Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-08-05


the regiment except Co. B, who remained to
do guard duty-and under a boiling sun COM
menced our march for Trenton. We were
joined by the 9th Massachusetts and Rhode
| Island battery, consisting of six heavy pieces
| of artillery, six horses to each gun, and six
men to each cannon. The moving column
was preceded by regiment of cavalry, we'll
drilled, who had been doing picket duty for
several months, and had had several skirmiSh-
es with the enemy. The advancing army was
under command of Col. Lee of the 9th Mas
sachusetts Other regiments or detachments
were joined by the expedition, taking different
directions, giving the whole country a thor
| ough securing, making the enemy ''skedad-
die" in every direction, leaving vacant homes
and plantations.
| The first ten miles of the march were fearful
in the extreme, perspiration pouring like rain
from the heated face of every soldier. When
we had marched five miles several hundred
had fallen out by the roadside, most of whom
later in the evening again joined the lines.
We passed the camp where our companies G
and X were doing picket duty. Here our
| color-bearer, sergeant Watkins of Co. B, gave
out from excessive heat, and was obliged to
be left behind. When the colors were given
into other hands he wept like a Child, and
pressing them to his lips, gave them parting
kiss. That first night we camped upon the
ground in an open field, lying upon our arms,
all loaded for fight, with only rubber blan-
kets under us, and the clear blue sky for a
covering, Companies G and X joined us early
in the morning, and before five o'clock we
were again on the march, and even came upon
the enemy's pickets of cavalry about nine
o'clock. We put out Co. II of our regiment
as skirmishers through the woods, in advance
of our cavalry, and slowly felt our way along,
expecting every moment to have a fight, some
| of the way wading streams and mud holes near
ly waist deep.
We heard about ten o'clock several shots
from the enemy, when Co. IL were relieved as
| skirmishers by Cos Z and f. who took the
lead, and II and were left behind to guard
the cross roads, and the rest of the army
marched on. The cavalry made sudden and
dashing charge up this road to house in
on our troops rusrtu tnf tneSt sttsT dippGr,f for
over the Trenton river on fire. The rebels
had turned tar on the bridge and lighted it as
they fled. But our cavalry were so close at
thelr heels that they charged upon the bridge,
hred volley on the flying towards, and with
pine boughs and by tearing up the blanks.
managed to save the bridge and we passed
over into Trenton with our army. The vii
lage was deserted We halted in its streets.
called the rolls OF our companies; found
| every one OF 20. n present who started from
camp-the banner company of the army-not
one having fallen out.
We marched on leaving the town unmo-
tested, coming soon to a large mill with
pond OF many acres, from which the water
mad been let oil, in order to make the roads
| below impossible for us-they not DREAMING
that Yankee soldiers could swim as well as
walk The infantry all passed over the dam
and through the mill, and a more beautiful
and picturesque scene was never before seen
by human eyes. The whole pond was filled
with large cypress trees, hanging with heavy
wmte moss from every limb glistening in the
sunlight, and beautifully reflected in the water
below; and from it was reflected upon the
vision of thousand admiring eyes a grotto
more beautiful than pen can ever describe.
| " nat provoked US most of all was to pass bv
orchards OF ripe peaches and apples owned
| ny traitors, hungry and tired as we were and
| MOTTO be allowed to touch one of them-a en-
|
through an enemy's country! We saw large
| plantations with fields full of fine cattle.
horses, and mules which we were Obliged 70
pass by. Thus we marched till dark, when
we came to pond very wide and deep
| through which we all had to march late NJ
night, nearly up to our waists, compelling ms
all to remain in wet clothes during the night
we stopped on one of the finest plantations
In the state-the property of VIM. Mcdaniel,
rAlo,,sl II
al the furniture having been removed into
the interior after the taking of Newborn: and
near the pond was large grain mill contain
ing several hundred bushels of grain, over
wmch an old negro who had been a slave for
thirty years had been left in charge. He told
us his master had sixty slaves when the war
broke out, and he and his wife were the only
two left. He then held his hands, shouted
| praises to God, and even Rugged our chaplain
| IN his arms, because he was so reioiced we
mad come. This plantation had been the
| headquarters of rebels for three months. and
the mill had been running all summer to grind
grain for their army. Yet this propertv
must be protected by Massachusetts, soldiers!
such were the orders. Before the army
moved the next morning the mill was DESTROY
ed by fire. While it was burning smoke was
| discovered issuing from the roof of the old
| mansion; and as soon sit was seen fire also
mashed from the eyes of Capt. Hoffman, one
OF ten. Fosters aids, who gave orders to
the soldiers to seize the pals and camp ket.
ties to eXhnguish the flames, which was done
though very unwillingly, some dropping the
pals as they passed them one to the other.
and letting them roll down stairs. The whole
property mansion, mill, and outbuildings.
were destroyed, as may be supposed, before
the flames could be extinguished.
We marched on toward Pollucksyille, where
we expected to meet n rebel force but thew
had had skirmish with the 18th Massachn-
setts, who came up another road. Two of
our cavalry men were killed and two were Ia
ken prisoners. One Of the former was nj
first only disabled, when the rebels rushed
upon him, took his revolver from his own
belt, shot him through the head, and then
plunged knife into his heart. While search
ing the town one Of our officers accosted n
minister Of the place, asking him how long
since he had seen the rebel cavalry. He re-
piled "several days." when negro standing
by said ''that's lie, for ii isn't two hours
since he got off his own horse" He was
searched, and in his pockets was found a de-
tail in his own handwriting for picket guard.
He was taken prisoner, with several others.
We reached camp on our return at ten
o'clock Sunday night, having been absent
filty-tour hours, and made forced march OF
over sixty miles-having caused terrible
fright and "skedaddling' through large Sec
tion Of country. r. r.