gave me some company.

It was quite dark when we reached Middleburg, and the command halted in
the town for an hour, during which time I sat on my horse just in front
of the house now occupied by Edwin LeRoy Broun.

I could see the lights in the windows and see the family moving about,
among them my sister. I made no effort to make myself known. After an
hour's wait the command moved down the pike toward Washington, arriving
at Fairfax Courthouse about midnight, where they went into camp. The
next morning some 15 or 20 prisoners were brought in and put in an old
log schoolhouse. We remained there all that day, and the next day the
citizens were released, and the soldier prisoners (about a dozen) were
started for Washington under a guard of four cavalrymen. We were taken
to the old capitol at Washington and put in one of the rooms. I suppose
there were several hundred prisoners there at the time. We remained
about a month, when we were exchanged. We were taken to Richmond by boat
and turned over to the authorities there, and our Government released a
similar number of Union prisoners who returned on the same boat that
brought us to Richmond. I took the train at Richmond, rode to
Gordonsville, and footed it from there home, a distance of about 150
miles.

I found my horse awaiting me, and after a few days rest, I mounted and
rejoined my command at the little town of Paris, Fauquier county, where
I had left them for a visit to Washington as a guest of the United
States Government.

As the winter came on the Confederates drew in their outposts, and
likewise the enemy. This left the whole eastern part of Virginia free
from the depredations of either army, except now and then a raid from
one side on the other.

My regiment was at camp in the woods near Harrisonburg, while Jackson's
main army was with Lee, south of Fredericksburg. Jackson spent much time
during the winter in religious work among his soldiers. "My ambition,"
he said, "is to command a converted army." He himself was one of the
most devout men in the army, and seemed to be always in communion with
his God.

The winter was a hard one, and both armies kept pretty well within their
winter quarters.

We had no tents, but took fence rails, and putting one end on a pole
fastened to two trees, and the other on the ground, and covering the
rails with leaves and fastening up each end, leaving the front open,
then building a big fire just in front, we had a very c