Strasburg, May 14, 1862.
1 never expected to write another letter from this place
during the war, but so it is. After ten days' marching and countermarching,
crossing the mountains into the other valley and coming back again, we have got
here again, after an absence of nearly two months, without having accomplished
the first thing during the whole of that time. We line officers have drawn up a
paper to be sent to the Secretary of War, begging to be transferred to another
division; one copy to be forwarded to Charles Sumner, and another to Judge
Thomas. A somewhat similar one is going to Governor Andrew asking his
assistance. They are all ably written, and I hope they will help us out of
this.
The other day, when we were over the other side of the
mountains, one of Captain Abbott's men disappeared from his company. Last night
he came into camp in secesh uniform. His story was that he was taken about
fifty rods from our bivouac by two of Ashby's cavalry and two infantry: that
they carried him about twenty miles to Jackson's main force, and then promised
him they would send him to a place where he would never see Yankee-land again,
but he balked them by escaping their guard one night and keeping in the woods
until he got inside of Colonel Geary's lines.
I dare say you have noticed, in the paper, that our
Adjutant's clerk was shot, the other day, as he was marching between Mount
Jackson and Edinburgh. He was a long distance ahead of the regiment; there were
three shots fired; one minié
ball struck him, passing through his right arm into his body, grazing his
lungs, coming out the other side: he is still living, but his recovery is
doubtful. We have had three other men disappear lately, very likely shot in
this same way. An orderly was fired on, the other day, but not hit; he chased
the bushwhacker, wounded him and caught him.
I had one piece of good luck when we were over in the other
valley. I was out with the company on picket; early in the morning, I
discovered three contrabands with as many horses just outside our lines. I had
them brought in before me; one of them had a beautiful brown mare which took my
eye amazingly: I offered the darkey five dollars for her, and he took me up. I
sent the other horses in to brigade headquarters by the contrabands.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 56-7
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