Tuesday, May 31st.
We remained in the intrenchments all night while picket firing was going on, and in the morning the infantry made a charge and found the first line of the enemy’s works abandoned and took quite a number of prisoners. Our batteries were pushed forward to a line they had abandoned yesterday, and shelled the woods in all directions, and a skirmish line of infantry having been deployed to the front and left and found the rebels, a successful charge was made. The First Battalion of our regiment left the Sixth Corps and joined us to-day. Lieutenant Edmonston was sent forward with thirty of my men at 10 o’clock P. M., and threw up some breast-works near the rebel line, which opened fire upon him and he was ordered to fall back. Privates Gay and Shortsleeves of my company were wounded to-day.
Our regiment is again united and in the Second Corps, and rumors are rife that we are to have a Siege train or else be sent back to the defenses of Washington. We have been so constantly on the move, and so frequently transferred from one command to another, that the baggage wagon which is supposed to be transporting the effects of the battalion has never reached us, and I have not seen my satchel since we left Culpepper. The consequence is that during the nearly four weeks that have intervened, my linen collar has sloughed off and I have had no opportunity whatever to secure a change of clothing. I have had but two baths during that entire period, and my only “wash days” for clothing have been on those two occasions, when, as may be suspected, my garments had become a little soiled, and after scrubbing them diligently with sand and water, I hung them on the bushes to dry while I was attending to my personal ablutions. And yet my condition compares very favorably with that of my men, for dirt is the least of their trouble, as is apparent when, clad only in their skins, they seek such shade as they can find and “police” their shirts and trousers with their thumb nails.
I arrested a negro to-day on the picket-line and sent him to Headquarters as a suspected spy. He was far too intelligent about military matters to be allowed to run about and quite likely cross from one line to the other. He took a great fancy to my pocket knife and offered me $20 in Confederate currency for it, but would not take green-backs at any figure for some Confederate shin-plasters which I wanted as souvenirs, the first case of the kind that I have met.
