The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-07-14

long be remembered, on account of it
extreme heat, by the soldiers who
were near Petersburg, Va. Encamp-
ed mile in the rear of the trenches
on hot, dusty plain, was the Colored
Division, which / was then serving
with. In those days of campaigning,
no preparation was made to go into
camp. The regiment was formed in
line, the arms stacked, and the Col
onel would command, "Men remain
in the rear of the stacks company
commanders see that details are made
for wood and water" and-we were
III camp.
A little hill and belt of pine.wOods
protected us from the Rebel artiller-
lists. Though out of range of bullets,
stray shells often came over, and caJIS-
ed scattering. WagOn-trains of
Quartermaster and COmmissaTy
stores, ammunition, and ambulances
passed near us, keeping up sitting
dust. For once, we were glad when
the order came To 'pack up" The
usual amount of halting, waiting, and
changing position having been ac-
cOmplished, we started. No one knew
our destination, and but few cared, in
their anxiety to escape the terrible
dust. A hot, dusty march of ten miles
brought us 10 'iSecOnd Swamp"-One
of those swampy, spread-Out lakes of
the Blackwater River, located about
six miles southeast of Prince George
Courthouse.
A camping-ground for the Division
was selected, in 8 strip of pine-woOds,
with a large, open field in 'front.'
BreastwoTks of logs were ordered to
be built Immediately. One company
from each regiment was detailed for
picket, and each company sent of in
different direction. For the first
time in weeks, no sound Of muskctTy
reached our ears, and ii seemed a wei
come relief. ArtilleIy-firing at Peters
burg could be heard, reminding us of
the trenches. SO quietdid every thing
seem that we almost wondered at the
orders for building breastWOrks.-
Blackberries were ripe and abundant,
and more anxiety was manifested to
obtain them than to fOrtify our posi-
ton. A number of milch-cOwS were
captured, and my mess secured one of
the best. That night We had the lux
ury of milk i'm our coffee, and fresh
blackberries with our hard-tack, aud
spread our rubber blankets on cool,
clean grass.
The following days were occupied in
battalion and company drills. On the
morning of the "a of July, body of
Union cavalry-a part of General
Wilson's expedition, which had been
badly defeated near Ream's Station,
on the Weldon RailToad-paSsed our
lines. They reported that most of
their command We're coming in by
way of the Jerusalem plank-road, but
that they had been separated from the
main body, and obliged to take this
route, to avoid capture. The next
morning, our Adjutant, who had been
up TO Division Headquarters, came
gailoping back with the startling i'm
formation that General Wilson's :
troops had reached the Union rcarand
left, near Petersburg, having been bad
ly cut up and defeated near the Wei
don Railroad, with the loss Of 1900
men, and all their artillery and trains.
a large force was said to be following
them, and the Signal Corps had re-
ported that great body of Iseb-
el troops was moving around the
Union left at Petersburg. Probably
they were intending to attack the
Sixth Corps, which had been sent to
the assistance of the defeated cavalry.
1t might be that they We're making 4
grand movement to crush our left
Also, that the Cavalry Corps. an Ar
tillery Brigade, and part of the Sec
Ond Corps were a little in the rear OF
our Division, throwing up breast
works, and making preparations for
an immediate attack, and that we
might expect the enemy upon us at
any moment. InVoluntarily we look
ed TO the open field in front, as though
we expected to see the gray lines ad-
Vaneing. The regiments had lust
been dismissed from drill, and were
well scattered over their favorite
blackberry ground. They were quick
Iy called in, and, for a few minutes,
there was a lively pulling down OF
shelter-tents and rolling up of rubber
blankets. The Surgeon donned his
green sash, and quickly placed him
self in the line of nOn-cOmbatants in
a safe hollow in the rear. All day and
all night the troops waited, but no
enemy came. On the 4th my COM
pany was detailed to relieve the COM
pany on picket. Both of my Lieuten-
ants were absent, and the duty Oi
looking after the whole line came up
Oh me. A mile and a half in front,
found the picket-posts that | was to
occupy. They extended along a
thickly wooded, irregular hollow,