I arrived in time to attend the funeral of one of our boys who died in the hospital the day before. This was the first death that had occurred in our regiment since we arrived in Washington, and the third since the regiment was organized; the other two being killed, first, the drummer of Company D, from Newport, in a fray at Camp Stevens, the second of Company C, on the cars, between Harrisburg and Baltimore. There were but few of our regiment now in the hospital, and none of them dangerously sick.
Saturday, the 29th, was a pleasant day; the night was still and cold. Sunday morning, the 30th, we found the ground slightly frozen, and ice in the tubs about camp one-half inch thick. The weather continued fine as yet. We had fine mornings here, the air was still, and every thing seemed delightful. The smoke from the numerous camp fires, made the atmosphere hazy, reminding one of our Indian summer in New England.
CHAPTER III.
December 1st, we had orders to march immediately, and at twelve o'clock our brigade were on the move. We passed through Washington just at nightfall, over the bridge which crosses the east branch of the Potomac, and encamped about two miles beyond the city for the night. In the morning we continued our journey along the Maryland side of the Potomac, and so on, from day to day, until our arrival opposite Aquia Creek, on the 6th inst.
We had fine weather until Friday the 5th, when it commenced raining, and at night turning to snow, made our encamping exceedingly unpleasant. We expected to have reached the Potomac Friday night, but the rain softening the road, made our marching extremely difficult and tedious, and at three o'clock we turned into the woods completely jaded, and commenced to pitch our tents, and make ourselves as comfortable as we could, under the circumstances. I could indeed appreciate the discomforts of our situation. I was fortunate in finding some poles in the woods, already cut, and with the help of the boys, made a shed, and covering it with our tents, with the addition of a lot of dry husks, procured from a barn close by for our beds, managed to pass the night quite comfortably. It stopped snowing early in the night, and at ten, A. M., the next morning, we were on the march again. It was a delightful morning; the mud had crusted over, bearing us up, as we marched, and the sun shining brightly, gave the evergreens by the roadside, covered with snow as they were, a beautiful appearance. At twelve we were upon the banks of the Potomac, with the rest of our brigade, waiting our turn to be ferried to Aquia Creek. It came at last, and at five, P. M., we were aboard of the boat and on our way. At seven we were alongside the wharf, and at eight were off the boat and in line upon the pier, waiting for orders. It was a bitter, cold night, and much impatience was manifest in both officers and privates, at being obliged to wait in this place so long, before moving to our camping ground. At half-past nine we finally received orders to march off. Passed up the railroad from Aquia to Fredericksburg about two miles, filed to the left, continued on from the road about one-third of a mile, and after another delay of perhaps half an hour, our colonel selected our camp, and we formed upon it, to pass another unpleasant night. The spot selected was in the woods, upon the side of a hill. The heavy wood had been cut, and most of it taken off, but all of the tops, and some of the largest logs were left, all covered with the snow which fell the night before. Every thing being wet, it was some time before we could start our fires. But little sleep could be had that night; the most uncomfortable one that the Twelfth Rhode Island Volunteers had experienced. The place we christened Camp Smoke, a most appropriate name for this place. The first night and the following day it was impossible for us to escape the smoke from our numerous fires, half of it passing into our eyes, and down our throats. We would pass around our fires, the smoke following our coat-tails as we moved along, and fastened to us soon as we stopped; it was impossible to escape it. We stopped at this place until Tuesday morning, the 9th, when the brigade again took up their line of march. We arrived opposite Fredericksburg Wednesday, the 10th, and encamped for the night alongside the Seventh Rhode Island.
The signal guns, ominous of the coming battle, were first fired at five, A. M., the next morning, and at intervals until sunrise, when a fierce cannonading commenced along the whole line in front of the city. At nine, A. M., we received twenty extra rounds of ammunition, three days' rations, threw our knapsacks and extra luggage into a pile, slung our blankets over our shoulders, and moving to within three-quarters of a mile of the city, formed in line of battle, and rested on our arms, ready for the emergency.
In trying to throw the pontoon bridges over, our forces met with determined resistance, and were obliged to shell the city, in order to dislodge the enemy. Being satisfied of the impossibility of crossing the river this day, late in the afternoon we returned to camp. Early in the evening, the cannonading, which had continued through the day, ceased; and two or three regiments crossing over in boats, after a fierce conflict in the streets of the city, finally succeeded in dislodging the enemy, and the bridges were completed. Early in the morning of the next day, the different brigades commenced crossing the river, and occupying the city, ours among the rest.
The main streets of this city run parallel with the river. We took our position opposite the pontoon bridge, in the rear of the second street. This part of the city suffered severely during the shelling of the place the day before, as the fire from the different batteries was directed in this vicinity, in order to demolish the buildings, which were occupied by the enemy's sharpshooters, who were firing upon our troops, rendering it necessary to dislodge them, to complete the bridge. We were fired upon by the enemy while entering the city, their shells bursting about us, but fortunately doing us no injury. They continued firing through the day, throwing an occasional shell as a regiment approached to cross into the city. From their batteries, they had a good view of the opposite bank of the river, and could see every regiment, as one by one, they approached the bridge. There were quite a number of casualties during the day, in the city, from the bursting of the enemy's shells. They might have done us infinite damage this day, if they had felt disposed to have directed their fire upon the city. Our position during the forenoon, was directly in range of the enemy's batteries, as they fired upon the troops coming over the bridge.