Monday, July 22.—Arrived at, and effected our passage across the Long Bridge, by ten o’clock, and found ourselves once more at Camp Clark, where we had a day of rest after our debut on the battle-?eld yesterday, under the scorching sun of Virginia.
Sunday, July 21.-Battle of Manassas Plains. This battle will always occupy a prominent place in the memory of every man of the battery. They all expected to ?nd a disorganized mob, that would disperse at our mere appearance; while, to the general surprise, they not only were better disciplined, but also better of?cered than our [...]
Saturday, July 20.—Quiet during the day. About six o’clock in the evening the army got ready to advance; but after council of war was held by the chief commanders, they concluded to wait till the next day.
Friday, July 19.—Camp near Centreville. The troops remained quiet all day. Fresh beef as rations.
Thursday, July 18.—Advance at daylight. A part of the Union army, Gen. Tyler’s troops, engaged. This con?ict the rebels call battle of Bull Run1. While the contest was raging, our division halted two miles to the left of Fairfax Court House, at a place called Germantown. We could plainly hear the distant booming of artillery, [...]
Wednesday, July 17.—Resumed our march soon after break of day, and entered Fairfax Court House, contrary to our expectations, towards one o’clock, at mid-day, the rebels having evacuated the town shortly before our entrance. Their rear guard could be plainly seen some distance off. Our battery formed in park near the court house. Some of [...]
Tuesday, July 16.—The morning of that day found us marching across the Long Bridge, directly through Fort Runyon, on the Virginia side; did not march over seven miles; after which we formed in line of battle and prepared to camp for the night, this being the first night in the open air. All quiet during [...]
Monday July 15. — Great excitement in camp; order was received to get ready for a forward movement; ammunition packed; haversacks and canteens were issued.
Thursday, July 11. — Grand review before President Lincoln, Gens. Scott and Fremont. Salutes were fired.
Tuesday, July 9.—A sad accident occurred to-day. At section drill, through some unknown cause, a limber-chest of Lieut. Vaughan’s section, filled with cartridges, exploded, while the gunnner Morse, and privates Bourne and Freeman were mounted. They were thrown some twenty feet up in the air. Morse and Bourne died within the space of an hour. [...]
Thursday, July 4.—The day was duly celebrated in camp. Rhode Island furnished her troops with a good dinner. Prof. Sweet treated the multitude with a tight rope performance. The day passed off smoothly, with the exception of a strange display of authority by a few corporals, laboring under the idea that their dignity was injured [...]
Monday, October 28. — Commenced to build a stable for horses, three hundred feet long. Captain Bess, our chief of artillery. Our battery remained at Muddy Branch up to the twenty-seventh of November. Little is to be said of this period. Drill as usual. Received the news of the taking of Beaufort, South Carolina, and [...]
Sunday, October 27.—Established our camp.
Saturday, October 26.—General Williams’ brigade and our battery marched off to Muddy Branch in the morning. Arrived there, in camp of the Twenty-eighth New York, in the afternoon.
Friday, October 25. — Remained the same, at Edwards Ferry.
Thursday, October 24.—After all the troops had been withdrawn, the rebel pickets held the line close to the river, and fired a shot once in a while. Rickett’s, ours, and Captain Bess’ batteries, were drawn up in one line. Our battery is detached to General Williams’ brigade.
Wednesday, October 23.—A clear day. The enemy in great force around Leesburg. We can see the church steeples of that place. Skirmishing kept up all day. In the evening our battery received orders to embark and cross the river,—Capt. Tompkins, having come back from Harper’s Ferry, with the right section, the evening before,—three guns were [...]
Tuesday, October 22.—Arrived at Edwards Ferry by six o’clock A. M. Two thousand men were already landed on the Virginia shore, opposite the ferry, others were continually crossing on canal boats. Since daylight, rain fell incessantly. On the Virginia side, skirmishing was going on all day. At five o’clock both lines of battle advanced. A [...]
Monday, October 21.—Battle of Ball’s Bluff, Gen. Stone crossed the Potomac near Conrad’s Ferry, across Harrison’s Island, with Col. Baker’s brigade, this morning. (Forty-second New York, Fifteenth and Twentieth Massachusetts Regiments, and a piece of artillery, of Capt. Vaughan’s battery. The rest of the battery stayed on Harrison Island.”) By seven o’clock in the evening, [...]
Saturday, October 19.—Gen. Banks and staff honored our battery drill with their presence. Col. Geary of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania, and Capt. Tompkins, with the right section, had a fight with the rebels at Harper’s Ferry and Bolivar Heights. Our right section, occupying Mary land Heights, fired into Bolivar and on a rebel battery on Loudon [...]
Wednesday, October 16.—Battery drill, and speech by our First Lieutenant. Gen. Banks visited our camp this evening. Nothing important up to (October 19)
Tuesday, October 15. — Parade drill of the battery, in presence of Gov. Sprague, and Col. Tomp kins, the drill proving very satisfactory. Capt. Vaughan visited us the same evening, and addressed us as follows: “Boys, I deserve to be kicked for ever leaving this battery, because, by right, it is my battery, and I [...]
Sunday, October 13.—Gov. Sprague visited the camp. Private Benedict deserted.
Friday, October 11.—A new lieutenant for our battery arrived to-day. Jeffrey Hassard, our First Lieutenant’s brother.
Monday, October 7. —Capt. Tompkins very suddenly marched off to Harper’s Ferry, with the right section. Thunder storm in the evening.