e man killed. Sergeant Rex Haines was shot
through the head. He was a brave man, and one of the best soldiers in
the regiment. He had, until that very day, been confined to the hospital
with severe illness. A few of our men, also, received slight wounds.

The engineers proceeded at once to lay the bridges, and on the following
morning the whole division crossed. Our picket reserve made their
rendezvous at the ruins of the fine mansion which we had used for our
Second division hospital at the first battle. Now nothing but the bare
walls and heaps of rubbish marked the place where the beautiful
residence had stood. A regiment of Mississippians had occupied the
place, and had ruthlessly and willfully burned it. Yet the fine
chestnuts and broad-spreading oaks afforded as luxurious a shade as in
the palmy days when the old bachelor proprietor lounged beneath their
shadow.

The picket line extended nearly to the railroad, and, as before, formed
a semi-circle, radiating from the pontoon bridge. The enemy had also
formed a strong picket to oppose us, and the two lines of skirmishers
were within a few yards of each other.

It was a beautiful Sabbath, and all day long the troops lay upon the
plain, wondering what was to be done. There were the frowning batteries
of the enemy on the hills in front, apparently able to blow the whole
division into the air, and we could, with our glasses, discover great
numbers of infantry at the base of the hills, half hidden by the low
growth of pines. The main body of our army still remained in camp; only
our Sixth corps had moved. Evidently the enemy concluded that the
advance was rather one of observation than attack, and quietly awaited
our movements. Some firing was for a time kept up on the skirmish line,
and now and then a shell would come crashing through some of the houses
at the right, where our pickets were concealed; but at length, by mutual
consent, the pickets of each army watched the movements of their
opponents without molesting them. During this quasi-truce, a spirit of
sociability manifested itself, and our boys soon struck up an
acquaintance with their dangerous neighbors. At length an exchange of
papers was proposed, and upon mutual agreement of temporary amity, a
Yankee and a Johnnie would step into the open space between the two
lines, shake hands, inquire each other's regiment, trade papers and
retire.

There came at this time, to each company of one regiment, a copy of t