part
of a company only--Gen. Gary commanding the brigade.

The Seventh Georgia were, with the exception spoken of, dismounted,
though belonging to our brigade. We halted on the Charles City road,
found all the infantry gone; Gen. Longstreet, who commanded on the
north bank, had been withdrawn with Gen. Field's Division across the
river, to reinforce Gen. Lee around Petersburg, some two or three days
before, leaving only the Division of Gen. Kershaw in our immediate
neighborhood, and Gen. Custis Lee in command of the Marine Brigade and
City Reserves, next the river, near Fort Gilmer, all under the command
of Lt. Gen. Ewell; also Hankin's Battery, Virginia, attached to our
brigade.

We were to wait until two o'clock, and as soon as our dismounted men,
who were filling the place of infantry pickets withdrawn, should come
in, we were to move on to the city, acting as "rear guard," and burn
Mayo's Bridge. It was all out now; there had been a heavy fight in the
morning, near Petersburg, Gen. Lee all but overwhelmed, Gen. A.P. Hill
killed, and the army in full retreat on Burkville, to effect, if
possible, a junction with Gen. Johnston, in North Carolina.

We built big fires of brush wood, to give light and warmth, and
deceive the enemy. It was cold, though in April; the men, as usual,
light-hearted and cheerful round the fires, though an empire was
passing away around them; some, with an innate consciousness of the
work before them, when they heard that the halt was to be for two or
three hours, wrapped in their overcoats, with the capes drawn over
their heads, were soon sound asleep, forgetting the defeat of armies,
the work of yesterday, the toil and danger of to-morrow, in some quiet
dream of a home perhaps never seen again.

Two o'clock came and passed; our men had not come in. The General
waited until four o'clock. I think we were at this point six miles
from Richmond. We should have been there at daylight, and we were to
burn the bridge in time to prevent the enemy's crossing, as our whole
train, with infantry and artillery, had crossed during the night. Our
brigade of cavalry, and one company of artillery attached to it, were
all that were on this side--the north bank of the river. We could wait
no longer, and moved off slowly. In a short time after we started a
tremendous explosion took place toward the river, lighting up
everything like day, and waking every echo, and every Yankee for
thirty miles around. It was