house of Mr. James Marshall, which had been ransacked by stragglers. Mr. Marshall was a violent secessionist, and upon the approach of our troops fled with his family to Richmond. Occupied houses are seldom if ever touched by the men, but when one is found deserted, they generally take what they want.

The next morning we marched at five o'clock, passing a large number of prisoners near Orleans, who appeared in an exceedingly good humor. At noon we halted in a clover field about two miles from Warrenton, having made thirteen miles with a halt of but fifteen minutes.

While we laid here General Crawford was saluted with the cry of "crackers" from his hungry boys, which annoyed him so much that he went to General Meade and demanded rations. "Why, my dear General," replied the commander, "you should not let that annoy you." "One night at White Plains where I marched the boys a couple of miles out of the road they actually called me a four-eyed son of a b-h,' and upon my soul I could not get mad at them."*

On the march, Dr. E. O. Jackson one of our Assistant Surgeons was taken sick and sent from Warrenton to Washington where he died. He was a young gentleman of high professional talents and fine social qualities, and his death caused much regret.

Here Captain John M. Clark, Lieutenant Andrew McLean, Sergeant John McDonough, Sergeant Dennis O'Brien, Corporal Jeremiah Dooling, Corporal Thomas M. Fisher, were detailed to go to Pennsylvania after drafted men to fill our regiment, none of which they got.

At four in the afternoon we got into motion and marched six miles, passing to the west of Warrenton, and encamping in a low open field, where we were annoyed for the first time during the war by mosquitoes. The next morning we sounded no reveille, but woke

* The General wore spectacles.

MARCHING IN A CIRCLE.

287

the men up early and marched at five o'clock towards Fayetteville, near which we halted at eight in the morning, for the night and day.

On the 28th, on account of the scarcity of water, we moved about a mile to a new position, where we laid until the 1st of August, spending one day of our time on picket. While here Lieutenant John Taylor commanding Company E, was appointed an aid on Colonel McCandless' staff.

On the 1st, we marched at five in the afternoon two miles towards Warrenton and bivouacked. There was through the afternoon, considerable cannonading heard towards the Warrenton Sulphur Springs, occasioned by our cavalry and light artillery skirmishing.

On the 3d, we moved at eight A. M., about three miles to our old bivouac of the 26th ult. The weather was so oppressively hot that in this short distance many men gave out and several were sunstruck. We remained there until dark, when we marched to our old bivouac of the 28th, where we laid two hours, when we again got under way and marched by a circuitous route eight miles and bivouacked at two the next morning within two miles of our last starting point, on our old camp ground of November last, under Burnside.

On the 4th, we moved camp about one mile. In the afternoon, during a heavy thunder storm, our own and the enemy's cavalry, supported with light artillery, met accidentally south of the Rappahannock, and had a heavy skirmish in which our men drove them and took a number of prisoners. The day before they had an encounter at Kelly's Ford with the same result.

On the 6th, General Gibbon took temporary command of our corps, Colonel McCandless of our division and Colonel William Cooper Talley of our brigade. Major Wiley paid the regiment off, and Lieutenant Craig, Company A, rejoined us, having recovered from his wounds received at Fredericksburg.

On the 8th, we marched early, and at noon arrived at

Rappahannock Station where we formed a regular encampment.

During our late marching and countermarching a large portion of our troops were sent to the City of New York (the left wing of Lee's army), to enforce the draft, with which a powerful mob had been permitted by the City and State authorities to interfere, and we being in the presence of a superior and vigilant foe it was neces sary to deceive him as to our numbers, for which purpose we moved continually in a circle of some fifteen miles diameter, and the tramp of troops and the moving of artillery and wagons was heard night and day. At every stopping place orders were issued to lay out our camp regularly, dig sinks, and erect bough arbors over our tents, but no sooner were they finished than orders to march were received. In this manner, the enemy's spies and the inhabitants were utterly deceived, and when our army was reduced to probably twenty-five thousand men, the Richmond papers reported us as receiving large reinforcements and numbering over eighty thousand. The men soon understood and appreciated the strategy of General Meade.

This depletion of our army to maintain the authority of the Government and to enforce the laws at home, paralyzed the movements of General Meade, and virtually brought to a close the campaign at a season most favorable to its prosecution, and at a time auspicious of its

success.

"A RUSH OF RATS."

289

CHAPTER XXV.

RAPPAHANNOCK STATION. THE SWORD BANQUET. MILITARY EXECUTION. MARCH TO CULPEPPER COURT HOUSE.

IN our camp at the Station, wells and sinks were dug. bough arbors erected, clothing and an abundance of rations issued, our sutler's tent kept well supplied, mail facilities afforded, and the "Philadelphia Inquirer," the soldier's paper, received the day it was published. The usual routine of camp, guard mounting, drills and dress parades, were established, and the discipline which is so apt to become relaxed during an active campaign was re-established.

While here the boys who were always fond of bathing had ample opportunity of enjoying that luxury, but unfortunately one day Samuel Black of Company F was

drowned.

Nothing of moment occurred until the middle of the month, when late one afternoon, notice was received that the enemy was advancing upon us, and orders were issued to be in readiness to fall in prepared for action at a moment's notice. A signal gun was fired from corps' head-quarters, upon which a large number of troops crossed the Rappahannock, but the night passed over without any sound of battle. The next morning it was ascertained the alarm had been occasioned by an aid having "a rush of rats to the head," which caused him to mistake our returning scouts for the enemy.

The officers of the Reserves having determined some time previous to present to General Meade a testimonial of their esteem and admiration for him, as an officer and leader, had procured through their chairman, Colonel McCandless, a costly sword of most exquisite workmanship, a sash, belt and a pair of gold spurs to offer for his acceptance. On the 28th the presentation took place.

Invitations were extended to Governor Curtin and a number of gentlemen prominent in civil and military life, who were present. The banquet was one of the most magnificent affairs of the kind ever gotten up in the Army of the Potomac. For ten days one hundred men had been engaged in decorating the grounds, building green arbors, arches and towers of the most exquisite taste and artistic style. The day was a most beautiful one, and about five in the evening, there gathered upon the ground a large assemblage of officers, of our division and the army, and among them some of the most distinguished heroes of the war, all dressed in full uniform, with sash and belt, but without swords. General Meade, surrounded by a staff of distinguished personnel mounted the stand, and General Crawford, taking the sword from the case, in a neat and appropriate speech, handed it to the general, who stepped forward, amid the most vociferous cheering, and responded as follows:

"GENERAL CRAWFORD AND OFFICERS OF THE DIVISION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RESERVE CORPS:-I accept this sword with feelings of profound gratitude. I should be insensible to all the promptings of nature if I were not grateful and proud at receiving a testimonial of approbation from a band of officers and men so distinguished as has been the division of the Pennsyvania Reserve Corps, during the whole period of this war. I have a right, therefore, to be proud that they should think my conduct and my course have been of such a character as to justify them in collecting together here so many distinguished gentlemen, as I see around me, from different parts of the country, and our own State, to present to me this handsome testimonial. It in effect says to me, that in their judgment I have done my duty towards them and towards the country. I began my career in this by commanding the Second Brigade of your division. I faithfully endeavored, during all the time I held that command, and also the command of your division, to treat the officers and men in a manner that would ex

army,