ctory, and
did not need _a corporal to go in front of them_, gaunt, hungry, cool
fellows, who never counted noses--in a fight!

It was too much to expect Warren, with men like his, to go anywhere, or
take anything, when men like these others were in the way. Grant was too
hard on Warren! If it took a _Corps Commander_, going in front, to
encourage them along to advance upon _a few troopers_. I hardly think
that Generals Grant and Meade, and President Lincoln, and Secretary
Stanton, _all together_,--going in front, could have got them up, _if
they had known who was actually ahead_.

However that may be, the object of our rapid all-night march, and of our
venturesome stand, out here, in front of the Spottsylvania line, was
accomplished! The stir up we gave them with that long artillery fire,
and the savage and bloody repulses of two of their divisions made them
more nervous than they were before. They spent some time considering who
it could be in their front, and considering what to do. Later on, two
more Divisions advanced, and our two Brigades and our guns retired.

Our work was done! While we had been out in front amusing the enemy, and
keeping them easy, the Brigades of Longstreet's Corps had been rapidly
coming up, and taking position on the all-important line. We now had a
_sure enough line of battle_ holding it. And night was falling; the
enemy out in front had stopped, and gone to intrenching, instead of
pushing on. We knew that during that night our people, Ewell and Hill,
would be up. All were safe! We slept the sleep of the weary. So ended
the 8th of May. It was a pretty full day for us!

I don't remember anything at all about the early morning of the next
day, the 9th. We were dreadfully tired, and I suppose we slept late, and
then lounged about, with nothing to do, yet, in a listless, stupid
state. Everything was quiet around us, and nothing to attract attention,
or fix it in mind. About mid-day, I recollect noticing bodies of troops,
a regiment, a brigade, or two, moving about, here and there, in various
directions. We heard that Ewell's and Hill's Corps had come up, and
these troops we saw, were taking their way leisurely, along, to the
various position on the line of battle.

In the afternoon, about four or five o'clock, our guns, the "Napoleon"
Section, moved off to take our destined position on the line. We
followed a farm road, off toward the left, and presently came down into
quite a decided holl