lieutenant-colonel had a narrow escape the other day, while out scout ing with several other officers from other regiments, one of whom was wounded quite severely in the leg and hip, and it is doubtful if he recovers; but they gave shot for shot and some were seen to fall, and they had their flag at half mast all day; our men had telescopic rifles. It is believed here that Jeff Davis is dead." Our brother of the Eighth Infantry writes now as follows: "Sept. 21, 1861. This is the only paper to be found in the vicinity of Long Bridge, where I am stationed to-day." "John's regiment guards one end of Long Bridge, and we guard the other. "I have been second in command of Company B since the fight at Bull Run. Last night, Lieutenant Bell, commanding Company D, was relieved from duty with this regiment and ordered to turn over the property belonging to the company to Lieutenant Carter. The Major has put me in command of a company. Nothing new has come to light; troops arriving constantly. We have artillery and cavalry in abundance. Jeff Davis and his angels cannot take Washington now. I think we shall advance about the middle of next month." Our recently enlisted brother writes from Fort Albany: "I stood guard yesterday and last night, and so have to-day to do as I like. This NOTE. It is a well-authenticated fact that on several occasions one brother was at the north end of the bridge, in command of the guard, examining passes, while the other brother was a sentinel at the south end, performing the same duty. forenoon I went over to Mason's Hill, recently occupied by rebel forces. I should think they lived pretty much on green corn by the piles of corn cobs piled up around their works. I then went about a mile beyond, and came to a little onestory school-house, and you would have laughed to see the caricatures written on the walls with charcoal, pencils, and chalk, making game of the 'd-n Yankees,' as they term our soldiers. Here are some of the inscriptions: Yankee race-course to Bull Run.' • Lafayette Guards, Mobile, Alabama, a terror to the Yankees.' 'D-n the Yankees!' The walls are covered with just such stuff as this. Some of our men went out the other day and captured an orderly sergeant, and when they brought him into camp we had quite a lively time. They put him in the guard-house, where an Irishman was confined who bears the sobriquet of Happy Jack.' He is a great favorite with the whole regiment, but has got just about enough of the devil in him to keep in the guard-house about all the time. No sooner is he out, than in he goes again. When they put Secesh in he seemed very much. pleased and welcomed him with a speech, shook hands, asked after the health of Jeff, and then took out his knife and asked for a loan of the few remaining buttons he had on his clothes. We expect to have a new uniform in a few days, of the artillery pattern, as we are an artillery regiment. We are making great progress in our drill on the guns, and can now fire them very rapidly. have a fine chance to see all the lead I ing men of the nation here, and scarcely a day passes that we are not honored by a visit from Old Abe,' or a member of his cabinet. I was on guard at the gate of Fort Runyon, the other day, and along come two officers and simply said, The President,' and pretty soon along came Old Abe,' in a splendid carriage, accompanied by a young lady, followed by Secretaries Cameron and Seward, also accompanied by ladies. We are quite alone here now, for all the troops have moved, God knows where. At night they are with us; in the morning they are gone. Mrs. Greene, the colonel's wife, arrived here the other evening, and the next day after her arrival she presented each company with three bushels of sweet potatoes. In the evening we turned out and proceeded to his quarters and gave her cheer after cheer. and sungJohn Brown's Chorus.' Colonel Greene is very popular with his men, and is a very kind man." Our brother in Washington now writes: "Oct. 2, 1861. I have not got command of my company yet, but expect to have it in a few days. Lieutenant Noble, now in command, was ordered away, but owing to some informality, the provost marshal (under whose command we all are) refused to relieve him. He has been to the War Department twice, and expects to get away soon. I am now acting adjutant, and have to form all guard mountings and all parades, but am not relieved from any other duty. I am officer of the guard this morning, and am rather glad that I am, for otherwise I would have to attend the funeral of General Gibson, in full uniform. The Second, Third, and Eighth, joined in one regiment, and under command of Major Sykes, act as escort, and it is raining like guns." "Oct. 13, 1861. I thought I had written you that I had left Major Sykes's immediate command, and had joined the Eighth, where I have command of my own company, G. The captain, Dodge, who was my instructor at West Point, has a leave of absence for one year. The first lieutenant is on parole, and I, being the next in rank, take command of the company. I am the only graduate with the Eighth, and Captain Willard, who commands the Post, makes me his right-hand man. I am acting adjutant, and have to form all parades and guards; all my duties. together keep me pretty busy most of the time. the time. I ask Captain Willard's advice in everything, for Major Sykes told me he was a model captain, and I find him very attentive to his duties, and he has a splendidly equipped company. equipped company. I mean to be a good officer or none at all. You shall never hear anything of me that shall wound your pride. If you should, however, doubt of the performance of my duties heretofore, or my conduct as an officer and gentleman, I refer you to Colonel Davies, whose regiment (Sixteenth N. Y. Vols.) I drilled when I first came to Washington; to General Sykes, who commanded us at Bull Run; or Captain Willard, who commands the two companies of the Eighth stationed at Washington. We have been under orders since last night to be ready at a minute's notice with two days' rations. I went to see General Sykes last evening about the movement, and he said that the rebels had advanced to make a reconnoissance of our position, but a second report was that they were retreating. I thought then it was only a feint to cover the retreat of their main army, and my supposition has been confirmed this morning. McClellan is following them slowly but surely. O'Rorke goes with the expedition which—" (The remainder of letter cannot be found). (Colonel Patrick O'Rorke, 140th N. Y. Vols., killed at Gettysburg, July 2, 1863.) wagons and troops. If he does not Our brother of the provost guard writes, Oct. 22, 1861: “I am officer of the day, and have to remain in my quarters, or near them, during the day and night of my tour. It is raining very hard, and I shall not take my patrol out unless it ceases. have been discussing army matters. with Captain Willard, commandant of the post, most of the evening, and he has just left my room to go down town to hear the news, if any, of the Leesburg fight, in which Colonel Baker (U. S. senator from Oregon) was killed. I think he was a very brave man, but he knew very little about army affairs. Never mind; we will not speak ill of the dead. He died in a good cause, while gallantly leading his men, so the papers say. But why feel sad and discouraged at the loss of one man? Before this war is ended, the soil of Virginia will be soaked with as good blood as ever flowed in the veins of Colonel Baker. I now command a company of eighty men. When I took them the com Our brother in Virginia writes: "Four-Mile Run, Oct. 15, 1861. I am out on picket duty, about one mile and a half from the fort. The whole army has advanced, and we are now alone. There are three of us out here under charge of a corporal, and will remain during the week, when we will be relieved. We got some boards and have made us quite a shanty, covered with our rubber blankets to make it waterproof. Our duty is to examine passes, and is not very dangerous, but we have to be up night and day; two hours on and four hours off. I don't believe there will be any fighting for some time yet, unless the rebels attack us, and that seems to be the general opinion here. McClellan's plan seems to be to feel his way, and to keep near the enemy, so that when they make a final stand his troops will be fresh. He now has an immense army around him. I think there could not have been less than 200,000 men around here before they advanced, and all day Sunday the roads were crowded with army pany books were very much behind hand; the returns, muster-rolls, descriptive rolls, and all papers were made out wrong, and I have had to correct them. The company had no clothing; many were in the guardhouse; they were not properly fed, and they had no company fund. Now my books are correct; so are my papers; the company has plenty of clothing; I have very few in the guard-house; they have plenty to eat, and their quarters are kept clean. I have a company fund amounting to seventy dollars. Captain Willard congratulated me this very morning on the marked improvement of my company since I took command of it. I received a short note from John to-day; he is coming over to spend the day with me some time this week." On the 26th of October, he was promoted to be a First Lieutenant, Eighth U. S. Infantry. On the 28th of October, there occurred a tragic incident which cast a gloom over the entire provost guard. Sergeant Joseph Brennan, Company A, Second U. S. Infantry, was shot dead by Private Michael Lennahan, Company D, of the same regiment in Georgetown. He was tried by a court, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. He was kept confined in Georgetown until the night before the execution, when he was brought in a closed carriage to the guardhouse in Franklin Square. On the morning of January 6, 1862, he was taken to an open lot just north of where the Lutheran church now stands (on Thomas Circle), between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. All the details of the execution were arranged and carried out by the provost marshal, Lieutenant Frederick Devoe, acting adjutant of the battalion, read the death warrant to the prisoner at the scaffold, and the law was then and there carried into effect. His spiritual advisor was Father Walter of St. Patrick's church. He met his doom with firmness. Several detachments of infantry from the provost guard were detailed to proceed to the place of execution, whither they marched without music. Our brother in Virginia, says, October 28, 1861: “I spent Sunday with Gene. Our encampment is about four miles from the city in Fairfax County, Virginia, on a high hill overlooking the town, the Potomac running between. I got a pass Friday night and started early in the morning for the promised land. After walking about half a mile, I got into a sutler's wagon and rode the remainder of the way. I found G, who was officer of the day. I shaved off the extensive beard which I have cultivated during my residence the sacred soil'; changed my dilapidated uniform for a nice suit of black; went to Brown's hotel and got my hair cut, and I think I made quite a decent appearance for a volunteer. I had a splendid breakfast and then went out with G—, with the patrol under his charge, and he took me through most of the principal parts of the city, and after arresting about half a dozen officers and soldiers, without proper passes, and taking them to the guard house, returned to his quarters, and then we had a splendid dinner. I think he (G——) has more authority here than any mayor or police judge at home. Here are some of his doings: While we were going around he spied three soldiers going into a rum-shop, the proprietors of which he had before warned; he followed them with his men, and. entered just as they were taking a smile, he arrested the soldiers for having no papers, searched the shop, and poured all the liquor into the gutter, and marched the proprietors (a man and a woman) to the guardhouse, where they will have to come down with twenty-five dollars for the offense. The guard also brought in three men detectedin smuggling liquor across the river. He (G) ordered the liquor (four barrels of whiskey) poured out and the three poor devils to be discharged. "I spent the afternoon very pleasantly; about six o'clock I resumed my garb of a 'sodger,' and soon after invaded the sacred soil,' and reached my quarters about eight, after spending one of the most pleasant days within my recollection. "There is nothing new to write about with the exception that six regiments just passed here, going over to the navy yard, where they are going to embark down river, to clean out the rebel batteries on the river. Don't come out here to fight, Bob, if you do you will be sorry; mind what I tell you. To-day is pleasant for a wonder. Last night I like to have frozen, it was so cold, and the rats and the mice are as thick as mosquitoes in warm weather. found a nest in my knapsack this morning, and you ought to see one I of my best shirts; it is a beautiful looking garment now." "November 3, 1861. We usually have a grand review and inspection on Sunday, but for the last forty-eight hours it has heen blowing a perfect gale, and I began to think the Lord. was about to deluge the land again, for such tall raining,' I never yet witnessed. About ten o'clock last night, just for a change, our tent took a notion to come down, and you never saw such a time!! Down came guns, cartridge boxes, crossbelts and all, and such a scene! We were all wet through, and therefore could not get much more moist, so we formed around our fallen house,' and sang 'Glory Hallelujah' about ten minutes, the men as happy as ducks in the mud. It took us about half an hour to put our tent up, and you can judge how luxuriously we spent the night. We turned out at daybreak; picked up our things from the heap and they are now out drying on the bushes. I got out my old clothes from my knapsack; changed my socks; cleaned my gun; went after the bread with two or three others; had my breakfast, which consisted of baked beans, bread, and coffee, and here I am writing you. Most of the time we live very well, but whatever we have I never grumble, for I think as you do, that it does no good, and I gain by it, for the other day seven men were detailed for guard duty at the canal, and they have to sleep in the open air. However, it was soon found out that but six were required and each one was anxious to be let off. The captain came out and said, 'Carter, you need |