The Wedding Ball

The soldiers had made an arbor ball room with brush walls and canvas roof, and laid a good dancing floor of plank. Flambeau torches, a good music detail from the brigade band, and bountiful refreshments completed all necessary arrangements, and a gay company of military gentlemen and invited guests from the neighborhood did the rest for a grand enjoyable time. I witnessed it all from the outside, but rather in the cold in every way for lack of exercise to keep me warm like the rest, for it was freezing weather and fire was scarce around that brush arbor.

That morning I had gone out with brigade adjutant, D. B. Taylor to guard mount inspection and drill of the detail from Perry's brigade for picket duty along the Rapidan, across from the Federal pickets on the other side of that narrow river. I was impressed with the easy veteran movements of the men, even over rough frozen ground, and the perfect drill they put up, in spite of worn shoes and clothing. Patches behind didn't count, they said, for the enemy never saw that side of them. But their arms and ammunition were all right. I recall seeing but one drill as good or possibly better, the next year in Richmond by the V.M.I. veteran cadet corps of boys, after they had won their spurs at New Market and paid off the enemy for destruction of their Military Institute at Lexington.