once the army became the scene of prodigious activity. Keyes'
corps, our own division in advance, took the road along the banks of the
James river. The rest of the army, headed by Porter's division, advanced
on the more direct road to Yorktown, through Great Bethel, accompanied
by General McClellan.

The day being clear and warm, the men soon began to realize the
difficulty of transporting large amounts of clothing and camp equipage
on their shoulders, and the roadsides were strewn with blankets and
overcoats, dress coats and pants. The bushes and trees for miles along
the route were thickly hung with articles of clothing, mostly new, and
all good. Soldiers who had put on their marching suit would fall out of
the ranks, the knapsack would quickly disgorge a new coat and pants, the
wearers would as quickly divest themselves of the soiled garments and
replace them with the new ones, the others being left on the ground.
Whenever a halt was ordered this shifting process became general.

The roads, which at first were dry and firm, were as we advanced badly
cut up, and great difficulty was experienced in getting the trains
along.

An advance of ten miles brought us in front of Young's Mills, a strongly
fortified position five or six miles from Yorktown. The corps was drawn
up in line of battle and cavalry sent to reconnoiter the position. The
works were deserted, but camp fires still blazed in them. Here we rested
for the night. At daylight next morning the advance was renewed. The
roads were even worse than the day before. Infantry could get along well
enough, but artillery and army wagons had a hard time of it. Each piece
of artillery made the road worse, until the axles dragged in a river of
mud. We passed the little village of Warwick Court House. There were
here a little brick court house, a jail and a clerk's office seven feet
by ten, a store and a tavern. There were also two small dwelling houses.

After a march of three miles the division was drawn up in line of
battle. We had reached the hostile works before the rest of the army.
Skirmishers were sent to the front and we advanced slowly and cautiously
through the woods. A terrific thunder storm burst upon us and the roar
of the heavenly artillery seemed to mock any efforts at martial
grandeur. Seldom, if ever, had we of the northern states witnessed such
an exhibition of sublimity and terrible magnificence of the workings of
the elements. The vivid lightning and