ow-travellers
were of course violent Unionists, and invariably spoke of my late
friends as Rebels or Rebs. They had all got it into their heads that
their Potomac army, not having been thoroughly thrashed, as it always
has been hitherto, had achieved a tremendous victory; and that its new
chief, General Meade, who in reality was driven into a strong position,
which he had sense enough to stick to, is a wonderful strategist. They
all hope that the remnants of Lee's army will not be allowed to ESCAPE
over the Potomac; whereas, when I left the army two days ago, no man in
it had a thought of escaping over the Potomac, and certainly General
Meade was not in a position to attempt to prevent the passage, if
crossing had become necessary.

I reached Johnstown on the Pennsylvania Railway at 6 P.M., and found
that town in a great state of excitement in consequence of the review of
two militia companies, who were receiving garlands from the fair ladies
of Johnstown in gratitude for their daring conduct in turning out to
resist Lee's invasion. Most of the men seemed to be respectable
mechanics, not at all adapted for an early interview with the rebels.
The garlands supplied were as big and apparently as substantial as a
ship's life-buoys, and the recipients looked particularly helpless after
they had got them. Heaven help those Pennsylvanian braves if a score of
Hood's Texans had caught sight of them!

Left Johnstown by train at 7.30 P.M., and, by paying half a dollar, I
secured a berth in a sleeping-car--a most admirable and ingenious Yankee
notion.

* * * * *

_12th July_ (Sunday).--The Pittsburg and Philadelphia Railway is, I
believe, accounted one of the best in America, which did not prevent my
spending eight hours last night off the line; but, being asleep at the
time, I was unaware of the circumstance. Instead of arriving at
Philadelphia at 6 A.M., we did not get there till 3 P.M. Passed
Harrisburg at 9 A.M. It was full of Yankee soldiers, and has evidently
not recovered from the excitement consequent upon the late invasion, one
effect of which has been to prevent the cutting of the crops by the
calling out of the militia.

At Philadelphia I saw a train containing one hundred and fifty
Confederate prisoners, who were being stared at by a large number of the
_beau monde_ of Philadelphia. I mingled with the crowd which was
chaffing them. Most of the people were good-natured, but I heard on