I was sorry that you allowed your feelings to be so much aroused in the case of contemplated difficulties between our hands and those of O'Reilly.

They held out the threats that we should not pass them, and we were determined to do it.

I had them notified that we were prepared to meet them under any circumstances.

We were prepared to have a real 'hug,' but, when our hands overtook them, they only 'yelled' a little and mine followed, and for fifteen miles they were side by side, and when a man finished his hole, he ran with all his might to get ahead.

But finally, on the 24th, we passed them about eighty miles from here, and now we are about twenty-five miles ahead of them without the loss of a drop of blood, and we shall be able to beat them to Nashville, if we can get the wire in time, which is doubtful." There were many such stirring incidents in the early history of the telegraph, and the half of them has not been told, thus leaving much material for the future historian.
But, while so much that was exciting was taking place in the outside world, the cause of it all was turning his thoughts towards matters more domestic.