July 28, 1862
And fine day. No revilee line this morning. The Brigade has to change Camp. Well the quartermaster had some teams bring evrything that the boys wanted them to such as boards, tables and stools &c before we moved. Then the teams came back and got dinner, then hauled our knappsacks over here, which is about 1 ½ miles from the old Camp. We got here about three oclock, went to work, fixed up as well as we could. John and I fixed our hammocks up for the night. Then to fix up right on the morrow. It was clever in the Quartermaster to haul our boards &c over. John and I have two seats and a table which makes us verry comfortably situated for eating, writing &c.
July 29, 1862
And a fine day. Nothing done whatever in the way of Military duty except mounting a small Commisary guard. There is to be no Camp guard and we are to have roll call evry two hours. And those absent without leave are to be reported and dealt with accordingly. The whole Brigade put in the whole day making brush shades over their tents by sitting forks in the ground, putting poles on, then brush on that making a good shade over all the tents, the whole day. So large are the shades, John & I went to work & made a sort of cedar tent. At least the sides are made of cedar boughs which are verry plenty. The boughs are interwoven so that they look verry nice. The boys pronounces our quarters verry good & neat appearing & so I think. It has took a great deal of hard work to fix up especially for our Co for we had to carry all our materials whilst all the other Co had teams to haul theirs. Well we got fixed verry nice.
Each regt is camped separate from each other and the ground being laid out so that our and all tents are sett square. Evrything is done up in style all about the [camp]. The privates are next to the parade ground which is allways called the front, let it be which way it may, then the Co officers quarters about 5 rods back of the privates. Then the field officers about as much back of the Co officers & opposite the center of the Regt. The Camp is a large clover field and timber on three sides. The south side being open where the 2nd is camped and a little ways south of the 2nd is the 6th & on the north is the 19th Ind. They are all so covered up that you can scarcely see a tent. There is plenty of wood nearby and tolerable plenty of water.
July 30, 1862
Nothing much transpired. Formed the revilee line and had dress parade in the evening. The order was read that we would be inspected in the morning at 7 oclock. This being the monthly inspection. We done a little fixing up today.
July 31, 1862
Formed revilee line & then went in, got breakfast, cleaned up a little and the Regt formed on the parade and were inspected by the field officers except the Colonel who is sick and has been for some time. About half of our Co went out berrying after inspection. They brought in a lot of nice dead ripe dewberries. Improvements are still being made. I finished a long letter and mailed to Henry yesterday. I received a letter from R Lander & one from Sister Sarah, both of which I must answer soon.67
Hello, there is the glad tidings. Fall in to sign the payroll so as to get our pay tomorrow. We done it with a glad heart.
August 1, 1862
And a fine day. Formed revilee line & battalion drill at 7 oclock. Ordered to fix for review at 6 P.M. by Gen King which came off but in verry poor style for the weather being verry hot, the boys didnt care how they went. And in fact the officers couldnt make them do any better for they all worked togather and when they take a notion and hang togather, the officers never could handle us as they pleased. Kings Father was present at the review so it is said and there was a civillian with him I know, but don’t know it was him only by hearsay.
Well we didnt get our pay today as we expected yesterday but the 6th & part of the 2nd was paid today. And they commence to pay our Regt tomorrow. John and I bought a peck or rather a haversack full of potatoes of one of our boys who had been out forageing on his own hook for which we paid 50 cts. They are new potatoes and are about the size of a henegg.
Our Regt is digging two wells. They have one nearly finished. This one is on the left wing and has plenty of water. The other one is to be on the right wing. I forgot to mention that we are clear on the left wing of the Regt which is second post of Honor. The cause of this being that our Capt is second in seniority. Capt [William D.] Walker of Co E is senior Capt of the Regt. When we got the Right wing, it didnt belong to us but we kept it for two months or more and now it seems hard to be clear on the left for we had rather be most any other place. It is the hardest place in Regt.
August 6, 1862
Well it is the 6th and fine day. And you will see that I have not written any of late. The cause of it being I was so unwell for several days back.
Well I must go back to the 2nd inst. Which was a pretty day, nothing done. The usual routine of buisness. And the 3rd inst it being the same. One of the wells is finished which has a good supply of water in it.
4th [of August] fine day, had Brigade drill in the morning. About noon the order came to get ready to march at 4 P.M. in light marching order except adding the oil blanket. And they were to take two days rations in their haversacks. The whole brigade went this time and I don’t know how much more. 2 P.M. came and they came to postpone the start till 2 next morning when the whole Brigade was to move off towards Fredricsburg. It is not known to the line officers or privates where they are going but supposed to see the whereabouts of the enemy. It is calculated they will be gone 5 days and the cook of their respective Cos are to cook up rations & the teams follow them on Wednesday with the calculation to overtake the troop by Thursday morning when the rations will be due them. Evening and the boys are jubelant with the thought of going into new country. They are talking about the poultry & eggs that they will confiscate. They are taking salt peper &c in their haversacks to season them with. They will not be debarred from taking any little thing they want. And I guess they will put that order in force, that the troops are to live off the fat of the land.
5th of August. And fine morning. Had revilee at 1 oclock this morning, roll call &c. The orderly warning the boys to fill their canteens &c. Got breakfast, formed line at 2 oclock & started. There was considerable excitement. All those that were not hearty were left behind which included me & I couldnt have marched anyhow for which I am sorry for the boys will have a fine time. Our Col [Robinson] being sickly, the Command devolves of Lieut Col [Charles Hamilton] which the boys dislike on account of his inability to command them properly. But the Col is going in his carriage and if they should happen to get into an engagement with the enemy, he will get on his horse and take command if able to ride horseback which he says he means to try if it comes to fight. 10 A.M. A good many have come back to camp that have given out and still they come. For they march so fast that all that starts cannot keep up and when they cross the picket line, all those that are behind cannot get through so they must come back for they will not have the signal. And the pickets wont let them through.
All right with the boys the last we heard. Well the campguard has been reduced to 6 in number, there being well ones in Camp now to stand guard. But day before yesterday, the sick ones had to stand. There is a great deal of sickness in the Regt in that way. They will [be] sick for only 2 or 3 days & then able for duty. I missed the fever today as that is what I have had. Bedtime and all right.
6th [of August] And fine day. The teams started this morning at 4 oclock with the boys rations. Rather bad report in Camp. That is that Cap and 7 privates in the Regt was killed yesterday which gives the boys a chance to talk. But I don’t & the boys dont credit the report much. The boys are sorry of Cap being killed if it is so but we wont allow ourselves to believe it. 6 P.M. sick call but the doctor is sick and the other two is gone with the Regt. Night and Lieut Lefflo [Christopher C. Lefler] of Co I who was not able to go with the Regt, has been up to Gen Kings to see him & hear how things was. He says all was right & they hadnt even had a skirmish unless lately which settled it in our minds that Cap was still alive. And this stoped the sorrowing but about noon today there was a report that they had
a skirmish. We don’t believe it. I wrote a letter to Sarah to day in answer to the two last me got.
August 7, 1862 [The Frederick’s Hall Raid]
Fine day. All goes on right in Camp. The Doct that was left here is sick and a strange doct came and attended to the sick and went off again. I did not go up for I felt well except the sores on me and I went up in the evening to get some salve to cure them. A great many rumors at times through the day about the troops. And some of which proved true. Just at when one of our boys came in, he brings the news of a great many of the Brigade being taken prisinor. He came verry near it himself. As near as I can find out by this fellow whose name is Kuntze [Louis Kuntz],68 he is well thought of in the Co and thought to be reliable. He says that on Tuesday there was a great many give out and came back to Camp which I know to be true. And they still kept doing so on Wednesday. But Tuesday evening he gave out and stoped at a house where there were many others stoped. He got his supper, paid for it. The woman of the house appeared to be a fine woman and treated him kindly. Here also, he fell in with a 19th boy and they stayed all night and got breakfast and they thought it a safe place and feeling as they couldnt walk so they would stay. So they stayed till about ten oclock, got something more to eat and just as they were eating they saw a cloud of dust rising down the road and didnt suspicion anything. But just as they were going to pay the woman, there rode up a squad of Cavelry and surrounded a wagon load of worn out boys from 2nd Regt that was just passing the house. They fired into the wagons and he seeing they were secesh, he run. When they hollowed halt, the 19th boy halted and obeyed their orders, laid down his arms and was taken prisinor. He, Kuntz, run for dear life. They fired at him. He heard the balls whistling & striking all around him but he kept on and escaped. But he says all those along the road was taken prisinor & that not being a few. They took all of our provision train but three wagons before coming up to this house. They just cleaned up evrything that was behind the main body of troops.
6 P.M. and the report is that our troops have taken our wagons back and 2 cannon. That our troops had drove the enemy back and &c. That our Capt was not killed and all good news, also that they are coming in this evening or early in the morning. Our doctor being sick so the [sick] or lame is not verry well attended to. I cannot get salve or liniment to put on my sores which is for the poison [ivy or oak].
Well about Kuntz. He ran and got into the woods and they came after him and just as he was going out of the edge of a woods, he seen some more after him so he gave them the slip again by crossing a hollow and getting into another grove. And then he saw no more of them. He stayed in the woods till sundown when he started for the picket lines and towards home. He reached the pickets after traveling about 3 ½ miles. They gave him the best they had. He stayed all night and in the morning he went back to the woods aforesaid after his catridge box, haversack and canteen which he threw away in his flight the evening before. He found them so he turned his steps homeward which he reached after dark with evrything he took away except his oilcloth which he threw away at first of his flight. He had a pass from the doctor which passed him through the picket line and the guards thereafter. If he had not had change along so he bought things to eat, he must have suffered for bread and that only for there was plenty of meat in the Country, also poultry & eggs &c but scarcity of bread.69
August 8, 1862
And fine day & no sick call this morning as the Regt didnt come back last night and havent come as yet this morning. Now 8 A.M. Sent mail out & got mail the same as when the Regt was here. 10 A.M. A couple of the boys have come in bringing the news of the Regt coming in soon. Here some two or three more boys come. There some more. Well, they coming in seperately, evry man for himself. Here Cap comes with two or three and they kept coming in for an hour. As soon as the regt got across the river, 2 ½ miles distant, the boys kept breaking ranks and coming ahead and stopping &c so there was no Regt at all to come into Camp.
I went and brought some cold water and kept at it until they all had plenty. They complain of being tired & sore all over, some lame and some one thing and some another complaint. They have had plenty to eat but hard marching and not much rest and verry little sleep. Most all of them laying immediately & sleeping from two to 6 hours. All stiff when they awoke. It being warm dry weather all the time and the dust intolerable and scarcity of water and the excitement at times & doublequicking some, and alltogather it was a wonder that some of our Co didnt die. But the orderly had roll call and all was accounted for.
I understand that the troops done all that was wanted. The Generals are satisfied for they say the object for which they were sent out for was accomplished and it was done without the 7th [Wisconsin] having a shot at the rebels except the few stragglers that were behind the troops, also behind the wagon train. The Secesh Cavelry to the number of about thirty attacked the wagon train but there being a Co of N.Y boys to guard them, besides a guard to each wagon which their respective regts sent. The N.Y. boys fought them while the whole train put on at the greatest speed for three miles when they came up with the troops so the rebels were defeated there. But they may have taken some of the stragglers prisinor. But this is not proven yet as I know of. But they did take two wagons from us that was loading corn at a crib. They took the teamsters also. This is all that our boys know of them taking from us in the way of property but they seem to think that there was as many as 60 or 70 of this Brigade taken prisinor.
As near as I can find out, the following troops were out Gibbons Brigade, Augurs Brigade, Hatches [Hatch’s] Brigade & two Regts from Doubledays Brigade and two Batteries from the Division. This Hatches Brigade, I understand, came from Warrenton lately. They not belonging to this Divison. The Boys says they were going along and all at once they heard cannon in the rear. . . So they run back & the rebels retreated, then they come homeward reaching home next day which was Friday.
August 9, 1862
Had inspection today and at noon got orders to get ready to march at an hours notice. Then verry soon order came to march at 6 P.M. Then that was countermanded and we were to cook two days rations, have revilee at 2 oclock & march at 3 oclock. So we fixed up our knappsacks for they were hauled. Have to carry oilcloth.70
August 10, 1862
And started according to order. Some truble now to get all the knappsacks in one team for two Companies. We got along slow till about 6 oclock when we went good gait. Come back some 8 miles on the Catlets Road, then turned to the left, leaving a nice large brick church on our right. The weather verry warm and scarcity of water. As we traveled on a ridge, we stoped evry little way to rest. The ambulances are full of sick or given out men for all they sent quite a number around by railroad. We stoped twice, made coffee. Some say we go to Culpepper Courthouse, some say to Gordonsville. At last we got to the Rappahannock, the bridge being gone we had to ford it and it is now 8 P.M. Cold breeze. Had a shower. We were ordered to pull off pants, shoes and socks for the [water] was waist deep. Which we done, passed through a little town at the ford on the east side of the River. So we plunged in, went across but just on the top of the hill on east side there was a Regt stationed as guards to the several fords in vicinity. Also doing some picket duty. Well we put on our clothes, marched ¼ of a mile, camped on the ground with nothing but an oilcloth. The rest of the Division camped thereabouts. It now being 10 P.M. we stacked arms, spread oil cloths, went to bed. Have to get up at two in morning, start at 3.
Today the boys took evrything they wanted if they could find it such as horses, mules, chickens, ducks & geese & honey which there was a plenty. It is calculated we came 20 miles today. All stragglers from our Co come up.
August 11, 1862
And started according to order. Come along pretty brisk till the sun got up a ways. Then we had to rest evry little while. We didnt stop to make coffee until about noon, when we came up to a little place called Stevensville. There we lay till 5 P.M., made coffee twice. The boys took about a dozen beehives which were well filled.
I didnt get any as I was off a little way under a shade tree for I was about ready to give up the ghost, I being unwell and the heat intolerable, it about capsized my equilibriams.
Well, I forgot to tell you that we heard yesterday that there had been a battle the 9th & 10th and that our folks was whipped and all kinds of rumors and kept hearing them but still doubted them till we came to this little town. And we have made a forced march and come to Culpeper too and seeing the battle ground off to the south west on verry high ground or on the side of the mountain for we have got to the hills and small mountains adjoining the Blue Ridge which we can see in the distance. The battle ground being 12 miles distant and some could see the flag of truce which they were burying the dead under. There is a great many rumors and all tend towards us being whiped.71
The boys got all they could get. Our Regt got most of the honey on account of us being near the house. The other Regts was quite a ways off. He was an old rich fellow they took the most from and all the Generals stoped there even to Gen King & they couldnt help but see the boys. But they don’t care as long as the boys don’t take what they cannot use or destroy. Well here it was proved to us that we had a battle and got the worst of it. And they were burying the dead. And there was to be no firing on either side till 6 A.M. on 12 inst when a few shots would be fired by us and to let them know whether we wanted to fight for the field or not as they held it yet.
Well now we knew what the forced march was for and didnt regret it any although they complaints were loud about soreness and sleepiness. The boys thought that they would like to see the fight go on in the morning. Well we started at 5 P.M. and marched westward resting evry little ways for the air was verry close. Well we marched on & on, good many giving out. And the wines and brandies furnished by Government to give the soldiers that give out on marches, the officers drink it up and now the doctors are so drunk they can hardly sit on their horses and they don’t notice the poor fellows that are lying by the roadside panting and feel as though they don’t care whether they live or die for such is their feelings. It acts odd on a man I must say for I once got behind a little one night but they Camped right off so I got along into camp and did and always have kept up. Our Second Lieut [John McKenzie] was tight, he could walk and that was all and was perfectly foolish which I hated to see.
Four Years With the Iron Brigade Page 19