Before night the picket line was engaged from one end to the other.

If you had only heard it, dear reader.

It went like ten thousand wood-choppers, and an occasional boom of a cannon would remind you of a tree falling.

We could hear colonels giving commands to their regiments, and could see very plainly the commotion and hubbub, but what was up, we were unable to tell.

The picket line kept moving to our right.