fly, and never pull up until they are safely inside the Capitol. The teamsters cut the traces of their horses and mules, leaving hundreds of wagons behind to block up the roads. The artillery cannot get through, and have to abandon their guns and fly. All is in one utter mass of confusion. The enemy advance with their artillery and fire into the rear of the retreating columns, all fly in dismay. Of course we have to get back now, and we retire in good order, and camp on Centerville heights, where we wait until the last man has passed, which is about 3 o'clock Monday morning. It is left for our regiment to cover the retreat. We file into the

road and march in platoons, taking up all the road; fix our bayonets so as to be ready to resist the rebel cavalry, should they follow up the retreating army. But they do not pursue, and probably are as badly whipped as we.

Monday, and indeed it is a blue one, and to add to our miserable feelings it commenced to rain about 5 o'clock. It pours down in torrents and all are wet to the skin. We continue our march, never halting till we pull up in front of Washington, after marching about thirty miles in the rain, slush and mud. Oh, how tired we are, as a few of us make our way to the Long Bridge, thinking to cross over to Washington and get something good to eat, but there is a sentinel on the bridge with orders to let no one pass but officers. Oh, yes, the officers could pass and bask in the sunshine of luxury, but the poor soldier could lie down by the roadside and die from want. Making our way back to an old barn, we find every place in the hay taken up with the poor, tired soldier, and it is difficult to find a place to crawl into. At last a comrade calls out. "here is a place." We go to the offered shelter, make a nest in the hay, and soon forget our disastrous battle and ignominious flight from Bull Run by being clasped in the arms of good old morpheus.

CHAPTER VI.

A LONG DAY-VISIT FROM SENATOR CHANDLER-GETTING THE REGIMENTS TOGETHER-CAMP AT ARLINGTON-CAMP HUNTER

-DETAILED ON SPECIAL DUTY.

When I awoke from my refreshing sleep, I heard the word bread on the outside of the barn. The sun was shining through the cracks, and I thought, of course, that it was morning, I look at my watch to find that it is 5 o'clock, but whether in the morning or afternoon I do not know. On getting out I find that the sun is pointing away to the west, and it is Monday still. Going to a, wagon from Washington, I buy some bread and cheese, return to my nest in the hay, share with my neighbors, cover up again, and sleep soundly till morning. We all crawl out of our steaming nests and get out in the morning sun, feeling as fresh as a daisy. We build some fires, cook our favorite coffee, and feel happy once

more.

Senator Chandler visits us, makes us a neat little speech, and assures us that the women in Michigan will not get married till we get home. But we shall see how near a prophet he is.

There is a great time getting the different regiments together and placed in position. Our brigade strike off for Arlington Heights and go into camp, where the gallant Thirty-Seventh New York, an Irish regiment, join us. We have now the Twelfth and Thirty-Seventh New York, First Massachusetts, Second and Third Michigan brigaded together under command of General I. B. Richardson. We commence to build some forts, and are kept busy one way and another. Soon we move to Hunter's Place, midway between Washington and Alexandria, where we have a nice camp on the banks of the Potomac.

A detail is made from our regiment to guard the tools, that are used for building forts and other duty. There are twenty of us

on the detail, commanded by Lieutenant Bogardus, and we proceed up the bluffs overlooking the valley beneath. Oh, what a lovely camping ground! I shall never forget my lonely beat on guard in this camp. camp. A panorama stretches out before me that is difficult to describe. Down in the valley are myriads of tents shining in the sun; the lazy four-mule teams, as they pull their covered wagons along the different roads; the beautiful Potomac, as it winds its way to the sea; the Long Bridge leading across the river connecting the sacred soil with Washington, whose beautiful Government buildings increase the grandeur; and the unfinished monument to the Father of his Country, are all visible at one view. The fortifications around Washington are growing up like mushrooms, and now the Capitol is considered safe. We have built three or four forts in a short time, Fort Scott, Fort Richardson, and some smaller redoubts and breastworks. Our work is done here now, and we have to move to some other locality.

CHAPTER VII

MC'CLELLAN TAKES COMMAND-GRAND REVIEW-CAMP LYON-ARRIVAL OF THE FIFTH MICHIGAN—ALEXANDRIA.

Who is to take command of the army? is asked by President Lincoln of the old hero, General Scott, for it is evident that the Commander-in-Chief is too old now for the great work before him. The hero of Mexico did know one man he thought he could trust his army to, and that man was General George B. McClellan, a young man who had proved himself a brave and cool officer under him in Mexico. General McClellan is in command now. He is busy organizing the army; and it is given out that he is going to have a grand review, and every one is getting ready for the first of the kind in the army. We are all ready, and each regiment files out of its camp, headed by a band of music, for Munson's Hill, there to be reviewed by our gallant Commander, General McClellan. The different corps, divisions and brigades take up their position in line, and we hear great cheering to our right. It sounds nearer and nearer, when our band strike up the beautiful tune, “Hail to the Chief." Our gallant Little Mac. rides past and is cheered by General Richardson's brigade. He passes along the lines, followed by his long train of staff officers, and looks as proud as a king; and no wonder, for the whole vast army that covers the fields around him is of his own making, numbering 75,000 men. He halts at a front in the field, the whole army break into company fronts and pass in review before their noble Chief, the President, Cabinet, Foreign Ministers, and about 30,000 citizens from all parts of the United States. Truly that was a sight that none will ever forget who had the good fortune to be there. We all go home the shortest way we can after passing in review, each one feeling proud of his Chief.

We go now to Camp Lyon, in front and to the left of Alexandria, where we build more forts, one of which is named after the

hero of Wilson's Creek, General Lyon. Here our brigade receives an additional regiment, the Fifth Michigan, one of the best that ever carried and protected a flag, commanded by a big old lawyer from Detroit, Colonel Terry. But he was too corpulent, and the gallant Fifth soon shipped him for a more active Colonel, for he was not fast enough for that regiment.

All are busy now and have plenty of work. When not on duty we visit the Secesh hole, Alexandria, where the brave Ellsworth met his death, by the rebel landlord of the Marshall House, while in the act of tearing down the rebel rag. The landlord, Jackson, met him on the stairway, underneath the hole that led up to the top of the house, and shot him dead with a rifle. I have stood often on the spot where the deed was committed, but the murderer did not live long after he committed the act, for one of Ellsworth's men was near by, and avenged the death of his commander by putting his bayonet through his body; his eyes roll in his head; the soldier pulled the bayonet out, and Jackson fell down stairs a corpse.

Alexandria is a quaint old town, and one of the bitterest in the country against the soldiers of Uncle Sam, but the people have to keep quiet, for it does them no good to show their hatred of us.