December 24th. General Averill and his troops returned today after a raid of fifteen days. The boys and horses show the effects of hard service as I saw them pass through town on to Harper’s Ferry. They did an immense amount of damage to the enemy. Hard fighting, fording many streams in extreme cold weather during cold rains, and snow. A soldier’s life in the field is a very severe one. The poor horses suffer as well as the men. Orders received for the regiment to return to our camp at Martinsburg. Christmas Eve.
Civil War Diary of Charles H. Lynch
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