The instructing officer at the New Windsor camp was Charles A. Van Horne Ellis, of the 71st New York Militia, and he proved to be an efficient drill-master in regimental and company movements and the manual of arms, in which officers and men made rapid progress and became expert before leaving for the seat of war. When the regiment reached New York General Stuart L. Woodford presented to it a white silk banner in behalf of a patriotic society called "The Sons of Orange and Sullivan," and this was carried through the whole war. On arriving in Washington in November the regiment was sent to Kalorama Heights, near Georgetown, and tented there about two weeks. The weather was severe, and many of the men contracted colds, pneumonia and rheumatism from unaccustomed exposures, which also proved fatal to some of them. Afterward they camped a few weeks by Rock Creek, in the suburbs of Georgetown, and in January, 1862, went into the Carver barracks on Meridian Hill. The brigade, under General Naglee, had then become one of the best-drilled in the army, and President Lincoln and family and General Scott and daughter repeatedly came to Meridian Hill to witness its parade. It was in the grand review of 140,000 men under General McClellan which preceded the movement to the Peninsula, and on March 26th crossed the Long Bridge in Casey's division of four brigades, which marched thence to Alexandria, where on April 1st they started down the Potomac on the steamer "Constitution" for the Peninsula, reached Hampton Roads in the evening of April 2nd, and proceeded to Newport News April 3d. On this last trip the men had their first experience under fire, but the shells which the rebels shot at them from Sewell's Point fell short. At Newport News they went into camp on a large plantation, waited for the rest of the army a few days, and marched with it to Yorktown. Here the men on picket line were almost constantly under fire, and all were kept in a fever of excitement by the roar of cannon and cracks of rifles along the whole line from river to river, day and night.