in some dark, gloomy wood, or
walled in by the encroaching mountain side, and now catching a
magnificent view of undulating landscapes, far away in the shadowy
distance. Thus, through the silent night, we journeyed on, and morning
dawned on us, still steaming through the romantic valleys of Virginia.

The next day was a wet, dreary one. Our car leaked, our fire went out,
and we were most thoroughly uncomfortable. The evening found us at the
mountain city of Lynchburg, which is literally "set on a hill." Here
we discovered that we had missed the connection, and would have to
wait for twenty-four hours. We were very sorry for this, as we were in
a great hurry to get to our own lines, and had been talking all the
way about what we should do when we arrived at Washington. But there
was no help for it, and we marched up to the barracks with as good
grace as possible.

We here found a large, empty-looking room, with some of the refuse of
the Confederate army in it. There was an immense stove in the center
of the room, but, being without fire, it was of no particular
benefit. We resigned ourselves to another night of freezing, with the
consoling thought that we would not have many more of such to endure.
I paced the floor till nearly morning, and witnessed a good many
amusing incidents. Many of the Confederates were quite drunk, and
disposed to be mischievous. One of them diverted himself by walking
about on the forms of those who were trying to sleep. Soon he came
around to Bensinger. He endured the infliction patiently the first
time; but as the sot came again, Bensinger was on the look-out, and,
springing to his feet, gave him a blow that laid him out on the floor.
Some of his companions rushed forward to resent the infliction; but,
finding that nobody was frightened, they gave over.

Here, in Virginia, I met the most spiteful and venomous secessionists
I had yet seen.

One of them--a prisoner--said that he had advocated raising the black
flag, asserting that if it "had been done at first, the war would have
been over long since."

"No doubt of it," I replied; "the whole Southern race would have been
exterminated long before this."

This way of ending the war had not entered his mind, and he became
very indignant at the suggestion.

All the next day was cold and gloomy. After noon, we succeeded in
obtaining some wood for the big stove, with permission to make a fire
in it, which was soon done, and a genial glow dif