CHAPTER IX.

FROM THE CHICKAHOMINY TO THE JAMES.

WITHIN a fortnight another letter came from Aunt Ellen. Her new duties multiplied on her hands, but her heart was absorbed in them.

"Connected with the hospital, she wrote, is a sitting-room supplied with books, papers, and other means of recreation, suitable to the place. Here service is held on Sunday, and here those of the patients who are recovering, pass much of their time. I sometimes spend an evening hour listening to these men as they recount their experiences in the camp and field. One of my patients who is now among these convalescents, gave me an account of the late battles on the Peninsula. I transcribe the substance of it for your benefit, in nearly his own words. Alluding to the retreat of the rebels from Yorktown, he said, 'We privates consoled ourselves; for 'now's the time,' we said, 'for the long-lookedfor fight." Yorktown proved to be of some advantage to us also; for the rebs thought it wasn't safe to keep Norfolk, with us so near. General Wool went down here and modo generous terms with the city officials.

But these rebels are strange folks. They don't know what generosity is, when it's shown them. After a Military Governor had been appointed, the crowd filled the streets with groans for Lincoln and cheers for Jeff. Davis, exactly as if we were the conquered, and they the ruling party. Somehow the secession fever takes away what little sense these folks ever had.'

Then they lost the Navy Yard,' I said, remembering that it was near Norfolk.

Yes, they burned it a second time; and they blew up their famous 'Virginia,' the ram that sunk the Cumberland,' you remember. They called her The Iron Diadem of the South.' She was never able to do much though, after the Monitor attacked her; and another such battle would most likely have used her up. But we learned that these things made a great panic in Richmond. Hundreds fled from the city. Davis sent away his family and appointed a fast-day. He himself was baptized and confirmed, thinking perhaps his day of doom was not far distant. "Tisn't my place, being nothing more than a common private, to criticise my superiors. Nevertheless, many of us, I might, say most of us, including many of the Generals of Divisions, were of the opinion that if, instead of stopping so long building bridges and waiting for the butternuts, amid the poisonous Chickahominy swamps, we had pressed quickly forward to their capital, we might have had it by this time; least ways we could only have failed in the attempt, and that with no more loss of life than we've had without making it.'

'But the army did press on to Richmond,' said I.

Part of the way. But we might as well never have started, as to set out and turn back. We

fought the grey-backs at Williamsburg, you know, where they made a stand, twelve miles from Yorktown. Hooker engaged them there on the fourth of May. He's always on hand, when such work is to be done, and in the army we call him 'Fighting Joe.' Kearney came up in the afternoon. He's my General. He carries a lion heart, and a flame in his eye that shines brightest in the smoke of battle. He brought us to the field on the double-quick, aud restored the broken line. As we came up we met a great number of wounded being brought off the field, and their cries made us feel rather sober. But when the bands hailed us with the national tunes, we forgot the toilsome march and bloody struggle, and mingled our cheers with those of our comrades on the field. Give me Yankee Doodle and the Star Spangled Banner for marching into battle! The rebels listened and trembled, for prisoners taken afterward said that when the music was heard in their lines, they were sure we were going to win. During the battle you might have seen Kearney holding his bridle between his teeth, and grasping his sword with his right arm; he has but the one-the other he lost in battle, years ago. Our prisoners said that their fellows tried in vain to shoot him. One rebel Colonel ordered his whole regiment, the Fifth Carolina, to aim at him, and the men did actually fire a volley, yet he escaped unhurt. The grey-backs call him the one