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retired much impressed with him. His day is gone.
More houses and better houses will be built in Culpeper country, and a few years will leave no trace of the war, but the decaying head-board, here and there, of some poor chap, and the bits of shell that the farmers will sometimes pick up. But Master, who lived in the big house, is shot, long ago — he and his regime both.
February 5, 1864
General Humphreys sent for me and showed me a cipher correspondence between Butler and Halleck, and Halleck and Sedgwick.
B. telegraphed that large reinforcements had been sent from the Rapid Ann to North Carolina, and that he wished a demonstration to “draw their forces from Richmond.”
S. replied that, with the exception of some two or three brigades, nobody had been sent to that place from the army in our front.
B. then said he was going to move on Richmond, or something of the sort, and would like a demonstration not later than Saturday (to-morrow). S. said it was too short a time to make any great show and that it would spoil our chances for a surprise on their works, in future.
H. then telegraphed to do, at any rate, what we could.
So Kilpatrick has been sent to their right via Mine Ford, and Merritt is to threaten Barnett's Ford; and to threaten Raccoon Ford, while the 2d will make a stronger demonstration at Morton's Ford.
Old Sedgwick and General Humphreys are cross at the whole thing, looking on it as childish.February 7, 1864
It is one in the morning and I have, so to speak, just taken a midnight dinner, having come in from the front between 11 and 12 oclock.
Well, who would have thought of marching out of comfortable winter quarters, to go 