We remained at Middleburgh until Saturday, May 23d. On that day, at noon, orders were received to move. The Thirty-sixth led the brigade column. We encamped at night, about nine miles beyond Liberty, on the banks of the Green river. There we remained over Sunday. On Monday, May 25th, the bugles called us out at half-past three in the morning, and at five we were on the road. Our march was through a thick forest during a greater part of the day. About three o'clock in the afternoon we encamped a short distance from Neatsville. On the following day, May 26th, the reveillé was sounded at half-past two in the morning, and we marched at half-past three. As on the preceding day, our route lay through an almost unbroken forest. At half-past nine o'clock in the forenoon we encamped about a mile from Columbia.
May 27th we had orders to be in readiness to march at seven P.M., in light marching order. At that time we left camp, with the One Hundredth Pennsylvania and a section of Edmunds' Battery, Colonel Leasure in command. Before reaching Columbia a squadron of cavalry joined us. It was understood that we were in pursuit of Morgan's guerillas. Passing through the town, we took the Waynesburgh road; but, after marching a mile or so, we faced about, returned to town, and took the road to Glasgow. It was a beautiful moonlight evening. The road was somewhat rough, and mostly through woods. We reached Gradyville about one o'clock on the morning of the 27th, and bivouacked for the rest of the night. Later in the morning we marched to a grove of magnificent beeches, on a hillside near by. There we remained all day, while the cavalry scoured the neighborhood. About noon they brought in two rebel officers. At night it commenced to rain, but we made ourselves as comfortable as possible.
The next day, Friday, May 29th, we marched about eight o'clock, and found the road very rough as we advanced. Notwithstanding the rain, we pushed on to Breedingsville, fourteen miles from Columbia and sixteen from Burkesville, on the Cumberland river. Weary and wet, we sought shelter for the night in the out-buildings of a farm-house, while our cavalry scouts set out for the river.
The next day, May 30th, the scouts having returned, we turned our faces toward Columbia, which we reached between eleven and twelve o'clock in the evening, having marched forty-seven miles during our absence from camp, and captured twenty-five prisoners.
Meanwhile a serious accident had occurred at the camp. The armorer was repairing some guns. One, which was not supposed to be loaded, he put into the fire for some purpose, and the gun was discharged. The ball entered the tent of Quartermaster-Sergeant Joseph H. Sawyer, and struck one of his knees. The wound was so severe that amputation was deemed necessary, and the operation was skilfully performed by Surgeon Prince.
Monday, June 1st, Colonel Bowman was assigned to the command of the brigade, which now consisted of the Thirty-sixth Massachusetts, Forty-fifth Pennsylvania, Seventeenth and Twenty-seventh Michigan regiments. That night we received orders to march, and at once proceeded to Jamestown, commonly called "Jimtown," on the Cumberland river. It was twenty miles from Columbia, and we reached the place about four o'clock Tuesday morning. We had hardly stacked arms on a wooded hillside near the town when a sharp skirmish fire was heard on the road at our right, and presently a squad of our cavalry dashed up the road toward the town, followed closely by a company of rebel horsemen. Our men were quickly in line of battle, under a ridge running parallel with the road, and Companies A and F were thrown out as skirmishers. But the rebels, at the first sight of our men, wheeled and made good their escape. They had evidently intended to make a dash into the town, but the timely arrival of our brigade was an unexpected episode in the morning's adventure.
One of the rebels a citizen soon brought in as a prisoner. It was found that he had been thrown by his horse, and that the horse had escaped. The citizen met the rebel as he was crossing a brook, after losing his horse, and kindly offered to hold his gun—one of Colt's revolving rifles—until he was over. The rebel innocently handed the gun to the citizen, who at once informed him that he was his prisoner, and marched him into our camp. Colonel Bowman gave the citizen the rifle as a reward for his strategy. According to the prisoner, his party consisted of three hundred men. He was a conscript from East Tennessee, he said, and belonged to Pegram's command.
Upon assuming command of the new brigade, which had been formed in consequence of the reorganization of the division, Colonel Bowman appointed First Lieutenant Raymond as acting assistant inspector general, and Second Lieutenant Hodgkins as acting assistant adjutant general of the brigade. The last-named officer had performed the duties of adjutant of the regiment during the illness of Adjutant Ranlett, from January 19th, until his appointment upon the brigade staff, when the latter resumed his duties as adjutant.
We remained at Jamestown until Thursday, June 4th, when at noon, to the surprise of all, we received orders to proceed at once to Lebanon, which was sixty miles away, our nearest railroad connection with the North. Although we had had little or no rest for a week, in forty-eight consecutive hours, including halts and sleep, we made the sixty miles, arriving at Lebanon at noon, June 6th. And this long journey was accomplished in heavy marching order, under a scorching sun, and in dust which was almost insufferable.