Year: 1863




! They must have admired our interesting appear


ance on that occasions if so the sentiment was cer


tainly reciprocal. We reached Emmettsburg
about midnight, turned to the right on the Fred


erick road and camped in field till morning. /
will not attempt to speak of the direction we took,


for to me it seemed that our march had been west
over the mountain, when we had turned exactly
north, but as the sun arose in the morning exact
| ly in the west, had to reverse all my calcu-


lations. We marched down beside the mountain


towards the old Potomac, passing through several


unimportant villages, sometimes carrying our


guns at fright shoulder straight and keeping


step to music in regular order, just to please the


ladies', and sometimes observing no order at all,


lust as it pleased ourselves. But on we went


through mud, mire and water, on and on, and on,
till, as night approached, we began to anxiously


expect halt. Never before had MAJ ch seemed
to drag so YEARLY as this. We left the road and


struck out, across meadows and through woods, to
: a field at the foot of a mountain, where we sup
posed we should bivouac for the night. But no
f such COOK luck awaited US. That mountain must
} be crossed before we stopped. The distance was
seven miles. 1t was four miles to the top of the
2 mountain. The road was narrow, crooked and
rocky, closely hugged on either side by the thick
ct of trees and bushes. The night was dark as
inky backntss, and the rain poured as have sell
e dom seen it pour before. The road was steep,
e awful steep, so steep that one fellow, who was
perhaps little inclined to exaggerate declared ii
5 was worse than perpendicular that the hill rather
It canted under. Nevertheless, we should have ac-
= compished this march, as we have accomplished
h great many other impossbites, if we could on
g ly have marched right along without hindrance
t, But the road was continually blocked up by some
IS distractions ahead, so that we had to halt three
l. minutes where we could travel one. 1t was vex


ing beyond all control to stand there and hole
'. our aching knapsacks, with that gigantic never
d ending hill looming up in front of us, and tht
q long, hard journey in prospect We rarely halt
d ed long enough to sit down, but if we did the col
| umn would invariably start just as were fairl,
e. seated. Men fell out, whole companies at time
As Some companies took vote to stop, and all fel
o. out, officers and men. One Colonel said he rod
I'd on till bis men all left him, and he found himsel
,e without command, when he concluded he wou
~ stop too. AS for your humble servant he trudg
H. ed till he got to the top of the mountain, when
70 with comrade, he concluded to follow the mu
ur ttude and camp on his own hook. Heretofore h
til had kept with the regiment but he pleads conSc
re entious scrupes to Justify his this
n. sion. He had seen men whom the Government
n- could i'll afford to lose march till they died, an
70 he was exceedingly 10th to deprive Uncle Sam c
j. another of his valuable soldiers, if by stopping
bt could prevent it. Perhaps he wanted to live t
in give somebody an awful blowing up" for march
ed ing us SO outrageously that day. If SO, no on
US should complain.


Sc The first step took from the road l stumble
al over sleeping soldier, who swore and threatene


terrible vengeance on " the laundering ID fool
up as he called me. felt very sorry for him, but
~ couldn't help it. Jumping from him | lande
re square in the stomach Of another. He roare
ed with pain, but without stopping to apologize
"a sneaked off into the bushes as far as convenient
I'd ly could, and without infcting any further mser
If on the miscellaneous seepers SO thckly scattere
ID about, we spread our blankets and laid dow
?, for the night. 1t was already past midnight AM
he still continued to rain with undated fury. Their
at was not q dry thread in our clothes, but for al
f, that we slept, and soundly too. In the morning
10 there was nearlv nailfnl ne water IN rho rubhe