Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/153

 Report of Conduct of General Steuart's BiHgade. 147

many times received the laudation of its division and brigade com manders.

On the morning of May the 4th, 1864, the brigade, being on picket along the Rapidan, discovered the columns of the Federal army in the distance moving to the right and apparently to the river below. The order soon came to be ready to move, and at midday it took up the line of march in the direction of "Locust Grove," a point on the "Old Stone Pike," running from Orange Courthouse to Fredericksburg. This point was reached and passed in the evening of the same day, and the brigade went into bivouac about two and a half miles beyond. The night was passed in quiet; the next morn- ing (5th) about 10^ o'clock, a few scattering shots being heard in front, the troops were called to arms and put in motion toward the iiring.

In order to the better understanding of this report, it is necessary to give a short topographical history of the country in which the Army of Northern Virginia was about to grapple its enemy.

The " Old Stone Pike," running from Orange Courthouse to Fredericksburg, and having the general direction of southeast, passes what was formerly an old stage stand, known as "Locust Grove." After passing this point about two and one half miles east and south, it enters the battle-renowned "Wilderness." This Wilderness is a generally level barren, covered with a matted growth of scrub oak, stunted pine, sweetgum brush and dogwood. The surface of the earth is indented occasionally with low basins, through which the rainfall, washing from the higher margins, cuts long gullies and often deep and wide washouts.

About three miles south and east of " Locust Grove," a brave farmer, in days long gone, cleared a little field, of twenty or more acres, on and including one of these basins, through which the pike now runs. Time has driven the farmer to seek more productive soil, while the continued drain of water from the slope has washed a long and narrow gulley through the field; where it — the water — was ob structed by the pike, it has destroyed all vestige of a pike, and, at this day, a deep, wide and long washout st'ands in its stead.

Travellers in this Wilderness, like most country folk, adopted the cheaper plan of making a road around to repairing the pike, the con- sequence is, a road turns to the right about eight hundred yards north and west of the washout, and, obtaining a distance of two hundred yards from the pike at its greatest width, enters it again three hundred yards south and east.