The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-11-20
COMMUNICATIONS.
Letter from the Army Of the Potomac

Nov. IA, 1863.
To the Editor Of the Press
Somebody has said. with more truth than
elegance, "soldierin' is mighty uncertain busi-
ness" One needs but to follow the fortunes
of the Army of Potomac to be fully convinced
of the truth of this assertion and a little sketch
Of the movements of the aforesaid army for
the past few weeks will prove it to such of
your readers as may think it worth their while
TO peruse this said sketch. 1t is now too late
to give an account OF our somewhat hurried
movement from Culpepper to Centreville-for
though no more than a century ago. people
were content to take their news thirteen
months old from the columns of the "Boston
News Letter" they win now vote it stale al
most before it has attained the age of so many
hours. On the 18th OF October, we lay inside
the entertainments at Fairfax Station. Lieut.
Col. Merrill was detailed to act as Assistant
Provost Marshal at the Station, Gen. Birney
signed himself "Maj. Gen. commanding post"
camps were laid out in order, acquisitions for
''camp and garrison equipage' were called
for, and sent in, and "things generally" looked
like permanent halt. Gen. Sickles, too, had
visited US, and the report was current, and
generally believed, that he was to take COM
mand Of the defences of Washington, which
were to be garrisoned by the 1st and I'd Di-
visions of the Sd corps. Our dreams of soft
thing" as the boys call an easy position, was,
however, rudely dspelled on the evening of
the 18th by the order to be ready to move on
the following morning at daylight. Accord
ingly, on the morning Of the 10Th, we moved
towards Manassas Junction, crossing Cub
Run, stream OF considerable size, aud then
swollen by recent rains. We halted for an
hour ut the Junction, and had thus an oppor-
tunity 70 examine the now somewhat dilapi-
dated but still strong Notifications thrown up
here by Gen. Beauregard during the first win
{, Jf the war. We marched on and canped
at night within mile of Bristow Station,
the scene of the battle of Oct. IA. Our halt
here was but for the night, and the next morn
ing we moved forward, crossing the battle
ground. 1t was dotted with the "head-boardsn
Ofrebel graves, OF which there were large
number. Most of the killed seemed to have
belonged to North Carolina regiments.
Our march this day led us across two wide
and deep streams, both of which the troops
were obliged to ford. The first, Broad Run,
was crossed at Bristow Station. The X. II.
bridge at this place, fine structure more than
two hundred feet in length was completely de-
molished, the pier and abutments OF stone ma
sonry being partially thrown down, in addi-
tion TO the destruction of the wood work.
The rails along the road here, too, had been
torn up, the ties cross-pilcd and set on fire,
and the rails laid across them. Where the
piles had burned, the rails were bent in the
middle by their own weight, and were conse-
quently not available far present use. In many
cases, however, the piles of ties had failed TO
burn, being extinguished by the rain. and the
rails were uninjured. We camped this night
near Greenwich. Near the road through this
village is a fine mansion in the Gothic style.
Unlike most houses in Virginia, it was in a
good state OF preservation, and the gardens
and grounds were uninjured. The secret of
its y fonu1 in n nj ar1 r.
the gateposts. British property and under
safeguard from Gea.-"I have forgotten
the name. Next morning We moved again =
this time toward the railroad which we crossed
about mile above Catletts' Station. and.
hating, encamped near by. We were now.
after two days of hard marching seven or
eight miles from Bristow Station, having
marched about twenty-five miles to gain that
distance. Here Col. West was mustered on
the 22d Of October. From here we moved at
III o'clock on the night of the 2Gth. being
reused at that time by the bugle-c call known
rs "the general, without previous notice.
We moved mile or two in an easterly direc-
tion, and biyouacked. On the 2Sth having
moved little into the woods, we were or
dered to build huts on the plan of last winter
and directions were given to brigade com
manders in relation to the selection of COM
pany grounds. This, again looked like per-
haneht mart anu on lhe zoth, we were busily
engaged III Duiiuihg nuts and policing" as
Tue process OF clearing the streets OF camp
Is caiieu. Early on tne morning OF the 30th,
came lne oruer 10 oe III readiness to move at
ociock a. M, ana again our dreams OF COM
iortapie winter quarters were broken. Strik-
Ing the raiiroad at Catletis' Station, we moved
uoWn tne track ABOUT three miles below War
renton junction and again halted. Here we
encamped In large open field, and as il was
ditncult TO procure wood enough for necessary
COOKING, no preparations for winter quarters
were made. From this latter place we moved
on saturday last, ith inst. Our division, tthe
lst OF the I'd corpsl led, and the Sd brigade,
ours, led the division. Our regiment, how
ever, being SO largely composed of new men,
was ior the Gay transferred to the I'd brigade
ana its pace IN the ID filled by the U. S.
sharpshooters, and the 10Th Indiana. The Sd
brigade was thus, for the day composed of
regiments wionowed by nearly score OF bat
Ties, ana IL ala lts work nobly. Your tele-
graphic report III tIe .fress" OF the 10th inst
says Inc secoha DIVISION oil the I'd corps,
under command ol zen. ii. Prince, crossed
the river at kelleys Ford, and captured 252
prisoners.
The credit of this is due to the Sd brigade
of the lst division as no other brigade took
any active part in the fight at Kelly's Ford,
no other took any prisoners there. and no
other crossed the river until the fighting was
about over. The Sd and I'd brigades lorded
the river. do not know how or when the
1st brigade crossed, but think they also
forded. The river was about knee-deep as |
know by actual measurement. We had crossed
the river, and were lying sheltered from the
fire of the rebel sharnshoofars hy a Itfla nj