ufficiently to allow us to
ford it.

My recollection is that we remained on that side of the river about a
week. In the meantime the whole Northern army gathered in our front and
threatened us with destruction, but they seemed to be about as afraid of
us as we were of them; for instead of attacking us, they began to throw
up breastworks in their front to protect themselves from attack. This
greatly encouraged us, and even the privates in the ranks were heard to
remark, "We're in no danger, they're afraid of us; look at their
breastworks."

By the time the bridge was restored the river had fallen sufficiently to
allow the cavalry to ford it. The army leisurely crossed, the infantry,
artillery and wagons crossing on the bridge, while the cavalry waded
through the water. The passage was made at night.

Gen. Meade, who commanded the Northern army, was very much censured for
not attacking Lee while he was on the north side of the river. The
Government at Washington seemed to think it would have resulted in the
surrender of his army; but we in the ranks on the Confederate side had
no fear of such a disaster.

It is true, we were short of ammunition, but the infantry had the
bayonet and the cavalry the sabre, and we felt satisfied that we were
not in much danger.

I neglected to say that as we marched through the towns of Pennsylvania
it was distressing to see the sad faces of the populace as they gathered
at their front doors and windows watching us as we moved through their
streets. It resembled a funeral, at which all the people were mourners.

It was so different when we were marching through the cities and towns
of the South. There we were greeted by the people with waving flags and
smiling faces. Another thing we noticed which was quite different from
what we witnessed in our own land was a great number of young men
between the ages of 18 and 45 in citizen's clothes. This had a rather
depressing effect upon us, because it showed us that the North had
reserves to draw from, while our men, within the age limit, were all in
the army.

It is said that misfortunes never come singly.

No sooner had we reached the south bank of the Potomac than we heard
the distressing news that Vicksburg had fallen. This opened the
Mississippi river to Farragut's fleet of warships stationed at the mouth
of that river, and cut the Confederacy in two.

Then disaster followed disaster in that part of the field; but as I said
in the be