Monday, June 4, 2012

1862 June 5 near Chickahominy River


[from the diary of Jonathan Hager of the 14th U.S. Regulars, as copied and annotated at a later date]

June 5  the morning came black & rainy.  It had
rained long & heavy all last night, rendering
the roads impassable for artillery.  This is
probably the reason of the non-reception of
the order to advance. I was ordered to day with
my company, on fatigue duty, building corduroy
road on the Chickahominy between our
pontoon bridge over that creek and the high
ground on the opposite side.  I had the pleasure
here of seeing for the first time a brisk Artillery
duel between our batteries and those of the rebels,
which lasted for an hour or more without any
casualties, at least, on our side.  the rebel
shells fell far short and we could see them strike
the ground and the water in the bottoms throwing
it forty or fifty feet high, not far from where
we were,  at first it seemed quite alarming
but we soon became accustomed to it.

MSS 9044

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