iment of the people at large seemed to turn
in the same channel, and a peculiar enthusiasm in this direction was
perceptible everywhere. It was as though the spirit of the old
knight-errantry had suddenly fallen upon us.

I was in Troy, New York, when the sad intelligence of the reverse to our
arms at Bull Run, was received. This was followed quickly by another
call for volunteers, and I decided without hesitation to enter the army.
In accordance with my resolve I enlisted as a private soldier at Troy,
on the sixth day of August, 1861, in a company raised by Captain
Clarence Buel, for the cavalry service. To encounter the chivalrous
Black Horse Cavalry, of Bull Run fame, it was proposed to raise a force
in the North, and as Senator Ira Harris, of New York, was giving this
organization his patronage and influence, a brigade was formed, whose
banners should bear his name.

Originally the regiment to which my company was assigned was intended
for the regular army, and was for some time known as the Seventh United
States Cavalry; but the Government having decided to have but six
regiments of regular cavalry, and as New York had contributed the
majority of the men to the organization, we were denominated the Second
Regiment of New York Cavalry, "Harris Light." This regiment was
organized by J. Mansfield Davies, of New York, as colonel, assisted by
Judson Kilpatrick, of New Jersey, as lieutenant-colonel. The men were
mostly from the States of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Vermont,
Pennsylvania, and Indiana.

_August 13._--To-day Captain Buel's company of Trojans was summoned
together for the purpose of leaving for the South. Under a severe,
drenching rain we were drawn up in line fronting the residence of
General John E. Wool, when the old veteran delivered a most heroic
address, which led us quite to forget the pelting rain, and prepared us
for our departure. The boys then found a very pleasant shelter on board
the Vanderbilt, bound for New York City. The day following all the New
York State men rendezvoused at 648 Broadway, and were mustered into the
service of the United States by Lieutenant-colonel D. B. Sackett, of the
regular army. At four o'clock P. M. we were ordered aboard a
train of cars, and told that our destination was Camp Howe, near
Scarsdale, twenty-four miles north of the city, between the Harlem and
East rivers. We reached the place just in time to pitch our tents for
the night--an operation which wa