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would soon be busy again with plough and pruning hook rejoicing in the Peace their hardy hands had won.  In the distance the bayonets gleamed ^in the sunlight like a solid sea of silver, then we could distinguish the infantry moving with steady step, the cavalry and the [[strikethrough]] Infantry [[/strikethrough]] artillery.  On they came [[strikethrough]] now [[/strikethrough]] in the ^dim distance [[strikethrough]] now in [[/strikethrough]] down the ^long [[strikethrough]] middle of the [[/strikethrough]] avenue [[strikethrough]] now [[/strikethrough]] under our window hour after hour as inexhaustible & unceasing as the flow of a mighty river.  The horses prancing & curvetting.  The the artillery rumbling heavily regiment after regiment.  The regular company being here & there intersperced with a regiment of zouaves their costume resembling the Turkish so much we almost expected to see the c and the crescent.  The stars & stripes [[strikethrough]] floated [[/strikethrough]] and the different corps banners floated out in the sun [[strikethrough]] while here and there [[/strikethrough]] beside the batteries battles flags that had been torn & stained in the service of their
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country.  Nothing but a shred of some of these were left.  Hour after hour the steady stream moved on until upon our wearied senses began to dawn some realization of the immense extent of the army.
Among other pleasant people Robert J. Walker was with us & entertained us with various anecdotes of his late foreign tour.  Of his balloon excursion He invited a certain number of gentlemen to dine with him in the air at a certain hour  He hired a balloon & the services of a distinguished aeronaut expecting to make the ascension in private but found 100 000 people had collected to see him ascend.  He enjoyed his trip greatly and descended without accident.  Among other interesting items he said that on some public occasion in Ireland some mention was made of the powers of the Americans & their defeat of the English in the wars of 76 & 1812.  Wallis rose to reply