and moved along the railroad toward Petersburg. Ames's Division of the same corps reached the railroad between Chester Station and Walthal Junction, and crossing it, marched some distance to the west, then faced to the southeast. The right of the Eighteenth Corps had previously reached the railroad at Walthal Junction, and made a left wheel toward Petersburg, and was advancing in that direction, when Ames joined his left to it, and thus our line of battle was formed. Heckman's Bri gade had the right of the Eighteenth Corps, and came upon the advanced posts of the enemy, about a mile from Walthal Junction.

Brisk skirmishing at once began, and they were driven, from point to point, across Bakehouse Creek, and finally to Swift Creek, about three miles from Petersburg. They had, before crossing the latter stream, made a determined resistance, their line of battle along a road about a hundred rods north of, and parallel with it, near Arrowfield Church. From this position they were dislodged, by an impetuous charge of a portion of 'Heckman's Brigade, and retired across the creek to a line of strong earthworks, about five hundred yards beyond it, their skirmishers occupying the bank, and covered by slight breastworks, and the bushes along the stream. Turner's Division supported Weitzell. The troops passed over the field of the contest two days before, and found quite a number of rebel, and some of our own dead, unburied.

We found on this field instances of the horrid barbarities practised by some rebel soldiers.

The bodies of Union soldiers were found shamefully mutilated, and the parts that had been sewered placed in their mouths.

These fiendish operations were committed by South Carolinians. There is not the shadow of a doubt that such things occurred on that field. I heard of this that day, and made diligent inquiry in relation to it at the time, and afterwards, thinking the story too horrible for belief, and am perfectly satisfied of its truthfulness. There was a singular coincidence in the affair at Arrowfield Church. The 23d, 25th, and 27th Massachusetts Regiments, encountered the 23d, 25th, and 27th South Carolina Regiments. The prowess of the despised Yankees was too much for the pluck of these Carolinians-the flower of Southern chivalry-who fled in great confusion, making very fast time in their efforts to reach the friendly shelter of their intrenchments. Our troops rested that night on the field where the contest had been during the afternoon. It was a beautiful moonlight night. Some made their ambrosial couches on the sharp edges of rails, and others on the damp ground, but we, like Homer's Immortal Gods having their dwellings in Olympus, had not sweet sleep all night long. Occasionally a shell crashing through the trees, would disturb our repose.

The shrill steam-whistle was heard at intervals-a rebel ruse

to make us believe their troops were arriving from the Souththen about midnight a rifle-shot or two, and then a volley rang out into the clear air, followed by the dog-like rebel yell, and answered by the full-toned Union shout, pealing in our ears. We spring to arms. We wait a few minutes in eager attitude. The affair is soon ended. The rebels have made a desperate charge on the line in front of us, and a few hundred yards to the left, and have been driven back with severe loss. After this all is quiet till the morning.

In the mean time the enemy had advanced a force from the direction of Richmond, and attacked the brigade of Terry's Division left to guard that point. The rest of the division, and a brigade of the Eighth Corps, were moved rapidly in that direction.

There was some severe fighting participated in by two of Terry's brigades and one brigade of the Eighteenth Corps.

From the batteries across Swift Creek, an irregular fire was kept up during the forenoon, doing however no damage, as the troops were covered by the woods. At about noon, orders were given to withdraw our force from the direction of Petersburg. Just at the moment the movement began, two rebel officers, a lieutenant-colonel and a captain, came to our skirmish line on the turnpike at Swift Creek, with a flag of truce. The object was transparent-it was a device to find out if possible the precise position of our troops, so that their batteries might fire to some purpose. But they came on a bootless errand.

They were taken along with the retiring column, about four miles, and then permitted to return under escort. The enemy attacking Terry were repulsed after a contest of an hour or two, and retired. The same evening the whole force returned to

camp.

The net results of the operations up to the night of the 10th, were the railroad temporarily obstructed; an aggregate loss of between twelve and fifteen hundred men; the enemy having lost about the same number; and the possession of a fortified position, likely to be of value in further operations.

The damage done to the railroad was slight indeed. The culverts were not blown up, as they might have been very easily, and much of what was done consisted in simply prying up the track, and turning it over, the rails adhering to the ties so that, in repairing the damage, it was only necessary to pry it over again, and with a little adjustment it was in running order.

If the condition of this railroad is an indication of the state of railroads throughout the South, another delusion which we have cherished, has been swept away. It has been again and again declared, and published, that Southern railroads are worn out; and we have thought that they must be, in the nature of

things, nearly destroyed by the wear of war. But the rails on the Richmond and Petersburg road are of the very best quality of iron, and nearly new.

The force of the enemy confronting us toward Petersburg and Richmond, on the 9th and 10th, could not have been large, as but few of their troops from the South had arrived; they were, however, near at hand. A large portion of them passed along the front of our line on the turnpike during the 11th, and by the morning of the 12th, it is probable that nearly the whole force had reached Richmond. Though they passed so near to our lines, the turnpike on which one column moved being little more than two miles from our main defences, they were not molested.

[To be continued.]

THE ROMANCE OF A "RAID."

I.

FOR various reasons- too numerous to mention"-I shall disguise the names, rank, and all other specialties of person, place, and time, connected with this otherwise veracious episode of the war.

This, if it do no other good, will, at least, allow me to tell my story, unencumbered by topographical, or other professional technicalities, save such as I may choose to give for the purpose of preserving what the French call the couleur locale.

And even these-if I indulge in any-may not be very accurate, for I give you notice, that I belong to the civil branch of the service, and have not received a military education. What little I know about tactics and the "art of war," I have picked up on the march, or at the camp-fire, and "mighty" superficial it is, I confess! However, there is more than one general officer, in the volunteer service, who could not-but I had better let that subject alone. "Comparisons are odorous," saith Mrs. Malaprop. And so, andiamos!

We were sitting round the stove-a "confiscated" rebel stove, part of the "spolia opima" of a recent "advance"-in Captain Buff's quarters; three of us, namely: Captain Buff (of the Eleventeenth Fusileers, but then serving on the staff of General Dash), our host for the moment, as just mentioned; Lieutenant Bead (of the mounted Sharpshooters, but at that time commanding a corps of Independent Scouts), and myself.

It was a raw, cold evening in March (or November, or any other raw, cold month you please), 1860-61-62, or 63, and a glass of good cognac, or bourbon, would have been extremely comforting-if we had had any such cordial. But we hadn't.

The canteens were empty, and it so happened

-it is unneces

sary to enter into details of the whys and wherefores here-but it did so happen that we could not conveniently replenish our stock at the moment.

"Never mind," said Bead; "we're going on a little expedition to-night, you know; and if I'm not much mistaken, there will be a splendid chance for a cheerful raid on the enemy's 'store of wines and liquors.' You'll go along, Doctor?" (I may as well state at once, that my grade in the army was simply that of acting assistant surgeon, and that I had just obtained a ten days' leave, which it was my purpose to act upon in a few hours, i. e., to go home and see the ladye of my love.) "Come, you can postpone your wooing trip for this night only,' and Í promise you a treat; something in your line, perhaps the lover's line, I mean, not the surgeon's: we hope to get off without broken bones or trenched gashes.'

I demurred, very naturally, thinking the loss, even of a few hours, under the circumstances, a serious sacrifice to make to any thing short of necessity.

Tell me just what the thing is to be," said I finally, "and I'll see about volunteering."

"Just this," replied Captain Buff, anticipating the Lieutenant: "One of Bead's scouts has brought in an 'intelligent contraband,' who, among other miscellaneous information, has told us that his master's daughter is to be wedded to-night to one of the chivalry,—a guerrilla officer, I believe, and that the ceremony, including the feast, of course, takes place at the said master's country mansion, which is just within the rebel lines. Now, Bead, with his usual heartless cruelty and fiendish malice, proposes to swoop down like the wolf on the fold, and tear the amorous bridegroom from the arms of his lady love, to cast him into a foul and reeking dungeon, where-and so forth-eh, Bead?"

"Not exactly," quoth the Lieutenant; "I only propose to be an uninvited guest at the wedding-feast, and forbearing to reproach the fair bride with her want of courtesy in omitting said invitation, gallantly to drink her health in her father's champagne, or whatever other nectar may be on hand, and giving her three times three, to insist upon the bridegroom and his male friends, seeing us back to our quarters by way of amende honorable. What say you, Doctor, won't you volunteer now, as the Captain has done?"

"But, my dear fellow, if the house is within the enemy's lines, and the bridegroom an officer who will probably bring an escort of his friends and comrades to give dignity to the scene-I don't exactly see how you are going to avoid

"Pooh! pooh! there's no danger, man!-don't look savage; I didn't mean to asperse your courage, my boy; I've seen you

under fire, you know;-the place is beyond the rebel lines, it is true; but on their extreme flank, which does not reach to the river, within a stone's throw of which the house stands, and we will drop quietly down the stream, land pleasantly in the belt of timber on the bank, walk comfortably up to the back veranda, and enter with graceful serenity upon the brilliant scene,having properly posted a small but efficient band of sentinels outside, and thus give a new zest to the party, by an unexpected and somewhat dramatic surprise! It is not likely that the guerrilleros will sport their sabres, carbines, and revolvers in the festive hall.' We shall find them only armed with the courage of despair, and guarded by the smiles or tears of beauty, which last, by the way, you will find harder to resist than the cold steel or blue bullet' of the male foe. Thus we

"There! that will do, Bead !" cried the Captain. "If your action was as deliberate and Grandisonian as your speech, you wouldn't surprise a tortoise. I see in the Doctor's eye that he'll be of our party, and so, I'd advise you to give the necessary orders at once. Be careful how you pick your men. Don't take more than twenty at the outside."

"I shall only take seventeen; these, with us three, will complete the score, which will just leave room for a dozen prisoners, or so, in the two skiffs. Time is nine, sharp!"

"All right!" said the Captain; and Lieutenant Bead and myself departed to our respective quarters.

As I stood fully committed to the adventure, I prepared myself accordingly. "As it is a wedding," said I to myself, "we must go en grande tenue; but as it is cold, and there will doubtless be plenty of sable lackeys in the vestibule to relieve us of our cumbrous outer-wrappings, we will cover our 'neat but not gaudy' uniform with an ample capote of sombre hue." Thus soliloquizing, cheerfully, I followed the suggestions of my other self; and moreover, fancying there might be occasion, spite of Bead's confidence, for their use, I slipped a small wallet of surgical instruments into my pocket. These, with a pair of capital Derringers" (which I prefer to Colt's, Sharp's, and all other belt pistols, for sure and effective service), and a very superfluous bowie-knife-seeing that it required no little effort to make the blade part company with the sheath-completed my equipment. At nine o'clock I was at the rendezvous with the others; the men were told off, ordered to fall in, and we marched silently and swiftly to the river bank.

II.

The night was dark, and a thick mist hung over the river. On the further shore we could see the camp-fires of the Confederates glimmering hazily, but those that stretched along a