Year: 1861

years would think of giving it more than a
/ passing remark and perhaps speak of it only to
deride my going, brought up feelings in my
mind which it would be idle for me to portray
On paper.


| But am honest in the assertion and trust l
shall not be charged with egotism when l say,
that the only incentive which l had for going
was sense of duty which l owed to my coun-
try. My grandfather fought to obtain the best
government upon which the sun hath ever
shone and l should consider myself a degene-
rate son of those noble sires were l to refuse to
! fight to preserve it +; but have digressed from
what l commenced to narrate for which you will
please pardon me. About 10 O'Clock our bag
gage being all loaded we embarked aboard OF
the cars and when it was announced that we
were all aboard the engine gave tremendous
YELL whether to notify the inhabitants of Dix
ie" that we were coming, or to bid adieu to
our old camp, have not yet ascertained but
We soon commenced moving off amid the shouts
of the crowd who had assembled to see us off
Nothing Of interest occurred as we sped our
way onward at the rate of twenty or thirty miles
an hour with the exception of the waving Of hats
and handkerchiefs at the doors and windows of
every dwelling which we passed without regard
to the pretensions of their inmates From
the stately mansion Of the rick down TO the
shanty of the rudest construction the same de-
monstrations were observable, showing most
conclusiYely that the deep solicitude nantes
ted for our country's welfare is not confined to
any particular station in life, but has found a
Judgement in the hearts of all classes and con-
ditions in life, and this same feature was man
ifested throughout our entire journey, until we
were within about forty miles of Baltimore,


At about one O'Clock we arrived at Miyau-
kee when after marching in the hot sun with
our knapsacks filled to overfowing upon our
backs through some of the principal streets.
we were permitted to partake of a sumptuous
dinner, generously prepared by the ladies Of
that city for our especial benefit, and it was q
dinner which gave them much credit, for be-
sides the almost endless variety of eatables
there was sufficient left after satisfying the era
wings of our appetites to enable US to fill our
HaYersacks, which we were permitted to do
At about three o'clock we were on our wav T.,
Chicago, where we arrived at about s O'Clock
2. NJ. Herr we had been promised a supper
similar TO what we had received at Milwaukee
but after disembarking from the cars and
marching for about one hour through the
streets carrying our knapsacks On our backs
we finally fetched up at the Depot of the Pitts
bur b, Fit. Wayne and Chicago r. R., where
we were compelled to stand under the weight of
our burdens about one hour longer. We were
finally permitted to get aboard of the cars and
relive ourselves Of the heavy loads, but as far
as our supper was concerned we were doomed
; TO disappointment, for it proved a failure It
is trae we were the recipients of what l sup
! pose they called supper, but it co sisted
of rather poor quality of bread and but
ter, and coffee of the like stripe, passed
| through the cars. After remaining in
! the cars until half past twelve we finally began
| to move onward towards Pitt burgh. What
| transpired from the time we were fairly out Of
! Chicago until about daylight the next morning
l cannot tell, for was so closely locked up in
| the embraces of Morpheus during that time that
| was insensible to all surrounding objects AMI
| influences, but on inquiry after awakening I
was informed we were about ninety mi es from
| Chicago and were surrounded by as handsome
a country as l ever saw. During the day we
continued to speed onward occasionally stopping
for wood and water, and to deal out rations tc
| the men until night overlook US, when we were
told that we had got to make one hundred and
fifty miles to get to Pittsburgh


After night had fairly spread her sable cur.
tain over the earth We were again taken posses
sion of by ''tired Natures sweet restorer,n tc
which we willingly yielded, while we dreamp
of home and fri ends which We were leaving fa1
behind.


The next intimation that had that l was il
the land Of the living was just at day ybreal
the next morning when the conductor came
| through our car shouting Pittsburgh At abou
five o'clock we were fairly in the city of smok,
and dust No time was lost in transferring ou1
baggage to the cars Of the Penn. Central R. r.
and by O'Clock A NJ. we were fairly under
way for Harrisburg, crossing on our journey
the far famed lleghany Mountains which VIZ
reached about noon, We wended our way
through the canons. across the gorges and a
times along their eragged sides where we coulc
look from our car window down a precipice 0
many hundred feet, the bottom Of which seemed
to lay under our feet. we had a scene before III
that could not fail TO arrest the attention of al
lovers of the sublime and all that are fond O
such scenery would advise to take this rout,
should they ever make trip to Washington o.


Baltimore


In about two hours after reaching the noun
tains we were fairly on the Western side, where
we found the thriving city of Altoona. Afte,
halting there about one hour we again pushed
on towards Harrisburg where we arrived abou
9 o'clock; here we made halt or the purpos,
of remaining unit. we got further orders from


Washington We soon disembarked from tn,
cars and were shown or rather directed int
an cat stubble near by, for it was So dark We
could not see, where we bivouaced for tht
night.


The next morning we pitched our tents in
the same field where We had slept during th'
night and remained there until the SATURDAY.
following, when we received orders to move OF
to this city


! While at Harrisburg the first death occurred
in our Regiment a member of Co. E. died,


victim to poor whiskey; he was decently buried
by the Regiment and neat but plain tombstone
| with an annrorriate ipscrintion thereon wa,