provost marshal,) was then doing provost duty in the city.

When the order for landing was given, each scrambled ashore with the whole of his household furniture upon his back. After passing through a part of the city, we struck the railroad bridge, (destroyed by the rebels after their defeat, but rebuilt by our forces,) crossing which, and marching a mile or two, halted at the encampment of the 17th on the Trent river, where we were welcomed by the men of the various companies, many of whom found friends and acquaintances among the 'raw recruits.' My comrade had friends in the Malden Company (K), of which we were henceforth to form a part, and we received a hearty welcome from the members of mess 5, some of the good-natured ones of which taxed themselves to the amount of nearly a dollar to procure from the sutler something more palatable for our first meal than 'hard tack and salt horse.'

After 'taps' the lights were put out, and we disposed ourselves upon the tent-floor to sleep, in the manner of spokes of a cart-wheel, our feet toward the hub, which consisted of the gun-rack around the tent-pole, there to revolve in the circle of dreams of home and friends far distant. Before closing our eyes, however, and while inquiries were plied and answered thick and fast, one of the mess startled the newcomers by exclaiming—

"A rat! A rat! I have him!"

"Pass him around!" was the general cry.

"Now I've got him!" another exclaimed. This was followed by a gurgling noise, as in the first instance.

The 'rat' came nearer, and presently I smelt him. There was no mistaking that 'rat,'—he came from Jersey and was surnamed 'lightning,' and cost the fourth part of a soldier's pay for one month. Being eagerly pressed to taste him, I did taste, but that was all—the smell was enough, and I passed him over to the next man.

Sleep at length overcome me, and I dreamed of rats made of glass, squealing "Jersey lightning! Jersey lightning!" until morning, when I awoke to find myself surrounded by comrades busy eating breakfast. Beside me stood a dipper of smoking hot coffee, some hard bread and salt beef, provided by one of the most thoughtful of my new friends.

After guard-mounting (9 A.M.) the recruits were drawn up in line, assigned to the various companies, examined by the surgeon, and, after a few words of encouragement or advice from their captains (and mayhap a glass of whisky), returned to their quarters, feeling relieved, no doubt, that the affair was over.

Thus, in the course of about an hour, the recruits were disposed of, and duly incorporated with the regiment—to share in its messes and marches, its skirmishes and scratches, its picket duty and plunder, its whisky and quinine, its tents and hospitals, its hard tack and salt horse, its pea soup and pea coffee, its baked beans without brown bread, its pride and its perils, its glory and its graveyards.

The following is a list of the principal staff and line officers of the 17th, the companies and where they were raised, together with an account—taken from a diary or journal of Mr. Wm. Noble, of Saugus, (the first color sergeant)—of the doings of the regiment from its inception down to the 5th of January, 1862:

Colonel—Thomas I. C. Amory.

[Mr. Amory was born in Boston, Nov. 27, 1828; entered West Point in 1846, and graduated in 1851, when he was appointed 2d lieutenant in the 7th Infantry, ordered to Fort Smith in Arkansas, and was promoted 1st lieutenant in 1855. In 1858 he was ordered to Utah, under the command of the late Gen. Albert Sidney Johnson, who joined the rebels at the outbreak of the Southern rebellion and was killed at Shiloh; was ordered to Boston on recruiting service in 1860, and was promoted to a captaincy May 7, 1861. When the war broke out, he obtained leave of absence from the War Department, and accepted a commission from Gov. Andrew as Colonel of the 17th Mass. Vols., on Sept. 7th, 1861. Since the regiment has been in the Department of North Carolina, he has acted as General of Brigade; but whether his nomination for the brigadiership has been confirmed or not, I am unable to say. Of this I am certain, however, that there are few officers at this time serving in our armies better capable of wearing the star or more fully deserving of it than Thomas I. C. Amory.]

Lieut. Colonel—John F. Fellows.

[Mr. Fellows, of Chelsea, is well known in Boston, having been for many years connected with its daily press. He was also an active member of the State Militia. When the war broke out he offered his services to Gov. Andrew, from whom he received a commission as Lieut. Colonel of the 17th Reg't on the 21st of August, 1861. He has proved himself a capable officer and a thoroughly brave man. I shall have frequent occasion to speak of him hereafter.]

Major—Jones Frankle. (Now, Luther Day.)

[Mr. Frankle is a Prussian by birth, and served in the war of 1848 in Germany, at which time he did not "fight mit Sigel," but against him. He received his commission as Major of the 17th on the 1st of August, 1861; and proved himself a capable and efficient officer. In June, 1863, he resigned his commission in the 17th for the purpose of raising an artillery regiment (the 2d Mass. Heavy Artillery) which he now commands, and which is doing duty in the field and in forts in the various parts of North Carolina held by our forces. He was succeeded by senior captain (Co. F) Luther Day, of Haverhill, a very good officer.]

Adjutant—B. N. Mann. (Now, H. A. Cheever.)

[Mr. Mann was, I believe, for many years connected with the Boston Post Office. He is a brave man, and generous as he is brave. He was succeeded by Mr. Cheever in the Fall of '62.]

Quartermaster—Capt. Harris was commissioned Quartermaster of the 17th; but resigned in the Fall of '61, and was succeeded by Lieut, (afterwards Capt.) Thompson, who died at Newbern in October, '62. Lieut. Dexter succeeded, and is the present incumbent.

Surgeon—Isaac F. Galloupe.

[Dr. Galloupe is a hard-working, skillful, efficient and humane man, and discharges his duty in a manner that commands the respect and gratitude of every man who comes under his treatment. The Dr. is from Lynn.]

Assistant Surgeon—Wm. H. W. Hinds, of Boston.

[The men have no exalted opinion of this Dr.'s kindness or capacity, though he seems attentive and a hard worker. Perhaps his unpopularity arises from the fact that he unmercifully doses all whom he considers 'bummers' (i. e., those who are too lazy to do duty and 'play sick' to escape its performance) with salts, jalap, blue pills, and especially quinine; but I think he often punishes in this manner the deserving as well as the guilty.]

Co. A—Capt. Henry Splaine, of Haverhill—was raised principally in Newburyport.

Co. B—Capt Enoch F. Tompkins, of Haverhill (vice Capt. S. C. Bancroft, S. Danvers, resigned)—South Danvers.

Co. C—Capt. Nehemiah P. Fuller—Danvers.

Co. D—Capt. Ivory N. Richardson, of Malden (Capt. Levi Thompson, of Cambridge, deceased)—Salisbury and Amesbury.

Co. E—Capt. Michael McNamara, of Haverhill—Stoneham and Haverhill.

Co. F—Capt. Day (now Major)—Haverhill.

Co. G—Capt. G. W. Kenney, of Danvers—Rockport and Salem.

Co. H—Capt. J. K. Lloyd—Boston and Fall River.

Co.