ved one another on the decks, and the occasional
splash of oars, as a solitary boat rowed backwards and forwards
to the Admiral's ship for orders, sounded peculiarly musical in
the perfect stillness of a calm night. Though I am far from
giving the preference, in all respects, to a sailor's life, it
must nevertheless be confessed that it has in it many moments of
exquisite enjoyment, and the present seemed to me to be of the
number.

CHAPTER XIII.

MARCH

BUT the stillness of night soon passed away, and at three o'clock in
the morning every ship in the fleet began to lower her boats, and the
soldiers were roused from their slumbers. The same precautions which
had been formerly used to cover the landing were again adopted,
several gun-brigs laying themselves within cable's length of the
beach, and the leading boats in every division being armed with
carronades, loaded and ready for action. But, as had been the case at
St. Benedict's, they were unnecessary, for the troops reached the
shore without opposition, and leisurely formed in an open field close
to the river.

It was seven o'clock before the whole army was disembarked and in
order for marching. The same arrangements which had been made on the
late expedition were, as far as circumstances would permit, again
adopted on this. The light brigade, now commanded by Major Jones of
the 4th regiment, led the advance; then followed the artillery,
amounting to six field-pieces and two howitzers, all of them drawn by
horses; next came the second brigade, then the sailors, and last of
all the third brigade. Flank patrols and reconnoitring parties were
likewise sent out; in short, the same admirable dispositions regulated
the present march which had governed our march to Washington.

The column being put in motion, advanced, without the occurrence
of any incident deserving of notice, for about an hour, when it
arrived at a piece of ground which appeared as if it had been
lately in possession of the enemy. It was a narrow neck of land,
confined between the river on one side, and the head of a creek
on the other, measuring, perhaps, a mile across. From the river
to the creek a breastwork had been begun, and was partly
completed. In front of it there were lines drawn, apparently for
the purpose of marking out the width of a ditch; in some places
the ditch itself was dug, and the commencement of what resembled
an enfilading battery in the centre, showed that a co