David: Thanks for the kind reply. In fact, I spent a quite enjoyable day yesterday in the LA Research Collection at the Howard-Tilton Library at Tulane and had the pleasure to hold Capt. Ring's diary in my hands! It is still a thrill, after all these years, to hold an artifact in your hands that a Southern Patriot held in his, nay, even recorded his war experiences in! To think where all that little diary (and its gallant owner!) traveled 150 years ago! Thanks, again! -- Jim H.