The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-06-12
Tentin6 on The Old Camp Ground
Or Co. g. 10th vt. Vols. to the Front.
BIZ Lieut.. L. III. WHITE.

By Lieut. T. III. WHITE.
MO, 4.
The order to march came late in tn,
evening, and it was midnight before
the regiment reached the Baltimore
depot. The distance was six miles
and vast crowd of ladies and gentle
men walked the entire distance to SEE
the regiment safely off for Washing
ton. At this time l had quite a pleas
ure all to myself. A gentleman and
lady, apparently highly respectable
who may have been brother and sister
or husband and wife for all | know
chatted with me very pleasantly, while
we remained at rest, and when the or
der to march came they walked the en-
tire distance with me. In taking leave
at the train they gave me slip of pa
per containing their names and address
and requested me to write them if sick
or wounded and they would come and
take care of me. During the night !
lost the slip of paper, and so never
knew the names Of my friends.
| The train left Philadelphia at mid
night arriving in Baltimore at about
10 o'clock the next morning 1t was
at the time of Lees raid into Mary
land, and all sorts of rumors were
afloat in regard to his whereabouts.
One placed Stonewall Jackson within
twelve miles of Baltimore with force
of forty thousand men. Many of the
boys were quite anxious lest the regi-
ment should meet the fate of the 9th
Mass. while in Baltimore. But our
stay in Baltimore proved quite pleasant.
The regiment was well fed and we'll
treated and the boys had no complaints
to make. About 3 pm. the regiment
was again on board the train and soon
passed the Relay House situated about
twelve miles from Baltimore. There
was nothing but the hotel and railroad
junction, but military operations had
already made the famous.
The journey from here to Washing
ton was very slow. All other trains
had the right of way and ours was
standing on the side track much of the
time. Midnight brought the train into
Washington, and the regiment went
into camp on Capital hill. The cobbles
were SO thick that one was compelled
to pile rocks before spreading his
blanket When he was fairly rolled
up in his blanket he found to his dis
gust that small army of hogs were
overhauling his haversack in search of
eatables. 1t was hard experience,
but daylight came at las t and with it
an end to the miseries of that night.
About 10 O'Clock the order came to
"fall in and the regiment was march
ed down Pennsylvania avenue, up past
the White House to Long Bridge and
then TO Arlinton Heights, where it
went into camp for the first time on
the sacred soil of Virginia at Camp
Chase. One of the characters of Co.
e was Ralph Kendrick, who enlisted
as WAGNER. The day following the
arrival Of the regiment at Camp Chase
Kendrick was taken to the army cor
rails near Alexandria, and placed in
charge of six mule team. The mules
were wild and comrade Kendrick had
not been accustomed to drive with a
jerk line, and his journey from the cor
ellis to camp was circus. shall never
forget our first glimpse of the show as
he came oyer the hill toward camp.
Kendrick was doing his best to keep
his team from running away and to
keep them in the road was out of the
question. 1t is safe to say that he
swore more solid oaths to the rod than
ever passed the lips of man before or
since. However three or four days
made wonderful change in Kendrick
and his mule team. By that time he
was able to govern that team with the
jerk or single line equal to the best
teamsters of the South.
While at Camp Chase l strOlled over
the hill one day, until came to an
table. A surgeon was get
ting ready for business, and l soon
learned that his subject ha1 been
brought in from the Second Bull Run
battlefield. To me there was sOme-
thing strangely suggestive in that am
putation and l beat hasty retreat.
TO the best of my recollection the regi-
ment broke camp about the morning
Of the sixth day at Camp Chase, and
marched to Chain Bridge where it
crossed to the Maryland side of the
river at Georgetown, thence up the
river towards South Mountain. The
battle at South Mountain was then in
prgress, and the constant booming of
cannon reminded us that we were get
ling intentionally near the front.
While at Camp Chase the regiment
had been furnished with hard tack
which had been shipped to White
House for McClellan's army and then /
re-shipped to Washington, and was
alive with worms. 1t had been Bit
ter pill from the start, but the boys