The retreat continued slowly, the mixed men endeavouring while on the march to find their respective regiments and companies.  Mounted men—­officers probably—­rode up and down the column crying out:  “Flag of Thirty-seventh is forward,” “Flag of Forty-fifth is behind you,” and so on, thus telling the men where to find their commands.  It was really good work, I thought.  A little before midnight—­or it may have been much earlier, for I was well-nigh worn out—­a halt was made at the crossroads which I afterward knew to be the crossing of the Ashcake and Richmond roads about a mile and a half southeast of Ashland.  Here all the men could easily find their commands, and I knew that perfect organization would be effected in a very few minutes.  Before the line was completely formed, I walked off and was at once alone in the darkness.

By the stars I was able to strike a course; I went nearly east for perhaps a quarter of a mile, and lay down under a tree, first spreading my gum-blanket on the wet ground.  My weariness amounted almost to exhaustion.  I was hungry, too, and began to explore my predecessor’s haversack, but fell asleep while thinking of food, and slept soundly the remainder of the night.

At daylight I was awake.  I ate some bacon and hoecake which I found in the haversack; while doing this, I took a good look at my gun and accoutrements.  The rifle was a long Enfield with three bands; the cartridge-box and cap-box were slung to a single waist-belt, the scabbard for the bayonet also, but there was no bayonet.  The brass plate on the lid of the cartridge-box was a U.S. plate; the belt-buckle also was Federal; both plate and buckle had been turned upside down, so that each bore the inverted letters S U. There were a few cartridges in the box—­such cartridges as I had not seen before.  I found that the rifle was not loaded, and I allowed it to remain empty.

After I had eaten, I crept nearer the crossroads.  The rebels had gone.  I examined the road and found that all the tracks in the mud were pointing toward Ashland.  I followed on, keeping for a time openly in the road, for I was as good a Confederate as need be unless I should be overtaken by any of our own men.  I considered now that this force of the enemy was likely to establish connection at once with the main Confederate lines near Richmond, if indeed it had not already done so, and that if I should turn southward I should be in danger of being forced into the ranks and questioned, so I decided to go north of Ashland, and determine if possible the left of the line, which would be, I judged, the extreme left of the whole Confederate army.

In approaching Ashland I had no trouble; when I came in sight of the village I began to make a detour to the north, and about an hour after sunrise placed myself in observation between the Fredericksburg railroad and the Richmond road, which here run parallel due north and about half a mile apart.  I was facing south.