“Yes, I know; but I mean what breed war he?  War he one of them ere Ethiopians?” said Jordan.

“No, I think not,” answered his friend.  “He was dark like an Arab or a Moor, but he belonged to a race that built cities and ships, tamed horses, and fought scientific battles.”

“’Zactly,” said Jordan.  “And he wur a fighter from way back?”

“Yes,” responded Sedgwick, “when the few great captains in the world are thought of, he is about third or fourth in the list.”

“Thay ain’t much in men, Jim.  Thar’s everything in a man,” said Jordan.

“That is what Napoleon used to say,” was Sedgwick’s answer.

“Did Napoleon say thet?” asked Jordan.  “He war a brighter man than I thought, but it is true, don’t yo’ think, Jim?”

“I think I understand, but am not quite sure,” said Sedgwick.

“I mean this,” he answered, and then paused a moment.  “Well, yo’ see,” he continued, “I wur at Chickamauga in Hill’s division, I wur in thur ranks, and wur a boy; but I hed a general idee how things wur.  I knowed whar all our men war; how your army war ‘ranged, and when we went in shoutin’, and all your right and left melted away like a fog as comes up from the gulf melts when the sun comes up in ther mornin’, I sed to Ned Sykes, who wur next me in ther ranks, ’Ned, we’s got ’em,’ and Ned answered back, ’we’s got ’em, sho’.’

“Well, it wur a clar field, ‘ceptin’ your center war still solid, and they fell back all but a thin line.  We charged up onto thet and broke it, killed lot’s uf ’em, and gobbled up lots more, but it tuk us a right smart time, fur them was stubborn chaps ’nd they fought desperate.

“Then when I looked up, I seen the hull business.  Thet line hed been flung out ter hold us till ther rest cud fall back on better ground.  Thar they wuz fixed, and when our lines wuz dressed and other charge ordered, and we went in again shoutin’ jest like the fust time, they laid down flat and they ’gin it ter us so hot we couldn’t stand it and hed ter fall back.

“And they kept a-entertainin’ of us thetway all ther evenin’.  Other divisions wur called up and sent in, but what wur left uv ’em cum streamin’ back, jest ez often ez it wur tried; a cavalry charge was ordered, but only a remnant cum back, and we hed made no more impression seemin’ly than ther waves thet bucks up agin a ledge uv rocks.

“Them wur no better soldiers than ther rest uv ther army, but thar war a man directin’ ’em, and lookin’ all ther time so kinder majistical and lofty and so fur away from all fear, and ez tho’ he hedn’t a thot of failin’, thet ther men, yo’ see, tuk on ther same state o’ mind, and ter fight ’em war no use.  If the fust bullet we fired hed killed thet General, we would a-scooped the hull army by four o’clock.  Thet’s what I mean when I say:  ‘They ain’t much in men, thar’s everything in a man!’”

“I understand you fully, and you are right, Jordan,” said his friend.