tion could be collected to convey the army to the lower Potomac, an opportunity was offered to experience the troops on the march and bivouac previous to the campaign, and to get rid of the superfluous baggage which had accumulated in the camp during our long period of inactivity.

Accordingly on the night of the 9th, orders were issued for a general movement of the army the next morning, our regiment being ordered to have four days' cooked rations in haversacks, sixty rounds of cartridges, and kit complete.

At eleven o'clock on the 10th of March, 1862, we got into line, and bidding farewell to our happy home at Pierpont, crossed over the fields to the pike, and took up our line of march. A heavy rain had fallen through the night and during the morning, rendering the roads very muddy, and our backs being green, the knapsacks bore heavily upon us. But all were in excellent spirits, believing we would soon meet the foe, and sooner than fall out to rest, the men threw away their extra clothing, strewing the road along the march with coats, blouses, blankets, etc. We continued up the pike across Difficult Creek to Spring Vale, within three miles of Drainesville, when turning to the left and following a bridle path through the woods and over the hills, we reached about dark the neighborhood of Hunter's Mills, near which, on the Loudon and Hampshire railroad we bivouacked, the night being cold and rainy. Here we remained until the next afternoon, when we marched about two miles to a high elevation near the ruins of Hawkhurst's Mills, where we encamped.

Our encampment was about seventeen miles from Pierpont, two from Fairfax Court House, and eight from the Bull Run battle-field. The scene here was magnificent, particularly at night, when the valleys and hills. beneath us for miles around, were lit up with thousands of camp-fires. Here we received our "shelter tents," which experience taught us were the best in use for an

army in the field. But at first they were very unpopular, the men calling them "dog houses," and for amusement creeping into them on their hands and knees, and barking out of the ends at each other.

It should have been stated, that on the 8th of March, the President directed the Army of the Potomac to be divided into four corps, in compliance with which, there was assigned to General Irwin McDowell the first, consisting of the divisions of Franklin, McCall and King. To General E. V. Sumner the second, consisting of Richardson, Blenker and Sedgwick. To General S. P. Heintzleman the third, consisting of F. J. Porter, Hooker and Hamilton; and to General E. D. Keyes the fourth, consisting of Couch, Smith and Casey. On the 11th, an order from the President announced, that as General McClellan had personally taken the field, he was relieved from the command of the other military departments, and would retain command of the Department of the Potomac.

It being ascertained that the enemy were in no force north of Warrenton Junction, on the evening of the 14th, during a light fall of rain, we took up our march through the woods, passing on every side bivouacks, and burning bough huts and arbors, the glare from which lighted us upon our road. for miles. Reaching the Alexandria and Leesburg Pike, we turned to the right, and passing along it for two miles, about eleven o'clock filed into a dense open woods, where, in spite of the falling rain, our fires soon burnt brightly, and we slept soundly. The next morning early, during a heavy rain, we took up our march, moving across the country to the Drainesville 4 Pike, and turning down it crossed Difficult Creek, passing within four miles of our old home at Pierpont, and entering a woods, moved back again towards the Alexandria and Leesburg Pike by a private road. The rain by this time was falling in torrents, flooding the swampy ground, making the marching most tiresome and fatiguing. Soon the ranks were broken, the men scattering,

plunging through the mud, and toiling under their knapsacks, made doubly heavy by their blankets and overcoats becoming saturated with water. Soon they commenced dropping out, and laid scattered through the woods for miles. Upon striking the turnpike again, a long halt was called for the stragglers to catch up, and then moving on, we soon filed into a wood and stacked arms. This was about three o'clock, and although we had marched fifteen miles, we were but three miles from the starting point in the morning, the detour to the left being made on account of the enemy having burned the bridge on the pike over Difficult Creek some months previous.

After much patient labor, we succeeded in getting our fires started, and towards night hot coffee was served out, but such was the violence of the storm, that it was impossible to put up our tents, the most of the men spending the night in cutting wood and standing around the fires. At one time the heavens appeared to out do themselves, opening their flood-gates and pouring down a torrent of water, stifling the wind and flooding all below. The fires were almost instantly extinguished, and then the patriots were aroused to a full appreciation of their position. Not to be thus conquered and subdued by the raging elements, they set up their wild shouts and huzzahs, making the woods and hills for miles around echo with their noise, until by indomitable perseverance, they actually got themselves into a good humor. All that was wanted after they got fully started to complete their happiness, was a fiddle and a "straight four," and then they would have made a full night of it. But morning came, and with it a bright warm sun, Nature appearing to have exhausted herself in the mad rage of the night.

At ten o'clock the next morning, we moved down the pike, passing Falls Church, Munson's Hill, and a long line of fortifications erected at different times by the Union and Confederate troops, and arriving within a mile

of Alexandria, moved over the fields to the left, and encamped near the Cemetery and the Fairfax Seminary. On account of the roads, and the sleepless night, the march was rather an inanimate one, but little spirit of joviality being displayed until we met a supply train moving in an opposite direction among whose drivers was a red panted Zouave, the first we had seen. One of

the boys found out his name, and as he passed cried out "hallo Barney"-Barney turned round to see who his friend was, when the whole regiment saluted him. At first he was disposed to take it ill-naturedly, and gave full vent to violent gesticulations and oaths, but finding he was "in for it," he jumped upon the seat of the wagon, and commenced dancing and waving his hat. As he passed by our regiment, the next took it up, and for a long way we could hear the shouts of " Barney," and see his red pants dangling in the air. Thus a happy point taken will enliven for a time a whole army.

The war metamorphosed Alexandria from a quiet Old Virginia town into a bustling business place. Almost every house was turned into a store, restaurant or boarding house, all of which did a thriving business from the continual influx of officers, soldiers, government attachés and innumerable teamsters and workmen. Though the sale of liquor was prohibited under severe penalty, and the provost guard continually visited places suspected of the illicit traffic, yet large quantities of it were daily sold. One individual had a barrel up his chimney, another one upon the top of his house, from which he drew it out of a gas jet in a back room, and a third drew it from a private house next door by means of his hydrant. The city possessed not a single attraction for a private residence. As the whole army was now concentrated in the neighborhood, the streets were crowded with soldiers, many of whom went to excesses, though not annoying the citizens or particularly harming themselves, but as the Reserves had not been paid off for

some time, and were out of money, they won golden. opinions for their good conduct.

The enemy's retreat from Manassas to Gordonsville somewhat modified the plans of the campaign, and at a council of corps commanders held at Fairfax Court House on the 13th, the Peninsula campaign was decided upon, provided the enemy's steamer Merrimac could be neutralized, the army be immediately transported to the Lower Potomac, the navy co-operate in silencing the batteries on the York river, and Washington be made. safe. If not, to Richmond via Manassas and the Rappahannock. The embarkation of the army was immediately commenced at Alexandria, Washington and Perryville, and in thirty-seven days after the order was received by the IIon. John Tucker, Assistant-secretary of War, one hundred and twenty-one thousand, five hundred men, fourteen thousand five hundred and ninetytwo animals, one thousand one hundred and fifty wagons, forty-four batteries, seventy-four ambulances, besides pontoon bridges, telegraph materials, and the enormous quantity of equipage, etc., required for an army of such magnitude, were transferred to Fortress Monroe with the loss of but eight mules and nine barges, an operation of such magnitude as was without a parallel in this country.

The weather during our encampment here was cold, rainy and unpleasant, rendering the ground mostly unfit for drilling, but every favorable opportunity was taken advantage of for that purpose. We received our full ration and a ration of whisky was served out every rainy night. As the troops who had laid here all winter had cut down and used the wood in the neighborhood, it was scarce, and the boys hearing some regiments of New York troops had embarked for the Peninsula, went over and rummaged their encampments, and procured a rich supply of boards, etc. Some commissary stores were left behind under guard, to which they proceeded to help themselves, under the patriotic impression that as they belonged to Uncle Sam, it was their duty to improve his