CHAPTER XIII
Blackburn's Ford and Bull Run.—1861
THE advance of the army commenced on July 16. It
took so much time to get the several divisions under
way from their encampments in the fortifications along
Arlington Heights and at Alexandria that only a few
miles were accomplished that day. As the headquarters
were not to move until the next day, I joined General Tyler
and staff, commanding the First Division, which had the
lead and had started from near the Georgetown bridge.
Coming up with the rear regiment, I had to pass all the
troops of the division, as they were following the same
road. In passing the brigade commanders and staffs, I
rode with them for a time for a chat. Thus I had a short
talk with Colonel W. T. Sherman, of the regular army,
the future army commander, who had under him the
so-called Irish brigade, formed of the Irish New York City
regiments. I knew from visits at Fort Corcoran, where
the Colonel had had his brigade headquarters, that he was
not very proud of his command, which hardly contained a
single competent officer, and both the rank and file of
which it was especially difficult to discipline properly. But
the prospect of active service seemed to have put him into
rather good humor. In passing the Sixty-ninth New York
regiment, I came up with Captain Thomas Francis Meagher,
whose Zouave company formed part of it. He was
mounted, but wore a plain undress uniform instead of the
gorgeous one already described. As I approached him, I
noticed that he was resting his right hand with a cocked
revolver on his hip. “Well, Captain,” I sang out to
him, “you are all ready for the fray?” “Yes,” he re-
