August 4th. General Hooker, with his division, made a reconnoissance to Malvern Hill to-day and drove in the enemy’s pickets. In the evening had a brigade drill. While taking our supper under the awning in front of our tent our old friend, the genial paymaster of the division, Major Potter, arrived. He always puts up with us, and makes himself delightfully agreeable. He gives us the gossip of the capital and such army news as is not to be had in the field; in the evening we initiated him into some more of the mysteries of camp life.
