From Bull Run
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LUTHER W. HOPKINS.
Taken from an old daguerreotype in 1861, before entering the army.
FROM BULL RUN
TO APPOMATTOX
A BOY'S VIEW
BY
LUTHER W. HOPKINS
OF GENL. J. E. B STUART* S CAVALRY
6TH VIRGINIA REGIMENT, C. S. A.
PRESS OF
FLEET-McGlNLEY Co.
BALTIMORE
Copyright, 1908
By L. W. HOPKINS
Baltimore
PREFACE
"Life is the mirror of the king and slave,
'Tis just what you are and do.
Then give to the world the best you have,
And the best will come back to you."
I never thought that I should be guilty of writing a book. I
did not, however, do this with malice aforethought. My son is
responsible for whatever sin I may have committed in presenting this
to the public. He and I have been good friends ever since we
became acquainted, and he has always insisted upon my telling him
all that I know. When he was about three years old he discovered
that I had been a soldier in Lee's army from 1861 to 1865, and,
although he is of Quaker descent and a loyal member of the Society
of Friends, and I am half Quaker, yet he loved war stories and I
loved to tell them. This accounts for the production of the book.
After I had told him these stories over and over, again and again,
when he was grown he insisted upon my starting at the beginning
and giving him the whole of my experience in the Confederate army.
Then he wanted it published. I yielded to his request, and here is
the book. This is not, however, an exact copy of the typewritten
manuscript which he has. The original manuscript is more personal.
I thought certain changes would make it more acceptable to the
general reader.
We all believe in peace ; universal peace, but when war does come,
and such a costly war as the one from which this story is taken, we
4 PREFACE
ought to get all the good out of it we can. The long marches along
dusty roads, under hot suns, the long marches through sleet and
snows, the long dreary nights without shelter, the march of the
picket to and fro on his beat, the constant drilling and training, the
struggle on the battlefields, all these are part of the material that the
world has always used in constructing a nation. While there are
some things about war that we should forget, there are many things
that ought never to be forgotten, but should be handed down from
sire to son all through the ages that are to come.
Historians have told us much about our Civil War, but they have
left out the part that appeals most to the boy, and it is this part that
I have tried to bring before the public. Men may read the book if
they will, but it is written more particularly for the youth. The boy
of today and the boy that is yet to be ought to know of the bloody
sweat through which this nation passed in reaching its present
position among the great nations of the earth, and the part the boy
played in it. It is said that one boy is a boy; two boys a half boy
and three boys no boy at all. That may be true of the boy running
loose, unbridled like a colt, but gather up these boys and train them,
harness and hitch them and they will move the world or break
a trace. It is the boy who decides the fate of nations. I don't know
the average age of our soldiers in times of peace, but when wars come
and there is a call for soldiers, it is mainly the boy in his teens who
responds ; yet, strange to say, the historian has never thought it worth
while to put much emphasis upon what the boy does in the upbuilding
of a nation.
Another thing that has been neglected by the historian is the brave
and noble part the horse took in our war. The grays, the bays, the
PREFACE 5
sorrels, the roans, the chestnuts, have not been forgotten in this
story. Indeed, as I have already said, I have tried to bring to light
that part of the story of our Civil War that has not been told.
Now, young men and boys, girls too, old men, if there are any,
read this book, all of you, regardless of geographical lines, for I
have tried to be fair to those who wore the blue. As the years go
by, I have learned to respect and 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 1861, 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 this : When two
armies of equal numbers met face to face in the open, it was nearly
always a toss up as to who would win. Numbers don't always count
in battle. General Hooker, with his army of 130,000, retreating before
Lee's 60,000, doesn't mean that one rebel could whip two yankees.
It only meant that "Fighting Joe" had more than he could manage.
His numbers were an encumbrance. There were other differences
which, for the sake of brevity, I will not mention, but will add this
6 PREFACE
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 this : "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.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
FROM HARPER'S FERRY TO BULL RUN.
Loudoun County on the Potomac— John Brown's Raid— War Talk Among
the Schoolboys— The Slave and His Master— Election of Lincoln— Seces
sion— Schoolboys Preparing for the Coming Conflict— Firing on Fort Sum-
ter— Union Army Crossing the Potomac.
CHAPTER II.
FROM BULL RUN TO SEVEN PINES.
Confederates Concentrating at Manassas— First Battle— The Wounded
Horse— Rout of the Union Army— The Losses.
CHAPTER III.
FROM BULL RUN TO SEVEN PINES. (CONTINUED.)
Long Rest— Each Side Recruiting Their Armies— McClellan in Command—
His March on Richmond by the Way of the James River— Jackson's
Brilliant Valley Campaign— The Battles Around Richmond— Seven Pines—
Mechanicsville— Beaver Dam— Games' Mill— Fair Oaks— The Wounding of
Gen. Jos. E. Johnston— McClellan's Defeat— The Spoils of the Battle.
CHAPTER IV.
FROM SEVEN PINES TO ANTIETAM.
The Battle of Cedar Run— Jackson's Flank Movement— McClellan Moves
His Army Back to Washington— Second Battle of Manassas— The Defeat
of Pope— His Retreat to the Defenses of Washington— The Captured
Stores and Losses on Both Sides— Lee Crosses the Potomac Into 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 Recrosses
the Potomac— Lee's Army in a Trap.
CHAPTER V.
FROM ANTIETAM TO CHANCELLORSVILLE.
McClellan Relieved of His Command— Burnside Commands the Union Army—
The Two Armies at Fredericksburg— The Blue Ridge Mountain— The
Author a Prisoner— Battle of Fredericksburg— Burnside's Defeat— Losses
on Both Sides— The Armies in Winter Quarters— How They Spent the
Winter— Company Q's Escapade— Raid Into West Virginia— Burnside
Relieved— Hooker in Command— Hooker Crossing the Rappahannock—
Jackson's Successful Flank Movement— His Mortal Wound— Hooker's
Defeat— He Recrosses the River— Losses on Both Sides— Stonewall Jack
son's Death— The South in Tears— Ode to Stonewall Jackson by a Union
Officer.
CHAPTER VI.
FROM CHANCELLORSVILLE TO GETTYSBURG.
Ninth of June at Brandy Station—Lee's Army En Route for Gettysburg-
See Map— Stuart's March Around the Union Army— Lee Crosses the
Potomac— The Union Army in a Parallel Line With Lee's— Crosses the
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— His Five Days' Rest on the
North Bank of the Potomac— He Recrosses the River.
CHAPTER VII.
FROM GETTYSBURG TO THE WILDERNESS.
Both Armies Marching Back to the Rappahannock— Short Rest— Meade's
Advance— Lee Retires to the Rapidan— Meade's Withdrawal From Lee's
Front— Lee's Advance— Fighting Around Brandy Station— The Battle at
Bristoe Station— The Union Army Retires Towards Washington— Lee
Discontinues the Pursuit and Returns to the Rapidan River— In Winter
Quarters— How the Winter Was Spent— Many of Lee's Soldiers Are Per
mitted to Return to Their Homes Under Care of Their Commanding
Officers for a Vacation— Mosby Appears Upon the Scene.
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM THE WILDERNESS TO JAMES RIVER.
Grant in Command of the Union Army — Preparation for the Coming
Struggle— Battle of The Wilderness— Strength of the Armies— Losses-
Wounding of General Longs treet— Battle at Spottsylvania Court House—
The Awful Slaughter— Sheridan's Raid on Richmond— Stuart's Cavalry in
Pursuit— General Stuart's Death— Yellow Tavern— The Author Again a
Prisoner.
CHAPTER IX.
FROM THE JAMES RIVER TO PETERSBURG.
Battle of Cold Harbor— Grant Again Repulsed— Death of Flournoy— Grant
Crossing the James— Prison Life at Point Lookout— Parole of the Sick
From the Hospitals— The Dreary Winter— Its Bright Side— How the
Soldiers and the Citizens Spent It— Mosby's Men— The Long Siege-
Battle of the Crater.
CHAPTER X.
FROM PETERSBURG TO APPOMATTOX.
Evacuation of Richmond— Retreat of Lee's Army Towards Appomattox—
Lee's Surrender— After the Surrender— Some War Stories— The Faithful
Slave.
CHAPTER XI.
THE HORSES OF LEE'S ARMY.
Their Number— Losses— Rover's Tricks— A Mighty Jaw— Her Capture-
Horses in Battle— Friendship Between Horse and Rider— Wagon Horses-
Artillery Horses — Cavalry Horses — Men Sleep on Their Horses — Horses for
Breastwork— Seventy-five Thousand Black Beauties— Monument for Lee's
Horses— A Pathetic Poem.
GEN. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON,
Who preceded Gen. Robert E. Lee in command of the Army of Northern
Virginia.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
LUTHER W. HOPKINS, Frontispiece
GEN. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, 8
JEFFERSON DAVIS, 16
GEN. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON (called "Stonewall Jackson"), . . 32
ROBERT HOWARD HOPKINS, 48
THE LAST MEETING OF LEE AND JACKSON AT CHANCELLORSVILLE, . . 80
GEN. ROBERT E. LEE, 112
MRS. R. E. LEE, 128
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE, 144
A BATTLE-SCARRED CONFEDERATE BANNER, 161
GEN. A. P. HILL, 176
ONE OF STONEWALL JACKSON'S MILEPOSTS, 192
BISHOP ALPHEUS W. WILSON, , 208
From Bull Run to Appomattox
A BOY'S VIEW
CHAPTER I.
From Harper's Ferry to Bull Run.
"O war, thou hast thy fierce delight,
Thy gleams of joy intensely bright;
Such gleams as from thy polished shield
Fly dazzling o'er the battle-field."
Is there a boy in all this wide land, North or
South, who would not like to hear what a boy has to
say of his experience as a private soldier in the 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
in which there were 3,000,000 players — a play that
cost the country eight billions in money and half
a million human lives?
12 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
•. »..;?'«f*H5i
. *~tr$g-**"wqg
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 experience, 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 four years pre-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 13
vious John Brown had made an attempt to raise an
insurrection among the slaves in that district. He
seized the United States arsenal, located there, for
the purpose of arming the negroes, who were 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 traduced.
Three years before this, when I was ten 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, and
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. Then when John Brown swooped
down on Harper's Ferry with his cohorts, it looked
as if the day had really come and that the 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 later it was announced that Abra
ham Lincoln was 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 could see and hear everything.
There were about thirty boys attending our school
between the ages of fifteen and twenty. They all
entered the Confederate Army, but few survived
the war.
Before going on with the story, perhaps I ought
to explain why these boys were so eager for war,
when they knew that the enemy would be their own
countrymen. There was a peculiar relationship
existing between the slave owners 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, while on the
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 15
part of the adult it was more than friendship, and,
I might add, the feeling was reciprocated by the
slaves. The children addressed the adult blacks as
Uncle and Aunt, and treated them with as much re
spect as they did their blood relatives. It was
Uncle Reuben and Aunt Dinah. The adult white
also addressed the older colored people in the same
way. With but few exceptions, the two races lived
together in perfect harmony. If a slave-owner
was cruel to his slaves, it was because he was a cruel
man, and all who came in contact with him, both
man and beast, suffered at his hands. Even his
children did not escape. 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.
The following incident will be of interest : Hon.
John Randolph Tucker, one of Virginia's most
gifted and learned sons, who represented his State
in the U. S. 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 APPOMATTOX.
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
not possibly have occurred had the skin of his nurse
been white.
When a daughter married and set up her own
home, fortunate was she if she took with her the
mammy. In many homes the slaves were present
at family prayers. The kitchen and the cabin fur
nished the white children places of resort that were
full of pleasure.
This was the relation between white and colored
as I remember it from a child in my part of Vir
ginia. 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."
JEFFERSON DAVIS,
President of the Confederate States of America. Taken just before his
inauguration.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 17
How anyone could have desired to break up this
happy relationship was beyond the conception of
the child, and more or less incomprehensible to the
adult.
Somewhere between childhood and youth we
children all learned that there was a race of people
up North called Abolitionists, who were so mean
that they sent secret agents through the country to
persuade the colored people to leave their homes
and go North, where they could be free. That
these agents were disguised as peddlers or 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
an ocular 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 V This war was gotten up
for his special benefit, and he was determined to
see all that was to be seen, and was always to be
found well up in front. The women and children
within their homes crowded to the windows to see
the cavalry as it marched by. A little three-year
old nephew of mine, with the expression of alarm
disappearing from his face, said: "Mamma, them
ain't Yankees, them's soldiers." He expected to
see some kind of hideous animal.
This is the education the Virginia boys got, who
afterward became Lee's soldiers. They were
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 19
brought up in this school, and when they became
soldiers, wearing the gray, they felt that they had
something to fight for. They believed that they
were real patriots, notwithstanding they were
called rebels and traitors.
This brings us to the beginning of the Civil War,
or at least to the secession movement. Lincoln had
not yet taken his seat as President, when several of
the Southern States seceded and formed a Southern
Confederacy, with Montgomery, Ala., as the capi
tal, 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 call 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 wras 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 Gen. Anderson evacuate Fort Sumter, at the
entrance of Charleston harbor, and also had said,
if not in words, in action, to the Government at
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 further.
But to go back to the thirty boys. What were
they doing all this time? Just prior to the date of
Virginia's secession they were gathering in groups
at noon and recess, on the way to and from school,
and talking war. How big and important we
seemed as we prospectively saw ourselves dressed
as soldiers, armed and keeping step to the beat of
the drum. There was but little studying, for our
preceptor was not hard on us. He had once been
a boy himself, and appreciating the conditions that
surrounded us, he chiefly employed himself in
keeping the school together until hostilities began,
if it should really come to that. I don't know how
long the school continued, but I do know that these
particular boys were early on the drill ground, and
were being trained into soldiers. It was difficult
for parents to keep the fourteen and fifteen-year-
old boys at home or in school. I had a brother six
teen years old who 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, and office and school. Well
do I recall the joy that surged up in every boy's
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 23
breast as one after another of the actors took their
places on the stage. Again I find myself quoting
Elizabeth Akers, this time substituting a word:
"Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight,
And make me a BOY again, just for tonight."
Now let us take a peep into the Virginia homes.
What were the women doing? Ah, they were as
busy as bees. These boys must be equipped not only
with munitions of war, but each 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 FROM 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 was but the 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 fall of 1864, after
nearly all the great battles had been fought, the
young cadets from Lexington, Va., who had not
yet been under fire, but with a full knowledge of
what war meant, rushed into this battle like veter-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 25
ans and were mowed down as grain, their little bod
ies 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 youth and pleasure meet
To chase the glowing hours with flying feet."
The boys were happy, and aall 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 we would have discovered that back
of this busy throng sat the queen, and that these
were her subjects, doing her bidding. She was
sending out her little rogues to rob the flowers, and
they were coming back richly laden with spoils.
This was the raw material, and it was being worked
up. When the season was over and the flowers
were dead, and we drew from the hive the finished
product, so perfect in all its parts and richly stored
with sweetened treasures, we began to realize that
there was a master mind behind it all. Do you sup
pose for a moment that when these young men and
boys of Virginia, in fact from all over the South, who
were rushing with such intense enthusiasm 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
1 86 1 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 might
have said, "I cannot build up a great nation with
material like this." The North would have had no
Grand Army Veterans, and no deeds of heroism
with which to keep alive the fire of patriotism in
the hearts of their children. Spain in 1898 might
have successfully defied us, and China and Japan
have roamed at will over our land. No ; the war
was a necessity. It was costly, but was worth all
that it cost. It has made of us a very great nation.
Now I shall go back and tell how it was done. I
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 Washington
by every train. A Massachusetts regiment, in pass
ing through the streets of Baltimore, was mobbed,
and the song "Maryland, My Maryland" was
wafted out on the air.
Maryland boys, under cover of night, were 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 you and follow
the movements of the armies. There is a detached map with each
book. The main battlefields are marked with a flag, but there are over
50 more ; in fact, eliminating the rough mountain ranges, nearly every
foot of Virginia soil covered by this map felt the tramp of the soldier
and heard the hiss of the bullet.
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 10,000. Gen. A. P. Hill at
Leesburg, 3000. Gen P. T. Beauregard at Manas-
sas, 12,000. These were Confederates. On the
Union side, Gen. Patterson had an army of about
15,000 confronting Johnston, and McDowell at the
head of 35,000 was crossing the Potomac at Wash
ington 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. Els-
worth, commanding the advance force, hauled it
down. Jackson shot him dead, and was in turn
killed by Elsworth's soldiers. This, I believe, was
the first blood shed on Virginia soil.
As McDowell moved his army toward Manassas,
Johnston fell back toward Winchester, so as to be
in a position to reinforce Beauregard if it became
necessary.
Before McDowell had reached Fairfax Court
house the greater portion of Johnston's army was
en route for Manassas. So closely did Johnston con
ceal his movements that Patterson was not aware
that Johnston had left his front until it was too late
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 31
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
GEN. THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON,
Christened "Stonewall Jackson" by General Bee at the first battle of
Manassas.
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. I saw coming across the field, moving
quite slowly, a man leading a horse. As they ap
proached I saw that the horse was limping, and the
man was a soldier. The horse was badly wounded
and bleeding, and seemed to be in great pain.
Whenever the man would stop the horse would at
tempt 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; there
34 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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. 3$
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
was hurried from the railroad station at Manassas,
across the fields for five miles under the hot July
sun, the men almost famished for water and 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 move off 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." 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, Games' 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 army a few days 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 of that section. The forces
that came down from Leesburg returned to their
old position.
There were occasional raids and skirmishes, but
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 val
ley of Virginia. This regiment was in Robinson's
brigade, Fitzhugh Lee's division, the whole cavalry
40 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
force of the army of Northern Virginia being com
manded by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. I was on horse
back; 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
on 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. 41
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 under the command of Gen. George B.
McClellan. This army was taken mostly by boat
to a point on the James river, from which point it
took up a line of march toward Richmond. Mc-
Clellan's army was the largest and best equipped
that had ever trod American soil.
McClellan was the idol of the North, and there
was very little doubt in the minds of the Northern
people that when he met the Confederate forces de
fending Richmond the Capital of the Confed-
42 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
eracy 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 along the
James river, 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,
held a conference with Gen. Lee and Jefferson
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 courie/s 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
44 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
human brain work quicker than did McClellan's
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. 4$
The spoils of this battle that fell into the hands
of the Confederates were 10,000 prisoners, 35,000
rifles, 55 cannon, ammunition, provision stores of
every kind, almost beyond computation. The losses
of the two armies in killed and wounded were
nearly equal — about 10,000 each.
Some idea can be formed of the captured stores
when it is remembered that to provide for an army
such as McClellan's, 600 tons of ammunition, food,
forage and medical supplies had to be forwarded
from Washington every day. If he kept a thirty
days' supply on hand, we have the enormous sum of
18,000 tons that either fell into the hands of the
Confederates or was destroyed.
When I reached Harrisonburg I found the Sixth
Virginia Cavalry had left the valley with Jackson's
army. I followed as rapidly as possible, and met
the regiment at Gordonsville, with Jackson's army,
coming back from the battle and hurrying on 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 Antletam
"On that pleasant morn of early fall,
When Lee marched over the mountain wall."
"Over the mountains, winding down,
Horse and foot into Frederick town."
A part of Pope's army, under Banks, had been
pushed forward as far as Cedar Run, about half
way between Manassas and Gordonsville. Jackson
met this force and scattered it like chaff, and then
moved rapidly toward Manassas. He did not move
in a straight line, but made a detour to the left, and
by rapid marches placed his army in the rear of
Pope at Manassas.
One day the army covered forty miles. Riding
along the dusty highway, Jackson noticed a sore-
foot, barefoot infantryman, limping along, trying
to keep 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
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,
Catletts Station, on the Orange and Alexandria
Railroad, came very near capturing Gen. Pope
himself. We got into his camp at night and into
his tent, and took his boots and spurs, and papers
that gave Jackson some valuable information.
As soon as Gen. Lee was satisfied that McClellan
was well on his way toward Washington, he put
his whole army in motion and moved rapidly to
join Jackson, who would sorely need him in his
attack upon Pope at Manassas ; in fact, Jackson had
halted after the battle of Cedar Run for a day or
two to allow Gen. Lee to come up.
An event occurred during this battle around
Richmond that brought sorrow to my home. My
brother Howard was slightly wounded in the arm,
taken to the hospital at Richmond, and died in a
few days of a malignant fever, andwas 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 APPOMATTOX.
"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.
This move of Jackson's to the rear of Pope at
Manassas enabled him to capture many carloads
of supplies and munitions of war, greatly assisting
the armies of Lee and Jackson in their undertaking.
A goodly portion of McClellan's army had em
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," which in
cluded prisoners, was 20,000, while the Confeder
ates', 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
ROBERT HOWARD HOPKINS.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 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 as the First Battle
of Manassas.
Pope lost no time in getting behind his intrench-
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 and crippled Lee's hands.
This gave me a good opportunity of seeing the
great soldier at close range.
I remember one afternoon, when toward sunset
the army having gone into camp for the night, Gen.
50 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
Lee's headquarters being established in a litle farm
house near Chantilla, I think in Loudoun county,
the General went out with one of his staff officers
for a walk into an apple orchard. They were gone
perhaps an hour. In the meantime a guard had
been set around the cottage with instructions to let
none pass without an order from Gen. Lee.
When Gen. Lee returned with his aid by his
side, he was halted by Frank Peak (a member of
my company, now living in Alexandria, Va.).
They both halted, and Peak said to them, "My in
structions are to let none pass without an order
from Gen. Lee." Gen. Lee turned to his aid and
said, "Stop, the sentinel has halted us." The officer
(I think it was Col. Marshall, who afterward lived
in Baltimore, and died there not long ago) stepped
forward and said, "This is Gen. Lee himself, who
gives all orders." Peak saluted them, and they
passed on.
Before day the next morning the army was in
motion toward Maryland, Gen. Lee still riding in
the ambulance, very much, no doubt, to the chagrin
of "Traveler," who was led by a soldier, just behind
the ambulance.
Owing to the hard-fought battles around 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, of ten 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 the 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 douot, that Gen.
Lee had fixed as the place to which he would bring
his army when his Maryland campaign was over.
It was with much regret that we had to give up
our post of honor as guard to the head of the army
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, and it became necessary for us to go
out among the farmers and procure wagons to haul
the disabled. In doing so, it was my duty to call on
an old Quaker family by the name of Janney, near
Goose Creek meeting-house, Loudoun county,
and get his four-horse wagon and order it to 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 APPOMATTOX.
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 sometime
afterward became more to me than a friend; she
has been faithful ever since, and is now sitting by
me as I write these lines.
Now I must go back to war scenes.
I cannot remember, of course, just the day, but
while we were busy gathering up these stragglers
we could distinctly hear the booming of the guns
that told us the two armies had met and that there
was heavy fighting on Maryland soil.
The first sounds came from toward Harper's
Ferry, and we soon afterward learned the result.
Jackson had been detached from the main army,
had surrounded and captured Harper's Ferry, 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. 5$
Mr. Green says that when the prisoners were all
lined up, Jackson rode along their front and tried
to comfort them as best he could. He said, "Men,
this is the fate of war; it is you today, it may be us
tomorrow." After paroling his prisoners, Jackson
hurried to rejoin Lee, who was being hotly pressed
by McClellan at Antietam. Lee's united forces
at this time could not have numbered over 40,000
men, while McClellan, who was still in command
of the Union army, had a force of over 100,000.
McClellan made the attack, was repulsed with
terrible loss, but the North claimed the victory, 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 wreeks
or more. -r-v^^
This series of battles, beginning with Richmond
in the spring and ending at Antietam in the early
fall, had so exhausted the armies that both sides
were glad to take a rest. They had been marching
and fighting from early spring all through the
summer, and were thoroughly exhausted.
LEE'S ARMY IN A TRAP.
We have all heard of the famous lost dispatch
that was picked up in the streets of Frederick, Md.,
56 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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. The one intended for Gen. A. P. Hill
never reached him. It was dropped by a courier
and fell into the hands of Gen. McClellan. This
telltale slip of paper that might have ended the
war was found wrapped around two cigars. It read
as follows :
"Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, near Frederick, Md.
"September 9, 1862.
"Special Order No. 191.
"The army will resume its march tomorrow, taking the Hagers-
town road. General Jackson's command will form the advance, and,
after passing Middletown, with such portion as he may select, take
the route toward Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most 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 McLaws, with his own division and that of General R.
H. Anderson, will follow General Longstreet. On reaching Middle-
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 Lovettsville, 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 APPOMATTOX. 57
"General Stuart will detach a squadron of cavalry to accompany
the commands of Generals Longstreet, Jackson and McLaws, and
with the main body of the cavalry will cover the route of the army
and bring up all stragglers that may have been left behind.
"The commands of Generals Jackson, McLaws and Walker, after
accomplishing the objects for which they have been detached, will
join the main body of the army at Boonsborough or Hagerstown.
"Each regiment on the march will habitually carry its axes in
the regimental ordnance wagons for use of the men at their encamp
ments to procure wood, etc.
"By command of GENERAL R. E. LEE."
With this document in his hands and with Lee's
army divided as it was, McClellan felt that his hour
of triumph had 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. It 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 Ghancellorsville.
" f wo 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
58
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 12,311 ; 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 to 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
60 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
a portion of his army and reinforce the armies de
fending Richmond.
When the armies fell back from Winchester my
company of cavalry was left to guard the Blue-
mount gap, then called Snickersville. A little later
the gap was abandoned, and we were ordered to
Ashby's gap, farther up the valley, where we 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 wrere 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
enemy's cavalry filling the streets.
We halted at a point just opposite the home of
our captain (where the family were on the porch
watching the movements of both sides). Many of
the men of the company lived in that neighborhood.
FROM BULL 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 bit could hold.
The captain ordered us to move forward, and as
we approached the town, four abreast, our speed
was increased to a trot, then to a gallop.
To the best of my recollection my position was
about the middle of the command, but in spite of
my tugging at the bit, my young steed carried me
up to the front, and when we got close enough to
the enemy to see the whites of their eyes, I was a
little closer to them than I wanted to be, and I'll
frankly confess it wasn't bravery that put me there.
We were close enough to discover that we were
running into a whole regiment of Union cavalry,
and if we had continued, it would have meant an
nihilation.
The captain ordered right about, retreat! At
this point to get those 100 horses turned around in
that street and get out of the reach of 1000 guns in
the hands of 1000 Bluecoats, was a knotty problem.
If the enemy had charged us just at this time, our
destruction would have been just as complete as
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
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 difficulty, and was taken to the rear.
There was very little firing; only one man was
killed and one horse on our side.
My horse, they afterwrard told me, passed
through the command and did not stop until she
got to Paris, four miles beyond.
The Yankees remained only a short time, when
they began their retreat down the pike with one
lone prisoner, myself. On the way they picked up
three or four citizens, which gave me some com
pany.
It was quite dark when we reached Middleburg,
and the command halted in the town for an hour,
during which time I sat on my horse just in front of
the house now occupied by Edwin LeRoy Broun.
I could see the lights in the windows and see the
family moving about, among them my sister. I
made no effort to make myself known. After an
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 in one of the rooms.
I suppose there were several hundred prisoners
there at the time. We remained about a month,
when we were exchanged. We were taken to Rich
mond by boat and turned over to the authorities
there, and our Government released a similar num
ber of Union prisoners, who' returned on the same
boat that brought us to Richmond. I took the train
at Richmond, rode to Gordonsville, and footed it
from there home, a distance of about 150 miles.
I found my horse awaiting me, and after a few
days' rest, I mounted and rejoined my 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.
As the winter came on the Confederates drew in
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 65
their outposts, and likewise the enemy. This left
the whole eastern part of Virginia free from the
depredations of either army, except now and then
a raid from one side on the other.
My regiment was at camp in the woods near
Harrisonhurg, 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 fastenening up each end, leaving the
front open, then building a big fire just in front, we
had a very comfortable place to sleep. We sat on
logs around the fire during the day and far into the
night telling stories and entertaining ourselves in
various ways. At night we crept under the roof of
our shed, which was about a foot deep in leaves,
66 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 Strasburg.
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 was
advancing up the valley turnpike, and the whole
regiment was ordered down to meet them, our com
pany in advance.
It 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 \vith 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 was 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 a Delmonico 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 wTas
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
tect them. Only our coats and boots were removed.
On a cold winter night, no millionaire on his bed
of down ever slept swreeter 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 100 men,
among them two or three officers.
As the regiment expected to be absent for over a
month and to return crowned with laurels, Com
pany Q conceived the idea of doing something that
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. Jl
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, wilich
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 ofT. Every
fellow expected to bring back at least one extra
horse.
We reached the west branch of the Shenandoah,
near Strasburg, and wrent 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.
ped the grass, when all at once someone shouted
"Yankees." Sure enough, there they were, a
whole regiment of Union cavalrymen. They had
crossed the river some distance below our pickets
and had placed themselves directly in our rear,
cutting off our retreat. We soon had our horses
bridled, and mounting, made for the river. 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 one man (Milton Robinson) and my-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 73
self. 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 landed in camp, much to the
surprise of our comrades, who thought the enemy
had us. Thus terminated ingloriously the well-
planned expedition of Company Q.
In about 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 such a one 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 \vere 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 writh 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
76 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 wrar felt more keenly his defeat than did Hook
er on this occasion. For awhile everything seemed
to be going his way, when suddenly the tide turned,
and he saw his vast army in a most critical situation,
and apparently at the mercy of his opponent.
History tells the w7hole 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. 77
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 100 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 wras
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 wras 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,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 79
notwithstanding its wound, he arrested his horse
and brought the animal back toward his own line.
"Hewas 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
So FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
its source, and nothing was at hand more efficient
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 Federalists must be near at hand, stepped
out into the road to examine, and by the light of the
moon he saw a cannon pointing toward them, ap
parently not more than 100 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
THE LAST MEETING OF LEE AND JACKSON AT . CIIANCELLORSVILLE.
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 staff,
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 flew hissing over
them, and the stroke of the iron hail raised 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 the troops, who
were again hurrying to the front. Perceiving that
he was recognized by some of them, they diverged
still farther into the edge of the thicket. It was
here that Gen. Fender 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. Fender, 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.
The foot of one of the men bearing his head was
here tangled in a vine, and he fell prostrate. The
general was thus thrown heavily to the ground
upon his wounded side, inflicting painful bruises
on his body and intolerable agony on his mangled
arm, and renewing the flow of blood from it. As
they lifted him up he uttered one piteous groan,
the only complaint which escaped his lips during
the whole scene. Lieut. Smith raised his head
upon his bosom, almost fearing to see him expiring
in his arms, and asked, "General, are you much
hurt?" He replied, No, Mr. Smith, don't trouble
yourself about me. He was then replaced a 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. 85
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
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 Lee and Stonewall
Jackson. And in having them they felt that they
were more than a match for the North. Now that
Jackson was gone the question was, What will Gen.
Lee do?
To go back to the valley, I was indebted to my
friend Faunt 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 awhile and mourning the loss of
our great soldier, Lee's army began to move. The
question was (not only on our side of the river, but
on the other), "What is Gen. Lee up to now?"
The Northern commander determined to 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 wrere
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 BULL 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 \ve
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 awhile.
The roar of the guns in the woods at that early
hour in the morning was terrific. What was going
on in front of us was being enacted up and down
the river for at least three miles.
Our forces then fell back into the open country,
and the battle continued, at intervals, all day long.
The Yankees were supported by infantry, while
we had nothing but cavalry and artillery.
Our enemies could have driven us back farther
if they had tried to, but they seemed to be afraid of
getting into trouble. I do not know what our 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, "Traveler," 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 river,
and everything was quiet for a day or two.
We went down the next day to the spot where the
first fight took place, and found our two men lying
dead by the side of a tree, and several dead horses.
The enemy had removed their dead (if they had
any) . It was too dark when we were fighting for
us to see whether we did any execution or not at this
particular point. We buried our two men where
they fell and went back to camp. Total losses as
reported by each side — Confederate, 485 ; Federal,
907.
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 one way, 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.
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.
The two armies, occupying opposite banks of the river near
Fredericksburg, began their march for Gettysburg June the 3rd,
1863, moving northeast along the Rappahannock river, the cavalry
of each army marching between. When Lee reached the Blue Ridge
he crossed it at three different places, Chester Gap, Ashby's and
Snickersville Gaps. The two cavalry forces came together and fought
quite a severe battle, beginning at Aldie, below Middleburg, and ex
tending to Paris, at the foot of the mountain. Directly after this
battle Stuart took the main part of his cavalry, moved back as far
as Salem, or Delaplane, as it is now called, moved across the coun
try in rear of the Federal army, passing Manassas and Centerville,
then marched direct for the Potomac, which he crossed between
Leesburg and Washington. Then through Maryland into Pennsyl
vania as far as Carlisle, and there he turned south, arriving at
Gettysburg on the night after the second day of the battle, thus
completely encircling the Union army. (See map).
On its march down the Virginia valley to the Potomac Lee's
army took 4000 prisoners, 25 cannon, 250 wagons, 400 horses, 269
small arms and quantities of stores.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 95
Heavy fighting began at Aldie, below Middle-
burg, and was continued up the pike through the
town of Middleburg up as far as Upperville, where
I had been captured the year before.
The enemy's cavalry was supported by infantry,
and our forces fell back fighting foot by foot until
they reached Upperville, where we met a division
of infantry that Gen. Lee had sent to help us beat
back the enemy. The Confederates who were
killed in this action are buried in Middleburg and
Upperville, in the cemeteries just outside of the two
towns, and the ladies of these villages and the 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
fiours I came back and had a time finding Gen.
Stuart, to wrhom 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 do\vn 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 only shows one point where Lee crossed into Maryland,
but the army divided before reaching the Potomac, one part crossing
at Williamsport, and the other at Shepherdstown, and, uniting at
Hagerstown, moved on toward Chambersburg. From this point,
Lee sent a portion of Swell's division as far north as Carlisle, while
another portion marched to York, then to Wrightsville, on the
Susquehanna river, all returning in time to meet the Union army at
Gettysburg.
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 wre 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 result of the move.
Marching along the pike one day, the cavalry
halted, and just on our left there was a modest home
of a farmer. The garden was fenced, and came out
and bordered on the road. His raspberries were
ripe, and our soldiers sat on their horses, and
leaning over were picking the berries from the
vines. One soldier was bold enough to 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 and had
to be left. I was struck with a ball on the shoulder,
marking my coat, and had a bullet hole through the
rim of my hat; but as the latter was caused by my
own careless handling of my pistol, I can't count it
as a trophy.
As the years go by the students of history are
more and more amazed at the boldness of Gen. Lee
in placing his army of 75,000, some say 65,000, at
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.
During this interval Gen. Lee 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 100,000, in round
figures. General Meade's monthly returns for June 30 shows 99,131
present for duty and equipped at Gettysburg.
100 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 wras left alone with his staff.
There was ominous silence everywhere; even the
winds had gone away, and the banners hung limp
on their staffs. The birds had all left the trees, the
cattle had left the fields, and the small squadrons of
cavalry that had been scouting between the two
armies retired and took position on either flank.
Yonder in front, stretching along the slopes, lay the
blue lines of the enemy, like a huge monster asleep,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. IOI
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 velvet.
The figures were horses and men all matted and
woven together with skeins of scarlet thread.
The battle is over and Gettysburg has passed into
history.
The moon and the stars come out, and the 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 is the
first time Lee's army had ever met defeat.
104 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 off 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 wrere 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
106 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. 107
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."
By the time the bridge was restored the river had
fallen sufficiently to allow the cavalry to ford it.
The army leisurely crossed, the infantry, artillery
and wagons crossing on the bridge, while the 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 we in the ranks on the Confederate side had no
fear of such a disaster.
It is true, we were short of ammunition, but the
infantry had the bayonet and the cavalry the sabre,
and we felt satisfied that we were not in much
danger.
I neglected to say that as we marched through the
towns of Pennsylvania it was distressing to see the
sad faces of the populace as they gathered at their
front doors and windows watching us as we moved
through their streets. It resembled a funeral, at
which all the people were mourners.
It was so different when we were marching
through the cities and towns of the South. There
we wrere 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 citizen's clothes.
This had a rather depressing effect upon us, because
it showed us that the North had reserves to draw
from, while our men, within the age limit, were all
in the army.
It is said that misfortunes never come singly.
No sooner had we reached the south bank of the
1 10 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
Potomac than we heard the distressing news that
Vicksburg had fallen. This opened the Mississippi
river to Farragut's fleet of warships stationed at the
mouth of that river, and cut the Confederacy in
two.
Then disaster followed disaster in that part of the
field; but as I said in the beginning, I am not 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?" That question
is easily answered.
For the same reason that the children of Israel
went down into Egypt. There was a famine in the
land, and they went there for corn. Food was
growing scarcer and scarcer in the South, and it
became a serious question not only as to how the
army was to be fed, but also the citizens at home,
the old men, women and children.
No supplies could be brought from beyond the
Mississippi. Tennessee and Kentucky were in the
hands of the enemy; a great portion of Virginia, in
fact, the richest farming sections were ravished
first by one army, then by the other, making it im-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. Ill
possible for the farmers to put in their grain or reap
their harvests.
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 Virginia
could have planted and reaped an abundant har
vest, which would have sufficed to have taken 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-
112 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
odd years critics have been trying to fix the blame
on someone.
Of course, I cannot solve the problem, but I
would suggest this: Gen. Lee could not take the
risk at Gettysburg that he took when he fought his
other battles. He was too far from his base of 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
GEN. ROBERT E. LEE.
This picture was taken at the rear of General Lee's house on Franklin
street, Richmond, in April, 1865, immediately after his return from Appo-
mattox, and represents him in the style of uniform which he habitually
wore in the army.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 113
absence of the cavalry just at a time when he needed
it most. Had Stuart kept the cavalry between the
two armies, and informed Lee as to the movements
of the enemy, he would not have been placed in such
a disadvantageous position as he was at Gettysburg.
Then again, the enemy had vastly superior numbers.
Whatever may have been the cause of his defeat,
Gen. Lee, with the magnanimity characteristic of
him, said : "It was all my fault."
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
114
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 115
had fought the battle of June 9th, a month before.
They halted at the Rappahannock and occupied
both sides of the river.
The land for miles and miles around Brandy
Station was almost level and entirely denuded of
fences, the soldiers having used them for firewood.
It was an ideal battlefield.
Here was the home of John Minor Botts, a 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
wrere 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
Il6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
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
20,000 men. Probably for this reason the enemy
determined to make a demonstration, and began a
movement toward our front. But so considerate
were they that they did not open fire on us until we
had gotten beyond range of their guns. This fra
ternal condition perhaps never existed before be
tween two contending armies.
As they advanced we gradually fell back, and
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 117
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
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.
We continued to fall back until we reached the
Rapidan. Here Gen. Lee was strongly entrenched,
and the enemy, after remaining in our front for
some days, fell back to their old position on the
Rappahannock. There was one item of interest
which I neglected to mention in its proper place,
and that was an address which Gen. Lee issued to
his soldiers after his long march back from Gettys
burg. It was printed on paper, about the size of a
half sheet of note paper. It began with these
words : "To the Soldiers of the Army of Northern
Virginia:" "Soldiers, we have sinned." I cannot
remember any more of the address, but those words
Il8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
have lingered lovingly in rny memory ever since.
Each soldier was handed one of these papers, and I
am ashamed to say I did not keep my copy, and do
not know of anyone who did.
Shortly after this demonstration of the Union
army, Gen. Lee made an advance, but not directly
in front. He moved his army toward the northeast,
and his efforts seemed to have been to make a flank
movement and get in the enemy's rear, just as had
been done the year before when Jackson got in the
rear of Pope at Manassas. The cavalry remained
to watch the enemy's front, and prevent a move 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.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 119
We were afraid to charge, for fear of running into
their whole army.
After a good deal of maneuvering and waiting
we saw the long lines of Union cavalry coming over
the ridge and moving toward us in the line of battle.
Closer and closer they came, and when they got
within 200 yards of us, their leader ordered a
charge, and it looked as if the whole column was
coming right into our ranks.
I have a vivid recollection of the scene. I no
ticed as they approached that quite a number of
them, perhaps every third man, wras 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.
120 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
But Lieut. Armistead (an officer in my com
pany) was not so chicken-hearted, but spurred his
horse, "Long Tom," up until his pistol almost
touched the officer, and shot him in the side. I
saw him fall from his horse, and afterward at
tempt to get up. Then I lost sight of him. It was
said to be Gen. Baker of the Union army, who was
in command of the forces making the attack. We
took some prisoners, others in the confusion, amid
the dust and smoke, fled and escaped within their
own lines. Then there was a halt for an hour or
more.
Several fresh regiments of our cavalry came up
and took positions, ready for attack or defence,
whichever it might be.
What troubled our command was to know what
was beyond that ridge. We were afraid to move
forward, for fear of running into ambush.
Presently we saw a magnificent sight. The col
onel of the Fourth Virginia Regiment, mounted
on a beautiful black horse, moved forward, calling
upon his regiment to follow him. It was Colonel,
afterward General, Rosser.
As the regiment moved toward the enemy's lines,
at a gallop, the cry went up and down the ranks,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 121
"Look at Rosser! 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
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 laid
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
122 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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,
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.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 123
As we moved along through the fields we passed
a small dwelling; I halted in front of the door and
asked the good lady of the house for something to
eat. She came out, trembling from head to foot,
with two other ladies, who I presume were her
daughters, and gave me some bread.
Seeing the long string of led horses, she asked in
the most distressed tone if all the men belonging
to those horses had been killed. I explained the
meaning of the horses being led, and assured her
they were in no danger, as the enemy was retreating
rapidly in our front, and all danger had passed.
Just an hour before this the conditions were 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 breast\vork 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.
124 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
I had hardly moved a yard when another shell
struck in this very same spot, verifying the old
adage, that "there are exceptions to all rules."
We were ordered to move forward from this
position across the open field, which we did, the
bullets buzzing past our ears like so many bees.
We went a few hundred yards and then lay down
flat on the ground in the grass, and continued firing
at the puffs of smoke in our front, as that was all
we could see. The enemy was lying as flat to the
ground as we were. A great deal of this kind of
fighting is done in this way. It doesn't rise to the
dignity of a battle, but is called skirmishing.
One poor fellow lying next to me was struck by
a bullet with a dull thud, that caused him to cry
out in pain, and as we moved forward I saw him
writhing in agony. I presume he was not mortally
wounded, as mortal wounds do not cause much or
any pain.
In the meantime, our enemy crept away from our
front, and mounting their horses, galloped off. We
followed in hot pursuit.
But to return to where we left our friends (the
enemy crossing the Rappahannock) . We did not
pursue them beyond the river, but moved northeast,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 125
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,
and that a night attack was to be made upon their
camp. But we crossed, notwithstanding, and as we
rode up to the blazing fires we discovered that we
were right in the midst of Lee's infantry.
We went into camp for the night. Early in the
morning we were in the saddle, with both cavalry
and infantry on the march. Marching parallel to
us was the whole Union army. They were making
for the defences of Washington, and we were trying
to cut them off.
When we got as far as Bristoe Station, not far
from Manassas, Gen. Lee made a swoop down upon
them and tried to bring them to battle, but they
were too swift for us. We did, however, have quite
a severe fight at Bristoe Station between the ad
vance guard of our army and the rear of the enemy.
Gen. A. P. Hill, commanding one of Lee's corps,
126 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
made the attack. It was very severe while it lasted,
and the roar of the musketry was terrific. But the
enemy got away.
After it was over one of my company (Frank
Peak) heard Gen. Lee severely reprimand Gen.
A. P. Hill in these words: "Gen. Hill, your line
was too short and thin." I presume Gen. Lee
thought if Gen. Hill had extended his line farther
out, he might have captured the entire force in our
front.
In this battle Rev. A. W. Green (to whom I have
already referred as being captured at Harper's
Ferry by Jackson) had one of his ringers shot off.
I have often joked him and said it was I who shot
it off. Just as I am writing this Mr. Green, whom
I have not seen for 10 years, came into my office,
and I told him what I was doing. He held up his
hand, minus one finger, and said, "Yes, you did
that."
We followed the retreating enemy some distance
below Manassas, but could not overtake them. We
halted for awhile, and a few days afterward the
whole army, cavalry, infantry and artillery, march
ed slowly back toward the Rapidan.
The expedition was fruitless. The infantry, as
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 127
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
find a persimmon, and we suffered terribly with
hunger. Of course, there was plenty of grass for
the horses, but the men were entirely destitute of
provisions.
We were looking forward to Manassas with
vivid recollections of the rich haul that we had
made there just prior to the second battle of 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.
128 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
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 ! general, you
MRS. R. E. LEE,
Wife of Gen. R. E. Lee, taken from an old photograph soon after the close
of the war. The spots are result of defects on the original photograph.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 129
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
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
130 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
think this was in Orange county, near Orange
Courthouse, probably half a mile from the river.
Some time in January a courier came in from the
front across the river and reported that the enemy's
cavalry had been seen a few miles below, moving
toward our camp.
The bugles sounded "saddle up" all through the
camp, and several regiments of cavalry were soon
in line and crossing the river. They dismounted,
formed in line of battle, and moved across the
fields. We soon found the enemy in our front, also
dismounted, and firing began. We were ordered to
fall back gradually toward the river, fighting as
we retreated, the object being to draw the enemy
toward the batteries that were on the opposite side
of the river.
As we neared the banks of the river where the
led horses were, our purpose was to remount and to
cross the river, but the enemy pressed us so close
that some of us, I among them, were compelled to
cross on foot. This was rather a chilly experience,
when you consider that it was the middle of 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 the in-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 131
f antry 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
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-
132 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
long before we saw them withdraw. We heard
their officers 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 133
somewhere between the pickets, and got behind the
line of pickets unobserved.
It was a very foggy morning. Our post consisted
of six men, and our position was a few hundred
yards back of the river.
Two of the men were on picket; the others were
at the post.
About 6 o'clock in the morning we heard a few
shots in our rear. One of our men was sent back to
find out the cause of it. He had not been gone
many minutes when we heard other shots, which
forced us to the conclusion that the enemy in some
way had gotten behind us. Our pickets had also
heard the firing, and came in to find out what the
trouble was.
We followed the direction of the shots, and had
not gone far before we saw through the heavy fog
quite a large body of cavalry.
Whether friend or foe, it was impossible to 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
134 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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,
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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 135
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
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
136 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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.
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,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 137
"Yankees." They were soon all around the house,
but, before they got there, one of the servants took
the saddle and bridle off my steed, hid them, and
turned him loose in the garden, where he posed as
the old family driving nag, while I went to the back
porch, climbed a ladder, and lifting a trap-door,
got in between the ceiling and the roof. The trap
door was so adjusted that it did not show an open
ing. The ladder was taken away, and there I stayed
until the enemy departed. I got back home
safely, eight miles off, and had other close calls,
but owing to the fidelity of the colored people, who
were always on the watch, and whose loyalty to the
Confederate soldiers, whether they belonged to the
family in which they lived or not, was touching and
beautiful beyond comprehension. They always
called the Confederates "Our Soldiers," and the
other side "Them Yankees."
About this time a new star appeared upon the
field of Mars. John S. Mosby, a native of Warren-
ton, Fauquier 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 busv. He conceived
138 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
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-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 139
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 seem strange to the present age that a
country devastated as this portion of Virginia was
at this time, with so many homes mourning the loss
of their brave sons slain in battle, or maimed for
life, with starvation almost staring them in the face,
with the capital of their country besieged by great
armies, with what we would call at this day depri
vation and suffering incomparable, that the people
could have any heart for festivities, such as dances
and plays. But such was the fact. The soldiers
during their furlough were received everywhere
as heroes, and were banqueted and entertained as if
peace and plenty reigned throughout the land.
Many a parody like the following was made:
"There was a sound of revelry by night," and "Les
Miserables" (Lee's miserables) had gathered there.
But it must be remembered that it was this spirit
among the Southern people that made them endure
their hardships and sustain the conflict as long as
they did. It was the women standing loyally by
their husbands, brothers and lovers that made the
140 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
Southern soldiers ready to play or ready to fight,
regardless of what they had in their haversacks or
wore on their backs.
There was no fixed time for our furlough, but we
had places of rendezvous where we were ordered to
meet once a week to receive instructions. Finally
the time came when we were summoned to collect
at Upperville (near the home of our captain) for
the march back to the army.
I do not remember the date, but it was early in
March. I do remember the first encampment
we made for the night. We got up the next 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 141
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 Wilderness to James River.
"Turning his bridle, Robert Lee
Rode to the rear. Like waves of the sea,
Bursting the dikes in their overflow,
Madly his veterans dashed on the foe."
The army of Northern Virginia had met and
defeated McDowell, McClellan, Pope, Burnside
and Hooker, and caused the retirement of Meade,
but the Government at Washington had at last
found a soldier believed to be a full match for Gen.
Lee.
Grant had been successful in the West, and his
achievements had made him the Nation's idol, so
he was brought to the East and placed in command
of the army of the Potomac.
All during the late fall and winter and early
spring he was preparing an immense army, whose
rendezvous was on the Rappahannock and in the
district about Culpeper Courthouse. It was a
greater and better equipped army than that under
McClellan in 1862. Then again, McClellan
was an untried soldier, while Grant had won his
142
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 143
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 McClellan took two
years before.
Gen. Benj. F. Butler was its commander. The
two armies were to unite and compel the surrender
or evacuation of the Confederate Capital.
It was about the first of May when Grant began
his movements toward Lee's front. At this time
the whole cavalry force of Gen. Lee was encamped
in a rich grazing district about five miles from
Fredericksburg.
We had been there several weeks, our horses had
been wading in grass up to their knees. They had
shed their winter coats, and were looking fine, and
seemed to be ready for the fray.
Our principal article of food was fresh fish,
caught from the Rappahannock river.
As we loitered around the camp from day to day,
speculating as to when we should be called to the
front, and discussing what would be the result of
the coming battle, we began to get restless, as sol
diers will. They live on excitement, and the boom-
144 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 first day of the month) we saw a courier
with his horse all flecked with foam as he came
dashing into our camp. He halted and asked for
Gen. Stuart's headquarters. It proved to be a mes
senger from Gen. Lee, and it meant that the death-
struggle was about to begin.
Soon the bugles were sounding all through the
camps the old familiar call, "Saddle up, saddle up."
We mounted, and each company forming in line
and counting off by fours, wheeled into columns of
two and marched off toward what was 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 wrhether they
would be sweet or not. I remember distinctly lay
ing them on the coals of fire to broil. It has been
43 years since then, but I can assure you I can al-
1
GEN. FITZHUGH LEE,
Who commanded a division of Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 145
most taste those fish today. I don't think I ever ate
anything so sweet.
The next day we were in the saddle early. The
cavalry formed the right wing of Lee's army. The
battle lasted two days. The cavalry fought almost
entirely on foot. It was mostly in heavy timber and
thick undergrowth.
The first day we did not see the enemy, but we
knew he was there, for the woods were ringing with
the sound of their guns, and bullets were hissing
about our ears.
When we struck this heavy body of timber we
found a narrow road running through it. We 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 shalt
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?" And at the
same time a bullet grazed my finger as I fired.
We fell back through the timber to the edge of
the open fields, and getting behind a rail fence, 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 up.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 147
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 into 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 and was trying to
open it, to see what was inside.
But to return to the battle. This state of things
continued for two whole days, with little intermis-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 149
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 me and said, "Young man, if
you don't want to get shot, you'd better get on the
other side of that tree, for somewhere just in front
of us, and not a great distance off, is the enemy's
skirmish line, and they may open fire at any 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
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 mean?" 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 wrord 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 15 1
for two days, and all the time it was going on we
could hear the booming of the artillery on our left,
telling us that Grant was doing all he could to beat
back or break through Lee's lines, and we knew,
too, that he was not accomplishing his purpose. We
could always tell which way the battle was going
by the direction from which the sound came.
The night of the second day Grant silently and
rapidly withdrew the main portion of his army
from Lee's front and marched toward 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, "I will fight it out on this line if it takes all
summer." If he meant the line between his army
and Lee's, he changed his mind within 24 hours.
But if he meant a line stretching from Wilderness
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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. I think he was a Georgian.
He was always dressed as if he were going to a
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 153
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, with their banners floating in
the breeze. The first thought among the private
soldiers was, "Has Grant stolen a march on Lee,
and is Richmond doomed?" It certainly looked
so at this moment, but we kept on falling back.
As we entered the woods we suddenly came upon
Lee's infantry lying down in line of battle waiting
154 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
the enemy's advance. As we approached them,
word was passed up and down the line not to cheer
the infantry. This was the custom in the face of a
battle when the cavalry, retiring from the front,
gave way to the infantry.
They opened their ranks and let us pass through,
and we formed in line some distance behind them.
The infantry was entirely concealed from the
enemy's view, and up to this time I am quite sure
that Grant did not know that he was facing Lee's
army at Spottsylvania Courthouse. But he was
soon to be undeceived in a manner most tragic.
Lee's infantry waited until the enemy was within
100 yards, and then, rising to their feet, poured a
volley into their ranks that brought many of them
to the ground, and sent the others back from whence
they came. This was only the beginning of the
battle.
Leaving the infantry to take care of that part of
the field, the cavalry was moved a mile to the right
and again dismounted, and moved forward until
we came under fire of the enemy's guns. We laid
down behind a rail fence and fired between the
rails. A bullet struck a rail just in front of my head
and knocked the dust and splinters in my face, al-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 155
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 officers on the little hills
in every direction, with their field glasses to their
eyes, trying to discover what was in front of them.
The cavalry retired from the field, leaving the
infantry to do the rest. How well it was done the
historian has tragically told the story. It was on
this field that "Hancock, the superb," made eight
distinct attacks on Lee's center, and finally 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 reserve), placed himself at the
head of it, and was about to lead them into battle
in order to restore his broken lines. Shells were
falling about Gen. Lee and his life was in peril.
One of the officers rode up to him and said, "Gen.
Lee, this is no place for you; you must go to the
rear." His troops refused to go forward until Gen.
156 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 another 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
fair estimate. The same authority gives Grant's
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 157
losses at the battle of the Wilderness as 18,000;
Lee's at 11,000.*
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 right 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 Longstreet gives 63,998 as the total strength of Lee's
army in this campaign. Longstreet was severely wounded at the
Battle of the Wilderness by a bullet shot through the neck. Was
carried from the field on a litter, and was unable to return to the
army for several months. Lee had lost the services of Jos. E. John
ston, Jackson, Longstreet, 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 159
bullet striking him in the center of the forehead.
Also near me was our captain, Bruce Gibson.
There was a little culvert across a ditch in the
road that the farmers used in going from the road
into the field. Some of our men crept under this
culvert and escaped. Probably 200 of us wem
captured.
But the army sustained a greater loss than that,
a loss second only to that of Stonewall Jackson.
Just behind our line in the field was Gen. Stuart
with his staff. A bullet struck him somewhere
about the stomach. He was held on his horse until
it was led to a place of safety. Then he was taken
from his horse, put into an ambulance and carried
to Richmond. He died the next day.
Stuart was considered the greatest cavalry leader
of the war on either side, and his death brought a
very great loss to Gen. Lee, and also to the whole
Confederacy.
The Confederacy had from the beginning 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 thousand prisoners.
l6o FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
In fact, almost our entire cavalry was equipped
with saddles, bridles and arms captured from the
enemy; nearly all the wagons in Lee's army were
captured wagons. But perhaps Providence knew
that the time was near at hand when we would not
need these things, so He permitted the one who had
been the means of supplying our wants in this par
ticular to retire from the field. He was buried in
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va., and a mag
nificent equestrian statue marks the spot.
Many of Stuart's raids were made under the
cover of darkness. He always wore a long ostrich
feather in his hat, and was a splendid rider. The
soldiers had a war song, the chorus of which was
something like this: "We'll follow the feather of
Stuart tonight."
The prisoners were taken back and put under
guard. I think this was about 4 o'clock in the after
noon. We remained there quietly until after dark,
all the time, however, the fighting was going on,
but we were out of reach of danger in that respect,
so we had a brief breathing spell.
After dark Sheridan's whole command began to
move slowly toward Richmond, making frequent
stops of a few minutes. The prisoners marched
A BATTLE SCARRED CONFEDERATE BANNER.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. l6l
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
seemed to come in every direction. In fact, Sheri-
162 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 gruff
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
his place. Perhaps he had asked for it, knowing
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 163
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 \ve were
carrying this timber and rebuilding the bridge,
our enemy was 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
the wounded and dead, pretending myself to be
164 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
low that could get a knife went up and cut his own
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 165
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 were giving out all along the way. When a
horse got too sore-footed to travel, he was shot,
and as we passed along we saw hundreds of these
horses, with the warm life-blood flowing from a
hole in their foreheads, lying by the side of the
road. This was done to prevent the horses from
falling into the hands of the Confederates.
When we got in sight of the James river, the
prisoners were halted in an orchard, and rested there
for an hour or so. Just over the fence were some
little pigs, with their tails curled around like a
curl on a girl's head, rooting around for some-
1 66 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 and got one, and
threw it to us. A great crowd rushed for the pig,
every fellow with a knife in his hand, and as many
as could get hold of the little fellow began cutting
into his anatomy. I had hold of one of the hind
legs, and while we cut, the pig squeeled. 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 efforts to get to Richmond by breaking
through Lee's lines were as ineffectual there as they
had been in the Wilderness two days before. So he
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX 167
packed his grip (so to speak) and made another
move toward the James river.
These two battles, of course, had reduced his
righting 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 i2th 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, but the losses were not
so great as they were at the Wilderness or Spottsyl
vania. Grant, however, was again defeated, and
continued his march toward the James river. In
this battle the colonel of my regiment (Flournoy)
was killed. He was a dashing young colonel, but
not as prudent as an officer should be. At the time
he was killed he was standing on the top of the
breastworks, behind which men were fighting,
shouting defiance at the enemy, and challenging
them to come out in the open and fight it out. Of
course, it did not take them long to put a bullet
168
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 169
through his body. At one time he was major
of the regiment, then lieutenant-colonel, and on
the retirement of his father, he was made colonel.
His father was once Governor of the State. Rich
ards, Captain of Company D, was made colonel of
our regiment, and held this position during the rest
of the war. He had commanded a company of cav
alry 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. IJl
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.
^i^l8»»^^^*^^ - >•
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 monoton
ous. 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 tincup, trying to wedge
his way in, that he might quench his thirst.
The food, while good, was very scant. Break
fast consisted of coffee and a loaf of bread, the latter
under ordinary circumstances, with vegetables and
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 173
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 tincup of soup (gen
erally bean or other vegetable), a small piece of
meat on a tinplate, on which a little vinegar was
poured to prevent scurvy. My recollection is we
had no other meal, but my mind is not perfectly
clear on this point. I do know, however, that we
were always hungry, and the chief topic of 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 FROM BULL RUN T0 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 \vide 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 175
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
GEN. A. P. HILL,
Commanding a corps of Lee's army. Killed just before the final surrender.
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 examining the
different patients that 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. 179
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 one year, and their terms of
service in most cases had about expired. Then
again, the South was taxed severely to feed its own
soldiers and citizens, and was only too glad to get
rid of the burden of caring for Northern prison
ers, and hence the North did all it could to re
strict 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, and I among them.
We wrere put on a steamer and carried to a point
below Richmond, on the James river, where we
180 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
met a like number of Federal prisoners that came
down from Richmond, and there the exchange was
made. The vessel that carried us up the river was
a small one, and the sick were packed on the deck
and in the hold of the vessel as thick as they could
lay. They were all sick, but had to lie on the hard
decks with no attention, except that a doctor now
and then went through the vessel handing out pills
to any who wanted them. He carried them loose
in his pocket, and as he stepped between and over
the men as they lay on the hard beds, he would say,
"Who wants a pill?" And all around him the
bony, emaciated arms would be stretched up to 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 tincup of hot, nutritious soup, the like
of which we had not tasted since leaving our homes
for the field, unless it was the soup the Yanks had
given us four months before when we embarked on
the James river for Fortress Monroe prison.
We were conveyed from this point to Richmond
by rail, and distributed among the various army
hospitals in the city. I was sent to the Chimborazo
Hospital, on the outskirts of the city, located on a
bluff looking down the river, within hearing dis-
I&2 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
tance of the siege guns on Dury's Bluff, on the
James. These were constantly throwing missiles of
some sort at the Yankee gunboats below. I 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. 183
of us got on the rear platform of the end car and
thus beat our way to Gordonsville without being
noticed. This wras 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 borrowed horse,
belonging to one of the members of my command.
This horse was not captured with me, and was
FROM 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 APPOMATTOX.
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 was to be burned, and all cattle and horses
of every description found, driven off. This decree
had been carried out with a cruelty that in the light
of present-day civilization seems incredible.
The armies, "like the locust of Egypt," went out
from Washington, swept down the rich valley
of Virginia beyond Staunton and destroyed or 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 office
who was in the Northern army and took part in the
burning. I have just read the foregoing to him
and asked him if it were not true. "Yes," said he,
"every word of it."
Notwithstanding this condition of things, 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. 187
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 when 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 wrere 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 Mosby's 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. 189
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 mistake.
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 colonel of my regiment (Flournoy), who I
stated was killed at the battle of Cold Harbor, was
the last of the colonels in my brigade to lose his life.
A gallant young officer, he was a little too fond of the
bottle, not very choice in his language, rather reck
less. A few days before he was killed he remarked
to one of his staff as they stood around the camp-
fire, "I don't believe the bullet that is to kill me
has yet been molded." Foolish man; at that very
time, not far from where he stood, was a soldier in
190 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
blue carrying about his waist a leather cartridge-
box that held the very bullet that was to end his
life, and not many hours afterward that bullet and
that colonel met. The latter surrendered without
a word.
The winter was a long, dreary one, and the 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
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 winter long Grant
pounded away at Lee's front, trying to break
through. The most sensational event that occurred
was the battle of the Crater, as it was called. Grant
attempted to break Lee's line by digging a great
tunnel, which had for its object the blowing up of
Lee's intrenchments, and then in the confusion,
rushing a large force into the opening. The tunnel
was finished up to and under Lee's line and
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 191
loaded with explosives. I believe there was a pre
mature explosion, which resulted in the killing of
more of Grant's soldiers than of Lee's, and then
the attack that followed resulted in a great
slaughter of Grant's men and the total failure of the
project.
CHAPTER X.
From Petersburg to Appomattox and Home.
"There hangs a saber, and there a rein,
With a rusty buckle and a green curb chain ;
A pair of spurs on the old grey wall,
And a moldy saddle — well, that is all."
April 2, 1865, Lee was compelled to evacuate
Richmond, abandon his whole battle line, and fall
back toward the mountains. He hoped to be able
to join his forces with those of Gen. Jos. E. 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
-umbered not far from 150,000.
192
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 193
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
\vere 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 we were fellow-Confeds we passed with a
salute. One of them called to us and said, "Boys,
you may as well go home; Lee has surrendered his
194 FROM 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. 195
Staunton and await further tidings. I made a bee-
line for my brother Gerard's. The others scattered
here and there. After remaining a few days at my
brother's I started, in company with six or eight
others, who were from the lower end of the valley,
principally Clark county, for my home in Loudoun,
with no definite idea as to what I should do before
I got there. In fact, the others were in the same
frame of mind.
We had heard and read the proclamation that
all Confederate soldiers who would surrender their
arms and take the oath of allegiance to the U. S.
Government (except a certain grade of officers)
would be allowed to go to their homes and not be
molested, but we had not yet come to the point of
surrendering.
We moved on down the valley pike, noting as we
went the terrible havoc the war had made, 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 Clark county said, "I'm going up and
surrender." Another said, "I go with you." And
the two, taking something in their hands that would
pass for a flag of truce (white handkerchiefs had
become obsolete), went forward and were allowed
to pass. They went to headquarters and 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 Massanutten mountains, and by keeping under
cover of the timber, managed to get within 12 miles
of my home without being molested.
As we stood on the edge of the woods we saw the
Yankee cavalry moving up and down the turnpike
running from Paris to Middleburg. It looked as
if there was nothing else to do but surrender. At
this point my comrade deserted me and went
forward and surrendered. I watched my oppor
tunity, slipping across the pike unobserved, and fol-
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 197
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 $i. 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 affable confectioner, "but you ate $5 worth."
The joke was well worth $5 to Mr. Rector, and he
got more pleasure out of it than he did out of the
pound of candy.
There were four commodities with which the
South was plentifully supplied, viz., tobacco, cot
ton, money and horses. We raised the two former
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 199
%
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 wre 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. 2OI
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 Gapt.
Gibson call me?"
I saw the six ride off; Owens didn't even say
good-bye to me. That night one of Lee's noted
scouts led these men, with others taken from other
commands, into the enemy's camp, and Owens
never returned. He was shot, and fell from his
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 through the
land. But I never knew of negroes being guilty of
like conduct. They not only watched over and
protected the women and children in their homes,
204 FROM BULL RUN T0 APPOMATTOX.
but were equally as faithful and careful to protect
the Southern soldier from capture when he re
turned home to see his loved ones.
No soldier in Loudoun or Fauquier counties
ever feared that his or his neighbor's servants would
betray him to the enemy. The negro always said,
in speaking of the Southern soldiers, "our soldiers,"
although he well knew that the success of the North
meant his freedom, while the success of the South
meant the continuation of slavery.
Another remarkable thing. No one ever heard
of a negro slave, or, so far as I know, a free negro
of the South, offering an insult or an indignity to a
white woman. They were frequently 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 a trait that no one ever
dreamed he possessed until after the close of the
Civil War. Hence, I have a great respect for the
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 205
race. Not, however, on account of this lately-
developed trait, but for those other traits that were
so much in evidence during the time that tried
men's souls.
The following 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. He was suc
ceeded by Bruce Gibson of Fauquier county, Vir
ginia, who served during the entire war, and was
once knocked from his horse by the concussion of
a shell, but sustained no other injuries. Was a
prisoner from June, 1864, to the end of the war.
Regiment. — Sixth Virginia Cavalry, commanded
first by ex-Governor Flournoy, who served one
year, retired on account of age, was succeeded by
his son, who was killed at Cold Harbor in June,
1864, and was succeeded by Richards from Clark
county, Virginia. The regiment was composed of
ten companies, and came from the following coun-
206 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
ties: Loudoun, Fauquier, Clark, Fairfax and
Prince William.
Brigade. — First; Robinson, and then Gen. Wm.
E. Jones, who was killed ; then Gen. Lomax, who,
I believe, is still living near Warrenton, Fauquier
county, Virginia.
Division. — Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Gen.
Robert E. Lee. He survived the war, and died a
few months ago.
Corps. — Commanded by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart,
who was killed at Yellow Tavern in 1864. He was
succeeded by Gen. Wade Hampton of South 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 XI.
AN AFTER-THOUGHT.
The Horses.
"Here lies the steed with his nostril all wide,
But through it there rolls not the breath of his pride.
The foam of his gasping lies white on the turf,
And as cold as the spray of the rock-beaten surf."
I do not mean to intimate by the headline of this
chapter that I forgot the horses of Lee's army.
They were on my mind all through the story, but it
was not until the manuscript was in the hands of
the printer that the thought came to me that they
should have a chapter in this book. Ah! the horses
—the blacks and bays, the roans and grays, the 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 unstabled horses and the half-fed
horses. Let my right hand forget its cunning if I
forget to pay proper tribute to those noble animals
that suffered so much for their masters. How often
207
208 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 coffers. The
horses that were alive at the close of the war were,
for the most part, tenderly cared for, and have long
ago joined their comrades on the other side. I hope
they are all grazing together on red-headed clover
in the green fields of Eden.
How many horses were in Lee's army from be
ginning to end and how many perished has never
BISHOP ALPHEUS W. WILSON,
Who trained Rover.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 209
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, where the soil of Virginia was the
stage.
My first horse was named Rover. She and I
were colts together on the farm, I nine years her
senior. I loved her, but there are doubts about
her love for me. When young, she could run faster,
jump higher and cut more "monkey shines" than
any colt in the neighborhood. More than once she
landed me on my back in the middle of the road.
This was before she entered the military service of
the Confederacy.
Once my father was on her back crossing a
210 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
cession and worked in the interest of the Union.
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 211
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
Gettysburg and back the cavalryman was in touch
212 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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
taken every spear of grass about the soldier that
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 213
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 \vas 10
o'clock at night. We unbridled and unsaddled our
steeds and let them go free. This was in June, and
the clover was fine. The hungry animals went
briskly to work satisfying their hunger. The 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
up," and although it was quite dark, in an incred-
214 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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. After
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, when suddenly someone with
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 2 15
the voice of a foghorn would rouse up and yell out,
"I want to go h-o-m-e, and I am sick, that's what I
want." Then some other fellow far up or down the
line would answer back, "I want to see my
m-o-t-h-e-r, and I am hungry, too, that's what I
want." This was said in a sobbing tone, as if the
speaker were about to burst into tears. It would
set the whole column off, and for half an hour or so
there would be a lively time.
If we were passing a residence, either humble or
stately, someone would 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 horse, like Felix, cared for none of
these things. They seemed to say, "Have all the
fun you want, boys, it doesn't disturb us, but don't
forget that when we have crossed the river there
2l6 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
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 green.
But during the winter months, when we needed
some kind of beverage to wash down our hardtack,
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 217
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 fol
lowing winter food got scarcer and scarcer for both
man and beast, and the horses became thinner and
thinner.
I do not know how others felt about the bodies
of the dead horses that lay scattered over the battle
fields, but this sight distressed me almost as much
as did the bodies of the soldiers. They were so
faithful and unfaltering. When the bugle sounded,
any hour of the night, or any hour of the day, 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.
2l8 FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX.
The cavalryman 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 we
know and for the unknown dead. What would
you think of a monument some day, somewhere in
Virginia, in honor of Lee's noble horses?
I hardly know which branch of the service ought
to receive the highest honor, the wagon horses, the
artillery horses or the cavalry horses. I was very
close to the latter, and knew them better, but the
wagon and artillery horses 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
FROM BULL RUN TO APPOMATTOX. 219
should not want to see him any less honored than
the former, but 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
hauled and fought and died that this might be a
very great nation.
No more appropriate lines could be had for the
ending of this story than the following touching
little poem by Francis Alexander Durivage:
"There hangs a sabre, and there a rein,
With a rusty buckle and green curb chain;
A pair of spurs on the old gray wall,
And a moldy saddle — well, that is all.
"Come out to the stable — it is not far ;
The moss-grown door is hanging ajar.
Look within ! There's an empty stall,
Where once stood a charger, and that is all.
"The good black horse came riderless home,
Flecked with blood drops as well as foam ;
See yonder hillock where dead leaves fall ;
The good black horse dropped dead — that is all.
"All? O, God! it is all I can speak.
Question me not, I am old and weak;
His sabre and his saddle hang on the wall,
And his horse is dead — I have told you all."
NOTE. — I said in the beginning that I had not consulted any of the
Civil War histories for material for this book. After the manuscript
was in type, I read for the first time James Longstreet's book on the
Civil War; also Henderson's "Life of Jackson," and I am indebted
to these two authors for some facts in regard to the losses in battle
and the number engaged. To the latter I am indebted for the account
of the tragic wounding and death of Stonewall Jackson. These
additions are mostly to be found in foot notes throughout the book.
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