62 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



One of the tutors, while conducting devotional services in 

 the College Chapel, in his prayer waded into the deep 

 waters of theology, lost his foothold and slipped in all over, 

 and after floundering about for a while came to the surface 

 with a statement in flat contradiction to what he had been 

 saying. But he took in the situation and very dexterously 

 extricated himself by saying: "Paradoxical as it may seem, 

 oh, Lord!" This was too much for Goodell; he never en- 

 tirely recovered from the shock and "Paradoxical as it may 

 appear" became with him a favorite phrase, good on all 

 occasions and for all purposes. 



June 23 he writes to a classmate : 



Before PORT HUDSON, June 23d, 1863. 



There have been two especial reasons for my not writing 

 you before. One is that we have been told no soldiers' 

 letters are allowed to leave for the North, and the other is 

 that I have delayed hoping to write you of the fall of this 

 stronghold; but still the siege drags its slow length along. 

 Our days are divided betwixt rifle-pits, making assaults, and 

 repelling sallies. The rebs hold their rifle-pits and we ad- 

 vance ours or remain stationary. Yesterday the colored 

 brigade carried a hill by storm and have held it, notwith- 

 standing the repeated and great efforts made by the rebs 

 to retain it. Sunday, June 14, we attacked the fort at three 

 points but were beaten back with a frightful loss. It was 

 perfect murder, the way affairs were managed; where we 

 charged at the centre, instead of creeping round the base 

 of the hill and starting a few yards from the breastworks, 

 they made us charge over a hill, down through the ravine 



