It was on such a day as this that Dalton came to him, his grave face wearing a look of importance.
"General Jackson has just told me," he said, "to take you and join General Stuart, who is going with his horse to the neighborhood of Port Royal on the river." "What's up ?" "Nothing's up yet.

But we understand that some of the Yankee gunboats are trying to get up, now that they have a clear passage through the ice." "Cavalry can't stop them." "No, but Stuart is taking horse artillery with him, and he's likely to make it warm for the enemy in the water.

Harry, if we only had a navy, too, this war wouldn't be doubtful." "But, as we haven't got a navy, it is doubtful, very doubtful." They quickly joined General Stuart, who was eager for the duty, and falling in line with the troop of Sherburne rode swiftly toward Port Royal, the cavalrymen carrying with them several light guns.
As they galloped along, mixed mud and snow flew in every direction, but most of them had grown so used to it that they paid little attention.

The river flowed a deep and somber stream, and all the hills about were yet white with snow.

At that time, colored too, as it was by his feelings, it was the most sinister landscape that Harry had ever looked upon.