1862 December 1 on road to Fredericksburg

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]


Dec 1.  Mon.  rose early   bathed,  settled mess & mail
[-] reduced baggage – struck tent & about noon
marched 5. Regts. back to long bridge thro. Washington
across Eastern branch of Potomac to Maryland, en
route it is sd. to Burnside’s Army   Fredericksburg
Marched about 13 miles.  the 15th. Conn. men threw away
thr. hats, & many straggled, one man sd.  As th  seeing
them line the road as we came up – “Are you guard
ing the road,  one fell down in fit raved & tossed–
he was put in ambulance    Encamped about
8. PM in field by roadside – got up Mess tent
Col. Major. Dr. B. Adjutant.  & [--] attacking & myself
occupy it.   eat toast & coffee for Supper.
Fine moonlight night as I write   the camp is
still.  Men in shelter tents.   mules fastened to
baggage train.   a little cat at my feet which
followed us here – how picturesque.   near 11 ½ P.M.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935