Bivouac Near Fairfax Station,
December 15, 1862.
I will take the opportunity of a few hours' respite from
marching, to let you know of my present whereabouts and good condition. We have
arrived at this place after about five days' marching, making seventy miles
from Sharpshurgh. We have been called up at half-past three every morning, and
have not stopped until after dark any night, though our marching has been very
much interrupted by bad roads, delays about the wagon trains, etc.
I met with the greatest misfortune, on my third day's march,
that I have had during the war. Hogan started out about a mile ahead of the
column, as was his usual custom, to forage for us; he had just got through a
small town called Hillsborough, when a party of guerillas made a dash out from
the side of the road, and before he had time to put spurs to my horse, they had
ridden him down and seized him. They had hardly done this when our advance came
in sight, and our cavalry saw them and gave chase. I saw the scamps as they
rode off for their lives, but I had no idea, until nearly two hours afterwards,
that my poor mare was among them. It was an awful blow when I did hear it; they
told me that Hogan was between two of them; one held a pistol to his ear while
they whipped the horse. The pursuit was vain, and I lost everything, Hogan,
horse, saddle, bridle, overcoat, dressing-case, tobacco, rations and all. You
can hardly imagine how badly I felt: to lose all my comforts and conveniences,
and my poor horse also, was a great deal; but to have Hogan taken by a parcel
of ruffians who haven't anything good about them, was worst of all.
Harry Russell and Bob Shaw have been very kind to me since
this happened, lending me their servants and doing everything they could. Of
course, our “mess” is now broken up, but we three stick together and sleep
under the same blankets. We've had very good weather for marching and sleeping
out since we started, being quite warm. We heard, yesterday, that Burnside had
met with some success, but had been pretty badly cut up, and that fresh troops
were being pressed forward in large numbers to the front. Our regiment is rear
guard to-day; it will be very late before we start, and after midnight when we
get into bivouac.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 111-3
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