Sunday, August 19, 2012

1862 August 20 above Brandy Station on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad

[from the diary of Lancelot Minor Blackford of the Rockbridge Artillery]

Wednesday Aug. 20/62  --This morning our Corps, with 3 days
cooked rations, moved from the camp below Orange C.H. to
this place, viz, about 4 or 5 miles above Brandy Station, O. & A.R.
The rest of the army is following us, I presume.  Our
Division occupied the rear of the Corps to day, our Brigade the
rear of the Division, and our battery the rear of the brigade,
so that we were the hindmost part of the corps.  We
rose and got in readiness to move as ordered at
moonrise but did not move off fairly until at least
9 o'clock.  Then our journey was very long and laborious.
The country we passed through was by no means fertile
or promising, we travelled very fast; the weather
was very warm and the road very sunny.  We
crossed the Rapidan River at ______ Ford, and then got
into Culpeper, the best part of which however we
did not see to day.  Late in the evening we passed
through a village called "Newtown Shepherdsburg" a
short distance below which we bivouacked for the
night. This Battery was the last of the whole corps
to halt, as we had been the last in the morning to start.
It was sometime after night ere we turned into the
field by the road side where we are to spend the night.
The country this side of the Rapidan seems to have been
rid of the Yankees finally but yesterday.  today Joseph Packard, Jr.
returned from Hanover where he had been to minister to  his bro.
Walter, ill of Typhoid Fever there at the  house of Mr. Nortons.
Poor Walter, however, after lingering some time finally died
of that fearful disease this day one week ago.  His bro
Joe was the only one f the family near him.  His
father, mother and all his family are at their adopted
home in Fauquier, within the enemy's line.  They will
not be hampered however may days longer, I fancy.

MSS 5088

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.