Headquarters Army Of Potomac
November 19, '63
The Britons still continue with us. Yesterday we took them,
with a small escort, to Buford's Headquarters beyond Culpeper. By Brandy
Station we came across a line of rifle-pits that the Rebs had thrown up,
probably on the Saturday night of their retreat, so as to cover the trains
falling back on the Rapid Ann. We found the cavalry Chief afflicted with
rheumatism, which he bore with his usual philosophy. Hence we made haste,
across the country, to General Warren's, where he had prepared some manoeuvres
of infantry for us. This was one of the finest sights I have seen in the army.
There were some 6000 or 7000 men on the plain, and we stood on a little hill to
look. The evolutions ended by drawing up the force in two lines, one about 300
yards in rear of the other; and each perhaps a mile long. Then they advanced
steadily a short distance, when the order was given to charge, and, as if they
were one man, both lines broke into a run and came up the hill, shouting and
yelling. I never saw so fine a military spectacle. The sun made the bayonets
look like a straight hedge of bright silver, which moved rapidly toward you.
But the great fun was when part of the line came to a stone wall, over which
they hopped with such agility as to take Colonel Earle prisoner, while Captain
Stephenson's horse, which was rather slow, received an encouraging prod from a
bayonet. Which events put us in great good humor, and we rode merrily home.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 50
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