[260] During the following winter his regiment was in winter quarters in different places, and on April 27th broke camp and set out with the rest of the army on the Chancellorsville campaign. He wrote home as follows immediately after the battle of Chancellorsville:
On the night of the day after this letter was written the regiment was ordered to recross the river, and returned to Stafford Court-House, where it had been before encamped. Next came the expedition to Beverly Ford. Of this he wrote on June 19th, from Leesburg, Va.:—
It is some time since I have had an opportunity of writing to you, for we have been on the march for two weeks. A week ago last Saturday we were detached with one other regiment of our corps, to go over the river with the cavalry. In the first twenty-four hours we marched thirty-two miles. Tuesday morning we crossed the Rappahannock at Beverly Ford, where all the Rebel cavalry were massed. We did not have much difficulty in crossing, but we did not get far before they came down on us in force, and drove our cavalry in every direction. They were not prepared, however, for our rifles, and soon found that they had better leave. It was first-rate fun, a regular North Carolina fight. We Were skirmishing with them all day, and only lost four men. At one time seven battalions of cavalry came up in front of my company, which was all deployed as skirmishers. I thought of course we should all be taken, but I did not know what a joke cavalry fighting was. I
