Union Hills, Virginia April 23, 1863

Dear Parents,

Having Just returned from a pleasure trip down to the Rappahannock, I propose to devote a part of this rainy forenoon writing to you. Day before yesterday morning, we got orders to be ready to march in twenty minutes (before we had fairly finished breakfast), but were not required to go until 9 o'clock. Marched down to the Station and five companies were put upon the cars and the rest were obliged to foot it, our company not being among the lucky ones. We marched to Manassas Junction (six miles), without halting, and then stopped for a couple of hours or so, and "struck our teeth against much hardtack", then started on, leaving Co. "B", and marched about nine miles further, when we met the train returning with those of our regiment who had gone on before. They had been only two miles or so further than we went, and had repaired the bridge over the Broad Run just beyond Bristow Station that they expected to find demolished, but it was very good. They only had to lay a new track across it, and do some slight repairing to make it passable again. We came back to the Junction, and camped for the night; meanwhile the pickets had been sent on after us, after they all had got a bit rested. We met them about eleven miles out from camp, took them on board with us and all rode back, though we were somewhat crowded.

Next morning, (yesterday), we were all taken on board a train that was sent up on purpose for us, and went down some twenty miles beyond Manassas Junction, within three miles of the Rappahannock, found the road in good condition, and came back home again, having successfully accomplished what we suppose to be the object of our expedition, viz. to guard the trains and workmen while they were repairing the road so that Uncle Sam could transport supplies down this road to Stoneman's Cavalry. They are now operating rather secretly in the vicinity of Warrenton, with a small force of some thirty or forty thousand men, and all the available light artillery of Hooker's army. I never saw a quarter so much cavalry before, and yet we saw only a small part of the whole force. I do not know what the idea is in having all Hooker's cavalry and light artillery up there, unless they intend to dash across the river and take the enemy in the rear while he takes them in front. To see the train of pack mules that carried the baggage of the cavalry was quite a novel sight. There would be one mule with a lot of camp kettles, frying pans, and other camp equipage packed upon him, and another with a couple of boxes of hard tack slung across his back, etc.

In this last trip we have seen something of the destruction caused by war. At Manassas, which must have been a beautiful place before the war broke out, there is not a single house left standing. But the plain is there, still lovely still beautiful, even in ruin. Here Pope's supply trains were burned last summer, and the ruins of miles of cars still ornament the track. Here was destroyed clothing, hospital, officers, sutlers' and all other kinds of stores that you might mention, to the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars- if not millions. The old Rebel fortifications are still there, though somewhat decayed. At Bristow Station, the next one beyond the Junction, there was a mile or two more of cars burned up and destroyed. The country down the railroad from Catlett's, down about Warrenton Junction and down to Bealton Station which was the extent of our journey, is superb,-almost level, and as green as can be. The peach trees are all in blossom here, and if I had a sprig handy, I would send it along.

One thing that happened at Manassas I must not omit to mention. While we were resting there, Matt Stewart and another started off in pursuit of adventure, and came across a drove of Virginia pigs, whereupon Matt grabbed one that would weigh 60 or 70 pounds, by the ears, and kept the old sole away as best he could, while the other one stuck him with his bayonet. Matt came back and reported just as we were ready to start on again, and one took his gun and another his blanket, he grabbed his rubber and pressed on ahead until he got to where his pig lay, and then picked him up and put him in his rubber, slung him on his back and brought him off. But he was soon relieved of his load by Bingham, who rode one of the officers' horses. I had a mouthful or two of said pig, and can testify that he tasted very much like veal....

The Vermont Journal of the 18th has just come to hand. One piece in it entitled "The Nine Month Men" has been read by many of the boys, and pronounced by all an unmitigated lie. Some of them wish that they could see the man that wrote the piece--you may guess for what. It is true that they are in no hurry to turn their backs on Rebeldom until their time is out, and that the men of this brigade firmly and conscientiously believe to be in nine months from the date of organization, and they are not men that like to be fooled or tampered with, whether it be by P.T. Washburn and Fred Holbrook, or by our respected Uncle Samuel. Very many of them and half the entire brigade, would enlist again within thirty days after they were discharged if they were only discharged within a reasonable time after they consider their time honestly and fairly out, but say they, if they keep us until the twenty third of July, Uncle Sam may run his machine just as he can for all we care.

Not that they care for the extra two months time, for they consider themselves good for that, but they enlisted, believing their time to be out in nine months, and the idea of being fooled and hocussed by General P. T. Washburn or any other general does not sit gracefully upon their minds, and some few of them go so far as to declare that they will not do a day's duty after they call their time out, and the great majority of them say that they may have fooled us once, but never can again, for, say they, if they can hold us two months and then muster us in and keep us for the full time of our enlistment, they can hold us twenty years and then do the same. This brigade is ready to do its duty, whatever that may be, but "play not with edge tools all ye State authorities", for if our bayonets do not count in the coming struggle, our votes certainly will count in the Fall elections, and against you too, I fear. H. G. Day

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Contributed by Linda M. Welch, Dartmouth College, Windsor County researcher.

Return to the Index of Hezron's letters..

See also Hezron's biography, and his memoir of the Gettysburg Campaign.