196
	         Scenes and Sights
our tent, when we were obliged to turn out.
Then followed the dreary lighting of a fire in the
raw chilly morning, and the imperfect cooking of
some of the rawer ham, brought from the house
at Williamsburg, which appetizing meal we ate
with indigestible dough-cake, as an accompaniment.
That over we repaired to a neighbouring gully, for
a wash at a spring, there being many soldiers
doing the like.  Then to horse and another day�s 
ride.         Hot sunlight, pine woods, here and
there an irregular open space, not unlike that
in which Fort Magruder was situated: a long,
narrow line of marching men.   The slackened
telegraph wire indicated that we were on the main
road to Richmond.      At midday we halted at
a house occupied by an old woman and three young
ones, attended upon by a smart, good looking
mulatto girl, who was evidently in a state of
high glee at the arrival of �the Yankees.�  Here we
found Whittemore and another reporter whose
name I forget.          The old woman was mortally
apprehensive about a horse she owned being stolen
and complained of having sufferend from both armies.
With her was a heavy, thick set man, introduced
as her son; his name Timberlake.      We got some
or our bacon cooked and coffee prepared by the
mulatto girl, drinking the latter without milk or
sugar.      The old woman drank a cup or two, de-