cars by Company D. The next morning, The First City Troop of Philadelphia Light Cavalry, Captain James, broke camp and marched homeward, via Hagerstown and Baltimore, being escorted a distance on their way by the Twenty-Eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Geary. These two companies at the request of the general, had consented to remain some time after their term of service expired, for which they received his thanks.

On the 13th, Colonel Geary received orders to march to the Point of Rocks, twelve miles down the Potomac, and after dark they got into motion, a guide being employed to pilot them by a back road, to prevent the movement being discovered by the enemy. The night was exceedingly dark, and the pilot having intentionally or unintentionally lost the way, and not having any desire to become a stockholder in the colonel's lead mine, thought it prudent to decamp; so the colonel, after hunting around for him for some time, with pistol in hand, turned into a narrow road which proved to be a private lane. As the baggage, wagons were passing through the barn yard one of them upset, which was followed by considerable noise, occasioned by the braying of mules, and the shouting and cursing of the teamsters. The colonel went to the house to procure a lantern, but all his pounding, shouting and throwing stones at the windows, produced no effect. At last he heard meek, tremulous voices issuing from the cellar, and discovered the old folks and children in their night clothes, down there praying for deliverance from the battle they supposed was raging around their house.

On the 14th, orders were received to reduce our baggage as much as possible, and to pack up and send to Harrisburg the extra articles left by the deserters. About one A. M., while in the midst of the work, the drums beat the "long roll," and the men dropping every thing, were soon in line with their muskets and cartridge boxes. When Dr. Reed went to the Hospital to get his

instruments, he found his patients hurrying on their clothes, against which he remonstrated without avail, and before he could get a guard to enforce his orders, the sick were in the ranks and could not be got out. Leaving the camp "topsy turvy," in charge of the cooks and teamsters, we started off, and hurrying across the canal at Knoxville, proceeded down the towpath to Berlin, about four miles below, where a party of rebs had been firing upon the pickets of the Nineteenth New York, but with no other effect than the knocking over of some camp kettles and the scattering of their contents. Here we stacked arms and stretched ourselves upon the grass watching an old rascal on horseback waving a white flag, and who doubtlessly was calculating our strength.

On the 8th of June, the rebels burnt the long and substantial bridge that spanned the river at this point, and the only wagon communication between the two shores, are the fords above and below the piers. About two weeks back, the rebels brought an old iron twelvepounder cannon that had its muzzle knocked off, and was fastened with chains to the front wheels of an old wagon, which they posted on the opposite hills to command the village. They thought it prudent to withdraw the same night, and hiding their cannon, they left, intending to return the next night and get it. The Berlinites, however, found it out, and slipping over brought it away, and at night it was stationed on the pier of the bridge, behind a bulwark of hay bales. Being minus of grape shot, they cut the iron braces of the bridge into slugs, which were about as good as anything else to fire out of it. After remaining here until it was ascertained that the rebels had decamped, we about face, and retraced our steps to camp, but all the spirit of the boys was gone, and our march was a quiet one. We arrived about dark, and had a late, but welcome supper.

At this time the Army of the Shenandoah picketed the Potomac for the distance of fifty miles, from Wil

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liamsport about twenty miles above the Ferry, until the line joined that of the Army of the Potomac, some thirty miles below. The enemy picketed on the south bank for an equal distance, we having abandoned Virginia, except in the immediate neighborhood of Harper's Ferry.

The greater portion of the rebel army under General Johnson, having joined Beauregard at Manassas, and left the valley of the Shenandoah and the upper Potomac comparatively bare of troops, which relieved all anxiety for the safety of Maryland and Pennsylvania, it was determined to make a corresponding movement of our forces towards Washington, which was not yet considered safe. Therefore, orders were issued on the night of the 16th, to be prepared to march early the next morning with three days cooked rations in haversacks. Fortunately the paymaster, Major Maxwell, arrived that day and paid the regiment off for the twenty-one days owed by the State of Pennsylvania, we having been transferred to the United States service on the 21st of July. This money was very acceptable to the empty pockets of the men, and was duly appreciated by the citizens of Maryland on our march through their State.

CHAPTER VI.

MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND. MUTINY IN THE NINETEENTH NEW YORK MILITIA. GUARDS AFTER WHISKY. DISBANDING OF COM

PANIES.

ONE of the most exciting scenes in a soldier's life is the breaking up of camp when they have been lying inactive for some time, and particularly so when it is for the first time in active field service. Although the order to move was not issued until 10 o'clock at night, and rain was falling at the time, the camp fires were soon brightly

burning and the men busily engaged in preparing their rations for the march. Early the next morning, before "reveille," the men were all up and stirring, and soon cooked their breakfasts and had everything ready to move. And what a scene of animation it was! The striking of tents, the packing of baggage, the loading of wagons, the falling in of the men, their cheers and songs, intermingled with the strains of martial music, the shouts and curses of the drivers, the braying of mules, the galloping to and fro of orderlies and aids, the rattling drums and hoarse commands-oh, how animated and exciting. 'Frank, help me on with my knapsack," "Ben, fix my cartridge box," "Charley, hold my musket while I go for water," "Take my canteen along," shouts a dozen voices, "Who'se got a piece of string," "Give me a cork for my canteen," "Who wants a good blouse," and a thousand other similar expressions are heard through the camps. "Fall in, fall in," is heard, and the noise ceases as the men take their places.

A cold drizzly rain was falling, as the wagons moved from the encampment, and stretched in a long line in a neighboring field, followed by the regiment, clad in heavy blue overcoats. Colonel Thomas, with his staff and the Second U. S. Cavalry dashed past, followed by a battery of the Fourth U. S. Artillery, and one of the Ninth New York. The Twenty-ninth Penna. Vols., Colonel Murphy, passed next, then came the Second Reserve, Colonel Mann, followed by the First Reserve Rifles-the "Bucktails," Colonel Biddle. Next came the Fifth Connecticut, Colonel Ferry, and the Nineteenth New York Volunteers, and a long line of other troops, but the smoke from the burning rubbish of the camp hung heavily upon the earth, partially obscuring the masses of men, presenting a scene at once grand and interesting. "Forward," passed down the line, and to the soul-stirring music of our bands, we took up our march, striking the banks of the Potomac, which we followed for a short distance, when turning to the left, in a northeasterly

MARCH THROUGH MARYLAND.

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direction, we halted at intervals to rest the men and let the wagons come up. We passed through Petersville, a small village where a secession flag had lately been flying; but the old flag of our hearts now floated in its stead. In the afternoon we passed through Jefferson, as pretty a village as Maryland can boast of. Our bands struck up lively marches, and smiling faces from Union hearts, and waving handkerchiefs greeted us, as we passed along. We turned to the right toward the Point of Rocks, then to the left towards Frederick, moving over a narrow road through the woods, to the left of which was presented a magnificent scene of rolling hills and wooded valleys, broken in the far distance by the lofty peaks of the Blue Ridge. At dusk we halted to select a bivouacking ground, and then moving off entered a thick woods, where our blazing camp fires were soon surrounded by the wearied soldiers. The flakes rose high in the air; the flames casting their lurid light through the arching branches of the majestic trees; and wrapped in our blankets, with our feet to the fire, we slept peacefully until "reveille." Our march that day was fifteen miles.

The next day we started early, it being cloudy, drizzly and oppressively close, and by noon crossed a branch of the Monocacy, and encamped on its banks in a wheat stubble, having made but six miles. Here we were met by Dr. Hoyt, our quartermaster, who had gone ahead to procure provisions and wood for us.

The next morning, the 19th, we moved at eight o'clock, through a drizzling rain and deep mud, passing through Buckeystown whose inhabitants are of strong secession proclivity. Not a flag was seen or a handkerchief waved to welcome us. The darkies and children were highly delighted with the music and novel sight, the men stayed in the houses and peeped through cracks, but the women's curiosity overcoming them, stood at the doors and windows looking pictures of woful sorrow. About a mile from here we crossed the Monocacy and encamped