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CENEHAL JAMES EWELL BKOWN STUART, 
 
 That Chivalrous Young Knight and Christian Soldior— Graduate of West 
 Point— At the Age of 28 Commanding the Cavalry of the Army of North- 
 ern Virglnlii— At 29 Riding Twice Around McClellan's Great Army— At 30 
 Selected by (Jcnera! Lee to Command Stonewall Jackson's Corps— Dead 
 at 31. 
 
 This Picture Most Resembles the Cavalry Chief as His Soldiers Remem- 
 ber Him. But You Should See Him on Horseback With the Familiar Long 
 Black Plume in His Cocked Hat and Hear the Midnight Woods and Hills 
 Echoing the Song, "We'll Follow the Feather of Stuart Tonight." 
 
FROM BULL RUN 
 TO APPOMATTOX 
 
 A BOY'S VIEW 
 
 BY 
 
 LUTHER W. HOPKINS 
 OF GENL. J. E. 13. Stuart's cavalry 
 6th Virginia Regiment, C. S. A. 
 
 PRESS CF 
 
 Flekt-McGinley Co. 
 baltimorr 
 
.H793 
 
 Copyright, 1914 
 
 Uy I.. \V. HOPKINS 
 
 Riiltimorc 
 
 TBANSFERnCD FROM 
 CCPYR.'aHT OKf/CE 
 
 m 14 (91 
 
 ^ 
 
PREFACE 
 
 "Life Is the mirror of the> king and BlaT«, 
 
 'TIs just what you are and do. 
 Then give to the world the best you hare, 
 
 And the Ixjst will come back to you." 
 
 I never thought that I should be guilty of writing a book, and 
 I have not done it with malicious intent. My son is responsible for 
 whatever sin I may have committed in presenting it 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 1S65, 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 certain 
 changes would make it more acceptable to the general reader. 
 
 We all believe in peace; universal peace, but when war docs come, 
 and such a costly war as the -onc.of .Vhich these stories treat, 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 
 
4 PREFACE 
 
 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 incidental to the formative 
 period in the history of 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 
 
PREFACE 5 
 
 by, I have learned to respect and admire those who fought for the 
 Union. I visited Boston and its environments two summers ago for 
 the first time. During the visit I did not meet 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 i86l, the 
 North and South had exchanged 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 that 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 thing. 
 
 May we never have another war ! But, boys, remember : "Peace 
 hath her victories no less renowned than war," and the boy that 
 wishes to count in this world must train. There are, however, other 
 training schools quite as helpful as the camp and the battlefield. 
 
 LUTHER W. HOPKINS. 
 Baltimore, November, 1908. 
 
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 The first edition of this personal narrative, representing "A Boy's 
 View" of the great tragedy of '6i to '65, having been exhausted, a 
 second carefully revised edition is now offered to the public. This 
 latter volume contains five new chapters — some corrections and addi- 
 tions have been made to the original chapters — the character of the 
 illustrations has been improved and several interesting ones added. 
 But the reader who wishes to get a clear understanding of the story 
 must note carefully the improvement in the maps and study them. 
 
 As much stress has been laid upon the fact that this was a boys' 
 war, the following statement will prove interesting : 
 
 Senator McCumber of the Senate Pension Committee has just 
 caused to be prepared an interesting table relative to the ages of 
 soldiers at the times of enHstmcnt. This table shows that of the 
 total number of enlistments, aggregating 2,778,309 for the Union 
 Army and Navy, the number of enlistments at various ages was as 
 follows : 
 
 At the age of 1 1 and under 63 
 
 " " " " 13 " " 525 
 
 " " " " 15 " " 100,512 
 
 " " '■■ " 17 " " 1,075.943 
 
 " " " " 18 " " 1,151.438 
 
 " " " "21 " " 2,159,798 
 
 " " " " 22 and older 618,511 
 
 " " " "25 " " 46,625 
 
 " " " " 44 and over 16,071 
 
 Over 2,000,000 of these were re-enlistments. This accounts for 
 
 large enrollment. 
 
 Luther W. Hopkins. 
 Baltimore, January, 191 1. 
 
 THIRD EDITION. 
 
 A third edition of this book is published owing to the growing 
 demand from schools and libraries. This has come from no par- 
 ticular section, thus proving the value of the work as a part of our 
 "Civil War" history. In this edition the narrative has been revised 
 and strengthened. The many flattering testimonials received from 
 both sides are exceedingly gratifying and cheering to 
 
 The Author. 
 
 January, 1915. 
 
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 Ills Master— Election of Lincoln— Seces- 
 sion— Schoolboys Preparing for the Coming Conflict— Firing on Fort Sum- 
 ter— Union Army Crossing the Potomac. I'ages 11 to 29. 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 From Bull Run to Seven Pines. 
 Confederates Concentrating at Manassas— First Rattle— The Wounded 
 Horse — Rout of the Union Army— The Losses. Pages 30 to 37. 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 From Bull Run to Seven Pines. (Continued.) 
 
 Long Rest— Each Side Recruiting Its Armies — McOlollan in Command- 
 Ills March on Richmond by the Way of the James River- Jackson's 
 Brilliant Valley Campaign— The Battles Around Richmond— Seven Pines— 
 Mechanlcsville — Beaver Dam— Gaines' Mill- Fair Oaks — The Wounding of 
 Gen. Jos. E. Johnston— McClellan's Defeat— The Spoils of the Battle. 
 I'ages 38 to 45. 
 
 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 I'otomac Into Mary- 
 land—The Stragglers of Lee's Army— A Dinner Party— The Capture of 
 Harper's Ferry— Battle of Antietam— Result of the Battle— Lee Kecrossea 
 the Potomac— Lee's Army in a Trap. I'ages 46 to 57. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 From Antietam to Chancellorsville. 
 
 McClellan Relieved of Ills 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— Ills Mortal Wound— Hooker's 
 Defeat— He Recrosses the River— Losses on Both Sides— Stonewall Jack- 
 son's Death— The South In Tears— Ode to Stonewall Jackson by a Union 
 Officer. Pages 58 to 88. 
 
 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— Crosse* the 
 
8 CONTENTS 
 
 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— Ilia Five Days' Rest on tb« 
 North Banlc of the I'otomac- lie Recrosses the River. I'ages 89 to 113. 
 
 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 — FiglitinR Around Brandy Station— Tlie Battle at 
 Bristoe Station— The Union Army Retires Towards Washington— Lee 
 Discontinues tlie I'ursuit and Returns to the Rapidan River— In Winter 
 Quarters— How the Winter Was Spent— Many of Lee's Soldiers Are Per- 
 mitted to Return to Their Homes Under Care of Their Commanding 
 Officers for a Vacation— Mos^by Appears Upon the Scene. I'ages 114 to 141. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 From the Wilderness to James River. 
 
 Grant in Command of the Union Army— Preparation for the Coming 
 Striigslo— Battle of The Wildeniess— Strengtli of tlie Armies— Losses- 
 Wounding of General Longstroot— Battle at Spottsylvania Court House — 
 The Awful Slaughter— Slieridan's Raid on Richmond— Stuart's Cavalry In 
 Pursuit— General Stuart's Death— Yellow Tavern— The Author Again a 
 I'risoner. I'ages 142 to 167. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 From James River to Petersburg. 
 
 Battle of Cold Harbor— Grant Again Repulsed- Death of Flournoy— Grant 
 Crossing the .Tames— 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. Pages 168 to 191. 
 
 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. Pages 192 to 207. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Horses of Lee's Army. 
 Their Number— Losses— Rover's Tricks— A Mighty .Taw— Her Capture- 
 Horses in Battle— Friendship Between Horse and Rider— Wagon Horses- 
 Artillery Horses— Cavalry Horses— Two Black Horses In Battle — Men 
 Sleep on Their Horses— Horses for Breastwork— Seventy-five "ThousaDd 
 Black Beauties— Monument for Lee's Horses— A Pathetic Poem. Paces 
 «)8 to 223. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 What We Did After the War. 
 A Great Surprise— The Foundation of Our Hope— Virginia a Howling Wll- 
 nernoss— Making the Crops— When Freedom Dawned on the Slaves— Postal 
 Routes— Rebuilding— War Relics— The First Harvest- The Deserters— In 
 Debt — Wedding Bells — A Bridegroom's Tragedy — Oenone — Unwritten 
 Tragedies— Mothers Searching Graveyards— Hidden Treasures— Children 
 and Slaves— iNIy Old Kentucky Home— The Dead Nation— Two Magnani- 
 mous Grand Army Men— A Tribute to Federal Valor. Pages 224 to 249. 
 
CONTENTS 9 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 Famous Horses and Their Riders. 
 
 Traveller and Ills Rider— General Lee in a Thunder Storm— The Lone Cot- 
 tage— Traveller's Death— I'en Pictures of Traveller— I^etters of General 
 Lee About His Horses— Little Sorrel— Two I'resldenta on Horseback — 
 Stuart's Horses— rx)ng Tom— The Armisteads— The Aahby Horses— Tragic 
 Death of Both Riders and Horses. I'ages 2iO to 274. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Waterloo and Aitomattox. 
 Jefferson Davis- What the South Gained- Both Sides Won— Our War Pic- 
 tures—Jackson's Valley Campaign— A I'en I'icture. Pages 275 to 294. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Another Pen Picture. 
 Lee's Army Asleep— How the Soldiers Sleep— How Sambo Sleeps— The Camp 
 Fires- How the Horses Sleep— When Churchyards Yawn. I'ages 295 to 298. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 A Pen Picture of Two Armies Playing for Position. 
 
 Gettysburg-The Night Before the Battle— Still Fighting— The End. Pages 
 2S9 to End. 
 
 r 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 General James Ewell Brown Stuart Frontispiece 
 
 History of the Flags 14 
 
 Jefferson Davis 30 
 
 Robert Howarb Hopkins 46 
 
 Luther W. Hopkins "... 62 
 
 The Last Meeting of Lee and Jackson at Chancellorsville 78 
 
 Jackson Monument at Chancellorsville 87 
 
 Position of the Two Armies at Gettysburg, Last Day . . in 
 
 General Robert E. Lee 142 
 
 Mrs. Robert E. Lee i43 
 
 General Fitzhugh Lee 150 
 
 Stuart Monument at Yellow Tavern 158 
 
 Corp. John L. Smith i74 
 
 Charles Parkhill 17S 
 
 Parole 207 
 
 Bishop Alpheus W. Wilson 222 
 
 Good Old Rebel War Song 238 
 
 A Battle- Scarred Confederate Banner 239 
 
 Traveller . 254 
 
 General Louis Addison Armistead 270 
 
 Old Sorrel 286 
 
 General Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson . . . 295 
 
 Map Showing Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign . . 295 
 
 Recumbent Statue of Robert Edward Lee 312 
 
 The Conquered Banner 3^3 
 
 Map of Territory Covered by Lee's Army The end 
 
I 
 
 
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 Con- 
 federate 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 
 which cost the country eight billions in money 
 and more than half a million human lives. 
 
 n 
 
12 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 lan- 
 guage; not a history, but simply an account of what 
 he saw and did while this eventful history was be- 
 ing 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 his- 
 tories for material for this story; he did not have to 
 do this. If all the boys who served in the Confed- 
 erate Army were to write their experiences, they 
 would all be different, yet all approximately cor- 
 rect, 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 two years be- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 13 
 
 fore John Brown had made an attempt to raise an 
 insurrection among the slaves in that vicinity. He 
 seized the United States arsenal located there, for 
 the purpose of arming the negroes, who were ex- 
 pected to flock to his standard and have their free- 
 dom 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 South- 
 ern 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 desecrated. 
 Three years before this, when I was twelve years 
 of age, I remember to have heard a political dis- 
 cussion among a body of men, and the following 
 words have lingered in my memory ever since; 
 they are all that I can recall of their talk: "If 
 there is a war between the North and South, Vir- 
 ginia will be the battlefield." I thought it would 
 be grand, and waited anxiously for the fulfillment 
 of this prophecy. When John Brown swooped 
 down on Harper's Ferry with his cohorts, it looked 
 as if the day had really come and that the predic- 
 tion was about to be fulfilled. From that time war 
 talk was general, especially among the small boys. 
 
14 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 But the intense excitement caused by the Brown 
 episode gradually abated. It broke out afresh, 
 however, when it was announced that Abraham 
 Lincoln had been elected President of the United 
 States. It seemed to be the consensus of opinion 
 that the result would be war, and that Virginia in 
 truth would be the battleground, and that the coun- 
 ties 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 cur- 
 tain should go up we should see and hear every- 
 thing. There were about thirty boys attending our 
 school between the ages of fifteen and twenty. 
 They all entered the Confederate Army, and 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 un- 
 derstand. On the part of the white children it was 
 love, pure and simple, for the slave, and on the 
 
iiis'i'oKV ui- riii'; FLA(;s. 
 
 Ceulcr Flag— Tlio ■fcjlais aud Liars" was the first flag ul' the Coufederate 
 States, and was raised by a s:i"i>'iddauf;hter of I'resident .loliii I'yler over 
 the Capitol in Montgomery, Ahi., .March 4. 1861. 
 
 Top Klas— 'I'he "Battle Flag" was designed by General Beauregard and 
 adopted hy the Confederate Congress. 'VUo reason for the adoption of said 
 ■'I'>attle I'"lag" was that in tlie first battle of Manassas the "Stars and 
 Bars" was, in the sniol<e of battle, several times mistaken for thi' "Stars 
 and Stripes," and vice versa. This remained the "Battle Flag" until the 
 close of the war. 
 
 Flag on Kight— On May 1, 1863. the Confederate Congress adopted this 
 (lag as the "National Flag" of the Confederate States. The tirst flag of 
 this design was used by F'resident Davis (o enfold the body of (Jeneral 
 Stonewall .Jackson, who died May 10. 1863. For this reason it was fre- 
 ipiently known as the ".Tackson Flag." 
 
 Flag on Left— On March 1. ISii.^. the Confederate Congress adopted this 
 <iesign as the "National l'"lag" of the < "onfedi'rate States, for the reason 
 that when the flag adopted .May 1, 1863. fell limp around the staff it looked 
 like a flag of truce, the white only showing: therefore the red bar was put 
 across the end so that it never could be mistaken for a flag of truce. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 5 
 
 part of the white adult it wa€ more than friendship. 
 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 re- 
 spect as tlicy did their blood relatives. It was 
 Uncle Reuben and Aunt Dinah. The adult whites 
 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. Such 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. As an illustration the following may be 
 of interest: 
 
 John Randolph Tucker, one of Virginia's most 
 gifted and learned sons, who represented his State 
 in the U. S. Congress, always celebrated his birth- 
 day. I remember to have attended one of these cele- 
 brations. It was shortly after the close of the war. 
 Mr. Tucker was then between forty-five and fifty 
 years of age. He had grown children. Fun mak- 
 
1 6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMAITOX. 
 
 ing 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 con- 
 ventional 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 
 hardly 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 fur- 
 nished the white children places of resort that were 
 full of pleasure. 
 
 This was the relation between white and colored 
 in my part of Virginia as I remember it from a 
 child. 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!" 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 7 
 
 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 class 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 other- 
 wise, 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 
 a practical demonstration of their real intent. The 
 few men with him may have been the only follow- 
 ing that he had, but the damage had been done. 
 Virginia was fighting mad. What had been whis- 
 pered about the abolitionists in secret was now pro- 
 claimed from the housetops. John Brown was an 
 abolitionist, and all abolitionists were John 
 
1 8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 inci- 
 dent will illustrate: 
 
 When the first Federal soldiers entered the vil- 
 lage 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 ubiqui- 
 tous, 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 had expected 
 to see some kind of hideous animal. 
 
 This is the education the Virginia boys got who 
 afterward became Lee's soldiers. They were 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 9 
 
 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 the South- 
 ern Confederacy, with Montgomery, Ala., as the 
 capital and Jefferson 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 ordi- 
 nance of secession had passed the Virginia Legisla- 
 ture there were a thousand Paul Reveres in the sad- 
 dle, carrying the news to every point not reached by 
 telegraph lines. The young men and boys did not 
 wait for the csU from the Governor. Military 
 companies, infantry, cavalry and artillery sprang 
 
20 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 ma- 
 chinery 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 Con- 
 federate 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 super- 
 seded by Gen. Jos. E. Johnston, but Jackson re- 
 mained as a subordinate commander. In the mean- 
 time, the Confederate Government had demanded 
 that Major Anderson evacuate Fort Sumter, at the 
 entrance of Charleston harbor, and also had said, 
 if not in words in action, to the Government at 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 21 
 
 Washington as It saw United States armies gather- 
 ing near its northern frontier, "So far shalt thou 
 come, and no farther." 
 
 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 parents to keep the fourteen and fifteen-year- 
 old boys at home or In school. I had a brother six- 
 teen years old; he was first of the family to en- 
 list, 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, 
 
22 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 having heard this toast 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 com- 
 ing from mountain and plain, from hillside and 
 valley, from the shop, the ofiice, the school. Well 
 do I recall the joy that surged up in every boy's 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 23 
 
 breast as the actors one after another 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 must take with 
 him as many home comforts as could possibly be 
 compressed into a bundle small enough to be car- 
 ried. 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 pow- 
 der, the lead, the canteen and knapsack and haver- 
 sack; 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 
 
24 TROU BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 outside casing of one of those 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. A Virginia home in the 
 spring of 1861 w^asbutthe replica of such a beehive. 
 
 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 cur- 
 tain 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 battle- 
 field of New Market. In the spring 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 veter- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 25 
 
 ans 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; per- 
 haps 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 yonth and pleasure meet 
 To chase the glowing hours with (lying 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 shov- 
 
26 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 ing 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 w^e 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 sup- 
 pose for a moment that when these young men and 
 boysof Virginia, in fact from allover theSouth,who 
 were rushing with such intense enthusiasm into the 
 Confederate ranks, the fathers and mothers and 
 sisters who were equipping these youths with com- 
 forts 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 27 
 
 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 loyal 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 miglit 
 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 
 
28 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 shall 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 Confed- 
 erate 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 \yashington 
 by every train. A Massachusetts regiment, in pass- 
 ing through the streets of Baltimore, was mobbed, 
 and the song '^Maryland, My Maryland," was 
 wafted on the air. 
 
 Maryland boys, under cover of night, were cross- 
 ing 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, Lees- 
 burg and Manassas (see map*) became strategical 
 
 ♦In reading the book, spread out the map before >t>n and follow 
 the movements of tlie armies. There is a map with each book. 
 The main battlefields arc marked with a flag, but there are over 
 50 more ; in fact, eliminating the rough motmtain ranges, nearly every 
 foot of Virginia soil covered by this map felt the tramp of the soldier 
 and heard the hiss of the bullet. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 29 
 
 points, and at each of these the Confederates were 
 concentrating their forces. 
 
 By June i, 1861, Jos. E. Johnston at Harper's 
 Ferry had an army of 12,000. Col. Eppa Hunton 
 at Leesburg, a small force. Gen. P. G. T. Beaure- 
 gard at Manassas, 12,000. These were Confeder- 
 ates. 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. 
 
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 en- 
 tered Alexandria, Va., on the south side of the Po- 
 tomac, a Confederate flag was seen floating from 
 the roof of a hotel kept by one Jackson. Col. E. E. 
 Ellsworth, commanding the advance force, hauled 
 it down. Jackson shot him dead, and was in turn 
 killed by Ellsworth's orderly. 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. 
 
 Jackson's brigade of Johnston's army left the 
 valley July i8 for Manassas, other brigades fol- 
 lowing in rapid succession. So closely did John- 
 ston conceal his movements that Patterson was not 
 aware that Johnston had left his front until it was 
 
Prcsidont of th(^ ("oiifci 
 
 JEFFERSON DAVIS, 
 
 Icrate States of America, taken just before Ills 
 inauguration. 
 
 Tlie graves of the dead witli the myrtle overgrown 
 May yet form the footstool of liberty's throne. 
 And each single wreck in the war-path of might 
 Shall yet be a rock in the temjile of right. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 3 1 
 
 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 phenom- 
 ena. A strange dog was seen one night passing in 
 
32 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 approach- 
 ing battle that is well calculated to give one's imagi- 
 nation full play. The doctors examining their 
 medical chests, packages of white bandages and lint 
 arriving, the movement of the ambulances, the un- 
 usual number of litters that come into view, the 
 chaplains a little more fervent in their prayers, offi- 
 cers, 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 dif- 
 ferent attitude. The very air appears to be laden 
 with an indescribable something that makes every 
 individual soldier feel himself lifted up into a posi- 
 tion of responsibility quite different from the place 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 33 
 
 he occupied when loitering around the camp, with 
 the enemy far away from the front. 
 
 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 lit- 
 tle. It was the first blood I had ever seen shed on a 
 battlefield. Coming across the field, moving quite 
 slowly, was a man leading a horse. As they ap- 
 proached I noticed that the horse was limping and 
 that 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 on; 
 
34 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 bat- 
 tle 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 had looked very doubt- 
 ful for our side. Beauregard, believing that he 
 was beaten, had ordered his forces to fall back, call- 
 ing 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 35 
 
 battle in our favor. A member of the First Mary- 
 land Regiment, forming a part of this brigade, has 
 given me a graphic description of how^ the brigade 
 w^as 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 cov- 
 ered with dust, most of the distance at double-quick, 
 toward the firing line, from which the panic- 
 stricken Confederates were fleeing in great dis- 
 order. 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 Con- 
 federacy, Jefferson 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 moved oflf toward the battle- 
 field. 
 
 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 
 
36 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 at Jackson ; he stands like a stone wall I" That night 
 Gen. Bee died, and Jackson was ever known after- 
 ward as "Stonewall" Jackson. 
 
 Yes, the Union army was beaten, and their re- 
 treat 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 demonstration. 
 Crowds thronged the streets, but no bonfires lit up 
 the darkness of the night. No cannon thundered 
 out salutes. The church steeples were silent, ex- 
 cept when in solemn tone they called the people to 
 prayer. 
 
 The next day the Confederate Congress met and 
 passed the following resolution: 
 
 "We recognize the hand of the most high God, 
 the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, in the glo- 
 rious victory with which he has crowned our armies 
 at Manassas, and that the people of these Confed- 
 erate States are invited by appropriate services on 
 the ensuing Sabbath to offer up their united thanks- 
 giving and prayers for this mighty deliverance." 
 
 The losses in men were as follows : Union army, 
 3000; Confederates, 2000. The latter captured 27 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 37 
 
 cannon, 1500 prisoners, an immense quantity of 
 small arms, ammunition and stores. 
 
 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 lay down that night with 
 old Mother Earth for a bed, I found myself stretch- 
 ed 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. 
 
 Johnston's armya fewdays after the battle had in- 
 creased to 40,000. He moved forward and .occu- 
 pied a position near Centerville, and there he win- 
 tered. Jackson, however, was detached and sent 
 back to Winchester to guard the valley, and became 
 commander-in-chief in that section. The forces 
 that came down from Leesburg returned to their 
 old position. 
 
 There were occasional raids and skirmishes, but 
 
 St 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 39 
 
 no decisive battles were fought until the following 
 spring, except the battle of Ball's Bluff, near Lees- 
 burg, 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. 
 
 During the winter the soldiers were granted fre- 
 quent 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 Robert- 
 son's brigade, Fitzhugh Lee's division, the whole 
 
40 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 cavalry force of the army of Northern Virginia 
 being commanded by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. I was 
 on horseback; the others on foot. 
 
 The Government at Washington had called for 
 half a million men; the Government at Richmond 
 had called for every able-bodied son from eighteen 
 to forty-five, and they were coming. 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. 
 It reminded me of the Resurrection morn, except 
 the trooping thousands were coming from the top 
 of the ground and not from under it. 
 
 The nearest point at which I could reach the 
 Confederate line was Harrisonburg, Va. All the 
 district between my home and Harrisonburg and 
 the line stretching from there south to the James 
 river and north into West Virginia had been aban- 
 doned to the enemy. Hence, it was necessary for 
 us to move with great caution, to avoid being inter- 
 cepted 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 Upper- 
 ville and Paris. When we reached the mountain 
 at Paris we moved along its foot, traveling mostly 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 4 1 
 
 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. Occa- 
 sionally we employed a guide, whom we paid. 
 These guides took great pains to magnify the dan- 
 ger 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 des- 
 tination. 
 
 During the winter and early spring the North 
 had raised a very large army, splendidly equipped, 
 and placed it under the command of Gen. George 
 B. McClellan. This army was taken mostly by boat 
 to Yorktown, whence it took up a line of march 
 toward Richmond. McClellan's army was the 
 largest and best equipped that had ever trod Ameri- 
 can 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 de- 
 fending Richmond the Capital of the Confed- 
 
42 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 cracy would be captured and the army defending 
 it destroyed or forced to surrender. 
 
 The Confederate forces gradually fell back be- 
 fore McClellan's army as it advanced up the 
 Peninsula, until the invaders could see the spires 
 of the Confederate Capitol. 
 
 McClellan's march was along a thorny path. 
 Johnston had withdrawn his army from Center- 
 ville, and was in McClellan's front contesting every 
 foot of ground. There were several battles fought, 
 conspicuous among them the Battle of Seven Pines, 
 where Gen. Joseph E. Johnston was severely 
 wounded, and was not able for some months to re- 
 turn to active service. It was then that Gen. Robt. 
 E. Lee took command of the army of Northern 
 Virginia. Immediately upon assuming command, 
 Gen. Lee conferred with Jackson, who was still in 
 the valley, and arranged with him for a joint attack 
 upon the Union army in front of Richmond. 
 
 Jackson had won imperishable honors in the val- 
 ley, having so paralyzed three armies that had been 
 sent out to accomplish his destruction that he was 
 able to slip unobserved away from their front with 
 almost his entire army. He crossed the Blue Ridge 
 and marched rapidly to Richmond. Reaching 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 43 
 
 Ashland, he halted for the night, and, mounting a 
 fresh horse and taking with him two of his trusted 
 officers, he rode through the darkness to Richmond, 
 where he held a conference with Gen. Lee and Jef- 
 ferson Davis. Returning, he rejoined his army and 
 marched toward McClellan's right flank and rear. 
 McClellan was all unconscious of Jackson's ap- 
 proach. Hearing the booming of Jackson's guns, 
 McClellan inquired what it meant. "It is Jack- 
 son," said a courier. "Impossible," said McClellan. 
 When McClellan fully realized that it was Jack- 
 son'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 dra- 
 matic. From information received from Washing- 
 ton, 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 "can- 
 non'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 
 
44 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 when he realized his position. Who but a Napo- 
 leon could provide so quickly for such an emer- 
 gency? 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 Confed- 
 erate 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 45 
 
 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 for\varded 
 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 to- 
 ward Manassas to attack Pope, who had gathered 
 an army there to protect Washington while Mc- 
 Clellan was besieging Richmond. I joined Com- 
 pany 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. This was 
 known as the battle of Cedar Run. Jackson retired 
 to Gordonsville. After resting there four days he 
 began his famous march to 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 upwith his command. Cominguptohim,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 
 
KOUDUT lh)\VAKI> IIOTKINS. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 47 
 
 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, 
 Catlctts 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 some- 
 where among the unknown dead around Richmond. 
 The family made several attempts to locate his 
 grave, but were unsuccessful. 
 
48 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOALATTaX. 
 
 "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 Con- 
 federate service. 
 
 The move of Jackson 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 cm- 
 barked at Occoquan and marched across to the as- 
 sistance 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," including pris- 
 oners, was 20,000, while the Confederates', by the 
 same authority, is placed at 12,000. 
 
 There fell into the hands of the Confederates 
 7000 prisoners, 30 cannon, 20,000 rifles. The cap- 
 tured stores, including two miles of loaded cars on 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APrOMATTOX. 49 
 
 the track, were enormous, much of which the Con- 
 federates 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 the First Battle of 
 Manassas. 
 
 Pope lost no time in getting behind his intrcnch- 
 ments 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 Washing- 
 ton 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, crippling Lee's hands. 
 This gave me a good opportunity of seeing the 
 great soldier at close range. 
 
 I remember an incident which happened one 
 afternoon, toward sunset, after the army had gone 
 
50 FROM BULL RUN TO APPONL-MTOX. 
 
 into camp for the night. Gen. Lee's headquarteri 
 was established in a little farmhouse near Chan- 
 tilly, I think, in Loudoun county. The General 
 went out with one of his stall officers for a walk into 
 an apple orchard. They were gone perhaps an 
 hour. In the meantime a fruard had been set 
 
 o 
 
 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.). 
 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. Mar- 
 shall, 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 Rich- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 51 
 
 mond, 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 farm- 
 houses. 
 
 As the army crossed the Potomac (four miles 
 east of Leesburg) Gen. Lee had to make some pro- 
 vision for tlie stragglers. It would not do to let 
 them follow the army into the enemy's country, be- 
 cause 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 Shen- 
 andoah. This was the point, no doubt, that Gen. 
 Lee had fixed upon 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 
 
52 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 to take charge of sore-footed stragglers. But a sol- 
 dier'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 men- 
 tioned, and their bandages in many cases still show- 
 ed the dried blood as evidence that they had not al- 
 ways been stragglers. Some were sick, and some too 
 lame to walk, so 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 Mceting-House, Loudoun county, 
 and get his four-horse wagon and order it to Lees- 
 burg. This I did in good soldier style, not appre- 
 ciating 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. Thus the 
 lame, sick and sore-footed and the rag-and-tag were 
 pushed on, shoved on and hauled on toward Win- 
 chester. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 53 
 
 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 re- 
 minded 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 em- 
 barrassing 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 cen- 
 tered 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 fel- 
 
54 FROM BULL RUN TO AFrO^L'\TTOX. 
 
 low." 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 posi- 
 tion. My companion, however, although a mem- 
 ber of that society, never deserted me, and some 
 time 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, tak- 
 ing 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 55 
 
 Mr. Green says that wlicn the prisoners were all 
 lined up, Jackson rode along their front and tried 
 to comfort llicm as best he could. He said, "Men, 
 this is the fate of war; it is you today, it may be we 
 tomorrow." After paroling his prisoners, Jackson 
 hurried to rejoin Lee, who was being hotly pressed 
 by McClcllan at Antietam. Lee's united forces 
 at this time could not have numbered over 40,000 
 men, while McClcllan, who was still in command 
 of the Union army, had a force of over 100,000. 
 
 McClcllan made the attack, was repulsed with 
 terrible loss, but the North claimed the victory, be- 
 cause Lee retired during the second night after the 
 battle and recrossed the Potomac, falling back to 
 Winchester, where he was reinforced by the strag- 
 glers 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 TRy\P. 
 
 We have all heard of the famous lost dispatch 
 that was picked up in the streets of Frederick, Md., 
 
56 
 
 FROM BULL RUN TO APrO^L\^TOX. 
 
 after the place had been evacuated by the Confed- 
 erates. It was called "Special Order No. 191." A 
 copy of this order was sent by Gen. Lee to each of 
 his generals. One copy intended for Gen. D. H. 
 Hill was dropped by a staff officer and fell into the 
 hands of Gen. McClellan. This telltale slip of pa- 
 per that might have ended the war was found 
 wrapped around two cigars. It read as follows: 
 
 "Headquarters Army of Northern \'irginia, near Frederick, Md. 
 
 "September 9, iS6.j. 
 "Special Order No. 191. 
 
 "Tlie army will resume its march tomorrow, taking the TTapers- 
 town road. Goncral 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 con- 
 venient point, and, by Friday night, take possession of the Baltimore 
 & Ohio Railroad, capture such of the enemy as may be at Martins- 
 burg, 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 Mcl.aws, \\ith his own division and that of General R. 
 n. Anderson, will follow General Longstreet. On reaching Miildle- 
 town he will take the route to Harper's Ferry, and by Friday morn- 
 ing possess himself of the Maryland Heights and endeavor to cap- 
 ture the enemy at Harper's Ferry and vicinity. 
 
 "General Walker, with his division, after accomplishing the ob- 
 ject in which he is now engaged, will cross the Potomac at Cheek's 
 Ford, ascend its right bank to Lovottsville, take possession of Lou- 
 doun 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 ar- 
 tillery, ordnance, supply-trains, etc., will precede General Hill. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APFOMATTOX. 57 
 
 "General Stiinrt will ciclach a squadrf)!! of cavalry to accompany 
 the commands of Generals LonKStreet, Jackson and McLavvs, and 
 will) the main hody of the cavalry will cover the route of tiic army 
 and hrin^j up all straKRlers that may have hccn left behind. 
 
 "The commands of Generals Jackson, McLaws and Walker, after 
 accomi)lishin)^ the ohjccls for which they have been detached, will 
 join the main hrxly of the army at I'oonshoronpji or Ilaf^erstovvn. 
 
 "I'.ach rej'.iment on the march will hahitually carry its axes in 
 the regimental ordnance wayons for use of the men at their encamp- 
 ments to procure wood, etc. 
 
 "By command of Generai, R. E. Lee." 
 
 Witli this document in liis hands and with Lee's 
 army divided as it was, McClellan felt that his hour 
 of triumph liad come. He sent the following dis- 
 patch to President Lincoln: 
 
 * * * "I have all the plans of the rebels, and 
 will catch them in their own trap. * * * Gen- 
 eral 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 dan- 
 ger. 1 1 was rendered much more so when McClel- 
 lan came into possession of Lee's plans. But Lee 
 was too good a soldier not to be prepared for such 
 an emergency. McClellan was repulsed; Lee re- 
 crossed the river unmolested, paroled his Harper's 
 Ferry prisoners, secured 73 cannon, 13,000 rifles, 
 several hundred wagons and quantities of stores. 
 
Chapter V. 
 
 From Antietam to CJiancellorsville. 
 
 "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 Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 McClellan was relieved of his command, and 
 Gen. Burnside took his place and gathered a large 
 army in front of Fredericksburg on the Rappahan- 
 nock 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 de- 
 feated with terrible loss. He recrossed the river 
 and wept when he contemplated the awful slaugh- 
 ter that had been made in his army. This ended 
 
 N 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 59 
 
 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 12,31 1 ; Lee's at 5409. 
 
 Both armies went into winter quarters, and there 
 was no general battle until the next spring, but fre- 
 quent 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 or thirty 
 miles. These gaps were always closely guarded by 
 the Confederates, and through them the armies 
 frequently marched and counter-marched as occa- 
 sion 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 Wash- 
 ington, then cross through one of these gaps with 
 
6o FROM BULL RL'X TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 a portion of his army and reinforce the armies de- 
 fending Richmond. 
 
 When the armies fell back from ^^'inchestcr mv 
 company of cavalry was left to guard tlie Rlue- 
 mount gap. then called Snickersville. A little later 
 the gap was abandoned, and wo were ordered to 
 Ashby's gap, farther up the valley, wliere we en- 
 camped 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 Alexan- 
 dria, Va., just under the shadow of the capital of 
 the Northern nation, I will call it. 
 
 One day our pickets reported "the enemy's cav- 
 alry 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 ap- 
 proached the town we could distinctly see the 
 enemv's cavalry tilling 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. 
 
FROM DULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 6 1 
 
 It was only 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 
 jaw that no hit could hold. 
 
 The captain ordered us to move fonvard, 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 mc 
 up to the front, and when we got close enough to 
 the enemy to see the whites of tlicir eyes, I v/as 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 an- 
 nihilation. 
 
 The captain ordered right about, retreat! At 
 this point to get those loo horses turned around in 
 that street and get out of the reach of looo guns in 
 the hands of looo Bluecoats, was a knotty problem. 
 If the enemy had charged us just at this time, our 
 destruction would have been just as complete as 
 
62 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 com- 
 rades 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 after- 
 ward 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 
 
LTJTIIIOU W. IIOl'KINS. 
 
 From Mil ..1,1 (iMmK.nv.it.vpo, in 1861, boforo cntoi-in.o- flu 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 63 
 
 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 mount- 
 ed with some difliculty, 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 two 
 prisoners — George Galliher and myself. On the 
 way they picked up three or four citizens, which 
 gave us some company. 
 
 It was quite dark when we reached Middlcburg, 
 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 
 
64 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 hour's wait the command moved down the pike to- 
 ward 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 remain- 
 ed 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 into one of the 
 rooms. I suppose there were several hundred pris- 
 oners 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 au- 
 thorities 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 
 100 miles. 
 
 I found my horse awaiting me, and after a few 
 days' rest, I mounted and rejoined my comrades 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 65 
 
 As the winter came on the Confederates drew in 
 their outposts, and the enemy did likewise. 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 
 
66 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Ork- 
 ney Springs, just at the foot of North mountain, 
 west of Strassburg. 
 
 Our duty was to keep a dozen men on the op- 
 posite 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 remain- 
 ing in the cottages some time, the health of the com- 
 mand 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 were 
 advancing up the valley turnpike, and the whole 
 regiment was ordered down to meet them, our com- 
 pany in advance. 
 
 Jt was March. The day was a stormy one. It 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 67 
 
 snowed and rained alternately all day long, far 
 into the night. 
 
 When we left camp I was suffering with rheuma- 
 tism 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 ail- 
 ments of some of the men, all went out of camp that 
 morning bright and happy. 
 
 It was a false alarm. The only enemy encoun- 
 tered were the pelting snow and driving rain. 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 Delmonico's could 
 
68 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 emergen- 
 cies. There was no rule regulating the messes. 
 The men simply came together by common con- 
 sent. "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 an- 
 other 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 pil- 
 lows. The two end men had logs of wood to pro- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 69 
 
 tcct 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 were 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 com- 
 mand 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 com- 
 pany is quite large. It depends upon the weather, 
 the closeness of the enemy, and the duties that are 
 
70 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 being exacted. Bad weather will drive in all rheu- 
 matics ; 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. Wil- 
 liam 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 loo men, 
 among them two or three officers. 
 
 As the regiment expected to be absent for over a 
 month and to return crowned with laurels, Com- 
 pany Q conceived the idea of doing something that 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 7 1 
 
 would put them on an equal footing with their com- 
 rades when they returned from this expedition. 
 
 A company was formed of about 100 men, who 
 were soon on the march down the valley pike. My 
 eyes had so improved that I could join them. 
 
 The enemy was encamped near Winchester, per- 
 haps 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 ofif. 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 crop- 
 
72 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 pcd 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 ofif our retreat. We soon had our horses 
 bridled, and, mounting, made for the river. Our 
 commander sent me down the river to call in the 
 pickets, but I did not go far until I met them com- 
 ing in. They had heard the firing. We had a des- 
 perate 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 dis- 
 mounted, got behind the trees, and were ready to 
 give our tormentors a warm reception, but Provi- 
 dence 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 two men — Milton Robinson and my- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 73 
 
 scif. 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 Yan- 
 kees 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 grati- 
 fication. 
 
 The loss of our horses grieved us very much, but 
 such is the life of a soldier. 
 
 My comrades 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 es- 
 cape 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 
 a few days we also reached 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 two weeks the brigade came back from 
 the West Virginia expedition, and Company Q re- 
 ceived the Sixth Regiment with open arms. Just 
 
74 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 any- 
 thing edible above hardtack and salt pork. We 
 had a forager in our mess, and he was hard to beat. 
 His name was Fauntleroy Neill. 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 sky- 
 scraper. 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 this coffee, it is said that the aroma from it 
 spread through the trees and over the fields for 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 75 
 
 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 Com- 
 pany Q. 
 
 Spring had now fully come, the roads were dry, 
 and the time for action had arrived. 
 
 Hooker, at the head of 120,000 Northern sol- 
 diers, was again crossing the Rappahannock, near 
 Fredericksburg, to lock horns with Lee and Jack- 
 son. 
 
 Hooker had superseded Burnside in command 
 of the Union army. They called him "fighting 
 Joe." 
 
 He 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 Washing- 
 ton Government. But he was doomed to a terrible 
 disappointment. What Hooker took to be a re- 
 treat 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 
 
jt FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Hook- 
 er'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 en- 
 tire war felt more keenly his defeat than did Hook- 
 er on this occasion. For a while 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 Chancellors- 
 ville." 
 
 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 skill- 
 fully 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 ter- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. TJ 
 
 rible 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, Stone- 
 wall Jackson was fired on by his own men, mortally 
 wounded, and died a few days afterwards. 
 
 The following account of the wounding of Jack- 
 son, 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, notic- 
 ing the confusion, rode up and down the line, say- 
 ing, '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 ad- 
 vancing to retake an important position that it had 
 lost. Jackson had gone loo yards in front of his 
 own line to get a better view of the enemy's posi- 
 tion. The only light that he had to guide him was 
 
78 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 that furnished by the moon. He was attended by 
 half a dozen orderlies and several of his staff offi- 
 cers, 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 they approached, the Con- 
 federate 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 be- 
 neath the boughs of the trees, which inflicted sev- 
 eral 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, 
 
iiK LAST MEETING OF LEE AND JACKSON AT CHANCELLORSVILLE 
 rhi. picture was not taken from ]ifo, but is the creation of the artist's brain. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 79 
 
 notwithstanding its wound, he arrested his horse 
 and brought the animal back toward his own line. 
 "He was followed byhis faithful attendants. The 
 firing of the Confederates had now been arrested 
 by some of the officers, who realized their mis- 
 take, but the wounded and frantic horses were rush- 
 ing 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 in- 
 stant, gazing toward his own line, as if in astonish- 
 ment 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 dan- 
 gerously. Before he could dismount he sank faint- 
 ing 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 
 
8o FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 its source, and nothing was at hand more cfHcient 
 than a penknife to remove the obstruction. 
 
 "Just at this momentGen. 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 thewound 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 mus- 
 kets 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 Federals must be near at hand, stepped 
 into the road to investigate, and by the light of the 
 moon he saw a cannon pointing toward them, ap- 
 parently not more than loo yards distant. In- 
 deed, 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 8 1 
 
 now remounted and hurried back to make arrange- 
 ments to meet this attack. In the combat which en- 
 sued, 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 imme- 
 diate 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 stafif, 
 he went slowly out of the highway, and toward his 
 own troops. 
 
 "The party was now met by a litter, which some- 
 one had sent from the rear, and the general was 
 placed upon it and borne along by two of his offi- 
 cers. 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 
 
82 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 fear- 
 ful 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 dis- 
 played 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 flev/ hissing over 
 them. The contact of the iron hail caused spark- 
 ling flashes from the flinty gravel of the roadway. 
 Gen. Jackson struggled violently to rise, as though 
 to endeaver 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 ac- 
 quiesced, and lay quiet, but none of the four hoped 
 to escape alive. Yet, almost by miracle, they were 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 83 
 
 unharmed, and after a few moments the Feder- 
 alists, having cleared the road of all except this lit- 
 tle 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 ths 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. Jack- 
 son, and said, 'My men are thrown into such con- 
 fusion 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 
 
84 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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. 
 iThe 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 sec- 
 ond 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 8^ 
 
 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 great- 
 est 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 bark 
 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. 
 
86 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 doubt- 
 less 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 
 
 *See Chapter XIV, page 284. 
 
'I'liis mdmimont was erected to mark tlio spot on the liattleflekl, of Chan- 
 cellorsville wliere Stonewall Jackson received Ills death wound May 2, 1S63. 
 
 "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the {rvati/'—Jack-sou'ii 
 l>in>i!i W'ord.'i. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 87 
 
 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 exclaim- 
 ed, "The chariots of Israel and the horsemen 
 thereof!" 
 
 The South felt that in the loss of Stonewall Jack- 
 son they were parting with the ''better half" of 
 their army. 
 
 The North had the men, the money and the mu- 
 nitions of war, but the South had L>ee 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 Neill 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 Rappahan- 
 nock. 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 be- 
 
88 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 lieve 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 a while 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 inves- 
 tigate, 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 re- 
 lieved 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, 
 
90 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 lay down to sleep. But I was soon rudely awak- 
 ened 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, fir- 
 ing 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 mo- 
 ment. Two of our men were killed, several wound- 
 ed, 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 
 
FROM DULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 91 
 
 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 regi- 
 ments 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 a while. 
 
 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 com- 
 
92 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 mander, Gen. Stuart, knew, but I did not suppose 
 that Gen. Lee was within 30 miles of us. To- 
 ward sunset I saw him come riding across the fields 
 on his gray horse, "Traveller," accompanied by his 
 staff. He seemed as calm and unconcerned as if he 
 were inspecting the land with the view of a pur- 
 chase. 
 
 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 re- 
 cross the river. We did not press them, but gave 
 them their own time. 
 
 We re-established our picket line along the rivei", 
 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 93 
 
 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 onenvay, namely, north- 
 east. 
 
 The infantry went into camp at night, but the 
 cavalry marched through most of the night, cross- 
 ing the Rappahannock several miles above where 
 we had been fighting. 
 
94 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Lee's entire army was on the way to Pennsyl- 
 vania, 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.* 
 
 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. t 
 
 Lee's cavalry kept on the east side of the moun- 
 tain, holding the enemy back as much as possible. 
 
 When we reached Fauquier and Loudoun coun- 
 ties the Union cavalry made a desperate effort to 
 drive in our cavalry and discover the route of our 
 main army. 
 
 *Tlic two armies, occupying opposite hnnks of the river near 
 Fredericksburg, began tlioir inarcli for Gctlyslnirg June the 3rd, 
 1S63, moving nortlieast along tlie Ivappahannock river, the cavalry 
 of each army inarching between. Wlien Lee reached the lUue Ridge 
 he crossed it at throe different places, Chester Gap. Ashhy's and 
 Snickersville Gaps. The two cavalry forces came together and fought 
 quite a severe battle, beginning at Aldie, below Middloburg, and ex- 
 tending to Paris, at the foot of the mountain. Directly after this 
 battle Stuart took the main part of liis cavalry, moved back as far 
 as Salem, or Delaplane, as it is now called, moved across the coun- 
 try in rear of the Fedora! army, passing Manassas and Contervillc, 
 then marched direct for the Potomac, which he crossed between 
 Lee.sburg and Washington. Then through Maryland into Peinisyl- 
 vania as far as Carlisle, and there be turned south, arriving at 
 Gettysburg on the night after the second day of the battle, thus 
 completely encircling the Union army. (See map). 
 
 tOn its march down the Virginia valley to the Potomac Lee's 
 army took 4000 prisoners, .^5 cannon, 250 wagons, 400 horses, 269 
 small arms and quantities of stores. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 95 
 
 Heavy fighting began at Aldic, below Middlc- 
 burg, and was continued up the pike through the 
 town of Middlcburg as far as Uppcrvillc, where 
 I had been captured the year before. 
 
 The enemy's cavalry was»'Supportcd 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 coun- 
 try 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 Win- 
 chester. 
 
 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 Rec- 
 tor. I aroused him and delivered my message. 
 
96 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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.* 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 Get- 
 tysburg 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 Mary- 
 land soil before this, and although Maryland was 
 
 *The map shows two points where Lee crossed into Maryland, 
 one part of tlic army crossing the Potomac at Williamsport, and ihe 
 other at Slicpherdstown, and, uniting at Hagerstown, moved on toward 
 Chambersburg. ]"rom tliis point, Lee sent a portion of Ewoll's divi- 
 sion as far north as Carlisle, while another portion marched to Yoric, 
 then to Wrightsville, on the Susqi-.ehanna river, all returning in tim^ 
 to meet the Union army at Gettysburg. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 97 
 
 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 in- 
 expressible 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 sol- 
 diers knew no bounds. We were as light-hearted 
 and as gay as children on a picnic, and we had no 
 fear as to the result of the move. 
 
 Marching along the pike one day, the cavalry 
 halted, and just on our left 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 dis- 
 mount and get over into the garden. We saw the 
 family watching us from the window. The impu- 
 dence 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 risi- 
 bles of our soldiers to such an extent that the whole 
 command broke out with loud laughter and hurrah 
 
98 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Cham- 
 bersburg, 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 andhad 
 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 99 
 
 Gettysburg,* 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. 
 
 On 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. 
 
 Prior to this Gen. Lee had called his generals 
 together for counsel. The situation had grown seri- 
 ous. Lee's losses had been heavy in killed and 
 wounded, and his stock of ammunition was grow- 
 ing low. 
 
 After considerable discussion Lee mounted his 
 
 ♦General Longstreet, in his book "From Manassas to Appo- 
 mattox," says the Confederate forces that crossed the Potomac were 
 75,568, and fixes the total of the Union army at loo.coo, in round 
 figures. General Meade's monthly return for June 30 shows 99,131 
 present for duty and equipped at Gettysburg. 
 
lOO FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 offi- 
 cers 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. After the 
 artillery duel there was ominous silence; 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, 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 01 
 
 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 daz- 
 zling 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, 
 where loved ones were waiting. 
 
 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. 
 
102 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 vel- 
 vet. 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 sur- 
 geons 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 103 
 
 The two armies confronted each other all next 
 day, 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 cav- 
 alrymen were grazing their horses in the rear of the 
 infantry, a low, rumbling sound was heard resem- 
 bling 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 lead- 
 ing 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 was the 
 first time Lee's army had ever met defeat. 
 
I04 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 was 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 ofif and took a shorter cut through a moun- 
 tainous district toward the point where the army 
 had crossed the river into Maryland. This wagon 
 train was guarded by a large body of cavalry, in- 
 cluding my command. 
 
 Just as the sun was going down, dark ominous 
 clouds came trooping up from the west with thun- 
 der 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 105 
 
 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 thunderthe 
 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 turn- 
 pike, and just at this point Kilpatrick (command- 
 ing 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 
 
I06 FROM BULL RUN TO* APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 be- 
 yond 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 two hundred wagons that 
 had already passed out on the open turnpike had 
 been captured, but such was not the case. 
 
 With these wagons was our brigadier com- 
 mander. Gen. Wm. E, Jones, and two regiments of 
 cavalry. We 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." 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 07 
 
 The explanation was that the enemy was so close 
 to them (in fact, mingled with them) that he did 
 not want them 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 fright- 
 ened them to such an extent that they were stam- 
 peded, 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 
 
I08 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 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." 
 
 iBy 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 cav- 
 alry 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; 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 109 
 
 but wc 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 be- 
 tween the ages of 18 and 45 in citizens' 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 
 
no FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Potomac than wc 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 writ- 
 ing 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?" I might answer 
 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 im- 
 possible for the farmers to put in their grain or reap 
 their harvests. 
 
no FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Potomac than wc 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 writ- 
 ing 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?" I might answer 
 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 im- 
 possible for the farmers to put in their grain or reap 
 their harvests. 
 

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FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. Mil 
 
 The other States of the South grew mostly cot- 
 ton 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 Vir- 
 ginia could have planted and reaped an abundant 
 harvest, which would have sufficed to take care 
 of man and beast during the long winter months; 
 but Providence ruled otherwise, and Lee was com- 
 pelled 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. 
 
112 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 sup- 
 plies. If he had been defeated at Seven Pines, 
 Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- 
 ville, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, 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, Spottsylvania and 
 Cold Harbor, where Grant was in command of the 
 Northern army, demonstrated that Lee could win 
 victories without Jackson. Perhaps what contrib- 
 uted most to Lee's defeat at Gettysburg was the 
 absence of the cavalry just at a time when he needed 
 it most. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. II3 
 
 Whatever may have been the cause of his defeat, 
 Gen. Lee, with the magnanimity characteristic of 
 him, said: "It was all my fault." 
 
 I am sure that my old comrades of the Sixth Vir- 
 ginia Cavalry will be disappointed if I do not say 
 something more about the part our regiment took, 
 in the battle of Gettysburg. On the last day of the 
 battle (July 3) we were on the extreme right of 
 Lee's army, and while Gen. Lee was intently watch- 
 ing Gen. Pickett's division in the effort to crush the 
 center of the Union army, the Sixth Virginia Cav- 
 alry, near Fairfield, in a hand-to-hand conflict, was 
 trying to annihilate the force in their front, namely, 
 the Sixth United States Regular Cavalry. Not- 
 withstanding the tall wheat just ready for the 
 scythe through which we charged and the strong 
 post and rail fences in our way, we defeated this 
 regiment and captured 200 prisoners. Among the 
 slain on our side was our adjutant (Allen), a most 
 efficient officer. It was here that a bullet cut my 
 coat across the shoulder. Our regiment and this 
 regiment met face to face several times during the 
 war, and once they had the pleasure of escorting 
 quite a large detachment of our regiment to the 
 rear as prisoners, myself among them. Our rela- 
 tions grew quite cordial as we became acquainted. 
 
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 val- 
 ley, 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 com- 
 pared 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. II5 
 
 had fought the battle of June 9th, a month before. 
 They halted at the Rappahannock and occupied 
 both sides of the river. 
 
 While resting in this camp Gen. Lee issued the 
 following order to his army: 
 
 "Headquarters Army Northern Virginia, 
 
 "August 13, 1863. 
 "The President of the Confederate States has, in the name of the 
 people, appointed August 21st as a day of fasting, humiliation and 
 prayer. A strict observance of the day is enjoined upon the officers 
 and soldiers of this army. All military duties, except such as are 
 absolutely necessary, will be suspended. The commanding officers 
 of the brigades and regiments are requested to cause divine services, 
 suitable to the occasion, to be performed in their respective com- 
 mands. Soldiers ! we have sinned against Almighty God. We have 
 forgotten His signal mercies, and have cultivated a revengeful, 
 haughty and boastful spirit. We have not remembered that the de- 
 fenders of a just cause should be pure in His eyes; that 'our times 
 are in His hands,' and we have relied too much on our own arms 
 for the achievement of our independence. God is our only refuge 
 and our strength. Let us humble ourselves before Him. Let us 
 confess our many sins, and beseech Him to give us a higher courage, 
 a purer patriotism and more determined will ; that He will convert 
 the hearts of our enemies ; that He will hasten the time when war, 
 with its sorrows and sufferings, shall cease, and that He will give us 
 a name and place among the nations of the earth. 
 
 "R. E. Lee, General." 
 
 This order was printed on paper about the size 
 of a half sheet note paper, and was read to the com- 
 panies by their respective commanders. It made a 
 deep impression upon the army. 
 
 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. 
 
Il6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Here was the home of John Minor Botts, a dis- 
 tinguished 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 Con- 
 federate 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 be- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. II7 
 
 come, 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 rein- 
 force Bragg, weakening his army to the extent of 
 15,000 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 fra- 
 ternal condition perhaps never existed before be- 
 tween 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 dis- 
 sipated, we returned the fire, and began to dis- 
 pute 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 
 
Il8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 the Streets of Culpeper, and the fighting in and 
 around the town was the heaviest that we encount- 
 ered. 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. 
 
 The average soldier's ambition is to be in every 
 battle with his regiment, but after the first volley 
 he is willing to retire if he can honorably do so. A 
 slight wound or a crippled horse or assisting a 
 wounded comrade will give him a passport to the 
 rear. We were in line, facing the enemy's batteries, 
 when a shower of grape shot, striking the ground in 
 front, threw gravel in our faces, one of which struck 
 one of the horses on the nose, causing him to squirm 
 greatly. The rider quickly called out, "Captain, 
 my horse is wounded; can I go to the rear?" To 
 avoid teasing, he got transferred to another com- 
 mand. He is still living and so is the joke, much to 
 his discomfort. 
 
 We retreated to the Rapidan, where Gen. Lee 
 was strongly entrenched. The enemy, after re- 
 maining in our front a few days, fell back to their 
 old position on the Rappahannock. 
 
 Shortly after this demonstration of the Union 
 army, Gen. Lee made an advance, but not directly 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. II9 
 
 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 to- 
 ward Richmond. 
 
 After Lee had got well on his march the cav- 
 alry crossed the river and began to drive in the 
 enemy's outposts and press them back toward Cul- 
 peper, 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 hid- 
 ing 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 
 
:i20 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 charge, and it looked as if the whole column was 
 coming right into our ranks. 
 
 I have a vivid recollection of the scene. I no- 
 ticed 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 Lieutenant (an officer in my com- 
 pany) was not so chicken-hearted; he spurred 
 his horse forward 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 com- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 121 
 
 mand 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 col- 
 onel of the Fifth 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 Rosserl Look at Rosser!" Everybody ex- 
 pected 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 reached the top of the ridge we found that the 
 enemy were disappearing in the distance as fast 
 
122 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 as their flying horses could carry them. We after- 
 ward 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 lay 
 close to my side, it was allowed to pass as a "close 
 shave." But the greatest danger I had been 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 every- 
 one 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 dis- 
 mounted and fought on foot. This was often done, 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 23 
 
 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 lit- 
 tle 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 
 
124 F^OM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 re- 
 versed. 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 ly- 
 ing 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 125 
 
 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 con- 
 cluded that these were the camp-fires of the enemy. 
 
126 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 defenses 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 ad- 
 vance 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 27 
 
 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 ofT. Just as I am writing this Mr. Green, whom 
 I had 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 a while, and a few days afterward the 
 whole army, cavalry, infantry and artillery, march- 
 ed 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 what- 
 ever 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 al- 
 ready been stripped of fruit. We could not even 
 
128 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 find a persimmon, and wc 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 Manas- 
 sas, and everybody was saying, "We'll get plenty 
 when we get to Manassas." We were there be- 
 fore 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 disap- 
 pointment 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 suggest- 
 ed 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 29 
 
 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 to- 
 ward 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. Lo- 
 max) in a kind and fatherly tone, "My I 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. 
 
 My recollection is that the whole army, infantry, 
 cavalry and artillery, encamped in and around 
 Brandy Station and prepared for winter. The in- 
 fantry began to build little low huts, the cracks 
 
130 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 filled up with mud and tops covered with slabs 
 split from logs. 
 
 Every mess had its own hut. The cavalry, know- 
 ing 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 in- 
 fantry, 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 like the Six Hundred, "Theirs 
 not to reason why; theirs 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, 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 131 
 
 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 Janu- 
 ary. 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 our in- 
 fantry 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 op- 
 posite side struck one of the men, and he fell in a 
 
132 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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, continu- 
 ing long after dark. Then the firing ceased. After 
 remaining there for some time, someone in com- 
 mand (I don't know who it was) ordered Capt. 
 Gibson of our company to send four men with in- 
 structions 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 33 
 
 long before we saw them withdraw. We heard 
 their ofTicers giving the command. 
 
 We then came back, and had some difficulty get- 
 ting in without being shot, from the fact that the 
 regiment to which we belonged had been with- 
 drawn 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 after- 
 ward mounted, re-crossed the river and went into 
 camp. It proved to be nothing more than a recon- 
 noissance 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 a few miles up the river, a consider- 
 able 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 on the river 
 bank; the others were at the post. 
 
 About 6 o'clock in the morning we heard a few 
 
134 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 de- 
 termine. So we thought discretion the better part 
 of valor and immediately turned, each fellow tak- 
 ing care of himself. 
 
 Three went up the river. Faunt Neill and my- 
 self took the opposite course. The Yankees (for 
 it proved to be the enemy) had seen us, and started 
 in pursuit. Neill 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 contin- 
 ued across the meadow and up the hill on the op- 
 posite 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, 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 35 
 
 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 cer- 
 tain 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 Fau- 
 quier, 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 
 our ''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 
 
136 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 we had left three years before in our bright new 
 uniforms, with well-groomed horses and full haver- 
 sacks. 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. Be- 
 sides, 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 Gettys- 
 burg went down on that hot July afternoon when 
 Pickett made his famous charge, for the Eighth 
 Virginia Infantry, in which nearly all my school- 
 mates 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 Cav- 
 alry. 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 exemplifica- 
 tion of the claims of Christianity. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 37 
 
 Notwithstanding all this, we enjoyed our vaca- 
 tion 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 Mos- 
 by'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 en- 
 joying 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 they got there, one of the servants took 
 the saddle and bridle ofif 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 open- 
 ing. The ladder was taken away, and there I stayed 
 
138 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 until the enemy departed. I got back home 
 safely, and had other close calls, but escaped 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, I think, 
 Washington county, Virginia, serving as lieuten- 
 ant 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 independ- 
 ent command, he could render the Confederacy 
 great service by operating along the lines of the 
 B. & O., the C. & O., and the Orange and Alexan- 
 dria 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 re- 
 ported his plan to Gen. Stuart when he got out of 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 39 
 
 prison. Gen. Stuart favored it, and referred it to 
 Gen. Lee, and Gen. Lee referred it to the War De- 
 partment 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 recruit- 
 ing from the young men in the district where he 
 operated. 
 
 Mosby lost no time in getting his little force to- 
 gether 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 de- 
 tachment of Union troops, stampede them and cap- 
 ture what he could. In this way he captured or de- 
 stroyed a great many wagons, took horses, mules 
 and prisoners by the thousands. My younger 
 brother Richard joined this command in 1864, be- 
 ing a little over 17 years old. 
 
 It may now seem strange that a people whose 
 country was 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 
 
140 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 them in the face, with their capital besieged by- 
 great armies, with what we would call at this 
 day deprivation and suffering incomparable, 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 made: "There was 
 a sound of revelry by night, and Lee's miserables 
 (Les 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 41 
 
 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 morn- 
 ing with six inches of snow covering us, resulting in 
 my horse's getting a bad cold, for during our fur- 
 lough he had been 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 
 we found our regiment awaiting us. With- 
 out even a day's rest we were ordered to Rich- 
 mond, a still longer march, and after remaining 
 there two weeks we were ordered to Fredericks- 
 burg. 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 proba- 
 bility 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 JVilderness 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 displacement of 
 JMeade. 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 
 
 ttt 
 
Mus. 1!. i:. i.Ki:, 
 
 Wile ol' Kolx'it ll, l,i'<\ Kroiu an olil iihotomnph ImKimi .Iniiiii; lln- wiir. 
 
 Tlu> spots arc llic rcsiili ><( (It-rcris on Ilir original pholoi;iapli, i-aiiscil liy 
 tiuu>. 
 
 "1 will luaUi- liini an liclp nicot for lilin." 
 
 "'rill- lii;lit lipoii Ik'I- I'aco 
 Sliinos I'roni llic w imlows ol' anollirr woiM." 
 
(iiONi'iKAL i:iii;i':irr lo. moI'). 
 
 Tills picliirc \v;is hiUi'ii In llic nnr of (Iciiri-iil Lc^'s lionwi' (iii I'Miiilillii 
 Slroi'f, lUrhliKirid, \'ii., In iscr,, liiinirdlii hl.v .-iricr his return Iroin A|)))o 
 inatlox, ;in(l ifpirscnts lilni In llir slylr ol' nnHiprrji wlilrli lie hnhinnilly 
 wore In I lii- mniy. 
 
 "II vvuH 111! my fanll." ((jellysljurg.) 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. I43 
 
 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, an- 
 other 30,000 strong was marching up the James 
 river, taking the same route McClclIan 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 May 4, 1864, 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 sol- 
 diers will. They live on excitement, and the boom- 
 
144 FROM BULL RUN TO APrOMATTOX. 
 
 ing of guns and the rattling of musketry is the 
 sweetest music they can hear. 
 
 One bright May morning (it must have been 
 about the third day of the month) we saw a courier 
 with his horse all llcckcd with foam come dasliing 
 into our camp. He halted and asked tor Gen. 
 Stuart's headquarters. It proved to be a messenger 
 from Gen. Lee, and it meant that the deatli-struggle 
 was about to begin. 
 
 Soon the bu<i;les were soundincr all throue:h the 
 camps the old familiar call, "Saddle up, saddle up." 
 We mounted, and each company forming in line 
 and counting olT by fours, wheeled into columns of 
 two and marched off toward what was afterwards 
 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 lay- 
 ing them on the coals of lire to broil. It has been 
 43 years since then, but I assure you 1 can almost 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 145 
 
 taste those fish today. I don't think I ever ate any- 
 thing so sweet. 
 
 Tiic 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 his 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 fol- 
 lowed 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. Sud- 
 denly 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 shall 
 
146 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 re- 
 sults; 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 strik- 
 ing down our men. 
 
 My cousin, Dallas Leith, and myself stood to- 
 gether 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?" 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, re- 
 mained 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 47 
 
 About 20 Steps from the fence we saw two Yan- 
 kees lying mortally wounded. We gathered around 
 them and asked them some questions about where 
 they were from, and one of our men pulled a pho- 
 tograph 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 Yan- 
 kees denied the accusation with some feeling. They 
 were both shot in the breast, and were bleeding pro- 
 fusely. 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 
 
148 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 leav- 
 ing 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 impos- 
 sible, but the others insisted, and, tying a handker- 
 chief 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 iffto a road and there found an ambulance. 
 Putting him in it, he was carried to the hos- 
 pital, in the rear. Strange to say, he lived about 
 ten days, giving his father time to come from Lou- 
 doun 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. He 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 intermis- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 49 
 
 sion. 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 be- 
 gan writing a letter to my folks at home. Capt. 
 Gibson came up to mc 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 mo- 
 ment." 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. 
 
 A little later 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 
 
150 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 him- 
 self, 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 m.ean?" In re- 
 ply, 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 
 
GENERAL FITZnUGH LEE, 
 
 Who comm.indcd a division of Stuart's Cavalry. 
 
 'What does this mean? Go back ! go hark!" (See page 150.) 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 151 
 
 for two days, and all the time it was going on wc 
 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 third day Grant silently and 
 rapidly withdrew the main portion of his army 
 from Lee's front and marched toward Spottsyl- 
 vania Courthouse, which was some distance to the 
 right of where the cavalry was fighting. 
 
 His object was to surprise Gen. Lee, and get be- 
 tween him and Richmond. But Gen. Lee had an- 
 ticipated that very movement, and when Grant's 
 infantry moved forward at Spottsylvania Court- 
 house, 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 Washing- 
 ton, 'T 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 the Wilder- 
 
152 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 ness 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 Mc- 
 Clellan, 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 for- 
 ward 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 tac- 
 tics that had been played for the last two days, ex- 
 cept 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, a native of Pennsylvania and a 
 West Pointer, who had married a Virginia girl. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 53 
 
 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 to- 
 ward 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, 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. 
 
 A,s we entered the woods we suddenly came upon 
 
154 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 lay 
 down behind a rail fence and fired between the 
 rails. A bullet struck a rail just in front of my head 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 55 
 
 and knocked the dust and splinters in my face, al- 
 most 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 oflicers 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 world. It was on 
 this field that "Hancock, the superb," made eight 
 distinct attacks on Lee's center, and finally break- 
 ing 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 reser\^e), 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 
 
156 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 de- 
 struction and anotlier year added to the life of the 
 Confederacy. 
 
 I heard Gen. Gordon in a lecture delivered at 
 "Music Hall," Baltimore, some years ago, describ- 
 ing 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 try- 
 ing 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 57 
 
 fair estimate. The same authority gives Grant's 
 losses at the battle of the Wilderness as 18,000; 
 Lee's as 1 1,000.* 
 
 The losses in the battle of Spottsylvania Court- 
 house, fought two days afterward, were as great, 
 if not greater, than those of the Wilderness. 
 
 When the cavalry retired from the front the men 
 mounted their horses, and almost Lee's entire cav- 
 alry 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 riglit wing with his whole 
 command, and was heading toward the Confed- 
 erate 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 Sheri- 
 dan 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. 
 
 ♦General Longstrcet gives 63,998 as the total strength of Lee's 
 army in this campaign. Longstrpcl was severely wounded at the 
 Baltic of the Wilderness by a bullet shot through the neck. Was 
 earned from the fi'-Id on a litter, and was unable to return to the 
 army for several months. Lee had lost the services of Jos. E. John- 
 ston, Jackson, Longstrcet, and a few days later J. E. B. Stuart. These 
 were his ablest lieutenants. 
 
158 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 regi- 
 ments of our cavalry (mine among them) were dis- 
 mounted, formed across the fields, and moved for- 
 ward in real line of battle style until we came upon 
 the enemy, also dismounted. After a brisk en- 
 counter 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 command- 
 ing a regiment in my brigade. He was killed by a 
 
1'lils inoiniriK'iil ;il Yellow 'J'livcrii, iicjir Uicliiiioml, N'irKiiiiii, iiuirks the 
 spot where <ieniTiil .(. 10. 1!. Stuart, receivcil (lie wduikI May H, \WA, which 
 <'ause<l his (h-ath the next day. The ki'ouI) about the iiionunient are ex- 
 cuvalrynien wlio served under (Jeneral Stuart and are all pronilnenl inoni- 
 hers of the Stuart Monument Association. 
 
 "My men and horses are tired, InniKry and Jaded, Iml all iIkIiI." 
 
FROM niJFJ. RUN TO AIM'OMA'l TOX. 1^9 
 
 bullet Striking him in (lie ceiUer of the forehead. 
 Also near iric was our c <'i|ilaiii, I>ru(e Gibson. 
 
 There was a lilllc culvert across a ditch in the 
 road that the farmers used in jj;oin;; from the road 
 into the flehl. Some of our men crept uiuler this 
 culvert and escaped. Trohahly 200 of us wen; 
 captured. 
 
 Hut 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 (ier). 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. I le died the next day. 
 
 Stuart was considered the greatest cavalry leader 
 of the war on cither side, and his death brought a 
 very great loss to Gen. Lee, and also to the whole 
 Confederacy. 
 
 The Confederacy had from the beginning at- 
 tached 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 thousands of pris- 
 
l6o FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 oners. 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 par- 
 ticular to retire from the field. He was buried in 
 Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va., where a 
 magnificent equestrian statue has been erected to 
 his memory. 
 
 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 after- 
 noon. We remained there quietly until after dark, 
 all the time, however, the fighting was going on, 
 but as we were out of reach of danger in that re- 
 spect, we had a brief breathing spell. 
 
 After dark Sheridan's whole command began to 
 rnove slowly toward Richmond, making frequent 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 161I 
 
 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. 
 
 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 
 
1 62 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 seemed to come in every direction. In fact, Sheri- 
 dan 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 quar- 
 ters, 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 gruflf 
 and harsh. So disagreeable was he that the prison- 
 ers 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 63 
 
 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 Vir- 
 ginia 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 enemies were protecting us, from their stand- 
 point (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 cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 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 
 
164 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 cor- 
 ner of my eye, I might have passed through the or- 
 deal 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 Confed- 
 erate 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 loth 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 fel- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 65 
 
 low 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 porter- 
 house 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 Chickahom- 
 iny river. Once over that river, the enemy seemed 
 to have very little opposition to their march toward 
 the James. 
 
 1 know it was a long, weary march, and their 
 horses w ere 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 
 prisonerswere 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 
 
1 66 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 curl on a girl's forehead, rooting around for some- 
 thing 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, caught 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 divided 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 stom- 
 achs 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 efiforts to get to Richmond by breaking 
 through Lee's lines were as ineffectual there as they 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 67 
 
 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 tv/o 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 particu- 
 larly, 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 ma- 
 terial 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. 
 
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 an- 
 other attempt at Cold Harbor to enter Richmond 
 by breaking through Lee's army, and another des- 
 perate battle was fought.* Grant, however, was 
 again defeated, and continued his march toward 
 the James river. It was here that 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 
 
 *Swintcn, the historian of the Army of the Potomac, says of this 
 battle: "The loss on the Union side was more than 13,000, while on 
 the part of the Confederate it is doubtful whether it reached that 
 many hundred." 
 
 lea 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 69 
 
 them long to put a bullet through his body. He 
 ranked as major, but served as lieutenant-colonel, 
 and upon the retirement of his father commanded 
 the regiment. His father retired on account of age. 
 Richards, captain of Company D, was made col- 
 onel of our regiment, and held this position during 
 the rest of the war. He had commanded a com- 
 pany of cavalry from Clark county, Virginia. 
 
 Grant differed from other commanders who 
 fought the army of Northern Virginia in this re- 
 spect — 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 in- 
 
170 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 closure 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. These precautions were 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 Confed- 
 erates 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 171 
 
 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 20 acres of ground, surrounded by a high 
 board fence, probably about 14 feet high. Just be- 
 low 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, 
 
172 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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, keep- 
 ing as near the shore as necessary until he got be- 
 yond 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 monoto- 
 nous. It was such an unhealthy camp that the pris- 
 oners 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 tin cup, trying to wedge 
 his way in, that he might quench his thirst. 
 
 The food, while good, was very scant. Break- 
 fast consisted of cofifee and a loaf of bread, the latter 
 under ordinary circumstances, with vegetables and 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 73 
 
 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 the next meal. 
 
 The dinners consisted of a tin cup of soup (gen- 
 erally bean or other vegetable), a small piece of 
 meat on a tin plate, 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 con- 
 versation 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 re- 
 member how I reproached myself for not having 
 eaten more when I had the opportunity. Delica- 
 cies 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 
 
174 FRO^^ BULL- RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 cen- 
 ter. 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 any- 
 where, consequently many of the prisoners became 
 
COKI". JOUIS L. ^^Mllll. 
 
 CORP. .lOHN L. SMiril, 
 
 ItSth ronnsjhnnia Yohintoers. 
 
 A typionl Fetlenil solilior of 1861. (Soo page 248.) 
 
 "All (lulot nloiiR the rotoiuac tonight." 
 
CHAUhKH I'AUKUII.L, 
 Conijiany K, 2',Ui IJaltallori VIrKlrilji 
 
 Infantry. 
 
 'I'IiIh plflure rcpn.'HftntH a typWal CouU-iUrnU: Holdlcr of WA. T\u: two 
 plfturcK fafint? csuh otlicr art; a fair rciiiCHcntatlon of llir? boy« who foiiKht 
 tliroUKli till- war from ln-Kinnlrm to end. At thin dati;, 0<?f(Mnl)»!r, I'JlO. the 
 men are still living. Mr. rarklilirH home Ih In IJaltlmorc, M«l., and Mr. 
 SmIth'N i-cHldcnce Ih In I'lilladelplila, I'a. 
 
 "Not war, but glory, made thoHe youths contend, 
 And each brave foe was In IiIk koiiI a frb-nd " 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 75 
 
 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 disap- 
 pear. 
 
 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 bring- 
 ing things into camp, such as blocks of wood and 
 pieces of metal. Out of these were manufactured a 
 great many interesting little articles — small steam 
 locomotives, wooden fans, rings from rubber but- 
 tons 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 to- 
 bacco 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 remem- 
 
176 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 bered 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. How- 
 ever, at first I suffered no evil consequences, but 
 finally, like most of the other prisoners, was taken 
 sick (though 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 turn- 
 pike 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. In a little while I saw a 
 smile play over his face, and as the nurse was 
 bending over him he reached up one hand and 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 177 
 
 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. 
 
 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 prudent 
 (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 con- 
 tagious diseases, and the patient had been removed 
 as soon as the disease developed. 
 
178 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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, wonder- 
 ing whether he would be included among the for- 
 tunate ones. Some days afterward a corps of phy- 
 sicians came to the hospital tents to examine the 
 different patients who lay on 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. 
 
 This in fact was not an exchange, but each side 
 had agreed to parole the sick from the hospitals, 
 that is, those who were not too ill to be moved. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 79 
 
 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, re- 
 turning from the South, mostly went to their homes, 
 as they enlisted for a term, 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.was only too glad to get 
 rid of the burden of caring for Northern prison- 
 ers. Hence the North did all it could to restrict 
 the exchange of prisoners, but there was such 
 a pressure brought to bear upon the U. S. Govern- 
 ment 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 pris- 
 oners in the hospital at Point Lookout were paroled 
 at this time. 
 
 We were put on a steamer and carried to a point 
 below Richmond, on the James river, where we 
 
l8o FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 met a like number of Federal prisancps 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 
 lie. 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 re- 
 ceive 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. l8l 
 
 alongside of a fine large steamer, and we were 
 transferred to it. 
 
 All the very sick were placed upon new mat- 
 tresses. 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 condi- 
 tion in which we were transported ; hence the trans- 
 fer to the larger vessel just before delivering us to 
 the Confederates. As soon as we landed we were 
 all given a tin cup 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 m^onths 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 
 blufjf looking down the river, within hearing dis- 
 
1 82 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 tance of the siege guns on Drury's Bluff, on the 
 James. These were constantly throwing missiles of 
 some sort at the Yankee gunboats below. I re- 
 mained 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 ter- 
 ritory 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 dis- 
 position 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 83 
 
 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 had 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 Con- 
 federate 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. On his hands he wore yellow- 
 buckskin gauntlets, reaching one-third the way to 
 his elbows. His full beard, closely clipped, was 
 iron-gray, white predominating. 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 
 
184 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 desti- 
 nation 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, per- 
 haps a month. We did work about the farm, which 
 was accepted as compensation for our board. Of 
 course, no one thought of asking money considera- 
 tion from a soldier, and as far as I was concerned, 
 I felt free to come and go without money and with- 
 out price. 
 
 When I was captured I rode a borrow^ed horse, 
 belonging to one of the members of my command. 
 This horse was not captured with me, and was 
 
FROiM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 185 
 
 taken possession of by the owner, but I had a horse 
 that I had left with my brother Gerard to recuper- 
 ate, and when I reached there I expected to use 
 this horse in getting home. Imagine my disap- 
 pointment 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 va- 
 rious 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 pa- 
 roled 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 Con- 
 federacy, 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 ob- 
 
1 86 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOALUTOX. 
 
 tained at any price. To add to the distressed condi- 
 tion, a decree had gone out from Washington that 
 all the mills, barns, provender for beast and food 
 for man were 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 through the rich Valley 
 of Virginia beyond Staunton and destroyed or car- 
 ried 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 ofHce 
 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, every- 
 where 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 87 
 
 had increased to over 500. Dashing young cava- 
 liers from every part of Virginia, mounted upon 
 handsome steeds, came trooping in to join his com- 
 mand. They were mostly boys who had been too 
 young to enter the army at the beginning of hostili- 
 ties, 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 val- 
 leys 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 with these 500 handsome 
 young men, all well mounted and armed, in whose 
 veins flowed the blood of the heroes of the Revolu- 
 tion — 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 un- 
 broken. 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; 
 
1 88 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 (mean- 
 ing 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 his territory until they left. He did not 
 allow them time to eat, sleep or rest. In an en- 
 counter near my home a Yankee's horse was killed, 
 from which I took the bridle, which was a very 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 89 
 
 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 ar- 
 rived and explained the matter. 
 
 Shortly afterward I was in company with a num- 
 ber of others on the way to Lee's army, the greater 
 portion of which was south of Richmond, stretch- 
 ing 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 most sensational event that occurred during 
 this campaign was the battle of the Crater, as it 
 was called. Grant attempted to break Lee's lines 
 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 open- 
 ing. The tunnel was finished up to and under Lee's 
 lines and loaded with explosives. The attack that 
 followed resulted in a great slaughter, especially 
 of Grant's men, and the total failure of the project. 
 
190 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 The fuse was lit, but there was no result. A brave 
 Union officer entered the tunnel to discover the 
 cause. Finding that the fuse had gone out, he relit 
 it, and then came the explosion. This event oc- 
 curred on July 30. 
 
 The colonel of my regiment (Flournoy), as I 
 stated, was killed at the battle of Cold Harbor. 
 A gallant young officer, he was a little too 
 fond of the bottle, not choice in his language and 
 rather reckless. A few days before he was killed 
 he remarked to one of his staff as they stood around 
 the campfire, "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 sol- 
 dier in blue carrying about his waist a leather cart- 
 ridge-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 with- 
 out a word. 
 
 The winter was a long, dreary one, and the Con- 
 federates, being compelled to live In the trenches 
 night and day, suffered terribly from cold and hun- 
 ger. Wade Hampton took Gen. Stuart's place 
 after the latter's death, and during the winter made 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 9 1! 
 
 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 scant- 
 ily-clothed force, and all w^inter long Grant 
 pounded away at Lee's front, trying to break 
 through. 
 
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. John- 
 ston, who was advancing northward through North 
 Carolina, but his losses were so heavy and his army 
 almost starved, the road deep with mud from ex- 
 cessive 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,* when, on April 2, he ordered 
 
 ♦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. 
 
 193 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. J 93 
 
 the evacuation of his line of intrenchments. Some 
 of his cavalry, being on the outskirts, were not in- 
 cluded in the surrender. Besides this, during the 
 seven days' retreat, Grant's forces were pressing 
 Lee's army on all sides, killing, wounding and cap- 
 turing 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. 
 
 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 regi- 
 ment. 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 wc were fellow-Confeds we passed with a 
 salute. One of them called to us and said, "Boys, 
 vou mav as well eo home; Lee has surrendered his 
 
194 ^ROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 lead- 
 ing 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 95 
 
 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 Clarke county, for my home in Lou- 
 doun, 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, com- 
 menting 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 
 
196 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Clarke 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 surren- 
 dered. 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 Massanuttcn 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 oppor- 
 tunity, slipped across the pike unobserved, and fol- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 97 
 
 lowing the Blue Ridge mountains until nearly op- 
 posite 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 surren- 
 dered, 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 were able to live, and were in a degree com- 
 fortable and contented, and managed to get food 
 enough to preserve their bodies and keep them 
 
198 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Lou- 
 doun 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 confec- 
 tionery 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 aflfable 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, cot- 
 ton, money and horses. We raised the two former 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 1 99 
 
 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 throw- 
 ing his head up and down as horses will do when 
 
200 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 Wash- 
 ington and was moving northeast, and we had been 
 commanded to keep a sharp lookout. Then I con- 
 cluded to mount, but before I could do so I realized 
 that it was too late. 
 
 I was standing close by one of those old Vir- 
 ginia 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 ac- 
 cessible 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 20I 
 
 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 had been 
 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 ex- 
 perience. 
 
 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 fel- 
 low, 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 
 
202 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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. 
 I, 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 de- 
 tested. 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, vv^ith others taken from other 
 commands, into the enemy's camp, and Owens 
 never returned. He was shot, and fell from his 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 203 
 
 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, occurring 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 associa- 
 tion with them from early childhood up to and in- 
 cluding 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. Scat- 
 tered 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 over the 
 land; but I never knew of negroes being guilty of 
 like conduct. They not only watched over and pro- 
 tected the women and children in their homes, but 
 
204 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 were equally 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 his 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 commis- 
 sioned 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 traits that no one ever 
 dreamed he possessed until after the close of the 
 Civil War. Hence, I have great respect for the 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMAITOX. 205 
 
 race. Not, however, on account of these lately- 
 developed traits, but for those other traits that were 
 so much in evidence during the time that tried 
 men's souls, and some day and somewhere a lasting 
 memorial will be erected by the whites of the South 
 to the memory of these people, so that coming gen- 
 erations may know we were not unmindful of the 
 gratitude due our former slaves; especially to the 
 old colored "mammy." She, however, was never a 
 slave, but a queen with a turban for a crown — a 
 queen who held sway in a realm that was all her 
 own. 
 
 "She was lovely to me in her colored bandana, 
 
 With which she turbancd her head; 
 Her songs were far sweeter than flute or piano 
 
 As she put me to sleep in my bed. 
 Her soft, crooning voice I can never forget; 
 Like an angel in dreams she comes to me yet." 
 
 The following are the names of the several divi- 
 sions 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 com- 
 manded by Col. Richard H. Dulaney, who served 
 a few months and was promoted. Then by his 
 cousin, Henry Dulaney, who shortly retired, and 
 
2o6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOALATTOX. 
 
 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 Cavalary, com- 
 manded by Charles Field (afterward Gen. Charles 
 Field) ; then by Thomas S. Flournoy, who was 
 retired on account of age. He was succeeded by 
 Julian Harrison, who was retired on account of 
 continued illness and- because of a serious wound 
 received in battle. Harrison was succeeded by 
 Cabel Flournoy (son of Thomas S. Flournoy) , who 
 was killed at Cold Harbor, and was succeeded by 
 Daniel Richardson, former captain of Company D, 
 Clarke Cavalry. One of the bravest leaders that 
 commanded the regiment at any time was John 
 Shack Green, lieutenant-colonel, who was severely 
 wounded, and on account of some trouble with his 
 brigadier commander, Gen. William E. Jones, he 
 resigned. 
 
 There were ten companies in my regiment, as 
 follows: A and K of Loudoun county; B, Rappa- 
 hannock; C, Rockingham; D, Clarke; E, Hali- 
 
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 IT 
 
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 "^ • la's ^ 
 
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 CM o 
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 S ctf 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 207 
 
 fax; F, Fairfax; G, Pittsylvania; H, Fauquier; 
 I, Orange. 
 
 Brigade. — First, Robertson, and then Gen. Wm. 
 E. Jones, who was killed ; then Gen. Lomax, who 
 is now living at Gettysburg, Pa. 
 
 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 Caro- 
 lina, 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. 
 
Chapter XL 
 
 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 \\h\\.t 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 sor- 
 rels 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 unstablcd 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 
 
 M8 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 209 
 
 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 un- 
 like what 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 fields. 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 in the green fields of 
 Eden. 
 How many horses were in Lee's army from be- 
 
 *I have since learned that only "Traveler's" skeleton was oreservfcl. 
 
210 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 ginning to end and how many perished has never 
 been told. Some idea can be formed from the fol- 
 lowing statement: 
 
 Such an army as Lee's, of 100,000 men, required 
 15,000 draft horses, 10,000 for cavalry, and per- 
 haps 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 of which 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" th?.n 
 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. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 211 
 
 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 oppor- 
 tunity 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 pleas- 
 ure with which he related it, I am satisfied that he 
 greatly enjoyed the episode at the time, and the re- 
 membrance 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 sad- 
 dle-horse, and succeeded. He also tried to improve 
 her manners, and while she may have behaved her- 
 self 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 se- 
 
212 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 cession and worked in the interest of the Union. 
 Once she delivered me into the hands of the Yan- 
 kees, 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 re- 
 sult of talking too much. What a weapon of 
 destruction Samson could have made of her jaw- 
 bone! 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APrOMATTOX. 213 
 
 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 crop- 
 ped 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 be- 
 neath it. I have seen men by the thousands lying 
 in this manner in the fields with their horses graz- 
 ing 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 mess- 
 mates, 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 ly- 
 ing 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 
 
214 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 taken every blade of grass about the soldier that 
 when the man got up he left a perfect outline of his 
 body on the field. 
 
 On another occasion, when on the way to Gettys- 
 burg, 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 lo 
 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 grind- 
 ing 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 scat- 
 tered over the fields, without any fear of being hurt 
 or trodden upon. But suppose Kilpatrick had sud- 
 denly 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 fright- 
 ened horses might have brought death and destruc- 
 tion, 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 21^ 
 
 up," and although it was quite dark, in an incred- 
 ibly 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 horse- 
 back, or you might call it nodding, but some went 
 sound asleep sitting upright on their horses. Oc- 
 casionally, 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 al- 
 ways called for something extraordinary in this 
 line in order to keep the men in good cheer. Aftep 
 perhaps 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, suddenly someone with the 
 
2l6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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,someonewould haltinfrontof itand"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 be- 
 fore the angry countryman could get his gun the 
 f unmaker 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 horses, 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 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 217 
 
 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 oc- 
 casion to leave the ranks. 
 
 Of course, this condition existed only when we 
 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 raw. 
 But during the winter months, when we needed 
 some kind of beverage to wash down our hardtack, 
 
2l8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 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 winter 
 after the battle of Gettysburg food got scarcer and 
 scarcer for both man and beast, and the horses be- 
 came thinner and thinner. 
 
 The Confederate cavalryman furnished and 
 owned his own horse. If his horse was killed or 
 disabled in battle, the Government, in most cases, 
 provided another; but if a soldier lost his horse 
 in any other way, he was required to replace it or 
 be transferred to some other branch of the service. 
 This brought to the cavalry of the army, men who 
 owned horses, were accustomed to handle horses, 
 were lovers of horses, and, with few exceptions, 
 were good riders. The love of the cavalryman for 
 his horse was intensified by his having to share 
 with him the dangers of camp and field. Ow- 
 ing to this bond of affection between the two, the 
 horses seldom suffered for want of attention. This 
 is why Gen. Stuart could keep his horses on a dead 
 march for 90 miles at a stretch and make his re- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 219 
 
 markable raids around the Union army and in and 
 through the enemy's territory successfully. 
 
 When a raid or a long march was in contempla- 
 tion every cavalryman was ordered to have his 
 horse's feet examined, reshod, if necessary, and take 
 with him two extra shoes and twenty-four nails. 
 There was always someone in each company skill- 
 ful enough to tack these shoes on if one came off 
 during the march. If the horse lost a shoe, he could 
 not go many miles before he would drop from the 
 ranks, placing the cavalryman on foot. 
 
 TWO BLACK HORSES IN BATTLE. 
 
 The following incident was told me by a new- 
 found friend, W. J. Sanborn, who delights to call 
 himself a Yank of the Twenty-seventh Iowa In- 
 fantry: 
 
 "In the midst of the battle a Confederate regi- 
 ment of cavalry came upon the field and formed in 
 line of battle just across our front. Almost instantly 
 they were met by a volley from our rifles. In the 
 front rank, side by side, were two fine black horses 
 that in that volley lost their riders. They fell from 
 their saddles. The two horses, feeling their riders 
 fall, and becoming instantly excited, as if by com- 
 
220 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 mon consent sprang forward and started towards 
 our lines. Our men, seeing these magnificent black 
 horses riderless, with empty saddles, swinging stir- 
 rups, swaying bridle reins, heads up and manes fly- 
 ing, dashing towards them in a crazy, aimless way, 
 ceased firing and opened their ranks, cheering 
 them as they passed through, word having been 
 passed down the line, 'Don't shoot the horses.' 
 Rushing on at breakneck speed until they reached 
 the immediate rear of our lines, then slowing up 
 for an instant, raising their heads higher and taking 
 a quick look about them, swung to the left, describ- 
 ing a circle of about two miles, and finally bringing 
 up in their original places, coming in from the rear 
 of their own lines and stopping where, a few mo- 
 ments before, with their riders on their backs, they 
 had stood. They had kept, so far as could be seen, 
 neck and neck. Upon resuming their positions in 
 the ranks they were greeted with cheers by both 
 sides. It was a wonderful incident, and every man 
 who saw it paid the highest respect possible to the 
 beautiful black horses. *I just love a horse,' is the 
 language of every soldier who rode one in the 
 war. " 
 
 I do not know how others felt about the bodies 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 221 
 
 of the dead horses that lay scattered over the battle- 
 fields, but the 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, re- 
 gardless 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, 
 they were as ready to answer one as the other. And 
 they were so noble and so brave in battle. They 
 seemed to love the sound of the guns. The cavalry- 
 man 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 cavalrj^man often used his horse for a breast- 
 work while he fired over his back, the horse stand- 
 ing 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 wc 
 know and for the unknown dead. What would 
 
222 FROM BULL RUN TO A^rO^L\TTOX. 
 
 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 also 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 chord, 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 him any less honored than 
 the former, for they all had their places. Farra- 
 gut, 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 
 
li/snop ALr'nKr:.s w. wilson, 
 
 Who (r;ilii('«| Udvi-r. 
 Who Howflh «oo«) K<-c(l Khali mjn-ly ritii, ■ 
 {, ^f'i'V K''"WK rhh (iH It Krow<;ih old, 
 And llf«;H iHtcHt kiiikIk iir<; IlK HurnlK of koM ' 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 223 
 
 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." 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 What JVe Did After the War. 
 
 Yes, give me the land 
 
 Of tlic wreck and tlic tomb; 
 There's grandeur in graves — 
 
 There's glory in gloom. 
 For out of the gloom 
 
 Future brightness is born; 
 As, after the night. 
 
 Looms the sunrise of morn. 
 
 The end came suddenly, and was a great blow to 
 most of us. Whatever our leaders and others high 
 in authority may have known, the army (in the 
 main), the women and children and the old men 
 at home were totally unprepared for the rude shock 
 brought by the news of Lee's surrender. The foun- 
 dation of our hope was this : We believed as firmly 
 as we believed anything that our cause was just and 
 that God was on our side. We did not believe in 
 slavery, but we believed that it was unjust to the 
 slaves and unjust to their owners to free them. We 
 did not believe in secession, but we seceded because 
 we thought. that that.vvas the only thing left for us 
 to do. Just what was to be the future of the negro 
 race was a problem that we felt would be worked 
 out in the future, and in solving the problem we 
 
 224 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 225 
 
 felt sure that wc had God as our helper. Besidcg 
 this, nearly, if not quite, all our leaders were sin- 
 cere, Godly men. For instance, where would you 
 find a more learned, cultivated, refined Christian 
 gentleman than the President of the Southern Con- 
 federacy? He was not a secessionist. The North, 
 of course, looked upon him as tlic arch-rebel of the 
 whole South, but his record tells a different story. 
 Did you ever read a book entitled "Recollections 
 and Letters of General Robert E. Lee," by his son, 
 Capt. Robert E. Lcc? Tlicsc letters, written to 
 members of his family, his other relatives and 
 friends, were full of reference to God. In the 
 whole book there is hardly a letter that does not in 
 some way refer to the Divine Creator. What a 
 stalwart Christian was that thunderbolt of war, 
 "Stonewall" Jackson! He would fight a battle on 
 Sunday, but he always set aside one day in the week 
 to be kept as the Sabbath, and after every battle he 
 called his army together for prayer and praise. 
 Perhaps it is not too much to say that no man ever 
 lived closer to his God than did Thomas Jonathan 
 Jackson. Plis most trusted lieutenant. Gen. Ewell, 
 was, during the first stages of the war, a profane 
 man, but through the influence of his chief he be- 
 
226 FROM BULL -RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 came a devout Christian. Who would pick out 
 that gay, dashing cavalier, Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, as 
 a model Christian character? Those who knew 
 him best would testify to the fact that he was. The 
 day after he received his mortal wound President 
 Davis was standing at his bedside. In reply to a 
 question as to how he felt, he answed: "Easy, but 
 willing to die if God wills it." A few moments 
 afterwards he said: "I am -going fast now. I am 
 resigned. God's will be done." And thus he died. 
 Besides the foregoing officers, I might go on nam- 
 ing leader after leader, all of whom were known as 
 men who feared God. I almost forgot to name the 
 Vice-President of the Confederacy, Alexander H. 
 Stephens, esteemed and honored North and South 
 for his Christian integrity. 
 
 Then there was a deep religious sentiment per- 
 vading the entire-^army during the four years of 
 strife. Each regiment had its chaplain; there was 
 always regular Divine service every Sabbath when 
 possible, prayer-meetings during the week, and 
 often revival services, especially during the winter 
 months. Our chaplain's name was Davis. He was 
 an Episcopal minister, and did more, perhaps, to 
 instill courage, fortitude and Christian principles 
 
FROM B-ULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 227 
 
 in the hearts of the men than any other agency. 
 When the men were mounting and forming in line 
 of battle, he was nearly always the first in the sad- 
 dle, and having placed himself in the front of the 
 regiment, at the side of the colonel, just before the 
 command "Forward" was given, he took off his hat 
 and raised his hand towards Heaven. At this signal 
 every soldier responded by lifting his hat and bow- 
 ing his head; then followed a fervent prayer. 
 Sometimes the prayer was not a dozen words, but 
 he was always accorded time for a prayer of some 
 length, and although we knew that this could not 
 stop the bullets, at the same time we somehow felt 
 that it was a wall of defense about us, and we were 
 braver for having had it. 
 
 What was true of our regiment was, perhaps, true 
 of every other regiment in the army. These were 
 the things that made us strong and hopeful to the 
 last. When the end came, and our hopes were not 
 realized, we still felt that our cause was just and 
 that our God would in some way make it all right. 
 Perhaps it may sound a little irreverent to say so, 
 but we had a kind of feeling that God was indebted 
 to us for our implicit trust in Him, and that in some 
 way, we did not know how, He would pay the debt. 
 
228 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Accordingly, when the war was over, we were 
 ready to lay down our arms and become true and 
 loyal subjects of the United States and go to work 
 to repair our losses. I do not mean to convey the 
 idea that we were an army of angels, but I do mean 
 to say that, as a people, we had put our trust in God, 
 believing our cause to be just. 
 
 That part of Virginia ravaged by the armies, 
 when compared with what it was in the spring of 
 1861, was now a howling wilderness. The fences, 
 the barns, the mills, farming implements, horses, 
 cattle, sheep, swine and poultry were almost all 
 swept away. When we came straggling back to our 
 homes we looked like so many prodigal sons, and 
 if a physician had taken an inventory of our stom- 
 achs he would have declared that every mother's 
 son of us felt like a prodigal; but the physician's 
 diagnosis would in one respect have been wrong, 
 for deep down in our hearts was a conviction which 
 told us that we had fought a good fight and that 
 some day all the world would say that the principle 
 for which we had contended was right. But we 
 were surely hungry. ''Three days after the surren- 
 der," says Long, "the Army of Northern Virginia 
 had dispersed in every direction, and three weeks 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 229 
 
 later the veterans of a hundred battles had ex- 
 changed the musket and the sword for the imple- 
 ments of husbandry. It is worthy of remark that 
 never before was there an^army disbanded with less 
 disorder. Thousands of soldiers were set adrift on 
 the world without a penny in their pockets to en- 
 able them to reach their homes. Yet none of the 
 scenes of riot that often follow the disbanding of 
 armies marked their course." 
 
 One thing that impressed and depressed us 
 greatly was the blackened walls where once stood 
 the mills that had furnished us bread, the stafif of 
 life. These were all gone. The long race above 
 and the tailrace below were covered with mud and 
 slime and overgrown with rank weeds, and all the 
 water ran over the dam. When would these be re- 
 built and when would we have corn to grind? This 
 was the latter part of April. It took some days for 
 us to discover where we were. If we planted the 
 crop in May, it would be months before the har- 
 vest. We had plenty of Confederate money, but it 
 was of no value now. A serious problem confronted 
 us. Just how we lived until the fall crops were har- 
 vested I really do not know, and I do not think any- 
 one else knows. But Gen. Grant had magnan- 
 
230 FROM BULL RUN TO APPO^LATTOX. 
 
 imously allowed us to keep our horses, and if Gen. 
 Grant had done nothing else deserving of fame 
 those words of his, *'Let the cavalrymen keep their 
 horses; they will need them for putting in their 
 spring crops," would entitle him to a seat among 
 those whom the world calls great. 
 
 These horses were our salvation. While swords 
 were being turned into plowshares, we were turn- 
 ing cavalry horses into plow horses. It was May 
 before we fully realized, in the language of an- 
 other, "where we were at." There was time, how- 
 ever, for a crop of corn, and we resolutely went to 
 work to scratch the ground and plant the seed. For 
 the most part, our slaves remained with us and as- 
 sisted in putting in this first crop. The merchants 
 went North and had no trouble getting goods on 
 credit, for prices were falling rapidly and all 
 wanted to sell. As soon as the crop was planted the 
 farmer pledged a certain part of it to the merchant 
 for supplies, and in this way we got a start. We 
 had made our gardens, and in the fall we had vege- 
 tables for the table, bread from our corn crops and 
 clothing from the merchants. We were beginning 
 to feel like peaceful citizens. 
 
 Some time during the summer the former slaves 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 23 1 
 
 began to wake up to the fact that they were freed- 
 men, and got restless. All through my section and 
 adjoining counties there was an inclination among 
 them to go to Washington. They wanted to sec 
 about that "forty acres and a mule." It was too 
 much like continuing in slavery to remain with 
 their former masters; they seemed unable to realize 
 that they were freedmen until they had got away. 
 Accordingly, many of them left their old homes, 
 but not all. Some remained in the families the rest 
 of their lives. 
 
 We had been for a long time without postofTices, 
 mail routes, magistrates, courts and everything of 
 that kind. Throughout the war those at home 
 wrote letters to their friends in the army and re- 
 ceived letters in reply. These missives were car- 
 ried by men who were passing to and fro, and it is 
 remarkable with what regularity letters found their 
 destination. It was a rare thing that mail miscar- 
 ried or was lost. A letter once written and sealed, 
 no stamp being necessary, was handed to anyone 
 passing along the road. He would carry it as far 
 as he was going, and then hand it to someone else. 
 Sooner or later it would turn up in the hands of the 
 one to whom it was addressed. In the course of 
 
232 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 time postofficcs were opened and there were regu- 
 lar mall deliveries. The Virginia Legislature 
 promptly passed a law forbidding the collection of 
 old debts for a term of years. The only debts that 
 were collectible were those that were incurred after 
 the cessation of hostilities. 
 
 No one suffered any great hardship after the first 
 crops had ripened. At my own home, as soon as 
 the crop was in, we all began making repairs 
 around the place. Fence rails were the best of fuel 
 for camp-fire, and as long as a fence rail could be 
 had no soldier was going to cut down a tree for a 
 fire; hence anything combustible in the way of a 
 board or a rail had gone up in smoke and flame. I 
 remember getting some boards from a sawmill to 
 restore our yard fence, and in nailing up one of the 
 boards I noticed that the saw had cut through a bul- 
 let. For aught I know, the bullet is there yet, a 
 mute reminder of the day when the "Assyrian came 
 down like a wolf on the fold." Many a tree felt the 
 sting of a bullet that was not intended for it. 
 
 Guns, pistols, cartridge boxes, swords, sabres and a 
 hundred and one other things, relics of the war, were 
 for many years continually appearing. While these 
 things are less common now, in every home you will 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOA/IATTOX. 233 
 
 Still find something of this sort hanging on the wall 
 or stowed away in closets. Many of the old houses 
 show marks of the strife; bullets and cannon balls 
 are still picked up in the fields, and doubtless they 
 will continue to be found as long as the plow turns 
 the sod, making it impossible to forget the war-time 
 scenes if one tried. When it is remembered that in 
 Spottsylvania county more great battles were 
 fought and more men killed and wounded than 
 upon any other like area in the world, one can 
 imagine, perhaps, how many tons of lead and of 
 iron are now lying scattered over that spot of 
 ground. More men fell in that little county in the 
 four years of the Civil War than Great Britain has 
 lost in all her wars in a century. 
 
 There were some among us who had deserted the 
 army in the hour of its greatest need. Now that 
 peace had come, these came out from their hiding 
 places ill at case. The faithful would have no fel- 
 lowship with the deserter. All such carried, or will 
 carry, their disgrace to their graves. There were 
 some, however, who were not classed as deserters, 
 although they were caught at home without leave 
 when the end came. One of these was an old fellow 
 living in the Blue Ridge mountains, not far from 
 
234 y^OM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 my home. He was over 60, and was in the army as 
 a substitute. When, at the expiration of my parole, 
 I was on my way back, to the army for the last time, 
 I passed a small log house in an isolated clearing 
 deep in the mountains. I had gone a hundred yards 
 or so beyond when I heard a call behind me. I 
 turned, rode back, and soon recognized one of my 
 company, the old man referred to. He said to me: 
 *'Tell Capt. Gibson I hain't left him yit. I'm com- 
 in' back just as soon as I put in a crap er corn," and 
 he meant just what he said. The old man was home 
 on a furlough, and his time had expired, but he 
 could not let his family starve away off there in the 
 mountains. He had no slaves to plow his rocky 
 hillside fields. As soon as his corn was in the 
 ground he w^ould have mounted his horse for the 
 front. There were many such, but these were not 
 classed as deserters. 
 
 As long as we continued to live the simple life 
 we were, after the first crop had been gathered, in 
 a measure free from burdens; but, notwithstanding 
 our four years' experience in living on little or 
 nothing and dressing in the plainest garb, tlie same 
 old human craving for the toys, the gewgaws and 
 the thousand and one unnecessary things that civ- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 235 
 
 ilized people will have, even if they must plunge 
 into debt to get them, gradually took possession of 
 us all, and wherever we could get credit we bought 
 these things. We began as soon as our crops were 
 planted by mortgaging them to the merchant for 
 supplies. This policy was kept up until nearly 
 everything valuable was mortgaged, and under this 
 load my part of Virginia, and perhaps the whole 
 of the South, groaned and suffered for years. If we 
 had lived for ten years as economically as we had 
 done during the four years of war, the South at the 
 end of that time would have been as prosperous 
 and as free from debt as it is today. 
 
 I said in the beginning that every laddie had his 
 lassie. Yes, and many a lassie lost her laddie, and 
 some of the laddies came back to their lassies minus 
 an arm or a leg, and sometimes both, and one poor 
 fellow that I knew of lost both arms and both legs. 
 But in most cases the lassies were faithful. Those 
 who came back alive were taken (what was left of 
 them) for better or for worse, and soon after the 
 surrender wedding bells were ringing everywhere. 
 One young Benedict, however, got impatient and 
 would not wait for the end of the war, but in the 
 winter of 1864-65 slipped away from the regiment 
 
236 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 and hied himself off to his sweetheart's home, hav- 
 ing previously arranged for a marriage ceremony. 
 Her home was just in the rear of the picket line, on 
 the banks of the river. It was a cold, foggy night 
 in January. Our picket reserve was near this house. 
 We could hear the music and dancing, and by the 
 light from the windows could see the figures as they 
 flitted to and fro across the banqueting hall. After 
 a while there was silence and the lights went out, 
 but all was not quiet along the Rapidan. A large 
 body of union cavalry, under a reckless leader, had 
 crossed the river somewhere between the pickets 
 and had got behind us, and, as ill-luck would have 
 it, in their march they passed this house. Just how 
 they discovered that a Confederate soldier was 
 there no one knows, but somehow they knew it, and, 
 surrounding the house just as day was breaking, 
 they called him out. He appeared and explained 
 the situation, but the admonition that the minister 
 had given just a short time before, "What God hath 
 joined together let no man put asunder," had no 
 terrors for the marauding Yanks. The young 
 bride's tears and cries were unavailing. Perhaps 
 the Yanks thought that the Golden Rule did not 
 apply in times of war. Under a military escort the 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 237 
 
 groom took a bridal tour North, leaving his bride 
 behind. We at the picket post heard cries and lam- 
 entations coming from the house, sounds which 
 proved our salvation. Whether the cries came from 
 the groom or the bride, or both, or from the parents, 
 we could not tell ; but, scenting danger, we mounted 
 our horses and quickly vanished. 
 
 All the lassies, however, were not faithful. Now 
 and then a soldier at the front received a wound 
 that hurt worse than the sting of the bullet. One 
 of these so wounded was a distinguished Confeder- 
 ate soldier, after the war a leading lawyer and ora- 
 tor of Atlanta, Ga. He received this wound while 
 fighting ih the trenches at Atlanta. From the 
 woman to whom he had pledged his troth came a 
 letter telling him of her love for another. When he 
 heard of her marriage he fired a shot back at her in 
 the form of a 12-stanza poem — a shot which must 
 be rankling in her breast today if she is living. This 
 took place while the Colonel was still in the 
 trenches. He was never known to write poetry, so 
 this was his first and probably his only poetic pro- 
 duction. A copy of the poem was found among his 
 papei-s after his death. I give four stanzas of it — 
 the first, the last and two others. He addressed his 
 faithless lassie as "Oenone" (pronounced E-no-ne). 
 
238 FROM BULL RUN TO ArrO.\L\TTOX. 
 
 "I sit by the door of my tent tonight 
 
 Watching the drifting clouds, 
 With wliich the moon, like a trained coquette, 
 
 The Hglit of her beauty shrouds ; 
 The star-crossed banner iloats o'er my head, 
 
 With a silken, rustling sound, 
 And I hear distinctly the sentinel's tread, 
 
 In the silence that reigns around. 
 
 They tell me you looked like a queen that night 
 
 As you murnnirmed the marriage vow — 
 That the orange wreath of your bridal veil 
 
 Looked sullied beside your brow ; 
 They tell me your laughter was blithe and gay, 
 
 That your step was light and proud, 
 And j'ou lavished the smiles that once were mme 
 
 On a senseless, flattering crowd. 
 
 Did you think of the tears that dimmed that smile, 
 
 When your scarf for my sword you gave. 
 And I swore it should meet in the battle's shock 
 
 The bravest of the brave ? 
 That scarf is steeped in my own red blood, 
 
 Yet I laugh in my bitter scorn 
 To think how false is the beautiful one 
 
 By whotn it once was worn. 
 
 Tomorrow, 'Oenonc.' the gray, cold morn 
 
 Will dawn on a field of death, 
 And the starry cross that is drooping now 
 
 Float out in the cannon's breath. 
 My brave men fight for their homes, their loves, 
 
 But I with a grim despair, 
 For all that is left me of all the past 
 
 Is a tress of woman's hair." 
 
 This tragic story was a dead soldier's secret, not 
 intended for publication, but I found it in print 
 and have reproduced it here that the readers of this 
 
GOOD OLD RKBEl. WAR SONG 
 
 The Homespun Dress 
 
 Oh, yes! I am a Southern girl, 
 
 And glory in the name, 
 And boast it with far greater pride 
 
 Than glittering wealth or fame. 
 
 Chorus 
 
 Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Sunny South so dear: 
 Three cheers for the homespun dress the Southern 
 ladies wear! 
 
 I envy not the Northern girl. 
 
 Her robes of beauty rare, 
 Though diamonds grace her snowy neck, 
 
 And pearls bedeck her hair. 
 
 The homespun dress is plain, I know. 
 
 My hat's palmetto, too ; 
 Hut, then, it shows what Southern girls 
 
 P'or Southern rights will do. 
 
 We've sent the bravest from our land 
 
 To battle with the foe ; 
 And we would lend a helping hand — 
 
 We love the South, you know. 
 
 Now Northern goods are out of date, 
 
 And since Old Abe's blockade 
 We Southern girls can live content 
 
 With goods that's Southern-made. 
 
 We'd scorn to wear a bit of silk, 
 
 A bit of Northern lace; 
 But make our homespun dresses up, 
 
 And wear them with much grace. 
 
This Southern land's a trlorious land. 
 
 And hor's a jilorious cause ; 
 So here's three cheers to Southern Rights, 
 
 And tor the Southern Roys. 
 
 ^Ve've sent our sweethearts to the war, 
 
 But. dear girls, never mind ; 
 The soldier lad will not forget 
 
 The girl lie left beliind. 
 
 A soldier is the lad for me, 
 
 A brave heart I adore ; 
 And when this Sunny South is free. 
 
 And fighting is no more, 
 
 111 choose me then a lover brave 
 
 From out that gallant band. 
 The soldier lad that I love most 
 
 Shall have my heart and hand. 
 
 And now, young man, a w ord to you : 
 
 If you would win the fair, 
 Go to the field where honor calls 
 
 And win your lady there. 
 
 Remember that our brightest smiles 
 
 Are for the true and brave, 
 And that our tears fall for the one 
 
 That fills a soldier's grave. 
 
 Chorus 
 
 Hurrah! Hurrah! for the Sunny South so dear: 
 Three cheers for the homespun dress the Southern 
 ladies wear ! 
 
A ItATTLE-SCAHPiED CONFKDKKATK r.AXMOK. 
 
 "Take tbat banner (lowii: lis tattered 
 IJrokeu is its shaft aud slia tiered." 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 239 
 
 book may have at least a glimpse of that vast field 
 of unexplored tragedy which is as much a part of 
 the history of the Civil War as anything that has 
 been w^ritten or spoken. Some of the most interest- 
 ing and thrilling events of that great drama will 
 forever remain untold. He who would know the 
 whole Civil War story must give full play to his 
 imagination, aided by such facts as the actors may 
 choose to reveal; and, in searching that field, re- 
 member this: the love of a lover on the battlefield 
 is very different from the love of a lover in the corn- 
 field. The transformation of the citizen into the 
 willing soldier at a time when the fate of his nation 
 is his care lifts the man up to a plane and into an 
 atmosphere where the best that is in him can de- 
 velop. It is then that the woman whose scarf the 
 soldier ties to the hilt of his sword becomes the very 
 heart of his country, and when he sees that token 
 of hers steeped in his own red blood, he smiles and 
 says, "She is my country and my all, and I will die 
 for her." "It is sweet and honorable to die for one's 
 country," but many a Civil War hero has had to 
 live and carry all alone a secret to cloud forever the 
 light of his sunniest smile. 
 
 These unwritten tragedies that followed in the 
 
240 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 wake of the battles, that came stalking out from 
 behind prison walls; these memories that, like Ban- 
 quo's ghost, won't down ; these war secrets that have 
 been kept because they were too sacred to tell — all 
 must be considered if the reader wishes to know the 
 whole war story and how the survivors occupied 
 their time and thoughts. 
 
 There is something else to be remembered. 
 When, in the stillness of the night, a picket was shot 
 as he walked to and fro on his beat, it meant little 
 to the nation — only one man gone. To the dying 
 picket, as, all alone, he moaned out the death rattle, 
 this was the bloodiest battle of all the war; but 
 when the news reached the little trundle bed in the 
 little low hut far away in the hollow on the moun 
 tain, it went no farther, because there was no one to 
 spread the news. There were thousands of these 
 bloody battles, but history does not record them. 
 These were the dead that were buried where they 
 fell, if buried at all, the places of their burial being 
 in many cases as isolated as their homes. Some of 
 the best soldiers in the army came from mountain 
 fastnesses, but the writers of history have not 
 thought it worth while to search these humble 
 abodes for material. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 24I 
 
 There were thousands of others who could tell 
 thrilling and interesting incidents if they could 
 speak. I refer to those who were on the rim of the 
 battlefields when they received their death wounds, 
 and were overlooked in the general burial that fol- 
 lowed each battle. Many of these might have lived 
 if they had been reached in time. Some fell in the 
 deep-tangled wildwood, some in the ravines, some 
 along the river banks, others out in the tall grass of 
 the field. These were the soldiers reported missing 
 when the accounts were sent in. In the smoke and 
 dust and confusion of the battle no one saw them 
 fall, so they were left to perish after hours or days 
 of sufifering. When the armies had moved on, relic 
 hunters may have found their bodies and covered 
 them with earth, where many of them remain to 
 this day. Some, however, who had influential or 
 well-to-do friends may have been recovered and 
 given honorable sepulcher, but the great majority 
 of them await the general resurrection. 
 
 A short time after the surrender an old mother 
 from one of those homes found her way to Rich- 
 mond in search of the body of her son who was said 
 to have been killed in one of the battles around 
 Richmond. She was as persistent as the Syro- 
 
242 FROM BULL RUN TO A^^O^L\TTOX. 
 
 Phoenician woman in search of a cure for her 
 daughter, and was determined not to go back until 
 she carried ^vith her the remains of her boy. Her 
 persistent fidelity brought its reward, for she went 
 home satisfied. Some of those to whom she ap- 
 pealed were so moved by her entreaties that they 
 gathered up a lot of loose bones, and, putting them 
 into a rude pine box, presented them to her as the 
 remains of her son. She took them back and buried 
 them in the orchard close by her home. 
 
 I will pass over the reconstruction days. This 
 subject has been thoroughly threshed out, and both 
 sides seem to agree that it is a dark spot on the pages 
 of our history. It is human to err. It is divine to 
 forget and forgive. 
 
 We had another trouble, which I may speak of 
 because the historian has almost entirely ignored 
 it. This mostly concerns the women of the South. 
 Many books have been written about the noble 
 part they played in the war — their fortitude, their 
 fidelity, their cheerfulness, their tender care of the 
 wounded and sick — but when peace came they had 
 one trouble that bothered them more than the re- 
 construction episode. With all her good qualities, 
 a woman has her frailties and limitations. For in- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 243 
 
 Stance, she cannot hit a target— at least she could 
 not in those days. I should not, however, like 'to 
 trust the "New Woman." The woman of the South 
 50 years ago, in her sweet simplicity, left many 
 things for the man to do that the women now think 
 they can do better. In those good old days the 
 women had very little practice in defensive war- 
 fare. The men fought their battles, guarded and 
 protected them, and hence there was no necessity 
 for target practice among the women. A woman 
 did, however, every now and then, essay to throw 
 a stone at a chicken that she found scratching in her 
 flower bed, but the window behind her was in as 
 much danger of being broken as the neck of the 
 chicken before her. Again, wherever she went a 
 man went with her, and she relied upon him to 
 escort her to her destination. She did not concern 
 herself about the points of the compass; he was her 
 guiding star; he took her where she wanted to go 
 and brought her back. It so happened, however, 
 that during hostilities the men were all away, fight- 
 ing in the army, and while the alien armies were 
 marching to and fro through the country, some- 
 times pillaging the homes (th's, however, was done 
 generally by stragglers, and not by the regular sol- 
 
244' FRO^I BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 diers, who kept in the ranks), it became necessary 
 to hide the household valuables — the silver, the 
 'jewelry and other trinkets. This fell to the lot of 
 the women. They put their treasures into boxes 
 and buried them a short distance from the premises. 
 They expected, of course, when the time came, to 
 go right to the spot and dig them up and put them 
 back into their homes, but having no intelligent 
 idea of location, they in many instances lost their 
 reckoning, and then the trouble began. It may be 
 an exaggeration, but I might almost say that as 
 much earth was excavated in trying to rediscover 
 these buried articles as has been thrown up in the 
 construction of the Panama Canal, and, like unto 
 the case of Capt. Kidd's hidden treasures, the 
 search still goes on, and doubtless will continue to 
 go on from generation to generation. Of course, 
 many of these boxes have been unearthed. 
 
 I have already spoken of the strong bond of 
 friendship existing between the children of the 
 slaveholder and the slaves. It could not have bee-n 
 otherwise. These children were the slaves' confi- 
 dants. They wrote for them their love letters and 
 read to them the letters that came in return. They 
 arranged for them their weddings and were the 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 245 
 
 chief mourners at their funerals. What little edu- 
 cation the slaves got was imparted to them mainly 
 by these same children. I cannot speak with cer- 
 tainty about the slaveowners themselves, but for 
 their children I can say that deep down in their 
 hearts was the belief that the slave would one day 
 be free, and this feeling was born of a desire that 
 it might be so. I feel quite sure that if this leaven 
 had been left alone it would in time have solved the 
 slavery question to the satisfaction of the entire 
 country, but our friends in the North thought the 
 leaven worked too slowly, and they came down, 
 first, in the person of John Brown and tried to 
 hurry things up. Many a good cook has spoiled a 
 batch of dough by the forcing process. This inter- 
 ference in our State Rights kitchen ended in a big 
 row. It looked at one time as though the whole 
 establishment would be wrecked; but we will not 
 quarrel over it now. What we want to do is to 
 repair the damage, and it is gradually being done. 
 There is one thing, however, that the South has 
 lost which it will never get back. Our mills and 
 our barns have been replaced, our lands are free 
 of mortgage, we have got back our cattle and our 
 wealth; but the times and conditions that gave 
 
246 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 birth to songs like "My Old Kentucky Home," 
 "Down on the Suvvanee River" and others are gone 
 forever. Ah! they v^^ere the times when life in the 
 South was one sweet dream. Harriet Beecher 
 Stowe's bloodhounds may bark on for a century 
 longer, but not until the last faithful old slave has 
 been buried will the South fail of a witness to tes- 
 tify to the good old times when the "young folks 
 rolled on the little cabin floor, all merry, all happy, 
 all bright." We do not want slavery back, but we 
 cannot help longing for the good old cooks and 
 housemaids and farm hands and for the old tur- 
 baned mammy who regulated the household. 
 These are the things that we miss most. The old- 
 time darkey has gone forever. 
 
 "He hunts no more for the 'possum and the coon 
 On the meadow, the hill and the shore ; 
 He sings no more, by the ghmmer of the moon, 
 On the bench by the old cabin door." 
 
 So we'll give a sigh for the old Virginia home 
 and go on with our story. 
 
 This is April 9, 1910. Just 45 years ago today 
 the Southern Confederacy received its death-blow 
 at Appomattox, and died shortly afterwards amid 
 mingled expressions of sorrow and joy from one 
 end of the land to the other, and even beyond the 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 247 
 
 seas. Every passing year contributes something 
 towards healing the wounds and repairing the 
 losses growing out of the four years of strife and 
 carnage. I wish I could publish the letters that 
 are continually coming to me from the old soldiers 
 of the North who have read the first edition of this 
 book. They all breathe sentiments of true friend- 
 ship, and nearly all begin, "My dear old comrade." 
 As I open these letters and read their contents, I 
 say to myself, "Has the millennium come? Have 
 we at last discovered each other?" It does seem to 
 me that the time has really come when we may say 
 in the language of the prophet, "There shall be no 
 more war." 
 
 I have a booklet written by Maj.-Gen. St. Clair 
 A. Mulholland, who was colonel of the One hun- 
 dred and sixteenth Pennsylvania Regiment, and 
 who has written a history of the regiment. The 
 title of the booklet is "Heroism of the American 
 Volunteer." In it the author, in describing the 
 action of the soldiers of the Civil War in battle, 
 makes no distinction, but mingles the regiments of 
 the North and of the South together in such a way 
 that the reader has to be careful in order to discover 
 that they are not side by side, fighting a common 
 
248 FROM BULL RUN TO A^^O^LV^TOX. 
 
 foe. To Gen. Mulholland they are all American 
 soldiers, ''the most heroic the world has ever 
 known." He says that in the Union army alone at 
 Gettysburg there were 63 regiments that suffered 
 each a loss of over 50 per cent, in killed and 
 wounded, and some ran up as high as 71 per cent. 
 In no other war in the history of the world is there 
 a record of any regiment or other similar body of 
 troops in which the losses reached 50 per cent, in 
 a single en2;a2:ement. 
 
 Another book, by John L. Smith of Philadel- 
 phia, the historian of the One hundred and eigh- 
 teenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, is also worthy of 
 mention here. The author of the book entered the 
 army at 16, tramped all through Virginia with a 
 musket on his shoulder, fought in 27 battles, was 
 wounded three times, was as many times a prisoner 
 and each time escaped. He tells the truth about 
 the depredations of the Northern armies in Vir- 
 ginia. He gives the Southern side full credit for 
 courage and fortitude, and mentions many indi- 
 vidual acts of kindness on the part of our officers 
 and men toward his side. His description of the 
 battles of which he writes is the most correct, real- 
 istic and graphic that I have ever read. His war 
 
FROM BULL RUN 'JO ArPO\L\TTOX. 249 
 
 experience in Virginia seems to have made him 
 familiar with all the towns and fields, hills and 
 roadways in the State. As I read his book I cannot 
 help saying, "What a valuable scout that boy would 
 have been to Gen. Lee or Gen. Stuartl" I am truly 
 glad he came out alive. The country needs him 
 and his book. It is men like MulhoUand and Smith 
 that are cementing the nation together. These two 
 brave and magnanimous Grand Army men and the 
 books that they have written cannot fail to make a 
 deep impression on the nation, although they may 
 seem today to be acting an humble part in its af- 
 fairs. As a companion piece to what they have 
 said of Southern soldiers, I take pleasure in repro- 
 ducing a passage from the pen of that gifted South- 
 ern writer, Thomas Nelson Page, contained in his 
 recent book, "Robert E. Lee, the Southerner:" 
 
 "A study of the war must lead to the conviction that neither courage 
 nor fortitude was the monopoly of either side. The men who with- 
 stood at Malvern Ilall the fierce charges of the Southern infantry; 
 the men who marched down the rolling plain of Second Manassas 
 against Stonewall Jackson's lines of flame and dashed like the surging 
 sea, wave upon wave, on Lee's iron ranks at Antietam ; the men who 
 charged impregnable defences at Marye's Heights; the men who 
 climbed the slippery steeps of Chattanooga and swept the crimson 
 plain of Franklin; the men who maintained their positions under the 
 leaden sleet of the Wilderness and seized the Bloody Angle at 
 Spottsylvania ; the men who died at Cold Harbor, rank on rank, need 
 to ask no odds for valor of any troops on earth, not even of the men 
 who followed Lee." 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 "The fierj- courser, when he hears from far 
 The sprightly trumpets and th.e shouts of war, 
 Pricks up his ears, and, trembHng with delight. 
 Shifts place, and paws, and hopes the promised fight." 
 
 Traveller'* and Other Famous Horses of Lee's 
 Artny and Their Riders. 
 
 In Greenbrier county, West Virginia, on a blue- 
 grass sod, in the year 1859, stood a proud young 
 colt, two years old, faultless in form, with shapely 
 head, small feet, full mane and tail; his color, gray; 
 his name, "Jeff Davis." There were other colts 
 that attended the yearly county fairs at Lewisburg, 
 some winning honors and some none, but Jeff 
 Davis never left the fairground that the honorable 
 blue ribbon was not seen fluttering from his bridle. 
 
 Two years later, in the spring of 1861, when the 
 curtain was up on the stage of the bloody drama 
 and armed battalions were on the boards, judges 
 of horses were ransacking the fields and stables of 
 Virginia for cavalry horses, draft horses and horses 
 for the officers. The army must have the best, and 
 
 *General Lee always spelled "Traveller" with two I's — ^good old 
 English style. 
 
 seo 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 25 1 
 
 as these judges rode here and there, inspecting the 
 various plantations, the best were presented for in- 
 spection. One was taken and another left. It did 
 not take these judges long to decide the fitness of 
 Jeff Davis for the army, and he was early in the 
 Confederate camp. His name was changed to 
 "Greenbrier." His owner, Thomas L. Broun, 
 major of the Third Virginia Regiment, was elated 
 at his purchase. In the fall of that year Gen. Rob- 
 ert E. Lee and "Greenbrier" met for the first time. 
 On the part of the General it was love at first sight. 
 The General and the horse seemed to be the coun- 
 terpart of each other. There was a striking resem- 
 blance; both were iron gray, both were faultless in 
 form, both were kindly and gentle and graceful in 
 movement; through the veins of each flowed the 
 best blood of his kind. 
 
 Gen. Lee never passed Greenbrier without 
 caressing him. He jokingly said to the owner one 
 day, "I shall need that horse before the war is 
 over." It was not long afterwards when the proud- 
 stepping gray was renamed "Traveller," Gen. Lee 
 having become his owner by purchase. His former 
 owner wanted to present the horse to Gen. Lee as 
 a gift, but the latter refused to accept him as such. 
 
25: FROM BULL RUN TO AFFOMATTOX. 
 
 Ah! Traveller, did you ever think when, an 
 unbridled colt, you were roaming over the hills and 
 vallevs of old Greenbrier, that you would one day 
 be a great warhorse. bearing along the battle front 
 the greatest warrior of modern times? Did you 
 ever dream that kx^.ocx^ brave soldiers would one 
 day doff their caps and make the air ring witli 
 shouts of praise as, with proud and stately step, vou 
 carried your noble master along the higliways and 
 over the fields strewn with the wreckage of battle? 
 In your young days did you, as An unsaddled colt, 
 ever have visions of Gettysburg, and did the fairies 
 ever whisper in your shapely ears that upon that 
 bloodv field vour master would win the brightest 
 gem in his crown? Did you hear what he said 
 when he rode through the remnants of his bleeding 
 and shattered battalions as they came streaming 
 back from that awful front where the tattered 
 standards of the South were shriveled at the can- 
 non's mouth? These were his words: 'Tt was all 
 my fault/' You heard them, but you did not un- 
 derstand their full import. That one short sentence 
 did more to make your master illustrious than any 
 one of his famous victories. 
 
FROM liULL KLW 70 APPOMATTOX. 253 
 
 " 'Tis true enough that the laurel crown 
 
 Twines lut for the victor's brow, 
 For many a hero has lain him down, 
 
 With naught but a cypress bough. 
 There are gallant men in the losing fight. 
 
 And as gallant deeds arc done, 
 As ever graced the captured height 
 
 Or the battle grandly won." 
 
 Up to this time wc knew Gen. Lcc only as a con- 
 quering hero. Will he stand the test of defeat? 
 (Charles Francis Adams of Boston, an officer in the 
 Union army at Gettysburg, has this to say of Gen. 
 Lee and his army: "Narrowly escaping destruction 
 at Gettysburg, my contention is that Lee and the 
 army of Northern Virginia never sustained de- 
 feat.") Yes, Gettysburg established his right to be 
 called great. Had there been no Gettysburg, Gen. 
 Lee's diadem would have been incomplete. When 
 the army returned to Virginia, Gen. Lee was nearer 
 and dearer to his soldiers than ever, and Traveller 
 shared the honors. It was "Marse Robert and Old 
 Traveller." Just why they called him "old" I can- 
 not tell, except that it was a term of endearment. 
 Sometimes, after lying idle in camp for days or 
 weeks, someone would say, "Look out, boys! there 
 go Gen. Lee and Traveller to the front. Soon there 
 will be a storm of shot and shell." If the General 
 
254 TKOM BULL RUN TO APrOMATTOX. 
 
 carried his field glass, it was a sure sign of a coming 
 storm, and there would come a change over the face 
 of the camp. The men's voices grew lower and 
 their countenances became more serious. Many 
 seemed to be seized with an impulse to write a let- 
 ter home, and pencil and paper were in evidence; 
 others got out their Bibles, because Gen. Lee and 
 Traveller had gone to the front. 
 
 The Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Yellow Tavern, 
 Cold Harbor followed each other in rapid succes- 
 sion. Gen. Lee and Traveller were more and more 
 conspicuous. Gen. Longstreet was desperately 
 wounded at the Wilderness fight and was lost to the 
 army for months. Gen. Stuart was killed at Yel- 
 low Tavern, and the only two strikingly prominent 
 figures remaining in the army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia were Gen. Lee and Traveller. The soldiers 
 had come to feel towards these two as Rome did 
 towards the Colosseum — when the Colosseum falls, 
 Rome falls; when Rome, the world — when Travel- 
 ler falls, Lee falls; when Lee, the Confederacy. 
 Both were guarded by the army with zealous care. 
 That is why a soldier stepped forward at Spottsyl- 
 vania, and, taking the reins of Traveller in his 
 hands, led him and his rider back from where the 
 
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FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 255 
 
 missiles of death were falling thick and fast. 
 Neither could be spared. 
 
 Winter has now come, and the ranks of Lee's 
 proud army were torn and decimated; the men 
 were suffering with hunger; their faces were fur- 
 rowed with care; their clothes tattered; their feet 
 bare and bleeding; the army was in the trenches 
 stretching from the James river to and around 
 Petersburg. Almost daily Gen. Lee and Traveller 
 might be seen somewhere along this line. The line 
 was 30 miles long, guarded by less than 40,000 men. 
 Grant, during the late fall and all through the long 
 winter months, had tried in vain to break it. But 
 when spring came, knowing that Gen. Lee had in- 
 sufficient troops to oppose him. Gen. Grant started 
 a movement around the right wing of Lee's army, 
 with Sheridan's cavalry in the lead. This, he knew, 
 would compel Lee to abandon his trenches. Heavy 
 duties now devolved upon Traveller and his 
 master. 
 
 One Sunday morning Gen. Lee rode Traveller 
 into Richmond and called at the home of President 
 Jefferson Davis. As Davis and Lee were standing 
 on the front porch discussing the situation a little 
 boy from the street camp came up and was listenine 
 
256 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 to the conversation. Gen. Lee put his hand gently 
 on the boy's head and said to him: "Run along, 
 little fellow; this is not for you." A very few days 
 after this the army was leaving the trenches and 
 staggering towards Appomattox. It was April and 
 the roads were heavy. The men were nearly fam- 
 ished and the whole army rocked and reeled like 
 a ship in a storm. It would halt for a rest, and as 
 soon as the soldiers touched the ground they were 
 asleep, but it was only for a few moments. Sheri- 
 dan's cavalry, with Custer in the lead, was pressing 
 the retreating army on all sides. The men would 
 stagger to their feet and press on a few miles far- 
 ther. Everywhere was heard the cry, "Close up, 
 close upl" Sometimes they would halt and build 
 little fires to cook their scanty rations or parch their 
 corn, and before they were half through the orders 
 would come, "Move on, move on." Every now and 
 then the men were halted and ordered to right 
 about to charge the enemy and drive them back. 
 This was done over and over, again and again, but 
 the relentless foe pressed on. All night long the 
 pursuit continued. Move on; close up; bang! 
 bang I were the impelling sounds that urged the 
 army on. When the tired horses could no longer 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 257 
 
 draw the wagons loaded with ammunition, the lat- 
 ter were parked and burned. At night the sky was 
 brilliantly lighted with these bonfires, while the 
 air was rent with the noise of bursting shells. But 
 Gen. Lee, riding Traveller from hill to hill, di- 
 rected the movements and baffled his pursuers at 
 ever}" point. "I can't be everywhere," said the 
 great Napoleon when they told him that his fleet 
 had been destroyed on the high seas. But Gen. Lee 
 and Traveller seemed to be everywhere. 
 
 Then there came a halt, a real halt. Something 
 unusual seemed to be going on. The men were 
 resting as they had not done for days. There was 
 nothing said, but the soldiers had strong convictions 
 as to what it meant. Gen. Lee and Traveller had 
 again gone to the front; indeed, they had passed the 
 front; they had entered the enemy's lines, and when 
 they came back the war was over. Then Gen. Lee 
 mounted Traveller and started for Richmond as a 
 prisoner of war, but he was not under guard. As 
 Gen. Lee and Traveller entered the streets of Rich- 
 mond the citizens and Northern soldiers recognized 
 them and lifted their hats in silent respect. 
 
 Upon entering his home Gen. Lee dismounted 
 and entered the house, where he met his family. 
 
258 FROM BULL RUN TO APrOMATTOX. 
 
 Then crowds gathered around the gray horse who 
 had carried liis master so faithfully. Some put 
 their arms around Traveller's neck and sobbed and 
 kissed him. Shortly after this Gen. Lee moved to 
 Lexington, Traveler was still his friend and com- 
 panion, and whenever Gen. Lcc could spare the 
 time from his duties he called for Traveller and 
 they went olY together, the one for a ride and the 
 other for a tramp. lie called on his friends and his 
 neighbors, and wherever lie went the General and 
 Traveller received a royal welcome. 
 
 One day as Gen. Lee and his daughter were rid- 
 ing horseback tlirough a heavy body of woods they 
 passed a little cottage on the side of the road. They 
 had not gone far beyond the cottage when a thun- 
 derstorm suddenly broke over them. Remember- 
 ing the shelter that they had just passed, they turned 
 and went galloping back. Tlie rain was already 
 pouring down upon them, and there were flashes 
 of lightning and crashing thunder. His daughter 
 Mildred dismounted, and without ceremony 
 opened the door of the cottage and walked in. It 
 was an humble home, but clean and neat. There 
 w^as no one present except the mistress, a woman a 
 little beyond the prime of life. ^Liss Lee's riding 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 259 
 
 habit was dripping wet and the water ran down on 
 the floor. The hostess was not altogether pleased 
 that her nice clean floor should be soiled, and 
 showed it by her manner. Soon Gen. Lee came in 
 with his high-top, muddy boots, and, not knowing 
 who he was, her displeasure was increased. In a 
 little while there was a rift in the clouds and the 
 sun came out. The guests saw then what they had 
 not seen before — the pictures on the wall. There 
 were Jefferson Davis, Gen. Beauregard and a num- 
 ber of others, among them a picture of Gen. Lee. 
 Miss Lee remarked, "Your husband must have been 
 in the army." 
 
 "Yes," she said, "he was;" and, pointing to the 
 picture of Gen. Lee, said, "That is the one that he 
 loves the most. He would die for that one." 
 
 In a little while they were ready to go. As they 
 were passing out of the room Miss Lee thanked 
 tiicir hostess for giving them the shelter, and then, 
 extending her hand towards her father, said to her 
 hostess, "This is Gen. Lee himself." 
 
 "Is this Gen. Lee?" replied the astonished 
 woman. "What will Henry say when he comes 
 home and hears that Gen. Lee has been in our 
 house? Gen. Lee I Is it possiblel" 
 
26o FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 They bade her good-by and resumed their ride, 
 the woman standing in the door with her eyes fixed 
 on Traveller and his rider until they disappeared 
 in the distance. 
 
 One day in June following Gen. Lee's death 
 Traveller was browsing about the yard, and, seeing 
 someone on the piazza, advanced for the petting 
 and the lump of sugar he always expected. It was 
 noticed that he was slightly lame. The foot was 
 examined, and a small nail was found in it. The 
 wound it left was very slight, and nothing more was 
 thought of it. In a day or two it was noticed that 
 Traveller was not well. A veterinarian was called. 
 Traveller had the lockjaw. Two physicians that 
 had attended Gen. Lee in his last illness were sum- 
 moned to attend the famous warhorse. His suffer- 
 ings were great. All that skill and devotion could 
 do was done. When he could no longer stand, a 
 mattress was brought and laid on the stable floor 
 for him. Lexington was deeply grieved. Not only 
 the town people, but the neighbors far and wide 
 came to offer suggestions and condolences, but he 
 was beyond human aid. The good warhorse died 
 shortly afterwards, beloved and mourned by the 
 whole South. He was buried, and later his bones 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 26 1 
 
 were mounted, and the skeleton stands today in the 
 museum of the Washington and Lee University at 
 Lexington, Va. The following is a description of 
 this famous horse by Gen. Lee himself. It was dic- 
 tated to his daughter Agnes at Lexington, Va., after 
 the war, in response to an artist who had asked for 
 a description, and was corrected in his own hand- 
 writing: 
 
 "If I were an artist like you I would draw a true picture of Trav- 
 eller, representing his fine proportions, muscular figure, deep chest 
 and short back, strong haunches, flat legs, small head, broad fore- 
 head, delicate ears, quick eye, small feet and black mane and tail. 
 Such a picture would inspire a poet, whose genius could then depict 
 his worth and describe his endurance of toil, hunger, thirst, heat, 
 cold, and the dangers and sufferings through which he passed. He 
 could dilate upon his sagacity and affection and his invariable response 
 to every wish of his rider, lie might even imagine his thoughts dur- 
 ing the long night marches and days of battle through which he had 
 passed. But I am no artist; I can only say he is a Confederate Gray. 
 I purchased him in the mountains of Virginia in the autumn of 1861, 
 and he has been my patient follower ever since — to Georgia, the 
 Carolinas and back to Virginia. He carried me through the Seven 
 Days' battle around Richmond, the second Alanassas, at Sharpsburg, 
 Fredericksburg, the last day at Chancellorsville, to Pennsylvania, at 
 Gettysburg, and back to the Rappahannock. From the commencement 
 of the campaign in 1864 at Orange, till its close around Petersburg, 
 the saddle was scarcely off his back. lie passed through the fire of 
 the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor and across the James 
 River. He was almost in daily requisition in the winter of i864-'65 
 on the long line of defense from Chickahominy, north of Richmond, to 
 Hatcher's Run, south of the Appomattox. In the campaign of 1865 
 he bore me from Petersburg to the final days at Appomattox Court 
 House. You must know the comfort he is to me in my present re- 
 tirement. He is well supplied with equipments. Two sets have been sent 
 to him from England, one from the ladies of Baltimore and one was 
 
262 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 made for him in Richmond, but I think his favorite is the American 
 saddle from St. Louis. Of all his companions in toil, 'Richmond,' 
 'Brown Roan,' 'Ajax' and quiet 'Lucy Long,' he is tlie only one that 
 retained his vigor. The first two expired under their onerous bur- 
 den, and the last two failed. You can, I am sure, from what I have 
 
 said, paint his portrait. 
 
 "R. E. Lee." 
 
 I insert the following letter, written by Gen. Lee 
 to his daughter Agnes in the winter of 1862-63 
 (while his army confronted Hooker's at Fred- 
 ericksburg), because it reveals the simplicity of 
 Lee's character and his concern for his horses and 
 mules: 
 
 Camp Fredericksburg, February 6, 1863. 
 " * * * I read yesterday, my precious daughter, your letter, and 
 grieved very much when last in Richmond at not seeing you. ]My 
 movements are so uncertain that I cannot be relied on for anything. 
 The only place I am to be found is in camp, and I am so cross now 
 that I am not worth seeing anywhere. Here you will have to take 
 me with the three stools, the snow, the rain and the mud. The storm 
 of the last twenty-four hours has added to our stock of all, and we 
 are now in a floating condition. But the sun and the wind will carry 
 all off in time, and then we shall appreciate our relief. Our horses 
 and mules suffer the most. They have to bear the cold and rain, tug 
 through the mud and suffer all the time with hunger. The roads 
 are wretched, almost impassable. One of our scouts brought me a 
 card of Margaret Stuart's with a pair of gauntlets directed to 'Cousin 
 Robert.' * * * I have no news. General Hooker is obliged to do 
 something. I do not know what it will be. He is playing the Chinese 
 game — trying what frightening will do. He runs out his guns, starts 
 his wagons and troops up and down the river, and creates an excite- 
 ment generally. Our men look on in wonder, give a cheer, and all 
 again subsides in statu quo ante bcllum. I wish you were here with 
 me today. You would have to sit by this little stove, look out at the 
 rain and keep yourself dry. But here comes, in all the wet, the adju- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 263 
 
 tant-general, with his papers. I must stop and go to work. See how 
 kind God is? We have plenty to do in good weather and bad. * * * 
 
 "Your devoted father, 
 
 "R. E. Lee." 
 
 The following letter, written two weeks after- 
 wards to Mrs. Lee, again reveals the care that he 
 had for his horses and men in the trying conditions 
 that surrounded his camp February 23, 1863 : 
 
 Camp Near Fredericksburg. 
 "The weather is very hard on our poor men. This morning the 
 whole country was covered with a mantle of snow nearly a foot 
 deep. It was nearly up to my knees when I stepped out this morning, 
 and our poor horses were enveloped. We have dug them out and 
 opened up our avenues a little, but it will be terrible and the roads 
 impassable. No cars from Richmond yesterday. I fear our rations 
 for men and horses will have to be curtailed." 
 
 In April, 1864, with Grant in command of the 
 Union army, and just before the opening of the 
 campaign that was to usher in the Wilderness and 
 Spottsylvania, Gen. Lee was seriously contemplat- 
 ing abandoning Virginia and moving his army to 
 North Carolina on account of his inability to pro- 
 vide food for his horses and men. On April 12 he 
 wrote to President Davis at Richmond as follows: 
 
 "My anxiety on the subject of provisions for the army is so great 
 that I cannot refrain from expressing it to Your Excellency. I can- 
 not see how we can operate with our present supplies. 
 
 "R. E. Lee, General. 
 
 Yet the horses and men struggled on a year 
 
264 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 longer, with the food problem growing more seri- 
 ous every day. Perhaps Charles Francis Adams 
 was right when he said: "Lee and the army of 
 Northern Virginia never suffered defeat, but suc- 
 cumbed to exhaustion. To the end they were not 
 overthrown in fight." The soldiers got some satis- 
 faction from being able to tell of their hunger and 
 suffering, but the horses were fated to suffer in 
 silence. 
 
 The next most renowned horse in the Confed- 
 erate army was "Stonewall" Jackson's "Little Sor- 
 rel." No one knows just where this famous horse 
 came from, except that, with a number of other 
 horses, he was captured in the springtof 1861 some- 
 where between Harper's Ferry and Martinsburg. 
 Gen. Jackson's keen eye recognized in the horse 
 those qualities necessary for efficient army service, 
 and, being chosen by the General as his riding 
 horse, he served his master faithfully to the end. 
 I believe it was Jackson's soldiers who dubbed him 
 "Little Sorrel." He was not a remarkably fine- 
 looking horse, and his rider usually presented a 
 rather awkward appearance when on his back. The 
 General would ride along the road with his stir- 
 rup straps too short, and his head bent down as if 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 265 
 
 in deep meditation, so that no one who did not 
 know him would have selected him for the in- 
 vincible Jackson. It was only when in action that 
 the General and his Little Sorrel showed to ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 In the midst of battle Jackson's whole frame was 
 wrought up, his eyes flashed fire, and his commands 
 were uttered in a quick, ringing voice. Little Sor- 
 rel's head was erect, the horse seeming to take on 
 the enthusiasm of his master, and the two made a 
 striking figure. No one would have suspected that 
 this horse and rider were the same that had passed 
 along the dusty road a few hours before when the 
 enemy was several miles away. This was the horse 
 that Gen. Jackson rode in all his engagements. It 
 was Little Sorrel that carried him to the woods near 
 Chancellorsville to meet Gen. Lee, where they both 
 dismounted, and, sitting upon two cracker boxes, 
 planned the movement that resulted in the defeat 
 of Hooker's army. Jackson, when he left Lee, was 
 riding his Little Sorrel. His corps of 25,000 sol- 
 diers was marching rapidly through the woods and 
 undergrowth towards the rear of Hooker's great 
 army. The march was a long and weary one. Gen. 
 Fitzhugh Lee, who had gone ahead, suddenly 
 
266 FROM BULL Rl'X TO APPa\L\TTOX. 
 
 reached a point where from an eminence he could 
 see the whole of Howard's corps of Hooker's army 
 quietly preparing their supper, all unconscious of 
 the approach of Jackson's army. Gen. Fitz Lee 
 hurried back to meet Jackson and inform him of 
 what he had seen. Jackson, putting spurs to Little 
 Sorrel, shortly reached the spot designated by Gen. 
 Fitz Lee, and there, before his astonished vision, 
 lay the object of his search. He was quiet for a 
 moment; then he grew greatly excited and ner\-ous. 
 The time for action had come and now was the hour 
 to strike. He turned his horse away and lifted his 
 arm, as he had often done when engaged in silent 
 prayer. Gen. Fitz Lee, observing his chief in the 
 attitude of prayer, said to himself, ''Beware, Gen. 
 Hooker; beware! 'Stonewall' Jackson is in full 
 view of your exposed and defenseless right wing, 
 praying to his God." Jackson, again touching the 
 flank of his horse with the spur, rode rapidly back 
 to bring up his army. This was just before sun- 
 down. The stor\' of the battle that followed has 
 been too often told to be repeated here. At 9 o'clock 
 Jackson was still riding Little Sorrel. A few mo- 
 ments later the great soldier received his death 
 wound, and then horse and rider parted company 
 
FROM BULL RL'X TO APPOMATTOX. 267 
 
 torever. Little Sorrel, though severely wounded, 
 recovered and lived to a great age for horses. At 
 his death he was at least 37 years old and perhaps 
 older, or nearly 39 years of age, the age of his mas- 
 ter when he received his death wound. Little Sor- 
 rel paid a visit to Baltimore when he was about 
 30 years of age, and attracted a great deal of atten- 
 tion. After his death he went into the hands of the 
 taxidermist, and he stands today on a pedestal in 
 the Confederate Soldiers' Home at Richmond, 
 looking almost as lifelike as v/hen he carried his 
 master through the smoke and dust of battle. 
 
 President Jefferson Davis, who, by virtue of his 
 office, was commander-in-chief of all the Confed- 
 erate armies, was one of the most graceful of riders. 
 I saw him on horseback only once. That was at 
 Manassas Station July 21, 1861, when he mounted 
 a handsome iron gray and galloped ofif towards the 
 battlefield just at the moment when the tide was 
 turning against Beauregard and Johnston. He 
 looked the very picture of a soldier, and sat his 
 horse with a grace seldom witnessed. Of him, who, 
 by virtue of his office, was commander-in-chief of 
 all the armies of the Union — Abraham Lincoln — 
 I have somewhere seen a picture and description as 
 
268 FROM BULL RUN TO APPO^LATTOX. 
 
 he appeared one day on horseback in the army of 
 the Potomac. I think it was when McClellan was 
 in command. That tall, stovepipe hat, long frame, 
 long arms and legs and short stirrup straps must 
 have made the spectator smile ; but it did not take 
 grace and ease in the saddle to win favor and re- 
 nown. Lincoln could afford to be awkward; in- 
 deed, his homely exterior seemed to add luster to 
 his charming personality and brilliant mental pow- 
 ers, and I am quite sure I am correct when I say 
 that of all the men of the North arrayed against the 
 South Abraham Lincoln was the most respected. 
 
 Perhaps the best and most graceful rider in all 
 the armies, North or South, was that gay, chival- 
 rous chevalier. Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. His first horse 
 was "Skylark." This horse was used in the lower 
 Virginia Valley and at the first battle of Manassas, 
 and was lost in Maryland upon return from the 
 Chambersburg expedition. Another favorite horse 
 lost at the same time was "Lady Neargrav^." "Star 
 of the East" was another favorite. This latter horse 
 was a large sorrel, with a star on his forehead. He 
 was killed in battle or died from wounds received 
 in battle. Another horse, named "Lilly," was a 
 beautiful dark dapple brown, and was Mrs, Stu- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 269 
 
 art's riding horse when she occasionally visited near 
 the General's headquarters. Mrs. Stuart rode Lilly 
 for years after the war, but an injury to the mare's 
 foot finally caused such suffering that she had to be 
 shot. Still another horse, "General," a large gray, 
 was the horse Gen. Stuart rode in his last charge. 
 This horse was given to Major Andrew Venable, 
 who is now living at Farmville, Va. 
 
 Gen. Stuart was always well mounted, and, like 
 "Harry of Navarre," everywhere he was in front, 
 and the men followed the feather (a long black 
 plume). When he was a cadet at West Point he 
 was known as "Beauty" Stuart. He was, perhaps, 
 the handsomest soldier in the Confederate army. 
 His last official dispatch, dated 6 A. M. May 11, 
 1864, contains these words: "My men and horses 
 are tired, hungry and jaded, but all right." This 
 was at Yellow Tavern, six miles from Richmond. 
 A few moments later he received his death wound, 
 and died the next day, aged 31 years. 
 
 I have already spoken of "Long Tom," a horse 
 owned and ridden by Capt. Bowles E. Armistead 
 of Company A, Sixth Virginia Cavalry. I shall 
 never forget Long Tom. I think he and his gallant 
 rider were instrumental in saving my life; at least 
 
270 FROM BULL RUN TO APPO^L\TTOX. 
 
 I was in great jeopardy until they came up. (Sec 
 pages 120 and 121.) They called him "Tom" for 
 short and "Long" because he was long. Having a 
 long head and neck, a long body, a long tail, long 
 legs and a long stride, he was very appropriately 
 named. He was a picturesque warhorse, and when 
 under fire presented a magnificent picture. His 
 owner, Capt. Armistead, now 70 years old, is living 
 in the town of Upperville, Fauquier county, Vir- 
 ginia. It fell to Capt. Armistead's lot in the fall of 
 1864 to lead a squadron of his regiment against a 
 strong line of the enemy. While going at full speed 
 Long Tom was shot dead. The Captain's men 
 passed over him, and while under fire the Captain 
 cut a lock from the mane of Long Tom and pre- 
 served it for years. 
 
 Capt. Armistead was a gallant officer. He had 
 two horses killed under him and was himself 
 wounded three times. He is a brother of Gen. 
 Armistead, one of the bravest of the brave, who fell 
 in the very forefront of the line of Pickett's charge 
 at Gettysburg, and died the next day in the hands 
 of the enemy. Gen. Hancock, the famous Union 
 general, who knew Gen. Armistead well, dis- 
 mounted, and, grasping the General's hand, told 
 
OIOMCUAI. l.oriS ADDISON Alf.M IS'I'IOAD. 
 I'"al!ill,v WDiiiKlcd ill (Jet l.vsliiii';;. 
 
 Clencral Afiiiislcad fell at. the fool of the cliiinp of trocs which markf 
 the cxti-i'iiu |)oiiit rcaclK'd hy the Confederates in this their supreme effort. 
 'I'lie Confederate cause is liuiMed tin re tliei-o the tide of invasion stopped. 
 (See i)aKes 271 and 212. ) 
 
 (ienerai Arinistead, after receiving; his mortal wound at Gettysburg, said : 
 
 "lijiy me down alongside of Cenerai Hancock; we are old friends." 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 27 1 
 
 him, with a soldier's sympathy, how sorry he was to 
 see him wounded, promised to send messages to his 
 loved ones in Virginia, and tried to cheer him with 
 hope that his wounds would not be mortal. This is 
 the kind of men the Armisteads were, and Long 
 Tom was just the kind of horse the Armisteads 
 would want to own.* 
 
 Long Tom had some cute tricks. For instance, 
 he did not like to be at the end of any man's halter. 
 It was all right when his master held the strap, but 
 when he was not there Tom usually slipped the 
 halter and went roaming around the camp looking 
 for something nice to eat. He was very fond of 
 "hardtack." Sometimes he would get loose at night 
 and go on a foraging expedition among the sleeping 
 soldiers. One night Capt. Armistead said that he 
 
 *Gcnerar Lewis Addison Armistead was the nephew of Colonel 
 George Armistead, the defender of Fort McMenry when Francis 
 Scott Key wrote our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." 
 He crossed the plain from California in 1861 to join the Confederacy 
 with General Albert Sidney Johnson, who was also making his way 
 to join his fortunes with the Confederacy. General Armistead's 
 friends could probably rightfully claim for him the title of the real 
 hero of Gettysburg. In Pickett's charge he reached the farthest 
 point attained by any Confederate, and was riddled with Ixillets as he 
 placed his hand on a gun of the Union batteries. 
 
 This was the afternoon of July 3. He lingered through the 
 fourth, and died on the morning of tlie fifth. His remains were 
 brought to Pjaltimore by his cousin, Colonel Hughes Armistead, and 
 interred in the family vault in old St. Paul's burying ground, Lom- 
 bard street, this city, by the side of his relative, Colonel George 
 Armistead, the defender of Fort McHenry. 
 
272 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 heard one of the men yell out that some horse had 
 pulled his haversack from under his head and had 
 taken most of his hair with it. Capt. Armistead 
 said: "I knew at once it was Tom." He would fol- 
 low his master around the camp like a pet dog or 
 like Mary's little lamb, and would lay his head lov- 
 ingly on his shoulder. 
 
 For grace, for strength and intelligence, for 
 quickness of action, the three stallions owned and 
 ridden by the two Ashbys in the Virginia Valley 
 during the first year of the war had probably no 
 equal — one a coal black, one as white as snow, the 
 third a handsome chestnut sorrel. They were as 
 swift as the eagle, as agile as the cat, and could clear 
 any fence. Colonel (afterwards General) Turner 
 Ashby and Capt. Richard Ashby were brothers. 
 They were the idols of all Virginia up to the time 
 of their tragic deaths, and Virginia today mourns, 
 and will never cease to mourn, their untimely tak- 
 ing of¥. Had they lived their names and fame 
 would perhaps have been known around the world. 
 There were no riders superior to the Ashbys, and 
 there were no horses like those which the Ashbys 
 rode. 
 
 Late in June, 1861, Capt. Richard Ashby, leav- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 273 
 
 ing his handsome black horse in camp, took another 
 less famous animal and went out with a few men 
 on a scouting expedition. He suddenly came upon 
 a detachment of Pennsylvania infantry near Rom- 
 ney, W. Va., and charged them. In order to get 
 at them he attempted to leap a cattle stop on the 
 railroad track. His horse, however, was not equal 
 to it, and both went down. In this helpless condi- 
 tion Ashby received 1 1 bayonet wounds, resulting 
 in his death a few days afterwards. His brother 
 fell heir to his black stallion. This brother. Gen. 
 Turner Ashby, met a more tragic death the follow- 
 ing June, 1862, his horse sharing his fate, as de- 
 scribed later. A few days before this latter lament- 
 able event his superb white steed received his death 
 wound. Gen. Ashby, at the crossing of the Shenan- 
 doah near Strasburg, was disputing the passage of 
 the river by the Union army. As the noble animal 
 was led back from the front he presented a pathetic 
 and inspiring picture. It is said of him that he 
 trod the earth with the grandeur of a wounded lion. 
 As he passed a regiment of infantry looked on in 
 solemn silence, and saw, with every pant, the blood 
 gushing from his pierced side and flowing down 
 over a snowy surface to the ground. His quick eye 
 
274 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 seemed to resent the cruel wrong that was robbing 
 him of his warm life blood. What became of the 
 black horse I do not know, but the little poem on 
 the two hundred and twenty-third page of this 
 book so well describes the horse that Ashby left 
 behind, we might appropriately ask the question, 
 Was this the hero's horse ? 
 
 It would take several volumes to tell of all the 
 famous horses of Lee's army and of their heroic 
 deeds. They suffered greatly in battle. Bullets 
 that passed between men were often caught by the 
 bulkier bodies of the horses in the ranks back of the 
 front. Capt. Grimsley of my regiment, Sixth Vir- 
 ginia, had six horses killed under him, yet during 
 the entire four years of service he was not himself 
 struck. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 Waterloo and Appomattox. 
 
 "On the wall, above my mantle, 
 
 There's an ancient weapon hung — 
 Tarnished, dusty, old and rusty, 
 Springfield pattern, sixty-one." 
 
 In that matchless mixture of fact and fiction 
 which the author calls "Les Miserables," Victor 
 Hugo paints a picture of Waterloo: *'It is night; 
 the battle is over; the rout is on; the multitude fills 
 roads, paths, bridges, plains, hills, valleys, woods, 
 all choked up by this flight of 40,000 men, horses, 
 wagons, artillery; they crush and they crowd, they 
 tramp upon the living and the dead. Blucher 
 gave orders to kill all. This ferocity filled the dis- 
 aster to the brim. In the deepening gloom on a 
 field near Genappe two soldiers seized by the flap 
 of his coat and stopped a haggard, thoughtful, 
 gloomy man, who, dragged thus far by the current 
 of the rout, had dismounted, passed the bridle of 
 his horse under his arm, and, with bewildered eye, 
 was returning alone towards Waterloo. It was Na- 
 poleon endeavoring to advance again — mighty 
 somnambulist of a vanished dream." 
 
 After Appomattox the remnants of Lee's dis- 
 
 87S 
 
276 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 armed veterans scattered, radiating toward every 
 point of the compass, without money, without trans- 
 portation, footsore and ragged, without orders, 
 marching across fields, through woods, along roads, 
 over bridges, over hills, wading streams, eating 
 anything they could find, sleeping anywhere with- 
 out guard or sentinel, halting at every pool to bathe 
 their blistered feet, trudging on by day and by 
 night, no rattling armor, no drill, no bugle blast, 
 no rollcall, no sound of battle, no clash of steel — ■ 
 on they went, with the instinct of the homing 
 pigeon. The circle widens at every step, and every 
 hour the number lessens. The Virginians are the 
 first to begin the disintegration, and, one by one, 
 drop like weary wanderers into their homes. North 
 Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky follow in rapid 
 succession; then South Carolina , Georgia, Ala- 
 bama and Florida receive their returning veterans. 
 The prodigals from Mississippi and Louisiana are 
 nearing home with visions of the fatted calf that is 
 not there. Marylanders are swimming the Poto- 
 mac and are entering a land of plenty, and far-ofif 
 Texas, like Egypt when Joseph ruled, has some 
 corn left, and her ragged sons can depend upon a 
 plentiful supply of ash cake. 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 277 
 
 At the beginning of this motley disintegration 
 immediately after Appomattox, in the midst of the 
 gloom-clouds hanging like dismal funeral trap- 
 pings over the land, a little band of horsemen halted 
 deep in a Georgia forest. In the darkness of the 
 early morning two soldiers seized by the flap of his 
 coat and stopped a haggard, thoughtful, gloomy 
 man, who, dragged thus far by the current of rap- 
 idly shifting events, had dismounted and, with be- 
 wildered eye, was scanning an army map. It was 
 Jefferson Davis, planning to go back and beat 
 Grant. 
 
 Napoleon had hopes after Waterloo; Jefferson 
 Davis had hopes after Appomattox. Both were 
 doomed to disappointment. But France still lives 
 and rightfully claims the grave of the world's great- 
 est military hero. What did the South get, or, 
 rather, what did she lose by the war? Her slaves? 
 A kind Providence has paid her back for these a 
 hundred-fold. Her homes, barns, mills, bridges? 
 All these have been restored. Her wealth? No 
 other country in the world is multiplying riches 
 so rapidly. Ah I but what of her graves ? Who can 
 give back her dead? Gen. Lee's statue in the Hall 
 of Fame at Washington is the answer. He was 
 
278 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 commander-in-chief of all the armies of the South; 
 his soldiers won for him that place in the nation's 
 Valhalla, and he is there to represent them. But 
 what of the widows and orphans? They have the 
 memories of their heroic dead. But they called us 
 rebels and traitors. What power divine will ever 
 wash from our bloody hands the crime of treason? 
 Here is the answer: When Theodore Roosevelt 
 was yet President of the United States he directed 
 that the name of Jefferson Davis be restored upon 
 Cabin John Bridge. His successor, President Wil- 
 liam H. Taft, in a recent speech, called Mr. Davis 
 a hero. The silver serv'ice on one of our great bat- 
 tleships bears his image. If these honors bestowed 
 upon the name of Jefferson Davis mean anything, 
 they mean that the people of the North want to be 
 magnanimous, and the people of the South are, 
 with becoming modesty, accepting their proffered 
 generosity. They mean, also, that there is a grow- 
 ing feeling in the North that, after all, Jefferson 
 Davis and his followers were not rebels and traitors. 
 Again, all around us evidence multiplies that the 
 North and South are uniting to make our great war 
 a blessing, and not a curse, and, with God's help, 
 they will do it. Let us, then, build monuments and 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 279 
 
 park our battlefields, and tell the war story over and 
 over, again and again. It will do our children no 
 harm to enter a cyclorama and look out upon Phil- 
 lipoteau's great picture, stretching from horizon to 
 horizon, showing the battle of Gettysburg. God 
 has ever wanted men who are willing to die. Every 
 nation and every cause needs them. Let us, then, 
 proudly show the battlefields of our gigantic Civil 
 War that coming generations may see for them- 
 selves how men and boys of the past died for what 
 they conceived to be right. And, pray, which was 
 right? Has that question ever been settled? I may 
 be a little ahead of time, but it seems to me that the 
 Civil War, or what the South calls the War Be- 
 tween the States, is the nation's heritage. The he- 
 roes of that struggle belong to the nation; the dead 
 are the nation's dead. There is already a strange, 
 mysterious influence spreading all over the North 
 compelling her to honor the South for the brave 
 stand she took for what she conceived to be her con- 
 stitutional rights. There is, too, a feeling spread- 
 ing all over the South compelling her to honor the 
 North for the brave fight she made for the preser- 
 vation of the Union. Here is the truth in a nut- 
 shell: the North fought not for the abolition of 
 
28o FROM BULL RUN TO APPO^L\TTOX. 
 
 Slavery, but to prevent the destruction of the Union ; 
 the South fought not for the perpetuity of slavery, 
 but for her constitutional rights. If anyone doubts 
 this statement, let him consult the soldiers who did 
 the fighting. In the struggle slavery was crushed 
 to death, and we have this strange result: both sides 
 won. The South has her constitutional rights; the 
 Union is restored. Let us, then, join hands to pre- 
 serve all that is worth preserving of those four 
 years of tragic story that ended so auspiciously for 
 both sides. The next quarter turn of the century 
 wheel will, perhaps, carry from the stage the last 
 of the old soldiers and eye-witnesses of the events 
 of that period ; hence those who have anything to 
 tell must tell it now. In this simple story I be- 
 lieve I have told about all that I can recall that 
 is worthy of preser\'ation, yet I see a vast field that 
 has not been entered by any writer except in a 
 superficial manner. Every surviving old soldier 
 who went through the Civil War has in his, posses- 
 sion mental pictures of events which, if he could 
 reproduce them, would make the old masters pale 
 with envy, and memories of scenes of action which, 
 if he could describe them, would make this the 
 golden age of literature. What are we to do with 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 28 1 
 
 these treasures? As the Rockefellers and Carne- 
 gies are greatly puzzled to know what to do with 
 their wealth, so we poor ex-soldiers have our trou- 
 bles, too; we don't know how to dispose of our 
 Civil War pictures, because we have no language 
 or skill with which to develop them. But I am 
 tempted to try in the closing pages of this personal 
 narrative to leave some material or suggestion that 
 would aid an artist to reproduce, by pen or brush, 
 a picture of Jackson's valley campaign in the 
 spring of 1862 — a panorama of that three-months' 
 war game, which has for its stage the territory lying 
 between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny moun- 
 tains and stretching from Staunton to Harper's 
 Ferry. I would also like to put on record material 
 that may help some master pen or brush to pro- 
 duce, for the benefit and entertainment of future 
 generations, the physical counterpart of a men- 
 tal picture which I have of Lee's and Hooker's 
 armies playing for positions as they march toward 
 Gettysburg. You may be quite sure that no such 
 awe-inspiring procession will ever again cross any 
 portion of our land. Comets periodically come and 
 go, but our war-loving boys of today must be con- 
 tent to feast their martial spirits on scenes that have 
 
282 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 forever passed into history; so let us give them the 
 best we have. There is another undeveloped pic- 
 ture which needs a master hand to touch it into 
 life; it is that of these two great armies asleep 
 along the Rappahannock. I have a mental image 
 of Lee's army in this position, but I would have to 
 possess Victor Hugo's pen or Michel Angelo's 
 brush to do it justice. The artist that is to develop 
 this and kindred pictures has not yet arrived. He 
 may be asleep tonight in his cradle, but when he 
 comes to himself, where will he get material for his 
 work if those who have it fail to put it on record? 
 
 "stonewall'' JACKSON'S VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 
 (A Pen Picture.) 
 
 If you have never visited that part of the Vir- 
 ginia Valley stretching (122 miles) from Staunton 
 to Harper's Ferry on the Potomac and (40 miles) 
 from the Blue Ridge to the Alleghenies on the west, 
 5^ou must, in order to understand me, have a map 
 before you. Notice carefully the position of the 
 Massanutton mountain, which begins in a bold 
 peak at Strasburg and runs south 50 miles parallel 
 with the Blue Ridge, dividing the narrow Page 
 Valley from the main valley and ending as 
 abruptly 10 miles east of Harrisonburg. This 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 283 
 
 mountain is called the glory of the valley, and is 
 so rough and precipitous that a rabbit would have 
 difficulty in getting over it, except at one point, 
 near New Market, where a good winding road has 
 been built across it. This mountain, cut by this one 
 passageway, was of great strategical importance to 
 the Confederacy. It was Jackson's ally, and right 
 well it served him. It also divided the Shenandoah 
 river, the south branch following the east side, 
 while the north branch follows the west side, the 
 two branches meeting near Strasburg and thence 
 moving on to the Potomac at Harper's Ferry. The 
 foregoing, in brief, is the stage where "Stonewall" 
 Jackson played one of the most unique war games 
 known to history. The historian has well told how 
 the battles were fought, the disposition of the forces, 
 the divisions and subdivisions of the armies and 
 their commanders, the positions of the batteries and 
 who commanded the guns ; but only those who were 
 eye-witnesses have any adequate conception of the 
 beauty, the grandeur and the magnitude of that 
 performance which began at dawn March i, 1862, 
 and continued night and day without interruption 
 until June 10. 
 
 March i, 1862, Jackson is at Winchester, with a 
 
284 FROM BULL RUN TO APPO^L•\TTOX. 
 
 little army of 4600 soldiers and 27 cannon. He is 
 there to threaten V^ashington and to prevent, as far 
 as possible, the sending of reinforcements to 
 McClellan, who, with a large army, is marching 
 on Richmond. Banks, commanding a Federal 
 army of 38,000 men and 80 cannon, has just crossed 
 the Potomac at Harper's Ferry and is marching 
 towards Winchester. Jackson at once abandons his 
 camp at Winchester and marches down the valley 
 to meet him. After skirmishing with his huge an- 
 tagonist, Jackson retreats to Winchester, followed 
 cautiously by Banks. March 12, Jackson retires to 
 Edenburg, beyond Strasburg. Learning that a 
 large portion of Banks' forces are leaving the val- 
 ley, Jackson takes 2700 men, retraces his steps, and 
 falls like a thunderbolt upon a part of Banks' army 
 at Kernstown, near Winchester, but is repulsed. 
 His object, however, is attained. This move is de- 
 signed to prevent any portion of Banks' army from 
 leaving the valley. Refer now to your map and 
 trace Jackson's march from Kernstown to Stras- 
 burg, to Harrisonbug, to Swift Run Gap, across the 
 Blue Ridge, southward along the foot of the moun- 
 tain to Rock Fish Gap, back across the mountain to 
 Staunton, on to McDowell — where he defeats a 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 285 
 
 Federal army under Milroy — then back across the 
 valley to the only gap in the Massanutton mountain, 
 near New Market. He crosses this mountain and 
 meets Gen. Ewell, who has crossed the Blue Ridge 
 with 9000 reinforcements. Jackson is now the 
 proud commander of an army of 15,000 veterans 
 and is within a few miles of Strasburg, where a por- 
 tion of Banks' army is sleeping in unconscious se- 
 curity. "On this night, May 22, President Lin- 
 coln and his people were without fear of what the 
 morrow might bring forth. The end of the 'rebel- 
 lion' seemed near at hand. Washington was full of 
 the anticipated triumph. The crowds passed to 
 and fro in the broad avenues, exchanging congratu- 
 lations on the success of the Northern arms and the 
 approaching downfall of the slaveholders. The 
 theaters were filled with delighted audiences, who 
 hailed every scoffing allusion to the 'Southern chiv- 
 alry' with enthusiasm, and gaiety and confidence 
 reigned supreme. Little dreamed the light-hearted 
 multitude that in the silent woods of the Luray Val- 
 ley a Confederate army lay asleep beneath the stars. 
 Little dreamed Lincoln or Banks or Stanton (Lin- 
 coln's War Secretary) that not more than 70 miles 
 from Washington the most daring of their enemies, 
 
286 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 waiting for the dawn to rise above the mountains, 
 was pouring out his soul in prayer. The next 
 morning, May 23, there was no token of the ap- 
 proaching storm. The day was hot and the blue 
 masses of the mountains shimmered in the summer 
 haze. There is no sign of life save the buzzards 
 sailing lazily above the slumberous woods. Sud- 
 denly, and without the least warning, a long line of 
 skirmishers broke from the forest. The clear notes 
 of the Confederate bugles, succeeded by the crash 
 of musketry, awoke the echoes of the Blue Ridge, 
 and the Federal pickets were driven in confusion 
 to the village. The long roll of drums beat the 
 startled camp of the Federals to arms."* The scene 
 that shortly followed is indescribable. 
 
 banks' FAMOUS RETREAT. 
 
 All is noise and confusion ; everywhere is smoke 
 mingled with impenetrable dust. With roads, 
 paths, valleys and woods filled up with fleeing mul- 
 titudes of men, horses, wagons and artillery, the 
 scene is almost as dreadful as Napoleon's flight 
 from Waterloo. On they rush through Winchester 
 and beyond, with Jackson's men and horses close 
 
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FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 287 
 
 Upon their heels. As the Confederates pass through 
 Winchester the populace, frantic with triumph 
 after two months of captivity, from every doorway 
 rush out and mingle with the troops, horses and 
 artillery, and, amid weeping and laughter, Jack- 
 son's soldiers are, with the blessings of the women 
 and the fierce shouts of the men, urged forward in 
 hot pursuit. When five miles beyond the city the 
 tired horses can no longer pull Jackson's cannon; 
 the exhausted men can no longer carry their guns 
 and ammunition. The horses are unhitched, the 
 men are mounted and the pursuit continues. Jack- 
 son, rising in his stirrups and taking off his hat, 
 shouts to his soldiers, "On to the Potomac! On to 
 the Potomac!" Banks has parted with everything 
 that will impede his flight. All the army stores at 
 Strasburg, Front Royal and Winchester, together 
 with many prisoners, arc in the hands of the Con- 
 federates. Banks reaches the Potomac with the 
 greater part of his army, and crosses to the Mary- 
 land side for safety. Jackson confronts him on the 
 Virginia side and remains long enough for his scat- 
 tered soldiers to assemble and rest. While waiting 
 here, Jackson rides to an eminence, dismounts, and, 
 putting his field glasses to his eyes, gazes away off in 
 
288 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 the smoky distance, and sees, in imagination, the 
 glistening dome of the capitol at Washington. He 
 looks long and earnestly, drops his glass and bows 
 his head as if in prayer; then, suddenly aroused, 
 mounts and sadly rides away, muttering, it is said, 
 these words: "/ can take Washington, but God 
 wont let me." Turning his back upon Banks and 
 the Potomac, he faces a long stretch of valley as far 
 back as Staunton, 120 miles away. Then in the dis- 
 tance he sees a gathering storm. 
 
 The news of Banks' overthrow has reached 
 Washington, has reached McClellan before Rich- 
 mond, has reached McDowell, whose army of 
 40,000 soldiers lies idle near Fredericksburg; has 
 reached Fremont, who is hurrying across the moun- 
 tains from the west with an army of 17,000 men. 
 Jackson is encumbered with 2000 prisoners and 
 seven miles of captured stores. Strasburg is 50 
 miles away. Two armies, each greater than his 
 own, are marching from opposite directions toward 
 this point to cut Jackson off. If these two Federal 
 armies can here form a junction before Jackson ar- 
 rives, the latter is in a trap ; but there is no wireless 
 telegraphy, so they approach cautiously. Jackson 
 is hurrying, and arrive? first, The gateway is nar- 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 289 
 
 row. The vanguards, however, of these opposing 
 armies of the enemy have arrived. But some un- 
 seen hand seems to be holding open the gates to let 
 the conqueror through. As Jackson passes through, 
 his soldiers are reminded of a game they played in 
 their childhood: 
 
 "Hold the gates as high as the sky, 
 And let King George's troops go by." 
 
 The whole army passes through in safety. Not a 
 soldier, not a prisoner, not even a wagon wheel, is 
 lost. Jackson has again saved his army and is mov- 
 ing on toward Harrisonburg. 
 
 Fremont takes command of the Federal armies 
 and presses hard upon Jackson's tracks. It was 
 here at the crossing of the river that Ashby lost his 
 famous white charger mentioned in Chapter XIII. 
 Fremont divided his army, sending Shields up the 
 Page Valley, while with his main army he takes 
 the west side. Shield's object is to seize and hold 
 the bridges on the river so as to keep in touch with 
 the main army, and also to seize the gaps in the 
 Blue Ridge mountains for the purpose of keeping 
 Jackson in the valley and bringing him to bay at 
 some point beyond Harrisonburg. Jackson, how- 
 ever, is quick enough to seize and destroy the 
 
290 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 bridges before the arrival of Shields. Ashby is 
 covering Jackson's retreat, and is hotly contesting 
 every foot of ground. From Harrisonburg Jack- 
 son moves rapidly to Port Republic, where the 
 Shenandoah river again branches. Standing on the 
 abrupt ending of the Massanutton mountain, one 
 has a panoramic view of the whole field. (You are 
 about to witness the battles of Cross Keys, Port Re- 
 public and Harrisonburg, following each other in 
 rapid succession and graphically told by the his- 
 torian.) Jackson at Port Republic has now turned 
 and faces his foes, and is ready for action. He can 
 be distinctly seen riding along the battle front 
 placing his battalions to receive Fremont's adi 
 vancing lines. His batteries of artillery are placed 
 and the guns are loaded. Skirmishers of both ar- 
 mies are already engaged in front. The cavalry 
 on the flanks is ready to play its part. Back of all, 
 but as close as they dare approach, can be seen the 
 white tops of the ambulances. The doctors and 
 their attendants spread their canvas and await re- 
 sults. Then puf^s of white smoke from the woods 
 and the fields and the hills back of the gray lines, 
 puffs of white smoke from the woods and the fields 
 and the hills beyond the blue lines, can be seen in 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 29 1 
 
 the picture. This is the beginning of the battle. 
 The picture is nearly half a century old. The men 
 now living who were engaged^in this conflict are 
 for the most part old and bent and gray, but in the 
 picture they are nearly all boys and have eternal 
 youth. So real is the picture that you can hear the 
 sound of the guns. You can see the rising smoke 
 and dust as they mingle and thicken and almost ob- 
 scure the field. Peeping above these clouds, like 
 little islands in the sea, are the hilltops. Every now 
 and then there is a rift in the clouds, giving the 
 observer a glimpse of the battle. Suddenly there is 
 a great commotion on Jackson's left. Amid clouds 
 of dust are bright flashes of what seems to be 
 lightning. A little later figures of men and horses 
 are dimly seen. A little later the lightning has 
 changed to glittering steel-saber flashes. Still later 
 men are dropping from their horses like ripe fruit 
 from the trees of a storm-swept orchard ; horses, too, 
 are dropping, but the columns rush on. This is a 
 cavalry charge. On another part of the field a trag- 
 edy is being enacted that robs Jackson of his ablest 
 lieutenant and sickens the heart of the whole Con- 
 federacy. A daring Confederate officer, riding a 
 foaming steed, has gathered a small force and 
 
292 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 dashed them against a Federal regiment of in- 
 fantry, the Pennsylvania Bucktails, commanded by 
 Col. Kane. It is a critical moment in the battle. 
 The officer is Turner Ashby. His long black hair, 
 as black as a raven's wing, make him a conspicuous 
 figure. He is to Jackson what Stuart is to Lee. It 
 is a hot and stubborn fight. Ashby is everywhere 
 animating his men. Suddenly his horse goes down 
 and Ashby is afoot. Then a bullet pierces Ashby's 
 heart. Now both rider and horse are dead on the 
 field; but the First Maryland and part of a Vir- 
 ginia regiment drive back the enemy and capture 
 their leader, the gallant Col. Kane. When brought 
 into the Confederate lines, referring to Ashby, Col. 
 Kane said: "I saw this officer several times during 
 the day. He seemed to be always in the front. 
 When his horse fell, three of my men leveled their 
 guns on the rider. I stopped two of them and 
 struck up the gun of the third. I thought him too 
 brave a man to be shot down in that way." 
 
 These rapidly shifting events give the observer 
 some conception of what war is. Yonder we see 
 clouds of smoke and dust rolling like sea billows 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 293 
 
 back toward Harrisonburg, This tells the story. 
 Fremont is beaten and is leaving the field. 
 
 A few miles eastward (see map), just across 
 the Shenandoah, Shields' vanguard appears, and 
 Jackson, leaving Ewell to take care of Fremont, 
 determines to cross the river and head off Shields. 
 The river is too high to ford. Jackson constructs 
 a bridge of wagons during the night, crosses a por- 
 tion of his army, and in a stubborn battle defeats 
 Shields. The losses on both sides are heavy. Will 
 Jackson follow Shields down the Luray Valley, or 
 will he recross the river and capture or drive Fre- 
 mont down the Shenandoah Valley, or will he cross 
 the Blue Ridge and move on Washington? Fre- 
 mont, Shields and the Government at Washington 
 are in a dilemma. In the midst of their confusion 
 Jackson and his whole army suddenly and myste- 
 riously disappear. The wires are hot with mes- 
 sages asking, Where is Jackson? Federal forces 
 are rushing to the defense of the capital. The artist 
 here will do some of his finest work as he depicts 
 Jackson and his retinue leaving the stage. Jackson 
 has an engagement in front of Richmond, and is 
 hurrying across the mountain to keep it. 
 
294 F^OM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 RECAPITULATION. 
 
 This phenomenal campaign lasted three months 
 and ten days. Jackson's opponents — Milroy, 
 Banks, Fremont, Shields, McDowell and others — 
 were able commanders. Their soldiers fought 
 bravely whenever Jackson gave them an opportu- 
 nity. With his small army of 4600, increased to 
 15,000, he compelled the Washington Government 
 to keep within the vicinity of the capital not less 
 than 50,000 troops; to hold McDowell at Fred- 
 ericksburg with 40,000, and Banks, Fremont and 
 Shields in the valley with 50,000. But for Jackson 
 in the valley, this entire force of 130,000 troops 
 might have been with McClellan before Rich- 
 mond. And this is not all. Jackson's warlike 
 prowess and rapid movements, coupled with his 
 name and fame, held these large forces at bay until 
 he and his army could withdraw from the valley 
 and move to the aid of Gen. Lee in his battles with 
 McClellan before Richmond. Jackson's genius in 
 war, fidelity to duty as he saw it and his devout loy- 
 alty to his God entitle him to a place among the 
 world's heroes. As I view it, "Stonewall" Jackson 
 does not belong to the South alone. He is the 
 South's gift to the nation. 
 
G:ENEKAL THOMAS JONATHAN (STONEWALL) JACKSON, 
 
 "That Thunderbolt of War." 
 From a photograph taken in Winchester, Va., in the fall of 1S62. 
 
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CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Lee's Army Asleep. 
 
 "Around the mighty master came 
 
 Tlie marvels which his pencil wrought — 
 Those miracles of power whose fame 
 Is wide as human thought." 
 
 It is a cold November night, but not so cold as 
 to cause the soldiers to bunk together for comfort. 
 Soldiers want plenty of room. They feel their im- 
 portance, and like to spread themselves when there 
 is an abundance of mother earth to be had without 
 the asking and the enemy is not too close; so tonight 
 each soldier, wrapped in his own blanket, is lying 
 without any regard to order. It is 12 o'clock; the 
 camp-fires are burning brightly. Some have se- 
 lected places close enough to the fire to absorb some 
 of its heat; others prefer a cooler place. If you see 
 an object wrapped as close as a mummy and com- 
 pletely covered head and foot, with its head to the 
 fire and its feet in the opposite direction, it is a son 
 of Africa. Sambo has a thick skull and is some- 
 what of a philosopher. He thinks the best way of 
 knowing when he is comfortably warm is to heat 
 
 2d£ 
 
296 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 the organ of sense, so he puts that part of his anat- 
 omy as close to the fire as is safe. Counting all, 
 without regard to color or previous condition, there 
 are about 75,000 of these queer-looking objects over 
 many thousand acres. A single county is seldom 
 big enough to furnish ample sleeping space for 
 such an army. In the picture you can count 12,000 
 camp-fires, each fire indicated by its column of 
 smoke, and casting as many shadows as there are 
 objects intercepting its light. Around the camp 
 about the only things observing order are the guns 
 stacked in rows, as a farmer would stack his har- 
 vested corn. Considering the noise these guns can 
 make, they, too, seem to be asleep. I can count at 
 least 300 cannon, also asleep, but with mouths wide 
 open ready to bark at a moment's notice. There are 
 as many more gun carriages and caissons, whose 
 tired wheels are all at rest. There are also 25,000 
 horses, and these are so modest that generally they 
 won't go to bed until the men are all asleep. They 
 act as if they didn't like to be seen lying down; for 
 before doing so, the most of them will wait until i 
 o'clock, when, the fires burning low and the camp 
 having reached its deathlike hour, they slowly draw 
 their feet together, quietly lie down and drop ofif to 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 297 
 
 sleep. A solitary army wagon bespattered with 
 mud is not a very imposing object, but when all the 
 wagons necessary for the proper equipment are 
 gathered together, in them alone is there material 
 for a picture worthy of an artist. Of course, they 
 are an essential part of this picture. When in mo- 
 tion they are the noisiest part of the whole army 
 except when a battle is on. They will rattle and 
 clatter the whole day long, but tonight we see them 
 with their long bodies covered with white canvas, 
 their tired wheels at rest and their long tongues as 
 silent as the grave. 
 
 At 2 o'clock, the hour when churchyards yawn, 
 the picture is at its best. Everything is as quiet as 
 death, the sentinels alone excepted. The latter are 
 not supposed to sleep, but the dim outlines of their 
 forms, their soft catlike tread as they move on their 
 beats, the weird shadowy surroundings, seem to rob 
 them of flesh and blood, and in the picture they are 
 but ghostly apparitions, present only to disturb the 
 dreams of the weary men and horses. 
 
 Such, in brief, is the outline of a picture that is 
 ever before me. As I look at it and think how like 
 death sleep is, another picture comes into view, one 
 that Byron has immortalized in his poetical de- 
 
298 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 scription of the destruction of Sennacherib's army 
 before the walls of Jerusalem: 
 
 "When the angel of death spread his wings on the blast, 
 And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed ; 
 And the eyes of the sleepers wax'd deadly and chill, 
 And their hearts but once heaved and forever grew still." 
 

Map or 
 
 TEF?f?ITOf?Y Co^EKED BY 
 
 Lee-'s Army 
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CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Night Before the Battle. 
 
 From camp to camp through the foul womb of night 
 
 The hum of either army stilly sounds, 
 
 That the fix'd sentinels almost receive 
 
 The secret whispers of each other's watch : 
 
 Fire answers fire, and through their paly flames 
 
 Each battle sees the other's tawny face ; 
 
 Steed threatens steed, in high and boastful neighs, 
 
 Piercing the night's dull ear; and from the tents 
 
 The armourers, accomplishing the knights. 
 
 With busy hammers closing rivets up. 
 
 Give dreadful note of preparation : 
 
 The country cocks do crow, the clocks do toll. 
 
 And the third hour of drowsy morning name. 
 
 Proud of their numbers and secure in soul, 
 
 The confident and over-lusty French 
 
 Do the low-rated English play at dice ; 
 
 And chide the cripple tardy-gaited night 
 
 Who, like a foul and ugly witch, doth limp 
 
 So tediously away. 
 
 When the battle of Gettysburg was in progress 
 the hilltops, the treetops and housetops for many- 
 miles around were crowded with eager, anxious 
 faces turned toward the battlefield. Patriotism 
 and anxiety for friends and relatives were respon- 
 sible for much of this interest, but the desire to see 
 a contest comes in for a large share of it. Wherever 
 there is a trial for the mastery, whether it be a foot- 
 
 290 
 
300 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 race or a prize fight, a chariot race or a dog fight a 
 boat race or a cock fight, or something greater 'or 
 more honorable, the crowds will gather. Those 
 who were privileged to see the combat between the 
 contending forces on the field at Gettysburg in July 
 1863, saw the most inspiring battle that the modern 
 world has witnessed. Though you have heard 
 enough of that battle, you know very little of the 
 mmutis of the movements that brought together 
 the forces therein engaged. No one has shown you 
 on the chessboard the various moves that the master 
 players made while the game was in progress-the 
 castles, the bishops, the knights, the pawns, and just 
 where the king and queen stood while the players 
 gambled for their crowns. In Chapter VI you 
 have a description of the march of the two armies 
 northeast after Chancellorsville. Neither army 
 knew just where it was going. When the appointed 
 season comes, armies, like birds, must move. After 
 Chancellorsville, Gen. Lee could not e.xpect 
 Hooker to recross the Rappahannock and fight him 
 agam, for Longstreet, who for several months had 
 been absent in the South with one-half of his corps 
 had now returned, and this partly made up for Gen' 
 Lee s loss by the death of Jackson. Gen. Lee was 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 301 
 
 always a fair fighter, and was ever willing to give 
 his antagonist a chance. Perhaps it was with this 
 thought in mind that at this time he began one of 
 the most extraordinary movements recorded in his- 
 tory. Look at the map and notice the relative posi- 
 tions of Fredericksburg, Washington and Gettys- 
 burg, and Hooker's great army lying across Lee's 
 Iront. To reach Gettysburg, Gen. Lee must cross 
 the Rappahannock, cut his way through Hooker's 
 army or pass around it, pass Washington, cross the 
 Blue Ridge and cross the Potomac. Notice, also, 
 the marvelous order in which Gen. Lee marched 
 his army after he had determined upon the route. 
 One corps of his army, under A. P. Hill, remained 
 near Fredericksburg, while the other two corps and 
 the cavalry moved one after another, forming a line 
 of march fully 60 miles long. When Longstreet was 
 entering the Virginia Valley, Confederate cavalry- 
 men were watering their horses in the Potomac, 
 with Hill still at Fredericksburg. When Ewell 
 was crossing from Maryland into Pennsylvania, 
 Hill was threading his way through the defiles of 
 the Blue Ridge. When Longstreet was marching 
 through Maryland, Ewell was building his camp- 
 fires along the banks of the Susquehanna. What an 
 
302 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 opportunity Lee was giving Gen. Hooker to de- 
 stroy his army in detail! Ah! but Hooker was a 
 better general than some give him credit for being. 
 Listen to this characteristic message sent by Presi- 
 dent Lincoln to Gen. Hooker when he learned that 
 Lee had stretched his army out at such great length : 
 *'If the snake's tail is on the Rappahannock and its 
 head on the Potomac, it must be very thin some- 
 where. Can't you cut it in two?" Hooker had been 
 in the coil of that snake a short time before this and 
 it nearly crushed the life out of him ; hence his cau- 
 tion. Gen. Lee, too, was cautious, for in that en- 
 counter "his right arm" was crushed and he never 
 again had the use of it. (Gen. Lee visited Gen. 
 Jackson just before his death, after the latter had 
 received his death wound, which resulted in the 
 amputation of his left arm. He said to Gen. Jack- 
 son, with a forced smile playing over his face, "You 
 have lost your left arm, while I have lost my right." 
 "Stonewall" Jackson was Gen. Lee's right arm.) 
 
 Notice another marvelous condition: the posi- 
 tion that these armies occupy in respect to each 
 other. Referring to the map, you will see Wash- 
 ington, and next to Washington is Lee's cavalry 
 under Stuart, and next to this body of cavalry is 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 303 
 
 Hooker's army on the east of the Blue Ridge, while 
 just over the ridge on the north side is Lee's army. 
 What a strange, mysterious arrangement! What is 
 Stuart doing there? Some have censured him for 
 his audacity, but listen while I tell you a secret. He 
 was just where Lee wanted him and where he ought 
 to have been if Hooker had done what Lincoln 
 wanted him to do and what Gen. Lee evidently ex- 
 pected he might do — namely, try to cut the snake in 
 two. Suppose that Hooker had crossed the moun- 
 tain and had cut the snake in two. Snakes are not 
 always dead when they have been cut in twain ; at 
 least they don't seem to realize it — their bite is still 
 dangerous. While Hooker was on the west side of 
 the mountain dispatching the center of the snake, 
 its head and its tail would have recoiled and have 
 come together in front of Washington, where Stu- 
 art had already assembled his cavalry. What, then, 
 would have been the fate of Hooker's army and the 
 Federal capital? 
 
 It is a well-known fact that Gen. Lee did not 
 choose Gettysburg for the battleground. Had Gen. 
 Hooker acted upon President Lincoln's suggestion, 
 the battle would have been fought in Loudoun 
 county, Virginia. As Gen. Lee failed to entice 
 
304 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Hooker across the mountain, the former moved on 
 toward Gettysburg. You now begin to realize the 
 size of this picture. It stretches from Richmond 
 in the south to Harrisburg in the north and is half 
 as wide as it is long. Counting the forces around 
 Washington — and they are really a part of the pic- 
 ture — there are 275,000 men and boys, the majority 
 of them in their teens; 65,000 horses, with cannon, 
 wagons, ambulances, bugles, drums, banners, bands 
 of music, the Blue and the Gray, marching and 
 camping, going they know not where, as bright and 
 as happy as children at play. All day long, all 
 night long, you hear the steady tramp of infantry, 
 the clattering of horses' feet, mingled with the noise 
 of the rattling sabres as the cavalry pass by, the 
 ceaseless rumble of the wagon trains and the dull, 
 ominous cluck of the wheels of artillery. To a per- 
 son watching a passing battery of artillery the pecu- 
 liar heavy sounds made by the wheels as they shuffle 
 on their axles give, even in times of peace, visions 
 of fields strewn with mangled men and horses. 
 
 I have somewhere seen a picture of a crouching 
 lion, on a shelving rock, watching a long caravan 
 of traders slowly winding its way down a mountain 
 path and stretching out across the plain. The lion 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 305 
 
 from his lair seems to be saying, "There is a good 
 dinner for me in that procession, but I have been 
 there before, and was glad to get away with my 
 hide." So in hungry silence he sits watching his 
 dinner receding farther and farther from him. 
 From his signal stations Hooker on every high 
 point watches another caravan offering him a 
 tempting bait; but, like the lion, having been there 
 before, he contents himself with moving on a line 
 parallelling Lee's army, and crosses the Potomac 
 below Harper's Ferry. The soldiers of both ar- 
 mies are now on the north side of the Potomac, go- 
 ing they know not where, but all hopeful, all happy, 
 all gay. Some wear blue and some wear gray, but 
 the fires of patriotism burn as brightly in the hearts 
 of one as of the other. A little later and those 
 wearing the gray are all in Pennsylvania, the land 
 of Goshen, of milk and honey, bursting barns, wav- 
 ing fields of grain, blackberries, raspberries and 
 everything to delight the heart of the hungry sol- 
 diers. I have often been asked how we felt when 
 we got into this rich territory. It can be tersely 
 expressed thus: 
 
 "There was an old negro, who couldn't count seven ; 
 Put him in a feather bed, and he thought he was in heaven." 
 
306 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 Please consult the map again and note how 
 strangely Hooker's great army is still sandwiched 
 between Lee's cavalry and his main army. By a 
 little stretch of the imagination this picture would 
 show Hooker's army as prisoners of war marching 
 to their execution. 
 
 A beautiful scene is the tarrying of these two 
 mighty hosts at sundown for supper and perhaps 
 for a good night's rest. The armies are so close 
 together that when they go to camp they cannot be 
 distinguished from each other except by their uni- 
 forms and banners; but the picture shows both 
 camps. The busy wheels have stopped, and the 
 horses, unhitched and tethered, in their hunger are 
 cropping the blades of grass, reaching for the 
 branches of trees or gnawing fence rails. The men 
 have stopped, stacked arms, unbuckled their belts 
 and thrown off their accoutrements. Some are 
 building fires; some are preparing supper; some, 
 loaded with canteens, have gone in search of water, 
 and some (the mystical) have thrown themselves 
 on the ground and are gazing at the skies, trying, 
 perhaps, to read the secrets that are written there. 
 But remember, these are nearly all boys, and boys 
 will be boys. Did you ever stand on the ocean's 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 307 
 
 shore and look out upon the wide expanse of waters 
 and watch the winds and waves at play? If you 
 would witness a scene as grand and as beautiful, 
 look out upon this rolling landscape just as the sun 
 goes down and watch this frolicking host; you will 
 say the poet was right when he wrote : 
 
 "O war, thou hast thy fierce delight, 
 Thy gleams of joy intensely bright !" 
 
 But what of the morrow? This very spot may be 
 a storm center. The midnight or the morn may 
 usher in tempest. But not yet. 
 
 By 9 o'clock all is quiet. A little later the armies 
 are asleep. It is still dark when the drums beat and 
 the bugles sound, calling the men and horses from 
 their slumbers. Before sunrise the march is re- 
 sumed. Every soldier boy in these armies knows 
 as well as his commander-in-chief that they are on 
 the eve of a great battle. Even the wagoners know 
 it, and if the horses do not know it, they are at least 
 ready to do their part. But all are hopeful, happy 
 and gay. Did you ever notice on a weather map the 
 indications of a gathering storm? The maker of 
 the map has covered it with little black spots, 
 through which an arrow is stuck; the head of the 
 arrow points in the direction the wind is blowing. 
 
3C8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 and if a great storm is gathering you will notice 
 that these arrows, in a circle of several hundred 
 miles, are all pointing toward a central spot. This 
 spot is a storm center. If you could have stood on 
 a high eminence in Adams county, Pennsylvania, 
 on the morning of June 28, 1863, you would have 
 seen alarming evidences of a gathering storm. The 
 wagon trains that had been steadily moving north- 
 east had suddenly stopped and were hurrying back 
 southwest. Ewell, who had been marching along 
 the Susquehanna and threatening Harrisburg, 
 turned and followed the wagons. The troops at 
 Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Hanover, Westminster, 
 Emmittsburg, Taneytown and Monterey had all — 
 Blues and Grays — turned their faces toward one 
 central point. Everything south was moving north ; 
 everything west was moving east; everything east 
 was moving west; everything north was moving 
 south. It is contended that Gen. Lee had chosen 
 Cashtown and the base of the mountain for the bat- 
 tlefield, and that Gen. George G. Meade, who had 
 superseded Hooker, had chosen the ridges at Pipe 
 Creek, near Westminster, for the battlefield; but 
 some unseen power seems to have selected another 
 spot. When Gen. Lee, mounted on Traveller, 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 309 
 
 reached Chambersburg, his thoughts were on Cash- 
 town, but some unseen hand took Traveller's bridle 
 rein and turned his head toward Gettysburg. 
 Meade was looking toward Westminster and plan- 
 ning for the battle there, but some unseen hand 
 turned his horse's head toward Gettysburg. The 
 tide and the winds were sweeping everything that 
 way. 
 
 GETTYSBURG. 
 
 Five hundred and thirteen regiments of infantry 
 arrive one after another, and march in and take po- 
 sitions as if preparing to see a play. Six thousand 
 horses pull 600 cannon and as many caissons into 
 position on the hilltops just behind the lines of in- 
 fantry. The ordnance wagons and the ambulances 
 are close at hand. On the flanks and back of the 
 artillery 30,000 cavalrymen take positions and 
 await orders. These men and their horses have 
 acted as guards of honor for the armies all through 
 their long march, cutting their way through a hos- 
 tile country, crossing bridges, fording rivers, guard- 
 ing the wagon trains, protecting the precious-bur- 
 dened ordnance wagons that carry the very heart of 
 the armies, keeping in touch with the enemy all day 
 
310 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 
 
 long and all night long, being the first and the last 
 to cross the rivers, and are now ready to do their 
 part of the work when the artillery and the in- 
 fantry have finished. This is the setting of the pic- 
 ture — the Blues and the Grays — 200,000 men and 
 60,000 horses. The curtain is up, the bands are 
 playing and the tragedy begins — a play in which 
 the players play to the actors. 
 
 The Danck of Death. 
 
 "Last moon beheld them full of lusty life, 
 Last eve in Beauty's circle proudly gay; 
 The midnight brought the signal sound of strife, 
 The morn the marshaling in arms — the day 
 Battle's magnificently stern array ! 
 The thunder-clouds close o'er it, which, when rent, 
 The earth is covered thick with other clay, 
 Which her own clay shall cover, heaped and pent, 
 Rider and horse, friend, foe — in one red burial blent !" 
 
 As this picture dissolves, others develop in rapid 
 succession, until the whole drama, ^^From Bull Run 
 to Appomattox,'' passes the old soldier's mental 
 vision. The fact is, his children and his children's 
 children keep the pageantry ever moving. Child 
 nature craves scenes where heroes play a part; 
 hence children's love for war stories, and as this is 
 about all that many of the old soldiers have to leave 
 their children, is it any wonder that they are so 
 
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 3II 
 
 solicitous for the preservation of the great drama 
 of the sixties in which they were actors? 
 
 But there is still another picture to be preserved. 
 It is the last act of that bloody tragedy. Appomat- 
 tox did not end all. The Blues and the Grays are 
 still fighting, but it is dififerent. Forty-five years 
 have passed, and fighting still? Yes, but it is differ- 
 ent. The Blues and the Grays are together fighting 
 a common foe, and his name is Death. We were 
 once his allies, and right well we served him in his 
 bloody work, but there is a change. The Blues and 
 the Grays are now fighting side by side. The boys 
 were good fighters in the sixties and the old men are 
 fighters still; but they'll lose the battle — Death 
 always wins. He has slain all our horses and nearly 
 .all our comrades, and we'll lose this battle; but 
 we'll die on the field, boot and spur, and the boys 
 that are and the boys that are to be will be better 
 players in life's drama because of the Blues and the 
 Grays that were. 
 
 "Life is the mirror of 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." 
 
The two pictures followinc; this leaf show, first, the recumbent 
 statue of General R. E. Lee, Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate 
 armies, Virginia's noblest son and the Nation's hero. Born January 
 19, 1807, at Stratford, Westmoreland County, Virginia; died October 
 12, 1870. His mausoleum is the Lee Memorial Chapel, situated on 
 the campus of the Washington and Lee University at Lexington, Va., 
 of which he was president from 1865 until his death. 
 
 The only inscription on the tomb are these words: 
 Robert Edward Lee. 
 
 The other picture represents a Confederate Banner as it takes its 
 flight across the field of Mars to regions beyond the stars. It is 
 said to be the conception of an artist who doubtless got his inspira- 
 tion from reading a little poem entitled "The Conquered Banner," by 
 Abram J. Ryan (Father Ryan), a Catholic priest known wherever 
 the English language is spoken. 
 
"Tlic Warrior's Ilaiiiicr Takes Its l"Iif.'lil to (irect llic Warriors Soul." 
 
Note. — I said in the beginning that I had not consulted any of 
 the Civil War histories for material for this book. After the manu- 
 script was in type I read for the first tim.e James Longstrcet'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 account of the tragic wounding and death of Stonewall Jackson. 
 These additions are mostly to be found in footnotes throughout the 
 book. 
 
 The Author. 
 
 The above has reference to the first edition of this book. Since its 
 publication I have received several letters from some of the old 
 soldiers of the North, objecting to the high estimate that I placed 
 upon General McClellan as a commander. I must admit that my 
 judgment .in such matters is at least reviewable. In the statement 
 about McClellan I was chiefly influenced by what General Lee had 
 said about him (see page 44). My critics must remember that the 
 odds against McClellan with respect to the generals whom he con- 
 fronted were very great. Was any army of the world ever so 
 skilfully officered as a whole as was the army that McClellan faced? 
 Again, think of the mountains, the hills, the rivers and the deep 
 tangled forests, which Lee and Jackson employed so successfully as 
 allies in fighting their battles. While McClellan was calling for more 
 men, his opponents were marshaling these physical forces and using 
 them with telling eff'ect. Jackson depended almost entirely upon the 
 Blue Ridge and Massanutton mountains and the Shenandoah river 
 and its branches to hold in check not less than 80,000 Federal troops, 
 while with incredible speed he moved his army to the aid of General 
 Lee before Richmond. General Lee used the Blue Ridge Mountains, 
 the Potomac river and the hills beyond, as walls of defense while he 
 marched to Gettysburg and back. But for these physical forces, 
 which Lee knew so well how to employ, the Gettysburg campaign 
 would never have been a part of history. McClellan, and indeed all 
 of the commanders of the Army of the Potomac, seemed to have 
 failed to properly estimate the value of the silent forces that nature 
 had so lavishly provided for those who knew how to employ them. 
 
 The Author. 
 
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