field on a litter, and was unable to return to the army for
several months. Lee had lost the services of Jos. E. Johnson, Jackson,
Longstreet, and a few days later J.E.B. Stuart. These were his ablest
lieutenants.]

CHAPTER IX.

_From James River to Petersburg._

"Down on the left of the Rebel lines,
Where a breastwork stands on a copse of pines,
Before the Rebels their ranks can form,
The Yankees have carried the place by storm."

I think it was about the 12th of May when Grant began his march from
Spottsylvania, and it was, I think, the 3rd of June when he made another
attempt at Cold Harbor to enter Richmond by breaking through Lee's army,
and another desperate battle was fought, but the losses were not so
great as they were at the Wilderness or Spottsylvania. Grant, however,
was again defeated, and continued his march toward the James river. In
this battle the colonel of my regiment (Flournoy) was killed. He was a
dashing young colonel, but not as prudent as an officer should be. At
the time he was killed he was standing on the top of the breastworks,
behind which men were fighting, shouting defiance at the enemy, and
challenging them to come out in the open and fight it out. Of course, it
did not take them long to put a bullet through his body. At one time he
was major of the regiment, then lieutenant-colonel, and on the
retirement of his father, he was made colonel. His father was once
Governor of the State. Richards, Captain of Company C, was made colonel
of our regiment, and held this position during the war. He had commanded
a company of cavalry from Clark county, Virginia.

Grant differed from other commanders who fought the army of Northern
Virginia in this respect--he refused to acknowledge defeat. If his
attacks failed at one point after repeated attempts, he would move his
army to the left and attack again. This he kept up to the end of the
war.

Not being able to reach Richmond by attacking Lee on the north side of
the river, he crossed his main army to the south side, and stretching
out his line of battle from the James to Petersburg, began a long siege,
that lasted through the fall and winter till late in the spring.

Now to go back to prison.

The steamer on which we were placed and given such a good, substantial
dinner, soon after this took its departure down the James and landed us
at Fortress Monroe, where we were put in an inclosure with a number of
other prisoners, a