8–14 February 1864

At the dinner given the other night, Febru- ary 4, at the Union Club to General Burnside, after much talk of the accounts of our several battles given by the reporters of the press, in which accounts the General plainly had no con- fidence, and so of the ignorance on the part of all subaltern officers, who could not know any more than they saw; — in despair Mr. Charles Storey looked up, and said, " Well, General, do you then think we have true history, in Caesar's Com- mentaries ? " There was a sudden laugh which went round the whole table, gradually increasing in volume and cheer.