He spoke with so much candor and logic, that I did not have the heart nor disposition to doubt or contradict it.

I would be willing to qualify before a grand jury to my dying day that I had had a close call.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXXVI

Leaves the Valley—­Return to Early—­Second Valley Campaign.

On the 15th of September we began our return to Lee, marching about six miles south of Middleton.  The next day we took up the march again to within fifteen miles of Luray Court House, then to within eleven miles of Sperryville, on the turn-pike, between the two points.  Virginia or that part of it is blessed for her good roads on the main thoroughfares.  The road from Staunton to the Potomac is one of the finest in America, being laid with cobble stones the entire length, upwards of one hundred and twenty-five miles.  Then the road engineers did one thing that should immortalize them, that is in going around hills instead of over them, as in our State.  Those engineers of old worked on the theory that the distance around a hill was no greater than over it, and much better for travel.

Over the Blue Ridge at Thornton Gap and to within five miles of Woodville, reaching Culpepper at three o’clock P.M., the 9th.  Our ears were greeted with the distant roar of artillery, which proved to be our artillery firing at a scouting party of United States cavalry.  On through Culpepper we marched, to within one mile of Rapidan Station, our starting point of near two months before.  And what a fruitless march—­over the mountains, dusty roads, through briars and thickets, and heat almost unbearable—­fighting and skirmishing, with nightly picketing, over rivers and mountain sides, losing officers, and many, too, being field officers captured.  While in camp here we heard of Early’s disaster in the Valley, which cast a damper over all the troops.  It seems that as soon as Sheridan heard of our detachment from Early’s command he planned and perfected a surprise, defeating him in the action that followed, and was then driving him out of the Valley.  Could we have been stopped at this point and returned to Early, which we had to do later, it would have saved the division many miles of marching, and perhaps further discomfiture of Early and his men.  But reports had to be made to the war department.

Orders came for our return while we were continuing our march to Gordonsville, which place we reached on the 23rd of September, at 4 o’clock, having been on the continuous march for exactly fifty days.  On the morning of the 24th we received the orders to return to the relief of Early, and at daylight, in a blinding rain, we commenced to retrace our steps, consoling ourselves with the motto, “Do your duty, therein all honor lies,” passing through Barboursville and Standardville, a neat little village nestled among the hills, and crossed the mountain