wrote home, also to Captain G. W. Burnell; have not heard from my
application yet. Chaplain E. M. Haynes preached a good sermon in the
chapel this afternoon; good dress parade tonight; cloudy.
MONDAY, March 28, 1864.
It has been quite warm all day. The ladies started for home this
morning but missed the train. We had a brigade review this forenoon,
the first since we joined the Sixth Corps, and brigade dress parade
in the evening which General Mead witnessed; picket in the morning.
TUESDAY, March 29, 1864.
An order came last night for us to move camp tomorrow. We hope it
may be countermanded. The ladies started for Vermont this morning.
Colonel A. B. Jewett went with them as far as Washington. A part of
the regiment started for picket at 9 a. m.; has rained hard since 11
a. m.
WEDNESDAY, March 30, 1864.
It rained hard all night; didn't sleep a wink; got very wet; men in
good spirits and everything working well in spite of the rain; have
seen no officer of the day. Lieut. George P. Welch came down to see
me this evening; very dark; camp quiet; looks like another storm
before morning.
THURSDAY, March 31, 1864.
Weather quite agreeable to-day. The Lieutenant-Colonel of the One
Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry is officer of the day, a very
pleasant, agreeable man; think I should like him. The Third Division
of our Corps has exchanged camp with our old First Division; have
very poor quarters.
FRIDAY, April 1, 1864.
A disappointing day; weather quite fine this morning; commenced
raining about noon and has continued all day; was relieved
from picket about 1 p. m. by the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth
Pennsylvania Infantry; marched to the bridge the other side of
Culpeper and waited for the officer of the day, but soon found to
our disgust that he had gone to camp. He's no soldier! ought to be
court-martialed!
SATURDAY, April 2, 1864.
Arrived in camp about dark last night and found the regiment in
a mud hole without quarters fit to live in. How white men could
be content to erect such winter quarters is beyond comprehension.
Even the Johnnies do better. These quarters are the worst ever
seen, besides being dirty. All are indignant and aggrieved at such
ill treatment. It has rained or snowed hard all day to add to our
discomfort; received a letter from C. B. Wilson and answered it;
am disgusted about not being ordered before the Casey board for
examination; fear I waited too long before making my application;
probably have all the officers they want.
SUNDAY, April 3, 1864.
It has rained nearly all day; mud very deep in camp: more stormy
weather the past two weeks than all winter before; most of the
officers are building new cabins, the huts occupied by the previous
regiment being uninhabitable. It's a dark and dismal camp, and very
depressing.
MONDAY, April 4, 1864.
It has been a terrible day. The wind has blown a gale, it has snowed
or rained incessantly all day, and we miss our old cabins greatly
near Brandy Station. I have kept fairly comfortable, though. Such,
however, is a soldier's life in the Army of the Potomac. It's a cold
blustering evening without and were I not so busy studying I should
be depressed and discontented.
TUESDAY, April 5, 1864.
The storm still continues, raged all night, and it was a tedious
one; no order for Washington yet; alas! I fear I am doomed to
disappointment all my life. Ah, well, so might it be, if it's God's
will. Dick Moon arrived to-night direct from Vermont. I am glad to
see him about again. It has ceased storming but the wind is still
high.
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 1864.
Cloudy and windy this morning, but it cleared up about noon; fine
evening, too, but no moon; have been over to the theatre, but hardly
got paid for my trouble except for the novelty of seeing a theatre
built of logs. It is as big as a city theatre, is of fine rustic
work and a curiosity. It was built by the Engineers and is handsome.
Of course in a big army like this there is plenty of fair theatrical
talent and some excellent. The band came out this evening and played
a few pieces, the first with their new instruments; am at work on
Company B clothing rolls; will finish in about two days.
THURSDAY, April 7, 1864.
Muddy under foot, but sunshiny and warm; received a letter from
home; all well there; have not been very busy to-day; men working
hard building cabins in the new camp four or five hundred yards
away; will probably complete it in season to break camp in when
the spring campaign opens. It's a handsome camp, every cabin being
exactly alike, commodious and is symmetrically laid out, the
handsomest I ever saw. But the Tenth Vermont leads the army in such
a way and is the pride of general officers from army headquarters
down; it is just the same in drill, parade, forced marching,
fighting or any place it is put. The men have great _esprit de
corps_, and strive not to be outdone by any other regiment in
anything. Were it not that the men's minds are kept occupied, I
should doubt the expediency of putting so much work into a new
camp so late in the season, but they seem to enjoy it, so it's all
right; it keeps them healthy and hard, too; besides, they will be
in splendid shape for the campaign close at hand; there's no moon
to-night but it's beautiful starlight; bands are serenading at
division headquarters. In the stillness of the night the distance
softens the splendid music and makes it enchanting. I sit outside
alone in deep thought and dream over it. War is such a strange
companion!
FRIDAY, April 8, 1864.
Weather warm and pleasant the fore part of the day, but towards
night it hazed up; probably will rain to-morrow; had a long and
tiresome brigade drill this afternoon that disgusted everybody, and
I think a useless one; received my order from the Secretary of War
to report to General Silas Casey's board; shall not go till Tuesday.
SATURDAY, April 9, 1864.
My predictions are fully realized, it has rained torrents all day;
haven't done a thing but mope over the fire; so muddy outside it's
almost impossible to get round even if it didn't rain so; have sent
in an application for three days' leave to go to Washington for
examination; very busy reviewing tactics; no letters.
SUNDAY, April 10, 1864.
Storm has ceased, but it's muddy and windy; part of the regiment
started for picket this morning. Lieut. Ezra Stetson has gone so
I will be alone; have been studying all day; Sergeant J. M. Reed
called this evening, also Dick who will stay all night, his quarters
being crowded; rather dull in camp all day.
MONDAY, April 11, 1864.
Rested finely last night; weather fair; had a three hours' brigade
drill this afternoon; proved more of a march than a drill; regiment
very small owing to so many being on detached service, and on other
details; men busy, too, on their log cabins in the new camp. Dick
is with me to-night; think he prefers being where he isn't so much
crowded as in his own quarters.
TUESDAY, April 12, 1864.
Weather comfortable and warm, but few clouds and very little wind.
If the weather still continues fine a few days longer the army will
make an advance without doubt; have been talking with our sutler's
clerk, Huntington, who was a lieutenant in the rebel army thirteen
months, but being a Vermonter, on the death of his wife and child
who were living in the south, he deserted to our army.
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 1864.
Warm and comfortable; mud drying up finely; application to go to
Washington to report to General Silas Casey returned this forenoon,
disapproved; had a brigade drill this afternoon, a better one than
usual; men busy on their cabins; wish they were done as their
present ones are very filthy; a beautiful moonlight night.
THURSDAY, April 14, 1864.
Weather fine, no wind or clouds and but little mud; had our
regimental monthly inspection at 10 a. m.; have written to Major
Fostor, Chief of Bureau for the Organization of U. S. C. T. in
regard to appearing before the Casey board for examination; no
letter from home to-night; several callers this evening.
FRIDAY, April 15, 1864.
Weather fine this forenoon but began to cloud up towards night.
Major Harper has paid off the regiment to-day. The sutler is also
selling off his stock of goods, as to-morrow is the time appointed
for all sutlers to leave the army; looks like a move in a few days;
am detailed for picket to-morrow; no letter from home to-night, am
sorry to say.
SATURDAY, April 16, 1864.
Corps review was ordered for to-day, but it is raining, so very
likely it will be postponed; started for picket about 9 a. m. with
Col. W. W. Henry as Officer of the Day, so we will fare well; rained
all forenoon; cleared about 1 p. m.; fair since. The Tenth Vermont
has the right of the line.
SUNDAY, April 17, 1864.
Weather fine and warm, but some windy with clouds; all quiet along
the line to-day; have very poor quarters; has been very quiet in
front; it's doubtless the calm which precedes the storm; have little
doubt but what the army will move within the next week; beautiful,
moonlight, calm evening; it seems ominous.
MONDAY, April 18, 1864.
It has been very comfortable on picket to-day without any fire. The
officer of the day has been at my post to-day for the first time.
Generals Grant, Meade and Sedgwick, are reviewing the Sixth Corps
to-day; regret not being present. One of the bough houses caught
fire this evening and burned up; otherwise all's quiet.
TUESDAY, April 19, 1864.
The weather is getting uncomfortably warm; no need of fire any more
on picket. A skirmish occurred last night about fifteen miles out on
the pike. One or two of the enemy were killed and as many wounded.
One of our men was wounded in the foot. A detachment of our cavalry
came in this morning with some prisoners.
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 1864.
Not very pleasant to-day; brigade drill this forenoon; regiment
so busy putting up quarters it is excused from all other duties;
officers of Tenth Vermont all ordered out to witness the new
movements in tactics at brigade drill. My leave has come back
approved, but shan't go to Washington till Sunday; clear moonlight
night.
THURSDAY, April 21, 1864.
A truly beautiful day, warm and pleasant with no wind at all;
regiment moved to a new camp this morning; most of the line officers
remain here yet. The three left Companies, B, G and K contested for
the medal Major C. G. Chandler proposed giving last winter, and B,
my old Company and the one I have been with all winter, won it. Of
course it would! It always honors itself and me; got a letter from
home to-night.
FRIDAY, April 22, 1864.
Weather pleasant and agreeable this morning, but towards night it
began to haze up and now it is sprinkling. A part of the regiment
went on picket this morning. Major Chandler is officer of the day;
had a dress parade to-night. Lieut. J. A. Hicks is relieved from
General W. H. Morris' staff. Most of the line officers have moved
over to the new camp.
SATURDAY, April 23, 1864.
It cleared during the night; quite fair this morning, but by noon
the wind blew a gale, and the air was loaded with dust and smoke,
but the sun was shining; shall start for Washington in the morning;
have written Dr. Jones to-night. It's lonely and I'm feeling
depressed.
SUNDAY, April 24, 1864.
It's been a beautiful day; left camp at 6 o'clock this morning and
reached Brandy Station at 9 a. m. One would hardly think it was
Sunday by the stir about camp and our base of supplies, but war
knows no Sunday; arrived in Washington at 4 p. m. and went to the
National Hotel. War rumors load the very air here.
MONDAY, April 25, 1864.
It has been a pleasant spring day; reported to General Silas Casey
this morning: will be examined tomorrow; sat at Bradey's this
afternoon for pictures. The streets are thronged with moving bodies
of troops. General Burnside's Corps passed through the city this
afternoon. President Lincoln reviewed it from the balcony over the
ladies' entrance of Willard's Hotel on Fourteenth street. This is
my first sight of President Lincoln and probably as good as I shall
ever have. I was just across the street opposite on the curb and not
crowded. He looked pale, very sad and greatly careworn. It depressed
me to look at him. The remembrance will ever be vivid. Burnside's
Corps has encamped near Alexandria for the night; saw Othello played
at Grover's Theatre tonight (now the New National).
TUESDAY, April 26, 1864.
Fine day. Several regiments have passed up Pennsylvania Avenue
during the day; have been before the board; am very much pleased
with its appearance with the exception of General Silas Casey who is
too old and childish for such business. To my surprise I was asked
what position I wanted, and I replied a field office; was told the
supply was more than the demand and as officers were absorbed in
the same order as passed by the board I would never be called on. I
replied that I should never accept anything but a field office; was
passed for a first class Captaincy, there being three grades, First,
Second and Third class; saw Edwin Forrest play Mattamora tonight at
Ford's Theatre. It was fine.
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 1864.
Pleasant but some wind; started for the front on the 9 a. m. train;
passed General Burnside's Corps south of Alexandria en route towards
Ft. Albany; arrived in camp about sundown; found everything as I
left it; am with my own Company (D) now, Lieut. J. A. Hicks having
returned to Company B, which is his own company.
THURSDAY, April 28, 1864.
A part of the regiment went on picket this morning; am officer of
the day. I forgot to mention that on my return I was surprised to
find that Col. A. B. Jewett had resigned and that his resignation
had been accepted; received a letter from Capt. Albert F. Dodge and
one from home tonight; have been very busy making out muster and pay
rolls all day.
FRIDAY, April 29, 1864.
It has been warm and pleasant; nothing going on in camp; men seem to
be enjoying themselves playing ball; completed Company D muster and
pay rolls. Lieut. G. P. Welch relieved me this morning as officer of
the day. Capt. E. B. Frost is now acting Major; very dull in camp
tonight. Colonel W. W. Henry is division officer of the day.
SATURDAY, April 30, 1864.
Weather uncomfortably warm this forenoon but cooler since. Major
C. G. Chandler mustered the regiment this forenoon; no drill this
afternoon. General Burnside's Corps has relieved the Fifth Corps
which has been doing duty on the railroad. The Third Division has
moved in on our left; all's quiet tonight.
SUNDAY, May 1, 1864.
Weather fine and pleasant. Major C. G. Chandler made a thorough
inspection of the regiment this morning. Lieutenant Clark from the
sharpshooters called on me this afternoon; pickets came in about 4
o'clock. Chaplain E. M. Haynes preached a good sermon today; have
written to J. R. Seaver.
MONDAY, May 2, 1864.
Still another fine day, and yet the army remains idle. The query
generally is, "when will the army move, and where?" I guess we will
wish it hadn't when it does move. General U. S. Grant seems to keep
his own counsel, like the silent man he is. It is well. A furious
wind-storm occurred about 5 o'clock p. m. but did not disturb us
much.
TUESDAY, May 3, 1864.
Pleasant in the forenoon, but a gale this afternoon; had brigade
drill two hours this afternoon. At last our query for the past two
weeks has been answered. A part of the army moved to-day, and no
doubt we shall go to-morrow; received orders at 6 o'clock p. m. to
march at 4 o'clock a. m. to-morrow. All is confusion in camp.
WEDNESDAY, May 4, 1864.
We were aroused this morning at 3 o'clock, formed line at daylight,
and took up our line of march for Germania Ford about sunrise. The
whole army is evidently on the move. It looks more like business
than ever before; arrived at the ford about 6 o'clock p. m.; found
that our cavalry crossed here last night without opposition; are
encamped on the south side of the river not over fifty yards from it.
THURSDAY, May 5, 1864.
Pleasant and warm; remained at the fort until about 8 o'clock a.
m. waiting for General Burnside's forces to relieve us, and then
marched about two miles up the plank road and formed line of battle
in a piece of woods to the right of the road; remained here until
noon when Burnside's corps again came up and occupied our line
when we pushed on to the front passing many corralled and moving
army trains, and through the outskirts of the field hospital near
the right of our army's infantry line of battle until we struck
the Orange turnpike when we turned to the right and followed it
some distance until near enough the enemy to draw the fire of
its artillery when seemingly the air was full of solid shot and
exploding shells as far each side the pike as could be seen. The
road here ran in a straight line ahead of us almost as far as the
eye could reach bordered on either side with a dense forest and
underbrush which was also being shelled in places. Shortly after,
when within shelling distance, the enemy fired a solid shot straight
along the pike which tore screeching through the air just a little
above the heads of the men in column in our regiment till it struck
the pike about midway the regiment, providentially where the men
had split and were marching on either side of the road, when it
viciously rebounded along the pike lengthwise the column to the
great consternation of the men all along the extended column in our
own and other regiments. This situation was most trying for every
moment I dreaded the effect of a better directed shot which would
go destructively through our long column lengthwise and do untold
damage.
Soon, however, we turned to the left or southerly into the woods
and formed line of battle almost as soon as there was room after
leaving the road with the enemy close in our front with a field
piece of artillery hardly a hundred yards away through the brush
which kept each from seeing the other. Before Captain H. R. Steele
had hardly finished dressing his company after forming line a shell
from this gun exploded in the ranks of Company K, killing a private
and wounding others. The shell had burst actually inside the man
completely disemboweling and throwing him high in the air in a
rapidly whirling motion above our heads with arms and legs extended
until his body fell heavily to the ground with a sickening thud.
I was in the line of file closers hardly two paces away and just
behind the man killed. We were covered with blood, fine pieces of
flesh, entrails, etc., which makes me cringe and shudder whenever
I think of it. The concussion badly stunned me. I was whirled
about in the air like a feather, thrown to the ground on my hands
and knees--or at least was in that position with my head from the
enemy when I became fully conscious--face cut with flying gravel
or something else, eyes, mouth and ears filled with dirt, and was
feeling nauseated from the shake-up. Most of the others affected
went to the hospital, and I wanted to but didn't give up. I feared
being accused of trying to get out of a fight.
The Division Commander and staff were about three hundred yards
more or less, behind us in direct line with this gun that was
shelling us. Another shell from it which went screeching close
over us--for we immediately after the first shot lay flat on the
ground--disemboweled Captain G. B. Damon's horse of the Tenth
Vermont on the Division staff, on which he was mounted, and killed
two others. This party could be seen from where I was in line
plainly. I was surprised at the quickness with which Company K got
into line again after being so disrupted by the exploding shell in
its ranks.
FRIDAY, May 6, 1864.
We slept on our arms last night. Report says that we forced the
enemy's right flank back about three miles yesterday besides
capturing a goodly number of prisoners, but I doubt it. It is also
rumored that the Vermont Brigade of our Corps was badly cut up
yesterday afternoon, but I hope it's not true; it was hotly engaged,
though, on our left. We were led further off into the woods this
forenoon to form another line of battle evidently, but General
Seymour who was in charge seemed to be dazed, and while poking
around alone in front of and too far away from his command without
a skirmish line in his front, was taken prisoner.[3] A part of our
brigade was finally detached and taken north of and just to the
right of the Orange turnpike including our regiment where we formed
line behind some natural breastworks with the enemy's earthworks
about fifty yards more or less in our front across a pretty, level,
green field, in the edge of the woods; this work of theirs was in
front, I am told, of the enemy's main line. We were shelled more or
less at times through the day until about mid-afternoon when we were
let alone.
[3] In a letter to Chaplain E. M. Haynes of my regiment by me which
he used in his history of our regiment, I state that Seymour was
taken prisoner when the right flank of our army was thrown into
confusion late May 6, 1864. From what source I got the information
I don't recollect, but supposed it correct. I had not then seen
my diary for many years, and had forgotten about the matter. My
diary is correct, for I recall having heard of Seymour being taken
prisoner that day before the fighting on our right flank later in
the day. I wondered when I saw him so far in front of his column
why he didn't have a skirmish line in his front. An alert General
wouldn't have been captured, I don't think.--L. A. A.
Later in the day all at once hearing heavy firing on the right flank
of our army not far away, Colonel W. W. Henry excitedly called us to
attention, faced us to the right and then turning the head of the
column directly to the rear we ran with all speed possible--there
was no double quick about it--for a mile or more into the woods in
rear of where the heavy firing on our right was, stumbling over
logs, ditches, brush, etc., till our faces, hands and shins smarted
from bruises and scratches, when we were halted all out of breath,
faced to the left and ordered to give the charging war cry which,
being a good deal wrought up, not knowing what had happened but that
a disaster had occurred to our forces as panic-stricken men were
hastening to the rear from our defeated right through our lines,
and not knowing our own position relatively speaking to any other
of our forces, or but what we would be pounced upon any moment, for
we had but a small part of our brigade even, with us, so far as I
could see in the woods, and annihilated, we, together with the One
Hundred and Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry and Fourteenth New
Jersey repeatedly gave the war cry as we had never given it before
or did give it again afterwards. It reverberated again and again in
the forest until the echo died away in the gloaming as softly as a
fond mother's lullaby, and it pleased me at the time to think that
perhaps it was God's offering through us and the medium of nature,
or His lullaby to the thousands of wounded and dying heroes both of
the blue and the grey within hearing, for the softly dying echoes
certainly were soothing and restful in the quiet twilight even to
me. This war cry had the effect not only to stop the enemy's firing
but its advance, thinking probably it was a counter-assault to meet
theirs, and it saved many a poor fellow from being captured, as
the enemy ceased its aggressive tactics in order to reform and be
prepared to meet our anticipated assault.
General Jubal A. Early's Division of three brigades had stolen round
in rear of General Shaler's veteran brigade of the First Division
and the Second Brigade (formerly General Seymour's) of green men of
the Third Division, Sixth Corps, which were on the right of our army
in the order mentioned, attacked vigorously both in rear and front,
threw Shaler's veterans into disorder as well later as the Second
Brigade, captured Shaler and created temporary confusion among the
trains and hospital corps nearby. Seemingly it was the result of
bad generalship by someone on our side. If I had been a General in
command there, I'll bet the Johnnies wouldn't have got away with me!
It was evidently lack of alertness, and the Johnny fellow got the
best of it because the most alert.