Thirteenth Massachusetts Regiment PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVIII. 1864. The happiest day we had experienced for many a long Thursday, month had now arrived. We were to turn our faces homeward, having received orders to go to the rear and make out the necessary papers for our departure, turning over to the Thirty-ninth Massachusetts Regiment all enlisted men whose term of service had not expired. No more marching, no more skirmish or picket duty, no more fighting, and no more digging. It was hard to realize that in a few days we should be beyond the sound of the "long roll;" that we would soon be sitting in our arm-chairs at home criticising the movements of the army and its generals, like a disgruntled tax-payer, without the risk of insubordination. "Put down those rails!" might, in our dreams, disturb our slumber; we might occasionally be startled by an imaginary order to "Turn out the guard!" but on waking we could say, " Never mind the guard!" and turn over to sleep again. Already we were thinking of the joy in store for us in the meeting of old friends, and wondering if our old comrades were as anxious to see us as we were them. While our papers were being prepared we made and received calls from our acquaintances in other organizations, with whom we had been long associated, bidding them " good-by," until 6.30 P.M., when we took up the line of march to City Point. The boys were in high spirits, singing the old songs with a joy that hadn't been felt for months. The rear of a great army, with its wagon-trains loaded with food and ammunition, which, we met on the road, was a curiosity even to us. The soil on the roads was so ground to powder, almost knee-deep, that in the bright moonlight the atmosphere looked like a fog. We marched six miles, and then halted. During one of our halts...