Been kind of rainy all day. Two mails came in about an hour a part just at night the first having nothing for me, the next I got a letter from Henry Lander in Nevada Territory. He is well, doing well. And one letter from Sarah, all well but quite lonesome and mother living and going to live with her this summer. They are going to live [in a] house on the place as far as she knew. I wish I were back to help her some for she will have to turn out to do chores many a stormy day, verry likely.
Drawed our sugar & coffee and make our own coffee, the Cooks having nothing to do with it. Well it is dinner time (noon day). We are to hold ourselves in readiness to march at a minutes notice and 19 men left to guard and work on the bridge and if they take them out of the Co as their belong on the roll for guard duty, it will take me and I shall not like it at all. I would rather go with the Regt but I do and go as duty calls me. The rumor is that we are going to cross the river to Fredricksburg. This is a rumor only but I believe the other is an order so the boys says we are sure to march.
May 1, 1862
And nothing done. Men for Company called on for 19 men to volunteer to stay and work on the bridge by the officers of it. They got them with some little truble. Answered Sarahs letter. The Regt going back to last camp.
May 2, 1862
And I concluded to join the bridge builders. Changed with a man that wanted to go. Also a great many others changed. There is one hundred men to be left. 15 men gone out of the 100 to work on bridge. We have to go at noon. The regt got orders to pack up & march to the last Camp.
May 3, 1862
And a fine morning. Hard shower last evening after we returned from work. Got tents pitched before it rained. We 100 men are camped togather and a Lieutanant, Sargeant & three Corporals with us. Our work last evening was digging trenches. Got them done. We are to work half a day evry third day. There is 6 reliefs. I tent now with the two Black boys53[Henry and James Black], not by nature but name. We got our tent fixed up good. Regt has gone but we heard our drums last night. We have Frank Boyanton in our Commisary and cooks [for] us boys, that is Company F. Boys.
May 4, 1862
And worked on bridge 5 hours. We are to get extra pay for evry hour we work. So we have got the better of the other boys. I got half bus. corn meal at the mill at Acquia Creek. We have Corn cakes, plenty of fish.
May 5, 1862
And rainy in the morning, clear at noon, fine day the rest. The boys comenced at 5 oclock this morning on the bridge. They relieved at noon and another squad goes on until plumb dark. The report is that the rebels are evacuating York Town and we must rush the bridge up as fast as possible. The cars came up last evening late with a load of lumber for the bridge. The first time they have been up. The bridge was just finished back at Aquaia Creek about three oclock and they came right across and they have been up again today.
May 14, 1862
And looks like rain this morning of which we have not had since I last wrote. We have had splendid weather ever since we begun work on the bridge. And I got into blacksmithing after I had worked about a day on the wood work and have been so busy ever since that I couldnt write verry well. The cars run up from the landing to this place from 2 to 5 times per day. Orley F and Frank Boyanton is at work on the water tank, the only watering [tank] on this part of the road at present. There are two others, men from Co. A helping them and my shop is right on the side of the tank. I have a blacksmith from the Indiania Regt to help me. There is a not a great deal of iron about the bridge it being trusselwork using the dowel pin instead of a tenant & mortice. Of the latter there is not one about the bridge.
The work will be so far advanced by noon that a footman can cross if he can walk 85 feet from the ground which is the height of it, instead of 75 as I have stated before, from the creek to the top of the cribs which are built of large fine logs. They are 30 ft long, 6 feet wide, is ten feet where the water is likely to raise, those are built, some of them not more than 3 feet high which are on the banks. The boss calculates to have the cars across by tomorrow night. We put in some verry long days work. We get extra pay, I don’t know exactly yet, and ten hours is a days work. But some and I have put in 13 & 14 hours. I guess we will be paid by the hour and I don’t know long I shall work, certainly as long as I can. Probably I shall get to work at the Rappahannock Bridge, it being over 600 ft long, just double the length of this one but not so high.
Well, my book is nearly full and sorry for it for I havent another. I must go to camp and get some paper. We, the Bridge builders, is camped about 130 rods from the bridge and I must stay near the shop while writing so that if anything comes that he cannot do alone, I can help him. Good by.
Volume 5
In Pursuit of Devils
May 26, 1862 to July 2, 1862
[Inside front cover]
Wm. R. Ray’s Book
Private of Co. F, 7th, Regiment Wis. Volt.
A Resident of Cassville, Grant Co., Wisconsin
If this book I should happen to loose,
Please notify the owner if you choose,
And if the owner you cannot find
To the above named place send a line.
And when I do get this same book
You shall receive more than a pleasant look.
On a big tree root I am sitting
When all of this is written
Slowly in pursuit of the Devils
But the modest call them Rebels.
We have as yet had no affray
But we expected one today
The rebels is not far they say
Maybe only a little way
and here we lay in camp today
I wonder what the folks will say.
If this book I should happen to loose
Please notify the owner if you choose.
And if the owner you cannot find
To the aforenamed place drop a line.
And when I do get this same book
The finder shall receive more than a look.
We are slowly in pursuit of the Devils
But the more modest call them Rebels,
We have as yet had no affray
But we expect one today.
The rebels is not far they say
And maybe only a little way
And here we lay in camp today
I wonder what the people will say.
Maybe some say it is not quite right
If nae don’t let the 7th have a fight
To bad do they want to see the sight
On a big tree root I am sitting
While all of this am writing
May 26, 1862, Camp in the Woods 6 miles in front of Fredericksburg
Well I must awake from my slumber as it were for it has been in the of not keeping up my scrapbook. Well all I can say is that we are in camp and it is a fine day and I must go back a week or so when I was to work on the bridge. Well we worked day after day until sent to our regt, which was on the 22nd [of May] and our Co being on detached duty in Fredericksburg guarding and chopping railroad ties in the woods, when they were not guarding the city. I put in 15 days work there. The 6th [Wisconsin] Regt boys was ordered back the day before us and we left the [Nineteenth] Indiana there to finish filling the cribs with stone I suppose. And it will be a hard job.
We come [to] the city getting there about 12 oclock at night and the conductor said we might sleep in the cars as they would stay all night and we did so and joined our Co in the morning. Which we found not far distant. Found them quartered in an old blacksmith shop. It being a two story building, it made good quarters when cleaned up. They had been there for 8 or 10 days and were well fixed.
And Mon the 23rd we got our regular $26.00 pay and we had fine times, plenty of milk and could buy the verry best kind of bread.54 In fact, anything we wanted to eat, for the Yankees have come in with all kinds of merchandise. But before they come the town was almost destitute of luxuries, in fact, everything. A great many of our boys bought shoes at the stores for what the sho
emakers said they could only and scarcely get the stock for. And I believe it was so knowing how other things was. They said if they had had them shoes there last winter they could have sold them for seaven and eight dollars a pair. And I seen one deserter that had on a fine pair of boots. He said they cost him $18.00 dollars in Richmond. And we see lots of deserters that come in to us. There was a sergeant and two other privates with that fellow I spoke of having the boots.
I wouldn’t stop writing and go out to the road to see Secesh soldiers so plenty are they getting. It is said that there was a troop of cavelry lay within a mile of us last night. There was firing out to the front this morning which caused a little excitement. But proved to be only those that stood on guard the day before. And they were shooting of their guns so as to clean them.
There was a bad and a most horrible accident happened in the city yesterday from the explosion of a magazine which killed a soldier that was guarding it. It caused great excitement throughout the city and there being meeting at the churches. They were almost broken up, they fearing that the city was being bombarded. But it soon cooled down in a minute. There was an overwhelming crowd gathered to the place of the disaster. It was as follows.
When the rebels left, they left some ammunition in a small brick building which they had used for a magazine and our army took possession of it and put ammunition therein and guarded it ever since we took the city. And this man being on guard was killed. He was blown on top of a building some 4 or 5 rods distant. One leg blown of close to his body & the other just below his knee. The hair was burned of his head. He had scratches all over his body and besmeared with blood, blood and dirt. There was not a thread of clothing left on him. I saw him & it was the most horrible sight I ever seen. It is beyond description. His brother was the first to get hold of him, he being on another post not far distant. I have not heard as there was any body else got even a scratch.
There were a great many soldiers at work a little ways off hewing logs. They didnt get even a scratch. There a great crowd gathered and great was the excitement and many were the oaths & curses heaped upon the citizens who probably were not to blame. It is thought and I think that the fire was communicated to it by a wire and some citizen did the firing. It has caused many warm debates between the citizens and soldiers and I wouldnt be surprised to hear of a fire in the city shortly. For his Regt was in the city & it set them perfectly mad in a manner. There were brick and pieces of wood lying scattered over the ground for a great distance. It broke a great many glass in the city in the vicinity of it. Well, he was carried off and the crowd was dispersed and a guard put around a good distance off so as to [keep] anybody, evrybody from going near. For it might billow again and keep so doing. For there is no telling what the rebels might have done and do again.
Well, I will leave you to imagine what transpired and the rest as I have given as good an account as I could and will turn my mind to the news of today.
Late in the evening when the scouting parties returned, they brought the news that they had been out twelve miles and didnt see a secesh soldier. That the R. Road track was all torn apart two miles from here and bridge was burned that was across some creek. I have not found out the name yet.
Well we are now encamped in the woods 6 miles from Fredricsburg.
Yesterday morning our Co got orders to join our regt and got ready but soon another order come that the Brigade was going to move across the river and we were to join them which we did, the colonel putting us on the right wing which is calculate to be an honorable post. Well, we marched 16 miles through the prettiest country I ever seen. Ditch fences with trees growing on the top. On each side of the road is this fence. The country is verry level and pretty. The weather was quite warm and the dust verry plenty. We passed pickets evry little way along the road.
May 27, 1862
And a fine morning but rained a little through the day with some sunshine. Stayed in camp all day & had rollcall evry two hours. Nothing of importance transpired in & around camp. There is a rumor that the rebels have driven [Union General Nathaniel] Banks to Catlets [Catlett’s] Station and past to the Potomac River. And they had burned the bridge at Catlets and the village and 2 engines and 3 or 4 cars, and that Banks had to burn a bridge that he had made. But this I cannot believe but if it be true, I think that it was done on purpose to draw them on so as we could go on towards Richmond and thereby get them between Bank’s and McDowel’s divisions. Well let it be as it will, it caused some excitement. And as for McClelen’s army I have not heard from it for several days. Therefore don’t know how they are getting along.55
Our Co is quite small now. They draw rations for only about 70 men and the number of officers has diminished for we left a couple of privates and one sargent in the Foundry at the city. Some six or seven privates, one sargent & Lieutenant Young there also, who were to join the Bridge Corps which was being formed for McDowel’s division and left four sick there also that were unable to travel. So upon the whole, Co. F. is quite small at present. Yesterday I mailed two letters, one to Sarah, the other to Richard Lander in answer to the ones I received which brought the news that they were all well in both families. And Sarah says she is going to keep the shop and tools for me if I want her to which I was glad to hear. And I told her in the letter I wanted it. I have sent $15.00 to Henry and kept the rest which makes $65.00 I have sent to him.
May 29, 1862
Got orders to pack up, ready to march which we did about 10 oclock and came back to Fredricksburg. Rested 1 hour in the street, bought all we wanted. I bought a warm peach pie for which I paid 25 cents. Then we crossed the river on the new wagon bridge which has been erected in the last week and we come on through Falmouth and back 7 miles on the verry same road that we went [out] on. And camped, it being about 9 oclock at night. The day being verry hot we rested often until sun down when we come verry fast. And me not being well, it was hard on me. The catarrh in my head troubles me verry much of late when I get my blood heated. I was completely given out and should have had to [have] stopped for the night if they had went much farther. & I spread down my bed and layed down feeling as though I should have to ride on the morrow. The Captain [John B. Callis] came around to see the sick fellows and called and talked with me quite a while, offered his help but as I needed nothing but rest, I thanked him verry much and went to sleep. It is said we are going to reinforce Banks, that is Kings division is going. It is said that Banks has retreated to the Potomac River and that [Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall"] Jackson was following him up. I have an idea that we are going to the rear of Jackson, thereby cutting off his retreat and have him between our two armies. It is said that Banks has been retreating ever since the 4th of the month and if this be so, he has done it on purpose to draw him on and get us in the rear so as to take Mr. Jackson and his all. The men that was left in the Foundry was called to the Co.
May 30, 1862
And a fine morning, continued so till near noon when the sky became quickly overcast with clouds and the thunder rolled & shortly we had a thunder shower which was a welcome guest for it cooled off the air, layed the dust which had been almost intolerable. & the heat being so great up to this time, there had been two men in the 2nd [Wisconsin] Regt sunstruck, one killed, the other being helpless. It continued showery all the afternoon. And we marched a good gait & stoped about 5 oclock and made a cup of coffee and started again. Marched till about 8 oclock and camped within half a mile of where we camped the first night when we went out. Coming about 20 miles today over the same road and the Colonel says we must be to Catlets station by 8 oclock in the morning.
I stood the march well today as I went to the Doctor and he excused me and I got my knappsack hauled. But the boys found an axe and as our Co had no axe, I concluded to carry it today & the cooks would put it in the box in the morning. I heard there was two men died on the road from the 6th [Wisconsin] Regt. Oh, it must have been awful behind the Brigade as there was so many that give out and got behind an
d I guess the ambulances was well filled today. There was 2 from our Co that rode.
We heard that McDowel was under arrest for treasonable acts but I cannot believe it but the people do not have any too much confidence in him as far as I know.56 And there is such a rumor that Banks has been driven back across the Potomac with heavy loss and that Jackson is being reinforced and he has said and made it known that he would have possession of the Baltimore & Ohio RRoad if it cost him 60,000 men. And if reports be true that they are about out of provisions I don’t wonder that they want to get into Maryland & Pennsylvania where they would have plenty of provision with forageing or just taking it from the well stored warehouses.
May 31, 1862
And cool and cloudy. We started at 6 oclock this morning. Come on to Catlets a good pace & camped near the R Road. The cars begin to come in and still keep coming until there is seaven trains and the soldiers is being put in as thick as they can stand and sitting on top as thick as they can sitt. It is evident that we are going on the cars and we are going to White Plain to help Banks. Evrything is a buzz and evrything goes on smooth. Oh, wouldnt it be nice if we could capture Jackson & all his arms & stores. There is several of our boys back yet and some came up this morning only. Had camped in old houses &c and the Doct has sent a team back for those they might find on the road. There will not be any behind that would walk for evrybody wants to go that can so as to see the sights and get a share of the glory if there is any won.
There one car goes loaded. There goes another load of 7 cars and it is as full and covered all over with soldiers as can be.
Four Years With the Iron Brigade Page 14