ook up their
headquarters, Gregg's, at Rappahannock Bridge; Buford's, at Stevensburg;
and Kilpatrick's, on the extreme right, at James City.

_September 16._--To-day we are picketing the fords of the Robertson
River, a branch of the Rapidan. At five o'clock P. M. the Fifth New York
pickets were attacked and driven to within a few rods of their reserve;
but being reenforced by ourselves, who were ordered to relieve them, the
enemy was compelled to retire hastily, and we reoccupied the line which
was taken up by the Fifth in the morning.

At ten o'clock in the night I received orders to take four men and
communicate with Major McIrvin at Newman's Ford, two miles above our
post on the Robertson. This was by no means an easy task, as the
wilderness country was almost wholly unknown to us, and the Rebel
pickets in this quarter had not been sounded. Through the darkness,
however, I advanced with my men as cautiously as possible, and yet at
several points along our line of march we drew the fire of the Rebel
pickets. At length we espied a force of cavalry approaching us, which
proved to be a detachment under Major McIrvin on their way to the ford.
We challenged one another simultaneously, each supposing the other to be
an enemy. The major was on the point of ordering his command to fire
upon me, when I recognized his voice and quickly gave him my name. The
discovery was timely, and mutually enjoyable.

_September 17._--The enemy advanced his picket lines this morning across
the river, pushed ours back with considerable precipitancy, when a
general skirmish occurred along the lines for a distance of about two
miles. Captain Hasty was chief in command of our skirmishers. I assisted
him, riding my sorrel pony, the only horse on the skirmish line, as all
the men fought dismounted. At nine o'clock Colonel Davies arrived with
his brigade and took command. The Rebels were not able to withstand our
accumulated power, and rapidly retreated across the river, enabling us
to reestablish our lines where they were before the onset.

Picket-firing is very common. "Give and take" is the game we play, and
sometimes the blows are as severe as they are unexpected. The cavalry is
almost constantly on duty, scouting, patrolling, and very often
fighting. Thus we are kept ever in motion.

The only relief for our excessive labors is our good living. Seldom are
soldiers permitted to live in a country of which it may be said as
emphatically as of