und no fault with them, but most
magnanimously took the blame of defeat upon himself and endured great
mental suffering. Adverse criticism is swallowed up in sympathy for that
peerless man.

It was a drawn battle. The Army of Northern Virginia had not been
beaten, but it had failed in the attempt to beat the Army of the
Potomac. All day long on the 4th of July it remained in view of Meade's
army, but he dared not assail it.

There was nothing left but to return to Virginia. On the night of the
4th of July the army began to retreat, and on the 7th it halted near
Hagerstown and offered battle, which Meade refused. It seems to me that
he did not press the pursuit as closely and fiercely as he might have
done; perhaps he was respecting the valor that he had lately witnessed.

CHAPTER XI

A prison is a house of care,
A place where none can thrive,
A touchstone true to try a friend,
A grave for men alive.
--_Inscription on the Old Prison of Edinburg._

After falling back from Hagerstown the army took up a strong position
near the Potomac, extending from Williamsport to Falling Waters. On the
night of the 13th of July the retreat to Virginia began. The division of
Heth and that of Pender, now commanded by Pettigrew, marched all night
long in a drenching rain and over a very muddy road toward Falling
Waters, where the engineers had constructed a pontoon bridge across the
river. When the morning dawned we were about two miles from the river,
and, so far as I know, there was no reason why we should not have kept
on and followed the rest of the army over the bridge. Instead of that
we halted and formed in line of battle across the road, facing
northward, Heth on the right and Pettigrew on the left, well located for
defense, being on rising ground and having a valley in front. It was
supposed that our cavalry were between us and the enemy, (which was a
false supposition,) and, contrary to well-established military rules, no
skirmishers were sent to the front. The command was given to stack arms
and rest, and the men exhausted by fatigue lay down on the wet ground
behind the line of muskets and soon went to sleep. The guns were wet and
muddy and many of them were either unloaded or unfit for action. Giving
my horse to Charles to be held in the rear until called for, I too fell
asleep. We were in no condition for anything except the surprise that
startled us from our transitory slumbers.

W