to have woven into this
narrative the golden thread of romance. This pretty secesh girl, with
flashing blue eyes and golden hair, rebel to the core, yet befriending a
wounded Union soldier, etc. How readily it lends itself, but the truth
must be told. The little arrow god had already driven home his shaft,
and so the romance could not mature.

During the evening General Franz Sigel and staff came to the house and
demanded supper. Our lady was very polite, assured him that it was
impossible. "Very well," said General Sigel, "I think I shall want this
place to-morrow for a hospital. Madam, your kindness will be
reciprocated." He spoke very emphatically, whereat the pretty daughter
began to cry, and the mother to stammer apologies, and said she would do
the best she could for them, but she really had nothing to cook. The
general retired very indignant. Whether or not his threat was carried
out I do not know, for the next morning we were off without trying to
get breakfast. On asking for her bill we were surprised to find her
charges were evidently based on the highest war-time hotel rates. We had
so poor a supper that we had no desire for breakfast there, and had
slept on the garret floor. For this she demanded one dollar. We paid her
fifty cents, which was more than double its worth, and left amidst a
great volley of her choicest anathemas.

We reached camp towards noon, and found we had tramped about five miles
out of our way. The regiment was there ahead of us, the troops having
evacuated Fredericksburg on Monday, two days after the battle, without
opposition. We were actually under fire in this battle, that is, from
the time the assault began until we were swept back, probably not more
than thirty minutes as against four and one-half hours at Antietam. Yet
our losses were proportionately much heavier. During my absence on sick
leave, our regiment, after leaving Warrenton, had been detailed on heavy
"fatigue" duty, loading and unloading vessels and various kinds of
laborer's work at Belle-plain, and in consequence many were on the sick
list, others were on various details, so that when we went into this
battle we had only three hundred and fifty men for duty, against seven
hundred and fifty at Antietam. Of this number my diary, written the
15th, says we lost: Killed, 7; wounded, 80; missing, 20; total, 107.
Lieutenant Hoagland, Company H, was killed. Of the wounded, four were
officers,--Captain Richard Stillwell and F