June 17 — We renewed our march at midnight last night, and it was pleasant marching; the night was cool and full of moonshine. A refreshing night wind whispered softly through the trees while the moonbeams dipped their silent pencils into the dewdrops that trembled on the bending grass, and made them flash and glow like globules of burnished silver.
Little after sunrise we arrived at White Chimneys on the old stage road leading from Washington to Richmond. White Chimneys is a large house on the roadside, with four conspicuous white chimneys. I suppose it is the name of a farm, or perhaps an inn. It is in Caroline County. We rejoined the rest of the battery this morning near White Chimneys; we remained there a few hours, and were then ordered to Vernon Church, but through some misunderstanding of the order we went to Mangahink Church, which is about seven miles east of Vernon Church. After we arrived at Mangahink and found that we were mistaken, we left there immediately and moved to Vernon Church. Mangahink Church is in a section of beautiful country in the northwestern part of King William County. General Grant had his headquarters at Mangahink a few weeks ago. The church is built of brick, very common style. Vernon Church is situated in a beautiful level country; the land is low, but in a state of beautiful, clean cultivation. The weather is hot and the roads are dusty. Camped at Vernon Church.
