ocation I had made, I said: 'Very comfortable,
General, when shall we move on?' * * * He hesitated a moment or
two, and then said: 'I don't know yet when we shall move. And if I
did I would not tell my own father.' I thought that was rather a
queer speech to make to me under the circumstances. But I smiled
and said: 'General, I am only anxious that we shall get forward,
that the Enemy shall not escape us.' He replied: 'There is no
danger of that. I will have a reconnaissance to-morrow, and we
will arrange about moving at a very early period.' He then took
his leave.

"The next day [Tuesday, July 16th], there was a reconnaissance on
the Winchester turnpike, about four or five miles below the
General's camp. He sent forward a section of artillery and some
cavalry, and they found a post-and-log fence across the Winchester
turnpike, and some of the Enemy's cavalry on the other side of it.
They gave them a round of grape. The cavalry scattered off, and
the reconnaissance returned. That was the only reconnaissance I
heard of while we were there. My own pickets went further than
that. But it was understood, the next afternoon, that we were to
march forward at daylight. I sent down Col. Morell, with 40 men,
to open a road down to Opequan Creek, within five miles of the camp
at Winchester, on the side-roads I was upon, which would enable me,
in the course of three hours, to get between Johnston and the
Shenandoah River, and effectually bar his way to Manassas. I had
my ammunition all distributed, and ordered my men to have 24 hours'
rations in their haversacks, independent of their breakfast. We
were to march at 4 o'clock the next morning. I had this road to
the Opequan completed that night. I had then with me, in addition
to my eight regiments amounting to about 8,000 men and a few
cavalry, Doubleday's heavy United States battery of 20 and 30
pounders, and a very good Rhode Island battery. And I was willing
to take the risk, whether Gen. Patterson followed me up or not, of
placing myself between Johnston and the Shenandoah River, rather
than let Johnston escape. And, at 4 o'clock [July 17th] I should
have moved over that road for that purpose, if I had had no further
orders. But, a little after 12 o'clock at night [July 16th-17th,]