voured with more relish than ever before I had eaten an
orange. Our valiant commander, finding that morning that rations and
forage were both exhausted, started for Falmouth, the nearest point at
which supplies could be obtained. Late that Saturday night we bivouaced
with the camp fires of Hooker's army all around. But no forethought had
been taken; no rations were drawn or issued; no wood was supplied; and
after three days' ride through the rain, many not having had a morsel of
food for twenty-four hours, the entire command was forced to lie on the
ground, in pools of water, in the midst of a drenching rain without
food, or fire, or shelter of any kind whatever. It was dreadful, and the
experiences of that night are recalled even now with a shudder. It was
like lying down in the middle of a river. There was no place big enough
to spread a blanket, where there was not a puddle of water, and, all the
time, the rain fell pitilessly, in torrents. The solace of hot coffee
was denied, for there was no fuel. Food was gone. The minutes were
hours. While hunger gnawed at the vitals, a clammy chilliness seized
upon one, making him feel as if every vital organ was in a state of
congestion. How daylight was longed for, and soon after the first
streaks of dawn began to appear, I deserted my watery couch and made
straight across the country toward some infantry camps, and actually
hugged every fragment of an ember that could be found. After a while I
found some soldiers cooking coffee. One of them was taking a cup off the
fire for his breakfast. I asked him for a drink which he surlily
refused.

"How much will you take for all there is in the cup?" said I.

He did not want to sell it, but when I took out a half dollar and
offered it to him, he took it and gave up the coffee, looking on with
astonishment, while I swallowed it almost boiling hot and without taking
breath. This revived me, and soon after, I found a place where a meal
consisting of ham, eggs, bread and coffee, was served for a big price
and took about a dollar's worth for breakfast.

By eight o'clock, rations and forage were drawn and issued and men and
horses were supplied with the much needed food. All of Sunday was spent
in Falmouth and the "fresh" cavalrymen took a good many observations as
to how real soldiers conducted and took care of themselves.

Monday morning Sir Percy started by the nearest route, via Acquia Creek,
Stafford Court House and Fairfax, for Was