ly of food. We had a rich feast, and were
happy again.

I do not know where the Union army halted in their retreat toward
Washington, but in a day or two after this, Lee moved his entire army
back toward its old camp on the Rapidan, as I have just said.

I think this was early in November. We felt winter approaching, and I
remember when we reached the Rappahannock, although there was a bridge a
mile below, the cavalry forded the stream, the men getting wet above
their knees, as the water came well up to the sides of the horses. Gen.
Lee, noticing that the men were wet from fording the river, said to our
brigade commander (Gen. Lomax) in a kind and fatherly tone, "My!
general, you should have used the bridge below." I suppose Gen. Lomax
thought that as we were soldiers we ought not to mind a little wetting,
even if the cold November winds were blowing.

[Illustration: MRS. R.E. LEE,

Wife of Gen. R.E. Lee, taken from an old photograph soon after the close
of the war. The spots are result of defects on the original photograph.]

My recollection is that the whole army, infantry, cavalry and artillery,
encamped in and around Brandy Station and prepared for winter. The
infantry began to build little low huts, the cracks filled up with mud
and tops covered with slabs split from logs.

Every mess had its own hut. The cavalry, knowing that they would likely
be kept on the march, made no preparation for winter.

Some time after this (I can't remember just how long) orders came to
break camp and move back on the south side of the Rapidan. I do not know
what commotion this move caused in the ranks of the infantry, but we
cavalrymen, who remained for some time in that neighborhood and saw the
deserted villages, sympathized with the infantry in the loss of their
homes. But as the Six Hundred remarked, "It is not for us to ask the
reason why, but to do and die."

Shortly afterward the cavalry withdrew to the south bank of the Rapidan,
near the infantry. I think this was in Orange county, near Orange
Courthouse, probably half a mile from the river.

Some time in January a courier came in from the front across the river
and reported that the enemy's cavalry had been seen a few miles below,
moving toward our camp.

The bugles sounded "saddle up" all through the camp, and several
regiments of cavalry were soon in line and crossing the river. They
dismounted, formed in line of battle, and moved across the fields. We
soon found