"I was made quite happy by General Meade's condescension in speaking to me twice. We had four hours' sleep that night, or rather the next morning. The whole of Tuesday was given to a great review--that of the Second Corps. General Meade reviewed the troops. There were 7000 infantry and 3000 cavalry; these last were Kilpatrick's, and they showed us a cavalry charge; this was very exciting, and their shrieks in rushing upon the supposed enemy so overcame us that we clung to each other in terror. The day was more than May, it was June. Far away rose the Blue Ridge (well named, we thought), while all over the country in every direction were marching the infantry, or the artillery was rumbling, or the cavalry dashing about in the soft Virginia breezes. When General Meade reviewed the army, as he rode with his staff past each brigade the general and officers joined the cavalcade of the commander-in-chief, the band playing and colors flying and bayonets glistening, all in the bright sunlight of that perfect day. I cannot tell you how touching was the sight of those regiments that have been long in the service, and have but two or three hundred left. They march so firmly, carrying their torn banners, with the names of the battles in which they have fought written upon them. "During the review we received an invitation from the general to dine with him, which we accepted. I must reserve a detailed account of this dinner for another letter. "The next morning we bade good-bye to our friends, and returned to the restraints of city life." It was during this year that Mr. Varley made the statement that when the cable was laid it would be possible to send through it eight words a minute, and possibly thirteen and a half words. This assertion called down upon him some criticism. On July 6, 1885, Mr. Field sent ninety-five words from London to the President of the United States at Washington in eighteen minutes. Ten minutes were required to send the message from Buckingham Palace Hotel to Throgmorton Street, and eight minutes from there to Washington. When in London he was up by five o'clock, though out at dinner every night, and the servants at his hotel were known to say, "Mr. Field never goes to sleep." His work while on either side of the Atlantic was constant, and for that reason the long sea voyages proved a blessing. The first days after sailing he would sleep continuously, only getting up for his meals, and by so doing was rested and ready for any emergency or pleasure on landing. Immediately upon his arrival in New York on September 23, 1863, he prepared to welcome Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne. A reception was given to Sir Alexander and Lady Milne by Mr. and Mrs. Field early in October, and the letter from Washington refers to that entertainment: "TREASURY DEPARTMENT, _October 7, 1863_.