. History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan of the Iron brigade, known as the Detroit and Wayne county regiment .. . when angry, dark clouds hovered low over our heads, soonbursting into one of Virginias severest rain storms, which lasted tillmorning. The men had neither tents nor shelter, and they sufferedgreatly from the cold storm — a most severe initiation into thehardships of soldier life. And such was our first night at the Morrow and a few of the men found shelter in a house whereGeneral Joseph Hooker was stopping for the night. The latter hadjust arrived from the battlefields
. History of the Twenty-fourth Michigan of the Iron brigade, known as the Detroit and Wayne county regiment .. . when angry, dark clouds hovered low over our heads, soonbursting into one of Virginias severest rain storms, which lasted tillmorning. The men had neither tents nor shelter, and they sufferedgreatly from the cold storm — a most severe initiation into thehardships of soldier life. And such was our first night at the Morrow and a few of the men found shelter in a house whereGeneral Joseph Hooker was stopping for the night. The latter hadjust arrived from the battlefields near by, and the two formed anacquaintanceship which continued through later experiences inarmy life. CAMP MORROW — JADED TROOPS. The next morning, September 2d, fires were built, our clothesdried upon our backs, and from our haversacks we ate our first mealin Dixie, as the South was called. The location was named CampMorrow. It was customary to name regimental camps after somemember, patron, friend or dead member of the regiment. At two * First Families of Virginia, (52) FIRST MONTHS OF ARMY LIFE. 53. *t». Cl cwwio a^ ^ , Vf } 54 HISTORY OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH MICHIGAN. oclock marching orders came but no start was made. Ammunitionwas distributed and that night we slept on our arms, or with our gunsby our side, as the enemys pickets were not far away. The following day we saw the jaded, foot-sore and dustyfragments of the once magnificent Army of the Potomac, pass by ourcamp, to within the fortifications around Washington. For seventeendays had these decimated regiments been fighting and retreatingbefore a victorious foe — men who had fought their way up thePeninsula to within sight of the Richmond spires, slept in the noxiousswamps of the Chickahominy, and even among festering bodies ofunburied dead men and horses, and whom we had come to the authority that stopped enlistments the spring before, moststupidly miscalculated the necessities of the hour
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Keywords: ., bookauthorcurtisoborsonblair184, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890
