heir best and bravest commanders. Inasmuch as
the action took place during a thunderstorm its awful impressiveness was
increased, and it was difficult to distinguish between the
reverberations of the heavens and the detonations of the mimicking
artillery, sometimes alternating and sometimes simultaneous.

That night, when all was still and darkness had settled upon the field
where lay the victims of war, a soldier of the 40th regiment, an
intrepid Irishman, George Cornwell by name, went out prowling for food
and plunder, taking his musket with him. Unexpectedly meeting a Federal
lieutenant and four men bearing a stretcher and searching for their
wounded captain, he was asked to what regiment he belonged. With ready
wit he named a New York regiment, and then learning their business and
finding that they were unarmed, he leveled his musket, demanded their
surrender, and brought them as prisoners within our lines. I myself did
a little searching until I found a full haversack strapped to a man who
would never use his teeth again. I was hungry, and chilled by the recent
rain. I found in the haversack crackers and ground coffee mixed with
sugar; and bringing into requisition my matches, tin cup, and canteen of
water (which three things I was always careful to have about me), I soon
had a pint of steaming beverage. I ate my supper, and then laid down to
sleep. This was only one of many times that I slept in wet garments on
the rain-soaked lap of earth without injury to my health; and the only
reason I can give for the immunity is, that those were "War times."

The National army returned to Washington, and together with all the
forces in and around that city was again put under the command of
General McClellan.

From Chantilly we marched to the vicinity of Leesburg and went into camp
near a beautiful spring, several feet deep, which was in a large square
walled up with brick. The next day we came to the Potomac river, which
was then about four feet deep, with its bottom covered with rounded
stones of many sizes. We were not so favored as Joshua's host at the
Jordan, but we just walked from shore to shore as if there were no water
there. Beautiful was the scene. As I approached the river I beheld those
who had crossed ascending the hill on the farther shore; in the water a
double line of soldiers stretching from side to side, their guns held
high above the current and gilded by the beams of the westering sun; and
others behin