V. The Commanding General expects from every officer and soldier of the army in the field, an earnest and unhesitating support; and relies, with confidence, upon an ever kind Providence for a glorious result. The Lieutenant General, commanding the armies of the United States, who is now victoriously pressing back the enemy upon their last stronghold, expects much from the Army of the Shenandoah; and he must not be disappointed.
VI. In conclusion, the Major General commanding, while holding every officer to the strictest responsibility of his position, and prepared to enforce discipline with severity when necessary, will never cease to urge the prompt promotion of all officers;, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men who earn recognition by their gallantry and good conduct.
By command of
MAJ. GEN. HUNTER:
Chas. G. Halpine,
Assistant Adjutant General.
[OFFICIAL.]
A. A. G.
At this time the 123d Ohio, with 116th and 28th Ohio, 18th Connecticut, 2d Indiana (P. H. B.) and 160th Ohio (N. G.), constituted the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division; Col. Moore of the 28th Ohio Regiment commanding, and Brig. Gen. Sullivan Division commander. The regiment was then lying in camp at Cedar Creek, Maj. Kellogg being in command. During the night of the 25th, Col. Wilson and Capt. Chamberlin rejoined the regiment, just having been exchanged as prisoners of war. In compliance with the order just given, each man was required to pack in his knapsack one hundred rounds of ammunition, which in addition to the extra clothing allowed, and four days rations of hard bread, caused some grumbling among the men at being converted into a pack train as they styled it.
On the morning of the 2d, Col. Wilson having assumed command of the regiment, Gen. Hunter, with his whole command, started up the valley on the proposed trip to Lynchburg. The regiment reported four hundred men for duty. We marched fourteen miles, and went into camp. Next morning we were routed out at 4 o’clock to see how promptly we could get into “line of battle,” which was done in just five minutes. We remained here in camp until Sunday morning the 29th, drilling some. One day the whole regiment was ordered out as a foraging party; reported at Division Headquarters for duty, when the order was countermanded and we were sent back to our quarters. We now had ten commissioned company officers with the regiment. Dr. Ferris was acting as Brigade Surgeon, and the Chaplain as Postmaster. Sunday we marched to Rood’s Hill, and went into camp. The next day details from each regiment were busy scouring the country and bringing in all the provisions they could discover. A few men from the regiment, under Capt. Dwight Kellogg, were placed in charge of a mill near by, and began making flour as fast as possible, running night and day. The 10th Ohio (N. G.), complaining very much of being taken to the front, were sent back on the 30th. On June 1st, flour was issued to the men for the first time since we entered the service. It took some time for them to become accustomed to the use of it, but our hard tack was exhausted and it was “slap-jacks” or nothing. At 5 o’clock on the morning of the 2d, we again started, passing through New Market. We saw a few Rebels once during the day, when we were halted and formed in line of battle; but it amounted to nothing, and we soon passed on; about 3 o’clock P. M., we reached Harrisburg, a distance of twenty-two miles. Our advance had a small skirmish with the “Jonnies,” but nothing serious occured. The main force encamped about a mile from town, the 123d going into camp just within the suburbs. In a few moments, Capt. Chamberlin, with a hundred and fifty men, was sent into town with directions to picket around the town, and with the remainder of the men to search thoroughly for arms, provisions and every thing that could be used by the army. Soon after, fifty more men were sent from the regiment and quartered in the Court House. Lieutenants Leonard and Williams were in charge of the pickets; and Lieutenants Keyes, Hustead and Willoughby of the Provost guards, under direction of Lieut. Col. Starr, Provost Marshal General, and at once destroyed the press, type, etcs., belonging to the office of the Rockingham Register then remained under arms all night. Next day the men were divided into small parties, and searched the town completely; the result of which was an accumulation in the Court House yard of seventy-five barrels of flour, a lot of meat, sugar, corn, wheat, tobacco, (the most plentiful article found), a bale of sheeting and some arms and accoutrements. Capt. Chamberlin, at his quarters, was bothered all day by men, women and children, who were endeavoring to recover certain articles thus appropriated. Some pleading, some demanding and others threatning what their friends would do to “you’ns,” if they were at home. Three or four families were excepted from the search on the account of their Unionism and kindness to wounded Federal soldiers, who fell into their hands at the battle of New Market, and who were able to designate with unerring certainty those who should be thus excepted. During the day the remainder of the 123d moved into town and took up their quarters near the Court House. Next morning, Saturday, June 24th, we started for Staunton directly, distant only twenty-four miles; but after marching two or three miles, we left the pike to the right, and attempted to flank into Crawford, where the pike crosses the Shenandoah; we reached the river about 1 o’clock P. M., and remained there some three hours, while the Pontoon Corps was bridging the river. During this time our troops destroyed a large woolen factory just across the river, in a small town called Port Republic; then marching through the town just at dark, we went into camp in the brush, the teams did not get up till midnight.