Thursday, June 4.—Order to be ready to march at a minute’s notice.
Friday, June 5.—Left our camp near the river, establishing another near General Hancock’s headquarters, two miles from the depot. Five o’clock P. M.—a fight is going on near the Lacy gas works. Our battery opened on Fredericksburg. The Sixth corps crossed the river on pontoons, and took the first line of rifle-pits, making some prisoners. Fighting kept on till seven o’clock, P. M. From our camp the flash of the batteries could plainly be seen.
Saturday, June 6.—Expiration of our second year of service. Artillery firing going on at intervals between Sedgwick’s corps and the rebels. A heavy shower in the evening.
Sunday, Jane 7.—We got ready to march during the day.
Tuesday, June 9.—Changed camp again, but moving a short distance only. The Thirty-fourth New York regiment started for home, their time of service having expired. A heavy cavalry fight occurred at Beaver Ford, between Pleasanton, Gregg, and Dufour, and Stuart and Fitz Hugh Lee. The latter was taken prisoner.
Thursday, June 11.—The rebel batteries opened on Sedgwick’s corps.
Friday, June 12.—The rebels fired at our balloon near Banks’ Ford. The Twenty-fourth regiment, New Jersey nine months men, went home to-day, their time being out. We lost five men by it, who were on detached duty in the battery—honest John amongst them.
Saturday, June 13.—Our army begins to leave the Rappahannock. The supplies at the depot are carried to Aquia Creek with the most possible speed. The First, Third, Fifth, Eleventh and Twelfth corps started towards Warrenton. All the pontoon trains, but General Sedgwick’s, have gone. The one hundred pounder Parrott gun was brought in position to-day, and fired once by Major Tompkins, after which the gun rolled off the platform. The Second and Sixth corps comprise all the troops that are left in front of Fredericksburg. At seven o’clock P. M. a heavy shower set in. Our battery was ordered to proceed to the Lacy House. Sedgwick’s corps is recrossing the river. We left camp in a heavy rain, at ten o’clock in the night, arrived near the river at twelve, and got in position. The thirty-pounder Parrott gun battery, (Connecticut,) left at once. The one hundred pounder Parrott gun was taken to the railroad. The Sixth corps passed by all night. The pontoon train and heavy artillery left at four o’clock A. M. on
Sunday, June 14.—Opposite Fredericksburg, in position, behind redoubts. Only the Second corps is remaining yet. The rebels were quite surprised to find our troops across the river. They walked around their rifle-pits in squads, and fired at us and our infantry pickets on the shore; but the general commanding threatened to open on them with artillery, if they did not stop it. During the afternoon the rebel troops lying around St. Mary’s heights, marched and countermarched. Towards evening, we could see the cannoniers pull their guns by hand outside of the redoubts, and march off in the direction of Culpepper. We had orders to leave fifteen minutes after dark. A deserter swam across the river into our lines about seven o’clock. Nine o’clock P. M.—leaving the Rappahannock. The guns were limbered up quietly. We started on the telegraph road, crossed Stoneman’s Switch, and marched all night.
Monday, June 15.—Arrived at Stafford Court House about seven o’clock A. M. We found a part of the Sixth corps in line of battle. The Second corps went in line of battle instantly. The balloon went up for the last time, a good sign of better prospects, for the balloon never brought luck to our army. At eleven o’clock, marching was resumed. We crossed Aquia Creek at three o’clock P. M., going in position near by, and remained there for the rest of the day and night. The day was terribly hot,—110° in the shade. Eighteen men died from the effects of the heat. A man of the Twenty-eighth Massachusetts regiment broke his neck, falling over a stump of a tree. We marched seventeen miles since leaving Falmouth. Reports of artillery firing can be heard all day.