At every village through which they passed the people flocked out with offerings of milk and fruit.

The days were hot, but the mornings and evenings delightful; and as the troops always halted in the shade of a wood for three or four hours in the middle of the day, the marches, although long, were not fatiguing.
At Harper's Ferry General Johnston had just superseded Colonel Jackson in command.

The force there consisted of eleven battalions of infantry, sixteen guns, and after Ashley's force arrived, three hundred cavalry.
Among the regiments there Vincent found many friends, and learned what was going on.
He learned that Colonel Jackson had been keeping them hard at work.

Some of Vincent's friends had been at the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, where Jackson was professor of natural philosophy and instructor of artillery.
"He was the greatest fun," one of the young men said; "the stiffest and most awkward-looking fellow in the Institute.

He used to walk about as if he never saw anything or anybody.