Some of our railway men were missing, but the number at the mess on the following morning showed that, compared with other branches of the service, we had cause for congratulation.

A few conductors and engineers had obtained boats and crossed the Potomac, but the great body of the men remained, although the roar of the guns of the pursuing enemy was supposed to be heard in every sound during the night.

Of our telegraphers not one was missing the next morning.
[Footnote 20: "When Carnegie reached Washington his first task was to establish a ferry to Alexandria and to extend the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad track from the old depot in Washington, along Maryland Avenue to and across the Potomac, so that locomotives and cars might be crossed for use in Virginia.

Long Bridge, over the Potomac, had to be rebuilt, and I recall the fact that under the direction of Carnegie and R.F.Morley the railroad between Washington and Alexandria was completed in the remarkably short period of seven days.

All hands, from Carnegie down, worked day and night to accomplish the task." (Bates, _Lincoln in the Telegraph Office_, p.22.New York, 1907.)] Soon after this I returned to Washington and made my headquarters in the War Building with Colonel Scott.