. Stone crossed the
Potomac near Conrad's Ferry, across Harrison's Island, with Col. Baker's
brigade, this morning. (Forty-second New York, Fifteenth and Twentieth
Massachusetts Regiments, and a piece of artillery, of Capt. Vaughan's
battery. The rest of the battery stayed on Harrison Island.) By seven
o'clock in the evening, the whole division of Gen. Banks left Darnestown,
going to Edwards Ferry. Our battery started about nine o'clock. Arriving
at Poolesville, we heard of the disastrous result. Our troops had
withdrawn from Ball's Bluff. Col. Baker's corpse was brought into town.

_Tuesday, October 22._--Arrived at Edwards Ferry by six o'clock A. M. Two
thousand men were already landed on the Virginia shore, opposite the
ferry, others were continually crossing on canal boats. Since daylight,
rain fell incessantly. On the Virginia side, skirmishing was going on all
day. At five o'clock both lines of battle advanced. A brisk fight
commenced. Two brass howitzers of Rickett's battery, First United States
Artillery, did good execution, being in position on the Virginia shore.
While the fight continued, the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, Col. Geary, the
Twenty-ninth, Col. Mury, and Van Allen's cavalry, were sent as
reinforcements across the Potomac. Fighting ceased an hour afterwards.
Capt. Vaughan went to the enemy's lines, under a flag of truce, to see
about some of his wounded men in the hands of the rebels. Gen. McClellan
arrived at night.

_Wednesday, October 23._--A clear day. The enemy in great force around
Leesburg. We can see the church steeples of that place. Skirmishing kept
up all day. In the evening our battery received orders to embark and cross
the river,--Capt. Tompkins, having come back from Harper's Ferry, with the
right section, the evening before,--three guns were already loaded on a
canal boat, together with Company C, First Maryland Regiment, and started;
but the current of the stream being too strong, and losing half of the
oars, they had to return again. Orders awaited us already to disembark
immediately, and return to camp. All the troops withdrew from the Virginia
shore before daylight,--eight thousand men in all.

_Thursday, October 24._--After all the troops had been withdrawn, the
rebel pickets held the line close to the river, and fired a shot once in a
while. Rickett's, ours, and Captain Bess' batteries, were drawn up in one
line. Our battery is detached to General Williams' brigade.

_Friday,