says: "The

The railway had been destroyed by Jackson during his retreat in 1862 and was strewn with half-burned sleepers, twisted rails, car wheels, and tin roofing. We marched along the road beside the embankment to the entrance to the gap, passing through Springfield and Barhamsville. Chaplain Cudworth land now began gradually to rise, sloping down from both sides of the mountains, right and left to the valley between, along which wound the road to the other side of the ridge. In some places these mountains where the ascent was gradual and easy had been cleared of trees and bushes, and were covered with fields of grass, clover, and grain. In others they were enclosed with walls and fences for the pasturage of cattle and sheep. The soil was exceedingly rich, but the surface of the ground was covered with loose stones, some of large size, above and around which the rank grass had grown, making the movement of artillery and the maneuvering of large bodies of men matters of no little difficulty. The common roads, likewise, having been at the same time roads and beds for the mountain brooks which ran, one to the east and the other to the west through the gap, were rougher than anything the army of the Potomac had ever before experienced in all its marches and travels. Movable stones of all sizes and shapes, from the common cobble to blocks two or three feet high and as many broad, lay directly in the track over which artillery must proceed and the artillery be driven. Army horses and mules usually have a hard life; but here they were jerked and twitched about and tripped up so constantly that not a heart but pitied the poor brutes. Knowing the nature of Manassas gap, the rebels had not ventured to

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bring their forces further than to the western entrance, and had spread them out over a series of eminences known as Wapping heights."

July 22. Pleasant. Started about 2 P. M. and marched along easily towards Manassas Gap. Got some splendid Blackberries when we halted.

Those blackberries must have gone far to preserve the health of the army after our scant rations of salt meat. On this particular afternoon I sat down where we halted and filled my cap with berries without moving. They were fine, large berries too. I had never liked blackberries at home, but after this they always seemed to me delicious.

July 23. Pleasant. Reached Manassas Gap.

We

We halted for an hour at the entrance to the gap, and at ten o'clock formed line of battle and advanced up the gap half a mile. We came up with the 1st division at Luiden. At two, our regiment was sent forward in support of picket line and entered upon the good-natured exchange of shots of which I have I have spoken above. made our way in a leisurely manner up the hill, and bivouacked on the summit. I take this picture of the view from there. from Chaplain Cudworth's book, regretting. that I cannot name the two men who get so much more prominence than the landscape. He describes the view, however, as exquisitely beautiful. "Front Royal was in the foreground, with the swelling ranges of Massanuten, Great North, Little North, Branch, and Shenandoah rolling up against the horizon like mighty billows, and disappearing finally in the distant west; to the right and left were the abrupt spurs and towering peaks of the Blue Ridge chain,

Meade there intended to attack Gen. Lee's army, the whole of it or any part of it, for he knew he had got there before Lee had. Gen. French then had the advance, and our troops were first-rate in hand. But Gen. French made a very feeble attack, with one brigade only, and wasted the whole day; and the enemy got off again at night. I am sure Gen. Meade was more disappointed in that result than in anything else that had happened. For when the enemy got away at Williamsport Gen. Meade fully calculated to attack him at Manassas gap, or some place similar to it." In his account of the movements of our division Gen. Carr makes more of this encounter than it seemed to us. He says, as

At

I have condensed it: "Early in the morning followed the road to Masassas gap. At Luiden came up with 1st div. Formed in 3 columns in mass, to follow and support 1st div, till it carried the high ridge crossing our course in which the enemy had made fight. This was a very high and steep ridge, and being cleared the whole mechanism of the advance was visible, furnishing a magnificent scene.

"When my columns arrived at the top I found the 1st div. deployed along the crest, occupying it far to right and left. I was directed to form in column of battalions closed in mass to support; also to send out our regiment to support the left of the line of skirmishers, for which I detailed the 1st Mass.

"The skirmishers below on the other side, were stationary and warmly engaged with others of the enemy, both parties seeking the cover of the ground from each other but perfectly in view from the top of the ridge.

"The 2d brigade was marched by the flank along the hollow, winding to the front and centre of the high ridge on which we stood, keeping on the lowest ground without it, to take the hill which was the key of the ground occupied by the enemy's skirmishers. The 1st and 3rd brigades were in position to support their charge by advancing down the counter-part of the main ridge, a nearer route to the hill referred to.

"Between 5 and 6 p. m. the 2d brigade charged up the hill and carried it, taking a second crest 200 yards beyond. I now advanced the 3d brigade, and brought forward the 1st to support the flanks of the

3d.

"The 2d brigade took the second crest and held it. The enemy were about to

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attack my right. I brought the 1st brigade up to the second line and established it in mass near the road. The enemy threw solid shot and shell at the brigade without effect, and the troops slept on their arms."

Gen. Longstreet speaks of the affair contemptuously. He reports: "Gen. Ewell was detained a little, and found upon approaching Front Royal that Gen. Wright's brigade, left there to hold the gaps for him, was engaged in skirmishing with the enemy's infantry. He reinforced the brigade, held the enemy back, then changed his line of march west, crossed the Blue Ridge at Thornton's gap, and ordered Early's division, that was not yet up, through the valley by Strasburg."

The enemy escaped during the night, leaving us to bring in the wounded and bury the dead. Altogether there were on both sides some twenty killed and a hundred wounded. At five o'clock in the afternoon we marched to Markham, a hamlet some twenty miles from Warrenton.

Found the Rebels here in a strong position but easily drove them out of it. Spinola's Brigade charged twice.

I find marked across the page, "Skirmish at Wapping Heights", so I suppose. that was the local name of the place. It was the most remarkable battle I ever heard of, almost like opera bouffe. Both sides seemed very good-natured, and fought in the most leisurely way. Our men would eat a mouthful of blackberries, load, eat another mouthful of blackberries, fire, eat another handful of blackberries, fire again, and so on, and the confederates were equally apathetic about gore.

July 24. Pleasant. Had splendid Soup. At 5 P. W. had orders to join the Brigade which we reached about 8 P. M.