Still fine weather. We went over to the Court of Inquiry, we adjourned from the House to the Col's headquarters. His tent is nicely fitted up. Has a writing desk like the one in my reading room. We examined witnesses for defence. The butler got us up a dinner of steaks - there were large and we incontinently each ate one. Rice and bread constituted the other parts of the feast. The Col has a frame of wood put up around inside the wall tent, & instead of tent pole has two forked stakes put up - this prevents the wind from affecting the tent. We sat until late at night. Col. Martin spoke of the man that was shot for desertion at Washington - that the bullets did not go through him, though the detail that fired were but 6 paces from him. Col. Maggi explained it by saying that the bullets of rifles acquired their penetrating force only by passing through the air a certain distance - the wind - and they do not yet require that at six paces. Col. Maggi & Col Monteil said that they never went through a campaign in which they did not lose their baggage - when different divisions marched on the same line - got mixed, crossed each other, and the baggage one lost never reached their destination. I can easily see how it would be, from what little I know. A division or even a brigade hardly ever knew what regiments composed another - especially one division never knew what Regiments composed another & baggage may be easily lost. I remember the night we went to Centreville, several divisions came up and crossed each other. Our division got in between the baggage train of the N.Y. Fire Zouaves and their regiment - and their baggage train got in between mine. I had charge of Gen Franklin's brigade train, and our division, & I had some trouble to find our brigade. Tom Grier and I started to walk to town: the 21st Mass is relieved of their charge of the railroad by the 11th Pennsylvania. The guards of the latter were all drunk and unfit for duty - no wonder with the example set by Col. Dick Coulter We went into [Dunkers?] for oysters: the Editor Baily & Dr Jackson 11th Penna - were talking and drinking - Baily giving the Doctor an account of all the ills he suffered since he was a boy - especially that he had bad lungs & a cough and never was free from it until he was afflicted with a fistula during the last [?]. The Legislature was in session - they were just starting a vote on the resolution - Many of the members protested against the 6th some the 4th but voted aye for the sake of the message of the resolution. We returned about twelve o'clock finding Dick Coulters men drunker than ever.
