_Saturday, August 23._--Hampton Roads. Troops are continuously shipped.
_Sunday, August 24._--Hampton Roads. Heavy rain. Kirby's and our battery marched to the landing. Both batteries were loaded on board the ferry-boat Jefferson. Men and horses remained ashore for the night.
_Tuesday, August 26._--Hampton Roads. Men and horses were shipped on board the schooners Buena Vista and Clara Belle. The schooners were taken by tug-boat to Fortress Monroe, waiting for further orders. At six o'clock P. M., the steamer "Forrest City," having the Second United States cavalry on board, attached our schooner in tow, and started for Alexandria. In consideration of having the troops rested from their tedious marching across the Peninsula, contrabands were engaged by the government to load the vessels. An overseer of such a working party reported to our battery. But Lieutenant J. Hassard suggested that he would rather have the men of the battery do the work, as they had not done anything lately. I owe it to the members of Battery A, to mention those facts.
_Wednesday, August 27._--In sight of Aquia Creek. Received orders to proceed to Alexandria the next morning.
_Thursday, August 28._--Left Aquia Creek at four o'clock A. M. Passed Mount Vernon by seven, Fort Washington by eight, and arrived at Alexandria by ten o'clock. Both batteries, horses and all, were unloaded by five o'clock P. M. Marched through Alexandria at once, and went to camp outside the city.
_Friday, August 29._--Alexandria. Our battery, accompanied by the Seventh Michigan Regiment, and Fifty-ninth New York, left this morning, going towards the Chain Bridge, on which an attack was anticipated. We passed through Fort Runyon, on the road leading to Manassas, turning off to Fort Ethan Allen, covering the Chain Bridge. The fort was occupied by the One Hundred and Twenty-third Pennsylvania, Seventy-first New York, and Eleventh New Jersey regiments. We took position one mile in front of it.
_Saturday, August 30._--Near Fort Ethan Allen. Heavy cannonading in the direction of Manassas Junction. Two regiments of cavalry are making a reconnoissance towards Leesburg. At five o'clock P. M. we went to Fort Ethan Allen, crossed the Potomac over Chain Bridge, and marched until eight o'clock. Coming up to General Dana's brigade, we halted for the night.