which fell within the path of the army, and from the highly
colored accounts of citizens, who, with expressions of the utmost alarm
and anxiety, related what they had heard or seen.

On the night of the 26th of June, the Sixth corps left Bristow Station.
The darkness was intense, and a drizzling rain rendered marching
disagreeable. The march was rapid, and some of the men fell behind, and
were next day collected and marched off to Richmond, by the guerilla
parties that constantly hung upon our flanks and rear. Before daylight
we halted at Centreville. The men threw themselves upon the wet ground,
and slept for two hours, while the rain beat upon them. Then, at six
o'clock, they were again roused, by the order to be ready to move at
once. While taking our coffee, and waiting for the final order to march,
some villain, belonging to the troops stationed at Centreville, set fire
to the little Episcopal chapel that stood not far from us, and was the
only building remaining in the little village which pretended to any
appearance of modern architecture. Those vandals who follow an army,
bent on nothing but destruction, are among the unavoidable evils of war,
and even the most severe discipline is insufficient to effectually
arrest all mischief of the kind.

Our march was a severe one for men who had been on the road all night,
and the men were glad when we bivouacked a little before dark, in a
beautiful oak grove near Drainsville. Very early next morning,
descending into the lovely valley of the Potomac, we reached Edwards'
Ferry, where troops were crossing; after a delay of one or two hours,
waiting for troops of another corps to cross the pontoon bridge, we
followed, and were in Maryland again. All day long troops were passing
over the bridges and taking their positions upon the neighboring hills,
ready for starting anew in the morning; for nearly the whole army was
crossing at this point, and as the process was necessarily slow, those
who went over first waited for those behind.

On Sunday, we left Edwards' Ferry; marched through Poolesville and
Barnstown to Hyattstown. A halt was made at Barnstown for dinner, and
the Sixth corps left the road and occupied a pleasant valley, where the
chestnut trees afforded a grateful shade for the men. They had just
unslung knapsacks, when we were all startled by the sound of a church
bell, which seemed in our midst. The boys gazed for a moment in mute
astonishment in the direction fro