On the 18th we moved back to a small place called Clifton, remaining there until the 20th; on this day our regiment reported three hundred and sixty men and six officers for duty; Capt. Kellogg, of Company E, and Lieut. Leonard, of Company D, joining us that evening.
The next morning the regiment went out as guard to a forage train, and while loading our wagons, heavy skirmishing, with the occasional firing of artillery, was heard near by, and we hurried back to camp, only to find it deserted. After considerable traveling, we found our proper place in the line of battle which had been formed, and went to work building a breast work of rails, which we had to carry quite a distance. Early in the evening we moved out to support a battery in our front, but as night came on the firing ceased, and about 11 o’clock a retrograde movement commenced in the direction of Harper’s Ferry; and after marching about fourteen miles, we came to the place where our troops were going into camp. Our brigade commander, who was with our regiment, had, in the darkness, lost the rest of his brigade, and we had the honor of escorting him around hunting for it. At last, in disgust, he told us to go into camp—where we had a mind to—an order which we very quickly obeyed.
On the following morning skirmishing was again going on in our front, and before noon we were at work fortifying, and by night our division was strongly entrenched.
We remained here until the 28th, and during the first three days we were here a continuous roar of skirmish firing was going on along the whole line; if a soldier from either side showed his head above his pile of rails, he was sure to be made a target of. The officers of our division tried to stop this kind of warfare, but with little effect, until the 25th, when the 123d was sent out on the line in front of our brigade; when by the exertion of our commanding officer, skirmish firing, which had been almost continuous from both sides, was stopped by our regiment, and when it was noticed by the Rebels that we were not doing the usual amount of firing, they also ceased, and we were soon on easy terms with them, trading papers, coffee for tobacco, etc.
Our example soon became generally adopted, and firing ceased along the whole front. We were highly complimented by Gen. Thoburne for the prompt manner in which the nuisance was stopped.
On the morning of the 27th it was discovered that the Rebels had abandoned their position, and we received orders to be in readiness to move without baggage, and with three days rations, to last four days. Early on the 28th, we started, but stopped near Charleston, where we remained until September 3d. The time was occupied in making clothing and pay-rolls, and on the 31st of August, the regiment was mustered and received four months’ pay.
We broke camp early on the morning of September 3d, moving up the valley in three columns, the 6th corps having the right, the 19th corps the center, and Gen. Crook’s command, to which we belonged, having the left. Our command reached Berryville, arriving about noon. Pickets were sent out, and being attacked, our division was sent forward to their support, in doing which our regiment, or six companies of them, the others being on picket, became heavily engaged with a brigade of Rebels, whom we run into a cornfield almost before we were aware of their presence. We gave them three or four volleys, when they came charging down upon us and we were forced to retire, losing four killed and fifteen wounded. As soon as we reached our reserves our line was halted and we laid there on our arms all night, expecting the fight would be renewed in the morning. It rained most of the night, and was quite cold; taking it all in all, we had a pretty rough night of it. Our corps was assigned its position on the line in the morning and commenced building “breast works”, and right here we might say that these, like all the others we built during the war, were never fired over, it always being our privilege to be the attacking party. We remained here for some time, working on the fortifications and doing picket duty. On the 7th, Lieut. Col. Kellogg came up and took command of the regiment, Capt. Chamberlin having been in command since August 17th.
The Colonel had been sick in hospital, and had quite an adventure while on his way from the ferry to the regiment, in company with a surgeon in charge of an ambulance train, and without escort. All went well until within seven or eight miles of the army, when it now being about 5 o’clock P. M., they were suddenly pounced upon in front and rear by a gang of bushwhackers, under command of the redoubtable “Mosby;” fortunately the Colonel and Surgeon were pretty well ahead of the train, and the main body of the Rebels had came on the road behind them, so putting spur to their horses, they dashed down the road, brushing the Rebs in their immediate pathway aside, and away up the pike at a break-neck speed they went, when in about twenty minutes, reaching a cavalry out-post, Col. Cellogg persuaded the Sergeant in charge, with about twenty men, to go back with him and recapture the train. Flying over the ground, they were soon upon them, and going in with a yell, they scattered the “Jonnies” in every direction, recovering the entire train before the Rebels could get it turned around and in shape to get away, thus saving to the government many thousands of dollars, and to the army a much needed train of ambulances. Had Col. Kellogg waited until a strong force of cavalry could have been secured, as most officers would have done, it would have been too late, and Mosby, with his plunder, well out of reach in the mountains. We now had a splendid army, and knew we could whip the Rebs at any time, and the wonder throughout the army was “why don’t we do it.” We afterwards learned that Gen. Grant’s orders were to avoid a decisive engagement if possible, as it would not do, at that time, for this army to suffer a defeat.
Captain Shawhan joined the regiment on the 12th, and on the 15th, Col. Kellogg receiving a “sick leave,” went to his home, the command of the regiment again devolving upon Capt. Chamberlin.
September 16th our army was visited by Gen. Grant, in order to confer in person with Gen. Sheridan. The General saw that all Gen. Sheridan wanted was permission to strike—it was given in two words—“go in”—and we went.