ate of Washington College, pronounced "always a gentleman."
Williamson was quite deaf, and Singleton always, in the gentlest and
most patient way, would repeat for his benefit anything he failed to
hear. Last, and most interesting of all, was George Bedinger, of
Shepherdstown, a student of the University of Virginia.

There were men in the company from almost every State in the South, and
several from Northern States. Among the latter were two sons of
Commodore Porter, of the United States Navy, one of whom went by the
name of "Porter-he," from his having gone with Sergeant Paxton to visit
some young ladies, and, on their return, being asked how they had
enjoyed their visit, the sergeant said, "Oh, splendidly! and Porter, he
were very much elated."

Soon after my arrival supper was ready, and I joined the mess in my
first meal in camp, and was astonished to see how they relished fat
bacon, "flap-jacks" and strong black coffee in big tin cups. The company
was abundantly supplied with first-rate tents, many of them captured
from the enemy, and everybody seemed to be perfectly at home and happy.

I bunked with my brother John, but there was no sleep for me that first
night. There were just enough cornstalks under me for each to be
distinctly felt, and the ground between was exceedingly cold. We
remained in this camp until the following Friday, when orders came to
move.

We first marched about three miles south, or up the Valley, then
countermarched, going about twenty miles, and on Saturday twelve miles
farther, which brought us, I thought, and it seemed to be the general
impression, in rather close proximity to the enemy. There having been
only a few skirmishes since Manassas in July, 1861, none of us dreamed
of a battle; but very soon a cannon boomed two or three miles ahead,
then another and another. The boys said, "That's Chew's battery, under
Ashby."

Pretty soon Chew's battery was answered, and for the first time I saw
and heard a shell burst, high in the air, leaving a little cloud of
white smoke. On we moved, halting frequently, as the troops were being
deployed in line of battle. Our battery turned out of the pike and we
had not heard a shot for half an hour. In front of us lay a stretch of
half a mile of level, open ground and beyond this a wooded hill, for
which we seemed to be making. When half-way across the low ground, as I
was walking by my gun, talking to a comrade at my side, a shell burst
with a ter