November, 16th—Came this evening to Adairsville; found our Train gone to Charleston. Slept on the ground.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Monday, 16th—On picket today. The weather is warm and pleasant, though the cool nights give warning of approaching winter. With our high picket post and the beautiful landscape, finer than an artist could paint, picket duty in the daytime is a delight.
16th. Before rising, was ordered to Garrard’s quarters. Went over and received orders to go to McKinney’s Mill and get 40 sacks of flour and then go to Bulls Gap where Hdqrs. had moved. Did my business and rode to the Gap after dusk. Cold ride. Learned that the Brigade was at the Lick Creek bridge. Pickets very exacting. Infantry moving.
November 16 — About the middle of the day we arrived at the battalion camp near the residence of Colonel Willis, one mile south of Orange Court House and half a mile west of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad.
Since we were detached from the battalion ten days ago we marched from Gaines’ Cross Roads in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, by Culpeper Court House and Rapidan Station, to the vicinity of Fredericksburg, passing from the extreme left and beyond the extreme right of our army, a distance of over fifty miles.
Sunday, 16th.—Colonel told us this would probably be our camp for some time, and that we had better build winter quarters.
Bridgeport, Monday, Nov. 16. A beautiful sunny morning. Did not get up till broad daylight, which was a strange thing. The first thing attended to, now that we were in hopes of a few days’ rest, was changing and washing. I changed throughout, and Evie and myself passed to the creek with ax, fire buckets, etc. My washing consisted of a pair pants, shirt, two pairs of socks and towels. Quite a washer-woman. After dinner Cousin Griffith, E. W. E. and myself took a ride down town. I mounted Rodney and off we went. “We failed to find a building but found Bridgeport, which is certainly a city of tents. All of it is in tents. Sutler’s stores and bakeries are plenty, but so crowded by the soldiers that it was impossible to get a hearing anywhere. I tried hard to get a pie, but there were hundreds pressing in for the same, and I gave it up as a bad job. Bought a blank book and started back to a large tent upon a hill with the sign “Army Hotel” which furnished meals for 75 cents.
The Charleston and Memphis Road crosses the river here, but the bridge was destroyed by General Mitchel a year ago, and not yet completed. A day force is at work on it and teams are hauling timber in all directions. It is a patent truss-bridge like those across the Wisconsin, the R. R. on top and wagon road below it. A pontoon bridge is stretched across below it until the bridge is finished. The cars go no further than here, which is the nearest point to Chattanooga, twenty-eight miles by R. R. and forty by land. All supplies are hauled to camp, long way yet, by mule teams and two small steamboats. A large number of artillery horses have been sent back to be fed. Horses and mules look much worse than ours after the march. The 11th and 12th Army Corps under General Hooker are across the river from here, which makes a total of three corps within supporting distance of Chattanooga. Heavy artillery firing could be heard this morning from that vicinity. Stevenson nine miles west of here.
November 16.—The weather is delightful, and our wounded doing a little better.
We had two men die to-day—the first in three weeks. When they were brought in we did not think they would live but a day or two. One, named Patrick Conda, was a member of the Tenth Tennessee Regiment, and was wounded at the late battle. His sufferings were great, and he bore them with much fortitude. He blessed me every time I did any little thing for him. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and died trusting in the atoning blood of his blessed Savior. He was a native of Ireland, but all his relatives live in New York.
The other patient who died is named William G. Elliott; he was a member of the Forty-third or Forty-eighth Alabama Regiment. He died from fever. At the time he was brought in he was deranged, and died in that state.
The youth, Seborn Horton, has just breathed his last. Poor child! I trust he is now at rest in the bosom of his God, secure from woe and sin. He was like many other badly wounded men whom I have seen, deranged a short time before his death. I have written to his mother, who lives in Marshall County, Alabama.
Unidentified sergeant and corporal in Union uniforms in front of painted backdrop showing camp scene
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Close-up crops:
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sixth-plate tintype, hand-colored ; 8.3 x 9.3 cm (case)
Liljenquist Family Collection of Civil War Photographs; Ambrotype/Tintype photograph filing series; Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Record page for image is here.
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Note – This image has been digitally adjusted for one or more of the following:
- fade correction,
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Civil War Portrait 095
by John Beauchamp Jones
NOVEMBER 16TH.—Governor Brown, Georgia, writes the Secretary that he is opposed to impressments, and that the government should pay the market price—whatever that is. And the Rhett politicians of South Carolina are opposed to raising funds to pay with, by taxing land and negroes. So indicates the Mercury.
We have news to-day of the crossing of the RapidanRiver by Meade’s army. A battle, immediately, seems inevitable.
November 16.—General Burnside retreating on the advance of Longstreet, evacuated Lenoir, Tenn., but fought a battle at Campbell’s Station. The fight lasted for some hours. The Federal troops retreated to the protection of their batteries, which opened upon the rebels with effect, and checked their advance. They fell back to the river; a second battle was fought in the afternoon, which continued until nightfall, Burnside remaining in possession of the ground. Loss of the rebels estimated at one thousand killed and wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Smith, Twentieth Michigan, was killed.—Doc. 19.
