Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/22

16 means of the individual troopers. No regular squad, company, or regimental drill had been generally adopted and the supply of books of tactics was wholly inadequate to the wants of the officers.

Captain John F. Hughlett had succeeded Lewis in Company D; O. M. Knight, Hatchett in Company G; and William Latanè, Cauthorn in Company F. The officers of the previous year commanded the other companies.

We continued guarding the outlets of Fredericksburg and learning something of the trooper's duties in occasional attacks upon picket-posts and night alarms until about the 1st of May. Whilst picketing around Fredericksburg we had seen for many days long trains of forage-wagons escorted by detachments of the enemy moving down the north bank of the Rappahannock, their cavalry horses quietly grazing upon the grass-covered fields of Stafford, and the bitter thought of defenceless homes and helpless families brought more of sorrow than all the hardships of camp life and dangers of the field of battle.

After a short encampment at Hick's Hill, where much sickness prevailed among the men, the regiment marched towards the close of May, in the direction of Richmond, following the infantry, and taking the Telegraph road. On the third day of our march we reached Yellow Tavern, five miles from Richmond, and a day or two afterwards went into camp on Mrs. Mordecai's farm on Brooke turnpike. Our duties here consisting simply in picketing a few points about Ashland and Hugh's Cross-Roads, some attention was paid to drills; guard mountings and dress-parades were held daily, and the horses being well fed, recovered from the effects of the recent hard usage since breaking camp in March. Some few desertions of privates and many elopements of negro servants occurred while we occupied this camp.

On the 12th day of June it was whispered through camp that we would that night march in company with other regiments upon some daring mission. All were enthusiastic for