n the young leaves. Mounting at
once and spurring out into the road, started on the gallop down the road
after the company; but soon coming to where the road forked, and not
knowing where any of the roads led, as we were retiring on a different
road from the one we went out on, I checked the horse to a walk and let
him have his head and go where he pleased, and taking a good swinging
stride with his head low he went on his way without hesitation. For
myself, I drew a revolver and cocked and held it ready for what might
happen. Going on thus for about an hour I suddenly heard in the darkness
in front of me, the jingle of horse equipments and at once the challenge,
"Who comes there?" To this I at once answered, "A friend," and riding up
with my revolver in my hand found one of the men of my own company. Asking
where the company was, I rode on to the bivouac and dismounting, with my
saddle for a pillow, slept. Thus I believe I was the last man of that
whole army to retire from the front of the enemy, but I never called the
General's attention to the fact. As General Grant said, we were bottled up
at Bermuda Hundred and the enemy used to amuse himself by firing on the
transports going up and down the river below Bermuda Hundred, especially
at a high bluff commanding the river, called Fort Powhatan. So Butler sent
my company of cavalry and a battery of artillery and a regiment of
infantry to hold and fortify the place. The artillery and infantry
fortified toward the land with the river at their backs and the cavalry
bivouacked outside the fortification. We scouted the country out toward
Petersburg and brought in supplies of all sorts, among which were several
fish seines, and with these we caught some fine shad, and with rowing and
bathing we had a good time.

One morning an "intelligent contraband" came into camp and I asked him
where he came from. He said he was a slave on the plantation of Mr.
Wilcox, whose plantation was up the river. I was interested in horses and
he told me that Mr. Wilcox, who was an officer in the 2d Virginia
Cavalry, had a very fine horse at home, resting and feeding up, and was
now in first rate shape. That it was broken only to the saddle. The more I
thought of this horse the worse I felt, and so I soon took my saddle and
bridle, and strapping on a revolver, went down to the river and had a
couple of our men row me up till we were opposite the Wilcox plantation,
when I went ashore, and shouldering