We found on our arrival at Camp Barry that Lieut.-Col. J. Albert Monroe, who had formerly been in command of the camp, had gone to the front and had been promoted to chief of artillery commanding the artillery brigade of the Second Corps. He had been relieved by Lieut.-Col. James A. Hall.
December 1st. A battalion drill of the batteries stationed here took place on East Capitol Hill. The troops consisted of the First Pennsylvania, Seventh Massachusetts, Second Connecticut, Second Maine, Thirty-third New York, Nineteenth New York, Fourth and Fifth New Jersey, and Battery H, First Rhode Island. All of these were light batteries under command of Major Hall.
December 15th. There was a grand review of the several batteries encamped here before President Lincoln and Cabinet and General Barry and Staff. The following batteries took part: First Pennsylvania, Second Connecticut, Second Maine, Thirty-third New York, Nineteenth New York, Fifth New Jersey, Fourth New Jersey, and Battery H, First Rhode Island Light Artillery. To our battery was accorded the honor of firing a salute upon the arrival of President Lincoln and party at the reviewing stand.
It was an inspiring scene, and we were grateful for the privilege of observing our good president, Abraham Lincoln, a man providentially raised up to lead our nation through the trials and difficulties through which we passed in our late civil conflict. Surely no other man in our times had such a tremendous burden of responsibility thrust upon him. How patiently and uncomplainingly he bore himself during all those years of war is fully recorded by the historian and well known to all.
December 23d. At eleven A. M. a review occurred before Gen. William F. Barry, participated in by all the batteries in camp. It took place on East Capitol Hill, in rear of Lincoln Hospital.
December 31st. We find on this date that our battery is incorporated in the Twenty-second Army Corps, commanded by Maj.-Gen. Christopher G. Augur, and that Lieut.-Col. James A. Hall is in command of our Light Artillery Camp of Instruction.
January 1st, 1864. The battery repeated to-day nearly the same order of exercises which occurred here just one year ago. We moved into new and more commodious barracks than those we had formerly occupied. In the evening a turkey supper was provided, and we invited the soldiers of the Third New Jersey and Second Maine batteries to be our guests. After supper, in the absence of the fair sex the comrades arranged what is known among old soldiers as a “stag dance.” This is a dance with the ladies left out. The comrades who personated the ladies were distinguished from their partners by white handkerchiefs tied on their right arms. And now the fun began. A grand march was the first in order, and then came the ball, which consisted of the following programme: Quadrille, Lanciers, Cotillion, Spanish Quadrille, Portland Fancy, followed by an old-fashioned Irish Break Down (with no broken heads, however). The entertainment continued until two o’clock the next morning, and was thoroughly enjoyed by all present.
February 5th. The following recruits came to the battery to-day: Edward Sweeney, William H. Stone, Thomas J. Lofts, Charles E. Millard and Josiah Sheffield.
February 12th. A grand review of all the batteries in camp took place to-day on East Capitol Hill. On returning to camp we learned that Private Henry N. Arnold had taken poison. The surgeons in charge were called to attend him, but he was beyond all help and died in great agony at four P. M. What prompted Comrade Arnold to commit this rash deed we never learned. His father came and conveyed his remains to Warwick, R. I., where they were interred in the family cemetery.
February 15th. The following recruits came to us: Charles Tweedale, Apollos Seekell, Hurbert Ochee, Franklin W. Dawley and George A. Williams.