October 13 — Cold and windy to-day. I heard some cannonading this afternoon in the direction of the Rebels. A great many army wagons moved off toward Winchester to-day. This afternoon I saw General Sheridan leave his headquarters on a tour of inspection along his picket line. He is well mounted and keeps two fine horses.
From the florid flush that glows in his face I think he must be taking some powerful doses of some kind of drastic medicine, just for the stomach’s sake. However, the red rosy hue may be only nature’s true beacon light, displaying the grand signal of robust, perfect health.
Yesterday evening I heard two Irishmen quarrel until they got up to the fighting pitch, but they were- afraid to fight then, for fear it would round up in the guardhouse or end in doing double duty, consequently they made an appointment to meet at midnight and go through with the gratifying exercise of hammering each other without hindrance or foreign intervention until subjugation proclaimed peace and honor fully vindicated and satisfied. According to arrangement the combatants stepped into the arena at midnight, close to our lodging place; I was awake and a witness to the conflict. When they met I heard one of them say, “Faith and be Hivin, now we will knock it out!” and they commenced vigorous operations without skirmishing. They fought in the dark, so I did not see them, but I heard the heavy blows fall thick and fast for some little time, then all was still; the engagement was over, and I heard no more. The men that fought belonged to a Massachusetts regiment of infantry.
