by General Meade to head it off through some of the gaps in the mountains to the east of the Shenandoah valley, up which Lee was marching. The next morning, the 15th, at four o'clock, we commenced our march. nearly retracing our steps, passing near Delamont and down the Hagerstown pike to the Keedysville road, and halted to make coffee about noon on the site of the " Smoketown hospital." Near by was the burial ground of the Union dead of Antietam, with a handsome wooden monument erected in the center by the convalescents. We easily recognized the point from which we turned into the fields to open the battle of Antietam on the afternoon of September 16, 1862. Moving on we crossed the Antietam, passed through Keedysville and over South Mountain by the same road we came, and encamped near its eastern base. The day was very warm and the march was over a rough and hilly country, in many places the roads very muddy, and the distance made being twenty-three miles, the men were much fatigued.

We moved the next morning about five, skirting along the base of the mountains through Burkittsville and Petersville and halting about two miles from Berlin, encamped in a fine wood about eleven o'clock. The next day our wagons came up and the officers got a change of clothing, the first they had since leaving Fairfax Station.

It rained hard all night and through the day of the 17th until four in the afternoon when we moved off and crossed the Potomac on a pontoon bridge at Berlin, and trod once more the soil of Virginia. Moving on to Lovettsville, three miles beyond, we bivouacked near it, being the first infantry that crossed. The next day, the 18th, our regiment was detailed as corps wagon-train guard and reached Wheatland at three p. m. On the 19th we marched at six in the morning, and passing through Purcellville bivouacked in a woods at ten o'clock. We passed a number of prisoners belonging to White's Cavalry. Our movements now were rather cautious, as we had a large train and the enemy's cavalry were in the neighborhood.

The next morning we sounded reveille at two o'clock, and moved almost over the same ground we did last year under McClellan, passing by Philomont and our old camps near Uniontown, and encamped about noon on Goose creek. Our route laid through a finely-watered and picturesque country with fine farms and houses, but all the fences were gone and roads blotted out.

The 21st was spent in camp, the boys occupying their time in writing home, bathing and washing clothes. In a stone wall in the meadow in front of us, some copperhead snakes were discovered and soon nearly half of the division was at work with clubs hunting them, and in an incredibly short time the wall was leveled with the ground.

At two o'clock the next afternoon we marched off over the fields and along by-roads to Rectortown and encamped near the Manassas Gap railroad in a heavy woods. On the 23d we formed a field hospital, and left our wounded and sick in charge of surgeons and guard, with provisions and medicines. Among those left was Sergeant-Major Hiram C. Hostetter, who died and was buried there. He was a good soldier and exemplary young man.

The next day we marched early, keeping along the general course of the railroad, passing through Markham, Petersville and Linden. About three o'clock we reached the eastern base of the Gap, and soon skirmishing commenced on Wapping Heights, which lasted until near dark, when the enemy were driven from the Gap. Soon after we moved on past Wapping, which consisted of a de

funct tavern, an empty store and several shanties, and encamped about a half mile beyond. That day we marched twenty-five miles.

Being in the presence of the enemy no "calls" were sounded. The next morning we marched up the railroad and moving to the right, formed in columns of division and moved in by the right flank and advanced up the side of a steep mountain covered with a thick growth of timber and underbrush. So steep was it that the field officers were forced to dismount. Having reached its base on the opposite side, the ascent of a still steeper and higher mountain was commenced, which required great exertion to accomplish, and by the time the command had crossed the men were completely fagged out. The day was excessively hot, several men were overcome by the heat, one broke his neck and another was accidentally shot through the head. A small force of the enemy could have held the mountains against us as they would have had every advantage. A line of skirmishers properly supported would have been more effective. Upon arriving at the western base, the men were collected and reformed in a little valley, and after an hour's rest were marched back and encamped, where fresh beef was served out.

On the 25th, we sounded reveille at three o'clock and retracing our steps for some miles turned to the right following along the foot hills of the Blue Mountains, and halting about three in the afternoon, bivouacked. The next morning at five o'clock we marched off in good spirits, passing a large number of prisoners near Orleans whom the boys hailed in friendly terms. At noon we halted in a clover field about two miles from Warrenton, having made thirteen miles with but one halt of fifteen minutes.

We had been short of provisions for several days, and while we laid here General Crawford was saluted by his hungry boys with the cry of "crackers" as he passed by. This annoyed him and he rode over to General Meade and demanded rations. "Why my dear General," he replied, "you should not let that annoy you. One night at White Plains, where I marched the boys a couple of miles out of road, they actually called me a 'four-eyed old devil,' but upon my soul I could not get mad at them."

Towards dark we got into motion and marched six miles, passing to the west of Warrenton we bivouacked 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 men up early and marched towards Fayetteville, near which we halted at eight in the morning for the day and night. On the 28th we moved about two miles to a new position where we laid until August 1st spending one day on picket. While here First-Lieutenant John Taylor, commanding Company E, was appointed an aide-de-camp on Colonel McCandless' staff. Considerable cannonading was heard towards Warrenton Springs, our cavalry skirmishing with the enemy.

From there we moved to Rappahannock Station where we formed a regular encampment, and the Gettysburg campaign closed.

For ten days prior to this, we had been almost every night upon the march not getting far from our original starting point. The clink of tin cups on the bayonets and the rumbling of artillery and wagons was continually heard. At every stopping place orders were issued to lay out our camps regularly, dig sinks and build bough arbors over our tents. Orders were issued that the army would be supplied with knapsacks in which we were expected to carry a large number of light rations and extra rounds of ammunition. Troops were con