chewing tobacco is folded in.  This was a precaution taken so that if the scout should be captured he could take this tin-foil out of his pocket and putting it into his mouth, chew it.  It would cause no surprise at all to see a Confederate soldier chewing tobacco.  It was nearly night when this letter was received.  I gave Ord directions to continue his march to Burkesville and there intrench himself for the night, and in the morning to move west to cut off all the roads between there and Farmville.

I then started with a few of my staff and a very small escort of cavalry, going directly through the woods, to join Meade’s army.  The distance was about sixteen miles; but the night being dark our progress was slow through the woods in the absence of direct roads.  However, we got to the outposts about ten o’clock in the evening, and after some little parley convinced the sentinels of our identity and were conducted in to where Sheridan was bivouacked.  We talked over the situation for some little time, Sheridan explaining to me what he thought Lee was trying to do, and that Meade’s orders, if carried out, moving to the right flank, would give him the coveted opportunity of escaping us and putting us in rear of him.

We then together visited Meade, reaching his headquarters about midnight.  I explained to Meade that we did not want to follow the enemy; we wanted to get ahead of him, and that his orders would allow the enemy to escape, and besides that, I had no doubt that Lee was moving right then.  Meade changed his orders at once.  They were now given for an advance on Amelia Court House, at an early hour in the morning, as the army then lay; that is, the infantry being across the railroad, most of it to the west of the road, with the cavalry swung out still farther to the left.

CHAPTER LXVI.

Battle of Sailor’s creek—­engagement at Farmville—­correspondence with general Lee—­Sheridan intercepts the enemy.

The Appomattox, going westward, takes a long sweep to the south-west from the neighborhood of the Richmond and Danville Railroad bridge, and then trends north-westerly.  Sailor’s Creek, an insignificant stream, running northward, empties into the Appomattox between the High Bridge and Jetersville.  Near the High Bridge the stage road from Petersburg to Lynchburg crosses the Appomattox River, also on a bridge.  The railroad runs on the north side of the river to Farmville, a few miles west, and from there, recrossing, continues on the south side of it.  The roads coming up from the south-east to Farmville cross the Appomattox River there on a bridge and run on the north side, leaving the Lynchburg and Petersburg Railroad well to the left.

Lee, in pushing out from Amelia Court House, availed himself of all the roads between the Danville Road and Appomattox River to move upon, and never permitted the head of his columns to stop because of any fighting that might be going on in his rear.  In this way he came very near succeeding in getting to his provision trains and eluding us with at least part of his army.