Last night some member of our company started a small fire
close to the root of a pine tree. It was decayed through the center, which
quickly caught fire, the blaze shooting out at the top, like a high chimney.
The tree being away up the mountain, the blaze could be seen for miles along
the Lynchburg Valley. Attempts were made to put out the fire with dirt.
This morning finds us in the mountains, between the Peaks of
Otter, the highest mountains in Virginia. Our signal corps climbed to the top
of one of the peaks. We get an early start, on down the mountain over a rough
stony road. At the same time we get a grand view of the surrounding country. It
certainly is fine. Good growing crops in all directions. Passed through a large
peanut field. The vines were fine but not much left of them after the army had
passed through the field. The advance are skirmishing, as we can plainly hear.
Fifteen miles from the Peaks of Otter, we pass through the town of Liberty,
after a hot, dusty march. Out on the Lynchburg Pike we go. Hungry, tired,
foot-sore, we stop for the night in a cornfield, near New London, after a march
of about twenty-four miles. Sharp skirmishing kept up all day, showing the
enemy is contesting our advance on Lynchburg. We hear it reported that the
Yankee army has never visited this section of Virginia before. With us, it is
now on for Lynchburg, which we seem confident that we can capture. We hope so.
SOURCE: Charles H. Lynch, The Civil War Diary,
1862-1865, of Charles H. Lynch 18th Conn. Vol's, p. 77-8
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