Thurs [December] 11 [1862]

slept some -- I write now while the roar
of batteries fills the air -- Heard signal (?) [Butler's notation] guns
at 1/4 to 5 __ & at 5 1/2 batteries began & are roaring
now -- abt. 6. 1/2 A.M. -- we are just thru. breakfast.
Prayers over. A sergeant comes in & says Col. "it
is wish of our Co. that Capt. _____ [Butler's notation] shall not lead us
into battle" -- want another man -- The shells are
heard flying thro. air -- (I copy now from field note book)
The Regt. were ordered under Arms, moved to brow
of a hill, stood in the mud awhile & ordered back.
Major Brown & I rode over to a hill top & witnessed the
bombardment of City, our batteries for about 3 miles up
& down the river poured in a tremendous rain of shot &
shell. City on fire at dift. points -- Burnside & Staff rode
past & it sd. crossed river on pontoon bridge. We were
distant about 3/4 of a mile fr. the City just in front
of [Gen. Edmund V.] Sumners hd. qrs. Got Supper in Mess tent wh. had been
moved to make room for hospitals. The wounded
came in in Ambulances, abt. 20 or 30.
Rebel batteries silent. hardly set down before again
ordered off, joined regt. on hill -- It was dark, an artillery
train crossed our column & cut it off -- we & 13 N.H.
wandered in darkness unable to find river. I rode back
to Sumners he. Qrs. for Guide -- Was ordered to Wilcox's
could n't find it -- returned to Regt. moved on at
double quick -- men exhausted -- some fell out. My
bag oats untied & lost half -- reached R.R. halted, guide
came at length & we reached river -- & crossed on pontoon
bridge without accident. pitch fires at either end
Showed us the way: passed up the river street
(dismounted to look at the) houses shattered & burnt by the
bombardment, turned up to the next St., halted in brigade
line stacked arms & ordered men to make themselves
comfortable for the night: threw out pickets up sts,
leading up from river (5 of them taken prisoner at once)
saw what we supposed rebel lines & fires on hill about
mile from City in rear of City. Fine st. well built: The
troops tore down fences to warm themselves, a chilly
night. Thank God we had not to face the rebel
batteries in crossing as I feared. Officers took up
qrs. for night in best houses with sentries in house &
at gate. Ours is a small neat cottage & comfortable.
first book I took up was McGee on Ephesians.
presented to Miss Woodward by E. C. Alexander N.Y.
Evidently a religious family. Every thing here just
as family left it. I write before a nice wood fire
in kitchen, Slept on floor, clothes all on: Nothing
but hard tack & coffee for breakfast, but feel much
better. Saw three dead rebel soldiers in our st.
Stiff in death -- & two of them horribly mangled with
Shot & shell, trees torn to pieces & fine mansions
shattered, others in ruins, letters, papers & books
scattered about. It is now morng.




Major J[ohn] Kelty Brown of the 25th New Jersey
Brigadier-General Orlando Bolivar Willcox (1823-1907) commanded 1st Division of Burnside's IX Corps.
The Rev. Robert James Mcghee. Expository Lectures on the Epistle to the Ephesians. 1857.

Wed. [December] 10. [1862]

Fine cold Morng. Our mess tent is pitched in midst
of troops bivouacked in Shelter tents all around us
It is sd. our batteries are to open on enemy today
& we are now within eight miles of front.
Marched at 9 A.M. our regt. leading -- roads rough with
frozen mud -- overtook & pasd numerous camps -- closed in
mass for dinner Col & Major off I took command, broke
into column & marched on -- to tune of coming thru. the rye
As we neared river Col Wright -- Comdg. gave us orders to report
to Col Hawkins -- Gen. we are now under his command. Gen. Gettys
division (& Sumners grand division of Burnsides Army I
suppose) -- encamped about 3 -- on south side of a
wooded slope about 1 mile No. East of Fredericksburg -- while
mess tent was pitching -- I rode over hill to river -- saw Gen.
Sumner & &c. making a reconnaissance of rebels -- went myself
to river bank. Saw city across river, which is partly forzen --
& about size of Passaic at Paterson -- high banks & all bridges
destroyed. Saw rebel pickets distinctly & full view of city
All was as still as Sunday -- under the warm
sun of this Dec. afternoon -- Perhaps tonight or tomorrow
the earth will shake to roar of 300 000 men in battle.
Caught cold yesterday -- felt dull & heavy -- & sick on march --
We hope for fresh meat now -- hard tack & bacon are getting
th tiresome. Heard Gen. Banks has landed at Harrison's
landing with 75000 men -- Burnsides' headquarters is about
half mile So. of us -- We are ordered to have 3 days rations
ready to march at 7. AM tomorrow, taking nothing
but what can carry on horse -- or back -- Move wagons
in two hours -- so as to be away fr. enemy's fire --
if shell us tonight.

Col. called Officers to tent told them we were to
open our batteries at daylight -- in order to divert the
enemy while our troops cross -- we ^'our brigade' to cross the
the second one. All last orders were given
I read 91 Psalm -- spoke few words & prayed


Colonel (later General) Rush Christopher Hawkins (1831-1920) commanded the 1st Brigade, 3rd Division in the IX Corps at Fredericksburg

Brigadier-General George Washington Getty (1819-1901) commanded the 3rd Division of the IX Corps

Major-General Edwin Vose Sumner (1797-1863) "Old Bull Head," commanded the "Right Grand Division" of the army, consisting of his own II Corps and the IX Corps, at Fredericksburg

Major-General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks (1816-1894) was nowhere near Harrison's Landing [and was probably on his way south to assume command of the 19th Corps, Dept. of the Gulf?]

(Ezra J. Warner. Generals in Blue)

Tuesday [December] 9 [1862]

Fine bright cold morng. good wash & change of clothes,
refreshing after a week's march -- just ordered to go to Falmouth
opposite Fredericksburg at 1 P.M. Sd. Rebels are evacuating
F -- not so -- Marched at 1 -- about 7 6 miles encamped at 5 --
in pine woods -- near R.R. -- roads muddy -- teams up in good
time. Marched afoot about 2 miles with a musket -- felt
chilly & have a cold -- Passed many encampments &
deserter camps -- dead horses -&c a fine old table monument
under a fine clump of old trees with gigantic grape vines over-
running them -- it was to "Mrs. Margaret wife of Peter Hedgman [?]
of Stafford Co. gentleman -- died 1754. aged 52 etc Conjux Dolens
H.M.P." a pussy cat that has followed us all the way fr.
Fairfax sits on my lap while I write -- Cavalry in large
bodies pass to front --& the road is ordered to be kept clean
by our camp -- for Artillery to go to front. We are now within
8 miles of the rebels -- go to Falmouth at 9 -- where Burnsides
Army lies. the whole brigade is close together here -- & woods
full of smoke fr. watch fires -- trees crashing in all directions
the band played Annie Laurie tonight.

Conjux or Coniux Dolens H[oc] M[onumentum] P[osuit] translates roughly as Grieving Husband Erected This Monument.

Mon [December] 8 [1862]

Clear bright cold day. Wrote Mr. H. got letters
Sat. fr. home -- franked letters. Nothing but coffee & hard
tack for breakfast. rose at reveille -- Saw several regts.
moveinfantry move to front. We are on high bank Rbl
Army close by in gorge -- Abt. noon staff baggage -- [Ard?] [Arrived?] & my
horse & blankets came -- It was a welcome
sightarrival.
We ate sweet potatoes roast turkey & bread, with
relish. Attended dress parade. 815 is strength of regt.
Coming in -- Perry sd. with tears he had given way to anger &
used bad language -- talked & comforted him.
One crazy boy -- says "My dear Chaplain you never heard
me say bad words Amen" -- Col. M & officers took
tea with us. I am to go (DV) tomorrow with
Col. M. to Burnside's head Quarters Falmouth to
see about being new brigaded &c visited Capt. Blenkow
Sick in Shelter tent. Sd his father was shot at Waterloo
before he was born -- tallest man in his regt. the
Capt is abt. the shortest in his. May be ordered to front
any moment -- cant get any supplies except
pork -- crackers -- coffee sugar salt & potatoes.
Our march here was abt. 70 miles -- & 6 crossg. river,
a week on way. Not quite so cold today.

Three men with last name Perry in 25th New Jersey: Private Berthnal of Co. C, Private John of Co. H. and Private Theodore S. of Co. H.

Col. Moses N. Wisewell [?] of 28th New Jersey

Capt. David Blenkow, Co. F, 25th New Jersey

Sun [December] 7 [1862]

Rose early got a good breakfast on boat -- saw
no signs of baggage -- went to camp -- Staid in pine bough
but nothing to eat but hard tack coffee & raw pork
& two or three sweet cakes -- all day. Dr. Reiley brot. a
piece of roast turkey & bread for us, shared with Col
Mindel[?] The men suffer much fr. smoke of camp
fires. At dress parade spoke a few words & offered prayer.
Col D[errom] & I slept in a bough hut -- with Col Mindel &
Officers -- before a watch fire -- but it was very close
storming, & tho. warm when started, cold end before daylight.
Ther[mometer] must have stood abt 20 o. clear windy moonlight
night. The officers sang hymns & Gloria in excelsis.
In eveg. talked with Tom Cook -- poor boy had just learned
of his brother's death. Men stand it well -- Got a surgeon
fr. N.Y. regt. to dress Bugler's leg -- cut by an axe --

James Riley, Surgeon of the 25th New Jersey
Thomas Cook, Private in Co. H.

[Saturday] Dec. 6 [1862]

Fine bright day, passed very comfortable night tho.
tent floor is still covered with Snow. Roasted two turkies
during night. We march to & then cross river this morng.
I sd. to act as Burnside's reserve -- the march thro. the
low thick pine woods, covered with Snow -- in a forest by road on
the bright morng. was very picturesque -- tho ice half ice [inch?] thick.
Crossed river -- with 9. Cos. very cold -- about 1 oclk -- marched
a mile or so up
riverrail road. from Aquia Creek to
Fredericksburg -- encamped on low hlls left of R.R. I staid
at Wharf waiting for baggage rear guard till dark -- hungry
& cold. It did not come -- found poor Maryland boy whose horse
was stolen -- by Brigade before us. He was shivering without an
overcoat in cold eveg. air -- biting & keen -- He had nothing to eat --
not a cent -- no friends & no way to cross over to his home.
I asked Capt. of a St. Bt.to take him in -- give him supper -- lodging &
passage over in morng. Capt. promised to do it --
The boy was very grateful, he had not found his horse --
Col. Wisewell
losthorse fell in river in crossg. Col. Brown
12th R.I. came over abt. dark -- I led him & regt. up to camp
ground -- & then went back to dock with Col. D. to wharf --
& slept on table of St. Bt. haversack for pillow -- Mr. Budan
gave me part of his shawl for cover but very cold.
One officer sprang up in night. Sd. cannonading was going
on at Fredericksburg (abt. 15 miles distant). it was
unloadg. Army Supplies -- Saw 1st Conn. & heavy guns on
wharf loaded up to go to Burnside. We are now under
him. Rebel Army under Lee is a F. & B. this side river
So we are not over 14 miles fr. the two larget Armies ever
massed on this Cont, I suppose & we a part of
itone of them.
[word lined out] We marched only abt. 3 miles today. Sailed 6 miles
diagonally across Potomac, which is abt. 4 miles broad here.

Col. Moses N. Wisewell, 28th New Jersey
Col. George H. Browne, 12th Rhode Island

[Friday] Dec. 5 [1862]

Marched at 8 -- It began to rain some -- changed to snow
& snows now 9 P.M. We reached camp at 2 1/2 but waggons arriv
detained by steep hills -- & did not arrive till 8 P.M.
I rode back 5 miles to see about them. The Q.M. very polite &
gentlemanly today -- Our men & preceding have
committed great depredations on farmers -- In one house where
I bot. some butter, I saw a bullet hole thro. side of house which
had been shot by a soldier firing at hogs hens or something -- it
grazed the woman bonnet -- & Cut off some of the trimings
Another widow woman begged me with tears to place a
guard -- or come in "for ^'a' warm", but I was not out of saddle for
over 12 hours -- roads fearfully muddy -- many stragglers --
As I rode at dusk thro. the snow covered pine forests -- after
the wagons toiling thro. mud & snow -- it seemed like revolutionary
times -- saw quail close by road. We are now about 1 1/2
miles fr. river. Liverpool [?] point, & cross tomorrow probably
nr. Berday & V. followed us in carriage & brot word of severe
illness of both Col Ayres & his wife. Also sd. Banks expedition
had failed (in part) to take Richmond while Burnside
held Lee at Fredericksburg & we are to cross over
to act as his grand reserve. We shall see by Sunday
night probably -- A hard days march tho. onlyabout
13 miles -- men halted, built fires & tried hard to keep
up & be comfortable -- we are now in a pine forest
snow falling & tent floor covered with wet leaves &
snow. We saw men catching rabbits in field where
we halted last night. Been in saddle 12 hours, rode
abt. 22 miles --back & forth.