he, having read it with an appearance of carelessness,

relinquishing the struggle, but our desperate situation required that

we should get down into the valley beyond, or run the chance of

perishing on the mountain in a storm which seemed unending. About

midnight the column reached the valley, very tired and hungry, but

much elated over its escape. We had spent a day of the most intense

anxiety, especially those who had had the responsibility of keeping

to the right trail, and been charged with the hard work of breaking

the road for the infantry and artillery through such a depth of snow.