By the middle of June Lee began to turn his eyes again to the tempting fields of grain and army supplies of Pennsylvania and Maryland.  The Valley had been laid waste, West Virginia given up, the South was now put to her utmost resources to furnish supplies for her vast armies.  All heavy baggage was sent to the rear, and Lee’s troops began moving by various routes up and across the river in the direction of Culpepper Court House.  But before the march began, General Lee renewed the whole of Longstreet’s Corps, and the sight of this magnificent body of troops was both inspiring and encouraging.  The corps was formed in two columns, in a very large and level old field.  The artillery was formed on the right, and as General Lee with his staff rode into the opening thirteen guns were fired as a salute to the Chief.  Certain officers have certain salutes.  The President has, I think, twenty-one guns, while the Commander-in-Chief has thirteen, and so on.  Wofford’s Georgia regiment was on the right, then Barksdale’s Mississippi, Kershaw’s South Carolina and Cobb’s Georgia constituted McLaws’ division.  The column wheeled by companies into line and took up the march of review.  The bands headed each brigade, and played National airs as the troops marched by.

Barksdale had a magnificent brass band, while Kershaw had only a fife corps headed by that prince of players, Sam Simmonds, who could get more real music out of a fife or flute than some musicians could out of a whole band.  The music of the fife and drum, while it may not be so accomplished, gives out more inspiring strains for the marching soldier than any brass band.  The cornet, with its accompanying pieces, makes fine music on the stillness of the night, when soldiers are preparing for their night’s rest, but nothing gives the soldier on the march more spirit than the fife and drum.  When a company nears the reviewing officer they give the salute by bringing their pieces from “right shoulder” to “carry,” while on the march, and from “carry” to “present arms” when stationary.  The officers raise the hilt of the sword, grasped firmly in the right hand, till the hilt is opposite the chin, the point of the blade extending outward about eighteen inches from the eyes, then, with a quick movement, to the side, the point downward and forward, and kept in this position till the reviewing officer has passed about eighteen paces.

The army had been placed under three Lieutenant Generals:  Longstreet, with McLaw’s, Hoole’s and Pickett’s first corps; General Ewell, with Early’s, Rhodes’ and Trimble’s constituting the 2d; while General A.P.  Hill commanded Anderson’s, Heath’s and Pendar’s, the 3d.  Colonel James D. Nance commanded the 3d South Carolina, Colonel John D. Kennedy the 2d, Lieutenant Colonel Bland the 7th, Colonel Henagan the 8th.  Colonel Dessausure the 15th, and Lieutenant Colonel W.C.G.  Rice the 3d battalion, which had now been recruited by one man from each company in the brigade, forming two new companies, and formed a battalion of sharpshooters and skirmishers.