24th.–All quiet this morning. The day is beautiful and bright. I am feeling badly, but as my wound has began to superate, I think I shall be better shortly. I have great confidence in the recuperative power of my constitution, and trust it will be sufficient to eliminate this poison.
We have now had time to look over the late battles and to reflect on the results. We have successfully fought the whole force of the enemy for five days. We drove them at every place, and on the sixth day we permitted them, worn out, discouraged, and out of rations, to depart unmolested. They admitted to our wounded, whose haversacks they robbed, that all they had to eat was what they had taken from our wounded. Gen. McClellan’s aims were satisfied with clearing Maryland of the enemy, when destruction or capitulation should have been demanded. This I do not doubt will be the verdict of history. But how terrible was our loss! Nine Generals fell, killed or wounded, in their determined efforts to vindicate McClellan. All in vain.
We are again on the sea of uncertainty, in relation both to the character of our leaders, and the prospects of the country.