Being reminded of the fact that we were out of rations we resolved to try our luck at the first house that came in our way. We were not long in reaching one, probably not more than half an hour. As we had crossed the mountain without difficulty; as we felt glad we had not met with guerrillas--felt considerably hungry, and were, withal, much emboldened, we were not overcautious in our movements. Each of our party of five entered the yard through the gate in front, and on reaching the house--an old two-story frame house, unpainted--we rapped violently at the front door. There was no answer from within. We called and rapped repeatedly, but with the same results. We then passed around the house to its south side, where we found another door. Sutherland knocked loudly on it, but no response came. He then put his mouth to the string-hole and asked, "Is any body at home?" A man inside answered, in a tone of voice indicating fright, "I guess there's somebody about." "Why don't you get up, then?" asked Sutherland. "Nobody's going to hurt you." "What do you want?" inquired the man. "We want something to eat, and want you to get up and set about getting it forthwith," said Sutherland. He refused to even get out of bed, whereupon Sutherland demanded, "Shall we burst your door down?" and Wood added, "and come in and burst your noggin?" The man said, "That rests with you," and inquired, "Who are you, and where are you going?" "We are soldiers going to Rocky Mount Court-House," Sutherland answered. "Go on over the mountain, and you will be fed in the morning," returned the man. Preferring to risk our chances at the next house to doing any very rash or violent acts, we left this one, telling the man he showed a very poor quality of patriotism. "If it was any other time, if it twas daylight, I might do something for you." "We don't have to stand picket in the night-time; we don't have to march, skirmish, and frequently fight in the night-time, I suppose?" retorted Sutherland, in a very unamiable voice. "And skedaddle in the night-time from such rusty Butternuts as you are," added Smith, in a tone just loud enough not to be heard by the man, as we were withdrawing from the yard. We passed out of the yard through the gate to the road as quickly as we could, intending to hurry on our way. As Sutherland closed the gate he threatened the man with, "We shall report you when we get to Rocky Mount, mark that." On starting forward on the road Wood observed, "We commenced too heavy on the gentleman: we got him so badly scared he didn't know what to do, or how to do it."