“ The cavalry now swooped down from their positions, on the right and on the left, and as the enemy’s lines were turned, and in wild retreat, the scene that ensued along that valley pike beggars description.
It was a grand sight to see that army, lately shattered and stricken nigh unto annihilation, thus reform their columns and boldly move out to the charge; in all the battles of the great rebellion, no parallel is presented. ”

“ We held our fire until they were almost within pistol shot, when we poured in our volleys, with terrific effect; rapidly were our well directed volleys given, doubling their first line back upon their second, that still came unfalteringly on, lapping by our little line, both on the right flank and the left, rapidly firing as they advanced until our little band could no longer withstand their overwhelming numbers, and slowly we began to retire—taking our cannon back through a cedar thicket, our pathway marked with the blood of our braves. ”

“ Thus, young, loved and prosperous, he left with his command for the seat of war, alas! never to return. Always deporting himself as a true soldier and Christian gentleman, he possessed the esteem of his men and the confidence of his superior officers. Cool and brave in the hour of danger, he had none of the bravado spirit, that courts battle in the quiet camp, or anticipates brave deeds to be accomplished. He was taken prisoner with his command at Winchester, June 15th, 1863. ”

“ A running fight was now kept up for about four miles, when meeting the 6th corps drawn up in line, with their artillery in position, the retreat was checked. The 19th corps took position on their left, our corps joining their’s, with a good body of cavalry on our left. Up to this hour it had been the darkest day of our army life; flushed with victory in two great battles within a month, supposing ourselves invincible against anything in the valley, thus to be driven almost in a rout from our works, was a little too much for our philosophy. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Here the sons of nearly every State in the Union are sleeping the last long sleep: some in burial places set apart for their repose, while many, many more, quietly rest in unmarked and forgotten graves, the victims of a wicked, cruel and uncalled for attempt upon the life of the purest and best government upon the face of the earth. ”

“ Alas! for them, the home circle must continue to mourn. And as gathered in groups about the camp to say the last good-bye; manly tears would come for those who were of our number once, but were now borne on the grand “muster-roll” in that other camping-ground.
During our three years of service, the regiment had marched two-thousand one hundred and eighty-four miles, had traveled by rail one thousand five hundred and thirty-one miles, and by boat one thousand and seventeen miles. Making a grand total of five thousand seven hundred and thirty-two miles. ”

“ Volumes might be written of the brave things that were done in that terrible place, and then, again, of mean and cowardly things, done by men, whom at home were brave men and gentlemen. The only wonder is that every spark of manhood was not utterly crushed out of those so unfortunate as to be confined within its walls. ”

“ Their dead lie all along the valley from the Potomac to Lynchburg; they are sleeping where they fell, at Antietam and Gettysburg, on the heights of Fredericksburgh, and through the dark thickets of the Wilderness. They lie in the dark forests’ of the Peninsula all the way up to Deep Bottom, and around Petersburg. Along the tangled morass near Hatcher’s Run, and the Weldon Road, their graves mark the fierce conflict. Brave Old Army of the Potomac, long suffering, gallantly fighting, 113your reward has come; never again will the boasted army of Northern Virginia meet you in equal conflict ”

“ For nine days we had nothing to eat but fresh beef and mutton, and a very little coffee. With all this the heat was intense, the roads very dusty, and the men became so completely exhausted, that frequently when the command halted, they would drop down just where they stood, and to get them started again, it was necessary to arouse every man, and not only arouse him, but get him on his feet, and even then they could often be seen in the ranks, marching along, sound asleep. ”

“ We did a large amount of hard work while in the valley, up to June 12th; long scouts up the valley were a weekly occurrence, and heavy picket and fatigue duty was the daily order of exercise, still, thanks to the excellent water and fine weather, the health of the regiment was in the main good. On the 5th of May, we started out with a week’s rations and forty rounds, on a scout. The first day out we marched for three hours through a drenching rain-storm, such as only occurs in the valleys, we went to New Market, and returned to Winchester on the 9th, having marched one hundred and four miles. ”

“ Our regiment and the 87th Pennsylvania were rapidly got into position, and immediately charged the Rebels, who were drawn up in a wood just to the right of the road, capturing their artillery, but were unable to hold them against the murderous fire now poured into our ranks, and sullenly retired for a short distance. Two other regiments were now hurried into position, when we again moved to the charge. In steady and firm line we now advanced, and, though, grape and canister ploughed great lanes through our poor ranks, not a man faltered or turned back ”

“ The regiment was mustered for pay on the 30th, and remained in camp until July 2d, when we started for Camp Piatt, a distance of twenty-seven miles, there to take boats for some place unknown. It was a very warm day, and by 1 o’clock, we had marched fifteen miles, barely stopping once, a few minutes for rest. The men appeared to suffer more from this day’s march, than any previous one. Each man had three days’ rations in his haversack, and eating very freely, nearly every one was afflicted with that terrible camp disease, dysentery. ”

“ On the 19th, we left on board of box cars, in two trains, for Clarksburg, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. On the way a man belonging to Company H was severely injured, and just after having passed through a tunnel, the rear train ran into the one just ahead of it. Three cars were thrown from the track, and down an embankment, yet strange to say, none were very seriously injured, though all were pretty severely shook up. The engineer and conductor were strongly threatened by the boys, who believed them rebels at heart, and that the accident was a put-up affair. ”

“ Very few of us had ever been in duress for a single instant; and thus to be deprived of our liberties, to become the creatures of another’s will, it is not surprising that our faith for a time weakened, and the darkness of despair seemed well nigh upon us. ”

“ About the 1st of May our forces moved up the valley as far as Cedar Creek, where they remained until the 10th making the final preparations for our grand raid on Lynchburg. Baggage was cut down to the minimum; each soldier was provided with an extra pair of shoes, and loaded down with rations and ammunition, we broke camp, and moved leisurely on through Strasburg, Woodstock, and Mt. Jackson, to New Market, where, on the night of the 14th we struck the enemy in some force, our brigade having the advance, we had a lively little skirmish, but of short duration, the Rebels soon giving way. ”

“ 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. ”

“ One day one hundred men were called for to go with a forage train. Every precaution was used, but the Forage Master thought there was no danger, and staying out of reach of our protecting Springfields, was gobbled up with one of his wagons by some bushwhackers, and started towards “Dixie’s Land.”
The rest of the train, well loaded, reached camp about 9 o’clock P. M., very tired, having traveled twenty-four miles over mountain roads.
On the 18th of October the regiment, in conjunction with the 11th Virginia, made a reconnaissance to within a half mile of the enemy’s camp. ”

“ He was an old soldier also, having accompanied a Pennsylvania regiment through the Mexican war. Every morning at nine o’clock A. M. “George” made his appearance, and, with his peculiar intonation of voice, would cry out: “Fall in, sick, and go down;” when those who wished to be prescribed for would huddle together and go down on the first floor, where they were examined by the surgeon—who was spoken of as a kind and attentive physician—and, after making a minute of their cases, would send them back to their rooms, excepting those whom it was deemed necessary to send to the hospital. ”

“ On the morning of the 26th we pushed on through Sharpsburg, thence to Pleasant Valley, on to Harper’s Ferry, where we again crossed the Potomac, and went into camp on the 28th at Hall Town, four miles distant.
Thus in sixteen days had we, in our worn-out condition, many of the men without shoes or proper clothing, fought in two severe engagements and marched one hundred and ninety miles. Here we made out clothing and pay rolls, and on July 30th, while issuing clothing to the men, received orders to march to the defense of the Capitol, and immediately started back into Maryland. ”

“ The next day we marched to Strasburg, where the 13th Pennsylvania cavalry was led into an ambush, losing several men in killed and wounded. The Rebels, however, were driven out, though no general engagement occured. The next day we returned to Winchester, having marched ninety-four miles, and that too without having accomplished any particular end as we could see. When in camp we were drilling steadily seven hours a day, gaining in proficiency in the arts of war every day, and fitting 43ourselves to undergo the fatigue and hardships that we were soon to be called upon to endure. ”

“ It is needless to recount our sufferings here, as no pen can do adequate justice to the subject. I will only say that the meat and soup were full of maggots, and the bread so stale and sour as to be almost unpalatable, these constituting our eatables, while the water we drank was even worse.
On the 6th of July the majority of the men were paroled, and were taken to City Point, by rail, via Petersburg, and delivered to the United States authorities. Never were the Stars and Stripes more enthusiastically cheered, than when we first saw them streaming from the Flag of the Truce boat ”

“ We, in a general way, now understood that a force of rebels were near, and great caution was observed on the picket line, and very little wandering from camp was indulged in by the men. And to see how alert the camp was, on the afternoon of the 19th the long roll was sounded, our regiment getting into line in six minutes. That night we slept upon our arms for the first time, at a later day a very ordinary occurrence. On the 28th, the 116th O. V. I., and one section of the 1st Virginia battery left for Moorefield, about eleven miles distant, and took possession of the town. ”

“ The Rebels easily turned the right of our corps, getting over the works with little or no opposition, many of the men being still asleep in their tents.
Some resistance, however, was made by our brigade, the only one in the division not surprised; we fell slowly back, the broken ranks of the other brigades, rallying upon our line; we soon came upon the 19th corps that, by this time had got into line, and, meeting their first division, we made a good stand, giving them several well directed volleys, that checked their advance, but soon being flanked on the left, were compelled again to give way ”

“ At 10 o’clock A. M., on the 24th, we moved on after the army, through Woodstock, Edinburg and Mt. Jackson, going into camp two miles beyond, making a twenty-seven mile march; pretty good considering that the regiment marched on the flank of the train all day, and until 10 o’clock P. M., through brush, over fences, up and down hills, and sometimes fording streams, causing 94every one to feel glad when the order came to go into camp wherever a good place could be found.
The next morning we went on through New Market, where we wandered around some over the ground, of our fight here of May 15th. ”

“ Modern warfare presents no parallel in the treatment of prisoners, as devised and perpetrated by the chivalric gentlemen who managed the affairs of the so-called “Confederacy.”
But enough has been told to convey some idea of our condition while prisoners—the many hopes deferred! the long, weary waiting, that made the heart sick nigh unto death.
It is needless to follow our officers and men to other prisons, where many of them were sent, when our forces got in close proximity to Richmond. ”

“ It soon became apparent that we were to remain here all winter, and all tried to fix up in as comfortable shape as possible, but a more cheerless spot to spend the winter in could hardly have been selected, as the winds had a fair sweep in three different directions, and as a general thing improved the opportunity in one direction or the other, much to our discomfort and disgust. ”

“ Our “hard-tack” was all gone, and flour getting scarce, but fresh beef and mutton still plenty. The next day we were on the road about 9 A. M., and went to the edge of town, where we laid until after dinner, when we again started in the direction of Lynchburg. We crossed Otter Peak, a very high mountain, with a very narrow, rough road over it. In many places our way was obstructed by trees that had been felled across; undoubtedly done by Bushwhackers, for in one place there lay the dead body of one, who had been caught in the act and slain by our advance. ”

“ If a description of the truth would be fit for publication, some few particular cases could be cited that would make any one shudder to think that there were, in this day and age of the world, men who were so lost to all feeling of humanity as to permit men, although their enemies, to languish and die through sufferings such as no pen should be called upon to describe.
Once a squad of Yankees (prisoners) were leaving the Libby building with a supply of the “so-called” rations for the prisoners. ”

“ Company G had one man, private Stokely, wounded by the explosion of a shell. About dusk it was decided to fall back, and at 8 o’clock P. M., we commenced our retrograde movement; we marched all night, reaching Otter Creek the next morning, the 19th, after a very tedious and severe tramp; the boys being very much exhausted and needing rest, a great many dropping down by the side of the road, would fall asleep on the road, and it would be almost impossible to arouse them. We encamped two miles beyond Liberty, where we rested a couple of hours, and then moved on. ”