station of that name. A squad of men was detailed
to go to this house and destroy it, in case the enemy should appear.
The attack was expected at daybreak, but General Early, doubtless
hearing of the arrival of reinforcements, abandoned any project
he might have entertained and had beat a retreat the day before.
Whether the supposition that he could have taken the city with great
celerity has any foundation, I cannot say; I should certainly greatly
doubt it, remembering the large loss of life generally suffered
during the civil war by troops trying to storm intrenchments or
defenses of any sort, even with greatly superior force.

I was surprised to find how quickly one could acquire the stolidity
of the soldier. During the march from the Navy Yard to the fort
I felt extremely depressed, as one can well imagine, in view of
the suddenness with which I had to take leave of my family and
the uncertainty of the situation, as well as its extreme gravity.
But this depression wore off the next day, and I do not think I
ever had a sounder night's sleep in my life than when I lay down on
the grass, with only a blanket between myself and the sky, with the
expectation of being awakened by the rattle of musketry at daybreak.

I remember well how kindly we were treated by the army.
The acquaintance of Generals Wright and McCook, made under such
circumstances, was productive of a feeling which has never worn off.
It has always been a matter of sorrow to me that the Washington of
to-day does not show a more lively consciousness of what it owes to
these men.

One of the entertainments of Washington during the early years of
the civil war was offered by President Lincoln's public receptions.
We used to go there simply to see the people and the costumes, the
latter being of a variety which I do not think was ever known on
such occasions before or since. Well-dressed and refined ladies and
gentlemen, men in their working clothes, women arrayed in costumes
fanciful in cut and brilliant in color, mixed together in a way
that suggested a convention of the human race. Just where the
oddly dressed people came from, or what notion took them at this
particular time to don an attire like that of a fancy-dress ball,
no one seemed to know.

Among the never-to-be-forgotten scenes was that following the news of
the fall of Richmond. If I described it from memory, a question would
perhaps arise in the reader's mind as to how much fancy migh