Gaylesville, Ala., October 21, 1864.
Marched about 18 miles yesterday down a very fine valley, between Lookout Mountain and Taylor’s Ridge, crossed the latter after dark through a pass that beat all for blackness and stones, to tumble over, that I ever saw. Got a very large mail yesterday, but only one letter from you. We move again this morning, but don’t know when. Can send a letter back from here, first chance we have had this month. I guess we have halted here to wait the building of a bridge over the Coosa. The Rebels burned it yesterday.
What we are going for nobody knows. I saw Sherman yesterday as we passed through Gaylesville. He was talking with Jeff. C. Davis. He always has a cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth. It is always about half-gone, but I never saw it lighted. He is certainly the most peculiar-looking man I ever saw. At one house we passed this morning we saw three of the ugliest-looking women imaginable. They sat on the porch step, side by side, hoopless, unkempt and unwashed. I’ll swear that man never before witnessed three such frights together. All three were singing a Rebel song. I knew they were trying to sing, but although close to them, could not distinguish a word. Some of the men recognized the tune as belonging to a tune called the “Rebel Soldier.” The men were so completely surprised and thunderstruck by the show that they had not a word to say. It tickles us to see that you home folks are uneasy about us because Hood has got into our rear. I tell you that I have not seen a man uneasy for a minute, on that subject, and that Hood has to run like a hound to get away from us. If Hood’s army was to-day, twice as strong as it is, we would be too many for him.