the whole of them. " They asked if General Sickles was there. I told them they could always find him with his troops. They said; "We'll hang him, God damn him, when we catch him. " Their troops were arriving all night. At daylight they marched us out the Orange road about four miles when a courier came up and we were ordered to about face and march back again, it having been reported that Stoneman was on the road. At 5. 30 their men came running out of the woods into the open field to the number of 400 or 500 and their batteries which they had in position in the center of the field poured into the woods three rounds of grape and canister; at the least twenty pieces of artillery were there. About 9 o'clock I started on a march again [on] the road to the left of the Orange road, on which we walked about two miles and were about faced and marched back again. The men wanted to know if Stoneman was on that road too. After resting about half an hour we took up a march again and struck in through the woods and arrived at midnight at the Spotsylvania Court-House. We asked for some rations and they said there was not even a cracker in the place.

May the 4th, at 7 a. m, we marched off and reached Guiney's Station on Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad at 2 p. m. They then had all their camp and garrison equipage in their wagons and were going toward Gordonsville. When asked where the wagons were going in such a hurry they replied they were going for subsistence and seemed very nervous, anxious and in a hurry. All their wounded who could walk had got as far as Guiney's Station and I am sure the wounded I saw and all the other officers agreed that they could to number less than 10,000. There were two regiments of Stuart's cavalry drawn up in line of battle about a mile south and east from the station. We received no rations until Tuesday, then they gave us a barrel of flour which we had to mix up with a little water and bake in the coal. We were in an open field without shelter or blankets from Monday until Thursday, when we were placed in the cars and forwarded to Richmond, being the first train that passed over since Monday when the railroad was destroyed. Their own wounded were without shelter or food and some died of starvation and exposure. We arrived in Richmond on Thursday evening about 7 o'clock and our guard consisted of citizens from the cars down to Libby Prison. While confined there the allowed to purchase sugar and rye coffee; sugar, $1. 50, when Government price was 3 1/2 cents. We asked why Government did not furnish to us at that price. Captain Turner remarked we were fortunate enough to get it anywhere at any price.

We were released from Libby on Wednesday, the 13th, at 4 p. m., had to march from Richmond to Petersburg, a distance of twenty-two miles the rain pouring down all night, and alongside of the railroad and a train passing us with three empty cars attached. The men were not allowed to halt but forced to march at the point of the bayonet.

We arrived at Petersburg in the morning about 7 o'clock and going through the streets of Petersburg Lieutenant Dietrich, who was in command, would to allow the officers to purchase anything but damned them for Yankee sons of bitches and swore that if they did not cover files and march by fours he'd have the bayonet put into them. General Hays, Lieutenant Ford, Lieutenant Leigh, having always been mounted officers, were unused to walking; on arriving at Petersburg could go no farther and asked the privilege of having a conveyance to take them to City Point. The sergeant ordered a guard if we

40 R R-SERIES II, VOL V