city to the threatened point, and the enemy,
seeing the well-known corps badge confronting them at Fort Stevens,
and recognizing that the opportunity was gone, promptly retreated,
after an engagement in which the Second Connecticut took no active
part. This occasion was notable by reason of the fact that for the
only time during the war President Lincoln was under fire, as he
watched the progress of affairs from the parapet of Fort Stevens.

The pursuit which began at once entailed some hard marching, but the
enemy could not be brought to a stand. It continued for several days
until the Valley of the Shenandoah was reached, when Early, as was
supposed, having hurried back to join Lee at Petersburg, the Sixth
Corps was marched again swiftly to the capital. Here it developed that
the authorities had decided to keep part of the forces sent for their
protection, to man the defences, since Early's attempt had come so
dangerously near succeeding, and the Second Connecticut was chosen to
remain. On July 25th it was moved into the same forts it had occupied
when called to the front two months before, and here it might have
remained through the rest of its term of service, if Early had, as was
presumed, gone back to join Lee at Petersburg. But it was learned now
that he had faced about when the chase ceased and was again
threatening a northward move. The Sixth Corps was therefore ordered
against his force once more, the Second Connecticut going from the
anticipated comforts of its prospective garrison duty with anything
but satisfaction. "The men who had rolled into those cosy bunks with
the declared intention of 'sleeping a week steady,' were on their
cursing way through Tenallytown again in twenty-four hours, marching
with accelerated pace toward Frederick to overtake the brigade of the
red cross, to which they had so lately bidden an everlasting adieu.
Oh, bitter cup!"

After much marching and counter marching they found themselves on
August 6th at Halltown in the Valley. For more than a month the army,
now placed under the command of General Sheridan, was occupied in
organizing and manoeuvering for the projected campaign, which the
presence of the hostile force in that important quarter necessitated.

Though on a much smaller scale than the operations in which the
regiment had borne a part since it had been in active service, the
impending action in the Shenandoah Valley was recognized as being of
great importance. Grant'