Page:History of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry in the War Between the States.djvu/91

Rh or twice we were put into position in order of battle. We saw no enemy, however. The gardens along the line of our march suffered heavily from frequent charges by our hungry men. The author's individual share of these captures was two onions, fresh and juicy, washed down with a bottle of good domestic wine, kindly supplied to him by our accomplished brigade commander.

About three o'clock P. M. we reached the vicinity of Gettysburg, on what we deemed to be the left of General Lee's lines, and under Colonel J. Lucius Davis, who was now temporarily commanding the brigade, we were placed in order of battle, as support to a number of guns massed in our front. Directly in front of this artillery the land rose rapidly, culminating in very high bluffs, or ridges. A detail was here made to capture a few sheep, which were seen hard by grazing, and to impress the necessary implements for cooking them. The author rode up to one of the batteries, and was informed that the artillery was massed at this point, in anticipation of an attack upon the flank. We remained on our ground until nearly night; then moved at a trot a mile or so to the left, where the men who had rifles were dismounted, and advanced a few hundred yards on foot, and took position behind a fence to the left of the road along which we had come. A few shells began now to explode over our heads, and we were ordered at a double-quick to a position on the right of the road. The firing soon ceased, and at twilight we moved to a small field of flat meadow land, not very far from our first position. A carbine accidentally discharged here while the men were dismounting killed the horse of Flag-Bearer Charles Edwards. Hampton's brigade, we learned, had just charged and scattered the enemy's cavalry, a small body of which was advancing on the left, and to meet which we had been moved.

The writer was in conversation with Colonel Davis when a courier delivered General Stuart's request that the command should be kept in the saddle all night, with the further