etter born or educated man--than he on foot.
The long grey lines saw nothing strange in a dismounted officer giving a
cast of the road to a comrade in the ranks. So, to-day, the chaplain's
horse was rather for everybody than for the chaplain himself. An old
college mate slipping stiffly to earth after five inestimable minutes,
remonstrated. "I'd like to see you riding, Corbin! Just give yourself a
lift, won't you? Look at Pluto looking at that rent in your shoe! You'll
never be a bishop if you go on this way."

The sleet fell and fell, and it was intensely cold. The wagons were
invisible. It was rumoured that they had taken another road. The country
was almost a wilderness. At long intervals the troops came upon a
lonely farmhouse, or a wayside cabin, a mill, a smithy. Loring sent
ahead a foraging party, with orders to purchase all supplies. Hardly
anything was gotten. Little had been made this year and little stored.
Moreover, latterly, the Yankees at Bath had taken all the stock and
poultry and corn--and without paying for it either. "Yes, sir, there are
Yankees at Bath. More'n you can shake a stick at!"

The foragers brought back the news. "There are Yankees at Bath--eight
miles away! Any number of them. Just as certain as it's sleeting, that's
where Old Jack's going!"

The news running along the column awoke a small flare of interest. But
it filled no empty stomachs, nor dissipated the numbing cold. The
momentary enthusiasm passed. "Eight miles! Have we got to go eight miles
to-day? We haven't made three miles since dawn. If George Washington,
Napoleon Bonaparte, and Julius Caesar were here they couldn't get this
army eight miles to-day!"

The cavalry, the artillery, the Stonewall Brigade, Meems and Carson's
Militia, the three brigades of Loring--on wound the sick and sluggish
column. The hills were now grey glass, and all the horses smooth-shod.
In advance a corps of pioneers broke with pickaxes the solid and
treacherous surface, roughening the road so that the poor brutes might
gain foothold. The vanguard, stumbling around a bend of the road,
stumbled upon a Federal ambush, horse and foot. To either side a wood of
cedars blazed and rang. A lieutenant of the 21st Virginia threw up his
arms and pitched forward, dead. A private was badly wounded. The company
charged, but the blue outposts fired another volley and got away,
crashing through the woods to some by-road. It was impossible to follow;
chase could not be