Downing’s Civil War Diary.–Alexander G. Downing.

Tuesday, 14th–No rain, but cloudy and quite cool. Skirmishing began again early this morning and our artillery threw shells into the rebels’ works, but they would not reply. They are still fortifying their position. A rebel company consisting of thirty-five men came over to our lines today and gave themselves up. They informed us that there was a whole brigade that would surrender if given a chance, for they were tired of retreating all the while. They also represented to our officers that Johnston’s entire force numbered only sixty thousand men, and said that their artillerymen had orders not to fire when our artillery shelled, but to wait until our troops should make a charge, and then open up on us. There was one man of the Sixteenth Iowa killed today by a rebel sharpshooter.