of future success.
Everywhere there was fighting. Varying fortune attended the
Confederate arms. _Un_varying glory, unsurpassed, magnificent bravery
so dazzled the eyes of the nation that none saw or admitted defeat
anywhere. Yet valuable territory had been surrendered. Homeless
refugees flocked into Richmond, but even these were hopeful and
defiant, almost proud of their early martyrdom, ready to serve the
cause by "doing all their hands found to do with their might."

If anything had been needed to inspire hope, to arouse patriotic
pride, the appearance of Johnston's army as it passed through Richmond
on its way to the Peninsula to foil once more the "On-to-Richmond"
plans of the enemy would have more than sufficed.

Oh, what days were those, which came _unheralded_, to write their
history in letters of fire upon the records of the city of Richmond!

General Johnston had kept his own counsel. Says Pollard: "With such
consummate address was this move managed, that our own troops had no
idea of what was intended until the march was taken up." Soldiers had
been continually passing through the city, but by companies or
regiments, each in its turn admired and enthusiastically cheered. Now,
when seemingly countless legions swept by with martial tread, their
resounding footsteps and splendid appearance equally with the roll of
many drums and the clash of regimental bands stirred the hearts of the
multitude thronging the sidewalks, crowding every door-way and
gallery, "mounting wall and battlement, yea, even to chimney-top;"
not, indeed, to see a "great Caesar," but to hail with wildest delight
a magnificent army, of which the humblest soldier was a "greater than
Caesar," inasmuch as he was ready to sacrifice upon the altar of
patriotism all that the Roman conqueror held most dear first of
all,--_personal ambition_.

Among the crowd, side by side with the ladies resident in Richmond,
stood mothers, wives, sisters, from other Southern States, looking
eagerly for the well-known uniform worn by _their own_, proudly
pointing them out as they passed, even to utter strangers, sure of
warmest sympathy, following them with longing eyes until they were
lost to sight, hundreds, alas! _forever_.

Among the gayly-fluttering banners borne proudly aloft some were
ragged and torn by shot or shell. As each of these appeared men
shouted themselves hoarse, women drew shuddering sighs and grew
deathly pale, as if realizing for the first t