Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 09.djvu/81

72 line of battle near Culpeper Court-house. We were subsequently, on the same day, ordered to the Warrenton road to repel the advance of the enemy's cavalry.

Repulse of the Enemy's Cavalry on the Warrenton Road.—0n reaching this point a courier reported that our cavalry was hard pressed and would be compelled to retire. I replied that when they did come back they must do so at fall speed. This small body of 0onfederate cavalry soon after retired as directed and were chased by the enemy. When the Yankee cavalry was in range the battery on the right of the road and the Thirty-seventh North Carolina, from its concealed position on the left of the same road, opened and drove them back in the greatest disorder. Afterwards there was continuous skirmishing with the enemy's dismounted cavalry until nightfall, when we withdrew and returned to our old and comfortable quarters at Liberty Mills.

Mine Run.—While in winter-quarters at Liberty Mills, Orange county, Va., our brigade did picket duty at the bridge over the Rapidan at that point, and on the Stanardsville road until Meade crossed the river at Mine Run.

Here we confronted he enemy, and there was firing on the skirmish line, but no general engagement. At this point the men suffered intensely from the cold. The men, being compelled to lie in the rifle-pits without fires, were relieved every half hour, and yet when they came back they could hardly articulate.

To show how cheerfully such sufferings were endured, I will state that I saw a young rebel in the Seventh North Carolina, barefooted, without drawers, and his pants in front split up to the knee, take off his knapsack, take out an old dirty counterpane—the only thing, by the way, it contained—and when he was in the act of replacing his knapsack upon his shoulders, some three or four merry-hearted fellows ran up, crying out, "Hold on, Jake, hold on, and let us help you!" Yelling and laughing, they helped him on with it, and when he had folded his counterpane and wrapped it around his shoulder, another glorious old rebel, almost as "seedy" looking, who had been sitting with his back against the works, watching the whole performance in silence, yelled out, "Now Jake, you have fortified one end, what are you gwine to do with t'other?" Jake's only reply was a back-step and a double-shuffle, the wind all the while making streamers of his torn pants. This performance was greeted with shouts and uproarious laughter from every looker on.

APter Meade withdrew we returned to Liberty Mills.