[from the diary of the Rev. Francis Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]
Dec 3. roused at reveille – 6. A.M. breakfast sweet potatoes – fried
ham toast coffee – feel reinforced – prayers before breakfast -.
Camp in stir – we take rear guard today – hard job –
Yesterday 15th straggled & advanced so much that our boys
sd. there was a “telegraph line” of them reaching from here to Camp
Casey. Fairfax Sem” – It looks like rain – We have had
fine weather & good roads only steep hills so far. Gen. Wright
is lame fr. being turned over – & rides in Ambulance.
We do not march until 10 today to allow train supplies to
come up. Assisted in march of regt. Pretty good road –
not so hilly – Abercrombie’s brigade has a large baggage
train just behind – us – marched slow at first & two fast
at last – but two stragglers fr. one regt. large numbers from
15th Connt. & other regts. men shot & skinned pigs, chickens
geese – on march. They have 15th Conn. has used too much
whiskey & quinine, I reckon – encamped at 5 ½ in a
beautiful wooded slope – oak openings – a bright
moonlight night. The band of 13 N.H. discoursed while
we adere [?] at Supper – on roast chickens (those I brot. in fr.
Picket) potatoes & toast. Tis sd. one of Co Iy. men is
crazy, left hospital & joined regt. he thinks Jeff Davis is
in his Knapsack – & thrusts his bayonet into it at times
to kill him. We passed Piscataway a sleepy old village
early this morng. region thinly populated & inhabitants
complain of depredations of yesterdays troops.
I marched a foot with musket – about 3 or 4 miles while
a tired soldier rode. At a halt the boys cut down a
persimmon tree & charged on it as it fell & left in
three seconds not one persimmon on it. I among them.
We are sd. to be about 6 miles fr. Port tobaca, if so marched
about 11 miles – today – most of it was done since
about 2 P.M. Some think we go to Acquia Creek &
join Burnside before Fredericksburg, others by transports
to fortress Monroe & so up &c.
[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
MSS 12935