1862 August 5 near the Rappahannock

[from the diary of Private Ephraim Wood, of Co., C, 13th Massachusetts]

     Tuesday   Aug. 5th/62

  Reville beat this morning at three
Oclock.  The pickets came in about
the same time.  At five oclock
we had everything packed and
we marched.  We went about a
half of a mile and then haul-
ted, till nearly Seven O clock.
We then started, and marched
to the North fork of the
Rappahannock river, distance
eight miles.  The sun was very
warm, and we were all day in
marching it.  It was so warm
that I did not mind whether
I kept with the Regt or not.
I would march about a mile,
and then lay down for an hour
or more.  The Thermometer stood
at one hundred and twenty
in the Shade, and over
one hundred and thirty in
the Sun.  In the evening I
had a bath in the River.
The force consisted of Gen Ricketts
Brigade Division, composed of
Hartsuffs, Duryea and Towers
Brigades,

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12021