dred thousand martial men, watching the loss of their brother-in-arms, but powerless to relieve, or recover him. Had Fitz-John Porter been drifting down the rapids of Niagara, he could not have been so far from human assistance. But we saw him directly, no bigger than a child's toy, clambering up the netting, and reaching for the cord.

"He can't do it," muttered a man beside me; "the wind blows the valve-rope to and fro, and only a spry, cool-headed fellow can catch it."

We saw the General descend, and appearing again over the edge of the basket, he seemed to be motioning to the breathless hordes below, the story of his failure. Then he dropped out of sight, and when we next saw him, he was reconnoitring the Confederate works, through a long, black spy-glass.

A great laugh went up and down the lines, as this cool procedure was observed, and then a cheer of applause ran from group to group. For a moment it was doubtful that the balloon would float in either direction; it seemed to faulter like an irresolute being, and moved reluctantly southeasterly, toward Fortress Monroe. A huzza, half uttered, quivered on every lip. All eyes glistened, and some were dim with tears of joy. But the wayward canvass now turned due westward, and was blown rapidly toward the Confederate works. Its course was finally direct, and the wind seemed to veer often, as if contrary currents, conscious of the opportunity, were struggling for the possession of the daring navigator.

The south wind held mastery for a while, and the balloon passed the Federal front, amid a howl of despair from the soldiery. It kept right on, over sharp-shooters,

rifle-pits, and outworks, and finally passed. as if to deliver up its freight, directly over the heights of Yorktown.

The cool courage, either of heroism or despair, had seized upon Fitz-John Porter. IIe turned his black glass upon the ramparts and masked cannon below, upon the remote camps, upon the beleagured town, upon the guns of Gloucester Point, and upon distant Norfolk.

Had he been reconnoitering from a secure perch at the tip of the moon, he could not have been more vigilant; and the Confederates probably thought this some Yankee device to peer into their sanctuary, in despite

of ball or shell.

None of their great guns could be brought to bear upon the balloon; but there were some discharges of musketry that appeared to have no effect, and finally, even these demonstrations ceased. Both armics in solemn silence were gazing aloft, while the impurturable mariner continued to spy out the land.

The sun was now rising behind us, and roseate rays struggled up to the zenith, like the arcs made by showery bombs. They threw a hazy atmosphere upon the balloon, and the light shone through the net-work, like the sun through the ribs of the skeleton ship, in the "Ancient Mariner." Then, as all looked agape, the air craft "plunged and racked and veered," and drifted rapidly toward the Federal lines again.

The hallelujah that now went up shook the spheres, and when he had regained our camp-limits, the General was seen clambering up again, to clutch the valve-rope. This time he was successful, and the balloon fell suddenly, so that all hearts once more leaped up, and the cheers were hushed.

Cavalry rode pell-mell from several directions, to reach the place of descent; and the General's personal staff galloped past me like the wind, to be the first at his debarkation. I followed the throng of soldiers with due haste, and came up to the horsemen in a few minutes.

The balloon had struck a canvass tent with great violence, felling it as by a bolt, and the General, unharmed, had disentangled himself from innumerable folds of oiled canvass, and was now the cynosure of an immense number of people.

While the officers shook his hands, the rabble bawled their satisfaction in hurrahs, and a band of music marching up directly, the throng of foot and horse gave him a vociferous escort to his quarters.

STORY XLVI.

INCIDENTS OF THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORVILLE.

FROM Captain William D. Wilkins, (of the staff of General A. S. Williams, commander of a division of the Twelfth Army Corps,) who was wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Chancellorville, and subsequently paroled and returned to Detroit, the Free Press learned some interesting particulars.

The captain was placed in charge of a squad and taken to a plank road in the rear, where he met General Jackson and staff. Jackson had at this time formed a column of attack on the plank road, with the design of flanking our army, and obtaining possession of the

United States Ford, which would undoubtedly have resulted in the total discomfiture of our army. The column consisted of 15,000 men and three batteries of artillery.

Jackson was sitting on his horse at the head of the column, surrounded by his staff. He had a peculiarly sad and gloomy expression of countenance, as though he already had a premonition of his fate. It was but fifteen minutes later that he was mortally wounded.

As they came into his presence, the guard announced "a Yankee officer." Captain Wilkins asked if it was Major-General Thomas J. Jackson? On being answered in the affirmative, he raised his hat. General Jackson said, "A regular army officer, I suppose; your officers do not often salute ours." Captain Wilkins replied, "No, I am not; I salute you out of respect to you as a gallant officer." He then asked his name and rank. On being informed, he further inquired what corps and commanders were opposed in front. Captain Wilkins replied that as an officer he could not return a truthful answer to such questions. Jackson then turned to the guard and ordered them to search him.

He then had in the breast pocket of his coat Hooker's confidential orders to corps commanders, giving a plan, in part, of the campaign, the countersigns of the field for a week in advance, and the field returns of the Twelfth Corps on the preceding day. These were all exceedingly important papers.

Fortunately, before the guard could carry the orders into execution, a terrific raking fire was opened on Jackson's column by twenty pieces of artillery, commanded by Captain Best, from an eminence on the plank road. The first eight or ten shots flew over the

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heads of the column. The men and gunners dismounted, leaving their horses and guns. Our artillery soon got the range with more precision, and the shell and round shot ricocheted and plowed through this dense mass of the enemy with terrific effect. Shells were continually bursting, and the screams and groans of the wounded and dying could be heard on every side.

As an instance of the terrible effect of this fire, one of the guard was struck by a solid shot just below the hips, sweeping off both his legs. A battery came dashing up, but when they got into the vortex of the fire, the gunners fled, deserting their guns, and could not be made to man them. An officer, splendidly mounted and equipped, attempted in a most gallant manner to rally them. A ball struck him on the neck, completely severing his head from his body, and leaving his spinal column standing. His body rolled to the ground and and his horse galloped to the rear.

One of the shells struck a caisson full of artillery ammunition, which exploding, ascended in a crator of various colored flame, and showered down on the heads of the men below a mass of fragments of shot and shell. The loss inflicted by this fire must have been terrible; placing considerably over one thousaud men hors de combat, and effectually breaking up the contemplated attack of the column.

An officer of Jackson's staff subsequently stated that it was about fifteen minutes after this that General Jackson with staff advanced to the front, to reconnoiter our position; having accomplished which, he returned by a different path toward his own men, who mistaking his approach for that of a party of our cavalry, fired upon him, killing and wounding four of his staff, and wound