vening. But this was
necessary, for the continuous marching of the two days and nights previous
had produced much straggling, and some of the brigades were reduced to
skeletons from this cause. One fact--a strange one, too, it appeared to
me--was, that our higher officers did not try to prevent this straggling.
They seemed to shut their eyes on the hourly reduction of their commands,
and rode in advance of their brigades in dogged indifference.

We went into camp without restraint.--No enemy seemed near. The bands of
the divisions enlivened the departing hours of day with martial music, and
were applauded with the usual cheers of the troops. The old spirit seemed
to be returning. Before dark all had partaken of their food, and were
resting after a forty-eight hours march. As for myself, I had emptied my
haversack that night, and wrapped my blanket around me, and was in sound
slumber before darkness set in, intending to have one more good nap sure,
as I did not exactly like the appearance of things. The general officers
were consulting together, and their looks plainly indicated a depressed
state of feeling; besides, before we had completed our meal the rumbling
of distant cannonading sounded warningly in front, and I closed my eyes
and went to sleep to its music. The fact was, the enemy's cavalry, in
heavy force, at Appomattox, had disputed our advance--had cut off a train
of wagons and artillery who were unsuspectingly feeding, and orders had
been given for all the extra artillery to be cut down, and the commands
disbanded.--However, I slept in blissful ignorance of this state of
things.

On the morning of the 9th Gordon's corps were aroused at 2 o'clock and
hurried forward, passing the entire wagon and artillery train of the army.
When they arrived at Appomattox they found the whole cavalry force drawn
up in mass, and the troopers apparently asleep mounted. The fields,
gardens and streets of the village were strewn with troops, bivouacing in
line of battle.--The corps marched through and to the west of the village,
and there formed a line, and the sharpshooters were ordered to advance
and relieve the pickets of Bushrod Johnson's division, who were in front.
The careless positions of things as they approached the front did not seem
alarming, and I was not prepared to believe an enemy was so close, when
the picket informed us that "the Yankees were in that woods," some two
hundred yards in front.

But they were there.