In my wanderings the day before the battle, I found an unoccupied house a short distance from where our regiment passed the night, and not relishing the idea of lying on the ground in the street, after our hard day's work, with three others with me, I made for it. We found a room furnished with a bed and sofa, and fastening the doors, we appropriated these luxuries to our own particular use, and slept soundly through the night.
In the morning, I went below to the basement of the house, and found quite a number of our boys busy cooking. There was a large cooking-range in the room, and plenty of wood, and finding a barrel of flour in the house, they were having a feast. I also engaged, and mixing up a batter, I contrived to cook me a good breakfast. The regiment remained through the day of the 14th, upon the street, in quiet, and we occupied the room where we passed the night. There was a piano in the room, a large easy chair, beside other furniture, and we had a good time "house-keeping" in our new tenement.
In the morning, finding plenty of soap and water, I took a good wash, and began to fancy myself at home again. I tried to get S. to wash himself. The answer he made was, that he should not until he knew whether his head belonged to himself or to "Uncle Sam." I was quite amused at the idea. It was plainly evident a little water would not hurt S., as he was looking very much like a contraband. We passed the day (Sunday the 14th) quite comfortably. At night, thinking it best to keep with the regiment, we took quarters in the garret of a house, with the rest of our company. We were ordered to lie upon our arms, keep quiet, and be ready for action at a moment's warning. Towards morning our pickets had a skirmish with the enemy. We were aroused, but the firing, which was quite rapid for awhile, ceased, and we turned in again. In the morning we arose, and were privileged in having another day of rest. This night, as soon as it became dark, the evacuation of the city commenced. This fact we were all of us ignorant of at the time, and from the disposition of the regiment, supposed we had more fighting to do. At dusk we were formed in line, and as soon as it became dark moved down the city, taking the same street we did on the morning of the battle. We ascended the same steep hill, and proceeded quietly to the front. This made some of us catch our breath, as we thought of what we had already passed through while on the same road. Just inside our pickets, and under cover of a slight eminence, we laid ourselves down. A detail of men was made from the regiment, for picks and shovels, and upon the arrival of these, the whole front rank were called upon, and proceeding to the top of the eminence, commenced throwing up an entrenchment. This, we afterwards learned, was to deceive the enemy, making them think we intended holding the position. About twelve o'clock the front ranks were called in, and forming in line, we quickly and as noiselessly as possible hurried into the city again. It was evident enough to us as soon as we entered the city that it was being evacuated. When we left, a few hours before, the streets were full of soldiers, regiment after regiment, and battery after battery; now hardly a man was to be seen as we passed through the streets. The hurried tramp of men and horses in the direction of the pontoon bridges told us our destination. We hurried along, and at one o'clock the morning of the 16th recrossed the bridge, passed up the hill, and proceeded to our camp, where we left our luggage the morning of the 12th. Our major, whom I had not seen since the fight, suddenly appeared upon our arrival in camp, and taking charge of the regiment, placed them in position, giving off orders in a loud tone of voice, which assured us that though severely wounded, he was fast convalescing. The next day I saw the major again. I could not discover that he was hurt at all from his appearance; I think he bore up remarkably well. Since then, I noticed at the inspection, and in the presence of the brigadier-general, he limped, and seemed quite lame. I could not help thinking of our able major, who endures his sufferings without a murmur, though severely wounded, and contrasting this self-sacrificing spirit with some I hear of who, though loudly defiant, and anxious to lead their men against the enemy, were known to have run from the field in a "Devil take the hindmost" style, reminding me of a passage in Shakspeare—a piece of advice suited to their case—to wit,—
"Just doff that lion's hide,
And draw a calfskin round thy recreant limbs."
CHAPTER IV.
After the action of the 13th, our regiment selected a camping-ground a short distance north of the spot we occupied the night before the attack. The spot chosen was in a shallow valley, opening to the south, among the stumps of trees, which had been lately cut by the different regiments encamped in the immediate vicinity. We pitched our shelter tents at first, but knowing the necessity of more adequate protection in case of a storm, as soon as we recovered a little from the fatigues of the past fortnight, we commenced to improve our situation as best we could. Quite a number of the regiment had lost their tents in the fight. The quartermaster managed, some ten days after, to get a few, and distributed them. Still one-fourth of the regiment were without a shelter. This class set to work, and made them a shelter of pine boughs, which, though of little use in case of a storm, (which, by the way, held off wonderfully,) were made very efficient while the dry weather continued. Here, in camp, you might see some curious styles of architecture, some of the men showing an appreciation of a comfortable home, and a good deal of ingenuity in its construction. Others were content with any thing, hardly making any effort at all, seeming to have no anxiety or fear of storms, that might be expected at any time, and if coming upon us at this time, would have caused an infinite amount of suffering among this particular class, who, I am thinking, almost deserved to feel the gripes, to repay them the want of a little anxiety and forethought, in a matter evidently so necessary for the protection of their very valuable lives.
I was fortunate in having a piece of a tent, and in company with some of the boys, who also had them, we together went to work, and measuring off a space large enough for us, dug into the ground eighteen inches perhaps, and cutting logs, placed them against the bank, and continued them up three feet from the bottom of the ground. We also built a fireplace in one end of our house, making our chimney of logs closely fitted together, and plastered with clay, topping it out with a pork-barrel. We placed a ridge-pole lengthwise, at a sufficient height to clear our heads, and passed our tents over this, fastening them to the sides. Some of our party had rubber blankets, which we placed over these, and the rest receiving theirs; soon after, we felt quite secure against wind and weather.
We found our fireplace very useful in keeping our house warm and dry, and as we sat and watched the fire, we could almost imagine ourselves at home again. We cast anchor in this spot Tuesday, December 16th. Friday, the 19th, our regiment was appointed to do picket duty, the right of our line to rest at Falmouth, and the left opposite Fredericksburg, along the banks of the Rappahannock, our head-quarters to be at the De Lacey House, opposite Fredericksburg.