1862 August 24 Barnetts Ford, Rappahannock River

[from the "war journal" of George Hazen Dana as compiled by him at a later date from wartime letters and diary entries]

 Barnetts Ford, Rappahannock River,
                                          Aug. 24th 1862.
We left Harrison’s Point on the night of the 14th inst.
marched out about two miles from camp, spread our
rubber blankets on the ground in the road, and slept
till 4 in the morning, when we started on one of the
longest and most tedious marches on record, going
on foot all the way down the Peninsula to Newport
news – about 100 miles, where we took transports and
ran up the Chesapeake and Potomac to Aquia
Creek.        Here we took the cars – cattle trains –
to Falmouth where we encamped for a night
and a day, and at 9 o’clcok at night were again

started off on the march, proceeded three miles, halted
and slept ( I at least did, and soundly) on the open
road in a drenching rain.        At 3. A.M. we
again started and marched 24 miles to our present
position.        Here we found the Rappahannock
so swollen by the rains that we could not get across.
Thank God!  At last we have found a place of
rest.        We left many on the road, footsore and
exhausted, our Captain among the number (at
Falmouth), so I am now in command, and shall
probably be so when we go into action.        The men
like me, and we get along very well indeed.
When the river goes down, we shall probably cross
the Rapidan River.        We have an immense force
concentrated here now, so the rebels must look out.
There was heavy cannonading going on about ten
miles above us on the Rappahannock all day
yesterday, but with what result we can get no idea –
we must wait for home papers to find out.
Think of that!        There is one consolation for us
now.        They can give us no more very long
marches without a fight, as the rebels are very
near us.        So send a paper once in a while,
so that I can see what they are doing a quarter
of a mile from us.

We arrived here night before last in a drenching
rain storm, and in one place had to pass through
the water waist deep.        I am in excellent
health, now, though I was very feverish two
nights on the march, and sprained my foot
badly, so that I had to carry my sword on my
left arm and use a cane.        The sprain is
about well now.        If they let us alone for
two days more, our men will be in a hundred
per cent better health than before leaving
Harrison’s Landing – that horrible grave yard.
Our Colonel is sick with a fever in Baltimore.
I trust he will join us soon.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5130