May 8, 1863. "A very pretty place for a camp"

"Friday 8th. This is a very pretty place for a camp, near the River & we find good water. Raining to-day. So we are lying in our tents, mostly. The farther we push into Va. the better the land & better improved. This must have been a splendid section before the war, but now we see, for the most part, ruins." ~ Diary of Horace Barlow (UVM), 115, Horace Barlow, Pvt., Co. C, 12th Regiment



PS: "About 10,000 (ten thousand) cavalry came to this station, under command of Gen Stoneman, just having returned from their great raid down toward Richmond. A part went on to Bealeston Station. They presented a splendid appearance, tho' tired & hungry, horses & men having had no food for 24 hours. They went within about 2 (two) miles) of R & destroyed all that came in their way." ~ Id. at 117-118



"Friday morning. all as well as we were yesterday & hope that this will find you well. It has rained a good share of the time for the last four days & it rains some now & some it dont. Ira, C. Small & myself set here on our Rubber blankets under our shelter tents doubled up about as much as E. Sanders used to be. So you may judge what kind of a chance we have to write. The Country between here and manassas junction is as nice as any that I ever saw & where we are encamped now the clover is three our four inches high & looks as green & rank as any that you ever saw

"... I presume that you have seen in the paper about the death of Templeton the notorious Rebel Spy who was shot at the Battle of Warrenton last Sunday he was a man I should think of about forty years of age. Slim built. was about five feet seven inches in height I should think (could of tole better if I could have seen him a standing up) I saw the one who shot him. he said that he Templeton rode up to him & said Surrender you d...d yankee son of a bitch well says he I will. At the same time he drew his revolver & put a ball through his heart & he fell from his horse & died without a struggle. I heard some of Mosbys men say that they had better lost fifty men than him. Dick Moran whose name you have probably noticed in the paper I should gage would weigh about two hundred pounds was shot through the windpipe.

"But the cars have come in & I must stop in order to have this go out. write soon.

"J H Hammond to the folks at home." ~ Jabez H. Hammond, West Windsor, age 20, Sgt. Co. A, 12th Regt Letter No. 40


[Templeton the "notorious spy" and Moran: see Report of Report of Gen Julius Stahel, in  James Joseph Williamson Mosby's Rangers 58]