they turned,
halted, fired, received a shower of balls in return, and then again
moved doggedly to the rear. A little lieutenant of infantry, who had
been on the skirmish line, joined the squad. He was armed with a
revolver, and had his sword by his side. Stopping behind the corner of a
corn-crib he swore he would not go any further to the rear. The squad
moved on and left him standing there, pistol in hand, waiting for the
enemy, who were now jumping the fences and coming across the field,
running at the top of their speed. What became of this singular man no
one knows. He was, as he said, "determined to make a stand." A little
further on the squad found a single piece of artillery, manned by a
lieutenant and two or three men. They were selecting individuals in the
enemy's skirmish line, and _firing at them with solid shot_! Lieutenant
McRae laughed at the ridiculous sight, remonstrated with the officer,
and offered his squad to serve the gun, if there was any canister in the
limber chest. The offer was refused, and again the squad moved on.
Passing a cow-shed about this time, the squad halted to look with
horror upon several dead and wounded Confederates who lay there upon the
manure pile. They had suffered wounds and death upon this the last day
of their country's struggle. Their wounds had received no attention, and
those living were famished and burning with fever.

Lieutenant McRae, noticing a number of wagons and guns parked in a field
near by, surprised at what he considered great carelessness in the
immediate presence of the enemy, approached an officer on horseback and
said, in his usual impressive manner, "I say there, what does this
mean?" The man took his hand and quietly said, "We have surrendered." "I
don't believe it, sir!" replied McRae, strutting around as mad as a
hornet. "You mustn't talk so, sir! you will demoralize my men!" He was
soon convinced, however, by seeing Yankee cavalrymen walking their
horses around as composedly as though the Army of Northern Virginia had
never existed. To say that McRae was surprised, disgusted, indignant,
and incredulous, is a mild way of expressing his state of mind as he
turned to his squad and said, "Well, boys, it must be so, _but it's very
strange behavior_. Let's move on and see about it." As though dreaming,
the squad and the disgusted officer moved on.

Learning that the army had gone into camp, the skirmishers went on in
the direction of the village, and fou