racted universal attention. The party rode in one of the huge
Virginia wagons, so familiar to those who have spent much time in those
parts, and consisted of an aged colored woman, probably more than ninety
years old, one or two younger women, a black man of fifty, who was a
cripple, a boy of twelve or fifteen years, and a very large number of
small children, varying in hue from jet black to dark brunette. The load
was drawn by four broken down, spavined animals, the crippled man riding
one of the horses of the rear span, the boy one of the leaders. The
soldiers manifested great interest in this curious load of refugees, and
freely divided with them their hard tack and coffee. The writer of these
pages, reining his horse to the side of the vehicle, addressed the aged
negress, "Well, aunty, are all those your children?" "Lor, no massa,
dey's only eighteen ob 'em." Doubtless she designed to say that there
were only eighteen of the children, not that "only eighteen" were her
own.

As our army neared Fisher Hill the cavalry of the enemy became annoying
to our rear-guard. General Sheridan said to General Torbert, that the
annoyance must be stopped at once. Accordingly Custer and his horsemen
lay in wait for the rebel cavalry, attacked them, drove them away beyond
Mount Jackson, and took eleven pieces of artillery and three hundred
prisoners from them. They gave us no more trouble at that time.

Monday, October 10th, the Sixth corps, leaving the Eighth and Nineteenth
guarding the line of Cedar creek, turned toward the left and proceeded
to Front Royal. The Seventy-seventh was made provost guard of the town,
and the brigades were stationed along the mountain passes. Here, in the
enjoyment of lovely weather, pleasant associations, a bountiful supply
of lamb and honey, and untold quantities of grapes of delicious flavor,
the corps remained several days, and the men even flattered themselves
that in the enjoyment of these luxuries they were to pass the winter.
But, as usual with bright anticipations, these were suddenly dispelled
by the order to march, on the morning of the 13th, toward Ashby's Gap.

[Illustration: "GOING NORF."]

From the direction of our march it was evident that we were on the road
to Washington, and rumor had it that we were to be shipped at once for
Petersburgh. We reached the bank of the Shenandoah, where we expected to
cross to the gap; the corps was massed by the river side, and the men
looked dismally