carcely be reconciled
to this parting with their best friends, and feared, too, it preluded
infantry service. In the winter huts built at Abingdon, they were
sufficiently comfortable, but were half famished. The country was almost
bare of supplies. Still they bore up, cheerful and resolute.

In March we were ordered to Lynchburg to assist in defending that place
against Sheridan. He passed by, however, and struck at larger game.
About this time the men who had lain so long, suffered so much, and
endured so heroically in prison, began to arrive. The men who had braved
every hardship, in field and camp, were now reinforced by those who were
fresh from the harsh insults and galling sense of captivity. Six months
earlier this addition to our numbers would have told--now it was too
late.

Our gallant boys would not halt or rest until they rejoined their old
comrades. Then they crowded around with many a story of their prison
life, and vow of revenge--never to be accomplished. All asked for arms,
and to be placed at once in the ranks. Very few, however, had been
already exchanged, and all the others were placed, much against their
will, in "Parole camp" at Christiansburg. In April, the enemy advanced
again from East Tennessee. Stoneman raided through North
Carolina--tapped the only road which connected Richmond with the
Southern territory still available, at Salisbury, and then suddenly
turned up in our rear, and between us and Richmond. This decided General
Early, who was then commanding the department, to move eastwardly that
he might get closer to General Lee. All the troops in the department
were massed, and we moved as rapidly as it was possible to do. At
Wytheville, Giltner met a detachment of the enemy and defeated it. At
New river, we found the bridge burned by the enemy, who had anticipated
us there, and we marched on toward Lynchburg, on his track. General
Early having fallen ill, the command devolved upon General Echols. This
officer did all that any man could have done, to preserve the morale of
the troops. He was possessed of remarkable administrative capacity, and
great tact, as well as energy. While firm, he was exceedingly popular in
manner and address, and maintained good humor and satisfaction among the
troops, while he preserved order and efficiency.

General Echols had, at this time, besides the cavalry commands of
Vaughan, Cosby, Giltner and mine, some four or five thousand
infantry--the division of Ge