October 2,1 1864
Abou Ben Butler had quite a stampede last night. Having got
so far away from home, he conceived that the whole southern host was massed to
crush him, and communicated the same with much eloquence, by the
instrumentality of the magnetic telegraph; whereat Major-General Humphreys,
Chief-of-Staff, had the brutality to laugh! We made our usual peregrination to
Globe Tavern, where we got about 10 o'clock. Here General Meade sent me to look
for a new camp, first enquiring if I felt well enough for that arduous service,
as he looks on me as a tender convalescent! It was a tedious business getting a
spot; for the whole country was either occupied, or was very dirty from old
camps. At quarter to eleven, as I was poking about, I heard firing to the left,
pretty sharp for a few minutes, and supposed there might be quite a fight; but
it died away, shortly, except the cannon, which were not frequent. I got to the
front about one, and met General Meade at the Peeble house. He had been to the
Pegram house and it was near there he had such a narrow escape from a shell. I
told them that, had I been there, I should have been the odd man that would
have been hit; for they all said that the Staff could not well have been
arranged again so that there would have been room for a three-inch shot to pass
without hitting somebody. The cause of the firing was, that the whole line
advanced, except the right division, and established a front position at the
Pegram house. . . .
The engineers were trotting round briskly, you may depend,
ordering a redoubt here and a battery there, all intent on fencing in our new property.
Luckily, the soil is very light and easy to dig, for our earthworks have now to
be measured by miles. Not only must the front be protected, but the exposed
flank and the rear. With what men we have, we do a great deal. Since we left
Culpeper, I have not seen the troops look so healthy. If we could work a little
more backbone into that 9th Corps, it would help wonderfully; but they started
green and that is no way to ripen men. Many faults there have been also in the
command. The men are in good spirits, I think, and well conditioned for the
prosecution of the campaign. The evening of Sunday we went to our new camp,
having lived nearly three months in the old one. It seemed quite like leaving
home; for you get used to your little canvas house, pitched in a particular
spot. The new camp is well enough placed, but in a region of evil savors. There
is a timber bridge near by, and, every waggon that went over it, the General
would jump and say, “By Jove, there is heavy musketry!” Gradually he learned
the difference of sound and settled down quietly. The weather has been very
warm the last day or two.
_______________
1 Taking up the narrative of the events of this
day. The letter was written on the 6th.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 237-8
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