lve thousand five hundred, began; but it was not carried on
with a degree of alacrity satisfactory to the War Department or the
President.

The wharves along the river side became the scene of immense activity.
Ambulances crowded along the banks of the river, laden with sick and
wounded, while those from the hospitals able to walk, tottered along
with trembling steps, their wan faces and sunken eyes telling their
story of suffering. Transports were in waiting for these, and were
rapidly filled with their freight of suffering humanity. Everything not
movable was ordered to be destroyed. Tents were struck and taken to the
pickets who had left them behind, and everything betokened an important
movement. Three or four days were spent in momentary expectation of the
order to "fall in," but still the situation remained unchanged.

At length, on the 16th of August, all was ready and the men were ordered
to pack their knapsacks; but the men of the Sixth corps remained in camp
until the sun's rays became scorching; then the column moved rapidly
eastward. A hard day's march on the 16th and another on the 17th,
brought the corps in sight of the Chickahominy. It crossed a pontoon
bridge of enormous extent, in the construction of which ninety boats
were used, and the length of which was over two thousand feet.
Thoroughly exhausted the men bivouacked on the eastern bank of the
Chickahominy.

The rebels, now aware of the retreat, were following close at the heels
of the Union army, but declined to make any offensive demonstrations,
further than picking up stragglers and those that fell out by the way
from weakness and fatigue. The main portion of the rebel army was now
occupied in important movements in another direction.

Another rapid march, under a burning sun, brought our corps to the
ancient capital of the Old Dominion--Williamsburgh. Passing through its
streets without halting, taking only time to glance at its now
dilapidated buildings, we reached the familiar scenes of the old
battle-field, which, three months before, we little expected to recross
before the downfall of the rebellion. Here was the plain where a portion
of our Second division had, by its gallantry, decided the fate of the
battle; the scene of our bivouac in the rain and mud, and the redoubts
where lay the wounded rebels, whose groans had rendered the night
hideous. In the midst of these scenes we bivouacked again for the night.

At dawn the column moved ag