1862. to pilot them among the trees. At last the boys reached camp, completely blown and considerably scared with the fear that an aid might soon come with an order for them to appear before General Abercrombie. This anticipation, however, did not interfere with building fires, as that work proceeded at once, and very soon the odor of boiling coffee could be distinguished. As time wore on, and no officer appeared with a summons, courage returned, and more rails were procured this time without attracting notice. Very soon the men gathered round huge fires to listen to songs, or to hear the latest gossip. A common topic of discussion during this early part of our service was the probability of our return home in a few days, without seeing any fighting. Thursday, About 3.30 A.M. the long roll was sounded, and in company with the Sixteenth Indiana Infantry, a section of artillery and a squadron of cavalry, we made a reconnoissance to Middleburg, about six miles away, with the hope of surprising a rebel camp in that town. The morning was bright and clear and the air delightfully invigorating. Though we marched as fast as we could, we found the enemy had been warned of our approach in season to leave without the risk of a battle, whereupon we were halted in the main street of this pretty town for an hour's rest before returning to camp. During our temporary stay the boys made good use of their time by skirmishing for something to eat. Our trip was not wholly devoid of fun, as will be seen by the following incident which occasioned the remark, "Who stole the honey?" that has been so often repeated at our regimental gatherings since the war. One of the boys having discovered a beehive, seized it and returned to the regiment with it in his arms; while a short distance away, the loser, like Aristaeus of old, was exclaiming, "Mother! they've stolen my bees!" As the forager approached the regiment he was greeted with shouts of laughter, and "Put down that honey!" Though bedaubed with the contents of the hive, and presenting the most ridiculous appearance, he was in no way disconcerted at the uproar he created, and so had both honey and friends with whom to share it. 1862. Friday, March 28. Saturday, Started at 8 A.M. and marched eighteen miles to Pleasant Valley, on the road to Centreville. A hot day and a dusty road. Marched to Blackburn's Ford, seven miles, passing through Centreville. A part of the way we marched across the fields. We halted about an hour at Centreville in some rebel huts, which protected us from a driving snowstorm. Resumed our march, in snow and rain, to our destination, near the Bull Run battlefield, where we found another lot of huts, the recent quarters of the Washington Artillery from New Orleans. Some of the men preferred tents. There were a good many evidences about these huts that showed a festivity not common in the Union army such as champagne and whiskey bottles. Some of their mess-houses were embellished with signs such as "Yahoos," "Rest for the Pilgrims," "Pot-pourri," etc., etc. A good deal of interest was shown among the boys to investigate our surroundings on this unfortunate field, which looked more like a graveyard than anything else. One of the boys counted seventy dead horses in the last two miles of our march. horses were starved to death for want of forage. penetrated the camp was very disagreeable. Sunday, It is said these The seventh day of the week. The day on which the Lord rested. As it rained hard all day, we also rested, though no chime of bells saluted the ear. Some of the boys complained that the water we were drinking had a bad taste. An investigation showed there was reason why it should, as it flowed through the putrid remains of a dead horse a short distance above where we took it. To complain about a little thing like that showed what mere tadpoles of soldiers we were in comparison with our experience later on—after our taste had been cultivated by rancid pork, mouldy hardtack, and buggy coffee. Yes, we still retained some of the fastidious and dainty habits of the sybarite. Monday, seen. About 4.30 P.M. we marched to Manassas, five miles, over a corduroy road, and went into camp. A more God-forsaken place than Manassas Junction was never About everything, even to houses, were found to be in ruins. 1862. On our way here, a batch of forty-five recruits met us, and a fine set of boys they were. They struck us just as the hard times were beginning, and at a time when the selfish propensities of some of the boys had been excited into activity, as negotiations were immediately begun for the exchange of old wornout dippers, for the bright new ones just brought out from Boston. Upon the untruthful representation that the old dippers were captured or found on the battlefield, the new recruits showed great eagerness to possess them. The exchange was completed so quickly that warning came too late to be of service to some of the recruits. The transaction was so emphatically condemned by the regiment that most of the dippers were returned. Tuesday, April 1. "All-Fools' day" was sunny and warm. Recruits were assigned to various companies, choice being allowed those who had friends with whom they wished to serve. We spent the day, while waiting for the supply train to bring us shoes and rations, in looking over the earthworks thrown up by the enemy, and examining the ruined shops, houses, etc. Marched fourteen miles by the Orange & Alexandria Wednesday, Railroad track to Warrenton Junction. The highway April 2. was terribly muddy, and the distance by it twice as long. As the company wagons failed to reach us, we turned in supperless. In theory, marching on a railroad is much more fatiguing than on the highway. It didn't seem to be so in this case, as the men arrived in excellent order and condition. Bivouacked in the woods. From the manner in which the rails were torn up and twisted, it was evident our progress was to be delayed as much as possible. The shapes into which they were turned gave rise to the name "Jeff. Davis' cravats." Thursday, No breakfast. Surely this must be "Fast day." "Where, oh, where are the teams?" We listened in vain for "That all-softening, overpowering knell, In the afternoon the teams arrived, bringing tents and food, and all were happy. 1862. Friday, April 4. Put the camp in order, that is, as good order as could be got out of a swamp-hole. We wondered who selected this spot for a camp. Fresh meat was issued. After we had removed every particle of meat from the bones, General Blenker's corps, who were in camp near us, took the leavings, such as bones, entrails, etc., and had a regular Thanksgiving dinner on what our luxurious natures discarded as useless. In the afternoon the Ninth New York band entertained us with music, and not to be outdone in courtesy, we sent our band to their camp. We enjoyed their music and likewise the courtesy which prompted it. Sutler arrived. The following order was received: Saturday, April 5. WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4, 1862. MAJ.-GEN. GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN, Fort Munroe: Two new departments have this day been created, one called the Department of the Shenandoah, under the command of Major-General Banks, comprising that portion of Virginia and Maryland lying between the Mountain Department and the Blue Ridge; the other to be called the Department of the Rappahannock, under the command of Major-General McDowell, comprising that portion of Virginia east of the Blue Ridge and west of the Potomac and Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad, including the District of Columbia and the country between the Potomac and Patuxent. It will be seen by this that we were now a part of the Department of the Rappahannock. Sunday, Company D, with one company from each regiment in the brigade and a section of artillery, went out on a reconnoissance to the Rappahannock River, and a rough time they had of it in the rain, hail, and snow, one or the other of which prevailed all the time, while the mud was indescribable. They left camp at 11 P.M. Inspection. How we loved this duty! Services by the chaplain, who preached to us about following the flag, it being an allegorical piece of word-painting, inspired by a few words he overheard a man in the New York Ninth say on the way up Snicker's Mountain, as that regiment was ordered to "fall in." 1862. The following communication was this day sent to General McClellan by Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War: Your instructions to McDowell did not appear to contemplate the removal of his force until some time this week. The enemy were reported to be still in force at Gordonsville and Fredericksburg, and threatening Winchester and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The force under Banks and Wadsworth was deemed by experienced military men inadequate to protect Winchester and the railroad, and was much less than had been fixed by your corps commanders as necessary to secure Washington. It was thought best, therefore, to detach either McDowell or Sumner, and as part of Sumner's corps was already with you, it was concluded to retain McDowell. This order was commented on by General McClellan in a private letter, as follows: NEAR YORKTOWN, April 6, 1862. While listening this P.M. to the sound of the guns, I received an order detaching McDowell's corps from my command. It is the most infamous thing that history has recorded. I have made such representations as will probably induce a revocation of the order, or at least save Franklin to me. It is interesting to know that he succeeded in saving Franklin's corps. At the time when this was written one might excuse such a statement in a man whose anger had run away with his judgment, but after the lapse of twenty years to repeat it, as he has done in "His Own Story," seems incredible. "The most infamous thing recorded in history!' To a man of McClellan's conceit it may be natural that he should consider the events of history as insignificant in comparison with his personal annoyances. The effect of this order, so far as we were concerned, was important, inasmuch as it completely changed the current of our service. Monday, April 7. General Abercrombie made the following report of the reconnoissance in which Company D took part : A reconnoissance was made last night to the river where a picket guard and a few infantry were discovered, occupying what appears to be rifle-pits and two small redoubts of recent construction covering the fords. who have come in say the rebels appear to be retiring. We wished as much might be said of the mud. Some of the slaves |