Chapter 54 (exploding caps on the railroad tracks)

CHAPTER LIV

We soon discovered that we had gone into camp for several days, and the boys made arrangements accordingly.  Our camp was about one hundred yards from the railroad, and the trains were busily engaged in bringing up supplies and convalescents.  On the morning train, Capt. C. S. Davis, who had been absent sick, arrived, he brought a number of articles for various members of the company from their friends at home, and we were soon crowded around him listening and asking many questions, concerning those who were near and dear to us.  The Captain was heartily greeted by not only the men of Co. G, but by the officers and men of the Regiment.

Whilst remaining in this camp, the boys were in the habit of placing caps upon the railroad track, and when the cars would run over them they would be exploded.  Several of the 28^th Pennsylvania boys had placed a large number of caps on the track, and just as they had them on the track they discovered Gen. Geary approaching the road, those who placed the caps on the track at once “skedaddled,” whilst several soldiers, amongst them Lewis Millhoff of our company, who had in no way been concerned with placing them on the track stood their ground.  As soon as the train had passed, Gen. Geary ordered all of them arrested, and Lewis Napolean, as we called him, was marched to the guard-house at Division Head-quarters, where he was kept for the remainder of the day, until his innocence was established, and then he was released from arrest, and returned to the Regiment.

On the second day after our arrival we drew clothing, or at least a few pieces, a difficulty arose between Jas. P. Ulrich and Jeremiah Hathaway which ended in a tussle.  Ulrich threw Hathaway and held him down tightly, so that Jerry could do nothing whatever, getting tired of the fun James got up and allowed Hathaway to get up to his feet, as Jerry arose and shook himself he remarked:

“It was time that you let me up, as I was just getting ready to kick your d__d head off.”

The 172^nd Regiment of drafted men were encamped near to where we were laying, having been forwarded from Yorktown, about the time of Lee’s invasion of Pennsylvania, and upon this fact becoming known to us, Wm. H. Spade, Elias Millhoff, John Reigel and a number of the boys of our company paid them a visit, and had a long chat.  The 172^nd boys were fully impressed with soldiering having as they asserted been put through on their last march.  No doubt, having been on garrison duty all winter the active campaign which they had just passed through was very severe to them.  From this camp, their time having expired, they marched home.

We remained in camp at Warrenton Junction, from the evening of the 26^th of July until the morning of the 31^st.  The time was principally passed in writing letters and cleaning our arms and accouterments, as they had been sadly neglected for the past two months, and to all appearances we would never be able to get them in a condition to pass muster.

On the evening of the 30^th of July we received orders to be ready to move on the following day.  Preparations were at once made, so that we would be ready to fall in at the sound of the bugle.