THE WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN.
Yes, it all appears to my mind like a dream,
How we filed out of camp, and forded that stream.
Through the storm we have struggled, by day and by night;
For our flag and our country, we wrought with our might.
On that dangerous post, through the dews and the damp,
We have guarded from ill, our slumbering camp.
_M. B. D._
From the 12th to the 23rd, our regiment was constantly under fire from
the enemy in front of us, at Spotsylvania Courthouse, and vicinity,
continually changing our location, throwing up earthworks each night
after a weary day’s march, before we could roll ourselves in our
blankets, and take our short night’s rest.
On the morning of the 23rd, we took up our line of march towards the
North Anna river, crossing it at Jericho Ford, our brigade advancing
at once in line of battle into a piece of woods, where we had a
skirmish with the enemy, who fell back, and we proceeded to fell trees,
and build a line of works.
Before we had finished them, the enemy in force, under General Hill,
attacked us, and endeavored to drive us out of our works and into the
river. The assault fell mainly upon our division. Our regiment was on
the left of the line of battle, and we did our best to give them a warm
reception. For the first time since the campaign began, we fought in
our works. It was a short, sharp fight, and the enemy was repulsed.
We remained in our works until morning, when we moved on towards
Hanover Junction, but on May 26th we received orders to retire, which
we did during the night, and once more crossed the North Anna river
at Quarles Ford, and marched almost constantly for twenty-four hours
towards the Pamunky river.
We next met the enemy near Mechanicsville, on the morning of the 30th
of May. Little did we think then, that in the future years, that day
would be set apart for honoring the memory of the fallen sons of the
nation, our brigade advanced in line of battle through Tolopotomy
Swamp, driving the confederate skirmishers until we came to open fields
near Shady Grove Church, where we found the enemy in force behind
earthworks.
We could not take them, so kept back as much as we could, out of range,
yet our loss during the day was twenty-two, killed or wounded. I shall
never forget our march through Tolopotomy woods, keeping in line, over
briars and fallen trees and stumps. Our shoes were worn out with twenty
five days of constant marching and fighting, and we were about as bad
off ourselves. But we got there all the same, and staid there until
midnight, when we were relieved by a part of the Ninth Corps, and went
into camp, where we remained on the reserve for two or three days.
We took this time to do a little much needed washing, for we had no
change of clothing, being in very light marching order. During our long
marches, often, when we came to a stream, have I taken off my shirt,
given it a hasty wash, wrung it out, put it on again, and gone on my
way rejoicing.
Perhaps the simple record kept in my diary during that “Bloody May,”
as it has been so often called, will give some idea of the life we led
when we were constantly confronting the enemy, with, as we might well
say, a musket in one hand, and a shovel in the other; we could not stop
to rest without first shoveling up earthworks to protect us from the
fire of the ever active enemy.
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