ually in
possession of the cemetery, but had been forced to retire from thence
from want of support by Pender's division, which had been retarded by
that officer's wound. The whole of our left was therefore thrown back
considerably.

At 1 P.M. the rain began to descend in torrents, and we took refuge in
the hovel of an ignorant Pennsylvanian boor. The cottage was full of
soldiers, none of whom had the slightest idea of the contemplated
retreat, and all were talking of Washington and Baltimore with the
greatest confidence.

At 2 P.M. we walked to General Longstreet's camp, which had been
removed to a place three miles distant, on the Fairfield road. General
Longstreet talked to me for a long time about the battle. He said the
mistake they had made was in not concentrating the army more, and making
the attack yesterday with 30,000 men instead of 15,000. The advance had
been in three lines, and the troops of Hill's corps who gave way were
young soldiers, who had never been under fire before. He thought the
enemy would have attacked had the guns been withdrawn. Had they done so
at that particular moment immediately after the repulse, it would have
been awkward; but in that case he had given orders for the advance of
Hood's division and M'Laws's on the right. I think, after all, that
General Meade was right not to advance--his men would never have stood
the tremendous fire of artillery they would have been exposed to. Rather
over 7000 Yankees were captured during the three days;--3500 took the
parole; the remainder were now being marched to Richmond, escorted by
the remains of Pickett's division. It is impossible to avoid seeing that
the cause of this check to the Confederates lies in the utter contempt
felt for the enemy by all ranks.

Waggons, horses, mules, and cattle captured in Pennsylvania, the solid
advantages of this campaign, have been passing slowly along this road
(Fairfield) all day: those taken by Ewell are particularly admired. So
interminable was this train that it soon became evident that we should
not be able to start till late at night. As soon as it became dark we
all lay round a big fire, and I heard reports coming in from the
different generals that the enemy was _retiring_, and had been doing so
all day long. M'Laws reported nothing in his front but cavalry videttes.
But this, of course, could make no difference to General Lee's plans:
ammunition he must have--he had failed to capture it from the ene