WARREN LETTER: SUMMER 1861

It was midsummer of '61 when they loaded Co B and some others not only 

from the Battalion but other Regiments and what not onto the train line

 for a dash up North. Based on the palaver, they was ot be a big fight 

jes a bit South of Washington City.  By this point in the game scrappin 

was nothin new to Co B. 

  There had been a couple minor squabbles and contests with Lincolnites 

but this was shapin up to be a fust rate fight. Ridin the rails was still 

kind of a sportin proposition and mostly a new treat for most of the fellars. 

They was a impromptu fete as several wags had secreted crockeries of the 

foulest potion drank to date.  A sip of it was remindful of coal oil and

 as much was said. The founder of the feast so to speak squinted a glassy 

eye at us several naysayers and mumbled through his pointy devil like beard 

that  "ifn we didnt like it ... wla then don' drink it and leave it lay 

for thems that knew fine sippin licker".  Twasnt long afore they was 

much singin and dancin on the rails as we raced forward at 30 or so mile and hour. Amongst 

the reverie was a couple of the fellars stuffed on oyster pie an a 

better grade of busthead that was makin blood curdlin propositions as 

to what they was agoin to do with "Old Abe" when they got into Washington City. 

 This was purty much how the hookeybob (train ride) went. The Officer wasnt 

a bother as they was doin whatever it si they did and was tight assed about

 it all to boot. When the trained stopped so did the reverie and we was put afoot to 

walk the rest of the way over to where the fightin was to take place. " 

It was about the time Co B was hoppin offn the railcars, an Private M 

fallin ass overn tea kettles, bustin his head on a riffle box  that the 

Officers "made us and the jig was up ... the rascals that had overdone the

 tanglefoot was placed in "march" arrest an herded along with the more sober 

brethern.  They was many questions for Lt. D  raised as to where the busthead

 had come from .... an some general threats of clink and worst iffn the hoppdelah 

didnt stop. Major Rob though wise to us didnt offern his 2 bits was was offn his custom.

 All in all we got the wags in line and offn we went, a fine sight of Loosianer 

Men for the most part dressed in  the finest of vestiges an takin our orders an 

the like in francois. "The day was a real barn burner, a dirtier dustier damnable march was 

not remembered. Add to all this they was shear plumb confusion with many sojers scrambling 

pell mell alongst the road way.  Wagoneers cussed foot sojers vyin for a place on the road.

 Som fellars from N' Leans apparentlyeither thinkin the devil was after em or over

 anxious to git shot raced around the foot sojers draggin big guns with horses.

 Tween the horses and the wheels of the big guns this put up a shower of dust and 

earned em a good shower of cussin - most of em rode on grinnin like fool possums 

and wavin the fare thee wells to us.

Further on, we run acrosst a number of poor souls that had dropped dead 

in the heat -- the dust settlin overn their waxy countenances - they like some

 busted kit was offn the side of the road. Amongst all the hub-bub they seemed 

to be unattended to by any including their pards.

Major Rob come by several times mounted on a fine horse and with eyes 

glitterin an face a mottled red would urge us on. It was purt much 

clear to all that they was indeed a fight brewin just up the road. They was a 

great number of sojers a horseback that rattled their hocks on by an headed off 

north by east which was the direction we was travelin.  Noted was a fine collection 

of pikers an tramps skulkin along here an there along the route of march. Several of 

these fellars was noted braggarts and had waggled incessantly overn a dram as to what

 theyd do given chance to heave to and offer up a good hidin to the yankees.  Now they was 

skulkin about playing possum as if they was heat sick or the like. They was some banter and 

hooting as it dint take much to figure out what they was about and no doubt had designs

 to thieve offn the wagons and such and stay clear of the comin fight. 

 In thought this move was more like a forward movin route than the advance of an Army - 

there agin at that time we was less a army and more a hodge podge.