I inlisted on August 20th 1862 for three years or during the War at Rochester, N.Y. at the age of twenty five in Captain Grays Scharp-shooter Company, we were equipped with Telescope Rifles, one hundred and seven men inlisted, seven men more then were needed to complete the company so my Brother Benjamin and myself has our selfes transfered to the 140th N.Y. Volunteers wich Rigiment was at this time being recruited in Rochester.¹ We were in Camp Porter on the Genesee River, a short distance south of the city. After having obtained the full number of 1,000 (one thousand) men we were on the 13th of Sept. 1862 sworned into the Unitet States service by Unitet States Officers, and furnished uniforms in blue. In a few days we borded an express Train for Aubern N.Y. at wich place we received guns cartrige boxes, haversacks, and canteen’s.² Our officers were Col. O’Rorke, Leut. Col. Louis Ernst, Major Stark, who was a grandson of the Revolutionary Gen. Stark, comanding the Regiment. P.B. Sibley Capt. Henry E. Richmond first Lieut. Borter Farley of Rochester second Lieut. comanding the Company.³ After receiving our weapon’s we started for Wachington and the seat of War, by way of Elmira on a slow moving Train. We reached Wachington the next day late in the afternoon and were left in the Streets of the City untill the next Day about noon. with nothing to eat and no place to sit or lie down, we told stories, sang songs and amused ourselves the best we know how, to keep up our courage and finely received orders to march over the long wooden Brige over the Potomac River to the State of Virginia. We went into Camp near the end of the Brige, here we received our first army rations of Salt Beef and hardtack, the Beef did not look very appetising, but hunger drove us to it to eat some of it. we slept on the ground that night, and next morning we were covered with a heavy white frost, that made us look as though it had snowed on us over night. I mention this because we were fresch from home and not used to such treatment. This was nothing compared with what came our way afterwards. During the next few days we roamed over Gen Lee’s Estate, examined his Residence inside and out, we also commenced to drill and learn the manuel of arms, ocasionally we went to Alexandria Village. here we saw the Hotel where Jackson the Hotel keeper killed Col. Elsworth for hawling down the Confederate Flag from his Hotel,⁴ from here we marched to Centerville Va and back again, next we marched to Frederick City Maryland where we camped for a few days, on ariving we staked⁵ our Guns, and run for the Railroad where there was a crooked Rail-fance on each side of the road. we were about three thousend men; each took up a fence rail for fire wood, Just then we received word that President Lincoln was coming on a Train out of the City, so each man stuck up his fenc rail endways by the side of the road. while in the posation President Lincoln came passed us. he was standing on the rear platform of the last Car, Stove pipe hat in hand bowing to us on each side of the road, he must have thought we did this for a joke on him because he had been called the rail splitter in his political campaigns.⁶

After about 8 days we again marched of this time through Pleasent Valley toward Harpers-Ferry, before reaching Harpers-ferry we camped near South mountain or Maryland hights for about three weeks, here we did pickitt duty on the top of the Mountain the Mountain is narrow and slants down each side like the roof of a House. previvus to this time there had been a fight here, and the dead were buried in such schallow graves that they were not entirely covered, in one place I could see a nose and part of a face, in another a man’s Toes stuck out of the ground, while in others only the clothing shown, it was hard work digging a grave here the ground being full of roots and stones, and probably the digging was done in haste, but it was rather gruesome for a new beginner.⁷

After tow weeks camping here we again started for Harpers-ferry and crossed the Potomac River on a Pontoon Brige. We visited the U.S. Arsenal where John Brown and his men made a stand against the Virginia Militia, we then marched through the town to Boliver Hights, where we camped a few days. Thyphoid fever began to show itself here among our Boys, a few of whom we had to leave behind when we left Camp. We then marched along the Blue rige Mountain’s up the Louden Valley until we reached Sneekers Gap⁸ where there is a highway crossing over into the Schenandoah Valley, here on top of the Mountain we were on pickit duty, garding this crossing from Valley to the other, here is where I did my first foraging, I had seen some fine scheep and yearling calfes, so John Cohler⁹ my tent mate and I started into the brusch with our guns, we became seperatet but I soon came across a Soldier of the old 5th N.Y. Zouaves skinning a Scheep, he took one hind quarter and left the remainder.¹⁰ I then took the other hindquarter and started for Camp. John Cohler came in with a quarter of yearling Beef at the same time, so we had more meat then we could eat, but had no salt, then I heard some one say that a Mule team, loaded with Salt Pork had balked coming up the Mountain and that some of the Barrels had falled to the ground and broken open, and there was a lot of salt left on the ground I walked tow miles down the Mountain, found the Salt, and afer this we lived well. there was a Farm house near camp where there were 28 Swarms of Bees in the yard, this being the month of October,¹¹ the Hives were loaded with Honey. General McLellen had postet a gard of a number of Soldiers at this house to gard the Rebel property. Captain Sibley took a number of trustet Soldiers of my company with him and relieved McLellen’s provost gard, and took the honey, most men in our Regiment received some of the honey, the Officers of course the largest share, Gen. McLellen tried hard to find out who got the honey but did not succeed in doing so.¹²

From Sneekers Gap we marched to Manassas Gap, an other highway to the Schannandoe Valley, camped here one night, and next day marched to Warrenton Junction on the Alexandria and Culpeper Railroad, at this place we worked hard drilling and learning the manuel of arms. from here we marched to Reperhannock Station near the Raperhannock River, and camped untill about December 10th. soon after we marched toward Frederick’s burg, wich we reached on December 13th 1862. the first Day of the battle of Fredericks’s burg on this day we were stationed on our side of the River on high ground where we could overlook the battle then being fought, with the River and City at our feet, on the second day of the battle our Division, the second of the 5th Corp’s, marched across the River on a Pontoon Brige into the City where we haltet on one of the cross street’s untill darkness sett in while here a Schell dropped among the men of the 146th. N.Y. regiment killed and wounding 11 men,¹³ after darkness sett in we marched out on the battle field proper between the City and Mary’s hight’s,¹⁴ firing ceased about nine oclock. John Cohler looked around for a place to lie down for the night, he found a place near a board fence, where he said there were some fellows sleeping so we went there and laid down among them, next morning we countet 28 dead Soldier’s around us. There were the men John thought were asleep the night before, as soon as it was light the enemy begain firing at us, so we had to lie down and hug the ground very close, there was not a shrub or a Tree to protect us from the enemy’s bulletts it was a hard position to be in all day long if we raised our head’s or any part of our bodie’s a little to high we were likely to git hit, some of us were hit, when it became dark again we moved to a Cemetery below the hight’s to do pikit duty¹⁵ we were imedietly below the enemies Fort’s and could hear them talk plainly, we were withdrawn from this position before daylight, all this day (third) our Division covered the retreat of our armee across the Rapperhanock River, and we were back again on our old Camping ground. My Regiment camped about six miles west of the City during our occupation of Fredericksburg some of our men searched through the City, to see what they could find to eat, tow men of my company Sutter and Lienhart¹⁶ found what they suposed to be flouer and filled their haversack’s with it, they stopped in an open cellear from wich the building had been burned to bake pancakes, but were much disapointet when their flouer proved to be Plaster of Paris I found some fresch Beef in one house, but dare not take it for fear of poison, our Soldiers named the battle of Fredericks’burg Burnsides bunt.¹⁷

In the beginning of the year of 1863 General Hooker took comand of the Armee of the Potomac superceeding Gen. Burnside,¹⁸ he fed us better rations then we had previously recieved, we had much sickness during Janury and February 1863 Typhoid fever prevailed and many of the strongest men died, while some of the weak and puny men recovered.¹⁹ I was sick with it for about three weeks all the Hospital’s were full, so I was not taken out of my tent, my Brother found an Aple barrel placed the staves on the ground, covered them with a ruber blanket, and this was my bed during my sickness, there was about 4 inches of snow on the ground at this time, and being delirious, I often walked out in it in my stoking feet, on one of these ocasions I passed by a man named Charles Venn²⁰ of Rochester, I can distincly remember him saying to an other man, poor Esley is gone up, this about the only thing I can remember of that time, this same Charles Venn was taken sick that same afternoon, the Doctor send him to the general Hospital at Aqua Creek²¹ on the Potomac River, three days after we recieved word that he was dead and burried and here am I after 48 years, not gone up yett. During the month of Aprill 1863²² we broke Camp and marched out about tow miles into a tract of young Oak timber, here we haltet about eleben o clock in the forenoon, it began to rain and kept on raining harder untill it just poured down, the ground being very level it was soon covered deep with water, wich also filled our schoes, we set around our Camp fire all the long night, without shelter of any kind, the Officers had a Tent up and caroused nearly all night. Col. Ernst was all right next morning but some of the others were not, in the morning we marched to the U.S. Ford on the Rapidan River, there was a light rain in the forenoon, but it stopped in the afternoon, by this time the mud was so deep and stiky that a man on foot could hard walk without losing his schoes, and Horses and Mules fared worse, because they were drawing heavy load’s, after reaching the ford we had to retreat, and the mud became so deep that we had to Corduroy the road’s to git our Artillery and Wagons back to where we came from, we cutt down yung trees of uniform size and laid them down side by side, with stringers on the end’s to hold them in place. this we did for nearly 10 miles, our rations give out and we had very little to eat for three days’s, a great many Horses and Mules died from hunger and overwork, many of the men were sick from hunger and exposure, this was the famous muddy march. During the latter part of Aprill we received eight days rations at one time, as we usually received three days rations at a time we expecttet to start on some kind of an expedition or campaign, but we used up our eight days rations and still stayed in camp. I remember an old man about 60 years old in our Camp selling stationary to the Soldiers, he was a fine singer and could make a fine patriotic speech, I remember one time putting a cracker-box in the midle of the company street for him to stand on while he made a speech, he had a Son in Law who was a mulatto, on the other side of the Rapperhanock River, they had a Telegraph wire under the River at Fredericksburg and used this to communicate to each other in this way keeping Generel Lee informed of what was going on in our Army. Soon we again received 8 days rations, this time breaking camp we startet again for Unitet States Ford on the Rapidan River. we found ourselves at the River at Night fall, crossed it below the ford, carrying our guns, amunation and rations above our heads to keep them dry, the water was about 5 feet deep, and being the last day of Aprill very cold, a strong north wind was blowing, having crossed over found ourselves in a newly ploughed field,²³ forbiden to make a fire, for this was the enemy’s country, we stamped around in our wet clothe All Night long trying to keep warm, but could not and sufered severely, the next morning we took up our march toward Chancelorville, we did not meet with any rebels until we had gone several miles, then met some Cavalry, drove them before us without any firing, arrived at Chancelorville at night, and stood to our guns all night long, we got no sleep and nothing to eat, the next morning we marched toward’s Frederick’s burg from the rear of the City in line of battle skirmisher’s in our front, here we passed through a tract of woods that the enemy was shelling. hevely Tree tops were falling every-where, so we had to double-quick through these woods into an open field, where high ground in front afforded us some protection, before we startet we were ordered to leave our knapsack’s behind untill we should come back, we never came back that way however, but the rebels did and got our knapsack’s and made fun of us afterwards.²⁴ I lost tow knapsacks during the war worth $40 dollors, and never received pay from Uncle Sam, I had to work 2 1/2 months at 13 dollors per month to pay for them and was furnished with very dangerous work to do. Each Brigade had a provost gard that garded prisoners, these prisoner’s were deserters and men under arrest for other offences, the provost followed us wherever we went, so of course they followed us through these woods, one man from Rochester did not want to go through these wood’s, he told the Captain that he should be killed if he did, of course the Captain could not listen to such talk because if he did every man would want to keep out of dengerous places. so he made him go with the others, before he got through a shell took his head of his shoulders,²⁵ I know tow other men who had this presentement that they would be killed and they were.

Chancellorville is part of a Wilderness ten miles square in wich the battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5th to 8th one year later, on this night May 2cond 1863 it was my turn to stand pikett gard, we were postet in advance of our Regiment with high ground in our front. the night was dark and cold, John Cohler and myself stood behind a large Elm Tree, the enemy postet their picket in our front on this high ground, they carried a lantern, and one of our men shot at the lantern and hitt the man’s Leg, we could hear him say o’ my Leg, o my leg, and swear at all the Yankees in general, but the Lantern light went out, during the night some one from the enemy’s side came crowling up toward us we could here him come slowly through the dry leaves, John Cohler wanted to schoot but I said wait and see what he will do next, he found out where our picket was located, and then crept back again into the rebel lines. one shot would have disturbed the rest of all the soldiers in our rear, so when on piket duty we were careful not to shoot unnescessarily. the next morning we moved to Chancellorville House, a Tavern on the highway toward Richmond. Gen. Hooker made this Tavern his headquarters during the battle, here our cannoners plantet 120 cannon, expecting that Gen. Jackson would try to breack through our lines at this point, as he had massed 40,000 troop’s in our front the night before, our Regiment built breastwork’s of Logs and we then stood behind them wayting for the onsett, the rebels charged on us this Sunday morning, but did not succeed in breaking through our lines, they lost a great many men in this charge, for like brave men, they would walk right up to our canons mouth, but very few got through the line and then only to be taken prisoner’s, on this night we again stood in the trenches untill morning with guns arms in our hand’s expecting a night attack. next day Stonewahl Jackson made a wide detour to the right, fell unexpectedly onto the elebent 11 Corp’s while they were massed, and their Artillery parked, in this position they could not defend themselves, they had to run or be taken prisoner’s, for this condition of thing’s the general was responsible, the 5th Corps to wich my Regiment belonged was ordered to the rescue, we had to run a long distance to reach them, and passed them as they were running to the rear, as I was going thorugh a gap in a stone fance I mett Gen. Custer²⁶ he was mountet on a fine Horse and had long yellow curls hanging down to this shoulder’s he was a fine looking many, he said to me here Sergeant help me stop these men, I helped him for a time, but as soon as I could git away without him seeing me, I followed my Regiment, as I did nott want to be seperatet from it, we did not do any fighting as Jackson had taken a lot of prisoner’s and gone by the time we arived there on this night rebel Gen. Jackson was killed between the tow pikitt lines, by his men so they said.

The next day we retreatet again back across the Raperhanock River, during this day it rained hard, the ground was covered with water and we were wett and miserable, beside the humiliation of an other reteat to our old camp.

During the last week in May we startet out again, this time on the Mine Run campaign, we reached Mine Run after hard forced marching, but did not do much fighting there, our officers found the ground around the Creek heavely fortified, the Run was not wide, but the water was deep, and proved a great barrier between us and the enemy, I remember we suffered for water to drink and cook with, the enemy had sharp-shooters so postet that it was almost sure death to go to the Creek for water so we retreatet again.²⁷

This time my Regiment was sent to U.S. Ford to do piket duty on the Rapidan River. The rebels had a pikit post on the other side of the Ford, we put up a stake in the midle of the River wich was our trading post, and neither party dare cross over, here we traded coffee and hardtack for Tobaco, or other things such as they wantet and we had. We camped here about three week’s. One morning the rebel piket did not appear as usuell, and on that evening we received orders to march. we broke camp and marched away in the dark and rain our Sutler had a lot of Candles wich he could not carry away so he give them away to us boys, and we marched by candle light, we did not stop untill the next day about 10 oclock, when we restet and cook our breakfast, we then again marched all Day untill we reached a small village named Aldie, near the old Bull run battle ground. Here we received the remnent of the old 13th N.Y. Regiment wich was divided among the 10 ten Company’s of the 140th Rgt. the old two years men were discharged, the time of their inlistment having expired, here also we fought the second battle of Bull-Run.²⁸

At this time we learned that Gen. Lee and his Armee were marching northward down the Shenandoah Valley, the next day we marched down Louden Valley to Harpers Ferry, crossed the Potomac River on a Pontoon brige into Maryland, and Camped near Maryland hights for the night, the next day we marched to Frederick City Maryland, near this City I saw the old spy previously mentioned in these writing’s hanging by the neck from the limb of a Tree by the road-side, he must have been found out and been strung up that day. We followed the Blue Rige mountain’s through Penselvania toward’s Gettysburg, we passed through a very primitive country, this was a forced march long and exhausting we marched almost day and night, we were in rags, dirty and lousy, no time to clean up, almost bare footet, hungry and tired, our wagon train could not keep up with us, so we had no suplies of any kind.²⁹ I had no extra shirt, and the one I was wearing became so infestet with body Lice that I took it of and threw it away, and was without one for three week’s untill we got back again into Virginia, I wore a blouse but it would work up at night and many times my bare back came in contact with the ground and woke me up, We marched through severel small town’s in Panna, I had a little money and tried to buy something to eat but the rebel cavalry had been here before us and cleaned up everything edible, all I could buy was enough molasses to fill my Canteen for the sum of 25 cts, I was soon sorry I had the molasses, for I had no way to carry water, and suffered for it during the battle of gettysburg, on the first of July 1863 we reached Hanover, a town 16 miles from Gettysburg, we had marched 31 miles this day³⁰ and the weather was very warm, the Peaple of this town give us fresh water to drink as we passed through the town, for wich we were very greateful, near this town we restet and made Coffee, after tow our’s rest we resumed our march and reached the battle ground 16 miles away the next morning July 2cond, here we marched from from position to position all the forenoon, sometime in the afternoon we came near little Round Top, here Gen. Warren ordered my Regiment to occupy little Round Top, just before starting Col. Ororke made us a short speech telling us how we should behave in battle, we went forward and I saw Gen. Warren on the top of the hill with a revolver in each hand firing down the other side of the hill but at this time could not see an enemy, In less time then I can write it we were on top of the hill, where we met the enemy face to face We drove them down the hill into what is named the Devills Denn, we held this position all through the battle, but our losses were very heavy, General Weed comanding our Brigade was killed, Major Stark killed Colonel Ororke killed. Captain Sibley comanding my company was shot through both legs,³¹ and 135 men of the Regiment were killed or wounded, about 9 oclock in the evening the firing ceased, the Officers detailed four men of each company to hunt up our dead. John Cohler and I were among those detailed for this purpose, Choler had a Brother named Samuel³² 19 years old, who was killed in the afternoon, we huntet him up first, and I looked into the faces of many dead men before we found him, I found him lying on his back with his head up the hill, his leg’s drown up under his body and stiffened in this posation, we had no time to wait, so his brother John took hold of his feet and pulled while I jumped upon his knees to straighton out his limb’s. We then carried him to the top of the hill and burried him there where all our dead were burried that night, here the monument of the 140th Regiment now stand’s. we had to built some kind of breastwork’s for our protection the next day, there were plenty of stones there, both large and small, and as I had some experience in building waals or fence, the men brought me the Stone and I builded the brestwork’s wich stands this day on the side of Little Round Top, we had loop holes in the Wall to fire through, and by daylight when the enemy began to fire it was high anough to afford us fair protection, we had tow batteries imedialy behind us, on top of the hill, one of six peices of brass Napoleon’s, twelve pound calibre; the other of six long range rifled guns twelve pound calibre,³³ these they fired over our heads at the enemy in our front, the enemy replied with solid shot and schell from tow batteries about a mile in our front, but did us very little damage, the rebel Infantry below us piked of³⁴ our gunners, so we sent for a company of Pensilvania Bucktails with breech loading rifle’s to come among us behind our Stone wall, these men kept the rebel’s quiet in our front. ourselves did not shoot unless we wantet to, but restet behind our Stone wall, leaning against it with our feet up the hill, while in this position a man by the name of Hilpold³⁵ sitting on my right, had part of his scalp taken off by a piece of shell this same piece of shell missed me only because my head hung a little lower than his, for I was nearly asleep. this appened on July 3rd 1863. During the battle of July 2cd the rebels came through between the tow Round Top’s and threatened our rear Col. Ernst called for volunteer’s to help drive them back, I was one of about 60 men that responded, when we reached them we found the 91st Penselvania Rgt. engaged with the rebels, fighting with clubed rifles, not having time to load their guns.³⁶ This was the only instance of hand to hand fighting I have seen during the war, the dead and wounded lying thick on the ground when I left this place, and went back to my Company. we had a man in my company Dave Leinhart³⁷ by name a middle aged Swiss German, in his front was a rebel behind a large stone, David loaded his gun, fixed his bayonet and made a dash for the rebel, took him prisoner and brought him in, the only prisoner taken by us that day³⁸ On the 3d of July the enemy came against us with three lines of battle, the first line came up close to us, but we kept them back by our rifle fire, the second line was kept back by our short range Cannon, firing grape and canister, and the third line was held back by Shell’s from our long range rifled gun’s, so that the third line of battle did not come very near us. I saw great gaps made in the second line by our grape and Canister, and their flag go down a number of times.³⁹ On July 4th after Lee and his army had left the field, I went to see this place and found many dead men where I saw the flag go down, I countet eleben dead men, side by side as they had stood in the rank’s, going farther I found a dead rebel who had a pair of new Shoes on his feet, probably taken from som Penn. Store. as I was nearly barefootet, I took them of his feet and tried them on, but they were to small for me so I give them to an other Soldier, farther on I found our Poineer’s burying the ded rebels in a novel way, they dug a trench, put a body in to it, dug along side of it, throwing the dirt upon this body and in this way making the grave for the next one, and so on through long lines of trenches, these men had their nose and mouth tied up with cloth for the smell was horible, as it was hott weather, and some of these bodies had lain there for tow and three day’s, the men would strike their pick axe into a body, and in this way drag it into the trench. I also had my mouth and nose tied up the air was to thick to breathe. I also went to the place where the 91st Penn Rgt. fought with clubed muskets. the dead rebels were thick here and were all black from lying in the hott sun, I found one young man that looked very natural, with long hair reaching down over his shulder’s nicely combed, a splended looking young man even in death, I partet his hair and found he was shot through the head. On the third day of July it rained very hard,⁴⁰ when we laid down to sleep, we were without shelter or covering, I had a Ruber blanket roled around me during the battle, when I unrolled it I found it full of bullett holes, so that it was useless as a covering. we were all tired so that we did not realise that it had rained so hard, the rain got into my haversack, and soaked my hardtack, and then the hott July sun shone down on it, and they swelled out of my haversack like a ripe Cotton-ball. on looking around I found a haversack full of hardtack, I told my Brother we would now have a feast, but we found clottet blood all through the Craker’s so that we could not use them, we then had nothing to eat but a little fatt pork, we also sufered from thirst, but after a time I found a man with whom I traded my Canteen full of molasses for one full of Water. On the fourth of July after Lee and his army had left the field, we begun to pursue him slowly, we were almost as badly whipped as the enemy, and not very anxius to come up with him, while following him up across country we tramped down hundred of acres of ripe Wheat, for wich our government had to pay for after the war ended. After Gen. Lee’s army had crossed into Virginia our Army leisurely followed south into Virginia and went into Camp near Beverly ford on the Rapidan River where we restet, and received Shoes and much needed Clothing.⁴¹ Here we had the novel expierience of seeing a man drummed out of Camp, they had shaved one side of his head and face clean, and left the other side of his beard and hair long, they marched him behind a fife and drum corp’s, playing the rogues march wich is a viry lively tune, untill they were clear of the Camps and left to go. We also had five deserters and bounty jumper’s belonging to our Division court marshalled and shot at this place, a grave was dug large anough to hold five boxes or coffin’s The prisoner’s were marched to music of fife and muffled drum, playing the dead march to their grave, each man marching behind his own Coffin, these Coffins were carried by soldiers on their shulder’s, by the side of each prisoner marched a preacher of his own faith. Tow of the prisoner’s were Jew’s, one a Catholic and tow Protestants. when they arrived at the grave, the boxes of Coffin’s were aranged along beside the grave, and each deserter was made to sitt on the foot of his own Coffin, so that when he was shot he would fall over into his own. they were blindfolded. A squad of twenty Soldiers were detailed to do the shooting, one half of these soldiers had their guns loaded with ball cartrige, the other half with pouder only, these guns were loaded by their officer’s and the Soldiers did not know who had ball cartridge’s and who did not. my regiment was postet imedialy behind the firing squad. I could see and hear plainly the comand given by the officer in charge, ready, aim, fire. the five men all fell backward’s into the box he sat on, I saw only one of the men kick or move afterward’s and all were burried imediatly.⁴² We camped at this place for some time, how long I have forgotten, the mooved to a place not farr from the Rapperhanock River. here again we had to wittness the shooting of a Soldiers of the 17th Regiment of the U.S. reguler Army, this man inlistet 17 times, in order to receive bounty money, and of course desertet 17 times. this man would not be blindfolded calmly walked behind his coffin sat down on it, folded his arms and so awaitet death, wich soon came. After camping here about a month, we mooved to Warrington Junction, where we Camped the winter of 1863 and 1864. We garded the Alexandria railroad to Culpepper. Six men and a Corperal patrolled the road a certain distance every tow hour’s, day and night, to keep Col. Mosby and his guerillas from distroying any part of it. one day I had comand of one of these patrols, and the trainman mistoock us for Mosbys men and pitched blocks of wood at us, from the engine of a passing train, so that we had to doge lively. our Engines burned wood in those days, we had a lot of contraband’s just outside of our camp cutting Wood for the government for this purpose one night as we were patroling the road a train loaded with provision for the Army came by. Mosby’s men fired into this Train but did not molest us, We also had a Railroad brige to gard, at the end of the Brige we built a stokade of Log’s, we dug a trench and sett the Logs on end, about 4 feet in the ground and about 10 feet out, we made loop holes to shoot through, but did not have to use them as no enemy ever apeared,⁴³ at this time we received a new Comander of our Regiment, Col. Ryan of the Regular Army,⁴⁴ and Otis was made Leut. Colenel, Col. Ernst having resigned his commision, Col. Ryan made us over into a Zouave Rgt. In Aprill 1864 Col. Ryan made a detail of 300 men to go over the fields and gather Greens, We looked like a large flock of Turkey’s hunting for something to eat, one half of the regiment had greens the first of the week, the other half the latter part of the week, he also had brick oven’s built, so that we had baked Pork and Beans once a week.⁴⁵

About May first 1864 we broke Camp and marched to Culpepper, across the Raperhanock River and on the 5th of May we crossed the rapidan River into the enemy’s country, our Division, the second of the 5th Corps,⁴⁶ led the advance. We were about 10,000 strong at this time Soon after noon we mett the enemy in tick wood’s and under brusch. Next we came to an open lot, across wich we were ordered to charge, there was an open ditsch across the lot,⁴⁷ in wich the rebel skirmishers were hid and did us considerable damge. John Cohler who was at my right in the line of battle, was hitt by a bullet wich entered his mouth went through, it then entered his neck and laid the main artery bare, as though it had been skinned with a knife,⁴⁸ and then passed out, his blood spurtet all over my shulder, we fixed bayonets and charged across the lot at the enemy, and drove their first line of battle into the wood’s beyond, men were dropping on every side of me whether dead or wounded I counld not tell, for we kept right on following the enemy, and finely haltet in line of battle, from this place I fired my gun nine times, stadeing⁴⁹ it against a small tree in my front. as I stood here a soldier named Armstrong a new recriuit, came to me and said, where are the rebel’s, I replied to him here in our front beyond those bushes, we can not see them but they are there not more then three rod’s away, he sidd I am going to see where they are, I said to him dont go, but he went and I never saw him again. the rebels took him prisoner, and he died in Andersonville prison.⁵⁰ I could see plenty of them a little to my right, where there was an open space, but could not see the enemy directly in my front on acount of the bushes, having fired a few times, I could not gett the bullet down into my gun. just then a man of my Company, Sherman⁵¹ by name, came up from behind me and called me by name Jonas, and as I looked around he fell with his head at my feet, shot through the head, his gun fell across his body and I saw that it was loaded and capped, so I dropped my gun and toock his, just then I saw a rebel down on one knee, aiming his gun toward us, so I took aim at him and fired, I shot before he did and saw him go down backwards and lie still, but do not know whether my bullet or some one else’s hitt him. Within the next minute I received a bullet through my left arm. I dropped my gun and startet for the rear. I stopped to take breath in the ditsch previously mentioned, Our Gunners had tow cannon in this open lot near the ditsch sending Grape and Canister into the wood’s at my left, the rebels made a sortie out of these wood’s and captured these tow Gun’s,⁵² there many men in the ditch with me wounded men, I run about tow yards away from the ditsch, when another bullet struk me in the shoulder⁵³ and knoked me over on my face, I got up fell again the second time, but finely made my way to our field Hospital. Here I found many of our boys wounded and many of them died of their wound’s. I remember a Sergeant of my company had a bullet stuck in his Temple about half its length, it did not look dangerous to me but he died three day’s afterward’s his name was Rice Martin⁵⁴ and lived in Churchville, N.Y. Five Doctors were at work all that night amputating arms and leg’s, and I saw a number of the poor boys die under the operation. In the night Col. Ryan came to see us and bid us good-bye I never saw him again for he was killed a few days afterward at the battle of Spottselvania Court-House. ⁵⁵ My Brother also came with him to see me and it was the last time I ever saw him, for he was taken prisoner at the battle of the Weldon Railroad, and died in prison at Saulsbury North Carolina. Some-time during the night as I was sitting on the ground in the Hospital Tent, a man I suposed to be a Surgeon looked me over, stuck his fingers into wound’s feeling for the bullet. I afterward’s found out he was a Corespondent of the New York Herald, he reportet me mortally wounded, Rochester newspaper’s copied it, so that my Wife received the news before I could write to her.⁵⁶ She was living in Webster Vilage at the time. My right hand was all right so I wrote to her after reaching Washington. This battle of the Wilderness lastet three day’s during wich my regiment lost 259 men killed, wounded and taken prisoner’s out of about 600 that went into the battle.⁵⁷ the ambulance wagon’s could not carry all the wounded men. Six Mule team’s drowing Canvas covered Wagon’s were used to carry a great many of the wounded. but all who could walk, had to walk some 22 miles to Fredericksburg where there was gethered some 10,000 wounded men, some of them from the battle of Spottsylvania Court House. Eight wounded men of my Company including myself, startet togather on foot for Chancelorville House through the wood’s, from there we went to Frederick’s burg, walking all night and arived there the next morning.⁵⁸ We were a sore tired, and hungry lot of men, and there was nothing to eat in the City for all these men, there was no Brige across the Reperhannock River. The 22 N.Y. Cavalry was doing gard duty in and around the City Captain Mcmullen⁵⁹ of the 22ed N.Y. had a brother in my regiment, he know our Zouave uniform and trough his good will toword us, put us eight men over the River in a small boat, tow men at a time, we all got across just as darkness set in, we then marched ten miles to bell plain landing on the Potomac River, arived at the landing twelve oclock at night. A Christian commison man stationed at this landing give each one of us a little Coffee and half a Craker, and told us to lie down and rest and he would wake us up when the Steam boat arrived from Wachington. He waked us up about 2.30 in the morning when we stepped aboard the Boat. it was a three deker, and so heavely loaded with wounded men that it scraped bottom untill we came into deep water in the Potomac River some of the badly wounded were creased with fever and made a great noise thinking they were still in battle, some others took up the cry of fire and five men jumped overboard, three were rescued but the other tow were drowned. We arrived at Wachington at ten oclock in the morning and were put into an Ambulance and taken through the City to Harewood Hospital,⁶⁰ this was a contract Hospitel here we stapped four day’s but the doctors never looked after our wound’s, nor did they give us anough to eat. From here we were put into Cattle Cars with board seats in them, and taken to Baltimore and from there to Philladelphia, we were taken to the Cityzens Hospitel, wich is suportet by the Citisens of Philadelphia, here we were given a good dinner, after wich both men and women dressed our wound’s, wich had not been dressed since we were wounded 10 days before. The blood was clottet on my wound’s and stuck to my clothe and they burned like fire, after dressing our wound’s we were again put abord a Train and taken to McClellen Hospital, situatet between the City and German-town.

In this Hospital we were well treatet, received plenty to eat and had good Doctor’s, We were 28,00⁶¹ wounded men in this Hospitel at one time during the summer of 1864. I was kept here about three month’s, after wich I was sent to a convalescent Camp near Alexandria Va. After tow week’s I was again sent to my regiment at the front near Petersburg Va. It was some time before I could use my Arm or handle a gun, after I did git back to the Regiment While in the Hospital I received a furlough for thirty day’s, I found my Wife living in Webster Vilige, Doctor Dunning attended to my wounds while at home.

I rejoined my regiment on Sept. 2th 1864, the day after the battle of Weldon Railroad, in front of Petersburg.⁶² I helped to burry the dead. We had only a few left in my Company, with no Officer, and a Corperal had command of the Company, but we soon got recruitet up in numbers as many of the wounded men came back, and we got some new recruits from home. My brother I never saw again as he had died in a rebel prison at Saulsburry N.C. Among the men we burried was a man of my Company by name Earl Day from Lewis County N.Y. a draftet man, we put up a head board made out of a craker box at the head of his grave, with his name and regimental number on it, about six month afterward’s he came back to the regiment alive and well. It seems we must have burried a man that resembled Earl Day, and who must now be on of the unknown dead. Earl Day had been on the skirmish line during the battle, was taken prisoner, and was taken sick, put into a hospital in Petersburg and later was exchanged on the James River Va.⁶³ about this time I was promotet to Sergeant in my Company⁶⁴ Next we moved Camp to the Weldon Railroad, and built a six gun fort across the track. After this we startet to distroy the Weldon railroad, from Petersburg to Weldon North Carolina, the troops engaged in this work were the Fifth Corp’s, one division of the second Corp’s and one Brigade of Cavalry. Bands, Drummers and poieeneers and all non combatent’s were left in Camp. We were gone six day’s upon this expedition, working hard day and night.⁶⁵ The men did tear up the road, build fires of the Ties heat the Rail’s in the middle over these fire’s, then bend them around a Tree or Twist them out of shape. On the last night out it rained and the rain froze as it fell, we had no shelter, and being close to the enemy, we made no fires, John Cohler and I laid three fence rail’s across a ditch, fixed bayonett on our guns and stuck them in the ground on the wind side, hung a rubber blanket on the guns to protect our head’s, covered ourselfes with the other blanket, and went to sleep. next morning the Ice was a quarter of an inch thick all over us, and when we stirred ourselfe’s the Ice craked of. on our way back to Camp the farmer’s along the route turned guerilla’s and murdered some of our men, when they could find some stray one alive, they killed tow men belonging to my regiment,⁶⁶ three of our Soldiers were chasing a Pig that ran into the bushes along side of the road, and while going through these bushe’s ran into five of these guerilla’s. each one was armed with some kind of wapon. The Soldiers took them prisoner and General Warren strung them up without a court-marshal. We burned all the unoccupied house’s and Public buildings on our way back to Camp.⁶⁷ We had Wells dug among our Camp’s ten to fifteen feet deep and open at the top so that it was dengerous to walk around at night. The 15th N.Y. heavy Artillery Regt.⁶⁸ had a germen brass band, during the time we were on the our raid, one of these germen’s fell into one of them, he had his instrument with him and blue it to atract attention, so that some one would help him out, but it sounded so unearthly coming from the well, that he did not git the help he wantet, and he had to stay there until next day. We had now to stand piket very often in front of Petersburg, we had piket pits a few rod’s apart, six privates and a Corperal in each pit. I had 5 five of these pits under my comand, thirty men in all. I had to see that they did thier duty night and day. it was not safe to walk from one pitt to the other, for the rebel Scharp shooters were continuelly piking of our men. I was on this duty for four day’s at on time in a continued drisling rain without shelter of any kind. On one of these days the rebel’s made a sortie against us in force, coming across an open field, but we give them such a reception that they fell back again into thier lines. for we were protectet and they were not. At night about 10 oclock I did put out an advance post or vidette as we called it, between the rebel lines and our’s, about one third of the distance of, we had a pitt dug for him to stay in, one night I put out a German on this out post, and the next morning I walked out to bring him in, and I found him sound asleep at his post, so that i had to shake him to wake him up. It would have been sure death to him if I had reportet him, wich I should have done had I done my duty.

One day my regiment was ordered to burn some buildings between the tow pikett lines, the rebels would hide in these buildings and pick of some of our men, we drove the rebels out and burned the building’s, but not without a fight.

On man Collins by name a new recruit from Sericuse, had no gun, so the orderly Sergeant, told him to stay in camp, as he would be of no use without a gun. Collins said he would take the place and gun of the first man that fell but Collins was the only man of my Company that was killed.⁶⁹

General Grant kept extending his lines to the left around Petersburg, and of course we had a fight on our hand’s every time. In October 1864 we drove the enemy out of one of their fort’s and kept possession of it. Colonel Otis was standing in this fort looking through a Telescope toward some wood’s in our front, when he was struck by a musket ball through the mouth and cheek. I was standing outside the fort wondering what he was looking at, when I saw him putting his hand to his face, and saw the blood spurt out between his finger’s. He went North and I did not see him again until he came back from the Philipines, as a Major General.⁷⁰

I Tentet the larger part of 1864 with a full blooded Mexican, Joseph Mandocer by name, his features ware very much like those of a Negro, thick lip’s, flat nose, and his course hair he left to grow long, down over his shoulder’s.⁷¹ he feared the Southerners would take him for a negro and use him acordingly, so he would rather be killed then be taken prisoner, in one battle he was shott at three times on the skirmish line but he got away. his gun being emty, he served tow inlistment’s, during his first inlistment he saw the battle between the Moniter and the Marimac wich he said was an esciting expereince. One man of my company, Jesse Everst⁷² from near Bufalo during one of the battle’s around Petersburg loaded his gun with tow cartrige’s, so that it contained tow bullet’s, he did not discharge his gun during the battle, and afterward’s while cleaning his gun, he carelesly let his gun go of, the bullets going through Co. B tents while the men were eating dinner, one man was shot through the head and died with mouth full of crakers an other man had to have his leg amputatet, and a third man was slightly wounded the soldiers of Co. B would have linched Everst if it had not been for the Officer’s.⁷³

We now lived our old Camp life over again, doing gard and pikit duty, building breastwork’s and etc, until December 1864,⁷⁴ then we again startet out on one of Gen. Grant’s flank movements, this time to Hatchers Run or Creek. In this battle of Hachers run I was very much exposed without getting hurt, my Company was advanced as a skirmish line into the wood’s. we found the Enemy in some farm building’s in a clearning, but could not disloge them, neither could we see any of them, so we tock to the Tree’s for protection. I being a sergeant, my place was a few peaces to the rear of the line of men, I had no Tree to git behind, so I laid down behind a little rise of ground flat on my stomack, this brought my cartrige box on top of my hipp, so that they could see it, and they put a bullet through it and spoiled some of Cartrige’s. One man Victor Hischer⁷⁵ by name now living in Corning N.Y. peeped from behind his Tree and had a butten schot of his Cap just over his Ear.⁷⁶ A Company of New Jersey men (Cavalry) were ordered to take our places and relieve us. these men actet cowardly and would not come forward to take our place’s, so we fixed bayonet and drove them forward at the point of the bayonet, wich exposed us as well as themselfes to the rebel bullets. We were then ordered to an other place on our left, and with other troop’s mooved forward in line of battle, my Company was on the extreme left of theline, next to a narrow Swamp, there was a Brigade of rebel Infantry on the other side of this Swamp, so that we were fired upon from both front and flank, we were so much exposed that we lay down on the ground, and fired at them. in this position until we run out of amonition, then a Brigade of all new N.Y. Regiments releived us Comrade John Cohler was again badly wounded here⁷⁷ while in the act of loading his gun with his arm crooked to pour in the powder, a bullet through his fore Arm and then again through his Arm above the elbow. The Docters did not take of his Army, but took out all the bones between the tow wonds so that his Arm is useless. Cohler marched with me at the grand encampment in Sept. 1911 at Rochester, N.Y.

One other Man Conrad Smith⁷⁸ by name of my Company was hitt in the groin by a bullet and died on that night, he give me his watsh and other keep sake’s to send home to his Mother who lived in Rochester. she was a Widow and he her only child. I found nine bullet holes in my clothe but my skin was not toushed. The wheather was cold on this night and it snowed, we had only green Pine Wood to burn, no schelter and could not lie down in the snow, so we passed a miserable Night after the battle. Next morning we were ordered to build winter quarters on this battle field, this we did during the next few day’s.⁷⁹ I found a few small Ceder Trees secured them and built my Log house 6 feet by 10 feet intierly of red Ceder. I splitt the Logs and put the splitt side in, and used Clay between the log’s, made a fire place and chimmeny of stiks and Clay. This made me a comfortable home during the winter of 1864 and 1865. We passed the winter in the usual Camp routine, with the exeption of my drilling new recriuit’s parts of days all winter. We had a man sent to us a recruit who said he had never inlistet as a Soldier, he was tied up by the thumb’s to make him own up where he inlistet when I was sergeant of the gard it was my duty to tie him up, I would tie him up loosely so he could put his hand’s down, and when an oficer would come to the gard house, he the man would cath up the slack of the rope in both of hands, so he would appear to be tied up, it was a small rope so he could easily do so, I do not beleive he had ever inlistet, there was a law at this time that any one would be paid $25.00 who caused a deserter to be arested I think some one wanted $25.00 bad enough to have an inocent man arestet as a deserter.

About the 27th of March 1865 we broke Camp and startet for the rear of the rebel army around Petersburg. The 5th Corp’s and one division of the second Corp’s only. We did not meet with any of the enemy on the first day. The Cavalry under Sheridan startet from Dinwiddy Court house about the same time for the Southside Railroad the only road left to Gen. Lee over wich he could receive suplies and rations for his Army around Petersburg and Richmond. We were haltet near a Creek called Gravely run, here our man put a battery in position, masking it by planting bushy Tree’s in front of it to hide it from the enemy. My Regiment, all but the Color Company was sent on piket duty. we postet ourselves in open ground, with heavy Timber wood’s in our front, the woods was only a few rod’s away, we tock some fence rail’s and made a breastwork about 3 1/2 feet high, we then took our byonett and dug up the dirt threw it against the rails with our tin cup’s making a light schelter against bullett’s. there was a light rain during the night, so that we had to clean our guns from rust the next morning. some time in the afternoon Gen. Warren, our Corp’s Comander, came to us and ordered us forward in a hurry, I did not have time to sling my knapsack upon my back, when we came to the wood’s, I have spoken of, the rebels were coming out of the wood’s, thier skirmishers in front, followed by tow lines of battle. I ran for my pikit pitt to gitt my knapsack, for I had things in it wich I valued very much I put one arm though the strap, but could not get the other arm through without standing up, every time I tried it, tow rebel Soldiers in my front would take aim at me, I tried it twice with the same result, the third time I dropped the knapsack and run toward our rear, the rebels fired at me, the bullet’s striking the Tree’s as I ran by them also a shell dropped into the ground near me throwing the dirt all over me, the Shell did not explode, if it had, I would not be here to write about it. I turned into a path leading to the Creek, bushes on each side of me very thick so that tow person’s could not pass each other, I heard some one running behind me, but did not look around for fear of loosing ground, but in spite of my running faster the man kept gaining on me, and then I saw that it was Sergeant Thomson of my Company, a Man 6 feet 4 inches tall, he jumped clean over me, and went on, I had to stop and laugh to see him go, Thomson had been in Rebel prison before, and did not want an other does, he had a bad scar across his face from a saber cutt, he origenelly belonged to the 44th N.Y. Regt.⁸⁰ When I reached the Creek I could not cross at the Ford for the enemy held the Ford. I saw Philip Meyer⁸¹ of my company liying at the ford dead with his head just out of the water on the other side. I jumped into the creek at the nearest place to where I stood, and found the water only about 4 1/2 feet deep without getting my gun amunation or knapsack wett, but could not climb up the steep bank on the other side, for it was straigt up and slippery, I could raise myself to the top of the water, but then the baggy Trousers of mine Zouave uniform held so much water it was hard work to get any farther, but I finely did reach the top of the bank with a strong effort. I saw Orderly Sergeant Sebastian Rofr⁸² lying behind a Log I laid myself down beside him for a few minutes rest. the tow of us then startet for our regiment, but we found ourselves cutt of by the enemy There was a narrow Swamp between us and our Regiment wich we could not cross over, so we followed along the edge and finely found ourselves in the rear of our Corp’s near Gen. Mead’s head quarter’s, we reached our Regiment about 10 oclock that night.⁸³ A man of my Company named Antony Grisvois⁸⁴ who was on piket withe me was taken prisoner by the rebels and put into an old Tobaco house with a gard at the door, during the night he dug a hole out under the logs at the rear, and next day he was back with the regiment, the rebels crossed the Creek and came against the masked Batterries previously mentioned, and were driven back with considerable loss, of men, we also captured thier line of breastwork’s in thier rear.⁸⁵ About eleben oclock on this night we received orders to join Gen. Sherridan at five fork’s, at 12 oclock we startet on an all night march in a drizzling rain, bad road’s and dark, all tired out, we reached five fork’s⁸⁶ about six in the morning, after ariving there Gen. Sheridan passed by us on his black Horse, all along, stopped by my company and told us that we had arived to late, as he expectet to whip the rebel’s before breackfast, but said he coock your breackfast now and we will give them hell before night, and we did, about the midle of the afternoon we moved forward in line of battle toward the enemy, mett them in a highway in wood’s were they had breastwork’s of live oak log’s, some of the rebels came through our lines and give themselves up as prisoner’s of war, as soon as the fithing begun.

A new recruit of my Company White⁸⁷ by name from Louis County N.Y. gave me such trouble during the fighting, he was afraid to go forward and fell out of line of battle, where he could no good, and was apt to shoot some of our own men, so I pushed him into place three or four time’s, and finely losing patiance, I tock him by the left shulder with my right arm, and was in the act of kiking him when he threw up his hand to the shoulder I had hold of and exclaimed, O. Sergeant I am shot. I know he was hitt by a bullet, for I heard it strike bone, so I told him go to the rear, and some one will take care of you, he afterwards wrote me a letter from Baltimore saying he was shot in the hipp. When we reached the real breastwork’s of the enemy we found them in line of battle, bayonett’s fixed, ready to counter charge, but they finely tought better of it and surendered, on man in my front tried to get away he run over their work’s, on the other side of a crooked rail fence, he took aim at me over the fence but missed me, he then run along the fence in a stooping posture, I fired at him, but he run on, so I supose I did not hit him I saw a rebel flag in my front a little to my left a rebel holding it, I hastened over the works to take it but some rebel’s stopped me to talk to them, so during this time a Sergeant of Co. K⁸⁸ captured the flag, capturing a flag meant a 30 day furlough. These prisoners were marched to the rear, and we went forward after the rest of them, but they run so fast to the right that my regiment did not capture any more of them. I was very thirsty and had no water in my Canteen so I searched through the wood’s for water, going the same way the rebels did, and in some busches I found a dead rebel, I tock a letter from his poket and found it was writen by his Wife who lived in Burk’sville Junction Va. in it was writen that She bought Shoes for the children paying 32 dolors for the older child and 23 dollors for the yunger 3 years old. I did not find any water, but came across the 8th N.Y. Cavalry regiment, and recieved some water from William Osborn who lives now at this time in Webster N.Y. There were 9,000 Rebels garding the south side Railroad, the only avenue left to General Lee to feed his Army around Petersburg and Richmond. We tock 6,000 prisoners on this day, but 3,000 got away, we then marched back again the way we came. It was midnight before we laid ourselves down for the night, tired for we had marched all night the night before, without any fire’s untill next morning when we boiled some Coffee to drink with our hardtack, the only thing we had to eat, the Coffee warmed us up, for it was cold, this being the last day of March 1865, this was the night that Lee and his Army startet to leave Petersburg and Richmond.⁸⁹ They now tried their best to leave us behind, and we did our best to keep up to them. It reminded me very much of the Gettysburg campaign when we followed Lee’s Army from the Rapidan River Va. to Gettysburg. We followed them Day and night, fighting Lee’s rear gard, with Sheridan and his Cavalry in the lead, first we came to a place where the Cavalry had captured and distroyed 120 Wagons, next we came across some new English Cannon the Rebels had abandoned,⁹⁰ and cutt the Spokes to render them useless to us. We then came to Farm’sville where there is a Stream of water, the Brige over this stream was burned, so I crossed over on a stringer all there was left of the Brige. We found Farmsville a hudle of poor Houses, with no white Citysens at home, Negroes being in posession of the town. I asked one old mammy to bake me some hoe cake, and I would pay here for it, but she said Hoecake, hoecake, nothing but hoecake, and the flouer all done gone, she evidently had been asked for hoecakes before We next arived at a railroad Junction, Burksville I think, about 12 oclock at night. I had just laid down when I heard the orderly sergeant calling the names of the men to go on piket duty, my name was called as Sergeant to take charge of the men. I startet for Brigade headquarter’s with the men of my regiment, where I was given comand of 70 men and was told to take them out about a mile to the piket line. One officer pointet across lots, to a piket fire told me to go there and report, and I would be told what to do next, this was the reserve piket, and when I got there the men were all asleep around thier low burning camp fire. One man an Officer woke up enough to tell me where to go and post my men wich was about 1/4 mile out, as good luck would have it, I found the end of the line already postet, here I comenced posting my men untill they were all in line, the 70 men reached to a ravine wich was overcrown with scrub Oak, here I stayed myself to wasch this ravine wich I considered a dangerous place. After I had been at this place about an hour, I startet down the line to see if the men were all awake, I had passed about 40 men, I found 5 men in succession fast asleep. I woke them up, and kept on down the line as far as my 70 men reached, on returned I found one of these men asleep again, Samuel Scherman⁹¹ by name I give him a good wipping so that he stayed awake the remainder of the night, I did not report them, for they were tired out, and it would have been sure death for all of them. Military law alway’s inflicts the death penalty for sleeping on piket post in front of any enemy. We were withdrawn from the piket line in the morning about 10 oclock, the men behind us had built breastwork’s for miles behind our camp over night, the general in command must have expected to be attaked in this position by General Lee’s Army, the expectet attack did not take place, for Lee’s Army was growing smaller every day, and every mile. I saw some of his men all along the road, but we paid no attention to them, and the most of them startet for their homes, one rebel walked beside me for about tow hour’s I beleiving him to be some Officers cook, a Soldier of the 5th N.Y. Zouaves asked him where he belonged, and he said and answerded the 8th South Carolina Regiment. My Wifes Brother Jacob Lisher⁹² was waking through a piece of Wood’s, he had six men with him, and 28 rebels surendered to him. When we neared the Apomatox River, we were close to Lee’s Army, so we put out skirmisher’s in our front, these hapened to be Negro troop’s, and the rebels would drive them in, so we put out white troop’s in thier place. Some of the bullett’s reached us in line of battle, one in perticular, a spent ball made a loud noise, we had a new recruit, a man from Wayne Co., N.Y. whom we could never get into a fight, he alway’s was sick or had something the matter with him, this perticular bullet’s humming was to much for him, for it was the first he had ever heard in battle, so he turned an ran to the rear, I did not see him start of, but a Sergeant of Company K, called Sergeant Esley there goes one of your men when I looked around he was going to the rear like a race horse, I fixed byonett on my gun, and took after him, a General and his staff were some distance in the rear, and when he saw them he slowed up and I caught up to him, I said to him where are you going, he did not answer and I did not beleive he know what he was about. I brought him back to the Company at the point of my Gun, I withhold his name because there are some person’s now living who may know him. About one houer after this we heard that General Lee was about to surender to Gen. Grant, so we stood in line of battle inactive, waiting for more news, soon an Officer on Horse back came down the line, and told each Regiment that Lee had surendered to Gen: Grant. We did considerable hurrahing, and there were thousand’s of Cap’s thrown in air. We had a Brigade of Maryland troops in our Division,⁹³ and opposed to us were some Maryland rebels, after the surender they came over to see their friends in our lines, one of them was a Captain of a Confederate Battery, brother to the General comanding the Maryland Brigade.

We went into Camp near by, and waitet for the Confederate Army to be paroled and take the oath of allegiance. They were starving, so we shared our ration’s with them, after tow day’s we were starving also, for our Wagon Train was at Farmsville many miles in our rear. On the fourth day we startet for Farm’sville, marching many miles on emty stomak’s Samuel Hazen⁹⁴ now of Paintet Post N.Y. gave me part of an Ear of Corn wich he had taken away froma mule, and I roastet it and eat it, and it tastet good, next morning we arrived at Farmsville where we received three days ration’s.⁹⁵

Our march toward home now began, altough for tow day’s we marched toward North Carolina, then we received new’s of Gen: Johnston’s surender to Gen: Sherman, and marched back again toward Petersburg and Richmond. My feet were badly blistered by the time we reached Manchester on the opposite side of the James River from Richmond. We camped and restet here about 8 day’s we then startet north again. I had a ride in an Ambulance through Richmond, because of my blistered feet. I rode past Libby prison wich at this time was full of Rebel prisoner’s.⁹⁶

Our next destination was Fredericksburg, wich we reached in less then three day’s. Our Brigade was detailed to gard the Wagon Train in wich there ware hundreds of Wagon’s. When nearing Fredericksburg, a great thunder storm over tock us, also the greatest hail storm I have ever seen, it was about noon when the Wagon’s and Mules were parked, ready for thier dinner, it took every men of us to keep the mules from stampeding, they actet worst when the hail stones struck thier Ear’s A man Joseph Lyon⁹⁷ by name from Churchville was with the General’s bagage Wagon, wich was drown by a Spann of large gray horses, the driver and Lyon were seatet on the driver’s seat over the front Spring’s, lightning struck the pole in front of the Horses, killed both Horses and the driver, without hurting Lyon in the least. I used to tell him that his Scull was so thick that Lightning could not effect it. we marched through Frederick’sburg peacebly this time, and then on to Wachington, we went into Camp near Alexandria on Lee’s astate, washed up our clothing and cleaned up generally, for there was not one of us that was not Lousy, here we lived the usuel camp life, untill we were discharged on June 7th 1865⁹⁸ from the Unitet States service, During our stay here we took part in the grand review at Wachington while Camping here the Governor reviewed all the N.Y. State troop’s of the Army of the Potomac. After our disgarge we boarded a Train for home arrived in Elmira that night, and said in the streets of the City all night, There was no provision made for to feed us on our way home, and the most of us had no money to buy food with, I borrowed tow dollars from a man in my company, so that I fared better then some. next morning we tock Train for Rochester, arrived there in the afternoon, marched to the Court-house where somebody made us a speech, Rochester served us a good lunch, after wich we marched into camp south of the City, to give up our guns, be dismissed and go home, then come back on the second day after to receive our pay and our discharge from the State of N.Y.

While waking on South Clinton Street, I mett an old Lady, who stopped me and asked if I belonged to the 140th N.Y. Regiment, and I told her that I did, Sche know me because I had on my Zouave Uniform, she asked me if I know Conrad Smith I told her that I did, that I had sent his Watch and other keepsake’s to his Mother living in Rochester, Sche then told me she was his Mother, he her only Child, and she a Widow with no near friend’s living, her Son was killed during the battle of Hatchers Run, previously mentioned in these writings. Sche put her head upon my shoulder and wept, I had to gently put her away as a crowd gathered around us.

Since writing the above I have thought of much more to write, but this is anough to show you that I have done something for my adoptet country.

Jonas Esley
Lakeside
Wayne County N.Y.