While we are
encamped life is so monotonous that I do not usually regard it as necessary to
keep a diary, but occasionally we have a little variety and spice which is
exciting and pleasant. Yesterday we received notice early in the morning to
prepare to march five miles to attend a review of our division which was to
take place about a mile beyond General Hood's headquarters. We left our camp
about 8 o'clock a. m. and reached the muster ground about 10 o'clock. We found
the artillery posted on the extreme right about three-quarters of a mile from
our regiment.
The brigades,
Anderson's, Laws', Robertson's and Benning's, were drawn up in line of battle,
being over a mile long; our regiment a little to the left of the center. As we
were properly formed General Hood and staff galloped down the entire length of
the line in front and back again in the rear, after which he took his position
about 300 yards in front of the center. The whole division was then formed into
companies, preceded by the artillery of about twenty pieces; passed in review
before the General, occupying about an hour and a march
of over two miles and a half for each company before reaching its original
position. The spectacle was quite imposing and grand, and I wish Mary and the
children could see such a sight. After passing in review we rested awhile and
were then again placed in line of battle, and the artillery divided into two
batteries, came out on opposite hills in front of us, where they practiced half
an hour or more with blank cartridges. This was the most exciting scene of the
day except the one which immediately followed, viz: We were ordered to fix
bayonets and the whole line to charge with a yell, and sure enough I heard and
joined in the regular Texas war whoop. This was the closing scene of the day,
after which we marched back to camp. There was an immense crowd of citizens out
on the occasion as spectators, reminding me very much of an old time South Carolina
review.
On our return to
camp Companies E and F were ordered on picket guard about a mile and a half
from camp. We packed up everything and were soon off and are now encamped on
the bank of the Rapidan at Raccoon Ford. Last night was quite cool but I slept
comfortably after the tramp of yesterday.
To-day Companies E
and F are variously employed. There is one squad fishing, another has made a
drag of brush and are attempting to catch fish by the wholesale. Two or three
other squads are intensely interested in games of poker; some are engaged on
the edge of the water washing divers soiled garments as well as their equally
soiled skins. I belonged to this latter class for a while, and have spent the
remainder of the morning watching the varying success or failure of the
fishermen and poker-players, and in reading a few chapters and Psalms in the
Old Testament and the history of the crucifixion in the New. I forgot to say
that on yesterday I met on the parade ground Captain Wade and Major Cunningham,
of San Antonio, and also John Darby and Captain Barker. Darby is the chief
surgeon of Hood's Division. I went up to a house to-day about half a mile from
our picket camp and found a negro woman with some corn bread and butter milk. A
friend who was with me gave her a dollar for her dinner, which we enjoyed very
much. The woman was a kind-hearted creature and looked at me very
sympathetically, remarking that I did not look like I was used to hard work,
and that I was a very nice looking man to be a soldier, etc., etc.
Here are the
chapters I have read to-day: Deut., 23:14; II Chron., 32:8; Jeremiah, 49:2;
Revelation, 21:14.
SOURCE: John Camden
West, A Texan in Search of a Fight: Being the Diary and Letters of a
Private Soldier in Hood’s Texas Brigade, pp. 54-6
