February 25th. A continual stream of officers and men going home and returning from leave. It seems to be a general resting time, when it is understood nothing will be done.
On the left of our brigade, and extending back to Hancock’s headquarters, is an immense open field over a hundred acres in extent. It is mostly sand and gravel and therefore always in good order. There is space enough to manœuver a corps, and here we drill as regiment, brigade, and division, and hold our reviews, which, as a rule, occur once in two weeks. In the northwestern part of it, near a small house, the batteries attached to the division are parked, and they, too, use it as a drill ground. Thomas’s battery Fourth artillery, Lieutenant Fields now commanding, and Perth’s and Arnold’s, all excellent commands, officered by a splendid lot of good fellows, who professionally have few equals in the army. The weather is remarkable. Almost like spring, so that all kinds of out door games can be played and horse races and little expeditions for pleasure are the order of the day.
