Hyattstown, Md., August 26, 1861.
We are finally located with our brigade, which we joined
Friday towards night, after marching from Buckeyston about eight miles.
Saturday noon a mail arrived containing all our back letters.
* * * * * * * * * *
Our camp here is quite a nice one. Most of General Banks'
army is right about in the vicinity. Directly about us there are some twelve thousand
men. The nearest rebel camp is about fifteen miles off, over the river at
Leesburg, where there are nearly thirty thousand of the enemy. I am writing
this in my guard tent. It is nearly one o'clock A. M., and I have just sent a
corporal to wake Captain Coggswell who is “officer of the day,” that he may
make the “grand rounds.” The camp is perfectly quiet; my candle and one in the
hospital tent are the only lights to be seen anywhere. The silence is broken only by the snoring of
the first and third reliefs, who are “off,” and by the footsteps of the second
relief, who are “on.” I hear now, in the distance, the sentry challenge: “Who
goes there?” “Grand rounds!” “Halt, grand rounds!” “Advance Sergeant with the
countersign.” “The countersign is right; advance, rounds!”
Captain C. has been and gone; he reports everything correct.
There is no excitement now until “reveille,” at five. Captain Mudge and company
started for Washington yesterday morning as guard to a wagon train. Washington
is about thirty miles off; I should not be much surprised if we all got there
before long.
It is now two o'clock and I must inspect a relief, so I'll
close up this interesting epistle and put on my sword which I've taken off,
contrary to regulations, and step out into the moonlight.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 19-20
No comments:
Post a Comment