Robert M. Magill—Personal Reminiscences of a Confederate Soldier Boy, 39th Georgia Regiment of Infantry

Headquarters Second Vt. Brigade,
Union Mills, Va.,

April 26, 1863.

Dear Free Press:

It is more than two weeks now since orders came for the Second brigade to be in readiness to take the field; but we still linger on the banks of the muddy Occoquan. The order to make ready was promptly complied with. The extra baggage of the officers (wives included in some cases), was sent in to Alexandria or Washington; the tents were turned back to the quartermasters; the men overhauled their “cotton bureaus” and discarded superfluities with Spartan rigor; and the feeble men were sent into the city hospitals. Over a hundred men were thus sent in from this regiment, of whom many would probably be now on duty if they had stayed in camp, and many others in a very few days more, who will now have to go through the circumlocution office of the hospitals and convalescent camp; and some will hardly more than rejoin the regiment, if at all, before their term of service will be out. But the orders of the medical authorities were peremptory. The brigade was to be “cleared for action,” and it was done. We have been ready to sail in, any day since, but the order to move does not come. We trust that we are not to be kept here any longer, in the doubtless important, but inactive and inglorious duty of the defence of Washington. We have “stood guard” long enough. If there is anything to be done, and they will only allow us to have a hand in it before our time expires, it is all the favor we ask of our military rulers.

The ranks of Company C have been sadly depleted by the prevailing maladies. The company and the cause have lost two good soldiers, in the deaths of Corporal Pope and Private Sutton. I fear that more are to follow them. Some dry and warm weather, however, such as I trust we are about to have, will do wonders for the health of the command.

Brigadier General Stannard arrived last week, and assumed command. He is right welcome to the brigade, for the soldiers know his sterling qualities, and to none more so than to the Twelfth to whom his coming restores their colonel.

The paymaster is paying the brigade four months’ pay.

Yours, B.

Saturday, 25th.—Heard Yankees had torn up railroad between Jackson and Meridian.

Thursday, 23d.—Last night about midnight, several gunboats passed the batteries, and the scene of the night of the 17th was repeated with greater fury. Regiment called out and remained until morning. Orders to have everything ready to move at any time.

Monday, 20th.—Federals keep firing into town from their mortar batteries across the bend of the river.

Saturday, 18th.—Flat boat floating down the river to-day; was brought to shore by our pickets. Six Yankees were concealed in it under some hay.

Sunday, 12th.—Flag of truce sent down river by Federals; don’t know what for. Last night about 11 o’clock gun-boats passed the batteries; very heavy cannonading; a house was set on fire opposite Vicksburg, so that every gunboat could be plainly seen. It was a grand and awful sight to see those great black monsters rushing by, with the constant flashes from the great siege guns, and also from the gunboats. And it seemed as if almost all the demons from the lower world had come up to take part, and yet only one boat was burned and some others damaged. Cannonading all day.

April 4th.—Started back to camp 4 P. M. Regiment had moved three miles north of town, on Chickasaw Bayou.

April 1st.—Had fine sport to-day, gigging fish. Whole farms are submerged around Warrenton, three to four feet deep; before they were flooded, they had grown up very thickly in weeds, which now reached above the water. We made two rafts, fastened our bayonets to the large end of long canes. Pushing the rafts through the weeds, when a fish moved it would shake the weeds, and then was our chance to gig him. Our squad got two very fine ones, when the river and wind rose so high we had to quit.

Tuesday, 31st.—Warrenton has been badly torn up by shells, and the levee being cut, the water is about three feet deep all over town, but the houses being up on posts about four feet high, the water was not up into them. South of the town there is a vast expanse of water, covering several miles; have good house to stay in, the citizens all being away. Working on fort; only have to work four hours a day.