1861 August 25

[from the diary of Eugene M. Cox of the Border Guard, Wise's Legion]

Sunday

Another beautiful Sabbath morning has
dawned upon us and with it come the recollection of our
once happy homes and of all the sweet enjoyments of peace.
Father and brother long to join the sweet communion of
their family circles--Little do those at home know of the
hardships of a soldiers life--actual combat is nothing to
be compared with the other duties, incident to camp life,
such as hunger, thirst, cold, heat and long and toilsome
marches and counter marches--We are not long allowed to
rest on this Holy Day for we have just received orders to
cook up three days' provisions and pack the same in our
havre sacs and be ready to march at any moment--we know
nothing of our destination--12 o'clock noon--News comes
that an engagement has commenced near "Hawks Nest" -- &
we are ordered to form and march toward the scene of
battle--the battalion is in readiness in a few minutes and
we are immediately put in motion--6 o'clock P.M. We were
(1st regiment Col. Richardson's) marched beyond the "Gap"
a short distance and halted at a point near which were
two cannons planted which we were to support--here we re
mained waiting for orders--the two other regiments went
on in the direction of the fight--As it turned out it was an
attack of the enemy in ambush upon our cavalry under Col.
Davis scouting in that direction --The surprise was complete
doing our cavalry considerable damage--wounding a considerable
number, killing [blank space]
The enemy having disappeared behind their fortification about
"Hawk's Nest" & we seeing no chance to get an engagement,
our whole Brigade moved back to quarters--This little affair
frustrated for the time, our design of moving in another
direction, for which we had made preparations--7 P.M. Have
orders to be in readiness to march at 8 o'clock tomorrow
morning--9 P.M. All retired to rest---

Eugene M. Cox, Private, 46th Virgnia Infantry.

A reference to the skirmish at Piggots Mill in West Virignia

Col. John Harvie Richardson, 1828-1900, was a pre-war Virignia milita officer and author of an infantry manual. After the war was a Richmond city official and operator of a street car line.

MSS 38-221