rook had become
a torrent, almost equal to the far-famed Yellow Breeches, which a few
Brooklyn boys were vainly endeavoring to ford, in order to rescue some of
their traps swept away by its sudden overflow; the smooth grass had
vanished, and on every side nothing was to be seen but mud, water, and wet
and muddy soldiers.

From three to eleven o'clock A. M. that rain continued with unabated
vigor. A fire was started under the shelter of a rubber blanket, and
coffee made, which put new life into our limbs, and we became quite jolly.
It is a noticeable fact, that where things become perfectly awful--when
the mud is deepest and the rain the heaviest--there the spirits of the men
appear to rise with the difficulties of the situation (except when they
have nothing to eat), and they apparently enjoy themselves much more than
if they were merely suffering from a temporary annoyance; and accommodate
themselves to circumstances as though it was rather funny than otherwise;
nevertheless, we were not in the least displeased when the order came to
march.

On the 8th of July, the division arrived at Waynesboro', where we were
annexed to the third brigade, second division of the sixth army corps
(whose white cross, artistically carved out of cracker, was at once
adopted by any quantity of the men), and in the subsequent manoeuvres
which took place, became a part of the Army of the Potomac. We found
Waynesboro', a pleasant little place, but so cleaned out by the rebels
that you could not even buy a tin cup; and although our foraging parties
scoured the country both in and outside the pickets with untiring zeal,
the results were meagre enough; and during the three days we remained
(most of the time expecting an attack), we had almost nothing to eat the
first day, and but a bare sufficiency afterward.

During these three days, by dint of sleeping about all the time, the
brigade had got pretty well rested, and in the afternoon of the 11th took
up their line of march for Maryland, in first-rate spirits.

We experienced some trouble on the way, and marched and countermarched a
good deal, losing three hours' time and our tempers, in consequence of our
General having forgotten that, in going through a strange country, he
couldn't get on well without providing himself with a guide; and it was
not till after dark that we got across the Antietam at Scotland's Bridge.
Once across, however, a pleasant moonlight march over a first-rate road,
so