Camp at Warington

Thursday November 13th 1862

[letterhead embossed with small shield]

Made a march, tired and sore, left Camp Seward Sunday November 9 at 2 PM, marched 5 miles, halted for night, took Bull Run Road and passed Bailey’s Cross Roads. Had two crackers and a cup of coffee for supper. “I have heard of men taking up their Bed and walk but we have to carry our bed our house and all our furniture and everything else we got a rubber blanket a shelter tent our pans knives and forks our clothing and gun and it weighs awful heavy on our backs. The order was read before we started that any man who fell out of the ranks on the march would be shot and that sickness would be no excuse for him.”

Monday Nov 10: roll call 4 AM, ate 2 crackers and a pot of coffee, marched all day 13 miles, passed Fairfax Court House, stopped 1 and a half miles from the battlefield. Ate same as breakfast, laid down on ground “so lame tired and sore I could not sleep.”

Tuesday Nov 11: roll call 4 AM, so sore seemed he couldn’t move, got meat for breakfast, started for Bulls Run. Many sick. Reached Centrevill at 10 and saw the Rebel “Defences”. Marched 13 miles for the day, stopped at Bull Run. “After fletch and me got our supper we went up to the Battle field it was the most sickening sight I ever saw and I hope to god I never will see again our soldiers were never buried here at all they was throwed on the top of the ground about a bushel of dirt throwed on them skulls and bones laid all over the ground hands arms legs head and feet stuck out from every grave and some of our men say they saw men that lay just as they fell in Battle but they was in the woods there is something very curious in the air down here because the hands and legs I saw was as naturel [sic] as life the finger and toe nails just the same we went to bed to night thinking of the Horrors of War fare and all its Dangers”

Wednesday Nov 12: roll call 4 AM, ate breakfast, warm muggy day, started marching at 8 to the Thoroughfare Gap, reached Gainsville at 10 and the order was changed from Gainsville to Warrington. “Stoped to day to rest at Buckland 15 minutes the boys pretty well tired out halted about 2 miles beyond and pitched our tents for night quite a Bloody fight in Co A to night our Regt Marched 13 miles to day.

Thursday November 13: pleasant day, roll call half past 3, marched at 7 for Warrington. Passed New Baltimore and reached destination about 11 “where ends our march for the present. Passed to day about 50 or 60,000 men and more than twice that much her the old Fourteenth and where they are I have seen lots of Rebels Prisoners” Describes the ragged uniforms of the soldiers, they look poor, the houses are deserted or burned to the ground. Lots of cannon balls, shells, dead horses. “I have heard a great deal of the Sunny South but I can safely say it is the most miserable looking country that ever was…and every thing goes to show that all along that there has been fearful strife and struggle for life between Bull Run and Gainsville. Directly on each side of the road on a hill side we saw nearly a thousand dead horses and about as many graves with hands heads and feet protruding out of the ground.” The Rebels had possession of the ground and their dead had been buried decently. “It was the spot where Col McQuade was supposed to be killed”. Water is very scarce and not fit to drink. On the march they drank water out of the road. Houses are built of logs and mud “and that’s what I call the Chiverlous South”.

“Clara there is not much use of telling you how I stood the march you can well guess you know I never could stand it to walk and it pretty near used me up”. Says he sent her some drawings of the march. Describes dangerous spot they are in, mentions “the fighting Divison Warrens Bridgade Sykes Division and Hookers Corp”, 26 and 57 and all NY regiments. “As soon as we got into camp the Utica Boys and Oneida Co Boys flocked in to us as thick as crows on carrion they all looked well.” They think they will go home in the spring. Saw Sarah’s brother and he is a Lieutenant in Co B 14 Regt. Rebels are 13 miles away, have been ahead of them, now across Chickahomany River. Siegel has been shelling them. Afraid they will see hard fighting.