September 16, 1862: 2nd PA Emergency Militia (L. Richards)

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Part of the morning was devoted to foraging at the neighboring farmhouses, but little or nothing could be procured, the ground having already been pretty well covered by advance parties.  Apples, however, were abundant, as there were many fine orchards in this vicinity.

Here, under the direction of the Quartermaster, a sort of wigwam was constructed, built of fence-rails and cornstalks, and floored with straw.  It was long enough to accommodate the entire company, and formed a very tight and really comfortable tenement.  The Conococheague Creek ran within a few hundred yards of the camp, and the men had several good baths in it.  Regiments were continually arriving from the railroads, and the shrieks of the steam-whistles, the blasts of bugles, clatter of drums, and the cheering of the trrops enlivened the day.  Among the accessions were the Blue Reserves, of Philadelphia, a uniformed organization, which made a handsome appearance.  Before night there were said to be ten thousand men on the ground.  A large force of militia was evidently intended to be concentrated at this point.  Met a number of acquaintances among the new arrivals.  Had several squad and company drills, and expected, from the arrangements we observed in progress, to remain some time in this situation.  While out for excercise we could hear the noise of distant artillery proceeding from the direction of Sharpsburg and Harper's Ferry.  The anxiety increased to hear something from the army.  Occasionally a newspaper, a day or two out of date, was brought in from the railroad, and its contents eagerly devoured.  It was said that Hagerstown had been abandoned by the rebels, and that telegraph and railroad communication had been re-established with that point.  Reports circulated, which were afterwards verified, that fighting had commenced between the corps f Generals Hooker and Reno had been killed.  When the camp-fires were lighted, after nightfall, the woods resounded with martial music, song, and cheers, and the scene was a highly animating and inspiring one.  Such sights are seldom witnessed, and are not to be soon forgotten.  Before turning into our hut, seated myself on a bank a little distance apart from the rest, in company with my friend K., and we took a quiet smoke and talked of home, whither our thoughts continually turned.  Enjoyed the best night's rest of the campaign, owing to the comfort of our quarters.

- Louis Richards

September 16, 1862: 5th PA Emergency Militia

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On the 16th, next day, we removed to the woods, building ourselves tents and huts like the Israelites in the wilderness.  The temperature was rather hot and the ground mellow.  I hesitated to lay down in the dust, but there was no other choice.  Finally submitting to the absolute necessities and accommodating myself to circumstances, I laid down with the expectation to sleep, but alas! I was mistaken in my bright expectations.  Some of my neighbors were singing, others using vulgar expressions, and some praying in a very loud voice and telling Heavenly Father what he ought to do, and that our cause is the right one, and so forth - consequently I could not shut my eyes for a long while.  In regard to combining vulgar songs and expressions with loud prayers I thought of the words of Napoleon: "From the sublime to the rediculous [sp] there is but one step."

Finally Morpheus took me in his arms and I fell asleep.  Sleep in the messenger of heaven to keep the equilibrium between the material and the spiritual world.  Without him mankind would sink into an untimely grave, under the pressure of trials and affections.

- Paul Wald

September 16, 1862: 2nd PA Emergency Militia (J. Witmer)

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We started about sunrise and marched down the road toward Greencastle in search of our regiment, not knowing where it was situated, and being told that it was still further on, we continued marching down the road until we were stopped by our pickets on the side of Greencastle. They told us that our Regiment was encamped back a mile of two towards Chambersburg.  So back we started, tired & hungry and found the regiment encamped in a wood about five miles south west of Chambersburg, it was now nearly three oclock P.M. and the most of us had not eaten any thing since we left Harrisburg, so you may believe we had a good appetite for the dandelion coffee, and bean soup, which we got about four o’clock. We then set about erecting shanties in the woods, which was done by putting up a ridge pole, leaving nails against it (the fences were torn down for this purpose) and thatching with straw and corn fodder. The straw we carried from a barn about a half a mile off and the fodder we brought from the fields. We cut and husked the corn and carried off the fodder. Then we thought we had very comfortable quarters, but as the shed was built up the side of a hill, and Uncle George and I slept at the lower end, the men slid down in the night and we were rolled out into the woods which was not very pleasant especially as it was raining.  Our ration this day were bread, hard crackers, and bean soup.  The crackers were prefferable to the bread as it was generally sour. Some of the men bought chickens, and I saw some from the Pottsville company carrying in a large pig. I felt quite ready to retire after roll call which was at nine oclock, and with the exception of rolling out of  bed slept very soundly until morning “And the Evening and the morning were the first day”.

- John Witmer

September 16, 1862: Byers' Independent Cavalry Co.

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Clear-fine-hot-sun.  We woke at 5 A.M.  Considerable discussion and doubt in the Company about the propriety of our going out of the State.  We had been ordered to report to Gen. Reynolds at Chambersburg, where, not finding him, we proceeded to Greencastle expecting to find him.  He was not there, but said to be at Hagerstown.  The Captain himself had great doubts about the fitness of our going out of the State to report to any one, as we would then be under his orders.  I considered it rather ridiculous for us to set out for service and yet stop short of being appointed to any, and thought it most unbecoming and unsuitable for us to ask the nature of the orders we might get there.  We accordingly determined with some hesitation on the part of the Captain and some others, (he hesitating I think mainly from his implied obligations not to take the men beyond the [state] borders) to move on to Hagerstown, and we left Greencastle at 2 to 3 P.M.  Our arrival at the State line five miles from Greencastle, we loaded pistols to be ready for emergencies.  When within a few miles of Hagerstown the Quarter master [Benjamin] Peters and the Surgeon [George] Dock went ahead into the town to look for quarters.  They returned with word that all was full and forage not to be had.  We halted at the farm of an Thomas Spriggle, two miles out of town, where we got hay for our horses and quarters for the men in the barn and got bread, butter and apple-butter in abundance for ourselves.  I detailed the guards - four watches of two hours each for the night, and turned into sleeping quarters at 9 to 10. 

- Charles Rawn

source:
"The Militia Journal of Charles Rawn, September 9 to 23, 1862". ed. by Darin Smith. available from http://rawnjournals.com/papers/militia_journal_1862-09-09_to_1862-09-23#pdf; Internet.

September 15, 1862: 2nd PA Emergency Militia (L. Richards)

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We are now down to regular army fare, our bill consisting of rations of bread, meat, coffee, and that well-known item of camp necessaries called "hardtack," which is a host in itself, being made to go a great way by reason of the degree of mastcation which it requires.  There can be no complaint as to the strength of the coffee, since there is no milk to dilute it, but the color of the sugar might afford groun of exception on the part of the over-fastidious.  Soups of rice, meat-bones, and occasionally poultry, when there happen to be any hen-roosts in close proximity, make a substantial dinner.  Soldiers' appetites are uniformly good, and little defects in the system of cookery are not ordinarily closely crticised.  Alcoholic beverages also are stored away in flasks against cases of emergency, which, in military affairs, as is well known, are of constant occurence. 

During the morning we were gratified with the sight of the enemy's paraphernalia, consisting of a train of captured baggae wagons, taken from Longstreet, and which were being driven in the direction of Harrisburg, whither, it is said, some hundred of more of prisoners from the same corps are being conducted.  With a view of the latter we were not rewarded.  The curiousity of the men to see a live rebel - in a captured condition - is very great.  A slight change in the position of our quarters was ordered during the day, and tents were struck about 4 P.M. and the company marched about two miles further to the south, halting in a large stubble field west of the railroad, in a position which had been dignified by the title of "Camp McClure."

- Louis Richards