when it occurred to me that it would not be out of place to write a verse upon the snow-white panel, on which future generations might look, and know that we were once there. I sharpened my pencil, laid off my cap, pushed back my hair, sat upright in my berth, and wrote:

"On the Rappahannock River,

Twenty-five miles from the bay;
June the tenth in two-and-sixty-
Cloudy, rainy, stormy day.

"Who we are, and where we're going,
Reader, would you like to know?
We are of McCall's Division;
And to White House do we go.

"There to join the brave McClellan,
And to whip the rebels out;
Then secession and rebellion

Will be clean gone up the spout.'"

After this little poetical effusion, as the reader may suppose, I felt weary; and I lay down and took a profound nap. When I awoke, we were lying at anchor within sight of the Chesapeake Bay. As a brisk gale was blowing, it was not considered safe to venture out till the wind should abate; hence the casting anchor. It was about one o'clock, and we lay several hours.

Again headed down the stream, we steered out upon the bosom of the bay. We could scarcely tell at what exact point the river and the bay met; for the Rappahannock at the mouth is five or six miles in width.

That night we cast anchor at the mouth of the York River. Next day we moved up the river, passing the famous Yorktown and Gloucester. From what we could see of the fortifications, I judged that they were truly formidable; and McClellan, in dislodging the rebels, certainly displayed the greatest military skill.

About noon we arrived at West Point, the terminus of the York River. Here two smaller rivers-the Mattapony and the Pamunky-flow into the one wide channel forming the York. Our course lay up the Pamunky, which happened to be the crookedest river I ever saw. We passed

hundreds of government transports-steamboats, schooners, and tugs-and many gunboats.

At three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at White House Landing. The boat touched the wharf, and we hastened to put on our accoutrements. This done, we were about taking a final leave of our state-room, when Haman, for the twentieth time since we embarked, accidentally struck his head against a slanting beam therein. In wrath he levelled the butt of his musket, ram fashion, and, although I cried out "don't hurt it," he dealt it a shock that made the boat tremble. I laughed, and so did Jim and Dick; and Haman, cooling down a little, and seeing how ridiculous the thing looked, laughed not a little himself.

On going ashore we pitched our shelter-tents for the night, near the celebrated "White House" the property of General Lee. The house stood, perhaps, three-quarters of a mile from the river. It was then used as a hospital; and however beautiful and picturesque it might once have been, it now possessed but few attractions.

When morning came we struck our tents and took our way up the railroad toward Richmond. According to the mile-posts the distance was twenty miles; and we started at a pace which, had it been maintained, would have taken us to Richmond in just six hours and forty minutes. A great pity we didn't keep straight on.

General Reynolds, on this occasion, gave the most explicit orders that not a man must fall out of the ranks by the way; lest, on arriving at Dispatch Station, we should be called upon to cross the river, and all should not be present. The day was an extremely hot one; and Colonel Hayes, by way of carrying out the general's orders, rode along the lines, and, after remarking that the heat was "awful," broke forth thus

'Boys, it's too d-d hard to march men on such a day as this. General Reynolds has given strict orders for all to stay in the ranks, but I'm not going to murder my men for him, or anybody else; so if you get too hot just fall out under some shade, and come along at your leisure. Confound any man who would want to melt soldiers up in this style," and

the colonel wiped the sweat from his brow in honest indig

nation.

The result of the colonel's well-meant admonitions was, that the men all dropped off by the way, and the regiment was strung bravely out from Tunstall to Dispatch; the colonel was also placed under arrest by General Reynolds for "dis obedience of orders." Lieutenant-Colonel Oliphant accord ingly took command of the regiment.

We marched to Dispatch Station near the Chickahominy, where we remained for several days. Stuart made his celebrated raid about this time, and we were sent in pursuit of him, which occupied several days more. It is well known that we were unsuccessful in our pursuit of the rebel Stuart. So, on another hot day, during the third week of June, we returned to Dispatch Station.

Next day we were ordered to be ready for review in the afternoon; it was stated that McClellan was to come from beyond the Chickahominy to review us.

At four o'clock we were in line. Two hours passed away, and McClellan did not come. And why? Simply because an artillery fight took place at the front, and Little Mac wouldn't leave danger. As the sound of the cannon was borne to our ears, we felt sure that we wouldn't get to see Little Mac that day.

We were about to be dismissed, when an orderly rode up to General McCall and placed an official dispatch in his hand. He read it and handed it to Captain Biddle, his aid de-camp. The captain glanced at the paper, then ordered the division to be massed, when he read to us an order to march forward on the ensuing morning and take a position "in the immediate presence of the enemy."

We were then admonished by General McCall that strict silence must now be observed-that no unnecessary noise must be made that the bands must not play-that not a gun must be discharged, and that cheering must be for a time dispensed with. He told us that we should, no doubt, soon be called upon to meet the enemy, and to fight for the banner we loved-that he expected much of the Pennsylvania Reserves and that he had great confidence in their valor.

We felt like cheering the brave old general, but silence having just been so strictly enjoined, we forebore.

CHAPTER XXIII.

MECHANICSVILLE.

AT eight o'clock on the following morning, the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps moved slowly from Dispatch Station, taking a right-hand road, and marching up the northeast bank of the Chickahominy. This was somewhat unexpected to us, for we had supposed that we were to cross the river, and join the main army. The post of honor, however, had been assigned us; we were to constitute the "extreme right.”

Our destination was Mechanicsville, which lies just fourand-a-half miles due north of Richmond, and on the left shore of the Chickahominy. When within two miles of that celebrated village, we halted, and pitched our tents to remain till the following morning. It was not considered prudent to advance with much haste.

*

Next morning, the coast being found clear, we resumed our march. We marched but a mile, when we were led off the road a little way into a corn-field, and there ordered to encamp. The whole division was arranged in a proper position and ordered to pitch tents for the present-all save two regiments that were detailed for picket. I observed that our position was entirely concealed by surrounding woods. We were facing to the west, and we could see the village of Mechanicsville, which stood on a hill a mile to our front and a little way from the Chickahominy.

Several days passed away in peace and quiet. Scarcely, either; for poor Haman, being subject to neuralgia, or sun

* That "celebrated village" is composed of one dwelling-house, a blacksmith-shop, a tobacco-house, and a well.

pain, as it is sometimes called, took a spell of it about the time of our arrival at Mechanicsville, and his sufferings amounted to torture. The hot sun of the Peninsula was a great encouragement to the disease. He positively refused to be sent back to the hospital at White House Landing; and he lay in our low tent, half-frantic at times with pain. The disease is quite intermittent, and it would suddenly leave him at times, to return in a few hours probably with increased violence.

During the latter part of June, the First and Eighth Regiments were detailed for picket. We were to remain fortyeight hours, and we took our tents and all our equipage with us. One regiment was to form the picket line, while the other was to lie in reserve at the village. The picket line extended along the Chickahominy to a point half-a-mile west of Mechanicsville, thence at right angles, toward Hanover Court House.

We arrived in Mechanicsville during the forenoon. The First Regiment was appointed to do the picket duty, while we were to lie in reserve. We accordingly stacked arms in a wood near the village, then set about amusing ourselves by going cautiously to the edge of the woods, and gazing across into rebeldom. Several earth-works were visible on the opposite hills; and by the aid of a field-glass, rebel sentinels could be seen, and now and then a squad of men or a baggage-wagon going from one redoubt to another.

Twenty-four hours passed away without event. At the expiration of that time, a battery of parrott guns that had accompanied us to the village, opened fire on some of the rebel earthworks. We stood in line ready for action, and we could see the shells from our guns bursting about the rebel fortifications at every discharge. But, although there appeared to be guns mounted upon the works, the fire was not returned. With a glass, however, rebels could be seen standing by their guns as though awaiting orders to fire. They did not fire though, and our battery, after an hour, ceased to play.

It was just dark when an order came to the regiment for one company to be sent to the Chickahominy at the bridge,