"[W]e started for Washington at 10 P.M. and arrived at 8 A.M. having been all night in those old cars, and a terrible cold storm raging all the time. We encamped that night at Camp Casey, about a mile and a half out of the Capitol near the 12th Regiment".... ~ E. D. Keyes, 1st Lieutenant, Company H. writing as "Duane" to the Bellows Falls Times, published November 7, 1862
"Started for Washington at 11P.M. Arrived there at 8 A.M. 27th. Went into camp on Capitol Hill at 5 P.M. Got no tents until after dark, mighty cold night, men suffered for a lack of comfortable quarters." ~ Joseph Spafford, 1st Lieutenant, Company E, Letter, November 9, 1862
"We got into Camp on Monday at East Capitol Hill. Heard from Henry to-day. He is coming with my horse soon". ~ Col. Wheelock G. Veazey, Letter to Julia, October 29, 1862
"At 12, or midnight, the cars came in and we loaded in the mud and darkness into some dilapidated cattle car for Washington. It rained all night and the water ran in though every crack and between every two boards of the roof, until all with in were wet nearly through except as partially protected by thin rubber blankets. The officers were stowed into a little leaky car, where then were but two thirds as many seats as persons. But their was but very little complaint.
"Everyone was cheerful, and songs, we have a large number of five singers in our regiment - and stories kept us in good humor during our eight hours ride from Baltimore to Washington, a distance of only forty miles. ... It rained, oh how it rained, all the way until we arrived within two miles of Washington, when it cleared off.
"We landed about 9 o’clock Monday morning, got our breakfast in detachments at a soldier’s saloon, supplied by government with goat rations. The colonel got his orders and at 4 p.m., we were marched to our present camp. We got ready the best we could for the night and today not a man but what reports for duty. I got cold sleeping on the ground, but with that exception never felt better or heath in my life." ~ Lt. Col. Charles Cummings, Letter No. 1, October 28, 1862
"From Baltimore to Washington the distance is forty miles and we were eight hours on the road and a more comfortless ride it is seldom any person's lot to enjoy. Our cars were leaky and dirty and for a considerable portion of the time we never saw it rain harder, but all things have an end and so did that ride, and we finally found ourselves in the suburbs of far-famed Washington.
"Our first view of Washington was far from prepossessing for we had only seen the outskirts of the city, and that sight verified the expression of Lawyer Fullum that there was nothing to be seen in Washington except niggers and speckled pigs, and we didn't see anything else worth mentioning except the meanest yellowest, nastiest, and greasiest mud you ever saw.
"We understand that the five regiments of Vermonters that went for nine months are to be formed into a brigade to go together. We went over to the 13th and took supper on Monday night... ." ~ Hezron G. Day, Company C, Letter of October 29, 1862
"Started for Washington at 11P.M. Arrived there at 8 A.M. 27th. Went into camp on Capitol Hill at 5 P.M. Got no tents until after dark, mighty cold night, men suffered for a lack of comfortable quarters." ~ Joseph Spafford, 1st Lieutenant, Company E, Letter, November 9, 1862
"We got into Camp on Monday at East Capitol Hill. Heard from Henry to-day. He is coming with my horse soon". ~ Col. Wheelock G. Veazey, Letter to Julia, October 29, 1862
"At 12, or midnight, the cars came in and we loaded in the mud and darkness into some dilapidated cattle car for Washington. It rained all night and the water ran in though every crack and between every two boards of the roof, until all with in were wet nearly through except as partially protected by thin rubber blankets. The officers were stowed into a little leaky car, where then were but two thirds as many seats as persons. But their was but very little complaint.
"Everyone was cheerful, and songs, we have a large number of five singers in our regiment - and stories kept us in good humor during our eight hours ride from Baltimore to Washington, a distance of only forty miles. ... It rained, oh how it rained, all the way until we arrived within two miles of Washington, when it cleared off.
"We landed about 9 o’clock Monday morning, got our breakfast in detachments at a soldier’s saloon, supplied by government with goat rations. The colonel got his orders and at 4 p.m., we were marched to our present camp. We got ready the best we could for the night and today not a man but what reports for duty. I got cold sleeping on the ground, but with that exception never felt better or heath in my life." ~ Lt. Col. Charles Cummings, Letter No. 1, October 28, 1862
"From Baltimore to Washington the distance is forty miles and we were eight hours on the road and a more comfortless ride it is seldom any person's lot to enjoy. Our cars were leaky and dirty and for a considerable portion of the time we never saw it rain harder, but all things have an end and so did that ride, and we finally found ourselves in the suburbs of far-famed Washington.
"Our first view of Washington was far from prepossessing for we had only seen the outskirts of the city, and that sight verified the expression of Lawyer Fullum that there was nothing to be seen in Washington except niggers and speckled pigs, and we didn't see anything else worth mentioning except the meanest yellowest, nastiest, and greasiest mud you ever saw.
"We understand that the five regiments of Vermonters that went for nine months are to be formed into a brigade to go together. We went over to the 13th and took supper on Monday night... ." ~ Hezron G. Day, Company C, Letter of October 29, 1862
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