The next six weeks were occupied in reorganizing the broken and scattered army, in recruiting the physical forces of the men and refinishing them with the clothing and camp equipage, the arms and material which had been lost, abandoned, and lavishly wasted. The transportation, so far as my brigade is concerned, was good, and had suffered very little detriment on this severe march, but during tour stay at Harrison's Landing much of the forage was bad, the hay rotten, the corn moldy. The animals suffered accordingly; many died. The troops were supplied with an almost entirely new outfit of clothing and camp equipage . Such had been the severity of the march and of the fighting that all been abandoned or thrown away - everything but the arms of the men and the clothes they stood in. Thursday, August 14, the movement to evacuate the Peninsula, ordered some time previously, was commenced. August 15, the Third Corps broke up camp and took the road toward Williamsburg. August 17, reached Williamsburg. August 18, marched to Yorktown. August 20, the troops embarked and sailed for Alexandria. September 5-7, the wagons and animals were embarked on different transports. September 8, sailed for Alexandria. September 11, reached Alexandria. The wagons remained at Yorktown will September 5, no transportation being provided for them.

Without of course, knowing all the causes, and therefore being incompetent to judge whether or not the delay in furnishing transportation for the wagons and animals at Yorktown might have been prevented, it was certainly an unfortunate circumstance, involving serious results to the troops and causing great loss in animals on account of the scarcity and poor quality of forage furnished. With scarcely an exception, the hay was rotten, and the grain, kept for many months in the same vessels, was so moldy as to cause great fatality among the animals that fed upon it. My own losses were very serious at this time, though my mules were not inferior in condition to any in the army. September 12-14, the wagons and animals were disembarked at Alexandria, and immediately joined the troops then stationed in the vicinity of Fort Barnard. Not having been with the troops during the operations under Pope that occurred from August 25 to September 1, I cannot, of course, speak of them from my own knowledge, nor as far as I am aware, did anything occur during those operations connected with my own brigade pertinent to the present narrative. From the nature of the case during the momentous period of forced marching and desperate fighting, the troops unfortunately derived very little assistance from our department. After the death of Kearny, General Birney took command of the division, and Colonel Ward, of the Thirty-eight New York, of the brigade. About September 12, General Stoneman relieved General Birney, and the division was ordered to Poolesville to guard the lower fords of the Potomac. We left camp on the evening of September 15, and reached Poolesville without particular event in three days' march. The brigade remained at Poolesville about one month, during which nothing of special moment occurred. October 18, the brigade moved about four miles to the vicinity of White's Ford, where it remained ten days. October 29, the division crossed the Potomac at White's Ford, and encamped upon the right bank. October 30, marched to Leesburg. November 2, left Leesburg and commenced the march, which, with a temporary delay at Warrenton, was continued till we reached Falmouth. November 5, the division reached Carter's Run, in the neighborhood of Waterloo, where we again united with the main body of the army, which had crossed the Potomac at Berlin and Harper's Ferry.