Rappahannock. Our regiment had been on picket at Bealton Station as a support to Stuart's cavalry, and the enemy were rapidly advancing in large force, when another infantry regiment came down on a train of cars to relieve us. We had just gotten on the train, our friends were rapidly forming line of battle to meet the Federal advance, "Jeb" Stuart was going to the front with his "fighting jacket" on, and our train was slowly moving back, when a battery of the enemy galloped into position, and threw some shell, which shrieked through the air, and exploded uncomfortably near us. Immediately Colonel Walker called out in his clear, ringing tones, "It's all right, boys. The Thirteenth Foot Cavalry are mounted at last, and we will try the speed of our horse-flesh." So saying, he ordered the engineer to increase his speed, and we rushed to the rear amid the shouts of the men, who gave "three cheers for the foot cavalry," and made the woods echo with the camp song.
| "If you want to have a good time, Jine the cavalry." |
The whole of Jackson's splendid corps was afterwards called "the foot cavalry;" but I believe that the above was the origin of the sobriquet. My grand old regiment afterwards won imperishable renown as it bore its tattered battle-flag into the very thickest of the fight on many a victorious field, but we never forgot those bright days with Stuart, when we had our "outpost service with the foot cavalry."
Official Statement of the Strength of the Federal Armies During
the War.
The Adjutant-General's office at Washington has recently issued a statement of the number of men called for by the President of the United States, and the number furnished by each State and Territory and the District of Columbia, from April 15, 1861, to the close of the war. From this statement we learn that under the call of April 15, 1861, for 75,000 three months' militia, the States furnished 91,816. Under the call of May 3, 1861, (conformed by act approved August 6, 1861), and under acts of July 22 and 25, 1861, for 500,000 three years' men, 700,680 men were actually furnished, of whom, however, only 657,868 were three years' men; while 15,007 men were furnished in May and June, 1862, by special authority, for three months. Under the call of July, 2, 1862, for 300,000 men for three years, 421,465 were
