agents, to my seeming the silence throbbed electrically

forests through which it would be obliged to pass. I also informed

Alger that I should take the reserve and join the main line in front

of Booneville for the purpose of making an advance of my whole force,

and that as a signal he must have his men cheer loudly when he struck

the enemy's rear, in order that my attack might be simultaneous with

I gave him one hour to go around and come back through the enemy, and

when he started I moved to the front with the balance of the reserve,

to put everything I had into the fight. This meant an inestimable