April 2—Our regiment was sent on picket this morning at daylight—one mile from camp and two miles from the enemy. Companies B and G are on the left, A and D on the right, F and I in the center. We are within hailing distance of the Yankee line of pickets. There is not much firing. Tom Tiotter and I are on the color guard. We have nothing to do if we don’t want to, except stay with the colors. So this evening at 4 o’clock we went as near the Yankees as we dared, to see the town of Washington. Saw the place, their breastworks and their camps very plainly. We then returned and slept on our arms all night— that is, we tried to sleep, but could not for the infernal noise from the owls that are in the swamps around us.
Diary of a Tar Heel Confederate Soldier by Louis Léon
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