September 21st, 1861, continued

On the 13th Inst. two more regiments joined
us -- a reinforcement which should have
reached us 2 or 3 weeks before & then we
wld. have been able to hold our position
& whip the Yankees. With this addition the
combined forces of Wise & Floyd amounts to about
4200. H Late the same evening, Major Houn-
shell returned from Carnifax with the force
under his command. While there, he did good
service. The enemy had completed a boat
& were about launching it, when he arrived.
This boat he destroyed & killed 4 Yankees
holding them in check for 2 days. Were
our brigade officered by such men as
the Major, no fears could be entertained
of success & victory. Here the General
determined to stand & meet the foe.

Although this position is very strong, forti-
fications were indispensible f to shield
so small a forces as ours against the
superior one of the enemy. Hence imme-
diately upon arriving at Sewell, he dispatch-
ed me alone to Lewisburg with orders
to purchase, borrow, & press into service
500 spades, axes, hoes, mattocks, picks &c.
This indeed was an arduous duty for
one so young as myself. For a few days
previous, I had been ^'almost' constantly on
horse back, however, I immediately started on
my mission, -- travelled nearly all that
night, collecting utensils &c. on my route &
urging the people to aid me. Early the
following morning (Sunday), I reached Lewis-
burg & during the day performed such
labor as never before I experienced.
By 4 o'clock Monday Morning I deliv-
ered nearly the entire number to Gen. Floyd --
on Sewell after travelling the entire
night. During my absence in Lewisburg
nothing of interest transpired. Rumours were
prevalent that the enemy were crossing at
Carnifax ferry. This point was viewed by our
officers with peculiar anxiety, as well as
Hughes' ferry, 9 miles above on the same
river. On Monday a large number of men
were set to work on, constructing fortifica-
tions. During the day, however reliable
information was received that the enemy
intended coming up the Wilderness Road
which runs from Hughes' ferry nearly
parallel to the James' river & Ka. Pike &
in comes into the it, near Meadow Bluff.
General Floy, knowing that it wld. be
destruction to our small force to permit
a column of the enemy to get in our rear by
this road, which he felt confident they wld.
attempt, should he remain there, determined
late in the evening on retreating. this per-
haps appeared rather strange to Gen Wise.

Earlier in the day he & Gen. Floyd had deter-
mined to stand & so sudden a change was
naturally inexplicable not capable of being
understood by one ignorant of all the
circumstances.