On Picket Line North of Washington, July 13th, 1864.
I have but just sent off the last. I will just continue. When we reached the wharf the word was that the rebels were fighting with our troops on 7th Street, but you see I did not believe it, as we were marching very deliberately through the city, though every woman and child we met had great stories to tell. We marched through on 7th street, got well out of the city, crossed over to another road that leads to 14th St. was marched up near Fort Stephens and turned off into the woods and lay there all day. There was an occasional gun from the fort and some picket firing. The news was that the rebel picket lines were not more than ¾ of a mile from us and for once it was correct. 72 pickets and 5 non commissioned officers and one commissioned. We cooked our supper and laid down and had just gotten well asleep when the whole Regiment was ordered out. In the meantime there had been a pretty sharp skirmish fire going on, with a few heavy guns from the fort, but these things don’t keep us from sleeping now. Well, we started off, went out beyond the fort, laid down by the side of the road and waited for the moon to go down. I suppose the firing was still sharp, but it was picket firing.
There I met with an intelligent soldier, who belonged to the 1st Division of our corps, but was one of the last to arrive in Washington. He said that when they reached the wharf, the report was that the rebels were in Fort Stephens. The Brigade was put on the double quick and the weather was so hot that when they got to the fort the did not have more than 300 men in the ranks. They found a few Invalids and hundred days men in the fort almost scared to death and the rebels were advancing on the fort, and nothing to prevent then from going in. The citizens were fighting pretty well. The Brigade immediately deployed a skirmish line and charged on the rebs and drove them back a piece. They had drove the rebels back on the right of the line a mile and a half on the left our line had advanced in skirmish line and were met by the rebels in line of battle and driven back, but they then held a good line. We were deployed on the left; just as we were deployed the firing ceased and not another shot was fired during the night, but just outside of our line was many a wounded rebel begging to be brought in. Their groans and cries were pitiful. Our boys went out and brought them in. There was many a dead one round us, and occasionally one of our men. We laid until morning, and then before we got our breakfast were sent out on skirmish, but the rebels were gone, or the main body. We kept taking prisoners. I went about two miles, and was left to guard six prisoners and among them I found an old acquaintance from Ellerslie, Harris County, Ga.
“Pack up and fall in” is the word.
