Fate seemed to have determined that the Confederate sun should set in halo worthy of its noonday splendor, and gave a series of unbroken successes to the cavalry, and crowned all by the magnificent charge of Gordon’s corps of infantry on the very morning of the surrender, when that gallant General swept away the enemy’s lines and captured his batteries in a style that showed that nothing of his old vigor was lost. There was a serious embarrassment, however, attending the cavalry victories, viz: The capture of so many prisoners, which towards the last became nearly as numerous as General Lee’s whole army, and presented a difficult question both as to feeding and guarding. No rations having been issued, men and horses had been subsisting from the 4th of April on a scanty supply of hard corn, which the troops had not even time to parch, and ate raw from the cob as they marched. On one occasion someone of the battalion got hold of a raw ham, and generously divided it as far as it would go. Raw ham, and raw corn from the cob may not be very palatable to one unfasted, but to Colonel Dorsey and his men it seemed a luxury. At Amelia Springs there was a severe fight, in which the enemy was defeated and pursued some miles. Here a small portion of flour was issued to each man, but which there was no time to cook, and the flour was tied up in bags, handkerchiefs, stockings, or anything else at hand that might serve the purpose; and so it remained for two days before opportunity to cook it offered, the battalion being in the meantime constantly engaged. At last it was impossible for human nature to hold out longer, and the second night after the fight at Amelia Springs, it was determined to cook the flour. As soon, therefore, as night came on—which rendered the enemy’s fire less accurate, and induced his cavalry to become less aggressive—the brigade, leaving a strong picket force still actively skirmishing, withdrew behind a neighboring hill and prepared to cook. There were no cooking utensils nor any convenience to make, but soldiers who had gone through a four year’s war had many devices at hand to meet exigencies. A detail with canteens was sent to the stream near by for water, and oil cloths were substituted for kneading trays. In this way the flour was hastily moistened into a paste, and as hastily parched in the embers of the very spare fires which proximity to the enemy reduced to the smallest possible dimension that could be dignified with the name of fire. The skirmishers were then relieved by some who had eaten, to make similar provisions for their wants. From this time until Lynchburg was reached, on the night of the 9th of April, when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, the First Maryland subsisted on corn and some rations taken from the captured enemy. It was hard to take food from prisoners, perhaps, but necessity knows no law, and between starving men the weakest must yield.