Sunday, October 12. [Chattanooga] —We have good news from Kentucky. A battle was fought on the 8th inst. at Perryville, and we won. I can scarcely rejoice, for I know we have lost many valuable lives.
I do hope some one prayed for me today, as I have been too cross to do so myself; have had one of the most trying days of my life. I wonder if Miss Nightingale had any of the hardships to endure that we have.
I have another kitchen, and the chimney of it smokes as badly as the others. I spent the whole day in it; did not even visit my patients. To add to all, it has poured down rain all day, and the wood was so wet that it was almost impossible to make it burn. I thought of home and home comforts not a few times.
We have men for cooks; but, as they are taken from the convalescent patients, they are scarcely fitted for the work. I have had some two or three, but as soon as they are initiated into the mysteries of the culinary art they take sick; so we have a good deal of it to do ourselves.
Dr. H. is doing all he can to help us, but he has but little power to do so, as servants are not to be had; and, although he is a disciple of Esculapius, can not cure smoky chimneys.
