September 21, 1861 continued

Our brigade was put in motion just at
Dark 16th Sept. & commenced its march toward
Meadow Bluff. Just before we beheld the
smoke from the camp of the enemy in the
^'country plain' far below us & about 15 mis. distant.

Our people, worn out as they were, considered
it very had to leave the foe when actually
in sight. In the evening an order was
sent to Gen. Wise, "to hold himself in read-
iness to bring up the rear." By this, our
Adjutant General Capt meant that
he should march immediately after us,
but Gen. wise construed it in its letter
literal sense, & to the great surprise of Genl.
Floyd he fpund in the morning that he
still remained at Sewell. One word of our
march in the night. Napoleon performed
his celebrated night marches over moun-
tains & through storms & the heroes of the
Revolution theirs, but & this verily deserves
to be classed with them. Soon after night
the rain commenced falling in torrents
on that dreary mountain -- the roads
became almost impossible & it was as
dark as Erebus. Notwithstanding all
this our troops moved onward for 15
miles over two vast Mountains, with
the baggage & provision wagons in front
moving almost at a snail's pace.

Assistant Adjuntant General William Elisha Peters.
Later on the University of Virginia faculty.