Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/36



Having broken camp on the Pamunkey about the 15th of August, the regiment marched through Caroline to Louisa Courthouse. Orders were issued to store all baggage here not absolutely essential to be carried. The sick and dismounted men were left here, and guards detailed for the baggage of each company.

The head of column now pointed to the North, and, marching rapidly through Louisa and Orange, we crossed the Rapidan into Culpeper at Somerville Ford. The wagons containing the few cooking utensils brought from Louisa now separated from us, and our sole reliance for rations for man and horse was upon the country traversed.

The enemy was met in small numbers on the south bank of the Rappahannock, near Richard's Ferry. Company E, under Captain Smith, attended by Colonel W. H. F. Lee in person, captured a lieutenant and five privates, and ascertained that the Federal army, under General Pope, occupied the north bank. We fell back half a mile to a creek and camped for the night. We found on the persons of the captured men well executed counterfeit Confederate Treasury notes. Our march was resumed at early dawn along the road leading up the south bank. Large bodies of infantry, moving in the same direction, forced us frequently to march through the fields. We bivouacked for the night near Hart's Mill, and