THE FREDERICKSBURG CAMPAIGN
A hard race for a pig. Chaplain Ball returns home. Picket duty along the
river. The Battle of Fredericksburg. Burying the dead. Christmas revels
with the Confederates. A band of horn-blowers. A raid on the sutler. A
costume ball at Hotel de Ville.
General McClellan was relieved of command, November 8th, 1862, and General
A. E. Burnside succeeded him in command of the Army of the Potomac.
The same day we left our camp at Orleans, we marched to Jeffersonton and
went into camp in the village. About twenty men of Company K were detailed
to go on outpost duty about a mile from the center of the town on one of
the roads leading from it. It was my fortune to be one of that detail. We
camped near the house of a Virginia farmer with whom, during the three
days we remained there, I came to be on very good terms. He was about
fifty years old, seemed honest and talked freely and fairly about the war.
He gave me an account of the experience he had with "our men," as he
called the Confederates. As they were passing his place one time, he said
to his wife in the morning as they began to pass, "Wife, shall we do
something for these men? They have a hard time of it." After some
consideration it was agreed that he would kill a pig. He would also
arrange a fire down by the road for doing the frying. The house was
located back on high ground about fifteen rods from the road. The negroes
were to bake corn bread up at the house and carry it down to them at the
road. He was to fry pig meat and his wife was to make sandwiches and as
far as possible she would give each soldier a sandwich as he passed by.
They worked there until nearly night, when a sergeant asked him if he had
been up to the house lately and told him he had better go up. Just back of
the house was an old road leading off across the fields, and beside that
old road he found the soldiers were working the same scheme, he and his
wife were carrying out down by the main road, the negroes doing the work.
They had killed another pig, were frying meat, baking corn bread, making
and passing out the sandwiches, and business was flourishing.
Toward evening of the 11th it was noised about that we--our brigade and a
battery of artillery only were at Jeffersonton--were in an exposed
position and that we should be ready to move at a moment's notice. During
the first part of the night I was on picket duty out on the old road above
referred to back of the house. I was lying flat on the ground behind a
rail fence. I saw a man approaching. He was coming up that old road. I
waited until he was about thirty feet from me, then I ordered him to
halt. He turned and ran like a deer. I fired, but I did not stop him. This
occurred at about ten o'clock. At eleven o'clock I was relieved from guard
duty and at about twelve o'clock we left there and before daylight the
next morning we were on the other side of the Rappahannock.
During the day (November 11), our brigade commander had discovered that we
were some four or five miles in front of the rest of the army and in a
dangerous position. Longstreet had evidently discovered this too, and
during the day his scouts were finding out how strong we were, etc. Had we
remained there another day we might have had an opportunity to show our
strength.
I cannot omit to mention an incident which occurred at the last minute
just as we left the old farmer's place. The farmer and I had been rather
friendly during our stay there, but he had never given me a piece of corn
bread to eat, or a class of milk to drink, and I was indignant, and I
determined to get square with him. As we were about to leave, I thought of
an apple tree out back of one of his buildings in which a small flock of
turkeys roosted nights; so three of us boys went around there and
succeeded in capturing two of them. They added somewhat to the weight of
our luggage, but we had not a long march to make and did not mind it. We
remained in camp all day the 12th, nothing occurring out of the ordinary.
On the afternoon of the 13th Billy, Tom and I had gone back into the woods
a little way out of sight of camp to engage in a little hunt for the
loathed but ever present gray-back. I had finished the campaign and was
resuming my clothing, Tom had entirely redressed, but Billy was still on
undress duty. Suddenly Billy, whose quickness of sight and hearing were
remarkable, shouted Rebs! Rebs! Down a cross-road along beside the woods
on our right, a squad of the enemies' cavalry hove in sight, they saw us
about the same time Billy saw them, and started for us. I was barefoot,
but I ran as best I could carrying my traps in one hand and holding up my
unbuttoned trousers with the other. Directly I heard a musket shot just
behind me, and turned to see that Billy in entire undress, had unhorsed
the leader of the Rebel squad. We ran for all we were worth for camp,
Billy in his extreme undress state bringing up the rear, he never was good
on the retreat anyway; as we ran we shouted Rebs! The boys soon came
pouring out of their tents, and the Johnnies seeing what they were running
into, turned and made good their retreat, leaving their wounded comrade
behind them. We started down the river the 15th, marching along the left
bank and on the evening of the 18th, went into camp on the same field we
camped on August 13th, when we were on our way to join General Pope.
November 19. We continued our march down the river and toward night went
into camp opposite Fredericksburg. After supper I noticed a lot of the
boys down along the river bank, and a lot of Johnnies on the other side.
They were having a good deal of fun jollying each other across the river.
We remained in camp down opposite the city for ten days, watching the Rebs
as they worked away on their entrenchments on the heights back of the
city. The chaffing of the men on either side of the river was early put a
stop to.
The day after we reached Fredericksburg, rations being a little short, I
thought I would go out foraging. I must have gone three miles when I saw a
pig disappear over a little hill about a quarter of a mile ahead of me. I
chased him for a good mile, gaining on him steadily, and as I got up
within a few rods of him, fired at him twice with my revolver, once
wounding him, when bang went a carbine and over rolled Mr. Pig, dead.
Imagine my surprise at hearing the carbine so near. I stopped, looked
around, and behold I had chased the pig right into one of our cavalry
outposts and one of the men had shot him. It might just as well have been
a Confederate outpost, for I must have been nearly four miles from camp.
Well, we skinned Mr. Pig, cut off some meat and fried it, and we had a
good meal, the cavalrymen furnishing hardtack. Then we divided the rest,
the cavalrymen keeping a part, and I trudged back to camp with the
remainder.
November 29. We were relieved from duty along the river and went into camp
with the rest of the brigade about a mile and a half back from the river
on high ground.
December 1. As the weather grew colder many of us set to work to improve
our quarters. My tent-mate and I raised the walls of our tent about two
feet high, using three logs of wood on each side. At the end opposite the
entrance we built a fireplace and chimney. The fireplace was the most
difficult part, as it was impossible to get stone to build with. We were
thus obliged to use sticks of wood for binding material, covering them
with mud, otherwise we would have had conflagrations constantly. Indeed,
they did occasionally occur, the wood in the walls of the fireplace taking
fire. The two bunks were placed one on each side, raised a foot, or a foot
and a half from the ground. An open space was thus left from the fireplace
to the entrance. Our shelter tents were used for covering. Two pieces
answered for the roof and a piece for each end. The pieces of shelter
tents were square with button holes and buttons on every side, so they
could be buttoned together and make a quite satisfactory covering. A
little fire in the fireplace and the tent was very comfortable. To be sure
if the fire was allowed to get low or to go out the tent would cool off
very quickly. The cloth of those shelter tents was especially good in
regard to shedding water, considering how thin and light it was.
December 4. Chaplain Ball having resigned, to our great regret left us for
home. When I got up the next morning I found it was snowing and it was
very cold; wasn't I glad to have a good bunch of wood under my bunk to
enable me to have a good fire. There is a lot of talk about camp of a
battle and on the 9th, sixty rounds of cartridges were given each man,
which looks like business. There was a general inspection the 10th and it
was to be observed that troops were being moved about considerably. Very
early in the morning of the 11th two heavy guns were fired, and a little
later our artillery opened fire on the Confederate works, all along the
line on the other side of the river. About half past eight we fell into
line and marched down to a point near where the engineers were trying to
lay a pontoon bridge across the river opposite the upper part of the city.
The men were not able to get more than half way across the river on
account of the Johnnies' sharpshooters concealed in houses and other
places on the other side of the river, who shot down every man who
attempted to work on the bridge. Early in the afternoon General Burnside
rode down to the river where the men were trying to lay the pontoon
bridge. He immediately solved the problem. He suggested that a charge be
made across the river by men in pontoon boats, and that as soon as the
boats should reach the other shore, the men should form line and advance.
Not, however, until the boats took over loads of men the second time was
the advance made. Then they formed line and went forward and the
sharpshooters were driven from the waterfront. The bridge was completed at
about four o'clock, and troops began to move across the river. The city
was cleared of Rebels that night, they falling back to the heights beyond.
We, however, went back to our old camp on the east side of the river for
the night. About noon I went over and took a look at the incompleted
bridge. There were two or three dead men lying stretched out at the
farther end of the bridge where the Confederate sharpshooters had stopped
the work.
General Woodbury with a corps of engineers had charge of the laying of the
pontoon bridge. They were supported by parts of four regiments--the 7th
Michigan, the 19th and 20th Massachusetts, and the 50th New York. The men
from the 50th New York had charge of the boats at the time of the charge,
and the attack was made by the men from the 7th Michigan and the 19th and
20th Massachusetts.
December 12. We left camp leisurely and marched down to the river, crossed
the bridge, moved down beside the river and halted. As we reached the
further end of the bridge, who should I find there looking for me, but my
brother Vertulan. He was assistant surgeon of the 19th Massachusetts
Regiment, a part of which regiment had been in the charge, in the boats,
the day before, he going over with the second lot of boat-loads.
The early morning was foggy and we got over there under cover of the fog
without exposure; but soon the fog cleared. Then the Johnnies'
artillerymen had a good view of the approach to the bridge for a short
distance. They soon got their range and were able to drop shells in there
with considerable accuracy, doing more or less damage. We remained there
under the river bank all day and all the next night.
December 13. Now comes the fight. About ten o'clock we moved out through
the city and formed line of battle on the other side, and there we waited
until past noon. Then we moved forward. The field across which we charged
must have been from half to three-quarters of a mile wide. Before we
reached the foot of the range of hills which, at that point were called
Mary's Heights, we lost heavily in crossing that field.
When about half way across the field, Sergeant Collins, the color bearer
was mortally wounded. Plunket then took the colors and a little further
along he was wounded in his left hand by a minnie ball; in an instant
after a shell burst right in his face and carried away his right hand and
forearm, the colors falling on his wounded arm and hand. Olney then took
the colors and carried them through the rest of the battle. The blood to
be seen on the flag in the State House came from Plunket's wounds at that
time.
All along the top of the ridge in our front, the enemy's artillery was
posted, and at the foot of the hill was the infantry. As we reached the
farther edge of the field just in front of the Rebel infantry, we came to
a board fence. We were ordered to lie down behind that fence. Then the
order was given to fall back behind a little ridge and lie down, and there
we remained the rest of the afternoon firing away whenever we saw a man or
the head of a man to fire at. Late in the afternoon a battery of artillery
came out and took a position about a quarter of a mile in our rear and
opened fire on the Johnnies directly in our front, firing right over our
heads, the balls passing so near the sound was anything but agreeable.
Just before we started on the charge, as we lay in the field just back of
the city, a Company I man was killed by having his head carried bodily
away by a cannon ball, the body rolled over, the blood spurted from the
neck as water comes from a pump, until the heart pumped the body dry, the
body then settled down a lifeless mass.
The circumstances leading up to this man's death were peculiar. He had
from the beginning a presentiment that if he went into a battle he should
be killed and up to that time he had succeeded in evading each fight. This
the boys did not like, and abuse was heaped upon him unmercifully.
Soldiers have no respect for a man who deserts them in the most trying
hour. Life thus became so unbearable to him, that as it became known there
was to be a battle, he wrote his farewell letters to his family at home,
gave them to his captain, requesting him to post them in the event
anything happened to him. Company I was right near Company K at the time,
and nearly every one of our boys saw him killed, and often afterwards
spoke of the incident.
During the afternoon a new regiment was sent out to re-inforce us. When
they got within fifteen or twenty rods of us, they halted and opened fire
on the Johnnies through us.
During the evening we were relieved and went back to the city to the place
under the river bank and had a good supper and a good drink of whiskey. It
is notorious that not a single general officer crossed the river in front
of the city at the Battle of Fredericksburg. It is not strange that
General Burnside should have failed in command of the Army of the Potomac.
Any officer who should have succeeded General McClellan would have met
with the same fate, that army was so divided by jealousies and
partisanship. Army correspondents spoke of these strifes and bickerings as
notorious and scandalous. The efficiency of the command was thus seriously
impaired by the internal dissensions. Before we went to sleep the report
was circulated about the regiment, that General Burnside would lead the
9th Army Corps against Mary's Heights the next morning, and Reno's old
brigade was to have the advance.
The next day, the 14th, we remained in camp down by the riverside all day,
and no attack was made. In the evening we went back to the same part of
the battlefield where we had fought, relieved some troops there, and we
were told we were to stay there through the next day and that we were to
hold that position at all hazards. We were about fifteen or eighteen rods
from the Johnnies' line at the foot of the hill. They were behind a line
of breastworks; we had almost nothing in front of us. The men we relieved
had dug up a little earth and had dragged together a few dead bodies, but
only a few. As soon, however, as our boys understood what was expected of
them, they set to work. But digging was pretty slow work with the ground
frozen and nothing but bayonets and case knives to dig with. But a good
many dead men were dragged together, so that some of the men had something
of a semblance of a protection. Thus we prepared for the day, which soon
came. But it did not seem as if it would ever pass. We could not fire a
gun. The Johnnies might fire as much as they liked. We must lie as still
as the dead men about us. But finally the day did pass, night came on; we
were able to get up and stretch ourselves and shake some of the cold from
our half frozen bodies. At twelve o'clock we quietly withdrew, passed
through the city, which was now deserted crossed the pontoon bridge and
went back to our old camp.
After a great battle there are no end of stories of experiences and
hair-breadth escapes going the rounds of the camp. The following story
which went the rounds at the time, appealed to me and has thus stuck in my
memory. A man who was in a Massachusetts battery that was in Hooker's
corps and was engaged around to the right of us, on the east side of the
heights, had an interesting encounter with a Johnnie which might have
resulted very differently from what it did. His duty when in action was to
swab out the cannon after it was fired, then in loading to ram down the
cartridge. His position was thus near the muzzle of the gun and the most
advanced of any of the men working the piece. The battery took an advanced
and an exposed position. The Confederates charged on it hoping to capture
the guns, but the battery mowed them down furiously. One Reb, however,
kept right on, marched right up and made a bayonet thrust at him. He
turned, parried the thrust with his swab, knocking the muzzle of the
Johnnies' gun down; the bayonet, however, went through the thick part of
his left leg just below the knee. At that moment the sergeant in command
of the gun who stood a few feet to the rear, drew his revolver and shot
the Johnnie who fell to the ground, the stock end of the musket going down
with him. The bayonet sticking through the leg of our friend, thus gave
him a dreadful twist, but he stooped over, picked up the gun and pulled
the bayonet out of his leg, jumped on to the cannon and as the other men
had brought up the horses he rode away. He thus made his escape and the
battery lost no guns.
The morning of the 17th it was my fortune to be one of a detail of fifty
men ordered out on special fatigue duty. We were marched down to the
headquarters of the corps guard and stayed there all day. At night rations
were sent down to us, and we slept in one of the guard tents that night.
The next morning (the 18th) we were marched down to the river bank under a
flag of truce. The Johnnies showed a flag of truce on the other side of
the river. We got into a boat and crossed over. As soon as we were on the
other side, we learned that we were to go up onto the battlefield and bury
our dead. We marched through the city out onto the very field where we had
fought, and where we did picket duty the 15th, to witness the most
ghastly, the most shocking, the most humiliating scene possible. The
field was covered with dead men. Dead men everywhere, some black in the
face, most of them had the characteristic pallor of death; nearly all had
been stripped of every article of clothing. All were frozen; some with
their heads off, some with their arms off, some with their legs off,
dismembered, torn to pieces, they lay there single, in rows, and in piles.
I did not count them, but there must have been three hundred dead men in
the row behind which we concealed ourselves on the 15th, a part of which
we dragged together the night before. Just to the left of our regiment, at
the time of the fight there stood a brick house. From this house, inside
and just behind it, we carried more than forty dead men. I have no idea
how many men were lying behind the board fence, but there were certainly
one-quarter of a line of battle--one-half of a single line.
After the Johnnies had got us picks and shovels, we set to work to dig in
the frozen earth the trenches which were to contain the men and fragments
of men who had given up their lives on the plains in front of Mary's
Heights. We put them in rows, one beside the other, wrapped them up in
blankets or in whatever else we could get to put around them. There was
practically no means of identifying one out of a hundred of them. Thus
they lay in unknown graves.
Two long days we worked there tearing a trench in the frozen earth and
filling it with the bodies of frozen men, with nothing to eat but what the
guards could spare us from their scant rations. Our party buried nine
hundred and eighty-seven men.
About sundown, our work being finished, we went down to the river, crossed
over and returned to camp. Those days at Fredericksburg were among the
most disheartening and most dreadful I have every known. The assault on
Mary's Heights was so ill-advised; the day's picket duty on the field was
so nerve-racking; then the two days' work in a half-starved condition,
burying the dead, a work so heartrending at best, was enough to upset
one's mind if anything could upset it. I do not think there were any
desertions from our regiment during the next month or two, but there was a
great deal of desertion from the army, and it was not to be wondered at.
There was a general feeling of despondency pervading the Army of the
Potomac, the feeling was deep and wide spread. The conviction was general
that the men in the ranks were superior in intelligence to the southerners
and just as brave, that the army was better disciplined and much better
supplied, that what we lacked was leaders, the men were not tired of
fighting, but they were tired of being sent to the slaughter by
incompetent generals. From what I was able to observe when burying the
dead the 18th and 19th, the Rebels were in a happy state of mind, they had
full confidence in their leaders, and perfect faith in the success of
their cause. With us complaining, scolding and faultfinding, was indulged
in by all. Croaking had become as common as eating and showed the moral of
the army was depressingly low, and had Lee been the general the South
believed him to be he would have taken Washington the summer of 1863. It
is reported that there were 8000 men absent without leave. This campaign
and the mud campaign that followed it, did one good thing if nothing more,
it showed those people at the North who were always complaining and
demanding that the army move, how difficult it was to campaign in Virginia
during the winter season.
December 20. At about ten o'clock, who should appear in camp but my
brother, the assistant surgeon of the 19th Massachusetts. He had come up
to see how I had weathered the storm. I took him into my tent and we had a
little talk. I told him about the ordeal we had passed through, and he
related to me his experience and his duties in taking care of the
wounded, and how they were not yet all cared for. But he had got away as
soon as he could, to come up and see how it had gone with me. After a
short time, he seeing I was unhurt, became drowsy, dropped over on my
couch and in an instant he was fast asleep. I straightened him out, put my
blanket over him and let him sleep. He never moved until ten o'clock in
the evening when as taps were sounded I woke him up and he went back to
his wounded again.
Doing picket duty down by the river was pretty uncomfortable work the last
of December, and the 21st was honored with that kind of duty altogether
too often. Sitting or crouching in those rifle pits, always on watch
through those long winter nights was pretty tough. One night a lot of the
boys broke into the Lacy house, a fine, large mansion that stood a short
distance back from the river, and tore a pipe organ to pieces, each man
taking a pipe and the next morning when we returned to camp we all
played,--perhaps you would call it a tune. It may have been amusing to the
mules in the train parks along the way, but judging from the howls that
issued from the camps we passed, I am not of the opinion that it was
appreciated by the men. But it afforded us some amusement and what did we
care for mules' ears or men's ears, for that matter? If they did not like
our music they could stuff cotton-batting in their ears.
A captain of one of the companies was given a furlough about this time and
went home for a time. When he returned he wore a brand new coat with
shoulder straps of the recruiting officer's size. He marched around the
camp with an air of great importance. One day, one of the boys of his
company did some little thing not to his liking and that man was tied up
by the thumbs. This was so uncalled for and so unjust, it caused a very
bitter feeling against the officer throughout the company. Practically
every man in the company became his enemy. He realized the existence of
this feeling and soon after resigned and went home. It was freely remarked
in the regiment that the officer referred to did not dare to go into
another fight with that company. And since the war he has never, to my
knowledge attended a reunion of the regimental association.
December 22. We were on picket again. The evening of the 23d, there
occurred the most important social function of the season. We had a fancy
dress ball at the Hotel de Ville, or in other words in the sutler's tent.
All the quality of the regiment was present. The belles of the evening
were Miss Huggins, the Widow Blush, Miss Lumpkins, Mrs. Austin and Miss
Blinks all of Worcester, Mass. Miss Blinks wore an elegant wreath of birch
leaves. Her gown was red and white, the red being part of a red woolen
shirt furnished by one of the friends of the lady. Miss Lumpkins was a
beautiful creature, her complexion of dark bronze contrasting finely with
the grass green color of her dress; she wore a wreath made of wheat and
white clover blossoms. Miss Huggins, was a little undignified in her
actions. Her dress was thought by some to be decidedly low at the top and
high at the bottom, however, she passed as it was understood that women in
high society are expected to make the most of their charms. Her dress was
sky blue and her apron an American flag; she wore no corsets, thus her
body appeared a little flabby. The lady in whom we all felt the liveliest
interest was the widow. She had all the grace and elegance of a duck, her
style was simply enchanting. She wore a bright red dress, low-necked, with
a white rosette at her belt, with large hoops that bounded around in the
most wonderful way. Her extreme modesty was remarked by all the gentlemen;
whenever she danced she was the center of attraction. The ball was a
strictly private affair, no commissioned officers were allowed to take
part. A few newspaper men were invited and enjoyed the fun. They declared
that as women have ere this dressed in men's clothes there was no reason
the boot should not be put on the other foot. Mrs. Austin's dance of the
schottische with double-soled cavalry boots was excellent; she was a
well-known auctioneer in the city of Worcester.
December 24. Again on picket duty. It was a lively night on the other side
of the river, innumerable camp fires and firing of guns. The Rebs were
making it lively at their Christmas revels. Afterwards we heard of an
interesting affair, a part of which occurred that same evening. At Rocky
Ford up the river a little way above Falmouth, there was a detail of
cavalry permanently located. Through trading coffee, tobacco and sugar our
boys had become quite a little acquainted with the Johnnies on the other
side of the river, and when Christmas time came the Confederates invited a
number of them over to celebrate Christmas with them. The boys accepted
the invitation and went over, had a fine time, were well entertained and
got back without anything happening to mar the pleasure. A few days later
when New Years came, our boys returned the compliment and invited the
Johnnies over to spend New Years with them. Everything went finely until
late in the evening when who should walk into the tent but the officer of
the day, then the deuce was to pay. The Rebs were marched off to
headquarters, but our boys would not allow the thing to end that way, went
with them to headquarters, explained the whole matter, taking all the
responsibility, and the affair was dropped. The Johnnies were allowed to
return but they were all told they must not do so any more.
December 25. We all went down to the railroad and saw our wounded boys
off, Tom Plunket among them. They were to be taken to a hospital in
Washington. Reports of another grand move were being circulated about camp
now every day. General Burnside reviewed the 9th Army Corps, January 6th.
It was a wet, cold, horrid day and very little enthusiasm was manifest.
January 7th we went on picket down by the river again, but it has become
less trying than it was earlier in the winter. We were not obliged to stay
concealed in our rifle pits so closely. Walking about on both sides of the
river by our men and by the Johnnies, had become quite common and no
firing was indulged in.
January 16. We received cartridges and extra rations and orders were given
to be in readiness to move. Something was evidently in the wind.
January 18. Troops were moving up the river. Lee's left flank was to be
attacked by Hooker and Franklin. But the troops did not get far. A heavy
rain-storm had set in and the artillery was stuck in the mud. A regiment
which was stuck right beside our camp, knowing we belonged to Burnside's
army corps, would every once in a while make a diversion and give three
groans for General Burnside. As we were comfortable in our tents and they
were without tents, out there in the rain and mud, we pitied the poor
devils rather than resented their taunts.
At three a.m., the 19th, reveille was sounded. We got up and packed our
knapsacks. But we got no further. The order was countermanded and we went
on picket duty once more. The morning of the 22d before we went back to
camp, the Johnnies built a big sign board and painted on it in letters
that could be read a mile away, "Burnside Stuck in the Mud." On our way
back to camp that day we passed guns and baggage wagons still stalled in
the mud. During the day orders were given to return to camp, and as those
men who had been out in the storm wet to their skins for forty-eight
hours, covered with mud, with misery and disgust painted on every face,
plodded their way back to their camps, they made a picture of army life
never to be forgotten.
Soon after ten o'clock on the night of the 23d, a sutler who was
established near our corps, was charged, his tent was torn down and his
goods confiscated to the last cookie. The owner (an ex-cavalry officer)
made a great defence, wounding some of the boys. But what could one man do
with one little revolver, when faced by two or three hundred veterans of
many a bloody military and whiskey campaign? He was overpowered by the
gallant veterans and forced to flee for his life. Of course the guard
appeared after the mischief was done, the battle won and the wolves had
gone to their dens.
The last of November when we were relieved from duty down by the river and
went into camp back on high ground, from what we could see no one would
imagine there were ten thousand men within ten miles of our camp. The
country all about there was sparsely populated, and as one looked out on
the landscape from that high ground, practically all he saw was woods. How
different the aspect two months later as we were about to leave there? As
far as the eye could reach all one could see was parks of military trains,
parks of artillery, and camps of armies. Every tree had disappeared, yes,
every stump and every root had been dug out of the ground and used to keep
that army warm during those winter months. How remarkable the change, it
could not be witnessed without wonderment.
February 6. Orders came for the regiment to be ready to move at a moment's
notice with three days' rations in haversacks, and the next day we took
train for Aquia Creek; arriving there about noon we went immediately on
board the steamboat "Louisiana" the 9th. We steamed down the Potomac
arriving at Fortress Monroe the next morning. Not until the 11th did we go
ashore, then we landed at Fortress Monroe, marched over to Newport News
and went into camp in a horrid rain, only a short distance from the place
where we camped the previous summer. It was a beautiful place and later on
as the weather became warmer we enjoyed it very much. We were reviewed the
25th by our new corps commander, Baldy Smith.
We were at Newport News six weeks. We were heartily glad to be away from
the jealous, political schemers so prevalent in the Army of the Potomac.
There was a fine, loyal and friendly spirit among the men of the 9th Army
Corps; we had learned to fight together, and confidence in, and respect
for, each other was universal.