YORKTOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG.

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the mistress, who sat amid her dark chattels in desolation and tears. Return-ing to the house, after this exodus, I found letters, papers, and odds and endsof various kinds littering the floor; whether overturned in the haste of themistress or by the visiting soldiers, I could only guess. No other building atBig Bethel was so devastated, and I did not see another building so treatedon our whole route. The men detailed to guard it declined to protect theproperty of one who was in arms fighting against us.

After leaving Big Bethel we began to feel the weight of our knapsacks.Castaway overcoats, blankets, parade-coats, and shoes were scattered alongthe route in reckless profusion, being dropped by the overloaded soldiers, asif after plowing the roads with heavy teams they were sowing them for aharvest. I lightened my knapsack without much regret, for I could not seethe wisdom of carrying a blanket or overcoat when I could pick one up almostanywhere along the march. Very likely the same philosophy actuated thosewho preceded me or came after. The colored people along our route occupiedthemselves in picking up this scattered property. They had on their faces adistrustful look, as if uncertain of the tenure of their harvest. The march upthe peninsula seemed very slow, yet it was impossible to increase our speed,owing to the bad condition of the roads. I learned in time that marchingon paper and the actual march made two very different impressions. Ican easily understandand excuse our fire-side heroes, who \

fought their or ourbattles at home overcomfortable break-fast-tables, withoutimpediments of anykind to circumscribetheir fancied opera-tions ; it is so mucheasier to manoeuvre

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THE LAND

and fight large ar-mies around the cor-ner grocery, thanto fight, march, andmanoeuvre in mudand rain, in the faceof a brave and vigi-lant enemy.

The baggage-trainswere a notable spec-tacle. To each baggage-wagon were attached four or six mules, driven usuallyby a colored man, with only one rein, or line, and that line attached to the bitof the near leading mule, while the driver rode in a saddle upon the near wheelmule. Each train was accompanied by a guard, and while the guard urged

CONFEDERATE BATTERY ON THE TERRACED MAGAZINE COMMANDINGAPPROACH TO THE GOSPORT NAYY-YARD. [SEE PAGE 152.JFROM A WAR-TIME SKETCH.