ward Orange Court
House and Culpeper, thence on to Washington. The army moved at early
dawn, but it was toward Louisa Court House.

Cavalry, artillery, and wagon trains proceeded by the red and heavy
roads, but from Gordonsville on the Virginia Central helped the infantry
as best it might. The cars were few and the engine almost as overworked
as the train men, but the road did its best. The trains moved back and
forth, took up in succession the rear brigade and forwarded them on the
march. The men enjoyed these lifts. They scrambled aboard, hung out of
the window, from the platform and from roof, encouraged the engine,
offered to push the train, and made slighting remarks on the tameness of
the scenery. "Not like God's country, back over the mountains!" They
yelled encouragement to the toiling column on the red roads. "Step
spryer! Your turn next!"

Being largely Valley of Virginia Virginians, Louisianians, Georgians,
Texans, and North Carolinians, the army had acquaintance slight or none
with the country through which it was passing. Gordonsville left behind,
unfamiliarity began. "What's this county? What's that place over there?
What's that river? Can't be the Potomac, can it? Naw, 't aint wide
enough!"--"Gentlemen, I think it is the Rappahannock."--"Go away! it is
the headwaters of the York."--"Rapidan maybe, or Rivanna."--"Probably
Pamunkey, or the Piankatank,

Where the bullfrogs jump from bank to bank."

"Why not say the James?"--"Because it isn't. We know the James."--"Maybe
it's the Chickahominy! I'm sure we've marched far enough! Think I hear
McClellan's cannon, anyhow!"--"Say, captain, is that the river
Dan?"--"_Forbidden to give names!_"--"Good Lord! I'd like to see--no, I
wouldn't like to see Old Jack in the Inquisition!"--"I was down here
once and I think it is the South Anna."--"It couldn't be--it couldn't be
Acquia Creek, boys?"--"Acquia Creek! Absurd! You aren't even warm!"--"It
might be the North Anna."--"Gentlemen, cease this idle discussion. It is
the Tiber!"

On a sunny morning, somewhere in this _terra incognita_, one of Hood's
Texans chanced, during a halt, to stray into a by-road where an
ox-heart cherry tree rose lusciously, above a stake and rider fence. The
Texan looked, set his musket against the rails, and proceeded to mount
to a green and leafy world where the cherries bobbed against his nose. A
voice came to him from below. "What are you doing up there, sir?"

The Texan