to ask how I was getting along. I remember well how curiously those
with him gazed at me, and I am sure that it must have struck them as
very odd that such a dirty, ragged, unkempt youth could have been the
son of this grand-looking victorious commander.

I was introduced recently to a gentleman, now living in Washington,
who, when he found out my name, said he had met me once before and
that it was on this occasion. At that time he was a member of the
Tenth Virginia Infantry, Jackson's Division, and was camped near our
battery. Seeing General Lee and staff approach, he, with others, drew
near to have a look at them, and thus witnessed the meeting between
father and son. He also said that he had often told of this incident
as illustrating the peculiar composition of our army.

After McClellan's change of base to Harrison's Landing on James River,
the army lay inactive around Richmond. I had a short furlough on
account of sickness, and saw my father; also my mother and sisters,
who were then living in Richmond. He was the same loving father to
us all, as kind and thoughtful of my mother, who as an invalid, and
of us, his children, as if our comfort and happiness were all he had
to care for. His great victory did not elate him, so far as one could
see. In a letter of July 9th, to my mother, he says:

"...I have returned to my old quarters and am filled with gratitude
to our Heavenly Father for all the mercies He has extended to us.
Our success has not been so great or complete as we could have desired,
but God knows what is best for us. Our enemy met with a heavy loss,
from which it must take him some time to recover, before he can
recommence his operations...."