May 15, 1863. Two men of the 16th paroled to Annapolis

"May 15. Hooker is back again in his old position, and I am feeling greatly disappointed in the result of his late movements. I begin to think that something is wrong in the management of affairs somewhere. Why is it that this "grand Army of the Potomac" is doomed to suffer so many defeats? ....

"Our brigade is at present guarding a line of about fifty miles, extending from Rappahannock Station to Occoquan City. ~ John C. Williams, Corporal, Co. B, 14th Regiment, Life in Camp 121 (1864)

"Friday 15th. On day patrol on railroad from 8 A.M. till 8 P.M. Easy duty, for we sat down most of the time, as it answered every purpose. Since the thunder-storm, with hail, of yesterday P.M. the weather has been much cooler, & about comfortable. Got letter from Baxter this eve. He is getting along well." ~ Diary of Horace Barlow (UVM), 119, Horace Barlow, Pvt., Co. C, 12th Regiment 

Camp Parole, Annapolis

"[L]ast Sunday [the 10th] while we were there [Bristoe] the Rebs under Mosley undertook to burn two bridges, the first one was across Kettle Run about 1 and 1/2 miles beyond us, but the cars came along just in time to put out the fire and leave a guard. Foiled there, they next tried to burn a small bridge about a mile this side of us, but the man on the lookout saw the smoke and a part of the boys started off on the run and got there just in time to put out the fire before it had rendered the bridge impassable and to get a glimpse of the Rebs (30 or 40 in number) who had done the work. 

"The captain started a scouting party after them in the hope that they would halt somewhere so that we could get a sight of them, but they did no such thing, Though they caught two of our boys who had strayed off on their own hook and captured them in plain sight of the camp. They took them off some 8 or 10 miles and then Mosley paroled them and they came into camp early next morning.

"They have now gone to the paroled prisoners' camp at Annapolis. Their names were Joseph Ashley from Cavendish and Juda West of Weston- the tallest man in the company. When captured, Ashley had on neither coat nor vest and they had to lie out in the woods overnight with no other covering than what brush they could gather up.

"West had some $30 in cash with him but managed to hide it as they were walking along so that the Rebs did not find it. Ashley cried like a child when he started for Annapolis, but there was no help for it. General Stannard would not permit them to stay with their regiment."   ~ Hezron G. Day, pvt., Company C, Sixteenth Regiment, Letter of May 18, 1863

Ashley was killed at Gettysburg, and West died from disease August 6, 1863.