1862 March 15

[from the memoirs of Captain Jonathan B. Hager, 14th U. S. Regulars, as copied from his diary]
Mar 15 How dreadful it was to turn out this morning
at 5 o'clock from so comfortable a nest! The
intense darkness was rendered a thousand
times more disagreeable by a rain which
commenced to fall--A thick fog made more
obscure that which Egyptian darkness had
already covered with its impenetrability.
There was no turning over for another nap The
order was to be obeyed, and as the assembly
sounded I gathered my blankets & ordered
my men to fall in at the same time--The
14th was to lead the column, but the dilatoriness
of one Company lost us our position and we
had to remain out in the road until the
whole brigade filed past. We got under head-
way finally & retraced our steps toward
Washington, branched off & took the road to
Alaxandria. It rained the entire day. Our
march was anything but cheerful, but our
hearts were light. We had gone soldiering and
were ready to take things as they came.
We reached our camping ground mear Alex-
andria about 4 oclock P.M. & prepared to
bivouac in as cold a rain and as much of it
as a soldier could wish for in his most ex-
travagant moments--I tried to put my rubber
blankets together but most ingloriously failed &
was about to resign myself to the mercies of
Jupiter Pleuvius, when lo! Capt Brown appeared
in sight bearing upon his herculean shoulders
What! a wall tent by Jove! & where did he
get it? that was the question. It didn't matter
much if he did get it at a Volunteer Camp
so we laid that question on the table. We
pitched the tent--the floor was mud--more than
ankle deep--A detail of men soon cut and
laid pine logs on the mud, then covered with
pine brush made a splendid foundation for
our blankets--It wasn'nt long before eight or
nine wet & tired fellows had shifted their
wet clothes & came under the blankets, though
not near right, comfortable & happy again--
Who can say that comfort is not a comparative term.
This was the beginning of Camp California.

Jupiter Pluvius = Jupiter, bringer of rain or rain giver.

MSS 9044