quarters, where they were inspected by one of his aids, who verified the detail. They then proceeded to Prospect Hill, where they were divided into three reliefs, and relieved the old picket. Shelters of boughs were here built for the Reserve to lie in, and a considerable portion of the day was spent in cutting wood for the night. Our regiment generally picketed from the pike to the Potomac, but when it laid to the left of the road they made the Ball House their headquarters. Mr. Ball was a violent secessionist, and like most of his clan had abandoned his home and with his family gone south upon the ap proach of our army. The consequence was, everything soon went to ruin. The trees were cut down, fences turned up, and one board after another disappeared from the house, until the chimney alone marked where it once stood. This was the case all the way down to the Chain Bridge and to Alexandria, the only exceptions being of those who had sense enough to remain at home, and those who had returned from the exile into which they had been driven by their secession neighbours. When the rebellion first broke out, the secessionists, although in the minority, with the aid of Confederate troops drove the Union citizens from their houses, impressing the young men, and plundering and robbing the old and helpless. 66 An old slave and his wife were all that remained on the farm, and their cabin and little garden were undisturbed. They obtained their daily food from the haversacks of the soldiers, for which they appeared grateful. They had great faith in the efficacy of prayer, and when old Uncle Ben" discoursed upon the war, he was wont to observe," Massa Linkum has a power of men, and them am mighty fond of chickens. I spects Massa Government must be powerfully rich to own all dem wagons and horses." Uncle Ben truly loved the aforesaid gentleman, and frequently inquired if they “had eber experienced religion." Picketing in pleasant weather was much preferable to the camp, but on the bleak hills of the Potomac, during the bitter cold nights, the wind came rushing down the valley, penetrating to the very bones. Sometimes the weather was so intensely cold, that the men were relieved every hour. Then it was their pace was quickened on the beat, and in their frail shelters they huddled up together to get warm, the motto being, "united we sleep, divided we freeze.". Some of the men, with bad memories, had considerable trouble in remembering the countersign. One night, when Pat D- was posted, the corporal gave him the word "Malta." "Now remember, Pat, by thinking of malt from which liquor is made, you can remember it." Yes, sir," replied Pat. Sometime afterwards, when an officer visited the posts, he interrogated Pat. Pat looked confused for a few moments when his face brightened up as he replied, "and is it rye, sir?”" At another time when the word was "Brandywine," one of the men replied, "wine and whiskey," and at another time the word "Toledo" was tortured into "toad eater.” Beyond the picket line was the cavalry patrol, who moved to and fro on the pike, as far as Difficult creek. Sometimes on cold nights the patrols would induce some one of the infantry who was off duty to ride a round for him, while he warmed himself. This, however, he had better not have been caught at. Of course, the men wished to visit their homes during the winter, and as furloughs could not be granted to all, many were doomed to disappointment. Considerable numbers, however, took a run home for a week or ten days without any authority, which was called "taking French." To accomplish this, they concealed themselves in the army wagons and were smuggled across the Chain Bridge to Washington, where they procured citizens clothes and went north. Many of them, however, were detected by the depot guard in spite of their disguise, for soldiers have a peculiar look and style about them that is easily detected by a practiced eye. And woe unto them that were caught, for the guard-house was their certain resting place until they were sent to their regiments under arrest. None of the Second boys, however, were put to this indignity, but whether it was on account of their virtue or excessive cuteness, the reader must judge for himself. When the Potomac froze over this evil became prevalent in spite of the sure punishment that awaited their return to camp, for the men were willing to stand it for the pleasures of home. However, there is a mode to remedy all evils, so pickets were stationed on the river with orders to shoot down any one who at tempted to cross. But home, no matter how humble is the palace of the heart, and some of the boys took the risk and got safely over, and surely it was right to deal leniently with them when they returned. A short distance beyond Difficult creek was the resi dence of Mrs. Jackson, the mother of Jim Jackson who killed the lamented Ellsworth. As it was ascertained that her house was a general rendezvous for scouts and spies, whom she harbored and concealed, a squad of cavalry visited it early one morning with an ambulance and escorted her to General McCall's headquarters. Quite a number of concealed weapons and some important sketches of our picket line, that had been corrected to correspond with the changes lately made in it, were captured, so the old lady was sent to Washington. On the 14th of February, First-Lieutenant Peter Summers, Company H, resigned, and Orderly Sergeant Hugh P. Kennedy was elected to fill the vacancy. About the same time Assistant-surgeon J. W. Lodge resigned, and Doctor John Malone was appointed by Governor Curtin his successor. Five volunteers from each regiment of the Reserve were called for about this time for the Western flotilla, and the seventy-five men thus obtained from the division formed the crew of the celebrated gunboat Carondolet that ran such a glorious career on the Mississippi. A very amusing sell was started about this time by some wags, who circulated in all the regiments, at the same time, a rumor to the effect that any volunteer who would enter the regular army would receive one hundred dollars in cash, and sixty days furlough by applying at headquarters the next morning at ten o'clock. The consequence was that headquarters was literally besieged by the gulled ones, and those who came out of curiosity. The General, observing the crowd, sent one of his staff, "Old Snapping-Turtle," out to inquire the cause of it, who stormed like an old war-horse at the men for being such fools. On the 3d of March the Reserves were ordered out with "kits complete," and marched to the Chain Bridge and back, a distance of eight miles. On the 5th this was repeated, the object being to prepare the men for the fatigues of the campaign. CHAPTER X. FAREWELL TO PIERPONT. OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1862. FOR the proper elucidation of the subject it will be necessary here to refer to the planning of the campaign that was about opening. Two bases of operations for the Army of the Potomac presented themselves; one submitted by the President, January 31st, from Washington, involving an attack upon Centreville and Manassas direct, or the turning of one or both flanks of those positions, or a combination of those plans. An attack on the left flank involved too long a line of wagon communication, and on the right flank by way of Occoquan if success ful by a decisive battle, could not have been followed up with commensurate results. Should the condition of the enemy's troops permit, he could fall back upon other positions, and fight us again and again, or if he was not in a condition to give battle outside of the intrenchments at Richmond, it would have proved difficult and hazardous to have followed him there either by way of Fredericksburg or Gordonsville, as he would have destroyed the railroad bridges and otherwise impeded our progress. Besides a line of communication from Washington to Richmond, through an enemy's country, was impracti cable. A direct attack upon Centreville would have been productive of no other results, and a combined attack upon that point and the right flank was impracticable on account of the distance and obstacles intervening between the columns. The plan submitted by General McClellan, February 3d, was to operate from the lower Chesapeake, making Urbana, on the lower Rappahannock, the point of landing, which is distant from West Point one march, and from Richmond but two. This would have necessitated the abandonment of Manassas, Centreville and the Upper Potomac by the enemy, and if followed with celerity of movements the probable cutting off of Magruder in the Peninsula, and the occupation of Richmond before the enemy's forces could have been concentrated for its defence. The latter proposition was adopted, and as early as February 14th the collection of vessels for the transportation of the army to the lower Potomac was commenced. On the 9th of March information was received that the enemy having discovered the intended movement, was evacuating Centreville and Manassas, as well as his positions on the upper and lower Potomac. Upon his retiring, he having destroyed all the railroad bridges in his rear, and the roads being almost impassable, it was impossible to inflict the usual damage generally afforded by the withdrawal of a large army in the face of a powerful foe. But as considerable time must elapse before transporta |