Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/131

Rh had passed the intersection of the roads. This adventurous group, looking back and seeing the party in blue on horses, concluded they were a heavy force of the enemy's cavalry. "Without standing on the order of their going," like startled quail, they took cover. Their comrades, however, who were a little farther back with their led-horses, discovering that the company were only a quartermaster and his guard, charged them, demanding, and receiving, their surrender.

The quartermaster's outfit of wagon and horses was new and complete. All that was needed to cheer nature's flagging energies and make up the comfort of the physical man this bomb-proof soldier had. He had that, too, which was ornamental. A massive chain, which looked like gold, if it was not, attracted our troopers' eyes: and with evidences so fresh of a malignity which would rob helpless infancy of its last crumbs of bread, our needy cavaliers felt no rebuke of conscience in making the delivery of the watch and chain, one of the conditions of surrender. These were taken to brigade headquarters, and our general commanding ordered their restoration to the prisoner.