December 17 — Left Martinsburg at noon and marched to Dam No. 5, which is one of the dams on the Potomac that feeds the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and seems to be one of the objects that General Jackson has marked for destruction. We are camped in the woods about half a mile from the dam, without tents or fire. This is my first night of roughing it, and a rather cheerless opening of a campaign for a raw recruit, as the night is cold and no friendly campfire casts its genial gleam athwart the chilly darkness.
This seems to be one of Jackson’s secret moves, and camp-fires would betray our presence. After we had repaired for the night to our blankets and the ground, I heard a great rustling among the dry leaves right in our camp. When I raised from my blanket bed to ascertain its cause I saw Jackson’s infantry marching through the woods, close by our camp, going toward the dam. Soon after Jackson’s men passed toward the river a desultory firing commenced between our men and the Yanks, shooting at each other across the river.
