The Work of the Company.
With Chapter Fourth, we enter upon the Second division of our
projected plan, viz., "The work of the company."
October 9th, we crossed the Potomac river, and entered upon the
"sacred soil of Virginia," and formed a winter camp at Langley, known
as Camp Pierpont.
Here we tried to be comfortable, but the severe exposure with constant
camp and picket duty, wrought upon the men who never knew else, than
to live under the sheltering roofs of comfortable homes, "up in the
north-land."
November 26. Jesse Shank, of York Springs, Pa, and December 4, Geo. W.
Myers, of the same place, died, and were sent home for burial. But the
winter wore away, and weary of the monotonous routine of duty, we
waited eagerly for the spring-time, and the anticipated forward
movement.
March 10, we broke camp and joined in the advance of the Army of the
Potomac, under Gen'l G. B. McClellan, and on the evening of the first
days march, camped at Hunter's Mill, Va.
We stayed here three days, and then moved in the direction of
Alexandria, where we arrived, through rain and mud, and went into
camp, the advance movement having developed the fact, that the
confederate army had abandoned Manasses and gone southward.
April 9th, we moved forward on the line of the Orange & Alex'a R. R.
by way of Manasses and Warrenton junctions, to Catlett's station, and
finally down the north bank of the Rappahannock river to Falmouth
opposite Fredericksburg, where we encamped.
May 26th, we crossed the river, and took possession of that city,
encamping on the heights westward.
This, and the former camp at Falmouth, were decidedly the pleasantest
camps in our three years service.
On June 8th, the Division was ordered to join McClellan's forces on
the peninsula. We accordingly embarked at Bell's landing on the 9th,
and after a voyage of 20 hours, disembarked at White-house landing on
the Pamunkey river. After various marches and counter-marches we
finally encamped on June 18th, on the extreme right of the army, near
Mechanicsville.
And now came the famous Seven days Battles, the very thought of which,
causes an involuntary tremor to pass through the whole being, days of
horror and bloodshed, of humiliation and death. We cannot even hope to
give an adequate portrayal of these horrors.