knows no law;” it was seized by Dr. Thornton, the pews being taken out and piled up in the yard.  Fires were then kindled in both stoves to thoroughly warm the church.  There was, however, not a single bunk,—­no time to make any; all the empty ticks when filled with straw and placed upon the floor fell far short of the number required.  For the rest straw was littered down as if for horses, and when the pillows gave out, head-rests were made by tearing off the backs of the pews and nailing them slantwise from the base-board to the floor, so that knapsacks, coats, etc., could be used for pillows.

The order had reached Ringgold about noon; it was ten at night before the rough preparations were completed.  Meantime, such nourishment as hot soup, coffee, and tea, milk, egg-nog, and milk-punch (prepared with home-made peach or apple brandy), were kept in readiness.  Near midnight I stood in the church awaiting the arrival of the train.  Candles were scarce, but light-wood-fires outside gave sufficient light.  The candles were not to be used until needed by the surgeons, who were now at the depot waiting to receive the sick.  At last the train arrived,—­departed; shortly thereafter there poured through the doors of that little church a train of human misery such as I never saw before or afterward during the war, and pray God I may never see again.  Until that night the tale of the retreat from Moscow had seemed to me overdrawn; ever since I can well believe “the half has not been told.”  They came, each revealing some form of acute disease, some tottering, but still on their feet, others borne on stretchers.  Exhausted by forced marches over interminable miles of frozen ground or jagged rocks, destitute of rations, discouraged by failure, these poor fellows had cast away one burden after another until they had not clothes sufficient to shield them from the chilling blasts of winter.  Not one in twenty had saved even a haversack, many having discarded coats and jackets.  One man had gained possession of an india-rubber overcoat, which, excepting his underclothing, was his only garment.  Barefooted,—­their feet were swollen frightfully, and seamed with fissures so large that one might lay a finger in them.  These were dreadfully inflamed, and bled at the slightest touch; others were suppurating.  The feet of some presented a shining, inflamed surface which seemed ready to burst at any moment.  Their hands were just as bad, covered with chilblains and sores.  Many were tortured with wounds which had at first seemed slight, but by neglect and exposure had become sources of exquisite torture.  The gleaming eyes, matted hair and beard hanging about their cadaverous faces, gave to these men a wild, ghastly look utterly indescribable.  As they came in, many sunk exhausted upon the pallets, some falling at once into a deep sleep, from which it was impossible to arouse them, others able only to assume a sitting posture on account of the racking, rattling cough