At seven o’clock the march was resumed; and when it became apparent we were not yet to seek Virginia’s sod, a spirit of enthusiasm diffused itself throughout the command which could hardly be controlled. Poor fellows, little did they then think a few hours more would see thousands of them stretched stark and stiff, and wounded and dying upon the gory field of Gettysburg. “Captain Murray, I will lay you a wager,” was my exclamation as I rode to the side of that gallant young officer. “I will wager you my last ten in Confederate currency that we will see Washington’s Monument in Baltimore in so many days. Come, do you take the bet?” Raising his eyes, he looked at me with an expression which seemed to say as plain as he could speak, “Are you jesting, or are you a fool?” and then broke out into a hearty laugh. “If I did not know you and the Colonel were at headquarters last evening, I would be inclined to believe you had partaken of some of the proceeds of Commissary John Howard’s successful raid of yesterday,” he replied. “But I do not know anything of Captain Howard’s raid or what he captured,” I somewhat petulantly rejoined, for I did not like the idea of my great secret being treated with such indifference; “and I moreover assure you I am altogether in earnest. Now listen, and I will convince you I am right: You know that Longstreet and Hill are in advance of us, and I will inform you that Rhodes has left Carlisle, and Early is at York. Well, from York there is a turnpike to Baltimore, as you are aware. Early will take that road and operate upon the line of the Northern Central Railroad. There are two fine turnpikes also from Gettysburg (whither we are going, as this road can lead us nowhere else,) to Baltimore, the one passing through Littlestown, Westminster, &c., the other by the way of Hanover and Manchester to Reisterstown, sixteen miles from the city, where the two meet. Rhodes will join us at Gettysburg, and the whole army, with the exception of Early, will take these parallel turnpikes and reach Reisterstown simultaneously, for the distance is the same. Rest assured all this marching and countermarching was for the purpose of misleading Hooker; and now that General Lee has him out of the way, he intends to slip into Baltimore and Washington before he can discover his error.” I believe my reasoning made some impression; but not being of so sanguine a temperament as myself, he was far from being fully convinced. How far right and how far wrong I was in my conjectures the sequel proved. It was not my first attempt to penetrate the designs of my commander-in-chief, but I determined it should be my last.