A Galena neighbor, who visited New York about this time, seemed utterly confounded with the sudden growth of his neighbor, the tanner. He couldn't account for it, for he was not a marked man in his home, and nobody supposed him a great man. He seldom talked, asked no advice, gave none to any one, but always did what he agreed to, and at the time.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Advance-Richmond-The path to the Rebel Capital-The "Wilderness"—Tho opening of Battle-The Days of Carnage-The Death of Sedgwick-Of General R'co-General Grant's Strategy-General Butler-Sheridan-Sherman-The grand Flanking March to North AnnaChickahominy-James River-What the Rebels think.

LANCE over NCE the prospective track of tho grand army, reënforced by several corps from the Western field. A hundred and seventeen miles from Washington lies Richmond, the capital of the "Old Dominion," and of the new Confederacy of slaveholders. Its population, ordinarily, did not exceed sixty thousand. The situation is pleasant, on the James River. As a war centre, it has become a great hospital and Sodom. The sick and wounded in body, and the corrupt in heart, are the ruling majority in the high place of treason, second only to Charleston in this distinction. Under the accomplished engineer, Beauregard, who, since the first year of the conflict, has multiplied defences, exhausting his skill and resources, it presents circles and angles of fortifications,

perhaps unsurpassed by any city in the world. Below Richmond is Fort Darling; and on the same side, to guard an approach, is Petersburg, also strongly fortified and garrisoned. Between the National capital and Richmond lies Lee's veteran army, waiting for Generals Grant and Meade to move. The former has the general direction of the grand campaign, while General Meade is commander of the Potomac Army. Culpepper Court House, ten miles north of the Rapidan, between it and the Rappahannock, and about seventy-five miles from Washington, is the headquarters of General Grant. Ten miles on the other, or south side of the river, at Orange Court House, is the Confederate host. The two vast armies are, therefore, twenty miles apart. Their pickets come to the banks of the stream, and sometimes joke across it, and pass papers and tobacco to each other.

General Lee has for several months been anticipating another attempt to cut a way to Richmond, whose Libby Prison-worse than death to our captive heroes-had awakened the strongest indignation at the North.

May 3d, 1864, the order is issued by General Grant to march. The myriad tents disappear in the night like frostwork before the sun; the knapsacks are packed, the rations secured, and the arms seized. Horses stand by thousands in the darkness, prancing for the fray, or harnessed to the heavy wagons.

The next day dawns upon a sadly magnificent array. Freedom's battalions, two hundred thousand strong, cover