June 27.—I was congratulating myself that my brother, who had received a furlough and gone home, would miss this battle. To my surprise he arrived this morning. I asked him why he came, he replied, he could not think of being absent from the expected battle. I tried to persuade him to remain here, as from all accounts our army is retreating, but failed in doing so, and he has gone to the front. He is much improved in health. He enjoyed himself very much while in Mobile, but thought the people too gay for these war times. Mrs. May came back with him; she could not have come at a time when her services were more required; she will assist Mrs. Snow who has a great deal to do.
We have a great many wounded; the same old story—men mutilated in every possible way. In one place there are three men lying along side of each other; each has lost a leg. One has just died. I am sick at heart at these scenes, and there seems to be little prospect of a change.
Last week we had a German die, named Massinger. He left over two hundred dollars with me, to give to a friend, Robert Bolt, a member of the Twenty-fourth Texas Regiment. He gave his watch to his nurse, Mr. Byrne, who had been very kind to him.
We have been busy lately making blackberry cordial and blackberry preserves. I have made about twenty-five gallons of the cordial. I never was any place where there were such quantities of blackberries. The country people bring them in by the bushel.
