Year: 1861

sick list at the time the regiment left st.
Adams for Washington City. Every
heart beat high with hope and expectan-
cy, and all desired and confidently anti
cipated that they should speedily be
brought to confront the tratorous foes of
our Republic upon the battle field. The
journey to Washington was every way
pleasant, and along the line of the route
until we reached the Maryland line, our
coming and presence was hailed with
cheers and acclamations, by all ages and
of both sexes. Through the entire route,
with the exception above named, our
journey was one of both pleasure and
healthy excitement. .,


Our stay in Washington was very brief
indeed. We reached there late in the
evening and left Immediately after dinner
the day following; taking up our line of
march for Meridian Hill. At this point
We were hardly permitted rest for the
solcs of our feet before the order came for
forward march into Virginia. We stop
ped at Meridian Hill only one night leav-
ing that point on the afternoon Of the
next day in a violent rain storm, and rea-
ched the place of our destination in Vir-
ginia. in the neighborhood of the I'd and
Sd Vt. regiments at a late hour of the
night, having wended our way through
mud and rain, in one of the darkest ghts
of the season, weary and foot-sore from
the effects of our exhausting march. And
what made matters worse, we were COIN
pelled to camp down upon the cold wet
ground in keen chilly night air, with no
canopy above us but the over-arching
sky, and no protection to shield us from
the inclemency of the weather except that
afforded by our blankets and camp fires.
And to add aggravation and discomfort to
the above wearisome march, we were ta-
ken four miles directly out of the line of
our route, over one of the muddicst roads
that ever travelled on, by either a false
or stupid guide.


The next morning We left our perch on
the hill where we had passed such dis
agreeable night of chillings and discom-
fort, and after having made futile effort
to find spot for encampment on neigh
boring hill, we finally pitched our tents in
the valley Immediately below it; our
tents meanwhile having reached us from
Washington. AT this place we remained
about two weeks, and as the sequel fully
proved, more unhealthy spot could not
possibly have been selected. The days
we're extremely hot and sultry and the
nights were exceedingly damp and chilly.
A noxious atmosphere laden with pesti-
lence and disease seemed to brood over
the camp at night, only to be dispelled
with the rays of the morning sun. Few
ers and dysentary speedily made their APP
pearance in our ranks, and the hospital
rapidly became filled with the gaunt vic
tins of disease. The seeds of the various
forms of disease we're here sown, from
which we are now, as regiment, reaping
plentiful harvest Of death. ,., -.h,r


On the -, late in the afternoon, we
left the spot where we had passed 50 ma
ny unpleasant days, and chilly nights,
and with alacrity took up our line of
march for Johnsons hill, some four miles
distant from our last encampment, where
we arrived at about 8 o'clock at night and
again camped down on the ground with
our blankets over us, and the starry vault
above us constituting our tent covering
for the night. Since our arrival at this
locality, which has been christened Camp
Griffin, our experiences have been mainly
Of an unpleasant character. After pitch
ing our tents, on the day subsequent to
our arrival at Camp Griffin, We were i'm
put 7on heavy picket duty,
which, combined with excessive drilling
and poorly or improperly cooked food, did
not at all serve to reestablish the rcgi-
mcnt in health and strength. Often has
full one-half of the regiment been put on
picket duty three days in week., being
out near thirty hours alta time and after,
returning to camp from picket duty, have