Friday, November 21, 1862. The 15th replaces the 14th on picket. Accidental shooting.

"A sad event occurred on Wednesday on the picket line. A corporal of the Fourteenth regiment while instructing a soldier how to halt and cover with his piece any suspected enemy approaching the station, fired off his gun, shooting the man through the breast. The wound was a terrible one, and I am told the man must die." ~ G.G. Benedict, pvt., Company C, 12th Regiment, Letter to the Free Press of November 24, 1862 in Army Life in Virginia, 

"Charles H. Pond of Manchester, Co. C, 14th regiment, was shot through the breast by the premature discharge of a gun in the hands of a corporal while on picket duty a few days since.  The ball entered the right breast, passing through, took off the lower corner of the shoulder blade.  I saw him to-day in the hospital.  He is a young man of very strong constitution and great power of endurance, and it is thought will recover.  It appears that the corporal had seen some service, and was displaying his talents by showing said Pond how to halt persons approaching.- and drawing up his piece discharged it, but how it happened he don’t seem to know." ~ E. D. Keyes, 1st Lieutenant, Company H, Sixteenth Regiment, writing as "Duane" in Letter of November 23, 1862 to Bellows Falls Times

"Our regiment returned from picket duty ... after being relieved by the 15th Vermont. We arrived in camp all right,... save an accident which happened to one of Company C by a comrade in arms, whose gun was accidentally discharged, the contents entering the shoulder in front and coming out at the back. We did not have a very agreeable time of it, in consequence of the heavy rain which continued the whole time we were gone. The picket line is about four miles from our camp. There are cavalry pickets four miles beyond this line. Our regiment guarded the extreme left of the line, which extends down to the river. We were exposed all the time to the drenching storm, without any shelter other than bough tents, through which the rain would pour about as badly as it did in the open field. It was not a very comfortable time for us, being exposed for three days to the rain and mud."  ~ J. C. Williams, Corporal, Co. B, 14th Regiment, Life in Camp 31-32  (1864)

"Have arrived at Headquarters of the picket. Built a bush house and am quite comfortable, for such cold windy day as this is. The wind in this country blows through a man every puff, and makes him curl like a thousand legged worm. I must fall in now in a few minutes to go to the outpost, which is about two miles from here, stay at place four hours and then return, stay at headquarters eight hours and then go back." ~Dairy of Oliver A. Browne, Co. K, 15th Regiment    

"Friday Nov 21st This morning as the 15th & 16th are under "marching orders", our turn came to go out on picket & off we went in a rainstorm. We remained on the old line, & acted as the support & occupied ourselves in putting up a shelter. The rain stopped & it cleared off before noon, so we were pretty comfortable having a good fire & good company." ~ Diary of Horace Barlow, Co. C, 12th Regiment