In Camp with L Company, Second Regiment New Jersey Volunteer Infantry

by George W. Petty

While waiting for the order to proceed to camp we were regaled with marvelous tales of alligators, rattlesnakes, spiders and poisonous creeping and flying things of all kinds. We participated in the killing of a snake under the cars and had a great chase after an immense spider, which "wasn't near" as "big" as "some," they said, so we imagined they must have resembled crabs. They had an alligator about four feet long, which they had caught not 100 feet away in a stream.

About noon we disembarked and with our invincible drum corps leading, we marched through camp to the site selected for us. This march will never be forgotten, and it was dubbed "the dust march." Fortunately for us it was only for about half a mile, but we inhaled more dust then than we will for the rest of our lives. Indeed, our company got the full benefit of it, for we were the left or rear company. Wisconsin and Illinois cheered us. Virginia and North Carolina yelled at us, and altogether we got a pretty good welcome. Wisconsin took the trouble to visit us the next day to tell us how glad they were to see us come into camp, and we took to these hearty Milwaukee lads like a duck to water. Sunday morning broke bright and clear and we were immediately in the throes of "house" moving. All the lines of street had to be adjusted, and it was late in the afternoon before we were finally settled and could begin "house keeping" in good earnest. All our food so far had been "travel rations," and the nice things we had brought began to spoil. It was two days before the commissary could get our rations to camp, their arrival relieved us greatly.

We were now camped on the left of the regiment, or northeast, getting the full benefit of the breeze which at noon was sure to come and stay until after dark. The evenings were fine. Such in the north in the hot months are rare. The thermometer in the daytime registered 85° to 95°, while in the evening it marks only 60°; no mosquitoes. The flaps of tents were generally left open, but ours we closed because near morning a heavy dew falls and saturates everything exposed and we did not think it wise to leave them open.

The odor of pines was in the air constantly, and when we went into the fields for drill a weed, when trampled on, emitted a perfume not unlike locust blossoms. The fields also were full of the scrub palmettos about two or three feet high. They were similar to the palm branches so familiar on Palm Sunday. Another peculiar character in plant life here was the moss which hangs in shroud-like gracefulness from all kinds of trees. This moss looks very like curly sea-weed when dry and hangs in festoons several feet long from the limbs and branches. This moss some of the Wisconsin boys spread in their tents to sleep upon and it evidently made comfortable beds.

Sunday I strolled into Jacksonville and watched the soldiers crabbing from the piers. These crabs they told me were not fit to eat on account of so much decayed vegetable matter in the St. Johns river, upon which they feed. A striking feature of the river is the denseness with which in places it is covered with hyacinths, which at times clog the wheels of ferry-boats so as to stop navigation. These plants were introduced here some time back for the purpose of beautifying the banks, having handsome spikes of bloom. They grow very large. The leaf is much larger than a pond-lily, and is frequently the home of a poisonous spider. Tradition tells us that these spiders are to eventually destroy the plants. I visited St. Johns Episcopal church and was received by the Secretary of the Woman's Auxiliary, who kindly showed me around. On a subsequent visit I met the Rector and enjoyed a chat with him on the porch of the rectory. He told me that fourteen young men of his church had left for the war. Some of them were from the choir, and I was invited to take part with the choir in the services during our stay.

Our company had been designated as the Provost Guard, Second Division, Seventh Army Corps, with Captain Ely as Provost Marshal. What honor there was in it came from the fact that we were the body guard of General Lee, and received orders from him only. We became a distinct body, with the Provost Marshal's headquarters in Jacksonville, near the General's headquarters. No State pay had come yet and everybody was "dead broke." The extra blue shirts the boys bought on going to Sea Girt they were now selling to the Illinois boys to obtain a few cents to spend.

A canteen had been established which dispensed liquors and soft drinks only. The men might go to the first sergeant and procure trading orders on the canteen to the amount of two dollars. This amount was often cut down to one dollar or less by the Captain, who used his judgment in the matter. The men would laugh with childish glee upon obtaining these orders and invite their friends to "come and have something," wondering how they had survived so long without it. The amount was soon used up. The Y.M.C.A. had established a large tent just back of our company and provided for the use of the regiment a stock of magazines and periodicals. Also ice-water which was kept in barrels sunk in the ground. Strange to say, the hospitality of the association was often abused, but as a rule the boys generally appreciated their kindness. This tent was supposed to follow the regiment to Cuba or wherever it went. The soil being of a light sandy loam and mixed profusely with soot from fires in the pine woods, rose easily with the breeze, which sprang up about noon every day and gave us a liberal sprinkling of this dusty compound. To keep the interior of our tent clean, we procured the tufts of needles which grow thickly on the top of young pines like a plume as they permitted the dust to sift through them, and when dried made a couch which was soft and springy. It took about one to one and a half hours to collect enough needles for one man, and for that reason the idea was not generally adopted. "Too much trouble."

The guard duty our company performed was such that we became more or less a target at which uncomplimentary remarks were hurled by men of other regiments, and it was only because it was in the line of duty that it was done so cheerfully. During the week the regiment was paid by the Government for the month of May, and the city of Jacksonville was painted a Jersey color from end to end. The other regiments were paid also, but they were not in it with Jersey. Lieutenant Brunner reported that he had sent home for the boys amounts aggregating three hundred dollars. Considerable industry finally erected a "real bath-house," which contained two sprays and lots of pans for washing purposes. It is needless to say that this house was the most popular in camp. The camp was laid out in squares, and the dividing streets of regiments were provided with stand pipes and troughs, both of which were used from daylight until midnight. It was especially refreshing to take a dip after marching until midnight and then creeping between the blankets, sleep soundly until morning. This water was supplied by the Jacksonville Water Co., which had four Artesian wells sunk back in the country and piped to the pumping station in Jacksonville, whence it was distributed around. One of these wells was nearly one thousand feet deep. The water never ceased to flow, and was always bright and sparkling, although rather warm, with a decided taste of sulphur, which from some wells was positively disagreeable. This water was also used for fire purposes and, besides its use by the city, supplied ten thousand soldiers and several corrals of horses and mules for washing and bathing purposes. The pumping station was guarded night and day, for suspicious persons had been seen near it. It would have been dangerous to go too near it after dark. Everything we ate and drank was carefully guarded.

All the boys were enjoying their stay there immensely. We were getting better food from the Government than we got at Sea Girt, nor must I forget to mention that the people of Jacksonville always welcomed us, and lots of things found their way into our tents. To the Jacksonville people there was nothing just like the Jerseymen. We were treated with great kindness. One lady, who said she used to live in New Jersey, sent us a large can filled with stew, which we accepted with thanks, and it was excellent, but that very noon we had stew at camp and we were dosed with stews morning, noon and night. We decided to decline the next donation.