" He would hear no more and left her.
Josiah knew many people in Washington, black and white, and after some
disappointments went with a lot of remounts for cavalry to join the
army in the Wilderness, where he served variously with the army teams.
On an afternoon late in May, 1864, he strode on, passing by the long
lines of marching men who filled the roadways on their way to the
crossing of the North Anna River. He had been chaffed, misdirected,
laughed at or civilly treated, as he questioned men about the engineers.
He took it all with good-humour. About three, he came near to a house
on the wayside, where a halt had been ordered to give the men a brief
rest. The soldiers dust-grey and thirsty scattered over the clearing or
lay in the shadow of the scrub oaks. Some thronged about a well or a
wayside spring, or draining their canteens caught a brief joy from the
lighted pipe so dear to the soldier. Josiah looked about him, and knew
the log-cabins some distance away from the better house to have been the
slave-quarters. Beyond them was a better built log-house. Apparently all
were deserted--men, cattle and horses, were gone. He lay down a little
way from the road and listened to the talk of the men seated in front of
him. He heard a private say, "A halt is as bad as a march, the dust is a
foot deep, and what between flies and mosquitoes, they're as bad as the
Rebs.
Pages:
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524