West bank of Crow Creek, near Stevenson,
May 2d, 1864.
Only about seven miles from last night’s camp, but will have to wait until to-morrow to build a bridge. The creek is some 150 feet wide. Our Pioneer Corps will from the rough put a bridge over it in ten hours, that is to be passed over within the next three days by 800 wagons and 100 cannon of our corps. We reached here about 9 this a.m., and were led into a very large field of prairie grass, standing three feet high and as dry as tinder. A stiff breeze was blowing and the first fire started in our regiment set the grass in our front on a perfect rampage. It run down on the 46th Ohio, and such a grabbing of “traps” and scattering was never before seen, but was equaled about half an hour afterwards when a fire set in our rear came sweeping down on us. We threw our things out on the bare space in our front and escaped with little loss. My drummer had his coat, cap, drum and a pet squirrel burned, and a number of ponchos and small articles were also sent up in smoke. The days are almost like summer, but the nights are rather cool. The trees are about in full leaf and vermin are becoming altogether too numerous. Every man is a vigilance committee on the wood-tick question. They are worse than guerrillas or gray-backs. On an ordinary good “tick day” we capture about ten per capita. They demoralize one tremendously. The boys did some good work fishing in the p.m., catching a number of fine bass, etc.
A surgeon, who I think belongs on some brigade staff, has been stopping at nearly every house visiting, etc., and then rides past us to his place in front. This morning, after a visit he was passing our regiment; as we commenced crossing a little stream his horse got into a hole some four feet deep, stumbled, fell, rolled over, and liked to have finished the doctor. He was under both water and horse. The boys consoled him with a clear 1,000 cheers, groans, and sharp speeches. Anything short of death is a capital joke. I have seen them make sport of a man lying by the roadside in a fit.
Monday, May 2nd.
Still in camp near Culpepper. Nothing of interest has occurred since the 23rd of April beyond the daily routine of camp life, except that large bodies of troops have been moving up and camping near us, or passing by towards the Rapidan (Rapid Ann). The company has been almost exclusively in command of Sergt. Theben, Lieut. Edmonston and I having been constantly engaged, the one on court martial and the other on the examining board. Since the organization of the board we have met daily at 9 o’clock in the morning and continued in session until 3 in the afternoon, examining on an average twenty-five candidates a day, and recommending about one third of them for leaves of absence. CoI. Bates, I find, is perfectly familiar with infantry tactics and army regulations, and conducts his part of the examination very thoroughly, leaving artillery and mathematics to me. Capt. Watkins is a capital fellow, but does not trouble the “victim” with many questions. He says he is entirely satisfied with the examinations as conducted by the Colonel and myself, and that his department is “to give character and dignity to the Board, and inspire the applicants with a just sense of the importance of that body.” The list of candidates embraces representatives from all classes of men and all branches of the service. The dapper First Sergeant of the Regulars and the dilapidated army “bummer” stand side by side and hand in their “recommendations.” The influential politician of some rural district, who enlisted as a private from “purely patriotic motives,” now bleached of his patriotism, sits nervously at the door awaiting the result of this his last expedient to gain the path of promotion and honor. The rough, honest country boy with corporal’s chevrons, shares the anxious seat with the intelligent representative of the legal profession, whose simple army blouse hides all appearance of the “wig and gown.” In fact every conceivable shade of character, capacity and intelligence is represented, and the labor of sifting the wheat from the chaff is by no means light. The fact, however, that we have now been in session nearly two weeks, and have reported favorably on about a hundred cases, and yet no furlough has been granted in accordance therewith, furnishes some ground for the suspicion that the object of this proceeding is rather to allay the agitation of some turbulent spirits, and occupy their leisure moments in camp until the time comes for a movement of the army, rather than to furnish students for the Philadelphia School or officers for the colored troops.
May 2. — March at 6 A. M. to Fayettevllle. Reached camp on Raleigh road in a cold driving rain at 1 P. M. Camped on wet ground in snow. A rough opening of our campaign.
Fifth and Seventh [Virginia Cavalry], six hundred men, [under] Major Slack, attached to [the] First Brigade. [The] Thirty-fourth [Ohio], Major Furney, two hundred and seventy men, ditto. — Twelve miles.
Monday, 2d—We left Cairo at 1 o’clock in the night and arrived at Paducah, Kentucky, at 10 o’clock today. We were sent here to reinforce the troops at this place, as it was reported that the rebels, thought to be Forrest’s command, would make a raid into Paducah for the purpose of destroying our supplies. We went ashore while the transports with large details of men were sent back to Cairo for ammunition and provisions. I was detailed this morning for the first time as corporal of the guard. We have a force of about five thousand men at this place, with but one fort.
May 2 — A violent thunder-storm passed over our camp this evening. The storm raged severely for about two hours; it blew down all our tents and shelters and uprooted several large trees right in camp, which in their fall killed two of our horses.
Huntsville, Monday, May 2. A cold, windy day for this time of the year. At night a fire was very comfortable. Expect to move camp nearer to town soon so as to shorten the picket line. The left wing of the 16th Corps under Dodge was moving in all day. Stood on the roadside most of the afternoon, the first time we were ever permitted to see a moving column without ourselves forming a part of it. 25th Wisconsin passed. Many of our boys found acquaintances and friends. In the same Brigade was a regiment of Yanks all the way from Jersey, regular blue-blood Yankees. Made a strange appearance in their leggins and yellow tassels. Physically made a poor comparison by the side of our sturdy Western boys.
Monday, May 2. — Colonel Chandler relieved me as F. O. D. Took a bath and changed my clothes. Most of the day was pleasant, but in the afternoon we had a sort of tornado. Night chilly. Received several letters and some photographs from Black’s. George Weld wrote me that he had sent me a horse by the 59th Massachusetts, part of which arrived here to-day.
May 2.—Just taken leave of J. J., who has gone to Halifax, where the Bishop resides. It seems so strange that she does not want to go to the country. If I could only get to some quiet nook, some lodge in a vast wilderness, where rumours of unsuccessful or successful war could never reach me more, I think I should be happy. The Bishop says it is too expensive here for his income, and so it is for everybody’s income, but were we to leave it we should have none; our whole dependence is now upon the Government, except the interest on a small amount invested in Confederate bonds.
Our army, it is said, is fighting at or near Newbern, North Carolina. I trust they are following up the Plymouth victory.
2nd. Reveille at 4. Off at 7. Pike road still. Passed through Fairfax C. H. a place of only half a dozen scattered buildings. No fences along the road and very few houses, and those abandoned, hilly country and considerably woody. Camped near Bristol Station. 22nd and 24th N. Y. and 3rd N. J. near us. Commenced raining before we got our tents pitched. Cold, wet night. Slept very well.
May 2, Monday. Rumors thick and unpleasant in regard to the clerks and women employed at the Treasury. Much is doubtless exaggeration, but there are some disagreeable truths.
