On the evening of the 5th we reached Stamford, and the men were kept up until after midnight signing the pay roll and receiving their pay. The night of the 6th we occupied our old quarters at Camp Dick Robinson.
At ten o'clock in the forenoon the battery arrived at the depot in Lexington, and the men immediately commenced to load the battery upon the cars for the purpose of commencing our proposed journey, but after having nearly completed this work, the order was countermanded; the battery was unloaded and moved about three miles from Lexington and encamped.
During the night word was brought to us that Louis LaFont, a member of the battery, had fallen or been thrown down stairs at the guard house in Lexington, and his neck broken. LaFont was a genial, good-natured man, much liked by his comrades, and his death cast a gloom over the whole company.
The next day the battery received orders temporarily transferring it to the Twenty-third Corps, together with marching orders for the 11th, and on that day it moved to Camp Nelson, about five miles distant, where the battery remained until July 12th. Our situation here was very pleasant, in the very centre as it was, of that beautiful blue grass country, surrounded by the most luxuriant fields of corn, wheat and rye, and such fields of clover. Our horses enjoyed it, and it made the drivers feel glad to see them growing so fat and sleek upon this excellent fodder.
As the 4th of July drew near we began to make great preparations for its celebration. Clark Walker, our carpenter, went to Nicholsvale and built a platform for dancing; arrangements were made with the citizens to provide a banquet for a fair consideration; in fact everything that could be thought of that would add to the success of the day was arranged. By daylight on the morning of the 4th the men were astir, cutting grass to be used as wadding (for at sunrise we were to fire a national salute), and piled it up near each gun.
Just as the sun appeared above the horizon, every cannonier was at his position—the guns having been previously loaded, filled almost to the muzzle with the wet grass—number four stood with his lanyard held taut in the position of ready, when out broke upon the morning air the order "By battery, fire." At that instant there came a report from the six guns of the battery that was heard for twenty miles, followed as rapidly as possible by other reports until one volley had been fired in honor of every State then in the Union.
After stable call had been attended to, the men were allowed to go to the village and carry out the programme previously arranged. The violinist of the battery, Dan Elliott, provided the music for the dancing, fairly eclipsing all of his former efforts. It was a very enjoyable occasion, the men returning to camp about six o'clock, well satisfied with the entire success of the celebration. At sunset the salute of the morning was repeated, thus making everyone feel that the day had been properly observed.
July 5th rumors of the approach of Gen. John Morgan, at the head of about 3000 mounted men and six guns, began to excite the citizens. Farmers made all possible haste to drive their cattle, horses, etc., within our lines; the battery placed its guns in position commanding the roads, while the infantry dug rifle pits and made every provision to give these raiders a very warm reception should they have the temerity to come our way.
The excitement continued for the next five days, but on the 11th it was learned that Morgan had avoided us, having passed many miles to the west of our position, and on the 8th had crossed the Ohio River into Indiana, where he was committing all sorts of depredations.
July 12th orders were received for the battery to march at nine o'clock in the forenoon for Lexington, load upon the cars and proceed at once to Cincinnati. At eight o'clock on the morning of the 13th Covington was reached, and as quick as the battery could be unloaded, we crossed the river into Cincinnati. That city was in a state of great excitement—Morgan was expected to ride into their streets at any moment, and with the greatly exaggerated reports of the enormity and cruelty of his depredations constantly ringing in their ears, it was not surprising that they should welcome with open arms anything which promised them protection from such a monster. All the militia was under arms, but the advent of a battery of light artillery, particularly a veteran organization that they knew had seen service, and lots of it, like Battery D, was very reassuring to them. Their pleasure was evidenced by the welcome they gave us; indeed so royal was the welcome I am afraid had John Morgan appeared to us that night he would have met very little resistance from us, a circumstance which happened but once in the nearly four years service of Battery D.