About nine o'clock in the morning
I considered now that this force of the enemy was likely to establish connection at once with the main Confederate lines near Richmond , if indeed it had not already done so , and that if I should turn southward I should be in danger of being forced into the ranks and questioned , so I decided to go north of Ashland , and determine if possible the left of the line , which would be , I judged , the extreme left of the whole Confederate army . In approaching Ashland I had no trouble ; when I came in sight of the village I began to make a detour to the north , and about an hour after sunrise placed myself in observation between the Fredericksburg railroad and the Richmond road , which here run parallel due north and about half a mile apart . I was facing south . About nine o'clock in the morning I was surprised to see to the rear of my left the Richmond road full of troops marching southward . I crawled up as near to the road as I dared , and watched them . There seemed to be but one regiment , which was a large one . Three or four officers rode at the head of the regiment ; one , who I supposed was the colonel , was a large , heavy-built man who sat his horse proudly -LSB- 3 -RSB- .