Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/129

 AW,-/,/-/,/,/, Arhll.r.i. 128

KKI IKS Hi I III V.M.I I \.

Four day> alter < ieneral Jackson's transfer to the Valley of Vir- ginia, tin- infantry of lii> old brigade also returned, travelling by tin Manassas Gap railroad; and on the gth November the Rockbridge Artillery, without any escort, commenced its march across Loudoun county, passing several villages and crossing the Blue Ridge at Snick- er's (iap. and the Shenandoah river by a rope-ferry at Snicker's Ford. On our first night out on this march, we went into camp, unfortunately, near a distillery. Some of the men had got very- thirsty while they had been cooped up for the last several months, surrounded by so many strangers, and here was a chance to quench their thirst, which very many of them could not resist. The in- tensity of the thirst and the extent of quenching were not known till the next morning when the roll was called, and preparations made for resuming the inarch. It was hard to get enough sober men to harness and drive the horses. Some of the boys were put to driv- ing that day who knew no more about it than they knew about steer- ing a balloon. The situation was disgusting ; so much so that it grew to be ludicrous. All the liquor which could be found was confiscated and destroyed, but enough had been stowed away past finding, to keep them drunk all day. Whilst we were delayed in crossing the Shenandoah at the ferry, the belligerent stage of drunk- enness was reached, and there was a free fight in which one good soldier had his leg broken, and had to be left there till he recovered the use of it. He rejoined the battery soon, and lost his life the next year in battle.

We encamped that night at Berryville, and next day, Sunday, No- \ember loth, reached the neighborhood of Winchester, and camped near Kernstown. After a few days spent there, we were moved nearer to Winchester, and went into camp about half a mile west of it near the Romney road, at a place known as "Billy Wood's Thicket," a pleasant camp, well-sheltered by cedars, and at a con- venient distance from town. Here the whole battery remained till Wednesday, January i, 1862, excepting two guns, which were called out along with the infantry to assist in destroying Dam No. 5, or some other dam on the canal near the Potomac. The two detachments thus employed were absent about a week, and the weather being bad, they had unpleasant experience, though no lives were