September 19 — This morning some Yankee raiders burnt a bridge on the Rapidan — a railroad bridge, I think.
The occurrence caused considerable excitement here at Gordonsville and gave rise to various wildcat rumors flying around thick and fast, that the Yankees were advancing on the town with a heavy force. The employees at home, and the lame, halt and almost blind from the hospitals all turned out to defend the town. It was a motley crew, some few of whom had guns, but most of the men were without arms of any kind, yet they looked as if they were nearly ready to die in the last ditch. My captain sent me word to defend the town at all hazards. When I received his dispatch I moved one of our guns about four hundred yards east of the town to a position that commands the road that leads toward the Rapidan, and I was ready for fight. But happily, after the raiders destroyed the bridge, they disappeared in some other direction and the battle of Gordonsville was postponed to a more convenient season.
