Sept., '63

was so taken at our approach that they did not notice our skirmishers crossing the river at the Ford until they advanced and opened fire on them. This caused them to skedaddle back out of sight like so many partridges. When this was seen by our men on the bluff they raised such a shout it could be heard a mile away. After our skirmishers had taken possession of the ridge on the other side of the river the Regiment moved down the hill onto a more level piece of ground and bivouaced for the night. The men knew this place as they had crossed at this Ford on their march to Chancellorsville. They were not half in number this time as they were then.

and put up tents. The weather was very hot, with not a tree to keep off the sun, and the soil was barren and sandy. The men suffered with the heat. They remained here only one day, moving back across the river and went into camp. The picket was also moved back across the river.

The enemy advanced their picket line to the opposite side of the river. The pickets did not fire on each other and often indulged in conversation. Our men called the Rebels when speaking to any of them, Johnnies, and they called us Yanks. Two or three days after the lines had been established the men were very well acquainted. One day one of our men called out to the picket on the opposite side of the river, "Say, Johnny, were you at Gettysburg?"

In a short time the Johnny began to ask questions and called out," Yank, were you at Chancellorsville?"

"Well, if you'd stayed to home you wouldn't got licked, would ye?."

The Regiment had very good quarters here, and very good food. They could get plenty of green corn which they enjoyed. They had plenty of government supplies. They remained in this camp drilling but two hours a day. Drilling and picket duty was all that was required of the men and they enjoyed the rest after such a hard campaign.

About August 15th the Regiment received new recruits. Sept. 13th troops began to move across the river. The cavalry crossed first and drove in the enemy's pickets capturing several of them. The men could see the skirmish from the bluffs. It was quite exciting.

Sept. 16th the Regiment broke Camp at Kelly's Ford and at four o'clock started on the march, marching all day until one o'clock the next morning reaching Stevensburg where they rested until four o'clock, then started on the road again. They did not halt again until they reached Raccoon Ford where they went into the woods to rest. After cooking coffee they started on the march again, marching all of the afternoon in a rainstorm and countermarching, they went into Camp near Raccoon Ford on the Rapidan River.

Sept. 18th the Regiment did not march but witnessed the shooting of a young man for desertion. He was a member of the Third Maryland Regiment.

While the Regiment lay at Kelly's Ford there was a deserter to be shot,- a member of the Twentieth Connecticut. When the day arrived, the 20th of August, a postponement of one week was given and nothing more was heard of the shooting.

At Raccoon Ford the pickets kept up a skirmishing with the enemy across the river. Here the country is hilly and rocky and the Regiment expected their camp would be shelled every day from the hills on the opposite side of the river.

September 23rd, 1863, eight days' rations were issued to the men. This meant marching again and they made themselves ready and sure enough, early the next morning, the 24th, they moved out of Camp and were on the road again. They marched to Stevensburg and on to Brandy Station, which they reached before night, and went into Camp. The next day they witnessed the shooting of another deserter. The writer did not learn who he was or his regiment.

During the night of the 25th of September a train of freight cars was brought into the station. At daylight the morning of the 26th of September, 1863, the Regiment broke camp and boarded the cars, as it was reported for the West that they to be transferred from the Army of the Potomac to the Department of the Cumberland. The Regiment reached Alexandria about four o'clock P. M., and Washington about six. They took supper at the Soldiers' Home and after supper they boarded the cars on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. They left Washington long before daylight on the morning of the 27th, that day passing the Relay House, Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg, and Cumberland, remaining in the cars all night, not having room enough to lie down.

September 28th they crossed the Monogahela River, and the Ohio about four miles below Wheeling, W. Va. On the 30th they reached Columbus, Ohio, where they had a supper of soft bread and coffee. The next day they got dinner at the Soldiers' Home at Indianapolis, Ind. They again boarded the cars and arrived at Jeffersonville in the night. From this place they crossed the Ohio River on a ferry boat to Louisville, Ky., marched through the streets to the Soldiers' Home at the depot and had breakfast at daylight. Their breakfast was soft bread, pork and coffee. As soon as breakfast was over they were again marched to the cars and were soon on the way through the state of Kentucky into and through the state of Tennessee, passing through Nashville and Murfreesboro and the 3rd of October, 1863, the train stopped at the banks of the Tennessee River at Bridgeport, Ala. Here they went into camp,- the first time in a week. They were now in the military center of the West. They had been seven days and seven nights in box cars on their journey.

I remained home on my leave of absence until the 10th of September. I went to Troy, N. Y. and remained over night with friends, Mrs. C. going with me as far as Troy. I here take up my letter writing again.