Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 07.djvu/73

Rh still at Fredericksburg. But General Hooker, who must have been aware of this, did not attempt to take advantage of the situation.

When Hooker withdrew from Hill's front at Fredericksburg that officer moved with his corps, following the rear of General Lee's army, and, passing Longstreet, advanced into Maryland; while Longstreet, marching more leisurely, moved to the east of the mountains, so as to still farther confirm the notion that it was General Lee's intention to attack on Virginia soil. Reaching Ashby's Gap, Longstreet's corps turned west, and crossing the Shenandoah pushed on after Ewell, who was then in Pennsylvania.

I recollect the evening. We had waded the Shenandoah and had just gone into camp on the other side, when a courier or staff officer dashed into my camp with orders for my division to recross the river and hurry back into Ashby's Gap, as the enemy's cavalry, supported by infantry, had driven Stuart's cavalry into the gap and it was apprehended their advance would seize the gap. The fording was deep, up to the arm pits of the shorter men, but the command went forward with great alacrity, and meeting great numbers of the cavalry coming to the rear and crossing the river on their horses, while the infantry were getting wet to take their places. The greeting the cavalry received was anything but complimentary. The night on the mountain was very uncomfortable, being cold and wet. But the next morning one of my brigades crossed over to the eastern side of the mountain as far as a small village some miles from the gap, where an advance of the enemy, both cavalry and infantry, had encamped. As our men appeared the enemy disappeared, and the brigade rejoined the division. The cavalry again advanced, and the division, recrossing the Shenandoah, continued its march and waded the Potomac at Williamsport, on the Maryland shore.

The wading across the Potomac was very deep and the men were very wet, and, as there was a quantity of whiskey in the city, a gill apiece was given to each man that wanted it, and in justice to my division I will assert that I never heard of any one refusing it. The consequence was that the men were all in good humor, and as my division halted a considerable time, the men roamed over the village. While sitting on my horse near a large brick building called the Washington Bank (I think that was the name) Captain G. B. Lamar, my aid-de-camp, rode up and informed me that the United States flag was being waved from the upper story of the bank building, and as there were a good many men of Hood's and my division