome rest.
September 13th—In obedience to a singular order, we marched from our camp two or three miles in the direction of Winchester, and then marched back again. At night my company ("F.") went on picket outpost. This continual moving to and fro indicates that a decisive action is imminent. Sheridan is reported to have large reinforcements from Grant. Our own ranks are thinner than at any time since we entered service. My company is one of the largest in the Twelfth Alabama, and numbers less than thirty present for duty. The entire regiment, including officers, will not number two hundred, and the brigade is not more than a thousand strong, if so much. It is said that Early has, including infantry, cavalry and artillery, less than 8,000 men for duty. General Anderson, with his infantry and artillery, has left us, and returned to Richmond, leaving only Fitz. Lee's small force of cavalry. On the contrary, rumor says Sheridan has fully 40,000 well equipped, well-clad and well-fed soldiers. If Early had half as many he would soon have sole possession of the Valley, and Sheridan would share the fate of Millroy, Banks, Shields, Fremont, McDowell, Hunter and his other Yankee predecessors in the Valley command. Sheridan's lack of vigor, or extra caution, very strongly resembles incompetency, or cowardice.
September 14th—This is the anniversary of the Battle of Boonsboro', Maryland, where I had the ill-luck to be taken prisoner in September, 1862, and kept nineteen days before exchanged. We had just reached the scene of action, met the dead body of the gallant General Garland, when an order from General D. H. Hill, through General Rodes to Colonel B. B. Gayle, of the Twelfth Alabama, directed that skirmishers should be deployed in front, and
