with lee in virginia-第22章

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instructions　to　forage　as　well　as　they　can；　and　to　have　things　in

readiness　to　cook　for　whoever　may　come　in　off　duty　or　may　for　the

time　be　posted　there。　　Henceforth　every　man　must　groom　and　see

to　his　own　horse；　but　I　see　no　reason；　military　or　otherwise；　why

we　shouldn't　get　our　food　cooked　for　us；　and　it　will　be　just　as　well；

as　long　as　we　can；　to　have　a　few　bundles　of　straw　for　us　to　lie　on

instead　of　sleeping　on　the　ground。



〃Another　ten　men　we　can　also　choose　by　lot　to　go　to　Winchester；

which　is；　I　imagine；　the　point　we　shall　move　to　if　the　enemy

advance；　as　I　fancy　they　will；　from　the　other　side　of　the

Shenandoah　Valley。　　The　rest　must　be　sent　home。〃



Each　man　accordingly　wrote　his　name　on　a　piece　of　paper；　and

placed　them　in　a　haversack。　　Then　were　then　drawn　out；　and　their

servants　were　to　accompany　the　troop　at　once。　　The　servants　of　the

next　ten　were　to　proceed　by　train　to　Winchester；　while　the　slaves

of　all　whose　names　remained　in　the　bag　were　to　be　sent　home　at

once；　provided　with　passes　permitting　them　to　travel。　　To　Vincent's

satisfaction　his　name　was　one　of　the　first　ten　drawn；　and　Dan　was

therefore　to　go　forward。　　The　greater　part　of　the　men　evaded　the

obligation　to　send　their　servants　back　to　Richmond　by　despatching

them　to　friends　who　had　estates　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　with

letters　asking　them　to　keep　the　men　for　them　until　the　troop

happened　to　come　into　their　neighborhood。



At　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　troop　mounted　and　rode　to　Bath；

thirty　miles　away。　　It　was　here　that　Stuart　bad　his　headquarters；

whence　lie　sent　out　his　patrols　up　and　down　the　Potomac；　between

Harper's　Ferry　on　the　east　and　Cumberland　on　the　west。　　Stuart　was

away　when　they　arrived；　but　he　rode　in　a　few　hours　afterward。



〃Ah！　Ashley；　I　am　　glad　you　have　arrived；〃　he　said；　as　he　rode　up　to

the　troop；　who　had　hastily　mounted　as　he　was　seen　approaching。　

〃There　is　plenty　for　you　to　do；　I　can　tell　yen；　and　I　only　wish　that

you　had　brought　a　thousand　men　instead　of　a　hundred。　　I　am

heartily　glad　to　see　you　all；　gentlemen；〃　be　said　to　the　troop。　　〃I　am

afraid　just　at　first　that　the　brightness　of　your　gray　jackets　will　put

my　men　rather　to　shame；　but　we　shall　soon　get　rid　of　that。　　But

dismount　your　men；　Ashley；　there　is　plenty　for　them　and　their

horses　to　do　without　wasting　time　in　parade　work。　　There　is　very

little　of　that　here；　I　can　tell　you。　　I　have　not　seen　a　score　of　my　men

together　for　the　last　month。〃



Vincent　gazed　with　admiration　at　the　young　leader；　whose　name

was　soon　to　be　celebrated　throughout　America　and　Europe。　　The

young　Virginian…for　he　was　not　yet　twenty…eight　years　old…was　the

beau　ideal　of　a　cavalry　officer。　　He　was　singularly　handsome；　and

possessed　great　personal　strength　and　a　constitution　which　enabled

him　to　bear　all　hardships。　　He　possessed　unfailing　good　spirits；　and

had　a　joke　and　laugh　for　all　he　met；　and　while　on　the　march　at　the

head　of　his　regiment　he　was　always　ready　to　lift　up　his　voice　and

lead　the　songs　with　which　the　men　made　the　woods　resound。



He　seemed　to　live　in　his　saddle；　and　was　present　at　all　hours　of　the

night　and　day　along　the　line　he　guarded　seeing　that　the　men　were

watchful　and　on　the　alert；　instructing　the　outposts　in　their　duty；　and

infusing　his　own　spirit　and　vigilance　among　them。　　He　had　been

educated　at　West　Point；　and　had　seen　much　service　with　the

cavalry　against　the　Indians　in　the　West。　　Such　was　the　man　who

was　to　become　the　most　famous　cavalry　leader　of　his　time。　So　far

he　had　not　come　in　contact　with　the　enemy；　and　his　duties　were

confined　to　obtaining　information　regarding　their　strength　and

intentions；　to　watching　every　road　by　which　they　could　advance；

and　to　seeing　that　none　passed　north　to　carry　information　to　the

enemy　as　to　the　Confederate　strength　and　positions；　for　even　in　the

Shenandoah　Valley　there　were　some　whose　sympathies　were　with

the　Federals。



These　were　principally　Northern　men　settled　as　traders　in　the

towns；　and　it　was　important　to　prevent　them　from　sending　any

news　to　the　enemy。　　So　well　did　Stuart's　cavalry　perform　this

service；　and　so　general　was　the　hostility　of　the　population　against

the　North；　that　throughout　the　whole　of　the　war　in　Virginia　it　was

very　seldom　that　the　Northern　generals　could　obtain　any

trustworthy　information　as　to　the　movements　and　strength　of　the

Confederates；　while　the　latter　were　perfectly　informed　of　every

detail　connected　with　the　intentions　of　the　invaders。



The　next　morning　Ashley's　troop　took　up　their　share　of　the　work　at

the　front。　　They　were　broken　up　into　parties　of　ten；　each　of　which

was　stationed　at　a　village　near　the　river；　five　men　being　on　duty

night　and　day。　　As　it　happened　that　none　of　the　other　men　in　his

squad　had　a　servant　at　the　front；　Vincent　was　able　without

difficulty　te　have　Dan　assigned　to　his　party。　　A　house　in　the　village

was　placed　at　their　disposal；　and　here　the　five　off　duty　slept　and

took　their　meals　while　the　others　were　in　the　saddle。　　Dan　was

quite　in　his　element；　and　turned　out　an　excellent　cook；　and　was

soon　a　general　favorite　among　the　mess。



CHAPTER　VI。　BULL　RUN。



THE　NEXT　fortnight　passed　by　without　adventure。　Hard　as　the

work　was；　Vincent　enjoyed　it　thoroughly。　When　on　duty　by　day　he

was　constantly　on　the　move；　riding　through　the　forest；　following

country　lanes；　questioning　every　one　he　came　across；　and　as　the

men　always　worked　in　pairs；　there　was　no　feeling　of　loneliness。　

Sometimes　Ashley　would　draw　together　a　score　of　troopers；　and

crossing　the　river　in　a　ferryboat；　would　ride　twenty　miles　north；

and；　dashing　into　quiet　villages；　astonish　the　inhabitants　by　the

sight　of　the　Confederate　uniform。　　Then　the　villagers　would　be

questioned　as　to　the　news　that　had　reached　them　of　the　movement

of　the　troops；　the　post　office　would　be　seized　and　the　letters

broken　open；　any　useful　…information　contained　in　them　being

noted。　　But　in　general　questions　were　readily　answered；　for　a

considerable　portion　of　the　people　of　Maryland　were　strongly　in

favor　of　the　South；　and　were　only　prevented　from　joining　it　by　the

strong　force　that　held　possession　of　Baltimore；　and　by　the　constant

movement　of　Federal　armies　through　the　State。　　Vincent　was　often

employed　in　carrying　despatches　from　Major　Ashley　to　Stuart；

being　selected　for　that　duty　as　being　the　best　mounted　man　in　the

troop。　　The　direction　was　always　a　vague　one。　　〃Take　this　letter　to

Colonel　Stuart；　wherever　lie　may　be；〃　and　however　early　he

started；　Vincent　thought　himself　fortunate　if　he　carried　out　his

mission　before　sunset；　for　Stuart's　front　covered　over　fifty　miles　of

ground；　and　there　was　no　saying　where　he　might　be。　　Sometimes

after　riding　thirty　or　forty　miles；　and　getting　occasional　news　that

Stuart　had　passed　through　ahead　of　him；　he　would　learn　from　some

outpost　that　the　colonel　had　been　there　but　ten　minutes　before；　and

had　ridden　off　before　he　came；　and　then　Vincent　had　to　turn　his

horse　and　gallop　back　again；　seldom　succeeding　in　over…taking　his

active　commander　until　the　latter　had　halted　for　his　supper　at　one

or　other　of　the　villages　where　his　men　were　stationed。　　Sometimes

by　good　luck　he　came　upon　him　earlier；　and　then；　after　reading　the

despatch；　Stuart　would；　if　he　were　riding　in　the　direction　where

Ashley's　command　lay；　bid　him　ride　on　with　him；　and　would　chat

with　him　on　terms　of　friendly　intimacy　about　people　they　both

knew　at　Richmond；　or　as　to　the　details　of　his　work；　and　sometimes

they　would　sit　down　together　under　the　shade　of　some　trees；　take

out　the　contents　of　their　haversacks；　and　share　their　dinners。



This　is　the　second　time　I　have　had　the　best　of　this；〃　the　colonel

laughed　one　day；　〃my　beef　is　as　bard　as　leather；　and　this　cold

chicken　of　yours　is　as　plump　and　tender　as　one　could　wish　to　eat。〃



〃I　have　my　own　boy；　colonel；　who　looks　after　the　ten　of　us

stationed　at　Elmside；　and　I　fancy　that　in　the　matter　of　cold　rations

he