“Only a cannon ball, but it's too late to dodge now--it has gone by.” “Get into your saddles, boys--never mind your haversacks--be sure your ammunition is all right. As fast as you're saddled up, mount and ride over there where the major is forming the regiment.” The Johnnies had nearly cheated us out of our suppers Monday night, as they did not cease firing on our pickets till after ten o'clock. And now they evinced a disposition to spoil our breakfast. In this they succeeded, but some of them were severely punished. Soldiers are inclined to be ugly when attacked about meal time, and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalrymen were given a red-hot reception when they pitched into our boys before breakfast. One of our boys got his saddle on with the pommel to the rear--he must have stood on the off side of his horse to buckle the saddle girth. After he mounted his horse he could not get his feet into the stirrups as they were “hind side afore.” “Halloo, there! what are you facing the wrong way for?” “I'm all right; it's a new wrinkle, don't you see? I can about face in the saddle and load and fire on the Johnnies while my horse keeps going on. I saddled up this way on purpose.” During the night Fitzhugh Lee had posted a battery so that he could make it hot for us when we came to cross the river. And very hot it was for an hour or so. The shot and shell came tearing through the bushes skirting the bank. A regiment was deployed to the rear to hold the rebels in check while the Federal troopers were crossing. The Confederates were mad--fighting mad. They understood that if Sheridan kept pushing on without halting his main column to give battle to the rebels in the rear, the Union cavalry could ride straight into Richmond. This was what caused Stuart to draw off the larger part of his command from the line of the North Anna to get in between Sheridan and the rebel capital, first making a feint on the south bank as if to attack Merritt's division in the morning. We succeeded in getting over the river without great loss, as the first division covered our crossing, and our flying artillery did splendid work in silencing the rebel battery that gave us the most trouble, and then sending cannon balls among the Johnnies who were peppering us at close range. When we reached Beaver Dam Station--or the ruins of what had been the station the day before--we found that Custer's brigade had demonstrated the ability of the Yankee troopers to smash things. “Golly, massa!” exclaimed a plantation hand, who had witnessed the capture and destruction of the station, “dem sojers from Massa Linkum's army dun knock de bottum out'n de las fing roun heah--shuah's yo born. Whar's yo all gwine?” “Richmond, Uncle.”