The contents of this little book, with the exception of two brief chapters, are letters that were written in camp from time to time and published in different newspapers. It is thought best to present them just as they originally appeared, believing they will thereby most faithfully and vividly bring the characteristics of camp-life before the reader.
Robert T. Kerlin, Chaplain.
CONTENTS.
| Page | ||
| Dedication | [3] | |
| Preface | [7] | |
| Valedictory | [9] | |
| Letters from Camp: | ||
| I. | Panoramic View | [11] |
| II. | Ole Virginny; Fun in Camp | [20] |
| III. | A Little More Fun; Some Trouble | [25] |
| IV. | Various Things—All Interesting | [31] |
| V. | Joy and Sorrow; A Little Sermon | [39] |
| VI. | The Thoroughfare March and Encampment in the Slough of Despond | [47] |
| Significance of the War | [53] | |
| Chronology | [57] | |
| List of the Dead | [58] | |
VALEDICTORY.
Much more remains for the historian, whoever he shall be, of the Third Regiment yet to relate, which things, some pleasant and forever memorable, some unpleasant and perhaps unforgettable, shall here not be so much as suggested. The writer's inclinations are all toward quietude and harmony; his limitations, besides, are imperative in forbidding. At Thoroughfare Gap he fell sick of a fever and was hors de combat during the subsequent encampment there and at Middletown, Pa. He has, therefore, been unable to detail from first-hand knowledge the later and less pleasing experiences of the regiment. The facts, by all concerned, are too well known to require a further exposé. When he believed that his pen could be of genuine service to the regiment, he wrote without thought of fear or favor; he would again so write did the circumstances seem to him to require it; that is, if justice to any demanded it and good should be accomplished by it. By these principles let us ever be guided.