TO THE SEAT OF WAR.
They turned from home, from wife and child,
And all that life held sweet,
Into the hell of battle, calm
They walked with steady feet,
Resolved for wounds and pain and death;
In sacrifice complete.
_Unknown._
On the 25th of May we left Fort Warren for the seat of war. Arriving
at Washington we went into camp Alexander. June 30th our battalion,
now composed of six companies, was ordered to join the army on the
peninsula. Embarking on the transport Hero we arrived at Fortress
Munroe July 2nd.
We continued on up the James river, landing at what was formerly
President Harrison’s plantation, on July 4th 1862. Now began our
soldier life in earnest, for fighting was then going on; mud was
knee deep and all was confusion. We were assigned to the brigade of
Gen. Charles Griffin, division of Gen. Morell, in Fitz John Porter’s
command, afterwards the Fifth Army Corps.
We were drawn up in line and given 80 rounds of ammunition. Just then
an officer rode up covered with mud, and said: “Well boys, I will give
you a chance at the rebs; keep cool and fire low!” Off he went, and I
was informed it was Gen. George B. McClellan.
We moved through a piece of woods, and were opened upon by a battery.
It was getting to be pretty warm, when the order came “Forward
to charge the battery,” but before we could move, the order was
countermanded, and we retreated; this was the end of the Seven Days
Fight.
We camped upon the banks of the river and staid there six weeks, every
day sickness and death reducing our ranks, for it was a very unhealthy
place. In fact it was the worst place that could be imagined for a
camp, marshy, wet ground, dust and mud alternating; what wonder is it
that our men sickened and died? Here on August 9th Lieut. Nathaniel
French Jr., one of the most promising officers in our regiment died of
malarial fever.
Through it all my health remained perfect, and I was always ready for
duty. Many of our regiment were here detailed to act as guards over the
quartermaster’s stores on the river bank.
Soon after our arrival at Harrison’s Landing, President Lincoln visited
and reviewed our army. Our division stood in line from four o’clock in
the afternoon until after nine in the evening, and then a party rode
by in the moonlight, one of whom was said to be the President of the
United States; as he was the only one who wore a stove-pipe hat, we
concluded that it must be a fact, that we had been duly reviewed, and
gladly broke ranks and prepared our suppers.
On the night of August 1st the enemy ran six pieces of artillery down
on the opposite side of the James river, and about midnight opened
upon our camp, and cold iron rained upon us, ending our slumbers for
that night. We had two tents for the officers, and five for the men,
and solid shot went through them all, but we escaped serious injury,
which seemed rather remarkable. We were more than eager to leave this
sickly camp and life of inaction, but here we had to stay and wait for
marching orders.
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