been
for a small obstacle in our way, in all probability we would have
continued the march, forming the letter O.

The obstacle in our way was Grant's army on the Rappahannock.

CHAPTER VIII.

_From the Wilderness to James River._

"Turning his bridle, Robert Lee
Rode to the rear. Like waves of the sea,
Bursting the dikes in their overflow,
Madly his veterans dashed on the foe."

The army of Northern Virginia had met and defeated McDowell, McClellan,
Pope, Burnside and Hooker, and caused the retirement of Meade, but the
Government at Washington had at last found a soldier believed to be a
full match for Gen. Lee.

Grant had been successful in the West, and his achievements had made him
the Nation's idol, so he was brought to the East and placed in command
of the army of the Potomac.

All during the late fall and winter and early spring he was preparing an
immense army, whose rendezvous was on the Rappahannock and in the
district about Culpeper Courthouse. It was a greater and better equipped
army than that under McClellan in 1862. Then again, McClellan was an
untried soldier, while Grant had won his spurs on more than one
battlefield. So the North had a right to feel that Lee would be beaten
and Richmond captured. Besides this great army, another 30,000 strong
was marching up the James river, taking the same route McClellan took
two years before.

Gen. Benj. F. Butler was its commander. The two armies were to unite and
compel the surrender or evacuation of the Confederate Capital.

It was about the first of May when Grant began his movements toward
Lee's front. At this time the whole cavalry force of Gen. Lee was
encamped in a rich grazing district about five miles from
Fredericksburg.

We had been there several weeks, our horses had been wading in grass up
to their knees. They had shed their winter coats, and were looking fine,
and seemed to be ready for the fray.

Our principal article of food was fresh fish, caught from the
Rappahannock river.

As we loitered around the camp from day to day, speculating as to when
we should be called to the front, and discussing what would be the
result of the coming battle, we began to get restless, as soldiers will.
They live on excitement, and the booming of guns and the rattling of
musketry is the sweetest music they can hear.

One bright May morning (it must have been about the first day of the
month) we saw a courier with his horse all fle