George
B. Quigly,
Raftmen’s
Guard, Co.
D, 13th Pa.
Res.,
to:
the Warren Ledger.
Cumberland,
Maryland
–
“Editors Ledger
– Gentlemen:- Several members of our company were agreeably surprised last night,
by receiving a package of the Warren ledger, so
I tho’t I would surprise you by writing a few lines to
let you know where we are and what we are doing.
“Our Regiment
accompanied by Col.
Simmonds Regiment of Infantry; and Capt. Campbell’s Light
Artillery, left Harrisburg to protect the southern part of Pennsylvania on the 22nd
of June. We received orders to march on the 21st about ten
o’clock
at night. We packed our knapsacks, received our guns, &c, and were ready to march by three
o’clock
in the morning. We took the cars running west to Hopewell,
about one hundred and forty miles from Harrisburg,
we arrived there about 4
o’clock P.M.,
where we staid until 3
o’clock
the next morning, when we took up our march over the mountains towards Cumberland.
About 11
o’clock
we arrived at the little town of Bloody
Run,
where we were regaled with an excellent dinner prepared for us by the citizens of the
place. From there we went to Bedford
and encamped about a mile and a half from Bedford Springs. These were pleasantly situated
in a little valley and surrounded by mountains on every side. There did not seem to be
many visitors there at that time, probably owing to the war, and the tightness of the
money market.
“Our Camp was named
Camp McCall; and I call it a good days march for raw troops to make, having marched
twenty-two miles through a hot sun and dusty roads, and carrying a knapsack, two days
provisions, a canteen of water, gun and cartridge box, weighing in all 43 pounds, we staid
there three days when ordered to march again.
“The first day we went
15 miles, the next eight, when we encamped just on the borders of Maryland
and about 6 miles from Cumberland.
This camp was called Camp Mason & Dixon, and it was situated between two hills, which
were about thirty rods apart, it was quite swampy owing to the numerous springs that found
there way out here, and I leave it for your imagination what a nice place it was. We staid here about a week, when
one night as we were getting ready to go to bed, Capt. M’Neil
cried out ‘fall in, fall into ranks with your
guns and cartridge boxes,’ the next order was ‘right dress’ the next was ‘be ready to march in thirty minutes.’ The
Sergeant gave us forty rounds of cartridges and caps, and directed us to get a days provisions in our haversacks, which done, we packed our
knapsacks and by the time the thirty minutes had expired, we were in ranks ready to march,
as was the whole Regiment.
“The Col.
rode along our ranks telling the Capt. to have the men load
with care. In a few minutes the order was ‘march’ and off we went in common time, all in good spirits,
and expecting to meet the enemy before we got to Cumberland,
but not a secesher
was seen. We arrived in Cumberland
at 3
o’clock A.M.,
the people raised the windows as we came in, but not a word from them could we hear. The
next morning they said that they thought that they were taken by Secession troops. We
encamped one mile from the Virginia
line, we can see across the Potomac
and once in a while, can see their scouts as they come down to reconnoiter. Last night the
camp was aroused by the sentinel firing his gun, when every company was ordered out, but
it proved nothing of importance, three men came within twenty yards of the sentinel, when
he fired at them and they took to the woods on the double-quick.
“G.B. Quigly.”
[WL:
8-7-1861].
