"Our first trip was a regular-built poser to the Nathans. We landed on the banks of the Patuxent, at a place they call Benidick, or Bounidick, or some such name, among Virginny weeds, backy, briars, flowers and woodbine, rigged out in regular soger fashion, with canteens, knapsacks, and such like lumber.

"The boats of the fleet went up towards the flotilla at the same time; but Barney and his men took to the land, and sent sixteen out of the seventeen of his gun-boats into the air, flying like their own torpedos.

"The first night was no joke; the sky was as black as a hearse, the thunder roared, and the camp was now and then red with the flashes of lightning; the rain fell in torrents, and the camp-fires burned dim; and there was nothing to be heard among us, but a confusion of mad voices, as wild as the winds, that twisted about in every point of the compass, so that the lecside of a tree became the weather one in an instant. The bullocks which had been driven

in to be killed, were roaring, and the horses neighing; while straggling sogers were scudding about in search of the baggage-waggons. There's fun for you, Wad !

"In the morning we were cold and wet, and stiff as mail-coach horses newly harnessed; but off we went to the sound of bugles, fifes, and drums, among weeds, woods, and Indian corn; and before grog-time we were puffing and blowing like roarers. Sometimes rousing the guns up the hills, sometimes stealing peaches out of the orchards, and when our canteens were empty, taking a swig out of the ruts on the road; grilled as we were by a sun that would scorch a centipede; but the worst of all, Wad, was blistered feet and empty breadbaskets.

"One day was much like another, till we came in sight of the Jonathans, posted in two lines on the heights near Bladensburg. There was a deep, but narrow stream, and a bridge between us; (the eastern branch of the Poto

mack ;) their artillery fronted the bridge, and their black muzzles were open upon it. The officers, with their glasses, could see them looking along the wooden point-blank grooves on their guns, and training them towards the bridge.

"The rocketers threw a few of Master Congreve's best among them, and the 85th regularbuilt boys advanced along the bridge; then comes a shower of shot as thick as hail-stones, and hissing through the air like snakes, sweeping away all before it, and almost cleared the bridge of men and stones; but Nathan had Wellington's men to deal with on they went, over dead and wounded, spread out on both sides, run breast-high against the hill, and a long drawn fire of musketry, gave a shortwinded cheer, for we had marched eleven miles under a hot sun before we showed them our steel, and the Yankees fell back, line upon line, and off they went, tag-rag and bob-tail, for the main road to Washington.

"Many a death-warrant was sealed that day, Wad. Poor Barney was wounded and taken, along with all his cannon; and he would only be carried by sailors to the house where his wound was to be dressed.

"And there was poor Frank, my soger shipmate, as merry and brave a fellow as ever stepped, lying a corpse among the dead and dying Americans. He had been desperately wounded in the advance, but staggered on till he came to the spot the enemy had left; there he stumbled over some dead bodies; then reeling for a moment, let fall his arms, dropped down, and died. An American, who had been shot in the side of the head, found a dying pillow on Frank's breast; his hat was off, the blood had trickled over my shipmate's white belt, and his clotted, gory locks, which had been rolled about in the agonies of death, were now glued with blood to poor Frank's red jacket.

"And there was the Colonel of our leading

regiment, fairly cried for vexation that he could not get on as fast as his men, after he was wounded.

"The General and the Admiral, Gunner, were sworn brothers; always together, cheek by jowl, and headed us on to Washington.

"We stood much in need of some of those fine-laced cutty-coated regiments, that caper about on prancing horses, and dance at dignity balls in England, to give chase to the Jonathans; but lacking these, we made sail on our stumps, and did not bring up till nightfall, on a plain near the city. They say the General was nearly killed by a fire of musketry from a house as he advanced, for he was always ahead; but I saw him and the Admiral, by the glare of light from the burning Rope-walk, Dock-yard, and Law-making house, looking death to the Yankees. There was nothing but thunderings and crashes all night long; a frigate on the stocks and the bridge were de