the proper thing to do than I did with my boyish
inexperience; for that was no place for them to remain at that time.

I then discovered that my regiment had withdrawn. When I rode up to the
commander of this battery, as he was limbering up his guns to retire,
the enemy being almost up to him, and told him that I had been
instructed to keep back stragglers, and asked him what I had better do,
he smiled and replied, "The best thing you can do is to get out of
here." I then proposed to stay with him until I found General Bayard.
Pretty soon I met General Pope with his staff, and subsequently General
Bayard, who commanded our brigade. Riding up to the latter I asked him
if he knew where my regiment was. He turned and inquired where certain
members of his staff and orderlies were, and on being told that some had
had their horses shot, and reasons being given for the absence of
others, he said, "You stay with me." I then rode with him over to the
right, to the railroad cut, where Sigel's men had been fighting. I well
recall how angry General Bayard was, talking to himself and shaking his
fist, evidently in a rage at the bad management which had resulted in
the defeat of our army. About ten o'clock that night Major Henry E.
Davies of my regiment reported to General Bayard where the regiment was,
and asked for instructions. It was back somewhere on the Centerville
pike. I then asked the General if I might go back with Major Davies, as
my little gray horse had only one shoe on, to which he consented.

The next day the regiment marched to Alexandria and reached the hills
behind that town at night during a terrific rainstorm. I succeeded in
getting into a barn, where I slept soundly in my wet clothes until the
sun was up the following morning. I well remember the sensation when I
awoke and saw the dome of the Capitol at Washington in the distance.

Going into the town I got weighed in front of a sutler's tent, and, to
my surprise, I had gained five pounds since I had enlisted six weeks
before.

CHAPTER IV

At this time the regiment had one hundred and fifty-two men, as I recall
it, present for duty; there were eleven men and no officers in my
company. We were ordered to Ball's Cross Road to refit, where we got new
clothing and horses; a number of recruits were sent to us, and some of
our sick and wounded men returned to duty. We were then sent out in the
neighborhood of Centerville, where we were engaged in scouting a