The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1862-08-28

and wounded who remained at the differ
eut hospitals We're placed on board the
regular steamboats, belonging to the San
itary Commission at the Long Wharf, and
were among the first to move out into the
stream. Contrabands were shipped on
schooners, barges, and pontoon boats, and
line of boats with their ebon freight pass
the different steamers and wharves to take
their places among the others anchored in
the stream, or hear the questions, answers,
and jokes which passed between the two
parties, amid the cha has" Of the white
men and the Ftya ya's' of the black.
At o'clock last night, went on shore
for the last time from the mail dock. On
the pier and the bank above, but few
barrels and boxes remained to be shipped,
and, with the exception of the Proyost's
guard, this was all that remained on shore
of the Army of the Potomac. Far as the
eye could reach nothing could be seen but
a mighty plain of desolation and ruin
The ground was strewn the whole distance
with mere rubbish-for here, there and
everywhere large fires burned, and any
thing that could assist the Rebels ever SO
slightly, was fast becoming heap of
charred and blackened ruins, or lay useless
by destruction upon the ground. Old
tents and bags either fed the flames or lay
about torn into shreds; boxes and barrels
were broken; in fact, nothing remained
that could be of use to the enemy, except
thousands of cool and shady bowers, built
by our soldiers from limbs and boughs of
trees, in lieu of tents, which were kindly
left standing to WOO the Rebels on their
onward march TO Washington, and rest
their weary limbs and cool their fiery
spirits down.
All being now safely embarked on board
the different vessels, Col Butler, comman-
dant Of the depot guard, called in his SEN
tinels, who were on duty at the different
wharves, and embarked his regiment on
board the North America.
The last steamer had paadled out in the
stream. This occurred about 8 o'clock.
The moon was about half full, shedding
sufficient light to clearly distinguish sdr-
rounding objects. Up and down the river
far as the eye could reach, the feet lay
quietly at anchor; the many colored sig
nal lights, bright and flickering, looked
like fairy stars of various hues, flashing
along the whole line. A light breeze was
blowing up the river, ripping the water
noiselessly, each ripple moving as with
fiery life, from the reflection of the fires
on the banks. A sound of many voices
singing hymn, in the direction of the
negro barges, came floating musically over
the water, to the tune of "We're bound
for the happy land of Canaan" All else
was still as death, and as | sat upon the
deck of the steamer looking at the enchant-
ing scene, thought of "peace and good
will to men" rather than of war and war
expeditions.
We did not leave until near o'clock
a. m., when all being in readiness at the
change of the tide, the whole feet moved
slowly down the river. Nothing occurred
of any particular consequence during the
voyage. We met a few steamers and
vessels bound up in the direction of Har-
rison's Landing. [ thought that they
were going there with as little purpose as
the mail boat, John a. Warner, which
arrived at the Landing about o'clock
D. M, the night previous, with nearly two
hundred soldiers and civilians. On her
arrival Captain Sawtelle ordered her into
the middle of the stream, and she returned
to-day with the rest of the feet and her
two hundred passengers.