Life in camp with plenty of well cooked rations, sufficient tent accommodations, extra clothing, plenty of water for cooking and bathing and life in the trenches in close contact with the enemy is quite another story.
TESTING THE METAL.
Constant marching, fighting and digging trenches for several weeks is the kind of soldiering that weeds the chaff out of a regiment, and it was noticeable that many officers who had been conspicuous on dress parades and reviews at Washington had failed to toe the mark when put to the test.
“SLEWING” TO THE LEFT AGAIN.
On the evening of the 21st our corps was ordered to move to the left and the 9th corps took its place in the trenches. The movement was for the purpose of extending the lines and getting possession, if possible, of the Weldon and South Side railroads, and, as usual, the 2d corps was selected to lead.
Gen. Birney was temporarily in command of the corps, Gen. Hancock’s wound giving him so much trouble that he had to take a few days’ rest.
The 6th corps had been ordered to support the 2d, but owing to the thick woods in the vicinity of the railroad the corps became separated and the confederates under Gen. A. P. Hill slipped in between the two commands and the first intimation we had of their presence was a furious firing on the flank and rear of our division which caused much confusion. So sudden and unexpected was the attack that part of several regiments and their colors were captured and Gen. Gibbons’ second division lost four cannon.
The next morning the lost ground was regained and in this position we remained some time, erecting Forts Davis and Sedgwick, which were about a half mile apart south of the old Jerusalem plank road.
CELEBRATING THE FOURTH.
The Fourth of July, 1864, our bands played “Yankee Doodle” and other national airs, while strains of “Dixie,” “My Maryland,” etc., floated over from the rebel side. In the evening the usual artillery duels furnished fireworks for the occasion.