The next day we passed through Farmville, and in the evening halted at the coal pits in Cumberland county, where two roads crossed. The wagon trains were passing, and our cavalry was massed between them and the enemy, held in readiness, but not anticipating an attack. Our beloved old General was sitting beneath an old oak tree near the road, leaning against the trunk of the tree, when suddenly the Federal cavalry opened fire upon us, and came near recapturing all our prisoners, who were held under guard in a bottom in front of us. General Lee slowly remounted his horse and rode past as we formed for the charge. We cheered him, and he gravely lifted his hat in acknowledgment of our greeting. I believe, if Grant's whole army had been there then, they could not have reached or harmed that grey head as long as one of those cavalry boys lived to raise a sabre or handle a pistol. We soon repulsed them and captured General Gregg. I suppose he surrendered his sword to Fitz. Lee, as I saw the latter twirling it in his hand as he rode up after the enemy had retired, When we came back to the cross-roads we found that ‘Marse Bob’ had not left us unprovided with support, for I saw the shining barrels of a grim line of infantry extending across the road, and the black muzzles of a battery pointing down the road. Then, finding that we needed no help, our brethren wheeled into the road and resumed the march.