We changed our camp the next morning to a more sheltered one; anything but refreshed from our sleep on the cold, damp ground.
In the course of a few days we drew blankets, overcoats and some tents. Some of the officers rigged up quarters from pieces of old tents, wagon covers and old boards, not especially handsome; but they answered to write in, and after a great battle there was always plenty of that to do. It was an army saying that the trouble in fixing up papers after a great defeat was only exceeded by that occasioned by a great victory.
We remained here for some time, doing nothing, as there was nothing to do. The valley was absolutely ours.
On the 28th, the army was paid off, and of course money was plenty, much to the satisfaction of the suttlers, as well as the boys.
On November 9th we moved back to near Kearnstown, about five miles from Winchester. It was here that “Little Phil” received his Major-General’s commission in the United States Army, just one month previous he having received a Brigadier-General’s commission in the same, winning the one at Winchester, September 19th, and the other at Cedar Creek, October 19th.
On the 16th of November we had dress-parade for the first time since May 1st. Over six months of hard field service, in which there was no room for parade or drill. We had borne our part in the engagements at New Market, Piedmont, Lynchburg, Snicker’s Ferry, Winchester, Berryville, Opequan, Fisher’s Hill, and Cedar Creek, losing forty in killed, ninety-seven in wounded and twenty-four missing. Of officers we had one killed and four wounded, being one-half the number we had for duty at any one time. We had marched eleven hundred miles, and for the most part under a broiling sun and on short rations.
On the 18th, our brigade was ordered to Opequan bridge, to guard the railroad at that point, where, on the 24th, we received our portion of the ten thousand Thanksgiving turkeys, sent by our noble State to her sons in the field. While remaining here it rained the most of the time, the weather being quite cold.
December 14th, Adjutant McCracken returned to the regiment, and on the 17th, the officers of the brigade, with the band of the 34th Massachusetts came over to our headquarters, and a general good time was indulged in. Not, perhaps, in strict accordance with the views of the would-be reformers of this day, but, nevertheless, all were happy; every one was congratulated on being alive, and fair fortune was invoked to continue propitious for each and every one. We had now made preparations for remaining here during the winter. The men had built good quarters out of logs, procured from the woods near at hand, and the officers had erected quite a house from similar material, when, on December 18th, orders came transferring our division to the army of the James, in front of Richmond.
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM OPEQUAN BRIDGE TO THE SURRENDER OF LEE, INCLUDING HATCHER’S RUN AND HIGH BRIDGE.
On the 19th of December we left our log cabins so laboriously constructed, with some regrets, and possibly with some hard words, but a soldier’s life is one of obedience, and, in a few hours, our nice quarters at Opequan were forgotten, and we were ready to build others as uncomplainingly as we had these, wherever our camp would be pitched. It was a drizzly, cold day, and for some unknown reason we were very slow in getting started.