Roswell Farnham to Mary [Farnham]
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We have reached this place this morning after a hard march thro' the mud & rain. We have been here an hour & it is now one o'clk.
There are several Corps here, all mixed up & we shall stop an hour or two and then on again. I don tknow where we shall turn up, but, as the boys say, they cant keep us but about four days more. Nobody knows where Lee is, or where we are going.
Hooker is removed from the command & Genl. Meade of the 5th. Corps is at present in temporary command - So we are told - Doubtful!
Copy Camp of 12th. Vt. Regt.Four miles north of FrederickMd.June 29th. 1863MondayDear Mary:
We are still on the march. This is our fifth day. I am very tired & the men are almost tired to death - One man in the 14th. fell down dead in the road today. He died without a word or struggle. (This is a mistake, as I afterwards learned)
It has rained today & is very muddy. Twenty thousand men have passed over these roads within a few hours and they are tread into mortar. We have a long march tomorrow as we are expected to reach Gettysburgh Pa. Where we shall be when we are discharged I dont know.
I understand we are to have an invitation to remain, but it is extremely doubtful about the boys remaining. At any rate you need not give yourself any uneasiness in the matter.
I enclose a scrap I commenced writing when we were near Frederick. Excuse the brevity of this.
Your affectionate husbandRos.
Reveille at 4-1/2 & start at six. It is not past ten at night. We got into camp just before seven.
Copy Bivouac in Woods inCatoctin Mts. Md.June 30th. '6312 o'clk M. Tuesday
We started at five this morning & it has rained nearly all the time. We are now on the road between Frederick & Hagarstown, tho' we may turn back to the road to Gettysburgh. Our boys are much better today than I supposed they could be. The roads are very muddy. It has commenced raining again.
We have passed thro' a splendid country in Maryland. It looks like New England.
We have just made some tea & eaten a few cakes that we bought along the road.
Rations are getting short. "Frank" has got half a dozen live chickens across his saddle for our mess.
We are near the place called Catoctin Furnace. It is probably put down on the large map.
6 o'clk P. M.
We are now stopping by the roadside in sight of Emmetsburgh Md., while the Genl. is looking up a place for camp. We shall stay here tonight. Large forces are in sight.
Ros.
Copy Bivouac of 12th. Vt.July 2d. 1863Dear Mary:
Night before last we camped at Emmetsburgh. I saw Higbee there yesterday morning. He married his wife there.
Yesterday we moved towards Gettysburgh but did not reach there. There was fighting most of the day. Last night we were sent off to guard the waggon train in the direction of Tarreytown or Littletown. We are not moving in the general direction of Baltimore. It would not be strange if we were asked to stay a little longer & it would not be strange if we stayed. Our boys feel better.
Genl. Reynolds was killed yesterday. He commanded our Corps - the 1st
Artillery is pasing us continually. We have got the rebs without doubt. They threw some shells into Gettysburgh & the women & children & old men left. We pitched no tents last night. It did not happen to rain, as it has done for the past seven days, & it looks like rain today. "Burnie" still keeps along & is better but very poor. I shall mail this as soon as I get a chance.
Ros.