d, were directed to
kneel in front of their open graves, and a platoon of twelve or fifteen
men, half of them with their muskets loaded with ball, and half with
blank cartridges (so that no man would feel that he had fired a fatal
shot), at the word "Fire!" emptied their guns at close range. Then the
whole division marched by within a few steps to view their lifeless
bodies.

Jackson's object now was to cross the Rappahannock, trying first one
ford and then another. We spent most of the following day galloping to
and fro, firing and being fired at. At one ford my gun crossed the
river, but, as no support followed it, although the rest of our battery
and Brockenbrough's Maryland Battery were close by, we soon recrossed.
Rain during the afternoon and night made the river past fording,
catching Early's brigade, which had crossed further up-stream, on the
enemy's side. He was not pressed, however, and by the next afternoon the
whole of Jackson's command had crossed the stream by the fords nearer
its source, at Hinson's mill. Thence we traveled northwest through
Little Washington, the county-seat of Rappahannock. Then to Flint Hill,
at the base of the Blue Ridge. Then turned southeast into Fauquier
County and through Warrenton, the prettiest town I had seen since
leaving the Valley. We had made an extensive detour, and were no longer
disturbed by General Pope, who possibly thought Jackson was on his way
to Ohio or New York, and a week later no doubt regretted that one of
those distant places had not been his destination.

Before reaching Thoroughfare Gap we had the pleasure of a visit from Mr.
Robert Bolling, or rather found him waiting on the roadside to see his
son, of our mess, having driven from his home in the neighborhood. His
son had been left behind sick, but his messmates did full justice to the
bountiful supply of refreshments brought in the carriage for him. I
remember, as we stood regaling ourselves, when some hungry infantryman
would fall out of ranks, and ask to purchase a "wee bite," how
delicately we would endeavor to "shoo" him off, without appearing to the
old gentleman as the natural heirs to what he had brought for his boy.

CHAPTER XII

CAPTURE OF RAILROAD TRAINS AT MANASSAS JUNCTION--BATTLE WITH TAYLOR'S
NEW JERSEY BRIGADE--NIGHT MARCH BY LIGHT OF BURNING CARS

Our halts and opportunities for rest had been and continued to be few
and of short duration, traveling steadily on throughout the t