lowed, and the dame, with a
rosy face but merry twinkle in her eye, escaped.

Past the town, we could see the Federals flying north on the Harper's
Ferry and Martinsburg roads. Cavalry, of which there was a considerable
force with the army, might have reaped a rich harvest, but none came
forward. Raised in the adjoining region, our troopers were gossiping
with their friends, or worse. Perhaps they thought that the war was
over. Jackson joined me, and, in response to my question, "Where is the
cavalry?" glowered and was silent. After several miles, finding that we
were doing no good--as indeed infantry, preserving its organization,
cannot hope to overtake a flying enemy--I turned into the fields and
camped.

Here I will "say my say" about Confederate cavalry; and though there
were exceptions to the following remarks, they were too few to qualify
their general correctness. The difficulty of converting raw men into
soldiers is enhanced manifold when they are mounted. Both man and horse
require training, and facilities for rambling, with temptation so to do,
are increased. There was but little time, and it may be said less
disposition, to establish camps of instruction. Living on horseback,
fearless and dashing, the men of the South afforded the best possible
material for cavalry. They had every quality but discipline, and
resembled Prince Charming, whose manifold gifts, bestowed by her
sisters, were rendered useless by the malignant fairy. Scores of them
wandered about the country like locusts, and were only less destructive
to their own people than the enemy. The universal devotion of Southern
women to their cause led them to give indiscriminately to all wearing
the gray. Cavalry officers naturally desired to have as large commands
as possible, and were too much indulged in this desire. Brigades and
regiments were permitted to do work appropriate to squadrons and
companies, and the cattle were unnecessarily broken down. Assuredly, our
cavalry rendered much excellent service, especially when dismounted and
fighting as infantry. Such able officers as Stuart, Hampton, and the
younger Lees in the east, Forrest, Green, and Wheeler in the west,
developed much talent for war; but their achievements, however
distinguished, fell far below the standard that would have been reached
had not the want of discipline impaired their efforts and those of their
men.

After the camp was established, I rode back to Winchester to look after