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diff --git a/33286.txt b/33286.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..78542c6 --- /dev/null +++ b/33286.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5170 @@ +Project Gutenberg's From Bull Run to Appomattox, by Luther W. Hopkins + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: From Bull Run to Appomattox + +Author: Luther W. Hopkins + +Release Date: July 29, 2010 [EBook #33286] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX *** + + + + +Produced by Graeme Mackreth and The Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: LUTHER W. HOPKINS. + +Taken from an old daguerreotype in 1861, before entering the army.] + + + + + FROM BULL RUN + TO APPOMATTOX + + A BOY'S VIEW + + BY + L.W. HOPKINS + OF GENL. J.E.B. STUART'S CAVALRY + 6TH VIRGINIA REGIMENT, C.S.A. + + + PRESS OF + FLEET-MCGINLEY CO. + BALTIMORE + + + + + Copyright, 1908 + By L.W. HOPKINS + Baltimore + + + + +PREFACE + + "Life is the mirror of the king and slave, + 'Tis just what you are and do. + Then give to the world the best you have, + And the best will come back to you." + + +I never thought that I should be guilty of writing a book. I did not, +however, do this with malice aforethought. My son is responsible for +whatever sin I may have committed in presenting this to the public. He +and I have been good friends ever since we became acquainted, and he has +always insisted upon my telling him all that I know. When he was about +three years old he discovered that I had been a soldier in Lee's army +from 1861 to 1865, and, although he is of Quaker descent and a loyal +member of the Society of Friends, and I am half Quaker, yet he loved war +stories and I loved to tell them. This accounts for the production of +the book. After I had told him these stories over and over, again and +again, when he was grown he insisted upon my starting at the beginning +and giving him the whole of my experience in the Confederate army. Then +he wanted it published. I yielded to his request, and here is the book. +This is not, however, an exact copy of the typewritten manuscript which +he has. The original manuscript is more personal. I thought the change +would make it more acceptable to the general reader. + +We all believe in peace; universal peace, but when war does come, and +such a costly war as the one from which this story is taken, we ought +to get all the good out of it we can. The long marches along dusty +roads, under hot suns, the long marches through sleet and snows, the +long dreary nights without shelter, the march of the picket to and fro +on his beat, the constant drilling and training, the struggle on the +battlefields, all these are part of the material that the world has +always used in constructing a nation. While there are some things about +war that we should forget, there are many things that ought never to be +forgotten, but should be handed down from sire to son all through the +ages that are to come. + +Historians have told us much about our Civil War, but they have left out +the part that appeals most to the boy, and it is this part that I have +tried to bring before the public. Men may read the book if they will, +but it is written more particularly for the youth. The boy of today and +the boy that is yet to be ought to know of the bloody sweat through +which this nation passed in reaching its present position among the +great nations of the earth, and the part the boy played in it. It is +said that one boy is a boy; two boys a half boy and three boys no boy at +all. That may be true of the boy running loose, unbridled like a colt, +but gather up these boys and train them, harness and hitch them and they +will move the world or break a trace. It is the boy who decides the fate +of nations. I don't know the average age of our soldiers in times of +peace, but when wars come and there is a call for soldiers, it is mainly +the boy in his teens who responds; yet, strange to say, the historian +has never thought it worth while to put much emphasis upon what the boy +does in the upbuilding of a nation. + +Another thing that has been neglected by the historian is the brave and +noble part the horse took in our war. The grays, the bays, the sorrels, +the roans, the chestnuts, have not been forgotten in this story. Indeed, +as I have already said, I have tried to bring to light that part of the +story of our Civil War that has not been told. + +Now, young men and boys, girls too, old men, if there are any, read this +book, all of you, regardless of geographical lines, for I have tried to +be fair to those who wore the blue. As the years go by, I have learned +to respect and love those who fought for the Union. I visited Boston and +its environments two summers ago for the first time. During the visit, I +never met a person whom I had ever seen before, yet all the time that I +was away I felt at home. I said to myself, are these the people we of +the South used to hate? Are these the people that we once mobbed as they +marched through our streets? Yes, they are the same people or their +descendants, but then we did not know them and they did not know us. I +came back feeling proud of my country, and I only wish I could give here +a detailed account of that visit. If, early in the spring of 1861, the +North and South had swapped visits, each party would have gone home +singing, "there ain't goin' to be no war," but we had a war; a great +war, a costly war; let us forget what ought to be forgotten and remember +what ought to be remembered. I want to pay this tribute to the Northern +soldiers. I have discovered this: When two armies of equal numbers met +face to face in the open, it was nearly always a toss up as to who would +win. Numbers don't always count in battle. General Hooker, with his army +of 130,000, retreating before Lee's 60,000, doesn't mean that one rebel +could whip two yankees. It only meant that "Fighting Joe" had more than +he could manage. His numbers were an encumbrance. There were other +differences which, for the sake of brevity, I will not mention, but will +add this one word: One bluecoat was all I cared to face, and I believe +every other Johnny Reb will say the same. + +May we never have another war, but boys, remember this: "Peace hath her +victories, no less renowned than war," and the boy that wishes to count +in this world must _train_. But there are other training schools quite +as helpful as the camp and the battlefield. + +L.W. HOPKINS. + +Baltimore, November, 1908. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +CHAPTER I. + +FROM HARPER'S FERRY TO BULL RUN. + +Loudoun County on the Potomac--John Brown's Raid--War Talk Among the +Schoolboys--The Slave and His Master--Election of Lincoln--Secession +--Schoolboys Preparing for the Coming Conflict--Firing on Fort +Sumter--Union Army Crossing the Potomac. + + +CHAPTER II. + +FROM BULL RUN TO SEVEN PINES. + +Confederates Concentrating at Manassas--First Battle--The Wounded +Horse--Rout of the Union Army--The Losses. + + +CHAPTER III. + +FROM BULL RUN TO SEVEN PINES. (CONTINUED.) + +Long Rest--Each Side Recruiting Their Armies--McClellan in Command--His +March on Richmond by the Way of the James River--Jackson's Brilliant +Valley Campaign--The Battles Around Richmond--Seven Pines--Mechanicsville +--Beaver Dam--Gaines' Mill--Fair Oaks--The Wounding of Gen. Jos. +E. Johnston--McClellan's Defeat--The Spoils of the Battle. + + +CHAPTER IV. + +FROM SEVEN PINES TO ANTIETAM. + +The Battle of Cedar Run--Jackson's Flank Movement--McClellan Moves +His Army Back to Washington--Second Battle of Manassas--The Defeat +of Pope--His Retreat to the Defenses of Washington--The Captured +Stores and Losses on Both Sides--Lee Crosses the Potomac Into Maryland--The +Stragglers of Lee's Army--A Dinner Party--The Capture of +Harper's Ferry--Battle of Antietam--Result of the Battle--Lee Recrosses +the Potomac--Lee in a Trap. + + +CHAPTER V. + +FROM ANTIETAM TO CHANCELLORSVILLE. + +McClellan Relieved of His Command--Burnside Commands the Union Army--The +Two Armies at Fredericksburg--The Blue Ridge Mountain--The +Author a Prisoner--Battle of Fredericksburg--Burnside's Defeat--Losses +on Both Sides--The Armies in Winter Quarters--How They Spent the +Winter--Company Q's Escapade--Raid Into West Virginia--Burnside +Relieved--Hooker in Command--Hooker Crossing the Rappahannock--Jackson's +Successful Flank Movement--His Mortal Wound--Hooker's Defeat--He +Recrosses the River--Losses on Both Sides--Stonewall Jackson's +Death--The South in Tears--Ode to Stonewall Jackson by a Union +Officer. + + +CHAPTER VI. + +FROM CHANCELLORSVILLE TO GETTYSBURG. + +Ninth of June at Brandy Station--Lee's Army En Route for Gettysburg--See +Map--Stuart's March Around the Union Army--Lee Crosses the +Potomac--The Union Army in a Parallel Line With Lee's--Crosses the +Potomac Below Harper's Ferry--Hooker Relieved--Meade in Command of +the Union Army--The Battle of Gettysburg--Lee's First Defeat--His +Retreat--The Midnight's Thunder Storm--His Five Days' Rest on the +North Bank of the Potomac--He Recrosses the River. + + +CHAPTER VII. + +FROM GETTYSBURG TO THE WILDERNESS. + +Both Armies Marching Back to the Rappahannock--Short Rest--Meade's +Advance--Lee Retires to the Rapidan--Meade's Withdrawal From Lee's +Front--Lee's Advance--Fighting Around Brandy Station--The Battle at +Bristoe Station--The Union Army Retires Towards Washington--Lee +Discontinues the Pursuit and Returns to the Rapidan River--In Winter +Quarters--How the Winter Was Spent--Many of Lee's Soldiers Are Permitted +to Return to Their Homes Under Care of Their Commanding +Officers for a Vacation--Mosby Appears Upon the Scene. + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +FROM THE WILDERNESS TO JAMES RIVER. + +Grant in Command of the Union Army--Preparation for the Coming +Struggle--Battle of The Wilderness--Strength of the Armies--Losses +--Wounding of General Longstreet--Battle at Spotsylvania Court +House--The Awful Slaughter--Sheridan's Raid on Richmond--Stuart's +Cavalry in Pursuit--General Stuart's Death--Yellow Tavern--The Author +Again a Prisoner. + + +CHAPTER IX. + +FROM THE JAMES RIVER TO PETERSBURG. + +Battle of Cold Harbor--Grant Again Repulsed--Death of Flournoy--Grant +Crossing the James--Prison Life at Point Lookout--Parole of the Sick +From the Hospitals--The Dreary Winter--Its Bright Side--How the +Soldiers and the Citizens Spent It--Mosby's Men--The Long Siege--Battle +of the Crater. + + +CHAPTER X. + +FROM PETERSBURG TO APPOMATTOX. + +Evacuation of Richmond--Retreat of Lee's Army Towards Appomattox--Lee's +Surrender--After the Surrender--Some War Stories--The Faithful +Slave. + + +CHAPTER XI. + +THE HORSES OF LEE'S ARMY. + +Their Number--Losses--Rover's Tricks--A Mighty Jaw--Her Capture--Horses +in Battle--Friendship Between Horse and Rider--Wagon Horses--Artillery +Horses--Cavalry Horses--Men Sleep on Their Horses--Horses for +Breastwork--Seventy-five Thousand Black Beauties--Monument for Lee's +Horses--A Pathetic Poem. + + +[Illustration: GEN. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, + +Who preceded Gen. Robert E. Lee in command of the Army of Northern +Virginia.] + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + PAGE + +LUTHER W. HOPKINS, Frontispiece + +GEN. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, 8 + +JEFFERSON C. DAVIS, 16 + +GEN. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON (called "Stonewall Jackson"), 32 + +ROBERT HOWARD HOPKINS, 48 + +THE LAST MEETING OF LEE AND JACKSON AT CHANCELLORSVILLE, 80 + +GEN. ROBERT E. LEE, 112 + +MRS. R.E. LEE, 128 + +GEN. FITZHUGH LEE, 144 + +A BATTLE-SCARRED CONFEDERATE BANNER, 161 + +GEN. A.P. HILL, 176 + +ONE OF STONEWALL JACKSON'S MILEPOSTS, 192 + +BISHOP ALPHEUS W. WILSON, 208 + + + + +From Bull Run to Appomattox + +A BOY'S VIEW + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +_From Harper's Ferry to Bull Run._ + + "O war, thou hast thy fierce delight, + Thy gleams of joy intensely bright; + Such gleams as from thy polished shield + Fly dazzling o'er the battle-field." + + +Is there a boy in all this wide land, North or South, who would not like +to hear what a boy has to say of his experience as a private soldier in +the Confederate Army from 1861 to 1865, serving for the most part in +Stuart's Cavalry of Lee's army? Men have told their story, and +graphically told it from a man's standpoint. But who has spoken for the +boy? Who has told of the part the boy played in that great drama that +was on the stage for four years without intermission? That bloody drama +in which there were 3,000,000 players--a play that cost the country +eight billions in money and half a million human lives? + +I do not know how it was in the Northern armies, but the bulk of Lee's +soldiers in the ranks were boys in their teens. It was these boys who +made Thomas Jonathan Jackson, "Stonewall Jackson;" who put Robert E. +Lee's name in the hall of fame and who lifted J.E.B. Stuart up to the +rank of lieutenant-general of cavalry. One of these boys has written the +story as he remembers it in plain, simple language; not a history, but +simply an account of what he saw and did while this eventful history was +being made. If his experience is different from others, or does not +accord in all respects with what the historian has written, it is +because we do not all see alike. The writer has not consulted the +histories for material for this story; he did not have to do this. If +all the boys who served in the Confederate Army were to write their +experience, they would all be different, yet all approximately correct, +and perhaps, taken together, would be the most perfect history that +could be written of the Confederate side of the Civil War. + +In the early spring of 1861 I was seventeen years old and going to +school about half a mile from my home in Loudoun county, Virginia. +Twelve miles distant was Harper's Ferry, where four years previous John +Brown had made an attempt to raise an insurrection among the slaves in +that district. He seized the United States arsenal, located there, for +the purpose of arming the negroes, who were expected to flock to his +standard and have their freedom declared. The negroes did not respond; +John Brown and a few of his followers were captured and hanged. This +atrocious act of Brown and his abettors kindled a flame in the hearts of +the Southern people that led to the Civil War. But none felt it so +keenly as did the Virginians, because it was their sacred soil that had +been traduced. Three years previous to this, when I was ten years of +age, I remember to have heard a political discussion among a body of +men, and the following words have lingered in my memory ever since, and +they are all that I can recall of their talk: "If there is a war between +the North and South, Virginia will be the battlefield." I thought it +would be grand, and waited anxiously for the fulfillment of this +prophecy. Then when John Brown swooped down on Harper's Ferry with his +cohorts, it looked as if the day had really come and that the prediction +was about to be fulfilled. From that time war talk was general, +especially among the small boys. But the intense excitement caused by +the Brown episode gradually abated. It broke out afresh, however, when +later it was announced that Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the +United States. It seemed to be the concensus of opinion that the result +would be war, and that Virginia in truth would be the battleground, and +that the counties along the Potomac would receive the first shock of +battle. We boys of Loudoun county, right on the Potomac, felt that we +were "it," and we had a kind of pity for those poor fellows a little +farther back. We were in the front row, and when the curtain went up we +could see and hear everything. There were about thirty boys attending +our school between the ages of fifteen and twenty. They all entered the +Confederate Army, but few survived the war. + +Before going on with the story, perhaps I ought to explain why these +boys were so eager for war, when they knew that the enemy would be their +own countrymen. There was a peculiar relationship existing between the +slave owner's family and the slaves that the North never did and never +will understand. On the part of the white children it was love, pure and +simple, for the slave, while on the part of the adult it was more than +friendship, and, I might add, the feeling was reciprocated by the +slaves. The children addressed the adult blacks as Uncle and Aunt, and +treated them with as much respect as they did their blood relatives. It +was Uncle Reuben and Aunt Dinah. The adult white also addressed the +older colored people in the same way. With but few exceptions, the two +races lived together in perfect harmony. If a slave-owner was cruel to +his slaves, it was because he was a cruel man, and all who came in +contact with him, both man and beast, suffered at his hands. Even his +children did not escape. These men are found everywhere. The old black +mammy, with her head tied up in a white cloth, was loved, respected and +honored by every inmate of the home, regardless of color. + +The following incident will be of interest: Hon. John Randolph Tucker, +one of Virginia's most gifted and learned sons, who represented his +State in the U.S. Senate, always celebrated his birthday. I remember to +have attended one of these celebrations. It was shortly after the close +of the war. Mr. Tucker was then between fifty-five and sixty years of +age. He had grown children. Fun making was one of his characteristics. +On these annual occasions, it was his custom to dress himself in a long +white gown and bring into the parlor his old black nurse, whom he called +"mammy." She sat in her rocking-chair with her head tied up in the +conventional snow-white cloth. Mr. Tucker, dressed up as a child in his +nightgown, would toddle in and climb up into her lap, and she would lull +him to sleep with an old-time nursery song, no doubt one of her own +compositions. This could not possibly have occurred had the skin of his +nurse been white. + +When a daughter married and set up her own home, fortunate was she if +she took with her the mammy. In many homes the slaves were present at +family prayers. The kitchen and the cabin furnished the white children +places of resort that were full of pleasure. + +This was the relation between white and colored as I remember it from a +child in my part of Virginia. And tonight, as I write these lines, while +the clock tolls off the hour of eleven, I cannot keep out of my mind the +words of that little poem by Elizabeth Akers: + + "Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight, + And make me a child again, just for tonight." + +[Illustration: JEFFERSON C. DAVIS. + +President of the Confederate States of America. Taken just before his +inauguration.] + +How anyone could have desired to break up this happy relationship was +beyond the conception of the child, and more or less incomprehensible to +the adult. + +Somewhere between childhood and youth we children all learned that there +was a race of people up North called Abolitionists, who were so mean +that they sent secret agents through the country to persuade the colored +people to leave their homes and go North, where they could be free. That +these agents were disguised as peddlers or otherwise, and that they +visited the cabins of the slaves during the late hours of the night, and +went so far as to urge them to rise up in a body and declare their +freedom, and if necessary to murder those who held them as slaves. This +delusion, if it were a delusion, might have been dispelled had not John +Brown and his men appeared upon the scene to give an ocular +demonstration of their real intent. The few men with him may have been +the only following that he had, but the damage had been done. Virginia +was fighting mad. What had been whispered about the abolitionists in +secret was now proclaimed from the housetops. John Brown was an +abolitionist, and all abolitionists were John Browns, so the youths at +least reasoned. The words abolitionist and Yankee were for the most part +synonymous terms; the former being hard to pronounce, the child usually +employed the latter. Some of the young children did not know that a +Yankee was a human being, as the following incident will illustrate: + +When the first Federal soldiers entered the village of Middleburg, +Loudoun county, Virginia, the cry went up and down the streets, "The +Yankees have come!" The streets were soon deserted by every living thing +except the dogs and the ubiquitous, irrepressible small boy, who was or +pretended to be "skeered o' nothin'." This war was gotten up for his +special benefit, and he was determined to see all that was to be seen, +and was always to be found well up in front. The women and children +within their homes crowded to the windows to see the cavalry as it +marched by. A little three-year old nephew of mine, with the expression +of alarm disappearing from his face, said: "Mamma, them ain't Yankees, +them's soldiers." He expected to see some kind of hideous animal. + +This is the education the Virginia boys got, who afterward became Lee's +soldiers. They were brought up in this school, and when they became +soldiers, wearing the gray, they felt that they had something to fight +for. They believed that they were real patriots, notwithstanding they +were called rebels and traitors. + +This brings us to the beginning of the Civil War, or at least to the +secession movement. Lincoln had not yet taken his seat as President, +when several of the Southern States seceded and formed a Southern +Confederacy, with Montgomery, Ala., as the capital, and Jefferson C. +Davis as President. This was recognized by the United States Government +as open rebellion, and as soon as Mr. Lincoln took the reins of +government, he called for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion. + +Virginia must either furnish her quota of troops or withdraw from the +Union. She promptly chose the latter, and shortly afterward became a +part of the Southern Confederacy. As soon as the ordinance of secession +had passed the Virginia Legislature, there were a thousand Paul Reveres +in the saddle, carrying the news to every point not reached by telegraph +lines. The young men and boys did not wait for the call from the +Governor. Military companies, infantry, cavalry and artillery sprang up +everywhere. Anyone who chose and could get a sufficient following might +raise a company. These companies were offered to the Governor and +promptly accepted. The ordinance of secession was passed at night. The +next morning Virginia troops were on their way to seize Harper's Ferry. +On the approach of these troops the small guard of United States +soldiers stationed there set fire to the buildings and fled. The fire +was extinguished by the citizens, I think, and much of the valuable +machinery and military stores was saved. The machinery was sent to +Richmond, and the arms were used in equipping the soldiers. Harper's +Ferry became one of the outposts of the Confederacy, and a place of +rendezvous for the rapidly-growing Confederate battalions. Thomas +Jonathan Jackson, afterward known as Stonewall Jackson, was sent to +Harper's Ferry to drill and organize the forces gathering there, into an +army. He was later superseded by Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, but Jackson +remained as a subordinate commander. In the meantime, the Confederate +Government had demanded that Gen. Anderson evacuate Fort Sumter, at the +entrance of Charleston harbor, and also had said, if not in words, in +action, to the Government at Washington as it saw United States armies +gathering near its northern frontier, So far shalt thou come, and no +further. + +But to go back to the thirty boys. What were they doing all this time? +Just prior to the date of Virginia's secession they were gathering in +groups at noon and recess, on the way to and from school, and talking +war. How big and important we seemed as we prospectively saw ourselves +dressed as soldiers, armed and keeping step to the beat of the drum. +There was but little studying, for our preceptor was not hard on us. He +had once been a boy himself, and appreciating the conditions that +surrounded us, he chiefly employed himself in keeping the school +together until hostilities began, if it should really come to that. I +don't know how long the school continued, but I do know that these +particular boys were early on the drill ground, and were being trained +into soldiers. It was difficult for the parents to keep the fourteen and +fifteen-year-old boys at home or in school. I had a brother sixteen +years old who was first of the family to enlist, and then all followed, +one after another, until four of us were in the ranks. There were mature +men and old men, men of heavy responsibilities, who saw farther into +the future than the younger generation. These went about with bowed +heads and talked seriously of what the future might bring. They wisely +discussed constitutional law, State rights, what foreign nations would +have to say about it, the nations that had to have our cotton. "Cotton +was king," they said, and the South owned the king, soul and body. +Questions like these were discussed among the men, but like one of old, +the boy cared for none of these things. In the language of a famous +Union general, his place was to meet the enemy and defeat him. I +remember about this time hearing this toast being offered to the South: + +"May her old men make her laws, her young men fight her battles, and her +maidens spin her cotton." + +The boy well understood the part he was to play, and he was in his +element, and as happy as a boy could be. I cannot remember just when the +first call was made for troops by the Governor, but I do know, as I have +already stated, that the boys heard the call from a higher source, and +they were coming from mountain and plain, from hillside and valley, from +the shop, and office and school. Well do I recall the joy that welled up +in every boy's breast as one after another of the actors took their +places on the stage. Again I find myself quoting Elizabeth Akers, this +time substituting a word: + + "Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight, + And make me a BOY again, just for tonight." + +Now let us take a peep into the Virginia homes. What were the women +doing? Ah, they were as busy as bees. These boys must be equipped not +only with munitions of war, but each boy must take with him as many home +comforts as could possibly be compressed into a bundle small enough to +be carried. When he was at home it took a good-sized room to hold these +things; now he must put them into his pocket or on his back, and it took +all of a mother's skill to gather these things up into the least +possible space, that her boy might have in the camp life all that a +mother's love could give him. The Government would furnish the guns, the +powder, the lead, the canteen and knapsack and haversack; the tinshop, +the tincup; the shoemaker, the boots; the bookstore, the Bible (every +boy must carry a Bible), but all the clothing, all the little necessary +articles for comfort and health, must be manufactured in the home. Did +you ever open the outside casing of one of these large patent beehives +and see the bees at work inside? What rushing and pushing and confusion! +Every bee, so far as human eye can see, seems busy. This beehive was but +a replica of a Virginia home in the spring of 1861. + +While these things were going on in the home the boys were drilling in +the field, for they were now out of school. All were anxious to get +their equipment, and to be the first to offer their services to the +Governor. + +Had these boys any conception of what they were rushing into? Suppose +just at this time the curtain had been lifted, and they could have seen +Bull Run and Seven Pines, Manassas and Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg and +Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold +Harbor and Appomattox? And if they could have seen a picture of their +homes and fields as they appeared in 1865, would they have rushed on? +Perhaps I can answer that question by pointing to the battlefield of New +Market. In the fall of 1864, after nearly all the great battles had been +fought, the young cadets from Lexington, Va., who had not yet been under +fire, but with a full knowledge of what war meant, rushed into this +battle like veterans and were mowed down as grain, their little bodies +lying scattered over the field like sheaves of wheat. + + "O war, thou hast thy fierce delight, + Thy gleams of joy intensely bright; + Such gleams as from thy polished shield + Fly dazzling o'er the battle-field." + +Yes, war has its bright, attractive side, and those boys, as I knew +them, would have looked at these moving-pictures as they came one after +another into view, and then perhaps have turned pale; perhaps they would +have shuddered and then cried out, "On with the dance; let joy be +unconfined;" and it was literally on with the dance. School, as I have +just said, was out, and every laddie had his lassie, and you may be sure +they improved the time. It was drill through the day and dance through +the night. + + "No sleep till morn when youth and pleasure meet + To chase the glowing hours with flying feet." + +The boys were happy, and "all went merry as a marriage bell," and well +that it was so. When we looked into the hive we saw that the bees were +busy, but as far as human eye could discover, there was no head; all was +confusion; it was pushing and shoving and coming and going, and one +might have asked the question, What are they doing? What does it all +mean? If we could have seen farther into the hive we would have +discovered that back of this busy throng sat the queen, and that these +were her subjects, doing her bidding. She was sending out her little +rogues to rob the flowers, and they were coming back richly laden with +spoils. This was the raw material, and it was being worked up. When the +season was over and the flowers were dead, and we drew from the hive the +finished product, so perfect in all its parts and richly stored with +sweetened treasures, we began to realize that there was a master mind +behind it all. Do you suppose for a moment that when these young men and +boys of Virginia, in fact from all over the South, who were rushing with +such intense enthusiasm in the Confederate ranks, these fathers and +mothers and sisters, who were equipping these youths with comforts +without which they could not have endured the hardships of the camp, do +you suppose they were but following the dictates of a few maddened, +fire-eating fanatics, and that the whole would end in debt, death and +desolation? If you had lived in 1861 you might have been excused for +thinking so. But what do you think of it today, as the finished product +begins to unfold itself to our view? Do you not believe there was a +master mind behind it all, a King, and that these boys were but part of +His royal subjects, doing His will? Suppose there had been no rush and +no adequate army at Bull Run to meet McDowell and his forces as they +came marching out from Washington with flying colors? Suppose the +Confederates had been beaten at Bull Run and Richmond had fallen, and +the war had ended then? What miserable creatures we poor devils of the +South would have been! The world would have laughed at us. We would have +lost all of our self-respect. A cycle of time could not have wiped out +our self-contempt, and God might have said, "I cannot build up a great +nation with material like this." The North would have had no Grand Army +Veterans, and no deeds of heroism with which to keep alive the fire of +patriotism in the hearts of their children. Spain in 1898 might have +successfully defied us, and China and Japan have roamed at will over our +land. No; the war was a necessity. It was costly, but was worth all that +it cost. It has made of us a very great nation. + +Now I shall go back and tell how it was done. I will do so by narrating +my own experience, and as my experience, with but slight variation, was +the experience of every boy who served in the Confederate army, the +reader will have a fair idea of what the boy's life was during those +four years. + +The firing upon Fort Sumter was like throwing a stone into a hornet's +nest. All the North was aroused. Troops came pouring into Washington by +every train. A Massachusetts regiment, in passing through the streets of +Baltimore, was mobbed, and the song "Maryland, My Maryland" was wafted +out on the air. + +Maryland boys, under cover of night, were crossing the Potomac to help +drive the invaders back. They came singing "The Despot's Heel Is on Thy +Shore." Rumors flew thick and fast. Now and then shots were exchanged +between opposing pickets as they walked to and fro on the banks of the +Potomac river that separated them. In fact, the curtain was up and the +play had begun. Harper's Ferry, Leesburg and Manassas (see map)[1] +became strategical points, and at each of these the Confederates were +concentrating their forces. + +By June 1, 1861, Jos. E. Johnston at Harper's Ferry had an army of +10,000. Gen. A.P. Hill at Leesburg, 3000. Gen P.T. Beauregard at +Manassas, 12,000. These were Confederates. On the Union side, Gen. +Patterson had an army of about 15,000 confronting Johnston, and McDowell +at the head of 35,000 was crossing the Potomac at Washington en route +for Bull Run. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 1: In reading the book, spread out the map before you and +follow the movements of the armies. There is a detached map with each +book. The main battlefields are marked with a flag, but there are over +50 more; in fact, eliminating the rough mountain ranges, nearly every +foot of Virginia soil covered by this map felt the tramp of the soldier +and heard the hiss of the bullet.] + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +_From Bull Run to Seven Pines._ + + "Only a boy! and his father had said + He never could let his youngest go; + Two already were lying dead + Under the feet of the trampling foe." + + +As the advance guard of the Federal army entered Alexandria, Va., on the +south side of the Potomac, a Confederate flag was seen floating from the +roof of a hotel kept by one Jackson. Col. Elsworth, commanding the +advance force, hauled it down. Jackson shot him dead, and was in turn +killed by Elsworth's soldiers. This, I believe, was the first blood shed +on Virginia soil. + +As McDowell moved his army toward Manassas, Johnston fell back toward +Winchester, so as to be in a position to reinforce Beauregard if it +became necessary. + +Before McDowell had reached Fairfax Courthouse the greater portion of +Johnston's army was en route for Manassas. So closely did Johnston +conceal his movements that Patterson was not aware that Johnston had +left his front until it was too late to follow him. The little army at +Leesburg also marched rapidly to Manassas. + +These united Confederate armies numbered about 27,000 men. McDowell's +army, as I have stated, numbered 35,000. + +In order to be prepared for an emergency, the Governor of Virginia had +called the militia from the counties adjacent to Manassas to assemble at +that place. That included my county. I joined the militia and marched to +Manassas, arriving there a few days before the battle. + +There was skirmishing for some days between the advanced forces of the +two armies, but the real battle was fought on Sunday, July 21, 1861. + +My command took no part in this battle, but it was in line of battle in +the rear of the fighting forces, ready to take part if its services were +needed. + +Soldiers, like sailors, are superstitious. As the hour for the battle +drew near, those of a mystical turn of mind saw, or thought they saw, a +strange combination of stars in the heavens. Some said, "I never saw the +moon look that way before." Clouds assumed mysterious shapes. Some saw +in them marching armies, and other fearful phenomena. A strange dog was +seen one night passing in and out the various camps into the officers' +tents and out again as if he were numbering the men. This created no +little comment. The dog was all unconscious of the excitement he was +creating. He had simply lost his master, but his manner appeared ominous +to those who were looking for the mystical. These are the kind of +soldiers that run at the first fire. They are found in all armies. + +I have always claimed that I am not superstitious, but I must admit that +there is an atmosphere that hangs around the camp on the eve of an +approaching battle that is well calculated to give one's imagination +full play. The doctors examining their medical chests, packages of white +bandages and lint arriving, the movement of the ambulances, the unusual +number of litters that come into view, the chaplains a little more +fervent in their prayers, officers, from the commanding general down to +the lowest rank, more reserved and less approachable. Even the horses +seem to be restive, or we imagine them to be so. In fact, everything +takes on a different attitude. The very air appears to be laden with an +indescribable something that makes every individual soldier feel himself +lifted up into a position of responsibility quite different from the +place he occupied when loitering around the camp with the enemy far +away from the front. + +[Illustration: GEN. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON, + +Christened "Stonewall Jackson" by General Bee at the first battle of +Manassas.] + +This was the state of things as I saw them in and around Manassas on the +eve of the first battle of Bull Run. Before the rising of the sun on +that beautiful Sabbath day, July 21, 1861, the cannon could be heard in +the distance, which told us that the two combatants had locked horns. +All day long we could hear the booming of the guns and see the smoke of +the battle over the tops of the low pines in our front, and I was ever +so anxious to get closer and see the real thing, but soldiers cannot go +just where they may desire, especially when a great battle is in +progress. + +Early in the day I saw what thrilled me no little. It was the first +blood I had ever seen shed on a battlefield. I saw coming across the +field, moving quite slowly, a man leading a horse. As they approached I +saw that the horse was limping, and the man was a soldier. The horse was +badly wounded and bleeding, and seemed to be in great pain. Whenever the +man would stop the horse would attempt to lie down. I wanted to go to +him and put my arms around his neck and tell him he was a hero. The man +and the horse passed by, for there was too much going on to allow a +single wounded horse to absorb all of one's attention. + +Toward the afternoon news came in from the front that our army was +beaten and was in full retreat. + +Every available man was called from the camp, and a second line of +defense was formed, behind which the retreating army could rally and +make another stand. It was then that I began to realize what war was. + +About five o'clock a soldier came across the field from the front with a +gun on his shoulder. As he came up to our line someone asked him how the +battle was going. He replied, "We've got them on the trot." Then there +was wild cheering; the soldier was right. McDowell's army was beaten and +in full retreat toward Washington. It proved to be the worst rout that +any army suffered during the Civil War. + +At one stage of the battle it looked very doubtful for our side. +Beauregard believed that he was beaten, and had ordered his forces to +fall back, calling on Johnston to cover his retreat. But the arrival of +Elzey's brigade of Johnston's army upon the field just at this +psychological moment turned the battle in our favor. A member of the +First Maryland Regiment, forming a part of this brigade, has given me a +graphic description of how the brigade was hurried from the railroad +station at Manassas, across the fields for five miles under the hot July +sun, the men almost famished for water and covered with dust, most of +the distance at double-quick, toward the firing line, from which the +panic-stricken Confederates were fleeing in great disorder. But I shall +only narrate what I saw myself, and will not quote farther, however +interesting it may be. A train came down from Richmond about three +o'clock, bringing the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson C. Davis, +and fresh troops, but they arrived too late to be of any special +service. I saw the President as he mounted a gray horse, with a number +of other prominent Confederates from Richmond, and move off toward the +battlefield. + +A short time after this they began to bring in the wounded from the +front. I stood by and saw the pale face and glassy eyes of Gen. Bee as +they took him dying from the ambulance and carried him into a house near +the Junction. It was he who an hour or so before had said to his +retreating troops, "Look at Jackson; he stands like a stone wall." That +night Gen. Bee died, and Jackson was ever known afterward as "Stonewall +Jackson." + +Yes, the Union army was beaten, and their retreat developed into a +disastrous rout, although they were not pursued by the Confederates. + +"While there was great rejoicing all over the South on account of this +splendid victory gained by our raw recruits, there was no noisy +demonstrations. Crowds thronged the streets, but no bonfires lit up the +darkness of the night. No cannon thundered out salutes. The church +steeples were silent, except when in solemn tone they called the people +to prayer." + +The next day the Confederate Congress met and passed the following +resolutions: + +"We recognize the hand of the most high God, the King of Kings and Lord +of Lords, in the glorious victory with which he has crowned our armies +at Manassas, and that the people of these Confederate States are invited +by appropriate services on the ensuing Sabbath to offer up their united +thanksgiving and prayers for this mighty deliverance." + +The losses in men were as follows: Union army, 3000; Confederates, 2000. +The latter captured 27 cannon, 1500 prisoners, an immense quantity of +small arms, ammunition, stores, etc. + +I promptly laid aside my flint-lock musket and took a Springfield rifle. + +I am often amused as I remember some of the thoughts that passed through +my mind, and some of the things I did on this momentous occasion. For +instance, we were ordered to "sleep on our arms" the night whose dawn +was to usher in the battle. I had heard a good deal about soldiers +obeying orders. I thought of "the boy who stood on the burning deck," so +when I laid down that night with old Mother Earth for a bed, I found +myself stretched out at full length on top of my musket. It was a little +rough, but the mere thought of being a soldier and "sleeping on my arms" +on the eve of battle made my bed feel as soft as a bed of roses. And +then the gun! It was an old flint-lock musket, minus the flint, and no +powder or ball. But I was at least a soldier and had a gun, and would +surely see the battle and could write home all about it. A soldier +seldom ever thinks that he will be among the slain; he may be wounded, +or taken prisoner, but it is always the other fellow that is going to be +killed. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +_From Bull Run to Seven Pines (Continued)._ + + "You have called us and we're coming, by Richmond's bloody tide + To lay us down, for freedom's sake, our brothers' bones beside." + + +The several battles around Richmond in the spring of 1862, viz., Seven +Pines, Mechanicsville, Beaver Dam, Malvern Hill, Gaines' Mill, I have +grouped under the head of Seven Pines. + +The fall and winter months following the battle of Bull Run were spent +for the most part by both sides in recruiting their armies and getting +ready for a desperate struggle, which would inevitably come when spring +arrived the following year. + +There were occasional raids and skirmishes, but no decisive battles were +fought until the following spring, except the battle of Ball's Bluff, +near Leesburg, in which battle the Eighth Virginia played a conspicuous +part. One of my brothers was in this battle, and several of my +schoolmates were killed and wounded. + +Johnston's army a few days after the battle had increased to 40,000. He +moved forward and occupied a position near Centerville, and there he +wintered. Jackson, however, was detached and sent back to Winchester to +guard the valley, and became commander-in-chief of that section. The +forces that came down from Leesburg returned to their old position. + +During the winter the soldiers were granted frequent furloughs, the +militia was disbanded, and I went back home. + +But when the birds began heralding the coming of spring there was a call +from the Confederate Government not only for the return of all enlisted +men to their commands, but for every able-bodied white male citizen +between the ages of eighteen and forty-five to enlist. + +I started out from Middleburg with Edwin Bailey and several Marylanders, +the latter having crossed the Potomac for the purpose of joining the +Confederate army. Bailey was already a member of the Eighth Virginia +Infantry, and was at home on furlough. + +My destination was the Sixth Virginia Cavalry, which was then with +Stonewall Jackson in the valley of Virginia. This regiment was in +Robinson's brigade, Fitzhugh Lee's division, the whole cavalry force of +the army of Northern Virginia being commanded by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. I +was on horseback; the others on foot. + +It reminded me of the resurrection morn, except the trooping thousands +were coming from the top of the ground and not from under it. From +hamlet and villa, from the lordly mansion and mountain shack, from +across the Potomac, the boys and young men of the South were coming in +answer to the call. The Government at Washington had called for half a +million; the Government at Richmond had called for every able-bodied son +from eighteen to forty-five, and they were coming. + +The nearest point at which I could reach the Confederate line was +Harrisonburg, Va. All the district between my home and Harrisonburg, and +on the line stretching from there south to the James river, and north +into West Virginia, had been abandoned to the enemy. Hence, it was +necessary for us to move with great caution, to avoid being intercepted +by the bluecoats. The little caravan moved up the pike that runs from +Alexandria across the Blue Ridge into the valley by the way of +Upperville and Paris. When we reached the mountain at Paris we moved +along its foot, traveling mostly by night and resting by day, hiding +ourselves in the heavy timber that stretched along the slopes of the +mountain. We had no trouble procuring food from the little farm houses +that we passed. Occasionally we employed a guide, whom we paid. These +guides took great pains to magnify the danger that surrounded us, and +told us of the narrow escapes of other caravans that had preceded us. +This was done in order to draw as large a fee from us as possible. The +distance to Harrisonburg was about 100 miles. We finally reached our +destination. + +During the winter and early spring the North had raised a very large +army, splendidly equipped, and placed under the command of Gen. George +B. McClellan. This army was taken mostly by boat to a point on the James +river, from which point it took up a line of march toward Richmond. +McClellan's army was the largest and best equipped that had ever trod +American soil. + +McClellan was the idol of the North, and there was very little doubt in +the minds of the Northern people that when he met the Confederate forces +defending Richmond the Capital of the Confederacy would be captured, +and the army defending it destroyed or captured. + +The Confederate forces gradually fell back before McClellan's army as it +advanced along the James river, until the invaders could see the spires +of the Confederate Capitol. + +Of course, this move of McClellan's having made Johnston's position at +Centerville untenable, he withdrew his army and marched to Richmond, so +as to confront McClellan on his arrival. + +The day finally arrived when McClellan was to make the attack that was +to result in the overthrow of the Confederacy. + +While this was going on, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston (who commanded the +Confederate forces) was busy strengthening his position and preparing +his army for the coming struggle. + +Jackson had in the meantime distinguished himself in the valley by +routing three armies, each larger than his own, that had been sent out +to capture him. Having defeated these armies, he fell back beyond +Harrisonburg, and then quietly slipped out of the valley, crossed the +Blue Ridge mountains, and made a rapid march toward Richmond. + +Instead of uniting his forces with those of Johnston, he moved his army +to a point toward McClellan's rear, and at once began an attack which, +combined with Johnston's attack in the front, resulted in a disastrous +retreat of the Northern army. + +Johnston was severely wounded during the first days of the battle, which +lasted seven days, and Gen. Robert E. Lee assumed command of the army +now known as the army of Northern Virginia, and held the position to the +end of the war. Lee also became commander-in-chief of all the +Confederate armies. + +When McClellan fully realized that it was Jackson's army from the valley +that "was goring his side like the horns of an angry bull," it is said +that the scene at his headquarters was intensely dramatic. From +information received from Washington, McClellan had every reason to +believe that Jackson and his entire army were either prisoners or cooped +up somewhere in the valley north of Harrisonburg, but as the sound of +Jackson's guns grew louder and nearer, and couriers with panting steeds +came dashing in confirming the truth, he was forced to believe that the +noise was Jackson's "cannon's opening roar." "Then there was hurrying to +and fro and mounting in hot haste." Never did human brain work quicker +than did McClellan's when he realized his position. Who but a Napoleon +could provide so quickly for such an emergency? The masterly manner in +which McClellan changed his base and saved his army, with three such +strategists as Jackson, Lee and Johnston to reckon with, showed military +skill of the highest order. + +Someone in conversation with Gen. Lee after the war asked who was the +greatest soldier on the side of the North. Lee replied, "McClellan, by +all odds." The fact is, the Government at Washington never gave +McClellan a fair chance. Gen. Lee came to Richmond from West Virginia, +where his campaign had been a failure, and was elevated at once to the +most important post in the Confederate army, while McClellan was +humiliated by being relieved of his command just at a time when he was +prepared by experience to put into use his great talent. History is +bound to record him a place among the famous generals. + +The battle lasted seven full days. The Confederate victory was complete. +Millions of dollars' worth of supplies were captured or destroyed, and +McClellan was compelled to beat a hasty retreat to Washington to defend +the city. + +The spoils of this battle that fell into the hands of the Confederates +were 10,000 prisoners, 35,000 rifles, 55 cannon, ammunition, provision +stores of every kind, almost beyond computation. The losses of the two +armies in killed and wounded were nearly equal--about 10,000 each. + +Some idea can be formed of the captured stores when it is remembered +that to provide for an army such as McClellan's, 600 tons of ammunition, +food, forage and medical supplies had to be forwarded from Washington +every day. If he kept a thirty days' supply on hand, we have the +enormous sum of 18,000 tons that either fell into the hands of the +Confederates or was destroyed. + +When I reached Harrisonburg I found the Sixth Virginia Cavalry had left +the valley with Jackson's army. I followed as rapidly as possible, and +met the regiment at Gordonsville, with Jackson's army, coming back from +the battle and hurrying on toward Manassas to attack Pope, who had +gathered an army there to protect Washington while McClellan was +besieging Richmond. I joined Company A of the Sixth Virginia Cavalry and +felt that I was a full-fledged cavalryman and was ready to take part in +anything that the regiment was called upon to do. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +_From Seven Pines to Antietam._ + + "On that pleasant morn of early fall, + When Lee marched over the mountain wall." + + "Over the mountains, winding down, + Horse and foot into Frederick town." + + +A part of Pope's army, under Banks, had been pushed forward as far as +Cedar Run, about half way between Manassas and Gordonsville. Jackson met +this force and scattered it like chaff, and then moved rapidly toward +Manassas. He did not move in a straight line, but made a detour to the +left, and by rapid marches placed his army in the rear of Pope at +Manassas. + +One day the army covered forty miles. Riding along the dusty highway, +Jackson noticed a sore-foot, barefoot infantryman, limping along, trying +to keep up with his command. Coming up to him, he dismounted and told +the soldier to mount his horse, while he trudged along by his side. The +next day the same soldier was found among the dead, with his face turned +up to the sun, having given his life for the man who gave him a lift. +It was this lift that had cost him his life; but for it, he would have +been among the stragglers, too late for the battle. + +My command, during the march, got in frequent touch with the enemy, and +at one point, namely, Catletts Station, on the Orange and Alexandria +Railroad, came very near capturing Gen. Pope himself. We got into his +camp at night and into his tent, and took his boots and spurs, and +papers that gave Jackson some valuable information. + +As soon as Gen. Lee was satisfied that McClellan was well on his way +toward Washington, he put his whole army in motion and moved rapidly to +join Jackson, who would sorely need him in his attack upon Pope at +Manassas; in fact, Jackson had halted after the battle of Cedar Run for +a day or two to allow Gen. Lee to come up. + +An event occurred during this battle around Richmond that brought sorrow +to my home. My brother Howard was slightly wounded in the arm, taken to +the hospital at Richmond, and died in a few days of a malignant fever, +and was buried somewhere among the unknown dead around Richmond. The +family made several attempts to locate his grave, but were +unsuccessful. + + "On fame's eternal camping ground, + His silent tent is spread; + While glory guards with solemn round + The bivouac of the dead." + +His picture on the opposite page is from an old daguerreotype, taken +just before entering the Confederate service. + +This move of Jackson's to the rear of Pope at Manassas enabled him to +capture many carloads of supplies and munitions of war, greatly +assisting the armies of Lee and Jackson in their undertaking. A goodly +portion of McClellan's army had embarked at Occoquan and marched across +to the assistance of Pope. Notwithstanding this fact, the combined +armies of Lee and Jackson were more than a match for Pope, and he was +defeated and his army routed, leaving over 9000 of his dead and wounded +on the field. His entire loss, as given by the "New Standard +Encyclopedia," which included prisoners, was 20,000, while the +Confederates', by the same authority, is placed at 12,000. + +[Illustration: ROBERT HOWARD HOPKINS.] + +There fell into the hands of the Confederates 7000 prisoners, 30 cannon, +20,000 rifles. The captured stores, including two miles of loaded cars +on the track, was enormous, much of which the Confederates had to +burn. + +This is called the Second Battle of Manassas to distinguish it from the +first battle fought on the same ground, and called by the North the +Battle of Bull Run, but by the South as the First Battle of Manassas. + +Pope lost no time in getting behind his intrenchments at Washington. My +command took part in the battle, and made a charge just as the sun was +dropping behind the horizon. Lee did not follow Pope toward Washington, +but moved in a straight line toward the Upper Potomac, leaving +Washington to his right. + +At this time my company was detached from the Sixth Regiment and made a +bodyguard to Gen. Lee. We kept close to his person both night and day. + +Part of the time Gen. Lee rode in an ambulance with both hands bandaged, +his horse, "Traveler," having fallen over a log and crippled Lee's +hands. This gave me a good opportunity of seeing the great soldier at +close range. + +I remember one afternoon, when toward sunset the army having gone into +camp for the night, Gen. Lee's headquarters being established in a +little farmhouse near Chantilla, I think in Loudoun county, the General +went out with one of his staff officers for a walk into an apple +orchard. They were gone perhaps an hour. While they were gone a guard +had been set around the cottage with instructions to let none pass +without an order from Gen. Lee. + +When Gen. Lee returned with his aid by his side, he was halted by Frank +Peak (a member of my company, now living in Alexandria, Va.). They both +halted, and Peak said to them, "My instructions are to let none pass +without an order from Gen. Lee." Gen. Lee turned to his aid and said, +"Stop, the sentinel has halted us." The officer (I think it was Col. +Marshall, who afterward lived in Baltimore, and died there not long ago) +stepped forward and said, "This is Gen. Lee himself, who gives all +orders." Peak saluted them, and they passed on. + +Before day the next morning the army was in motion toward Maryland, Gen. +Lee still riding in the ambulance, very much, no doubt, to the chagrin +of "Traveler," who was led by a soldier, just behind the ambulance. + +Owing to the hard-fought battles around Richmond, Cedar Run and +Manassas (which followed each other in rapid succession), and the long, +weary marches through the hot July days, often far into the night, many +of Lee's soldiers, who were foot-sore and broken down, straggled from +the ranks, being unable to keep up with the stronger men. So great was +the number that it was said that half his army were straggling along the +roads and through the fields, subsisting as they could on fruits and +berries, and whatever food they could get from farmhouses. + +As the army crossed the Potomac (four miles east of Leesburg) Gen. Lee +had to make some provision for the stragglers. It would not do to let +them follow the army into the enemy's country, because they would all be +captured. He concluded to abandon his bodyguard and leave it at the +river, with instructions to turn the stragglers and tell them to move +toward Winchester, beyond the Shenandoah. This was the point, no doubt, +that Gen. Lee had fixed as the place to which he would bring his army +when his Maryland campaign was over. + +It was with much regret that we had to give up our post of honor as +guard to the head of the army to take charge of sore-footed stragglers. +But a soldier's duty is to obey orders. + +The army crossed the river into Maryland, and we were kept busy for a +week sending the stragglers toward Winchester. + +Some bore wounds received in the battles mentioned, and their bandages +in many cases still showed the dried blood as evidence that they had not +always been stragglers. Some were sick, and some too lame to walk, and +it became necessary for us to go out among the farmers and procure +wagons to haul the disabled. In doing so, it was my duty to call on an +old Quaker family by the name of Janney, near Goose Creek meeting-house, +Loudoun county, and get his four-horse wagon and order it to Leesburg. +This I did in good soldier style, not appreciating the old adage that +"Chickens come home to roost." + +After seeing the wagon on the road, accompanied by friend Janney, who +rode on horseback (the wagon being driven by his hired man), I went to +other farms, doing the same thing. And thus the lame, sick and +sore-footed and the rag-and-tag were pushed on, shoved on and hauled on +toward Winchester. + +Some years after this I had occasion to visit the same spot, in company +with a young lady. + +It was the Friends' quarterly meeting time at Goose Creek. We attended +the services, and, of course, were invited out to dinner. It fell to our +lot to dine at the home of friend Janney, from whom I had taken the +wagon. I did not recognize the house or the family until I was painfully +reminded of it in the following manner: + +We were seated at a long table in the dining-room (I think there were at +least twenty at the table), and several young ladies were acting as +waitresses. I was quite bashful in those days, but was getting along +very nicely, until one of the young waitresses, perhaps with no +intention of embarrassing me, focusing her mild blue eyes upon mine, +said, "I think I recognize thee as one of the soldiers who took our +wagon and team for the use of Lee's army, en route for Maryland." I did +not look up, but felt that twice twenty eyes were centered on me. I +cannot recall what I said, but I am sure I pleaded guilty; besides, I +felt that all the blood in my body had gone to my face, and that every +drop was crying out, "Yes, he's the very fellow." It spoiled my dinner, +but they all seemed to think it was a good joke on me. + +Quakers, it must be remembered, were not as a rule in sympathy with the +secession movement, which greatly intensified the discomfort of my +position. My young friend, however, although a member of that society, +never deserted me, and sometime afterward became more to me than a +friend; she has been faithful ever since, and is now sitting by me as I +write these lines. + +Now I must go back to war scenes. + +I cannot remember, of course, just the day, but while we were busy +gathering up these stragglers we could distinctly hear the booming of +the guns that told us the two armies had met and that there was heavy +fighting on Maryland soil. + +The first sounds came from toward Harper's Ferry, and we soon afterward +learned the result. + +Jackson had been detached from the main army, had surrounded and +captured Harper's Ferry, taking 13,000 prisoners and many army supplies. +Among the prisoners was A.W. Green of New York, who afterward became +pastor of my church, St. John's, corner Madison avenue and Laurens +street, Baltimore, Md. + +Mr. Green says that when the prisoners were all lined up, Jackson rode +along their front and tried to comfort them as best he could. He said, +"Men, this is the fate of war; it is you today, it may be us tomorrow." +After paroling his prisoners, Jackson hurried to rejoin Lee, who was +being hotly pressed by McClellan at Antietam. Lee's united forces at +this time could not have numbered over 40,000 men, while McClellan, who +was still in command of the Union army, had a force of over 100,000. + +McClellan made the attack, was repulsed with terrible loss, but the +North claimed the victory, because Lee retired during the second night +after the battle and re-crossed the Potomac, falling back to Winchester, +where he was reinforced by the stragglers who had been gathering there +for two weeks or more. + +This series of battles, beginning with Richmond in the spring and ending +at Antietam in the early fall, had so exhausted the armies that both +sides were glad to take a rest. They had been marching and fighting from +early spring all through the summer, and were thoroughly exhausted. + + +LEE'S ARMY IN A TRAP. + +We have all heard of the famous lost dispatch that was picked up in the +streets of Frederick, Md., after the place had been evacuated by the +Confederates. It was called "Special Order No. 191." A copy of this +order was sent by Gen. Lee to each of his generals. The one intended for +Gen. A.P. Hill never reached him. It was dropped by a courier and fell +into the hands of Gen. McClellan. This telltale slip of paper that might +have ended the war was found wrapped around two cigars. It read as +follows: + + "Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, near Frederick, Md. + "September 9, 1862. "Special Orders, No. 191. + + "The army will resume its march tomorrow, taking the Hagerstown road. + General Jackson's command will form the advance, and, after passing + Middletown, with such portion as he may select, take the route toward + Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most convenient point, and, by + Friday night, take possession of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, + capture such of the enemy as may be at Martinsburg, and intercept + such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry. + + "General Longstreet's command will pursue the same road as far as + Boonsborough, where it will halt with the reserve, supply and baggage + trains of the army. + + "General McLaws, with his own division and that of General R. H. + Anderson, will follow General Longstreet. On reaching Middletown he + will take the route to Harper's Ferry, and by Friday morning possess + himself of the Maryland Heights and endeavor to capture the enemy at + Harper's Ferry and vicinity. + + "General Walker, with his division, after accomplishing the object in + which he is now engaged, will cross the Potomac at Cheek's Ford, + ascend its right bank to Lovettsville, take possession of Loudoun + Heights, if practicable, by Friday morning. Key's Ford on his left, + and the road between the end of the mountain and the Potomac on his + right. He will, as far as practicable, co-operate with General McLaws + and General Jackson in intercepting the retreat of the enemy. + + "General D.H. Hill's division will form the rear guard of the army, + pursuing the road taken by the main body. The reserve artillery, + ordnance, supply-trains, etc., will precede General Hill. + + "General Stuart will detach a squadron of cavalry to accompany the + commands of Generals Longstreet, Jackson and McLaws, and with the + main body of the cavalry will cover the route of the army and bring + up all stragglers that may have been left behind. + + "The commands of Generals Jackson, McLaws and Walker, after + accomplishing the objects for which they have been detached, will + join the main body of the army at Boonsborough or Hagerstown. + + "Each regiment on the march will habitually carry its axes in the + regimental ordnance wagons for use of the men at their encampments to + procure wood, etc. + +"By command of GENERAL R.E. LEE." + +With this document in his hands and with Lee's army divided as it was +McClellan felt that his hour had come. He sent the following dispatch to +President Lincoln: + +* * * "I have all the plans of the rebels, and will catch them in their +own trap. * * * General Lee's order to his army accidentally came into +my hands this evening, and discloses his plan of campaign." + +The destruction of Lee's army at this time would certainly have ended +hostilities. Gen. Longstreet was opposed to the movement against +Harper's Ferry. He said it was fraught with too much danger. It was +rendered much more so when McClellan came into possession of Lee's +plans. The exact number of prisoners captured at Harper's Ferry and in +its environments were 12,520, together with 73 cannon, 13,000 rifles, +several hundred wagons and large quantities of provisions and other army +stores. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +_From Antietam to Chancellorsville._ + + "Two armies covered hill and plain, + Where Rappahannock's waters + Ran deeply crimsoned with the stain + Of battle's recent slaughters." + + +After resting a while at Winchester Lee's army began its march leisurely +back toward Richmond, and took up a position near Fredericksburg, a +point about half way between Washington and Richmond. + +McClellan was relieved of his command, and Gen. Burnside took his place +and gathered a large army in front of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock +river. + +About the middle of December Burnside crossed the river at +Fredericksburg by means of pontoon bridges and attacked Lee and Jackson +just outside of the town of Fredericksburg. + +A severe battle was fought, and Burnside was defeated with terrible +loss. He re-crossed the river and wept when he contemplated the awful +slaughter that had been made in his army. This ended the campaign of +1862. It is said that more soldiers fell in this battle in four hours +than were killed in the entire Boer War. The historian has placed +Burnside's losses at 12,311; Lee's at 5409. + +Both armies went into winter quarters, and there was no general battle +until the next spring, but frequent skirmishes between bodies of cavalry +on both sides as they marched to and fro protecting their respective +encampments. + +From Harper's Ferry to Staunton, Va., stretches a part of the Blue Ridge +mountains that played a conspicuous part in the war. + +The mountain is impassable for armies except through the gaps that occur +every twenty to thirty miles. These gaps were always closely guarded by +the Confederates, and through them the armies frequently marched and +counter-marched as occasion required. + +If Jackson needed reinforcements in the valley, they were sent to him +through one of these gaps; and on the other hand, if the armies +defending Richmond needed reinforcements, it was Jackson's custom to +give the enemy a stinging blow and send him in full retreat down the +valley toward Washington, then cross through one of these gaps with a +portion of his army and reinforce the armies defending Richmond. + +When the armies fell back from Winchester my company of cavalry was left +to guard the Bluemount gap, then called Snickersville. A little later +the gap was abandoned, and we were ordered to Ashby's gap, farther up +the valley, where we encamped near the little town of Paris, at the foot +of the mountain, and put out our pickets on the east side of the +mountain below Upperville on the pike that leads through Middleburg and +on to Alexandria, Va., just under the shadow of the capital of the +Northern nation, I will call it. + +One day our pickets reported "the enemy's cavalry advancing up the pike +toward Upperville." Our captain (Bruce Gibson) ordered the bugle +sounded, and 90 to 100 men were soon in the saddle and on the march to +meet the enemy. + +It was four miles to Upperville, and as we approached the town we could +distinctly see the enemy's cavalry filling the streets. + +We halted at a point just opposite the home of our captain (where the +family were on the porch watching the movements of both sides). Many of +the men of the company lived in that neighborhood. It was eight miles +from my home, hence this was no place to show the "white feather." + +I was riding a fiery young mare. She was never satisfied unless she was +a little ahead. She had a mouth that no bit could hold. + +The captain ordered us to move forward, and as we approached the town, +four abreast, our speed was increased to a trot, then to a gallop. + +To the best of my recollection my position was about the middle of the +command, but in spite of my tugging at the bit, my young steed carried +me up to the front, and when we got close enough to the enemy to see the +whites of their eyes, I was a little closer to them than I wanted to be, +and I'll frankly confess it wasn't bravery that put me there. We were +close enough to discover that we were running into a whole regiment of +Union cavalry, and if we had continued, it would have meant +annihilation. + +The captain ordered right about, retreat! At this point to get those 100 +horses turned around in that street and get out of the reach of 1000 +guns in the hands of 1000 Bluecoats, was a knotty problem. If the enemy +had charged us just at this time, our destruction would have been just +as complete as it would have been if we had gone ahead; but they +hesitated. Perhaps they were afraid of running into a trap. + +I ran my horse up against a pump, and finally got turned around, and was +soon leaving my comrades behind me, for she was fleet of foot. But all +at once I felt my steed going down under me. I thought that she was +shot, but did not have much time to think about it, for I was soon for a +few minutes unconscious. My horse had tripped and fallen, and, of +course, I could not keep the saddle, going at a speed like that. The +horse just behind leaped over me, horse and all (so the rider afterward +told me). When I came to myself I was standing in the middle of the road +with a crowd of Yankees around me, among them the colonel of the +regiment. I was holding in my hand the handle of my pistol, the barrel +of which had been broken off by the fall. When called upon to surrender +my arms I meekly handed up this handle, scarcely knowing what I was +doing. One of the Yankees said, "I don't want that, I want your arms." +My arms consisted of a sabre, a short cavalry gun and another pistol, +that remained in its holder. + +With some assistance I unbuckled my belt and gave up my arms. The +colonel asked me if I was hurt, and some other questions which I cannot +now recall. + +His own horse had been down on its knees, which were badly skinned. He +dismounted and mounted another horse that had been brought to him, and +told me I could have the use of his horse. I mounted with some +difficulty, and was taken to the rear. There was very little firing; +only one man was killed and one horse on our side. + +My horse, they afterward told me, passed through the command and did not +stop until she got to Paris, four miles beyond. + +The Yankees remained only a short time, when they began their retreat +down the pike with one lone prisoner, myself. On the way they picked up +three or four citizens, which gave me some company. + +It was quite dark when we reached Middleburg, and the command halted in +the town for an hour, during which time I sat on my horse just in front +of the house now occupied by Edwin LeRoy Broun. + +I could see the lights in the windows and see the family moving about, +among them my sister. I made no effort to make myself known. After an +hour's wait the command moved down the pike toward Washington, arriving +at Fairfax Courthouse about midnight, where they went into camp. The +next morning some 15 or 20 prisoners were brought in and put in an old +log schoolhouse. We remained there all that day, and the next day the +citizens were released, and the soldier prisoners (about a dozen) were +started for Washington under a guard of four cavalrymen. We were taken +to the old capitol at Washington and put in one of the rooms. I suppose +there were several hundred prisoners there at the time. We remained +about a month, when we were exchanged. We were taken to Richmond by boat +and turned over to the authorities there, and our Government released a +similar number of Union prisoners who returned on the same boat that +brought us to Richmond. I took the train at Richmond, rode to +Gordonsville, and footed it from there home, a distance of about 150 +miles. + +I found my horse awaiting me, and after a few days rest, I mounted and +rejoined my command at the little town of Paris, Fauquier county, where +I had left them for a visit to Washington as a guest of the United +States Government. + +As the winter came on the Confederates drew in their outposts, and +likewise the enemy. This left the whole eastern part of Virginia free +from the depredations of either army, except now and then a raid from +one side on the other. + +My regiment was at camp in the woods near Harrisonburg, while Jackson's +main army was with Lee, south of Fredericksburg. Jackson spent much time +during the winter in religious work among his soldiers. "My ambition," +he said, "is to command a converted army." He himself was one of the +most devout men in the army, and seemed to be always in communion with +his God. + +The winter was a hard one, and both armies kept pretty well within their +winter quarters. + +We had no tents, but took fence rails, and putting one end on a pole +fastened to two trees, and the other on the ground, and covering the +rails with leaves and fastening up each end, leaving the front open, +then building a big fire just in front, we had a very comfortable place +to sleep. We sat on logs around the fire during the day and far into the +night telling stories and entertaining ourselves in various ways. At +night we crept under the roof of our shed, which was about a foot deep +in leaves, and slept as comfortably as any farmer's hogs would do under +similar circumstances. + +About the first of January my company was again detached from the +regiment and sent to Orkney Springs, just at the foot of North mountain, +west of Strasburg. + +Our duty was to keep a dozen men on the opposite side of the mountain +scouting and doing picket duty. It was our custom to relieve the men +once a week by sending over another detachment and relieving those on +duty. + +While at Orkney Springs we occupied cottages that were intended for the +summer guests prior to the breaking out of hostilities. But after +remaining in the cottages some time, the health of the command was so +poor that we were compelled to go back to the woods. In a short time the +sickness disappeared from the camp, showing that the best place for a +soldier is out in the open. + +Shortly after this word came that the enemy was advancing up the valley +turnpike, and the whole regiment was ordered down to meet them, our +company in advance. + +It was March. The day was a stormy one. It snowed and rained +alternately all day long, far into the night. + +When we left camp I was suffering with rheumatism in my hip, so that I +had to use a stump to mount my horse, for I was determined to go with +the regiment. Soldiers lying in camp idle soon get restless, and even +cowards will hail with delight a chance to have a brush with the enemy. + +So notwithstanding the weather and physical ailments of some of the men, +all went out of camp that morning bright and happy. + +We marched all day until long after dark, and then discovered it was a +false alarm. The Yankees were snug in their tents, many miles away. + +We went into camp in the woods. I remember that I was wet to the skin, +and I can see myself now sitting on a log pulling off first one +long-legged boot, then the other, and pouring the water out. + +But before this, fires had sprung up all over the woods. In spite of the +fact that everything was drenched and water was dripping from every +twig, in an incredibly short time the whole woods were brilliantly +illuminated by burning camp-fires. + +We got out our bacon and crackers and enjoyed a supper that no habitue +of a Delmonico could have relished more. The bacon (not sugar-cured) +was stuck on a stick and roasted before the fire, while the grease was +allowed to fall on the cracker on a chip below. + +The Delmonico man might boast of a higher grade of food and better +cooking, but the soldier wins on the appetite. + +After supper we stood around the camp-fires drying the outside of our +clothes, telling stories and smoking. Then we prepared for bed. + +The men in the companies are always divided into messes; the average +number of men in each was usually about six. The messes were like so +many families that lived together, slept together and ate together, and +stood by each other in all emergencies. There was no rule regulating the +messes. The men simply came together by common consent. "Birds of a +feather flock together." + +In winter one bed was made for the whole mess. It consisted of laying +down rubber cloths on the ground and covering them with a blanket, and +another and another, as occasion required, and if the weather was foul, +on top of that other rubber cloths. Our saddles covered with our coats +were our pillows. The two end men had logs of wood to protect them. +Only our coats and boots were removed. + +On a cold winter night, no millionaire on his bed of down ever slept +sweeter than a soldier on a bed like this. + +In the summer each soldier had a separate bed. If it was raining, he +made his bed on top of two fence rails, if he could not find a better +place. If the weather was good, old Mother Earth was all the soldier +wanted. + +As this was a cold, stormy night, of course we all bunked together. My, +what a nice, soft, sweaty time we had! The next morning all traces of my +rheumatism had disappeared, and I felt as spry as a young kitten. + +As the day advanced the clouds rolled by, the sun came out bright and +smiling, and the command marched back to the old camp-ground, near +Harrisonburg. + +With every regiment there is a Company Q. Company Q is composed of lame +ducks, cowards, shirkers, dead-beats, generally, and also a large +sprinkling of good soldiers, who, for some reason or other, are not fit +for duty. Sometimes this company is quite large. It depends upon the +weather, the closeness of the enemy, and the duties that are being +exacted. Bad weather will drive in all rheumatics; the coming battle +will drive in the cowards; hard marching and picket duty will bring in +the lazy. But then, as I have just said, there were some good soldiers +among them--the slightly wounded or those suffering from any disability. +Taking them altogether, Company Q resembled Mother Goose's beggars that +came to town; "some in rags, some in tags, and some in velvet gowns." +Company Q was always the butt of the joker. + +A short time after the regiment had returned from its fruitless march +down the pike, the four regiments composing the brigade under Gen. +William E. Jones were ordered to break camp and move across the +mountains into the enemy's country in West Virginia. + +At that time I was almost blind with inflamed eyes. They looked like two +clots of blood. Of course, I did not go with the command, but was forced +to join Company Q. As well as I remember, the company numbered at that +time over 100 men, among them two or three officers. + +As the regiment expected to be absent for over a month and to return +crowned with laurels, Company Q conceived the idea of doing something +that would put them on an equal footing with their comrades when they +returned from this expedition. + +A company was formed of about 100 men, which were soon on the march down +the valley pike. My eyes had so improved that I could join the company. + +The enemy was encamped near Winchester, perhaps 75 miles away. Our +destination was this camp. We were to march down the valley, make a +night attack and come back with all the plunder we could carry off or +drive off. Every fellow expected to bring back at least one extra horse. + +We reached the west branch of the Shenandoah, near Strasburg, and went +into camp for the night, having first put out pickets at the various +fords up and down the river. + +The enemy's camp was supposed to be ten miles beyond. We intended to +remain at this camp until the next evening about dusk, and then start +for the enemy, timing ourselves to reach their camp about midnight. + +The next morning about 9 o'clock we came down from our camp into the +open field to graze our horses. We had taken the bits out of their +mouths and were lying around loose, while the horses cropped the grass, +when all at once someone shouted "Yankees." Sure enough, there they +were, a whole regiment of Union cavalrymen. They had crossed the river +some distance below our pickets and had placed themselves directly in +our rear, cutting off our retreat. We soon had our horses bridled, and +mounting, made for the river. The commander sent me down the river to +call in the pickets, but I did not go far until I met them coming in. +They had heard the firing. We had a desperate race to join the fleeing +company, but did so, narrowly escaping capture. + +There was a small body of woods on the banks of the river, where we +found shelter for the moment. We were entirely cut off from the fords, +and there was no way of crossing the river but to swim. The banks were +steep on each side, so it looked as if that would be the last of poor +Company Q. We dismounted, got behind the trees, and were ready to give +our tormentors a warm reception, but Providence seemed to smile on us. +Someone discovered a little stream running into the river. We followed +that down into the river, and the whole command swam across and climbed +the banks on the other side, except one man (Milton Robinson) and +myself. Our horses refused to swim. They behaved so ugly that we had to +abandon them. Mine was the same "jade" that had dumped me on the Yankees +a few months before. Now I had a chance to reciprocate. I tied her to a +little sapling at the edge of the river, and Robinson and I hid in the +bushes close by the banks. The Yankees came down and took our horses, +and after searching around for some time, vacated the premises, much to +our gratification. + +The loss of our horses grieved us very much, but such is the life of a +soldier. + +The company in crossing the river were in the enemy's country, and were +liable to be surrounded and captured at any time, but they made their +escape in some way, and lost no time in getting back to camp, many miles +away. + +Robinson and I, of course, had to foot it, but in course of time we also +landed in camp, much to the surprise of our comrades, who thought the +enemy had us. Thus terminated ingloriously the well-planned expedition +of Company Q. + +In about ten days the brigade came back from the West Virginia +expedition, and Company Q received the Sixth Regiment with open arms. +Just what the expedition accomplished I am not able to say, but there +is one little incident connected with it that has lingered lovingly in +my memory to this day. + +Every mess had in it a forager; that is, one skilled in the art of +picking up delicacies. At least we called them such, as this term was +applied to anything edible above hardtack and salt pork. We had such a +one in our mess, and he was hard to beat. His name was Fauntleroy Neal. +He was a close friend of mine. We called him Faunt. + +Whenever he went on an expedition he always came back loaded. As he was +with the brigade in West Virginia, we knew that when he returned (if he +did return) he would bring back something good, and he did. I cannot +remember all the things he had strapped to his saddle, but one thing +looms up before my mind now as big as a Baltimore skyscraper. It was +about half a bushel of genuine grain coffee, unroasted. There was also +sugar to sweeten it. Grains of coffee in the South during the Civil War +were as scarce as grains of gold, and when toasting time came and the +lid was lifted to stir the coffee, it is said that the aroma from it +spread through the trees and over the fields for many miles around. I +forgot the long, weary march on foot back up the valley, forgot the loss +of my horse, and really felt as if I had been fully compensated for any +inconvenience that had come to me from the ill-starred tramp of Company +Q. + +But spring had fully come, the roads were dry, and the time for action +was here. + +Hooker, at the head of 120,000 Northern soldiers, was again crossing the +Rappahannock, near Fredericksburg, to lock horns with Lee and Jackson. + +Hooker had superseded Burnside in command of the Union army. They called +him "fighting Joe." + +Hooker handled his army the first two or three days with consummate +skill, and at one stage of his maneuvers he felt confident that he had +out-generaled Lee and Jackson. He believed they were in full retreat, +and so informed the Washington Government. But he was doomed to a +terrible disappointment. What Hooker took to be a retreat of the +Confederates was simply a change of front, which was followed up by +Jackson executing another one of his bold flank movements, the most +brilliant of his brief career, the result of which was Hooker's defeat. +The entire Union army was thrown into such confusion that it was +compelled to retreat across the river, after sustaining heavy losses in +killed and wounded. + +The New Standard Encyclopedia gives Hooker's army as 130,000; Lee's, +60,000. Hooker's losses, 18,000; Lee's, 13,000. + +Perhaps no general on either side during the entire war felt more keenly +his defeat than did Hooker on this occasion. For awhile everything +seemed to be going his way, when suddenly the tide turned, and he saw +his vast army in a most critical situation, and apparently at the mercy +of his opponent. + +History tells the whole story in better language than I can. It calls it +the "Battle of Chancellorsville." + +Carl Schurz, one of the generals in Hooker's army, says that never did +Gen. Lee's qualities as a soldier shine as brilliantly as they did in +this battle. To quote his own language, "We had 120,000 men, Lee 60,000. +Yet Lee handled his forces so skillfully that whenever he attacked he +did it with a superior force, and in this way he overwhelmed our army +and compelled its retreat, after suffering terrible losses not only in +dead and wounded, but in prisoners." + +But the Confederates also suffered a tremendous loss at +Chancellorsville. Just at the moment when he was about to gather the +fruit of his victory, which might have resulted in the surrender of +Hooker's army, or the greater portion of it, Stonewall Jackson was fired +on by his own men, mortally wounded, and died a few days afterwards. + +The following account of the wounding of Jackson, as related by an +eye-witness, will be of interest to the reader: + +It was 9 o'clock at night. There was a lull in the battle, and Jackson's +line had become somewhat disorganized by the men gathering in groups and +discussing their brilliant victory. Jackson, noticing the confusion, +rode up and down the line, saying, "Men, get into line, get into line; I +need your help for a time. This disorder must be corrected." + +He had just received information that a large body of fresh troops from +the Union army was advancing to retake an important position that it had +lost. Jackson had gone 100 yards in front of his own line to get a +better view of the enemy's position. The only light that he had to guide +him was that furnished by the moon. He was attended by half a dozen +orderlies and several of his staff officers, when he was suddenly +surprised by a volley of musketry in his front. The bullets began +whistling about them, and struck several horses. This was the advance +guard of the Federal lines. Jackson, seeing the danger, turned and rode +rapidly back toward his own line. As he approached, the Confederate +troops, mistaking them for the enemy's cavalry, stooped and delivered a +deadly fire. So sudden was this volley, and so near at hand, that every +horse which was not shot down recoiled from it in panic and turned to +rush back, bearing his rider toward the approaching enemy. Several fell +dead on the spot, and more were wounded, among them Gen. Jackson. His +right hand was penetrated by a ball, his left was lacerated by another, +and the same arm was broken a little below the shoulder by a third ball, +which not only crushed the bone, but severed the main artery. His horse +dashed, panic-stricken, toward the enemy, carrying him beneath the +boughs of the trees, which inflicted several blows, lacerated his face, +and almost dragged him from the saddle. His bridle hand was now +powerless, but seizing the rein with his right hand, notwithstanding +its wound, he arrested his horse and brought the animal back toward his +own line. + +He was followed by his faithful attendants. The firing of the +Confederates had now been arrested by some of the officers, who realized +their mistake, but the wounded and frantic horses were rushing without +riders through the woods, where the ground was strewn with the dead and +dying. Here Gen. Jackson drew up his horse and sat for an instant, +gazing toward his own line, as if in astonishment at their cruel +mistake, and in doubt whether he should again venture to approach them. +He said to one of his staff, "I believe my arm is broken," and requested +him to assist him from his horse and examine whether the wounds were +bleeding dangerously. Before he could dismount he sank fainting into +their arms, so completely prostrated that they were compelled to +disengage his feet from the stirrups. They carried him a few yards into +the woods north of the turnpike to shield him from the expected advance +of the Federalists. One was sent for an ambulance and a surgeon, while +another stripped his mangled arm in order to bind up the wound. The warm +blood was flowing in a stream down his wrist. His clothes impeded all +access to its source, and nothing was at hand more efficient than a +penknife to remove the obstruction. + +Just at this moment Gen. Hill appeared upon the scene with a part of his +staff. They called upon him for assistance. One of his staff, Maj. +Leigh, succeeded in reaching the wound and staunching the blood with a +handkerchief. It was at this moment that two Federal skirmishers +approached within a few feet of the spot where he lay, with their +muskets cocked. They little knew what a prize was in their grasp. When, +at the command of Gen. Hill, two orderlies arose from the kneeling group +and demanded their surrender, they seemed amazed at their nearness to +their enemy, and yielded their arms without resistance. + +Lieut. Morrison, suspecting from their approach that the Federalists +must be near at hand, stepped out into the road to examine, and by the +light of the moon he saw a cannon pointing toward them, apparently not +more than 100 yards distant. Indeed, it was so near that the orders +given by the officers to the cannoneers could be distinctly heard. +Returning hurriedly, he announced that the enemy were planting artillery +in the road and that the general must be immediately removed. Gen. +Hill now remounted and hurried back to make arrangements to meet this +attack. In the combat which ensued, he himself was wounded a few moments +after, and compelled to leave the field. No ambulance or litter was yet +at hand, and the necessity for immediate removal suggested that they +should bear the general away in their arms. To this he replied that if +they would assist him to rise, he would walk to the rear. He was +accordingly raised to his feet, and leaning upon the shoulders of two of +his staff, he went slowly out of the highway, and toward his own troops. + +[Illustration: THE LAST MEETING OF LEE AND JACKSON AT CHANCELLORSVILLE.] + +The party was now met by a litter, which someone had sent from the rear, +and the general was placed upon it and borne along by two of his +officers. Just then the enemy fired a volley of canister shot up the +road, which passed over their heads, but they proceeded only a few steps +before the charge was repeated with more accurate aim. One of the +officers bearing the litter was struck down, when Maj. Leigh, who was +walking by their side, prevented the general from being precipitated to +the ground. Just then the roadway was swept by a hurricane of +projectiles of every species, before which it seemed no living thing +could survive. The bearers of the litter and all the attendants except +Maj. Leigh and the general's two aids left him and fled into the woods +on either side to escape the fearful tempest, while the sufferer lay +along the road with his feet toward the foe, exposed to all its fury. It +was now that his three faithful attendants displayed a heroic fidelity +which deserves to go down with the immortal name of Jackson into future +ages. + +Disdaining to save their lives by deserting their chief, they lay down +beside him in the causeway and sought to protect him as far as possible +with their bodies. On one side was Maj. Leigh, and on the other Lieut. +Smith. Again and again was the earth around them torn with volleys of +canister, while shells and minie balls flew hissing over them, and the +stroke of the iron hail raised sparkling flashes from the flinty gravel +of the roadway. Gen. Jackson struggled violently to rise, as though to +endeavor to leave the road, but Smith threw his arm over him and with +friendly force held him to the earth, saying, "Sir, you must lie still; +it will cost you your life if you rise." He speedily acquiesced, and lay +quiet, but none of the four hoped to escape alive. Yet, almost by +miracle, they were unharmed, and after a few moments the Federalists, +having cleared the road of all except this little party, ceased to fire +along it, and directed their aim to another quarter. + +They now arose and resumed their retreat, the general walking and +leaning upon two of his friends, proceeded along the gutter at the +margin of the highway in order to avoid the troops, who were again +hurrying to the front. Perceiving that he was recognized by some of +them, they diverged still farther into the edge of the thicket. It was +here that Gen. Pender of North Carolina, who had succeeded to the +command of Hill's division upon the wounding of that officer, recognized +Gen. Jackson, and said, "My men are thrown into such confusion by this +fire that I fear I shall not be able to hold my ground." Almost fainting +with anguish and loss of blood, he still replied, in a voice feeble but +full of his old determination and authority, "Gen. Pender, you must keep +your men together and hold your ground." This was the last military +order ever given by Jackson. + +Gen. Jackson now complained of faintness, and was again placed upon the +litter, and after some difficulty, men were obtained to bear him. To +avoid the enemy's fire, which was again sweeping the road, they made +their way through the tangled brushwood, almost tearing his clothing +from him, and lacerating his face in their hurried progress. The foot of +one of the men bearing his head was here tangled in a vine, and he fell +prostrate. The general was thus thrown heavily to the ground upon his +wounded side, inflicting painful bruises on his body and intolerable +agony on his mangled arm, and renewing the flow of blood from it. As +they lifted him up he uttered one piteous groan, the only complaint +which escaped his lips during the whole scene. Lieut. Smith raised his +head upon his bosom, almost fearing to see him expiring in his arms, and +asked, "General, are you much hurt?" He replied, "No, Mr. Smith, don't +trouble yourself about me." He was then replaced a second time upon the +litter, and under a continuous shower of shells and cannon balls, borne +a half mile farther to the rear, when an ambulance was found, containing +his chief of artillery, Col. Crutchfield, who was also wounded. In this +he was placed and hurried toward the field hospital, near Wilderness +Run. From there he was taken to a farmhouse, his left arm amputated, and +a few days afterward he died. His wife and little child were with him. +Thus ended the life of one of the world's greatest warriors and one of +Christ's greatest soldiers. + +The following ode to Stonewall Jackson was written by a Union officer +(Miles O'Reiley), and is inserted here in preference to others that may +have been quite as appropriate, because of the added beauty of sentiment +it conveys from the fact that its author wore the blue: + + He sleeps all quietly and cold + Beneath the soil that gave him birth; + Then break his battle brand in twain, + And lay it with him in the earth. + + No more at midnight shall he urge + His toilsome march among the pines, + Nor hear upon the morning air + The war shout of his charging lines. + + No more for him shall cannon park + Or tents gleam white upon the plain; + And where his camp fires blazed of yore, + Brown reapers laugh amid the grain! + + No more above his narrow bed + Shall sound the tread of marching feet, + The rifle volley and the crash + Of sabres when the foeman meet. + + Young April o'er his lowly mound + Shall shake the violets from her hair, + And glorious June with fervid kiss + Shall bid the roses blossom there. + + And white-winged peace o'er all the land + Broods like a dove upon her nest, + While iron War, with slaughter gorged, + At length hath laid him down to rest. + + And where we won our onward way, + With fire and steel through yonder wood, + The blackbird whistles and the quail + Gives answer to her timid brood. + + And oft when white-haired grandsires tell + Of bloody struggles past and gone, + The children at their knees will hear + How Jackson led his columns on! + +I have only referred incidentally to Jackson's Valley Campaign. It was +short, but intensely dramatic. For bold maneuvering, rapid marching and +brilliant strategy, I believe it has no parallel in history. As for +results, without it Richmond doubtless would have been in the hands of +McClellan in the spring of 1862. + +Perhaps it is not extravagant to say that as the tidings reached the +people all over the South that their idol was dead, more sorrow was +expressed in tears than was ever known in the history of the world at +the loss of any one man. + +As the Israelites saw Elijah depart they exclaimed, "The chariots of +Israel and the horsemen thereof!" + +The South felt that in the loss of Stonewall Jackson they were parting +with the "better half" of their army. + +The North had the men, the money and the munition of war, but the South +had Lee and Stonewall Jackson. And in having them they felt that they +were more than a match for the North. Now that Jackson was gone the +question was, What will Gen. Lee do? + +To go back to the valley, I was indebted to my friend Faunt Neal for the +loan of a horse, he being fortunate enough to have two. + +After the battle of Chancellorsville almost the entire force in the +valley passed over the Blue Ridge and joined Lee's army on the +Rappahannock. Of course, this included my command. + +Lee's army still occupied the south bank of the Rappahannock, near the +late battlefield, while just opposite, on the north bank, was the Union +army waiting to see what the next move would be. I believe I have +mentioned the fact that Gen. J.E.B. Stuart commanded Lee's entire +cavalry force, about 10,000 men with several batteries of artillery. +This force was encamped higher up the river, in Culpeper county, in and +around Brandy Station, and might be called the left wing of Lee's army, +although separated from it by several miles. + +Just opposite Stuart's cavalry and on the north bank of the river was +the entire cavalry force of the Union army, supported by a corps of +infantry. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +_From Chancellorsville to Gettysburg_ + + "It was the wild midnight-- + The storm was on the sky; + The lightning gave its light, + And the thunder echoed by." + + +After resting awhile and mourning the loss of our great soldier, Lee's +army began to move. The question was (not only on our side of the river, +but on the other), "What is Gen. Lee up to now?" + +The Northern commander determined to investigate, and early in the +morning of the ninth of June, 1863, a portion of the Union army began to +cross the Rappahannock at every ford for miles, up and down the river. + +I was on picket at one of the fords, and was relieved at 3 o'clock in +the morning, another soldier taking my place. + +I went up through the field into the woods where our reserves (some 20 +men) were in camp. It was from this squadron that pickets were sent out +and posted along the river. + +I hitched my horse, and wrapped in a blanket, lay down to sleep. But I +was soon rudely awakened by the watchman, who shouted that the enemy was +crossing the river. We all jumped up and mounted our horses. Our captain +was with us. + +The day was just breaking. The pickets were hurrying up from the river +in every direction, firing their pistols to give the alarm. + +Our captain formed the men in the edge of the woods for the purpose of +checking for a few minutes the advancing enemy, so as to give the 10,000 +cavalrymen that were encamped a mile or so in the rear time to saddle +and mount their horses and prepare for battle. + +The enemy came pouring up from the river, and we opened fire on them, +checking them for the moment. Two of our men were killed, several +wounded, and two horses killed. + +Two couriers had gone ahead to arouse the camp. We soon followed them +along the road through the woods, the enemy hard on our heels. + +I was riding with the captain in the rear. We were not aware that the +Yankees were so close to us, and the captain was calling to the men to +check their speed. I looked behind, called to the captain and told him +they were right on us, and just as I spoke two bullets went hissing by +my head. The captain yelled to his men to move forward, and bending low +on the necks of our horses, we gave them the spur. + +As we came out of the woods into the fields we met the Sixth Virginia +(my regiment), under Col. Flournoy, coming down the road at full gallop. +Just on his left, and almost on a line with the Sixth, was the Seventh +Regiment coming across the fields (for there were no fences then). These +two regiments entered the woods, one on the right and one on the left, +and stretching out on either side, poured a volley into the advancing +enemy that caused them to halt for awhile. + +The roar of the guns in the woods at that early hour in the morning was +terrific. What was going on in front of us was being enacted up and down +the river for at least three miles. + +Our forces then fell back into the open country, and the battle +continued, at intervals, all day long. + +The Yankees were supported by infantry, while we had nothing but cavalry +and artillery. + +Our enemies could have driven us back farther if they had tried to, but +they seemed to be afraid of getting into trouble. I do not know what our +commander, Gen. Stuart, knew, but I did not suppose that Gen. Lee was +within 30 miles of us. Toward sunset I saw him come riding across the +fields on his gray horse, "Traveler," accompanied by his staff. He +seemed as calm and unconcerned as if he were inspecting the land with +the view of a purchase. + +Whether it was the presence of Gen. Lee himself, or the fear that he had +his army with him, I know not, but simultaneously with the appearance of +Gen. Lee the enemy began to move back and recross the river. We did not +press them, but gave them their own time. + +We re-established our picket line along the river, and everything was +quiet for a day or two. + +We went down the next day to the spot where the first fight took place, +and found our two men lying dead by the side of a tree, and several dead +horses. The enemy had removed their dead (if they had any). It was too +dark when we were fighting for us to see whether we did any execution or +not at this particular point. We buried our two men where they fell and +went back to camp. Total losses as reported by each side--Confederate, +485; Federal, 907. + +The next day we were quietly resting in the woods, watching the infantry +as they tramped by all day long, moving in a northeasterly direction. +The question was asked 10,000 times perhaps that day, "What is Marse +Robert up to now? Where is he taking us?" (Gen. Lee was called Marse +Robert by his soldiers.) + +In the afternoon we noticed a long string of wagons of a peculiar +construction, each drawn by six horses, and loaded with something +covered with white canvas. Of course, we were all curious to know what +these wagons contained. The secret soon leaked out. They were pontoon +bridges. And then we began to speculate as to what rivers we were to +cross. Some said we were destined for the Ohio, others for the Potomac. + +Just before sunset the bugle sounded "saddle up," and soon Stuart's +cavalry was in the saddle and on the march. + +Everything was trending one way, namely, northeast. + +The infantry went into camp at night, but the cavalry marched through +most of the night, crossing the Rappahannock several miles above where +we had been fighting. + +Lee's entire army was en route for Pennsylvania, as we afterward +learned, the cavalry keeping in between the two armies, protecting the +wagon trains and concealing, as far as possible, our army's +destination.[2] + +The infantry, artillery and baggage train crossed the Blue Ridge at the +various gaps, fording the Shenandoah river, and moved down the valley of +Virginia toward the Potomac. + +Lee's cavalry kept on the east side of the mountain, holding the enemy +back as much as possible. + +When we reached Fauquier and Loudoun counties the Union cavalry made a +desperate effort to drive in our cavalry and discover the route of our +main army. + +Heavy fighting began at Aldie, below Middleburg, and was continued up +the pike through the town of Middleburg up as far as Upperville, where I +had been captured the year before. + +The enemy's cavalry was supported by infantry, and our forces fell back +fighting foot by foot until they reached Upperville, where we met a +division of infantry that Gen. Lee had sent to help us beat back the +enemy. The Confederates who were killed in this action are buried in +Middleburg and Upperville, in the cemeteries just outside of the two +towns, and the ladies of these villages and the country round about were +kept busy caring for the wounded. + +I escaped some of the heaviest of this fighting by being detailed to +guard the prisoners back to Winchester. + +The night before the battle I was sent out along the road at the foot of +the mountain to discover whether the enemy was approaching from that +direction or not. After a lonely ride of several hours I came back and +had a time finding Gen. Stuart, to whom I was instructed to report. I +found him asleep on the porch of the home of Caleb Rector. I aroused him +and delivered my message. His reply was, "All right." I looked up my +own command, and lay down for the remainder of the night. + +Lee's army crossed the river at Williamsport, Md., on the pontoon +bridge.[3] The Northern army crossed between Harper's Ferry and +Washington, and our cavalry, strange to say, went below the Union army +and crossed the river near Washington, thus circling the Union army and +arriving at Gettysburg the last day of the battle. Stuart captured and +destroyed many wagons and much property on this expedition. + +My brigade of cavalry did not follow Stuart, but followed the main army, +bringing up the rear. + +After crossing the river, Lee led his main army straight for +Chambersburg, Pa. I cannot describe the feeling of the Southern soldiers +as they crossed the line separating Maryland and Pennsylvania, and trod +for the first time the sacred soil of the North. Many of our soldiers +had been on Maryland soil before this, and although Maryland was not a +part of the Confederacy, we felt that she was one of us, and while +marching over her roads and fields we were still in our own domain, but +not so when we crossed into Pennsylvania. We were then in the enemy's +territory, and it gave us inexpressible joy to think that we were strong +enough and bold enough to go so far from home and attack our enemy upon +his own soil. The joy of our soldiers knew no bounds. We were as +light-hearted and as gay as children on a picnic, and we had no fear as +to result of the move. + +Marching along the pike one day, the cavalry halted, and just on our +left there was a modest home of a farmer. The garden was fenced, and +came out and bordered on the road. His raspberries were ripe, and our +soldiers sat on their horses, and leaning over were picking the berries +from the vines. One soldier was bold enough to dismount and get over +into the garden. We saw the family watching us from the window. The +impudence on the part of this soldier was a little too much for the +farmer. He came out with an old-fashioned shotgun and berated us in a +manner most vehement, but did not shoot. This stirred the risibles of +our soldiers to such an extent that the whole command broke out with +loud laughter and hurrah for the brave farmer, who single-handed, and +with a single-barrel shotgun, was defying the whole rebel horde. If the +entire command had leveled its guns at him I think he would have stood +his ground, but he could not stand our ridicule, so he went back into +his house, and all was quiet again. Presently the command moved off, +leaving what berries they did not have time to pick. From Chambersburg, +Lee turned his columns southward and moved toward Gettysburg to meet the +Union army that was advancing in the opposite direction. The armies met, +and the whole world knows the result. + +The battle lasted three days. The first two days were decidedly in favor +of the Confederates. My command took an active part in the battle, and +the adjutant of my regiment was killed, also several in my company, and +some were badly wounded and had to be left. I was struck with a ball on +the shoulder, marking my coat, and had a bullet hole through the rim of +my hat; but as the latter was caused by my own careless handling of my +pistol, I can't count it as a trophy. + +As the years go by the students of history are more and more amazed at +the boldness of Gen. Lee in placing his army of 75,000, some say 65,000, +at Gettysburg,[4] when he knew that between him and the capital of the +Confederacy (which his army was intended to protect) was the capital of +the United States protected by an army of not less than 200,000 +soldiers, and I might add by the best-equipped army in the world, for +the United States Government had the markets of the world to draw +supplies from. + +In the morning of the third day of the battle of Gettysburg there had +been a terrible artillery duel that made the earth tremble for miles +around, and was heard far and wide. + +When the guns got too hot for safety the firing ceased, the noise died +away and the soldiers lay down to rest. + +During this interval Gen. Lee called his generals together for counsel. +They discussed the situation for some time, which had grown serious. +Lee's losses had been heavy in killed and wounded, and his stock of +ammunition was growing low. + +After considerable discussion Lee mounted his gray horse, rode off a +few paces to a slight elevation, and lifting his field glass to his eyes +looked intently at the long lines of blue that stretched along the +slopes, in the hope of finding some weak point which he might attack. +Then returning to his officers he said in a firm voice: "We will attack +the enemy's center, cut through, roll back their wings on either side +and crush or rout their army." Then he said: "Gen. Pickett will lead the +attack." + +Pickett was a handsome young Virginian, a splendid rider, a brave +commander, and one of the most picturesque figures in the Confederate +army. Bowing his head in submission, he mounted his horse, and tossing +back his long auburn locks, rode off and disappeared among the trees. +The other officers soon joined their several commands, and Gen. Lee was +left alone with his staff. + +There was ominous silence everywhere; even the winds had gone away, and +the banners hung limp on their staffs. The birds had all left the trees, +the cattle had left the fields, and the small squadrons of cavalry that +had been scouting between the two armies retired and took position on +either flank. Yonder in front, stretching along the slopes, lay the blue +lines of the enemy, like a huge monster asleep, while behind were the +hilltops, all frowning with wide-mouthed cannon loaded to the lips. + +Soon long lines of gray came stealing out of the woods like waves out of +the sea. Long lines of gray moved over the fields like waves over the +sea. These were Pickett's men; and Pickett, handsome Pickett, was at +their head riding in silence. + +The polished steel of the guns, as the lines rose and fell over the +uneven ground, caught the rays of the bright July sun, developing a +picture of dazzling splendor. + +I wonder what was passing through the minds of those boys (their average +age perhaps not much over twenty) as they moved step by step toward +those bristling lines of steel in their front? + +They were thinking of home. Far over the hills, "Way down south in +Dixie." + +Step by step came the gray, nearer and nearer, when suddenly there was a +sound that shook the hills and made every heart quake. It was the signal +gun. + +Simultaneously with the sound came a cannon ball hissing through the +air, and passing over the heads of the advancing columns, struck the +ground beyond. + +Then suddenly the whole slope was wreathed in smoke and flame, +accompanied with a noise like the roar of a thousand cataracts. + +Was it a huge volcanic eruption? No. The Blue and the Gray had met. The +smoke rose higher and higher, and spread wider and wider, hiding the +sun, and then gently dropping back, hid from human eyes the dreadful +tragedy. + +But the battle went on and on, and the roar of the guns continued. After +a while, when the sun was sinking to rest, there was a hush. The noise +died away. The winds came creeping back from the west, and gently +lifting the coverlet of smoke, revealed a strange sight. + +The fields were all carpeted, a beautiful carpet, a costly carpet, more +costly than axminster or velvet. The figures were horses and men all +matted and woven together with skeins of scarlet thread. + +The battle is over and Gettysburg has passed into history. + +The moon and the stars come out, and the surgeons with their attendants +appear with their knives and saws, and when morning came there were +stacks of legs and arms standing in the fields like shocks of corn. + +The two armies confronted each other all day long, but not a shot was +fired. Up to noon that day, I think I can safely say there was not a man +in either army, from the commanders-in-chief to the humblest private in +the ranks, that knew how the battle had gone save one, and that one was +Gen. Robert E. Lee. + +About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, while the cavalrymen were grazing +their horses in the rear of the infantry, a low, rumbling sound was +heard resembling distant thunder, except that it was continuous. A +private (one of my company) standing near me stood up and pointing +toward the battlefield said, "Look at that, will you?" A number of us +rose to our feet and saw a long line of wagons with their white covers +moving toward us along the road leading to Chambersburg. + +Then he used this strange expression: "That looks like a mice." A slang +phrase often used at that time. He meant nothing more nor less than +this: "We are beaten and our army is retreating." + +The wagons going back over the same road that had brought us to +Gettysburg told the story, and soon the whole army knew the fact. This +is the first time Lee's army had ever met defeat. + +It is said that the loss of the two armies was about 50,000. This +probably included the prisoners; but there were not many prisoners taken +on either side. The major portion of the losses were in killed and +wounded. + +The badly wounded were left on the field to be cared for by the enemy. +Those who could walk, and those who were able to ride and could find +places in the wagons, followed the retreating army. + +The wagon train was miles and miles long. It did not follow the road to +Chambersburg very far, but turned off and took a shorter cut through a +mountainous district toward the point where the army had crossed the +river into Maryland. This wagon train was guarded by a large body of +cavalry, including my command. + +Just as the sun was going down, dark ominous clouds came trooping up +from the west with thunder and lightning, and it was not long before the +whole heavens were covered and rain was falling in torrents. + +I am not familiar with the topography of the country through which we +retreated, but all night long we seemed to be in a narrow road, with +steep hills or mountains on either side. We had with us a good many +cattle with which to feed the army. These got loose in the mountains and +hills covered with timber, and between their constant bellowing and the +flashes of lightning and crashing thunder the night was hideous in the +extreme. Wagons were breaking down, others getting stalled, and, to make +matters worse, about midnight we were attacked by the Union cavalry. + +This mountainous road came out on a wide turnpike, and just at this +point Kilpatrick (commanding the Union cavalry) had cut our wagon train +in two and planted a battery of artillery with the guns pointing toward +the point from which we were advancing. + +The cavalry which was stretched along the wagon train was ordered to the +front. It was with great difficulty that we could get past the wagons in +the darkness, and hence our progress was slow, but we finally worked our +way up to the front and were dismounted and formed in line as best we +could on either side of the road among the rocks and trees and then +moved forward in an effort to drive the battery away from its position +so we could resume our march. The only light we had to guide us was from +the lightning in the heavens and the vivid flashes that came from the +enemy's cannon. Their firing did not do much execution, as they failed +to get a proper range. Besides, we were so close to them they were +firing over our heads, but the booming of the guns that hour of night, +with the roar of the thunder, was terrifying indeed, and beyond +description. We would wait for a lightning flash and advance a few steps +and halt, and then for a light from the batteries and again advance. + +In the meantime day was breaking, and the light from the sun was coming +in, and at this point our enemy disappeared and the march was resumed. +We were afraid that the wagons that had already passed out on the open +turnpike had been captured. There were about 200 of them, but such was +not the case. + +With these wagons was our brigadier commander, Gen. Wm. E. Jones, and +two regiments of cavalry. They got so mixed up with the enemy's cavalry +that night that it was almost impossible to distinguish friend from foe. +Our general was a unique character, and many are the jokes that are told +on him. While this fighting was going on those about him would address +him as general. He rebuked them for this and said, "Call me Bill." The +explanation was that the enemy was so close to them (in fact, mixed up +with them) that they did not want him to know that there was a general +in the crowd. + +Two days afterwards we got hold of one of the county papers, which, in +giving the account of this attack, stated that the rebel, Gen. Wm. E. +Jones, was captured. Perhaps but for the shrewdness of Gen. Wm. E. Jones +in having his men call him "Bill" instead of "General," it might have +been true. The firing among the horses attached to the wagons that had +gone out on the open pike frightened them to such an extent that they +were stampeded, and we saw the next morning as we rode along that some +of the wagons had tumbled over the precipice on the right, carrying with +them the horses; also the wounded soldiers that were riding in the +wagons. + +The retreat was continued all the next day, the enemy's cavalry +attacking us whenever they could, but without effect. + +When we reached the river we found that our pontoon bridge had been +partly swept away by the flood caused by the storm I have just spoken +of. There was nothing to do but make a stand until the bridge could be +repaired, or until the river should fall sufficiently to allow us to +ford it. + +My recollection is that we remained on that side of the river about a +week. In the meantime the whole Northern army gathered in our front and +threatened us with destruction, but they seemed to be about as afraid of +us as we were of them; for instead of attacking us, they began to throw +up breastworks in their front to protect themselves from attack. This +greatly encouraged us, and even the privates in the ranks were heard to +remark, "We're in no danger, they're afraid of us; look at their +breastworks." + +By the time the bridge was restored the river had fallen sufficiently to +allow the cavalry to ford it. The army leisurely crossed, the infantry, +artillery and wagons crossing on the bridge, while the cavalry waded +through the water. The passage was made at night. + +Gen. Meade, who commanded the Northern army, was very much censured for +not attacking Lee while he was on the north side of the river. The +Government at Washington seemed to think it would have resulted in the +surrender of his army; but we in the ranks on the Confederate side had +no fear of such a disaster. + +It is true, we were short of ammunition, but the infantry had the +bayonet and the cavalry the sabre, and we felt satisfied that we were +not in much danger. + +I neglected to say that as we marched through the towns of Pennsylvania +it was distressing to see the sad faces of the populace as they gathered +at their front doors and windows watching us as we moved through their +streets. It resembled a funeral, at which all the people were mourners. + +It was so different when we were marching through the cities and towns +of the South. There we were greeted by the people with waving flags and +smiling faces. Another thing we noticed which was quite different from +what we witnessed in our own land was a great number of young men +between the ages of 18 and 45 in citizen's clothes. This had a rather +depressing effect upon us, because it showed us that the North had +reserves to draw from, while our men, within the age limit, were all in +the army. + +It is said that misfortunes never come singly. + +No sooner had we reached the south bank of the Potomac than we heard +the distressing news that Vicksburg had fallen. This opened the +Mississippi river to Farragut's fleet of warships stationed at the mouth +of that river, and cut the Confederacy in two. + +Then disaster followed disaster in that part of the field; but as I said +in the beginning, I am not writing a history of the war, and hence will +not attempt to follow the movements of the Western armies. + +The question is often asked, "Why did Gen. Lee take his army into +Pennsylvania?" That question is easily answered. + +For the same reason that the children of Israel went down into Egypt. +There was a famine in the land, and they went there for corn. Food was +growing scarcer and scarcer in the South, and it became a serious +question not only as to how the army was to be fed, but also the +citizens at home, the old men, women and children. + +No supplies could be brought from beyond the Mississippi. Tennessee and +Kentucky were in the hands of the enemy, a great portion of Virginia; in +fact, the richest farming sections were ravished first by one army, then +by the other, making it impossible for the farmers to put in their +grain or reap their harvests. + +The other States of the South grew mostly cotton and tobacco. All the +Southern ports were closely blockaded; hence the problem of sustaining +human life was growing more serious every day. + +If Gen. Lee had been successful at the battle of Gettysburg his army +would have remained north of the Potomac until late in the fall, and +would have subsisted upon the country surrounding his camps. At the same +time, the farmers on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge and in the rich +valley of Virginia could have planted and reaped an abundant harvest, +which would have sufficed to have taken care of man and beast during the +long winter months; but Providence ruled otherwise, and Lee was +compelled to move his army back and provide for it as best he could. + +Another question has been as often asked. "Why was Lee not successful at +Gettysburg?" Gen. Lee seemed to have anticipated this question, and +answered it in language almost divine when he said, "It was all my +fault." He hoped this would have quieted criticism, but it did not, and +for forty-odd years critics have been trying to fix the blame on +someone. + +Of course, I cannot solve the problem, but I would suggest this: Gen. +Lee could not take the risk at Gettysburg that he took when he fought +his other battles. He was too far from his base of supplies. If he had +been defeated at Seven Pines, Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, +Chancellorsville, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, he would +have had the defences of Richmond to fall back upon. But not so at +Gettysburg. If he should be defeated there he must retain an army strong +enough to cut through the lines of the enemy, in order to reach his base +of supplies. + +After three days' fighting at Gettysburg he had gone as far as he dared +go toward the depletion of his men and supplies; hence he ordered a +retreat, knowing that he was still strong enough to handle the enemy and +reach the south bank of the Potomac. + +Some say it was because Jackson was not there; but the battles of the +Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor, where Grant was in command of +the Northern army, demonstrated that Lee could win victories without +Jackson. Perhaps what contributed most to Lee's defeat at Gettysburg was +the absence of the cavalry just at a time when he needed it most. Had +Stuart kept the cavalry between the two armies, and informed Lee as to +the movements of the enemy, he would not have been placed in such a +disadvantageous position as he was at Gettysburg. Then again, the enemy +had vastly superior numbers. + +[Illustration: GEN. ROBERT E. LEE. + +This picture was taken at the rear of General Lee's house on Franklin +street, Richmond, in April, 1865, immediately after his return from +Appomattox, and represents him in the style of uniform which he +habitually wore in the army.] + +Whatever may have been the cause of his defeat, Gen. Lee, with the +magnanimity characteristic of him, said: "It was all my fault." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 2: The two armies, occupying opposite banks of the river near +Fredericksburg, began their march for Gettysburg June the 3rd, 1863, +moving northeast along the Rappahannock river, the cavalry of each army +marching between. When Lee reached the Blue Ridge he crossed it at three +different places, Chester Gap, Ashby's and Snickersville Gaps. The two +cavalry forces came together and fought quite a severe battle, beginning +at Aldie, below Middleburg, and extending to Paris, at the foot of the +mountain. Directly after this battle Stuart took the main part of his +cavalry, moved back as far as Salem, or Delaplane, as it is now called, +moved across the country in rear of the Federal army, passing Manassas +and Centerville, then marched direct for the Potomac, which he crossed +between Leesburg and Washington. Then through Maryland into Pennsylvania +as far as Carlisle, and there he turned south, arriving at Gettysburg on +the night after the second day of the battle, thus completely encircling +the Union army. (See map). + +On its march down the Virginia valley to the Potomac Lee's army took +4000 prisoners, 25 cannon, 250 wagons, 400 horses, 269 small arms and +quantities of stores.] + +[Footnote 3: The map only shows one point where Lee crossed into +Maryland, but the army divided before reaching the Potomac, one part +crossing at Williamsport, and the other at Shepherdstown, and, uniting +at Hagerstown, moved on toward Chambersburg. From this point, Lee sent a +portion of Ewell's division as far north as Carlisle, while another +portion marched to York, then to Wrightsville, on the Susquehanna river, +all returning in time to meet the Union army at Gettysburg.] + +[Footnote 4: General Longstreet, in his book "From Manassas to +Appomattox," says the Confederate forces that crossed the Potomac were +75,568, and fixes the total of the Union army at 100,000, in round +figures. General Meade's monthly returns for June 30, shows 99,131 +present for duty and equipped at Gettysburg.] + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +_From Gettysburg to the Wilderness._ + + "But who shall break the guards that wait + Before the awful face of Fate? + The tattered standards of the South + Were shrivelled at the cannon's mouth, + And all her hopes were desolate." + + +The main army marched slowly back up the valley, crossing at the various +gaps east of Winchester, and occupied a position on the south bank of +the Rapidan, a branch of the Rappahannock. + +The cavalry under Stuart took the east side of the Blue Ridge and +marched in a parallel line with the infantry. This took me by my old +home. I could stop only for a few minutes. I remember that I was +upbraided for my appearance and was compared to the "Prodigal Son." But +when I told them what I had passed through, they were ready to kill the +fatted calf. I had, though, no time for this, as my regiment was on the +march. Besides, I knew there was no calf. + +The enemy kept at a safe distance, and did not molest us. We halted at +Brandy Station, where we had fought the battle of June 9th, a month +before. They halted at the Rappahannock and occupied both sides of the +river. + +The land for miles and miles around Brandy Station was almost level and +entirely denuded of fences, the soldiers having used them for firewood. +It was an ideal battlefield. + +Here was the home of John Minor Botts, a distinguished Virginian, +respected and protected by the Northern army for his Union sentiments, +and by the South for his integrity. He had a beautiful home and a fine, +large estate, a choice herd of milch cows, and I have often gone there +at milking time and got my canteen filled with milk just from the cow. + +The price we paid was 25 cents a quart, in Confederate money. We thought +it very cheap for such good, rich milk, and all of us had a good word to +say for Mr. Botts and his family, even if they were Unionists. + +Gen. Stuart threw out his pickets across the fields, and just in front +of us the enemy did likewise. The pickets were in full view of each +other, and a long-range musket might have sent a bullet across the line +at any time, but we did not molest each other. At night the lines came +still closer together, and we could distinctly hear them relieving their +pickets every two hours, and they doubtless could hear us doing the +same. + +This state of things remained for several weeks. Not a shot was fired +during all that time, and so well acquainted did the pickets of each +army become, that it was not an uncommon thing to see them marching +across the fields to meet each other and exchange greetings, and often +the Confederates traded tobacco for coffee and sugar. I took quite an +interest in this bartering and trading. This got to be so common that +Gen. Stuart had to issue an order forbidding it. + +After a while conditions changed. Gen. Lee had sent Longstreet's corps +to Tennessee to reinforce Bragg, weakening his army to the extent of +20,000 men. Probably for this reason the enemy determined to make a +demonstration, and began a movement toward our front. But so considerate +were they that they did not open fire on us until we had gotten beyond +range of their guns. This fraternal condition perhaps never existed +before between two contending armies. + +As they advanced we gradually fell back, and when we had retreated +about a mile, they began firing on us. The friendly sentiment was soon +dissipated, we returned the fire, and began to dispute their passage. +But as they had a much larger force we gradually released the territory, +fighting as we retreated. + +My part of the line carried me directly through the streets of Culpeper, +and the fighting in and around the town was the heaviest that we +encountered. Several of our men had their horses killed, and I saw the +enemy's cavalry pick the men up as they ran in their effort to escape. + +We continued to fall back until we reached the Rapidan. Here Gen. Lee +was strongly entrenched, and the enemy, after remaining in our front for +some days, fell back to their old position on the Rappahannock. There +was one item of interest which I neglected to mention in its proper +place, and that was an address which Gen. Lee issued to his soldiers +after his long march back from Gettysburg. It was printed on paper, +about the size of a half sheet of note paper. It began with these words: +"To the Soldiers of the Army of Northern Virginia:" "Soldiers, we have +sinned." I cannot remember any more of the address, but those words +have lingered lovingly in my memory ever since. Each soldier was handed +one of these papers, and I am ashamed to say I did not keep my copy, and +do not know of anyone who did. + +Shortly after this demonstration of the Union army, Gen. Lee made an +advance, but not directly in front. He moved his army toward the +northeast, and his efforts seemed to have been to make a flank movement +and get in the enemy's rear, just as had been done the year before when +Jackson got in the rear of Pope at Manassas. The cavalry remained to +watch the enemy's front, and prevent a move toward Richmond. + +After Lee had gotten well on his march the cavalry crossed the river and +began to drive in the enemy's outposts and press them back toward +Culpeper, and then on through Culpeper to Brandy Station, where the +enemy made a stand. + +A short distance beyond the station was a slight elevation running +across our front, completely hiding the movements of the enemy. As there +was no elevation anywhere that we might occupy and see beyond the ridge +in our front, all we could see was the large force occupying the crest +of the ridge. We were afraid to charge, for fear of running into their +whole army. + +After a good deal of maneuvering and waiting we saw the long lines of +Union cavalry coming over the ridge and moving toward us in the line of +battle. Closer and closer they came, and when they got within 200 yards +of us, their leader ordered a charge, and it looked as if the whole +column was coming right into our ranks. + +I have a vivid recollection of the scene. I noticed as they approached +that quite a number of them, perhaps every third man, was reining in his +horse, which meant, "I have gone as far as I mean to go." Of course, +what I saw my comrades saw, and we knew at once, by this action, they +were whipped; but the others came on, dashing right into our ranks, +firing as they came. The dust and smoke from the guns made it almost +impossible to distinguish friend from foe, but I noticed close to me a +large Union officer, riding a splendid horse, with his sabre over his +head, calling his men to follow him. I had my sabre drawn, and I raised +it over his head, but did not have the heart to hit him. Somehow or +other, my arm would not obey me. It seemed too much like murder. + +But Lieut. Armistead (an officer in my company) was not so +chicken-hearted, but spurred his horse, "Long Tom," up until his pistol +almost touched the officer, and shot him in the side. I saw him fall +from his horse, and afterward attempt to get up. Then I lost sight of +him. It was said to be Gen. Baker of the Union army, who was in command +of the forces making the attack. We took some prisoners, others in the +confusion, amid the dust and smoke, fled and escaped within their own +lines. Then there was a halt for an hour or more. + +Several fresh regiments of our cavalry came up and took positions, ready +for attack or defence, whichever it might be. + +What troubled our command was to know what was beyond that ridge. We +were afraid to move forward, for fear of running into ambush. + +Presently we saw a magnificent sight. The colonel of the Fourth Virginia +Regiment, mounted on a beautiful black horse, moved forward, calling +upon his regiment to follow him. It was Colonel, afterward General, +Rosser. + +As the regiment moved toward the enemy's lines, at a gallop, the cry +went up and down the ranks, "Look at Rosser, look at Rosser." Everybody +expected to see him tumble from his horse, shot to death. But he went +forward, leading his men, and when the enemy discovered that we were +coming in earnest, they turned on their heels and fled. Other regiments +followed in rapid succession, and when we had gotten on top of the ridge +we found that the enemy was disappearing in the distance as fast as +their flying horses could carry them. We afterward learned that their +stand at Brandy Station was only intended to check our forces until +theirs could get across the Rappahannock river, about three miles +distant. + +After this fracas was over we began to look about us to see whether any +of us showed marks of the strife. I found a bullet hole through the +strap that held my sabre to my belt, and as the strap laid close to my +side, it was allowed to pass as a "close shave." But the greatest danger +I was in, I think, was from the sabre of Gen. Baker. A right cut from +that strong arm of his could have severed my head. + +There was one of our command who was shot in the neck, and an artery +cut. The blood spurted out like water from a spigot. He dismounted and +stood by his horse until, weakened by the loss of blood, he fell to the +ground. He realized, as everyone else did, that he was beyond human aid. +As Solomon put it in Ecclesiastes, "The golden bowl had been broken." + +But to go back. Early in the day, when we were driving the enemy from +our front, the cavalry dismounted and fought on foot. This was often +done, as the men can do better execution when on the ground, and, +besides, they are better protected from the fire of the enemy. On foot, +you have to protect you the trees and the rocks and the fences, every +little hillock; in fact, anything else that would stop a bullet, but on +horseback you are a splendid target for the sharpshooter. Hence, the +cavalry on some occasions preferred to be on foot. But when there was +any retreating to do, like Richard III, they wanted a horse. + +On this particular occasion I was among those chosen to lead the horses. +In fact, it always fell to the fourth man. He sat on his horse, while +the other three men dismounted and went to the front. These were called +the led horses, and, of course, they followed in the rear, keeping as +much out of danger as possible. + +As we moved along through the fields we passed a small dwelling; I +halted in front of the door and asked the good lady of the house for +something to eat. She came out, trembling from head to foot, with two +other ladies, who I presume were her daughters, and gave me some bread. + +Seeing the long string of led horses, she asked in the most distressed +tone if all the men belonging to those horses had been killed. I +explained the meaning of the horses being led, and assured her they were +in no danger, as the enemy was retreating rapidly in our front, and all +danger had passed. + +Just an hour before this the conditions were reversed. I was on foot, +and on the firing line, and another was leading my horse. + +We had taken shelter behind a low-railed fence, against which the +Yankees, who had just left it, had thrown the earth as a protection. We +were all lying down close to the ground and firing over the top of this +obstruction, when a shell came hissing across the field, striking the +breastwork a short distance from where I lay, scattering the rails and +dirt in every direction. I remarked that as lightning never struck twice +in the same place, that was the safest spot to get, and I began to crawl +toward it. I had hardly moved a yard when another shell struck in this +very same spot, verifying the old adage, that "there are exceptions to +all rules." + +We were ordered to move forward from this position across the open +field, which we did, the bullets buzzing past our ears like so many +bees. We went a few hundred yards and then lay down flat on the ground +in the grass, and continued firing at the puffs of smoke in our front, +as that was all we could see. The enemy was lying as flat to the ground +as we were. A great deal of this kind of fighting is done in this way. +It doesn't rise to the dignity of a battle, but is called skirmishing. + +One poor fellow lying next to me was struck by a bullet with a dull +thud, that caused him to cry out in pain, and as we moved forward I saw +him writhing in agony. I presume he was not mortally wounded, as mortal +wounds do not cause much or any pain. + +In the meantime, our enemy crept away from our front, and mounting their +horses, galloped off. We followed in hot pursuit. + +But to return to where we left our friends (the enemy crossing the +Rappahannock). We did not pursue them beyond the river, but moved +northeast, crossing the river at the same place where we had crossed on +the march to Gettysburg. It was about 9 o'clock at night; beyond we +could see all the hills brilliantly illuminated with camp-fires. It was +a gorgeous spectacle. + +As we had driven the enemy across the river a few miles below, of +course, we in the ranks, concluded that these were the camp-fires of the +enemy, and that a night attack was to be made upon their camp. But we +crossed, notwithstanding, and as we rode up to the blazing fires we +discovered that we were right in the midst of Lee's infantry. + +We went into camp for the night. Early in the morning we were in the +saddle, with both cavalry and infantry on the march. Marching parallel +to us was the whole Union army. They were making for the defences of +Washington, and we were trying to cut them off. + +When we got as far as Bristoe Station, not far from Manassas, Gen. Lee +made a swoop down upon them and tried to bring them to battle, but they +were too swift for us. We did, however, have quite a severe fight at +Bristoe Station between the advance guard of our army and the rear of +the enemy. + +Gen. A.P. Hill, commanding one of Lee's corps, made the attack. It was +very severe while it lasted, and the roar of the musketry was terrific. +But the enemy got away. + +After it was over one of my company (Frank Peak) heard Gen. Lee severely +reprimand Gen. A.P. Hill in these words: "Gen. Hill, your line was too +short and thin." I presume Gen. Lee thought if Gen. Hill had extended +his line farther out, he might have captured the entire force in our +front. + +In this battle Rev. A.W. Green (to whom I have already referred as being +captured at Harper's Ferry by Jackson) had one of his fingers shot off. +I have often joked him and said it was I who shot it off. Just as I am +writing this Mr. Green, whom I have not seen for 10 years, came into my +office, and I told him what I was doing. He held up his hand, minus one +finger, and said, "Yes, you did that." + +We followed the retreating enemy some distance below Manassas, but could +not overtake them. We halted for awhile, and a few days afterward the +whole army, cavalry, infantry and artillery, marched slowly back toward +the Rapidan. + +The expedition was fruitless. The infantry, as is nearly always the +case, marched with the wagon-trains, while the cavalry, in nearly every +instance, leaves the wagons behind, depending upon whatever can be +picked up from the farmers or the enemy. + +In this particular section at this time, the farmers had no chance to +plant crops. The trees had already been stripped of fruit. We could not +even find a persimmon, and we suffered terribly with hunger. Of course, +there was plenty of grass for the horses, but the men were entirely +destitute of provisions. + +We were looking forward to Manassas with vivid recollections of the rich +haul that we had made there just prior to the second battle of Manassas, +and everybody was saying, "We'll get plenty when we get to Manassas." We +were there before we knew it. Everything was changed. There was not a +building anywhere. The soil, enriched by the debris from former camps, +had grown a rich crop of weeds that came half way up to the sides of our +horses, and the only way we recognized the place was by our horses +stumbling over the railroad tracks at the junction. It was a grievous +disappointment to us. + +While fighting just below Manassas, the enemy threw a shell in among the +led horses, which burst and killed several of them. + +A short time after that, while lying in camp, our stomachs crying +bitterly for food, someone suggested we try horse flesh. I remember +pulling out my knife and sharpening it on a stone preparatory to cutting +a steak from one of the dead horses, but just at this point a caravan on +horseback arrived with a supply of food. We had a rich feast, and were +happy again. + +I do not know where the Union army halted in their retreat toward +Washington, but in a day or two after this, Lee moved his entire army +back toward its old camp on the Rapidan, as I have just said. + +I think this was early in November. We felt winter approaching, and I +remember when we reached the Rappahannock, although there was a bridge a +mile below, the cavalry forded the stream, the men getting wet above +their knees, as the water came well up to the sides of the horses. Gen. +Lee, noticing that the men were wet from fording the river, said to our +brigade commander (Gen. Lomax) in a kind and fatherly tone, "My! +general, you should have used the bridge below." I suppose Gen. Lomax +thought that as we were soldiers we ought not to mind a little wetting, +even if the cold November winds were blowing. + +[Illustration: MRS. R.E. LEE, + +Wife of Gen. R.E. Lee, taken from an old photograph soon after the close +of the war. The spots are result of defects on the original photograph.] + +My recollection is that the whole army, infantry, cavalry and artillery, +encamped in and around Brandy Station and prepared for winter. The +infantry began to build little low huts, the cracks filled up with mud +and tops covered with slabs split from logs. + +Every mess had its own hut. The cavalry, knowing that they would likely +be kept on the march, made no preparation for winter. + +Some time after this (I can't remember just how long) orders came to +break camp and move back on the south side of the Rapidan. I do not know +what commotion this move caused in the ranks of the infantry, but we +cavalrymen, who remained for some time in that neighborhood and saw the +deserted villages, sympathized with the infantry in the loss of their +homes. But as the Six Hundred remarked, "It is not for us to ask the +reason why, but to do and die." + +Shortly afterward the cavalry withdrew to the south bank of the Rapidan, +near the infantry. I think this was in Orange county, near Orange +Courthouse, probably half a mile from the river. + +Some time in January a courier came in from the front across the river +and reported that the enemy's cavalry had been seen a few miles below, +moving toward our camp. + +The bugles sounded "saddle up" all through the camp, and several +regiments of cavalry were soon in line and crossing the river. They +dismounted, formed in line of battle, and moved across the fields. We +soon found the enemy in our front, also dismounted, and firing began. We +were ordered to fall back gradually toward the river, fighting as we +retreated, the object being to draw the enemy toward the batteries that +were on the opposite side of the river. + +As we neared the banks of the river where the led horses were, our +purpose was to remount and to cross the river, but the enemy pressed us +so close that some of us, I among them, were compelled to cross on foot. +This was rather a chilly experience, when you consider that it was the +middle of January. But we got over, and our batteries opened fire on the +enemy and compelled them to fall back. + +Just as we came out of the river we met the infantry coming down and +taking position behind the breastworks that had been thrown up along the +south bank of the river. Those who had forded the river were allowed to +go to camp, a short distance off, to dry their clothes, for it was +freezing weather. + +I had mounted my horse, and as I passed the column of infantry coming +down to the river, a bullet fired by the enemy's sharpshooter on the +opposite side struck one of the men, and he fell in a heap, dead, at the +feet of my horse. He dropped as suddenly as if he had been taken by some +powerful force and thrown violently to the ground. Every joint and +muscle in his body seemed to have given way in an instant. + +After we had dried our clothes before the camp-fire our command +re-crossed the river to find out what the enemy proposed to do. We were +again dismounted and formed in line across the field as before, and, +moving forward, found the enemy just beyond the reach of our batteries. +Lying close to the ground we began firing at each other, continuing long +after dark. Then the firing ceased. After remaining there for some time, +someone in command (I don't know who it was) ordered Capt. Gibson of our +company to send four men with instructions to creep up as near as they +could to the enemy's lines, stay there, and report whenever the enemy +withdrew. + +I was selected as one of the four men. When we got pretty near their +line we got down flat on the ground, and like so many snakes crawled +along until we got as close as we dared. We could distinctly see them on +their horses, but we did not remain long before we saw them withdraw. We +heard their officers giving the command. + +We then came back, and had some difficulty getting in without being +shot, from the fact that the regiment to which we belonged had been +withdrawn and another put in its place, and the men did not seem to +understand that we were out on this mission. We made our report, and +shortly afterward mounted, re-crossed the river and went into camp. It +proved to be nothing more than a reconnoissance of the enemy's cavalry, +probably to find out whether Lee's army was still encamped on the river. + +Some time after this, perhaps two or three weeks, while on picket some +miles up the river, a considerable distance from the main army's +encampment, a body of the enemy's cavalry crossed the river somewhere +between the pickets, and got behind the line of pickets unobserved. + +It was a very foggy morning. Our post consisted of six men, and our +position was a few hundred yards back of the river. + +Two of the men were on picket; the others were at the post. + +About 6 o'clock in the morning we heard a few shots in our rear. One of +our men was sent back to find out the cause of it. He had not been gone +many minutes when we heard other shots, which forced us to the +conclusion that the enemy in some way had gotten behind us. Our pickets +had also heard the firing, and came in to find out what the trouble was. + +We followed the direction of the shots, and had not gone far before we +saw through the heavy fog quite a large body of cavalry. + +Whether friend or foe, it was impossible to determine. So we thought +discretion the better part of valor and immediately turned, each fellow +taking care of himself. + +Three went up the river. Faunt Neal and myself took the opposite course. +The Yankees (for it proved to be the enemy) had seen us, and started in +pursuit. Neal and I rushed down the hill toward the river, passing a +grove of small pine trees. My comrade turned abruptly to the right and +hid himself in this sanctuary, while I continued across the meadow and +up the hill on the opposite side into the woods and escaped. + +We all turned up in camp the next day except one. He had ridden straight +into the enemy's lines, thinking they were Confederates. This ended his +military career. + +I think it was about the first of February an order had been sent from +headquarters allowing a certain number of regiments a furlough. It +extended to my regiment. Some of the companies could not avail +themselves of it, because their homes were wholly in the territory +occupied by the enemy. My company was among the fortunate ones, although +many of our men were from Loudoun and Fauquier, and the enemy was +occupying part of this territory and making frequent raids through the +other portions. But our officers stood sponsor for us, and we started +for our respective homes as happy as children let out of school. + +Those of us living in Loudoun and Fauquier had to observe the greatest +caution to keep from being picked up by the enemy's scouting cavalry +before reaching home. But there were no misfortunes, and with joy +unspeakable, we, one by one, reached the "Old Homesteads." + +To attempt to express the pleasure we got out of this little vacation +would tax the English language severely. + +'Tis true that these were not just the old homes we had left three years +before in our bright new uniforms, with well-groomed horses and full +haversacks. The marching and counter-marching of first one army, then +the other, destroying fences and barns and driving off cattle and +horses, made a great change in the appearance of things. + +No one attempted to keep up appearances. Besides, at this time, nearly +every home mourned one or more dead. The most of my old schoolmates who +had crossed the Potomac en route for Gettysburg went down on that hot +July afternoon when Pickett made his famous charge, for the Eighth +Virginia Infantry, in which nearly all my schoolmates had enlisted, was +almost annihilated that bloody afternoon. + +Among the killed was Edwin Bailey, whom I have already mentioned as +going out with me from Middleburg in the spring of 1862, he to rejoin +his regiment, and I to enlist in the Sixth Virginia Cavalry. By his side +in that battle was his brother John. Edwin fell first, mortally wounded, +and John, severely wounded, fell across him. Edwin said, "John, if you +get home, tell them I died a Christian." These were his only and last +words. + +I have often used this incident as an exemplification of the claims of +Christianity. + +Notwithstanding all this, we enjoyed our vacation immensely, but there +was not a day that we were not in danger of being surrounded and +captured. The bluecoats were scouting through the country almost +continuously in search of Mosby's "gang," as they called it. We had to +keep on guard and watch the roads and hilltops every hour of the day. We +had the advantage of knowing the country and the hiding places and the +short cuts, and then we had our loyal servants, always willing to aid us +to escape "them Yankees." + +For instance, I made a visit to Sunny Bank, the home of my +brother-in-law, E.C. Broun. My horse was hitched to the rack, and I was +inside enjoying the hospitalities of an old Virginia home, when one of +the little darkies rushed in and said, "Yankees." They were soon all +around the house, but, before getting there, one of the servants took +the saddle and bridle off my steed, hid them, and turned him loose in +the garden, where he posed as the old family driving nag, while I went +to the back porch, climbed a ladder, and lifting a trap-door, got in +between the ceiling and the roof. The trap-door was so adjusted that it +did not show an opening. The ladder was taken away, and there I stayed +until the enemy departed. I got back home safely, eight miles off, and +had other close calls, but owing to the fidelity of the colored people, +who were always on the watch, and whose loyalty to the Confederate +soldiers, whether they belonged to the family in which they lived or +not, was touching and beautiful beyond comprehension. They always called +the Confederates "Our Soldiers," and the other side "Them Yankees." + +About this time a new star appeared upon the field of Mars. John S. +Mosby, a native of Warrenton, Fauquier county, Virginia, serving as +lieutenant in the First Virginia Cavalry, was captured and put in prison +in Washington in the old Capitol. He was not there long before he was +exchanged, but while there his mind was busy. He conceived the idea +that if he had a small body of men well armed and well mounted, and +given an independent command, he could render the Confederacy great +service by operating along the lines of the B. & O., the C. & O., and +the Orange and Alexandria railroads, and also upon the enemy's supply +trains, that were constantly moving to and fro up and down the valley +and other sections. He reported his plan to Gen. Stuart when he got out +of prison. Gen. Stuart favored it, and referred it to Gen. Lee, and Gen. +Lee referred it to the War Department at Richmond, resulting in Mosby's +being commissioned a captain, with ten men detached from his regiment +(the First Virginia Cavalry) with permission to increase the number by +recruiting from the young men in the district where he operated. + +Mosby lost no time in getting his little force together at some point in +Loudoun county. His first expedition was to Fairfax Courthouse. His plan +was to get as close to the enemy as he could, hide his men behind a hill +or in a body of timber, and rush pell-mell upon a passing wagon-train, +or a detachment of Union troops, stampede them and capture what he +could. In this way he captured or destroyed a great many wagons, took +horses, mules and prisoners by the thousands. My younger brother Richard +joined this command in 1864, being a little over 17 years old. + +It may seem strange to the present age that a country devastated as this +portion of Virginia was at this time, with so many homes mourning the +loss of their brave sons slain in battle, or maimed for life, with +starvation almost staring them in the face, with the capital of their +country besieged by great armies, with what we would call at this day +deprivation and suffering incomparable, that the people could have any +heart for festivities, such as dances and plays. But such was the fact. +The soldiers during their furlough were received everywhere as heroes, +and were banqueted and entertained as if peace and plenty reigned +throughout the land. Many a parody like the following was gotten off: +"There was a sound of revelry by night," and "Les Miserables" (Lee's +miserables) had gathered there. + +But it must be remembered that it was this spirit among the Southern +people that made them endure their hardships and sustain the conflict as +long as they did. It was the women standing loyally by their husbands, +brothers and lovers that made the Southern soldiers ready to play or +ready to fight, regardless of what they had in their haversacks or wore +on their backs. + +There was no fixed time for our furlough, but we had places of +rendezvous where we were ordered to meet once a week to receive +instructions. Finally the time came when we were summoned to collect at +Upperville (near the home of our captain) for the march back to the +army. + +I do not remember the date, but it was early in March. I do remember the +first encampment we made for the night. We got up the next morning with +six inches of snow covering us, resulting in my horse getting a bad +cold, for during our furlough he was housed in a warm stable. This cold +never left him, and he died from the effects of it several months +afterward. + +We were ordered to report at Staunton, Va. It was a long march from +Loudoun county, but we were used to long marches. When we arrived there +we found our regiment awaiting us. Without even a day's rest we were +ordered to Richmond, a still longer march, and after remaining there two +weeks we were ordered to Fredericksburg. A line of this route drawn on +the map would form almost a perfect letter C, and if it had not been +for a small obstacle in our way, in all probability we would have +continued the march, forming the letter O. + +The obstacle in our way was Grant's army on the Rappahannock. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +_From the Wilderness to James River._ + + "Turning his bridle, Robert Lee + Rode to the rear. Like waves of the sea, + Bursting the dikes in their overflow, + Madly his veterans dashed on the foe." + + +The army of Northern Virginia had met and defeated McDowell, McClellan, +Pope, Burnside and Hooker, and caused the retirement of Meade, but the +Government at Washington had at last found a soldier believed to be a +full match for Gen. Lee. + +Grant had been successful in the West, and his achievements had made him +the Nation's idol, so he was brought to the East and placed in command +of the army of the Potomac. + +All during the late fall and winter and early spring he was preparing an +immense army, whose rendezvous was on the Rappahannock and in the +district about Culpeper Courthouse. It was a greater and better equipped +army than that under McClellan in 1862. Then again, McClellan was an +untried soldier, while Grant had won his spurs on more than one +battlefield. So the North had a right to feel that Lee would be beaten +and Richmond captured. Besides this great army, another 30,000 strong +was marching up the James river, taking the same route McClellan took +two years before. + +Gen. Benj. F. Butler was its commander. The two armies were to unite and +compel the surrender or evacuation of the Confederate Capital. + +It was about the first of May when Grant began his movements toward +Lee's front. At this time the whole cavalry force of Gen. Lee was +encamped in a rich grazing district about five miles from +Fredericksburg. + +We had been there several weeks, our horses had been wading in grass up +to their knees. They had shed their winter coats, and were looking fine, +and seemed to be ready for the fray. + +Our principal article of food was fresh fish, caught from the +Rappahannock river. + +As we loitered around the camp from day to day, speculating as to when +we should be called to the front, and discussing what would be the +result of the coming battle, we began to get restless, as soldiers will. +They live on excitement, and the booming of guns and the rattling of +musketry is the sweetest music they can hear. + +One bright May morning (it must have been about the first day of the +month) we saw a courier with his horse all flecked with foam as he came +dashing into our camp. He halted and asked for Gen. Stuart's +headquarters. It proved to be a messenger from Gen. Lee, and it meant +that the death-struggle was about to begin. + +Soon the bugles were sounding all through the camps the old familiar +call, "Saddle up, saddle up." We mounted, and each company forming in +line and counting off by fours, wheeled into columns of two and marched +off toward what was afterward known as the Battlefield of the +Wilderness. + +We arrived at the position assigned us about dark, where we went into +camp in the woods, tying our horses to the trees and building camp-fires +to cook our supper. I had (like the boy in the parable of the loaves and +fishes) in my haversack a few small fresh fish, and I was wondering +whether they would be sweet or not. I remember distinctly laying them on +the coals of fire to broil. It has been 43 years since then, but I can +assure you I can almost taste those fish today. I don't think I ever +ate anything so sweet. + +[Illustration: GEN. FITZHUGH LEE, + +Who commanded a division of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry.] + +The next day we were in the saddle early. The cavalry formed the right +wing of Lee's army. The battle lasted two days. The cavalry fought +almost entirely on foot. It was mostly in heavy timber and thick +undergrowth. + +The first day we did not see the enemy, but we knew he was there, for +the woods were ringing with the sound of their guns, and bullets were +hissing about our ears. + +When we struck this heavy body of timber we found a narrow road running +through it. We followed this road cautiously for two or three miles. My +company was in front. About 200 yards in front of the company rode two +soldiers, side by side. We knew somewhere in front of us was the enemy, +and it was our mission to find him. Suddenly we heard two shots--pop, +pop. We all knew what that meant. The armies of Lee and Grant had met, +and as far as I know, these were the first two shots fired of the Battle +of the Wilderness. They had come from the enemy's guns. They had seen +our advance guard, and the shots meant, "so far shalt thou come, and no +farther." We took the hint and halted. + +The regiment was dismounted, and the led horses were taken back some +distance; we deployed on the right and left of the road and awaited +results; then moved forward until we discovered the enemy's line. We +exchanged some shots, and began falling slowly back, while they +advanced. + +As we retired, their bullets were hissing through our ranks and cutting +the bark from the trees and the twigs from the bushes, and now and then +striking down our men. + +My cousin, Dallas Leith, and myself stood together behind a tree for +protection. As he fired, his head was exposed, and a bullet from the +enemy's ranks just brushed his lips. He turned to me and said, "Wasn't +that a close shave?" And at the same time a bullet grazed my finger as I +fired. + +We fell back through the timber to the edge of the open fields, and +getting behind a rail fence, remained there until the enemy came up. We +held our fire until they got close to us, when we poured a volley into +their ranks that sent them scurrying back through the woods. We then +climbed the fence and followed them up. + +About 20 steps from the fence we saw two Yankees lying mortally wounded. +We gathered around them and asked them some questions about where they +were from, and one of our men pulled a photograph from the pocket of one +of them. It was a picture of a young girl, and one of the men said, "I +guess that's his sweetheart." He opened his eyes and said with much +difficulty, "No, it is my sister." Our captain was standing by, and as +the men were so close to our line, someone conceived the idea that they +had come up to surrender, and one of them said to our captain, "Captain, +these men came up to surrender, and were shot down." One of the Yankees +denied the accusation with some feeling. They were both shot in the +breast, and were bleeding profusely. It was very evident that they had +but a short time to live. + +The captain ordered them to be taken back to a place of safety. They +begged to remain where they were, saying that they hadn't long to live, +but they were taken back to a safer place. + +We were again ordered forward, and kept on until we came in touch with +the enemy, when the firing was resumed. + +Dallas Leith and myself were again behind a tree. He was kneeling down +loading his gun, when his head was again exposed, and a ball struck him +in the forehead. It tore away a part of the bone, exposing his brain. I +felt confident the boy was killed, and had no other thought than that of +leaving him there, for we had all we could do to carry back the wounded, +much less the dead. + +We were then ordered to fall back, and someone more humane than I +proposed that we carry his body back with us. I protested that it was +impossible, but the others insisted, and, tying a handkerchief around +his head, his hair drenched with blood, we picked him up and carried him +back about a mile, when to our surprise we got into a road and there +found an ambulance. Putting him in it, he was carried to the hospital, +in the rear. Strange to say, he lived about ten days, giving his father +time to come from Loudoun county to see him before he died. About this +same time his younger brother Henry (at home) was blown to pieces by a +shell that he had picked up in the field on his father's farm and was +trying to open it, to see what was inside. + +But to return to the battle. This state of things continued for two +whole days, with little intermission. Sometimes, however, there was not +a shot fired for an hour. + +During one of these intervals I remember sitting down, leaning my back +against a large tree, and began writing a letter to my folks at home. +Capt. Gibson came up to me and said, "Young man, if you don't want to +get shot, you'd better get on the other side of that tree, for somewhere +just in front of us, and not a great distance off, is the enemy's +skirmish line, and they may open fire at any moment." I moved behind the +tree and resumed my writing, but was suddenly stopped by the sound of +firing in our front, that caused us to creep farther back into the +woods. + +On another occasion we had fallen back out of the timber into the open +fields, and were firing from behind a fence at the enemy in the woods, +whom we could not see for the undergrowth. Our attention was called to a +large body of cavalry on our left, apparently the enemy on mischief +bent. + +There are times in a battle when every private soldier on the firing +line becomes a "Commander-in-Chief." It is when orders cannot be given, +or would not be heard if they were. Each soldier seems to know +intuitively what to do, and the whole line acts in concert. + +At this particular time the body of cavalry on our left proved to be the +bluecoats, moving toward our rear. It did not take long for the +information to spread up and down the line, and at once every man in the +ranks, in absence of any orders from headquarters, concluded that the +thing to do was to fall back. So each soldier gave the order to himself, +and quicker than it takes time to tell it, the line was moving back over +the fields. + +We had retreated perhaps 200 yards when the movement was noticed by Gen. +Fitzhugh Lee. He came galloping toward us on his white horse, and with a +voice that could be heard above the shots of the guns, he said, "What +does this mean?" In reply, hundreds of hands pointed toward the enemy on +our left, and some voices said, "They're getting in our rear." Gen. Lee +said, "Tut, tut, tut; go back, go back." And without a word every man +wheeled around and started back for the position he had left. Gen. Lee +perhaps knew that there were forces enough there to take care of the +enemy, who, as we saw it, was getting behind us. + +As I said before, this kind of warfare continued for two days, and all +the time it was going on we could hear the booming of the artillery on +our left, telling us that Grant was doing all he could to beat back or +break through Lee's lines, and we knew, too, that he was not +accomplishing his purpose. We could always tell which way the battle was +going by the direction from which the sound came. + +The night of the second day Grant silently and rapidly withdrew the main +portion of his army from Lee's front and marched toward Spottsylvania +Courthouse, which was some distance to the right of where the cavalry +was fighting. + +His object was to surprise Gen. Lee, and get between him and Richmond. +But Gen. Lee had anticipated that very movement, and when Grant's +infantry moved forward at Spottsylvania Courthouse, he found Lee's army +there confronting him. Then began the bloodiest battle of all the war, +so it is said. + +It was during the Battle of the Wilderness that Gen. Grant sent that +famous dispatch to Washington, "I will fight it out on this line if it +takes all summer." If he meant the line between his army and Lee's, he +changed his mind within 24 hours. But if he meant a line stretching from +Wilderness to Petersburg, he kept his word. It took him all summer to +get his army south of the James river, and cost him the loss (it is +said) of 100,000 soldiers. + +He could have placed his army there without firing a shot by following +the route taken by McClellan, but Grant well knew he must first cripple +Lee's army before he could capture Richmond, and that he could afford to +lose five men to Lee's one in doing it, and I presume he thought the +district called the "Wilderness" a good place to begin the work. + +While Grant's army was moving under the cover of night and the dense +forests toward Spottsylvania Courthouse, our cavalry also moved in the +same direction. And when Grant ordered his lines forward the next +morning, the first to receive them was our cavalry. + +The enemy's cavalry still confronted us when we began fighting. It +seemed to be the same old tactics that had been played for the last two +days, except that it was a little fiercer. + +Among the killed that day was a handsome young colonel of one of the +regiments of our brigade. His name was Collins. I think he was a +Georgian. + +He was always dressed as if he were going to a reception. His +complexion was as fair as a woman's. His hair was light. He habitually +wore a clean white collar and a bright new uniform (something unusual +among soldiers in the midst of an active campaign), but "death loves a +shining mark," and he was taken off. + +About 10 o'clock in the morning our cavalry was withdrawn from the +front, and going back to our led horses we mounted and slowly rode back +toward Spottsylvania Courthouse. + +The country here was different from where we had been fighting the two +days previous. Much of it was open fields, and the timbered part of it +was not encumbered with undergrowth. + +As we slowly fell back we looked behind us and saw a gorgeous sight. It +was Grant's line of battle moving forward as if on "Dress Parade," their +brass buttons and steel guns with fixed bayonets glistening in the sun, +with their banners floating in the breeze. The first thought among the +private soldiers was, "Has Grant stolen a march on Lee, and is Richmond +doomed?" It certainly looked so at this moment, but we kept on falling +back. + +As we entered the woods we suddenly came upon Lee's infantry lying down +in line of battle waiting the enemy's advance. As we approached them, +word was passed up and down the line not to cheer the infantry. This was +the custom in the face of a battle when the cavalry, retiring from the +front, gave way to the infantry. + +They opened their ranks and let us pass through, and we formed in line +some distance behind them. The infantry was entirely concealed from the +enemy's view, and up to this time I am quite sure that Grant did not +know that he was facing Lee's army at Spottsylvania Courthouse. But he +was soon to be undeceived in a manner most tragic. + +Lee's infantry waited until the enemy was within 100 yards, and then, +rising to their feet, poured a volley into their ranks that brought many +of them to the ground, and sent the others back from whence they came. +This was only the beginning of the battle. + +Leaving the infantry to take care of that part of the field, the cavalry +was moved a mile to the right and again dismounted, and moved forward +until we came under fire of the enemy's guns. We laid down behind a rail +fence and fired between the rails. A bullet struck a rail just in front +of my head and knocked the dust and splinters in my face, almost +blinding me for a little while. We did not remain there very long, but +were soon ordered back, and as we moved across the open fields in full +view of the enemy, they kept up an incessant fire, many of the shots +taking effect. + +We could see the Union officers on the little hills in every direction, +with their field glasses to their eyes, trying to discover what was in +front of them. + +The cavalry retired from the field, leaving the infantry to do the rest. +How well it was done the historian has tragically told the story. It was +on this field that "Hancock, the superb," made eight distinct attacks on +Lee's center, and finally breaking his line of battle, rushed his troops +by thousands into the breach, and for the moment it looked as if the +Confederacy was doomed. + +Gen. Lee, seeing the peril in which his army was placed, ordered forward +Gordon's division (which he was holding in reserve), placed himself at +the head of it, and was about to lead them into battle in order to +restore his broken lines. Shells were falling about Gen. Lee and his +life was in peril. One of the officers rode up to him and said, "Gen. +Lee, this is no place for you; you must go to the rear." His troops +refused to go forward until Gen. Lee had retired from the front. One of +the soldiers came forward, and taking the reins of Lee's horse, led him +back. Then Gen. Gordon led his division forward, the enemy was driven +back, the line was restored, and Gen. Lee's army was saved from +destruction and another year added to the life of the Confederacy. + +I heard Gen. Gordon in a lecture delivered at "Music Hall," Baltimore, +some years ago, describing this event, say (as he stretched out his +hands horizontally), "My dead were piled that high, and three days after +the battle I saw wounded men trying to pull themselves from under the +mass of the dead above them. And at one point the slopes were so +slippery with blood that my soldiers could not stand until the ground +had been carpeted with the bodies of their fallen comrades." + +A tree about six inches in diameter standing in a field was literally +cut down by bullets, not a shot from a cannon having been fired on that +part of the field. + +The Standard Encyclopedia puts the strength of Grant's army at 150,000, +but does not state how many men Lee had. Perhaps 75,000 would be a fair +estimate. The same authority gives Grant's losses at the battle of the +Wilderness as 18,000; Lee's at 11,000.[5] + +The losses in the battle of Spottsylvania Courthouse, fought two days +afterward, were as great, if not greater, than those of the Wilderness. + +When the cavalry retired from the front they mounted their horses, and +almost Lee's entire cavalry force, headed by their chief, Gen. J.E.B. +Stuart, started in a bee line for Richmond, without halting a moment. + +Gen. Sheridan, commanding Grant's cavalry, had passed around our right +wing with his whole command, and was heading toward the Confederate +Capital. + +I think it was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon when we started. +Sheridan was several miles ahead of us. We marched all night. We +overtook Sheridan at Hanover Junction, on the railroad leading to +Richmond; not, however, until he had destroyed a large quantity of +provisions stored there for Lee's army, a great loss to the Confederates +at that time. + +Sheridan had prepared for this expedition, and all of his men had +well-filled haversacks, while ours were empty. + +I cannot remember just when and where we got in front of Sheridan, but I +know from Hanover Junction on we were in constant touch with his forces, +and harassed them all we could. + +At a place called "Yellow Tavern" several regiments of our cavalry (mine +among them) were dismounted, formed across the fields, and moved forward +in real line of battle style until we came upon the enemy, also +dismounted. After a brisk encounter we fell back to a road that was +somewhat sunken. + +There we halted for the purpose of stopping the enemy's advance, for the +sunken road furnished us some protection, but they did not stop. They +marched on, firing as they came. + +Their line was longer and thicker than ours, and it was evident that we +were about to be surrounded. Some of our men mounted the fence in the +rear and fled across the fields. Others stood their ground and were +captured, I among them. + +I was near Colonel Pate, the colonel commanding a regiment in my +brigade. He was killed by a bullet striking him in the center of the +forehead. Also near me was our captain, Bruce Gibson. + +There was a little culvert across a ditch in the road that the farmers +used in going from the road into the field. Some of our men crept under +this culvert and escaped. Probably 200 of us were captured. + +But the army sustained a greater loss than that, a loss second only to +that of Stonewall Jackson. + +Just behind our line in the field was Gen. Stuart with his staff. A +bullet struck him somewhere about the stomach. He was held on his horse +until it was led to a place of safety. Then he was taken from his horse, +put into an ambulance and carried to Richmond. He died the next day. + +Stuart was considered the greatest cavalry leader of the war on either +side, and his death brought a very great loss to Gen. Lee, and also to +the whole Confederacy. + +The Confederacy had from the beginning attached greater importance to +the cavalry arm of the service than had the North, and many had been the +daring raids that Stuart made within the enemy's lines, capturing +thousands of wagons laden with military stores, and many thousand +prisoners. In fact, almost our entire cavalry was equipped with +saddles, bridles and arms captured from the enemy; nearly all the wagons +in Lee's army were captured wagons. But perhaps Providence knew that the +time was near at hand when we would not need these things, so He +permitted the one who had been the means of supplying our wants in this +particular to retire from the field. He was buried in Hollywood +Cemetery, Richmond, Va., and a magnificent equestrian statue marks the +spot. + +Many of Stuart's raids were made under the cover of darkness. He always +wore a long ostrich feather in his hat, and was a splendid rider. The +soldiers had a war song, the chorus of which was something like this: +"We'll follow the feather of Stuart tonight." + +The prisoners were taken back and put under guard. I think this was +about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. We remained there quietly until after +dark, all the time, however, the fighting was going on, but we were out +of reach of danger in that respect, so we had a brief breathing spell. + +After dark Sheridan's whole command began to move slowly toward +Richmond, making frequent stops of a few minutes. The prisoners +marched two abreast, with a line of cavalry guard on each side. We +had, of course, to keep up with the cavalry. + +[Illustration: A BATTLE-SCARRED CONFEDERATE BANNER.] + +Our guard was very kind to us, and allowed us to take hold of their +stirrup straps, which was quite a help to us as we marched along, +especially in crossing streams, one of which I remember was up to our +waists. It began raining at midnight, and continued most of the next +day. The night was very dark, and from the distance we had covered from +the time we started, it seemed to us that we must be very near the city. +Finally we turned to the left and moved toward the James river, in a +southeasterly direction from Richmond. + +As we had no sleep the night before, but rode all night, and now were +walking all night in the rain and mud, and without food, you may know we +were in a wretched condition. Every now and then a friendly Yank would +hand us a cracker from his haversack, saying, "Here, Johnnie." But they +were on short rations themselves, and could not help us much in that +respect. + +The next day we were in constant peril from the shells thrown from the +Confederate batteries, that seemed to come in every direction. In fact, +Sheridan was completely surrounded, except on one side, and his +progress was stopped there by the Chickahominy river. + +This is a slow, marshy river, crossed by two or three bridges. The chief +one had been destroyed by the Confederates. Sheridan was in close +quarters, and we prisoners had made up our minds that he would have to +surrender his army. + +We got so bold and impudent that we hailed Yankee officers as they +passed us, and said, "Hey there, Mr. Yank, I speak for that horse." + +Among these officers so hailed was a red-headed major, who was in +command of our guard. Prior to this, he had been very surly and +exceedingly gruff and harsh. So much so, that the prisoners had +whispered among themselves that if we did get him in our hands we'd make +him sweat, and when it became evident not only to us, but to the enemy, +that they were in danger of capture, this particular officer changed his +attitude toward us very perceptibly. He took our jeers and taunts +without a word, and, luckily for us, about this time he was relieved of +his position, and another put in his place. Perhaps he had asked for it, +knowing that he wouldn't receive very kind treatment if he fell into +our hands. + +But, oh, the irony of Fate. On a hill fronting the river (not far from +the bridge) was an old Virginia mansion. The prisoners were led to this +house and ordered to tear it down and carry the timbers to the river and +rebuild the bridge. What do you think of that? Of course, we had to +obey, but we made loud complaints, and while we were carrying this +timber and rebuilding the bridge, our enemy was protecting us, from +their standpoint (as far as they could), by keeping back the +Confederates, who were pouring shot and shell into their ranks from +every direction. The bridge was repaired, Sheridan's command was soon +safe on the other side, and our hopes died away. + +There are two little incidents connected with my capture that I ought +not to leave out, so I will go back to that event. The first one may +serve a good purpose if the reader is ever placed in similar +circumstances. + +When I realized that we were in the hands of the enemy, but before they +had gotten to where I was, I lay down on my face in the ditch alongside +of the wounded and dead, pretending myself to be dead. I had the most +awful feeling while lying there imaginable, and felt that at any moment +I might be thrust through with a bayonet, and the feeling was so intense +that as soon as I heard the Yankees tramping about me and calling upon +the men to surrender, I got up and surrendered. If I had only had +presence of mind enough to have lain on my back and watched them from +the corner of my eye, I might have passed through the ordeal and escaped +after they left, as they did not remain long. + +In the first place, the men were cavalrymen, and hence had no bayonets. +Then again, the Confederate bullets were hissing about their ears in +such a manner that they never would have thought of testing a "Johnnie +Reb" in that way in order to see whether he was really dead or playing +possum. + +The other incident was the second night after our capture. It was still +raining, and the weather was quite cool for the season (it was about the +10th of May). We were all wet to the skin, and nearly starved. We were +stopped in a field, a guard placed around us, an old cow driven up and +shot, and we were told to help ourselves. So every fellow that could get +a knife went up and cut his own steak. They gave us some fence rails, +out of which we made little fires and broiled our cow meat. She may have +been tough and old, and I know we had no salt, but the meat was as sweet +to us as any porterhouse steak we had ever eaten. + +We huddled together for the night like pigs, and slept comfortably, +notwithstanding we had tramped the earth into a mud hole. + +But to go back to the crossing of the Chickahominy river. Once across +that river, the enemy seemed to have very little opposition to their +march toward the James. + +I know it was a long, weary march, and their horses were giving out all +along the way. When a horse got too sore-footed to travel, he was shot, +and as we passed along we saw hundreds of these horses, with the warm +life-blood flowing from a hole in their foreheads, lying by the side of +the road. This was done to prevent the horses from falling into the +hands of the Confederates. + +When we got in sight of the James river, the prisoners were halted in an +orchard, and rested there for an hour or so. Just over the fence were +some little pigs, with their tails curled around like a curl on a girl's +head, rooting around for something nice to eat. One of the prisoners +called to a Yankee to catch a pig and throw it over the fence. He at +once made a dive for the pigs and got one, and threw it to us. A great +crowd rushed for the pig, every fellow with a knife in his hand, and as +many as could get hold of the little fellow began cutting into his +anatomy. I had hold of one of the hind legs, and while we cut, the pig +squealed. I got a whole ham for my share. Of course, I shared it with my +comrades. + +We gathered sticks and built little fires, and had a grand feast of +roast pig. My, it was sweet! There was neither ceremony, pepper nor +salt. + +Soon after this banquet we were marched to the James river, put on a +steamer, and our empty stomachs filled to the brim with a good dinner. +The first course was good beef soup, thickened with vegetables. We +certainly enjoyed it. Then came roast beef and real baker's bread +(something we hadn't had for an age). + +But to go back to Spottsylvania Courthouse. Grant's efforts to get to +Richmond by breaking through Lee's lines were as ineffectual there as +they had been in the Wilderness two days before. So he packed his grip +(so to speak) and made another move toward the James river. + +These two battles, of course, had reduced his fighting forces +materially, but the Government at Washington kept filling up his ranks +and supplying him with every need. In fact, in one case particularly, +they sent him more war material than he could use, and rather than +encumber his march, he sent 100 cannon back to Washington, while the +poor Confeds had no such source of supply, and had to be content with +making the best of the material they had. + +Gen. Lee moved his army in a parallel line with Grant's, and kept in his +front, ready to dispute his passage if he attempted to move forward. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 5: General Longstreet gives 63,998 as the total strength of +Lee's army in this campaign. Longstreet was severely wounded at the +Battle of the Wilderness by a bullet shot through the neck. Was carried +from the field on a litter, and was unable to return to the army for +several months. Lee had lost the services of Jos. E. Johnson, Jackson, +Longstreet, and a few days later J.E.B. Stuart. These were his ablest +lieutenants.] + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +_From James River to Petersburg._ + + "Down on the left of the Rebel lines, + Where a breastwork stands on a copse of pines, + Before the Rebels their ranks can form, + The Yankees have carried the place by storm." + + +I think it was about the 12th of May when Grant began his march from +Spottsylvania, and it was, I think, the 3rd of June when he made another +attempt at Cold Harbor to enter Richmond by breaking through Lee's army, +and another desperate battle was fought, but the losses were not so +great as they were at the Wilderness or Spottsylvania. Grant, however, +was again defeated, and continued his march toward the James river. In +this battle the colonel of my regiment (Flournoy) was killed. He was a +dashing young colonel, but not as prudent as an officer should be. At +the time he was killed he was standing on the top of the breastworks, +behind which men were fighting, shouting defiance at the enemy, and +challenging them to come out in the open and fight it out. Of course, it +did not take them long to put a bullet through his body. At one time he +was major of the regiment, then lieutenant-colonel, and on the +retirement of his father, he was made colonel. His father was once +Governor of the State. Richards, Captain of Company C, was made colonel +of our regiment, and held this position during the war. He had commanded +a company of cavalry from Clark county, Virginia. + +Grant differed from other commanders who fought the army of Northern +Virginia in this respect--he refused to acknowledge defeat. If his +attacks failed at one point after repeated attempts, he would move his +army to the left and attack again. This he kept up to the end of the +war. + +Not being able to reach Richmond by attacking Lee on the north side of +the river, he crossed his main army to the south side, and stretching +out his line of battle from the James to Petersburg, began a long siege, +that lasted through the fall and winter till late in the spring. + +Now to go back to prison. + +The steamer on which we were placed and given such a good, substantial +dinner, soon after this took its departure down the James and landed us +at Fortress Monroe, where we were put in an inclosure with a number of +other prisoners, and among them the officers and crew of the British +steamer "Grayhound," that had been captured while trying to run a +blockade into one of the Southern ports. + +They all seemed to be Southern sympathizers, and whenever they had an +opportunity showed the Confederate prisoners much kindness, even going +so far as to distribute gold among them, of which they seemed to have an +abundant supply. This was, of course, done on the sly, and the +Confederates were careful to conceal these gifts. Those who were well +enough off to wear stockings, slipped the gold in their stocking-leg. +Some put it in their mouths. This was necessary, as the prisoners were +frequently searched. + +These Englishmen were loud in their protests, and were making all kinds +of threats as to what their Government would do if it learned of their +treatment. + +After remaining there a few days the Confederates were again marched +aboard a steamer and taken to "Point Lookout," where a regular +prison-camp had been established. I think there were about 15,000 +prisoners at this camp guarded by negro troops, which made our Southern +blood boil. As the darkies used to say, "The bottom rail had got on +top." + +The camp was on a point of land formed by the junction of the Potomac +river and Chesapeake Bay on the north side of the river. I imagine there +were about ten acres of ground, surrounded by a high board fence, +probably about 14 feet high. Just below the top was built a platform +about three feet wide, and on this platform the guards walked to and fro +with their guns on their shoulders. From their position they could +overlook the whole camp, as the ground was perfectly level. There was +also a strong guard inside the camp, while artillery and regiments of +infantry were stationed near the camp to guard it from outside attack, +and one or more gunboats patrolled the waters that nearly surrounded the +camp. + +Notwithstanding this precaution, occasionally prisoners made their +escape. One ingenious method that baffled our guards for a long time was +the following: + +The prisoners were allowed to go outside of the enclosure on the beach +to bathe. And if an empty barrel or box happened to be floating on the +water, a prisoner in bathing would watch his opportunity, slip his head +under the barrel or box, and then as the tide drifted up the river, +would follow it, keeping as near the shore as necessary until he got +beyond the reach of the guard, and then take to the woods. + +The punishment for trying to escape was cruel. Those who were caught at +it were strung up to a pole by the thumbs, with the tips of their toes +just touching the ground. Sometimes the men would faint, and had to be +cut down. + +Upon the whole, prison life was very monotonous. It was an unhealthy +camp; so much so, that the prisoners considered that they had a better +chance for their lives fighting in the army. + +The water was brackish and unpleasant to the taste. The only water we +had was from pumps scattered about over the camps, and during the four +months that I was there the pumps were always surrounded by a thirsty +crowd of from 40 to 50 prisoners, each with his tincup, trying to wedge +his way in, that he might quench his thirst. + +The food, while good, was very scant. Breakfast consisted of coffee and +a loaf of bread, which, under ordinary circumstances, with vegetables +and other food, would probably suffice for two meals. This loaf was +given us at breakfast, and if we ate it all then we went without bread +for dinner. If there was any left over we took it to our tents, laid it +on the ground, and saved it for dinner. + +The dinners consisted of a tincup of soup (generally bean or other +vegetable), a small piece of meat on a tinplate, on which a little +vinegar was poured to prevent scurvy. My recollection is we had no other +meal, but my mind is not perfectly clear on this point. I do know, +however, that we were always hungry, and the chief topic of conversation +was the sumptuous meals we had sat down to in other days. + +As I recalled the tables of former years laden with bacon, cabbage, +potatoes and hominy, I remember how I reproached myself for not having +eaten more when I had the opportunity. Delicacies never entered into the +discussion; it was always the plain, simple foods that we talked about +and longed for. + +We were told that the short rations were given us in retaliation for the +scanty food supplied to their soldiers in Southern prisons. + +The hospitals were crowded all the time, and there were many sick in +the camp waiting their opportunity to go into hospitals. + +We lived in what is known as Sibley tents, shaped like a bell, with an +opening in the top about 15 inches in diameter. + +There were 12 men to a tent, who, when they slept, arranged themselves +in a circle, like the spokes of a wagon, with their feet toward the +center. These tents were as close as they could stand on the ground, +with wide avenues between every two rows of tents, thus allowing every +tent to front on an avenue. + +Every day the prisoners were called out of their tents and formed in +line; roll was called and the prisoners searched. And while they were +being searched, the guards were searching the tents. For just what +purpose this search was done I do not know, unless it was for fear that +arms might be smuggled in to be used by the prisoners for making their +escape. + +Many of the prisoners had a peculiar affection of the eyes, caused, +perhaps, by the glare from the white tents, the sand, and the reflection +from the water. There was nothing green to be seen anywhere, +consequently many of the prisoners became blind for a portion of the 24 +hours. Just as the sun was sinking behind the fence they would become +totally blind, and had to be led about by someone. As morning light came +the blindness would disappear. + +Some of the prisoners who were mechanics or artisans got work outside, +but I believe they got no pay except full rations and the privilege of +bringing things into camp, such as blocks of wood, pieces of metal, etc. +Out of these were manufactured a great many interesting little +articles--small steam locomotives, wooden fans, rings from rubber +buttons set with gold and silver, and sometimes gems. One ingenious +fellow built a small distillery and made whiskey from potato rinds or +whatever refuse he could pick up, and got drunk on the product. + +All about the camp were boards on which these manufactured articles were +exposed for sale. A cracker would buy a chew of tobacco. The tobacco was +cut up into chews and half chews. The crackers were brought in by the +men who went out to work. I cannot recall all the curious things that +were exposed for sale within the camp. + +Whilst in prison, twice I was very kindly remembered by Miss Melissa +Baker of Baltimore, Md., who sent me boxes containing provisions, +clothing, towels, soap, toothbrush, jars of preserves, cooked ham, +crackers, lemons, tea, coffee and sugar. When I received the first box I +just concluded that I was going to kill myself eating. I ate, and ate, +and ate. I simply could not stop; and so did all my comrades in the +tent. + +So, of course, the box didn't last long. However, at first I suffered no +evil consequences, but finally, like most of the other prisoners, was +taken sick (but not from eating), and my comrades made application for +my entrance into the hospital. I had to wait a week or ten days before +there was a vacancy. I was carried there on a stretcher, and was so sick +that I had to be fed. + +Soon after my entrance into the hospital Caleb Rector was brought in. +His home was on the turnpike between Middleburg and Upperville. He had a +scorching fever, and was soon delirious. I put my hand on him, and the +heat almost burned me. One day a nurse took a wet towel and put it on +his forehead. Although he was unconscious, I saw a smile play over his +face, and as the nurse was bending over him he reached up one hand +and caught the nurse by the hair; then pulling his head down, and +lifting the wet towel with his other hand, tried to put it on the +nurse's forehead. That act revealed the character of the man. He was +open-hearted and generous, and the cool towel on his forehead was so +pleasant to him that he wanted the nurse to share it with him. + +[Illustration: GEN. A.P. HILL, + +Commanding a corps of Lee's army. Killed just before the final +surrender.] + +The nurses were all men, chosen from among the prisoners. I never saw a +woman the whole time I was in prison. + +The hospitals were long tents, each holding about 30 cots. As soon as a +patient died, he was taken out to the dead-house, the sheets changed, +and another brought in. + +When I was first taken there I remarked to my neighbor that I did not +think that was very healthy (meaning the placing of a new patient at +once on a bed that was still warm from the body that had just been +removed). He replied that the bed that I was on had been occupied by a +smallpox patient, and I was put on it a few minutes after the patient +was taken out. + +However, there was a separate hospital for contagious diseases, and the +patient was removed as soon as the disease developed. + +Most of those who went into the hospital died. The dead were all carried +at once to the dead-house on stretchers, and once a day a two-horse +wagon came in, and their bodies were laid in it like so much cord wood, +uncoffined, taken out and buried in long trenches. The trenches were +seven feet wide and three feet deep, and the bodies were laid across the +trench side by side and covered with earth. + +I had been in prison about four months when news came that the two +Governments had agreed upon an exchange of prisoners; it only included +the sick in the hospitals. Of course, every patient in the hospital was +on the anxious bench and wondering whether he would be included among +the fortunate ones. Some days afterward a corps of physicians came to +the hospital tents examining the different patients that lay in the +cots, taking the name of one and leaving another. I happened to be among +those who were selected for exchange. The object seemed to be to take +only those who were not liable to be fit for service soon. + +We were not at this time exchanged, but each side had agreed to parole +the sick from the hospitals, that is, those who were not too ill to be +moved. At one time the two Governments freely exchanged prisoners, but +this worked so much to the advantage of the South that the North refused +to continue the agreement. All Southern soldiers were enlisted for the +war, and when the prisoners came back from the North they went at once +into the armies of the Confederacy, while Northern prisoners, returning +from the South, mostly went to their homes, as they enlisted for one +year, and their terms of service in most cases had about expired. Then +again, the South was taxed severely to feed its own soldiers and +citizens, and were only too glad to get rid of the burden of caring for +Northern prisoners, and hence the North did all they could to restrict +the exchange of prisoners, but there was such a pressure brought to bear +upon the U.S. Government by those who had sick and wounded friends +confined in Southern prisons, that now and then each side would parole a +number of prisoners from the hospitals who might later be exchanged. My +recollection is that about 1500 Confederate prisoners in the hospital at +Point Lookout were paroled at this time, and I among them. + +We were put on a steamer and carried to a point below Richmond, on the +James river, where we met a like number of Federal prisoners that came +down from Richmond, and there the exchange was made. The vessel that +carried us up the river was a small one, and the sick were packed on the +deck and in the hold of the vessel as thick as they could lay. They were +all sick, but had to lie on the hard decks with no attention, except +that a doctor now and then went through the vessel handing out pills to +any who wanted them. He carried them loose in his pocket, and as he +stepped between and over the men as they lay on the hard beds, he would +say, "Who wants a pill?" And all around him the bony, emaciated arms +would be stretched up to receive the medicine. What the pills contained +no one knew, but the suffering men swallowed them and asked no +questions. They were sick, and needed medicine, and this was medicine. +What more did a sick soldier need? The disease, however, was almost +entirely a bowel affection, and, perhaps, the same medicine served for +all cases. Many died on the way. A large number of the dead were put off +at Fortress Monroe as the vessel passed. + +Just before reaching the point where the vessels were to meet in the +river, our vessel was drawn up alongside of a fine large steamer, and +we were transferred to it. + +All the very sick were placed upon new mattresses. This was the +condition in which we were received by our Confederate friends. + +The vessel that landed us on the bank of the James took back the Federal +prisoners that had been brought down from Richmond, but I hardly think +they were transferred to the smaller vessel that brought us from Point +Lookout. The Federal authorities were ashamed to let the officers of the +Confederate Government see the miserable condition in which we were +transported; hence the transfer to the larger vessel just before +delivering us to the Confederates. As soon as we landed we were all +given a tincup of hot, nutritious soup, the like of which we had not +tasted since leaving our homes for the field, unless it was the soup the +Yanks had given us four months before when we embarked on the James +river for Fortress Monroe prison. + +We were conveyed from this point to Richmond by rail, and distributed +among the various army hospitals in the city. I was sent to the +Chimborazo Hospital, on the outskirts of the city, located on a bluff +looking down the river, within hearing distance of the siege guns on +Dury's Bluff, on the James. These were constantly throwing missiles of +some sort at the Yankee gunboats below. I remained in the hospital about +ten days, and then was considered well enough to go into camp with other +convalescents. There were several hundred of us. The camp was near the +city. + +Some were paroled prisoners and some were from the hospitals of the +city, but not strong enough to return to their commands. + +All who could reach their homes were allowed leave of absence, but much +of the Confederate territory was then in the hands of the Northern +armies, and all whose homes could not in safety be reached were placed +in camps until they were in condition for active service. Of course, +those on parole could not re-enter the army until regularly exchanged. + +After remaining in this camp a short time and receiving in Confederate +paper money a portion of our pay, we were marched into Richmond and to +one of the depots. We did not know what disposition they intended making +of us (perhaps we were going to a new camp), but there was a train that +was just starting out for Gordonsville, so three of us got on the rear +platform of the end car and thus beat our way to Gordonsville without +being noticed. This was as far as the train could go in safety on +account of the proximity of the enemy. When we got off we noticed Gen. +Lee standing in the crowd, having just alighted from the train. I had +often seen him, but never got as close to him as I desired. Now, this +was my chance. I went up within five feet of him, and took a good look. +I never expect again to look upon such a splendid piece of humanity. He +was dressed in a new Confederate uniform that fitted him perfectly, with +long-legged boots, reaching above the knees. His collar was adorned on +each side with three gold stars, surrounded by a gold wreath. His head +was covered with a new soft black hat, encircled with a gold cord, from +which dangled two gold acorns, one on each end. His hands were covered +with yellow buckskin gauntlets, reaching one-third the way to his +elbows. His beard was iron-gray, white predominating; it was closely +clipped, and was what is called a full beard. I imagined that he was a +little over six feet and would weigh 190 pounds. His eyes, I think, were +brown, and as bright as stars. No picture could possibly do him +justice. I suppose it would take cycles of time to produce another such +as he--so perfect in form and feature. + +We three at once struck off across the fields to go as far as we could +toward our homes. We moved in the direction of Charlottesville, and, +avoiding the town, passed beyond, but were soon apprised of the fact +that we could not go farther without danger of running into the enemy. +We put up at a farmhouse for a few days, and after learning that the +enemy had withdrawn from the immediate vicinity, we took to the road, +our destination being the home of my brother Gerard, a farmer living +near McGaheysville, Rockingham county, just west of the Blue Ridge. We +arrived there in due time, and remained quite a while, perhaps a month. +We did work about the farm, which was accepted as compensation for our +board. Of course, no one thought of asking money consideration from a +soldier, and as far as I was concerned, I felt free to come and go +without money and without price. + +When I was captured I rode a borrowed horse, belonging to one of the +members of my command. This horse was not captured with me, and was +taken possession of by the owner, but I had a horse that I had left with +my brother Gerard to recuperate, and when I reached there I expected to +use this horse in getting home. Imagine my disappointment when I was +told that he was dead. His rest and good pasture had put fresh blood in +his veins and vigorous life in his body, and one day, as he was sporting +in the field and performing various gymnastic stunts, he broke a blood +vessel, and bled to death. + +My brother John, who was then in prison, had a horse there also. I +pressed that horse into service, and started for home late in the fall. +I got safely through the enemy's lines, and received a warm welcome by +the folks at home. I was still a paroled prisoner, and had to refrain +from going on any of the expeditions that were making Mosby and his men +famous and a terror to the authorities in Washington, although I was +strongly tempted to do so. The winter was spent pretty much as the one I +have already described. The life of the Confederacy, for whose existence +we had suffered and lost so much, was hanging in the balance. Every +family was mourning the loss of one or more dead or maimed; food and +clothing could hardly be obtained at any price. To add to the +distressed condition, a decree had gone out from Washington that all the +mills, barns, provender for beast and food for man was to be burned, and +all cattle and horses of every description found, driven off. This +decree had been carried out with a cruelty that in the light of +present-day civilization seems incredible. + +The armies, "like the locust of Egypt," went out from Washington, swept +down the rich valley of Virginia beyond Staunton and destroyed or +carried off everything except the homes and the old men and women and +children who occupied them. Many of these homes were destroyed by +catching fire from the burning barns and mills. Every part of Virginia +within reach of the Northern armies suffered the same devastation. + +While I write this, a gentleman sits in my office who was in the +Northern army and took part in the burning. I have just read the +foregoing to him and asked him if it were not true. "Yes," said he, +"every word of it." + +Notwithstanding this condition of things, everywhere might be heard the +cry, "On with the dance, let joy be unconfined." Mosby's fame as a +daring raider had spread far and wide, and his command had increased to +over 500. Dashing young cavaliers from every part of Virginia, mounted +upon handsome steeds, came trooping in to join his command. They were +mostly boys who were too young to enter the army at the beginning of +hostilities, but now, as they became old enough to be ranked as +soldiers, were anxious to get into the midst of the greatest excitement. +The hills and valleys of Loudoun and Fauquier, coupled with parts of the +adjacent counties, furnished the field, and John S. Mosby of Warrenton, +Va., was accepted as their leader. + +What might we expect when these 500 handsome young men, all well mounted +and armed, in whose veins flowed the blood of the heroes of the +revolution? These 500 heroes, coming in every few days, some of them +with the marks of the battle on their bodies and trophies of victories +in their hands. What do you suppose those Virginia girls were going to +do about it, put on sackcloth and ashes? Well, it was sackcloth they +wore, and many of their treasures were in ashes, but their spirits were +unbroken. They had faith in the God of battles, and while they could not +bear arms, they said, "Let us make merry, for these are our brothers and +lovers; we should cheer them with laughter and song; it will make them +stronger and braver." And so it did, and they fiddled and danced while +"Rome burned." + +Some time during the latter part of the winter I learned that all the +prisoners who were paroled at a certain time had been exchanged, and +were ordered to rejoin their various commands. That included me. + +As I was no longer under obligation not to take up arms against the U.S. +Government, I could not refrain from taking some part in the upholding +of what was often called Mosby's Confederacy (meaning the territory in +which he operated), so I was tempted to steal a few more days before +obeying the order from Richmond. I went with Mosby on one occasion when +the Yankees made a raid through Loudoun and Fauquier with cavalry and +artillery seeking to annihilate his command. Mosby had all his force out +on the occasion, and hung on the enemy's front flanks and rear from the +time they entered Mosby's territory until they left. He did not allow +them time to eat, sleep or rest. In an encounter near my home a Yankee's +horse was killed, from which I took the bridle, which was a very fine +one. In doing so I got my hands bloody, and the blood from the bridle +stained my clothes. This started the rumor that I was wounded, and it +reached my home before I got there, but I soon arrived and explained the +mistake. + +Shortly afterward I was in company with a number of others en route for +Lee's army, the greater portion of which was south of Richmond, +stretching from there to Petersburg. + +Now to go back to my capture at Yellow Tavern. After Grant's repulse at +Cold Harbor he crossed the James river with his army and began the siege +of Richmond, which lasted all through the remainder of the fall and +winter of 1864 and 1865 into April. + +The colonel of my regiment (Flournoy), who I stated was killed at the +battle of Cold Harbor, was the last of the colonels in my brigade to +lose his life. A gallant young officer, but a little too fond of the +bottle, not very choice in his language, rather reckless. A few days +before he was killed he remarked to one of his staff as they stood +around the camp-fire, "I don't believe the bullet that is to kill me has +yet been molded." Foolish man; at that very time, not far from where he +stood, was a soldier in blue carrying about his waist a leather +cartridge-box that held the very bullet that was to end his life, and +not many hours afterward that bullet and that colonel met. The latter +surrendered without a word. + +The winter was a long, dreary one, and the Confederates, being compelled +to live in the trenches night and day, suffered terribly from cold and +hunger. Wade Hampton took Gen. Stuart's place after the latter's death, +and during the winter made a raid inside Grant's lines and drove out +1500 head of fat cattle. It did not take Lee's hungry soldiers long to +dispose of them and lick their chops for more. Grant's great army, +stretching from the James river to Petersburg, compelled Gen. Lee to do +the same with his little, half-starved and scantily-clothed force, and +all winter long Grant pounded away at Lee's front, trying to break +through. The most sensational event that occurred was the battle of the +Crater, as it was called. Grant attempted to break Lee's line by digging +a great tunnel, which had for its object the blowing up of Lee's +intrenchments, and then in the confusion, rushing a large force into the +opening. The tunnel was finished up to and under Lee's line and loaded +with explosives. I believe there was a premature explosion, which +resulted in the killing of more of Grant's soldiers than of Lee's, and +then the attack that followed resulted in a great slaughter of Grant's +men and the total failure of the project. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +_From Petersburg to Appomattox and Home._ + + "There hangs a saber, and there a rein, + With a rusty buckle and a green curb chain; + A pair of spurs on the old grey wall, + And a moldy saddle--well, that is all." + + +April 2, 1865, Lee was compelled to evacuate Richmond, abandon his whole +battle line, and fall back toward the mountains. He hoped to be able to +join his forces with those of Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, who was advancing +northward through North Carolina, but his losses were so heavy and his +army almost starved, the road deep with mud from excessive rains, making +it impossible for his gaunt, lean horses to draw his artillery and +wagons. He saw further resistance was useless, so on April 9, 1865, Lee +surrendered what was left of his once formidable army. The number was a +little less than 8000 men. I have seen it stated that Lee had about +35,000 men,[6] when, on April 2, he ordered the evacuation of his +line of intrenchments. Some of his cavalry, being on the outskirts, were +not included in the surrender. Besides this, during the seven days' +retreat, Grant's forces were pressing Lee's army on all sides, killing, +wounding and capturing some of his men every hour; this accounts for the +small number that Gen. Lee personally surrendered. The first thing that +was done after the surrender was an application from Gen. Lee to Grant +for food for his horses and men, which was promptly supplied. Of course, +there is much that is interesting in connection with the surrender that +need not be recorded here. Grant's treatment of Lee and his soldiers won +for him praise all over the South. + +[Illustration: ONE OF STONEWALL JACKSON'S MILEPOSTS. A FAMILIAR SIGHT TO +THOSE WHO TRAVELED THE VALLEY TURNPIKE DURING THE CIVIL WAR.] + +But to go back. As I have said, I was on the march from home toward the +army, and had reached a point not far from Charlottesville. There were +about a dozen of us, all belonging to my regiment. About noon we saw +advancing toward us a small body of cavalry. At first we took them for +the enemy and approached them cautiously, they using the same +precaution. When we discovered that we were fellow-Confeds we passed +with a salute. One of them called to us and said, "Boys, you may as well +go home; Lee has surrendered his army." We paid no attention to it, but +moved on. A mile farther we met another squad and asked what was the +news from the army. We got this reply: "As we passed through +Charlottesville we came near being mobbed for telling the news from the +army. You had better go on and find out for yourselves." Soon after this +we met a colonel leading about 40 cavalrymen. By this time we began to +feel that something was wrong. The colonel halted his men and frankly +told us that it was a fact that Lee had surrendered his army. He stated +that some of the cavalry had escaped and they were making their way +toward their homes, and advised us to do the same. The colonel and his +men moved on, and we halted for an hour in the road discussing the +situation and trying to determine what to do. We were not prepared to +act upon the evidence that we had had regarding the surrender, but were +willing to admit that it might be true. One fellow from Company F, +riding a gray horse, rose in his stirrups, and lifting his clinched hand +high above his head, said, "If Gen. Lee has had to surrender his army, +there is not a just God in Heaven." + +Finally we decided to cross the mountains into the Virginia Valley and +tarry in the vicinity of Staunton and await further tidings. I made a +bee-line for my brother Gerard's. The others scattered here and there. +After remaining a few days at my brother's I started, in company with +six or eight others, who were from the lower end of the valley, +principally Clark county, for my home in Loudoun, with no definite idea +as to what I should do before I got there. In fact, the others were in +the same frame of mind. + +We had heard and read the proclamation that all Confederate soldiers who +would surrender their arms and take the oath of allegiance to the U.S. +Government (except a certain grade of officers) would be allowed to go +to their homes and not be molested, but we had not yet come to the point +of surrendering. + +We moved on down the valley pike, noting as we went the terrible havoc +the war had made, commenting on what we called Jackson's mileposts, viz. +the skeletons of horses that had fallen by the way. They were, however, +too thick to be called mileposts, but that is what we called them. + +A little below Woodstock, I think it was, we saw on a hill, standing in +the middle of the road facing us, two sentinels on horseback. They were +Yankee pickets. I think there were eight of us. We halted. Someone said, +"Well, boys, what are we going to do? We can't pass these pickets. Shall +we surrender?" I guess we stood there for an hour. We were all mounted. +Finally a young fellow from Clark county said, "I'm going up and +surrender." Another said, "I go with you." And the two, taking something +in their hands that would pass for a flag of truce (white handkerchiefs +had become obsolete), went forward and were allowed to pass. They went +to headquarters and surrendered. Then one by one the little band melted +away, leaving two, and I was one of them. We were not ready to +surrender. We went back out of sight, and made a flank movement to get +into the foothills of the Massanutten mountains, and by keeping under +cover of the timber, managed to get within 12 miles of my home without +being molested. + +As we stood on the edge of the woods we saw the Yankee cavalry moving up +and down the turnpike running from Paris to Middleburg. It looked as if +there was nothing else to do but surrender. At this point my comrade +deserted me and went forward and surrendered. I watched my opportunity, +slipping across the pike unobserved, and following the Blue Ridge +mountains until nearly opposite my home, took a straight line across the +fields and reached home safely. As I carried my full complement of arms +I created no little surprise and consternation. + +Union soldiers were constantly passing along the road which ran close by +my home, some of them stopping for water or for information, but I could +not fully make up my mind to surrender. My brother Richard of Mosby's +command was of the same mind. Mosby and all his men had surrendered, and +the family pleaded with us to do the same, but we were obstinate. This, +however, was nothing to our credit. When one is whipped he should be man +enough to acknowledge it and brave enough to surrender, unless the +conqueror be a cannibal. + +Thus ended my career as a soldier. As I look back over those four +eventful years, after a lapse of over 40 years, it all seems a dream. In +time of peace it is a struggle for 75 per cent. of us to get a fair +living out of the earth, but the people down South managed to live, and +were in a degree comfortable and contented, and managed to get food +enough to preserve their bodies and keep them strong and healthy. Flour +was $500 a barrel. I paid $125 in Richmond for a hat that I could now +buy for $1. This common red-striped candy, $25 per pound. Samuel Rector +had gone from Loudoun county to Richmond in 1864 on some business. When +ready to go home he thought it would be nice and the proper thing to do +to take the family some little remembrances. He went into a +confectionery store and asked to see some candies. The jars were taken +down and he tasted first one then another. Selecting one and asking the +price, he was told that it was $25 per pound. It was of the long, +red-striped variety just mentioned, worth in times of peace about 10 +cents per pound. He had a pound of it wrapped up, and handed the +proprietor a $50 Confederate note. Twenty dollars was handed back in +change. Mr. Rector said, "I understood you to say the price was $25." +"That is true," said the affable confectioner, "but you ate $5 worth." +The joke was well worth $5 to Mr. Rector, and he got more pleasure out +of it than he did out of the pound of candy. + +There were four commodities with which the South was plentifully +supplied, viz., tobacco, cotton, money and horses. We raised the two +former in the territory not harassed by marching armies. The third was +supplied by printing presses, and the horses were captured from our +enemy. Of course, bridles, saddles, harness and wagons came with the +horses. + +I have omitted a great many little entertaining incidents partly for the +sake of brevity and partly because they escaped my memory at the time +they should have been narrated. One that I just now recall, and one +which the children always used to make me tell whenever war stories were +called for, regardless of how often it had been repeated, I will insert +here: + +One cold, windy night in the winter of '62 I was on picket on the +turnpike between Upperville and Middleburg. Pickets in the Confederate +army always stood alone, as two or more would likely be absorbed in +conversation and forget their duty. We were also admonished not to +dismount. I was a little reckless that night, and dismounting stood +leaning against my horse to break the bleak wind and absorb as much heat +from his body as possible. He became restless, and I noticed that he was +looking intently down the pike and throwing his head up and down as +horses will do when excited. I listened, but could hear no sound, and +told my steed to keep still, but his keen eyes or ears saw or heard +something that worried him, and he kept his ears pointed down in the +direction from which the enemy would probably come if they came at all. +I said to myself, "You had better mount your horse." But I delayed. I +then recalled the fact that news had reached the camp that day that a +body of cavalry had left the vicinity of Washington and was moving +northeast, and we were admonished to keep a sharp lookout. Then I +concluded to mount, but before I could do so I realized that it was too +late. + +I was standing close by one of those old Virginia stone fences, about +five feet high, and in the darkness I saw an object creeping up on the +other side of the fence, close to it, and only a few feet from where I +stood. I immediately concluded that the object was a man, and that he +was from the enemy and was bent on capturing or killing the picket, so +as to surprise our camp. The most accessible weapon I had was my sabre. +I drew it and made a cut at what I conceived to be the man's head. As I +did so, the object disappeared behind the fence, and in its place +appeared what proved to be a black cat's tail, which in a flash +followed the cat. Although it was quite dark, the little black object +appearing between me and the sky was plainly visible. This incident +taught me a lesson that I never forgot. I mounted my horse, and never +was known afterward to dismount when on the picket line. I believe this +was the greatest fright I encountered during my whole four years' war +experience. + +One more little incident, and a short tribute to the remarkable fidelity +of the colored people of the South to the Southern cause and the +families of their owners, and I shall have finished. + +There was in my company a soldier by the name of Owens--Mason Owens. He +was a splendid fellow, quiet in his demeanor, brave in battle, always in +his place, whether that place was in the front or rear rank, but never +liked to do anything that called for disguise or deception, such as +acting as a spy or disguised as a Union soldier, in order to get into +the enemy's camp, although he recognized that it was necessary to have +men for work of this kind. Owens was very fond of me; in fact, I had no +more faithful friend in the army. He was continually with me, doing me +favors, sharing with me any delicacy that came into his possession, +keeping close by me in battle. Sometimes when the regiment would be +ordered to dismount for the purpose of engaging the foe on foot (and he +was No. 4, making it his duty to remain mounted and take care of Nos. 1, +2, and 3 horses), he would quickly dismount and take my place in the +ranks and leave me the care of the horses (a place few objected to +having), and many like favors. One afternoon, near night, our captain +said that he had a requisition for six picked men to do some hazardous +nightwork within the enemy's lines, just the kind of duty that Owens +detested. But fate was against him, and he and five others were +selected. He sullenly complied, and as he rode out of the ranks with his +face flushed and his head bowed, I heard him say, "I don't like this." +Someone said, "Owens, I'll take your place." He turned and gave him a +look that must have chilled the fellow's blood, and said, "_Didn't you +hear Capt. Gibson call me?_" + +I saw the six ride off; Owens didn't even say good-bye to me. That night +one of Lee's noted scouts led these men, with others taken from other +commands, into the enemy's camp, and Owens never returned. He was shot, +and fell from his horse, dying either from cold or the wound. At +intervals during the night a citizen living near where he fell heard +someone calling, but was afraid to go out. The next morning he found his +dead body and buried it. I grieved very much over his death, occuring as +it did. + +Now I want to say that I shall ever have a tender spot in my breast for +the colored people, owing to what I know of the race, judged from my +association with them from early childhood up to and including the years +of the Civil War, and, indeed, some years after. + +My home in Loudoun county, on the border line between the North and +South, gave me an unusual opportunity of judging how far the negro could +be trusted in caring for and protecting the homes of the men who were in +the Southern armies. Scattered all through the South, and especially in +the border States, there were white men who were not in sympathy with +the South, and some of them acted as spies and guides for the Northern +troops as they marched and counter-marched through the land. But I never +knew of a negro being guilty of like conduct. They not only watched over +and protected the women and children in their homes, but were equally +as faithful and careful to protect the Southern soldier from capture +when he returned home to see his loved ones. + +No soldier in Loudoun or Fauquier counties ever feared that his or his +neighbor's servants would betray him to the enemy. The negro always +said, in speaking of the Southern soldiers, "our soldiers," although he +well knew that the success of the North meant his freedom, while the +success of the South meant the continuation of slavery. + +Another remarkable thing. No one ever heard of a negro slave, or, so far +as I know, a free negro of the South, offering an insult or an indignity +to a white woman. They were frequently commissioned to escort the +daughters of the family to church or to school, or on any expedition +taking them from home. Sometimes the distance was long and across fields +and through lonely woods, but the kinky-headed, pigeon-heeled colored +man always delivered his charge safely, and would have died in his +footsteps to do it if the occasion required. Freedom, education, or +both, or something else, has developed in the negro a trait that no one +ever dreamed he possessed until after the close of the Civil War. Hence, +I have a great respect for the race. Not, however, on account of this +lately-developed trait, but for those other traits that were so much in +evidence during the time that tried men's souls. + +The following is the name of the several divisions of the army in which +I served, and the names of the chief of each division from the captain +of my company to the commander-in-chief of the army: + +Company.--I was in Company A, first commanded by Col. Richard H. +Dulaney, who served a few months and was promoted. He was succeeded by +Bruce Gibson of Fauquier county, Virginia, who served during the entire +war, and was once knocked from his horse by the concussion of a shell, +but sustained no other injuries. Was a prisoner from June, 1864, to the +end of the war. + +Regiment.--Sixth Virginia Cavalry, commanded first by ex-Governor +Flournoy, who served one year, retired on account of age, was succeeded +by his son, who was killed at Cold Harbor in June, 1864, and was +succeeded by Richards from Clark county, Virginia. The regiment was +composed of ten companies, and came from the following counties: +Loudoun, Fauquier, Clark and Prince William. + +Brigade.--First; Robinson, and then Gen. Wm. E. Jones, who was killed; +then Gen. Lomax, who, I believe, is still living near Warrenton, +Fauquier county, Virginia. + +Division.--Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Gen. Robert E. Lee. He survived +the war, and died a few months ago. + +Corps.--Commanded by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, who was killed at Yellow Tavern +in 1864. He was succeeded by Gen. Wade Hampton of South Carolina, who +survived the war and died a few years ago. + +Army.--Northern Virginia; commanded first by Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, who +was succeeded by Joseph E. Johnston, who was succeeded by Gen. Robert E. +Lee, who held the position until the close of the war. Lee was also made +commander-in-chief of all the Confederate armies. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[Footnote 6: General Longstreet says the total number surrendered to +Grant was 28,356. Many of these came in voluntarily and surrendered. Lee +had with him 1500 prisoners, taken since leaving Petersburg. These were +the first to be delivered to the Union army. The first generous act +Grant did after the surrender was to furnish Lee's hungry soldiers and +horses with food. Grant's army must have numbered not far from +150,000.] + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +AN AFTER-THOUGHT. + +_The Horses._ + + "Here lies the steed with his nostril all wide, + But through it there rolls not the breath of his pride. + The foam of his gasping lies white on the turf, + And as cold as the spray of the rock-beaten surf." + + +I do not mean to intimate by the headline of this chapter that I forgot +the horses of Lee's army. They were on my mind all through the story, +but it was not until the manuscript was in the hands of the printer that +the thought came to me that they should have a chapter in this book. Ah! +the horses--the blacks and bays, the roans and grays, the sorrels and +chestnuts that pulled Lee's army from the Rappahannock to Gettysburg and +back, and all the other horses that pulled and tugged at the wagons, at +the batteries of artillery; the horses that carried the men, the +unstabled horses and the half-fed horses. Let my right hand forget its +cunning if I forget to pay proper tribute to those noble animals that +suffered so much for their masters. How often my mind goes back to that +horse that I saw coming across the field from the front at Bull Run with +his sides all dripping with blood. He was a hero, for he had been out +"where the fields were shot, sown and bladed thick with steel," and was +coming back to die. Nearly all the bodies of the men were buried, and +some horses, for sanitary purposes, were covered with earth, and a few +may now be lying in comfortable graves, marked by marble shafts. Lee's +gray horse, "Traveler," and Jackson's little sorrel, though dead, may +yet be seen, not unlike they were when they bore their riders along the +battle front. But the bones of all the other horses that perished +whitened for a while the hills and valleys and the roadsides that +stretched from Gettysburg to Appomattox, and then when the war was over, +men gathered them up and ground them into merchandise to enrich their +coffers. The horses that were alive at the close of the war were, for +the most part, tenderly cared for, and have long ago joined their +comrades on the other side. I hope they are all grazing together on +red-headed clover in the green fields of Eden. + +[Illustration: BISHOP ALPHEUS W. WILSON, + +Who trained Rover.] + +How many horses were in Lee's army from beginning to end and how many +perished has never been told. Some idea can be formed from the +following statement: + +Such an army as Lee's, of 100,000 men, required 15,000 draft horses, +10,000 for cavalry, and perhaps 1500 to 2000 for the officers, their +staffs and couriers, making a total of 27,000 horses. Perhaps a fair +estimate of the number of horses employed in the army of Northern +Virginia, commanded by Gen. Lee in person, from 1861 to 1865, would be +75,000. Of these, 30,000 may have survived the war, the remaining 45,000 +perished. Add to these, say, 120,000 for the Union army, and we have the +sum total of 195,000 horses that took part in that great drama, where +the soil of Virginia was the stage. + +My first horse was named Rover. She and I were colts together on the +farm, I nine years her senior. I loved her, but there are doubts about +her love for me. When young, she could run faster, jump higher and cut +more "monkey shines" than any colt in the neighborhood. More than once +she landed me on my back in the middle of the road. This was before she +entered the military service of the Confederacy. + +Once my father was on her back crossing a stream. He loosened the rein +to let her drink. A leaf came floating down the stream as peacefully as +a summer zephyr. This gave Rover an opportunity for playing one of her +pet tricks. When the leaf came in view she pretended to be terribly +frightened, made a leap forward, and landed my father on his back in the +middle of the stream. The water furnished so soft a bed that he was +unhurt. There was a carriage just behind in which Bishop Alpheus W. +Wilson of the M.E. Church South, now living in Baltimore, was riding. I +heard him tell the story a short time ago, and from the pleasure with +which he related it, I am satisfied that he greatly enjoyed the episode +at the time, and the remembrance still affords him amusement. The good +bishop was then a circuit rider on Loudoun Circuit, and Rover carried +him on her back around the circuit. He tried hard to make her a good +saddle-horse, and succeeded. He also tried to improve her manners, and +while she may have behaved herself when under his eye, it is doubtful +whether she ever experienced a change of heart. + +I was always suspicious of her, and I had a right to be. Sometimes I +thought she was opposed to secession and worked in the interest of the +Union. Once she delivered me into the hands of the Yankees, and tried +to do it again and again. She seemed to have an affinity for United +States horses, and always wanted to carry me directly in among them. It +has already been stated that she had a jaw that no bit could hold. If +she had been a woman we might have thought that it was the result of +talking too much. My, what a weapon of destruction Samson could have +made of her jawbone! I don't know when and where she joined the great +majority, for we parted company in the spring of 1863 on the banks of +the Shenandoah river. I deserted her to avoid capture. We never met +again, unless it was on the opposite sides of the battle line, and if +so, she took very good care to keep on her own side; at least on the +side that was opposed to my side. It grieved me very much to part with +her, for, with all her faults, I loved her still. + +The cavalryman and his horse got very close to each other, not only +physically, but heart to heart. They ate together, slept together, +marched, fought and often died together. Frequently a wounded horse +would be seen bearing his wounded rider back from the front. During +Lee's march to Gettysburg and back the cavalryman was in touch with his +horse 18 hours out of 24, and the other six hours he was usually close +enough to mount at a moment's warning. Much of the time, while in +Pennsylvania, the men slept with their horses tied to the wrist. While +the rider slept, the horse cropped the grass around him as far out as +his tether would allow him, and as close up to his rider's body as he +could get. Sometimes he would push the man's head aside with his nose to +get the grass beneath it. I have seen men by the thousands lying in this +manner in the fields with their horses grazing about them, yet I never +knew a horse to tread on one, or in any way injure him. + +On one occasion, near Chambersburg, Pa., the men were sleeping with +their horses grazing about them, when the bugle called us to mount. Some +time after forming in line I missed one of my messmates, and called the +captain's attention to it. He sent me out over the fields in search of +him. I found him just over the crest of a little hill fast asleep, with +his horse tied to his wrist. He was lying at full length on his back. +His horse had closely cropped the grass all around him, and as far out +as he could reach, and so completely had he taken every spear of grass +about the soldier that when he got up he left a perfect outline of his +body on the field. + +On another occasion, when en route for Gettysburg, we had halted for a +rest at Delaplane, Va. Having no food for our horses we were ordered to +turn them loose in the fields to graze. It was 10 o'clock at night. We +unbridled and unsaddled our steeds and let them go free. This was in +June, and the clover was fine. The hungry animals went briskly to work +satisfying their hunger. The grinding of their many jaws sounded like +the muffled roar of a distant cataract, and this was the music that +lulled the weary men to sleep as they lay scattered over the fields, +without any fear of being hurt or trodden upon. But suppose Kilpatrick +had suddenly appeared upon the scene and had thrown a few shells into +those fields? What would have been the result? You can trust a horse so +far and no farther. A field full of unbridled and frightened horses +might have brought death and destruction, and swept Stuart's cavalrymen +from the face of the earth. But no such fatality occurred. About 2 +o'clock in the morning the bugle sounded "saddle up," and although it +was quite dark, in an incredibly short time every man was mounted on +his own horse and on the march. + +There were times when the cavalry would march all night. The men soon +learned to sleep on horseback, or you might call it nodding, but some +went sound asleep sitting upright on their horses. Occasionally, when a +soldier was caught fast asleep, his comrade would slip the rein out of +his hand and lead his horse to a fence corner and hitch it. The sudden +stopping would awaken him, for he would at once begin to fall. Catching +himself, he would look around in amazement, and if the night were dark, +he had no little difficulty finding his place in the ranks. + +Little episodes similar to this would help to while away the weary hours +of the night. Then there was always some wit or wag, who, at intervals +of an hour or so, would arouse the whole line with some ridiculous +outburst. A dark and stormy night always called for something +extraordinary in this line in order to keep the men in good cheer. +After, say an hour of silence, during which time not a sound could be +heard save the clatter of the horses' feet, the rattle of the soldiers' +armor and the splatter of the rain, when suddenly someone with the +voice of a foghorn would rouse up and yell out, "I want to go h-o-m-e, +and I am sick, that's what I want." Then some other fellow far up or +down the line would answer back, "I want to see my m-o-t-h-e-r, and I am +hungry, too, that's what I want." This was said in a sobbing tone, as if +the speaker were about to burst into tears. It would set the whole +column off, and for half an hour or so there would be a lively time. + +If we were passing a residence, either humble or stately, someone would +halt in front of it and "Hello" until he saw a window-sash go up and a +head poked out, with the usual question "What is it you want?" The reply +would be, "Say, Mister, you had better take your chimney in, it's going +to rain." Then before the angry countryman could get his gun the +funmaker would gallop off to his place in the ranks. And thus the night +was passed. + +No amount of hardship or deprivation seemed to dampen the ardor of the +cavalier. He always had resources, and when in need, they were drawn +upon; but the horse, like Felix, cared for none of these things. They +seemed to say, "Have all the fun you want, boys, it doesn't disturb us, +but don't forget that when we have crossed the river there will be +something more serious for you to do; we are following the feather of +Stuart tonight." And thus they would trudge on; it mattered not whether +storm or calm, they moved in silence, each horse following the one in +front of him, or yielding to the gentle pressure of the rein if the +rider had occasion to leave the ranks. + +Of course, this condition applied only when they were not in proximity +to the enemy. When the bluecoats were about things were different. Every +man had his horse well in hand; the spur and the rein told the horse +where he must go; the men were silent; only the officers spoke. + +The horses were fairly well supplied with food until after Gettysburg. +Then when winter came and there was no grass and no growing grain, food +for Lee's 27,000 horses became a serious problem. I have pulled dried +grass in December for my horse until my fingers bled. At other times, +when food was more plentiful, the horse was required to share his food +with his master, particularly in roasting-ear time. Then our rations +were often the same. We cooked ours, while the horse took his green. But +during the winter months, when we needed some kind of beverage to wash +down our hardtack, the only thing we could get was horse feed, which +was roasted and boiled. We called it coffee. It was very good then. We +had to rob our horses for this, and we all felt mean when we did it. A +table-spoonful, however, was all that each man had to take from his +horse for a cup of coffee. The following winter food got scarcer and +scarcer for both man and beast, and the horses became thinner and +thinner. + +I do not know how others felt about the bodies of the dead horses that +lay scattered over the battlefields, but this sight distressed me almost +as much as did the bodies of the soldiers. They were so faithful and +unfaltering. When the bugle sounded, any hour of the night, or any hour +of the day, regardless of how short a time they had rested or how many +miles they had marched, they were always ready to respond. They knew all +the bugle calls. If it were saddle up, or the feed or the water call, he +was as ready to answer one as the other. And he was so noble and so +brave in battle. He seemed to love the sound of the guns. The cavalryman +might lie low on the neck of his horse for shelter as the missiles of +death hissed about him, but the horse never flinched, except when +struck. + +The cavalryman often used his horse for a breastwork while he fired over +his back, but the horse stood like a Casabianca on the burning deck of +his father's ship. Did you ever read "Black Beauty?" If you have not, +read it. Lee had 75,000 "Black Beauties" in his army, every one of +which, or nearly every one, is worthy of a monument. We build monuments +for our dead soldiers, for those we know and for the unknown dead. What +would you think of a monument some day, somewhere in Virginia, in honor +of Lee's noble horses? + +I hardly know which branch of the service ought to receive the highest +honor, the wagon horses, the artillery horses or the cavalry horses. I +was very close to the latter, and knew them better, but the wagon and +artillery horses had a warm place in my heart. To see the wagon horses +hitched to heavy, loaded wagons, with shells falling around them, with +no way of escape, was pathetic. To see the artillery horses torn to +pieces by shells that were not intended for them touched a tender cord, +and if I should be asked to write their names on the roll of fame, +perhaps it would be in the order in which I have named them. + +The cavalry horse, however, was my pet, and I should not want to see +them any less honored than the former, but they all had their places. +Farragut, in the rigging of his flagship giving orders, was all right, +but a wooden Indian would have done about as well if the coal-shoveler +below had failed to do his duty. What could Gen. Lee have done had all +his horses balked in unison? Nothing. Then all honor to Lee's horses, +who pulled and hauled and fought and died that this might be a very +great nation. + +No more appropriate lines could be had for the ending of this story than +the following touching little poem by Francis Alexander Durivage: + + "There hangs a sabre, and there a rein, + With a rusty buckle and green curb chain; + A pair of spurs on the old gray wall, + And a moldy saddle--well, that is all. + + "Come out to the stable--it is not far; + The moss-grown door is hanging ajar. + Look within! There's an empty stall, + Where once stood a charger, and that is all. + + "The good black horse came riderless home, + Flecked with blood drops as well as foam; + See yonder hillock where dead leaves fall; + The good black horse dropped dead--that is all. + + "All? O, God! it is all I can speak. + Question me not, I am old and weak; + His sabre and his saddle hang on the wall, + And his horse is dead--I have told you all." + + NOTE.--I said in the beginning that I had not consulted any of the + Civil War histories for material for this book. After the manuscript + was in type, I read for the first time James Longstreet's book on the + Civil War; also Henderson's "Life of Jackson," and I am indebted to + these two authors for some facts in regard to the losses in battle + and the number engaged. To the latter I am indebted for the tragic + account of the wounding and death of Stonewall Jackson. These + additions are mostly to be found in foot notes throughout the book. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's From Bull Run to Appomattox, by Luther W. 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