arcely more respectable than
the New York ones. Party spirit runs high. Liberty of the press is
carried to its fullest extent.

* * * * *

_20th June_ (Saturday).--Armed with letters of introduction from the
Secretary-at-War for Generals Lee and Longstreet, I left Richmond at 6
A.M., to join the Virginian army. I was accompanied by a sergeant of the
Signal Corps, sent by my kind friend Major Norris, for the purpose of
assisting me in getting on. We took the train as far as Culpepper, and
arrived there at 5.30 P.M., after having changed cars at Gordonsville,
near which place I observed an enormous pile of excellent rifles rotting
in the open air. These had been captured at Chancellorsville; but the
Confederates have already such a superabundant stock of rifles that
apparently they can afford to let them spoil. The weather was quite cool
after the rain of last night. The country through which we passed had
been in the enemy's hands last year, and was evacuated by them after the
battles before Richmond; but at that time it was not their custom to
burn, destroy, and devastate--everything looked green and beautiful, and
did not in the least give one the idea of a hot country.

In his late daring raid, the Federal General Stoneman crossed this
railroad, and destroyed a small portion of it, burned a few buildings,
and penetrated to within three miles of Richmond; but he and his men
were in such a hurry that they had not time to do much serious harm.

Culpepper was, until five days ago, the headquarters of Generals Lee
and Longstreet; but since Ewell's recapture of Winchester, the whole
army had advanced with rapidity, and it was my object to catch it up as
quickly as possible. On arriving at Culpepper, my sergeant handed me
over to another myrmidon of Major Norris, with orders from that officer
to supply me with a horse, and take me himself to join Mr Lawley, who
had passed through for the same purpose as myself three days before.

Sergeant Norris, my new chaperon, is cousin to Major Norris, and is a
capital fellow. Before the war he was a gentleman of good means in
Maryland, and was accustomed to a life of luxury; he now lives the life
of a private soldier with perfect contentment, and is utterly
indifferent to civilisation and comfort. Although he was unwell when I
arrived, and it was pouring with rain, he proposed that we should start
at once--6 P.M. I agreed, and we did so. Our horses had