Henry Wilson Storey's History of Cambria County, V.II, p.165

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History of Cambria County, V.2

HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. 165

was at Marengo. It was the most decided victory gained from a most disastrous defeat and no one but Sheridan could have done it; as a necessary consequence our loss was heavy and especially so in captures on account of the surrounding and isolating of part of our corps before daylight in the morning. The smoke and smell of brimstone of that morning has all cleared away now, but it was the most unhealthful morning exercises ever I enjoyed and it has an ugly remembrance. The loss of the regiment or rather what I kept with us throughout the day – a respectable bodyguard – is about forty, but few from Johnstown, as the principal part of our regiment now is composed of old Pennsylvania Reserves.
    This morning George Duncan came to me and delivered your letter which was nearly a month old. * * * I have been kept so constantly busy with the affairs of this regiment and my own company that I could find no time for anything but military matters, but at present there is somewhat of a lull and I hope it will remain so for a while. * * * Everything looks like contained field operations for a long time to come. * * *
Near Keranstown, Va., November 14 [Monday], 1864.
    * * * There has been no snow here yet; the weather is rather mild but the nights are bitter cold. When I wrote you the other day I was out-doors; I cannot say that I am much better off now, as I have a shabby old tent, but there is a large chimney built up against it that excels all human architecture for magnificence; it smokes but one way and this is downward into the tent, consequently my hearth is not well adapted for pleasant evening musings. Some times a whiff of smoke will get out of the chimney top but it always comes back through the tent door. Today I learned the boys sacrilegiously tore down an old chapel a short distance over the fields and there's where the bricks came from, which probably accounts for its defect in drawing.
    There is nothing new at present and all is quiet. On Saturday, however, considerable skirmishing was indulged in on our front. On Sunday I took the picket line with my regiment on our left towards Ashby's Gap, in the Blue Ridge and beyond the Opequan; things indicated an engagement for a while in that direction but they very prudently left us alone and much to my surprise we had a quiet Sabbath after all. They have moved back again beyond Cedar Creek and silence once more reigns in the Valley, but the Blue Ridge and woods beyond Strasburg have a treacherous look. * * *
Camp Near Kearnstown, Va., November 25 [Friday], 1864.
    * * * In contradistinction of what is called God's Country in the Army, I think this may well be called “the land of the Evil One,” or dry bones, or practically speaking a “pleasing land of drowsy head,” of soldiers' graves and carrion crows; the former are the more numerous, but the latter in larger crowds;

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	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.	165
was at Marengo. It was the most decided victory gained from a most disastrous defeat and no one but Sheridan could have done it; as a necessary consequence our loss was heavy and especially so in captures on account of the surrounding and isolating of part of our corps before daylight in the morning. The smoke and smell of brimstone of that morning has all cleared away now, but it was the most unhealthful morning exercises ever I enjoyed and it has an ugly remembrance. The loss of the regiment or rather what I kept with us throughout the day – a respectable bodyguard – is about forty, but few from Johnstown, as the principal part of our regiment now is composed of old Pennsylvania Reserves. This morning George Duncan came to me and delivered your letter which was nearly a month old. * * * I have been kept so constantly busy with the affairs of this regiment and my own company that I could find no time for anything but military matters, but at present there is somewhat of a lull and I hope it will remain so for a while. * * * Everything looks like contained field operations for a long time to come. * * * Near Keranstown, Va., November 14 [Monday], 1864. * * * There has been no snow here yet; the weather is rather mild but the nights are bitter cold. When I wrote you the other day I was out-doors; I cannot say that I am much better off now, as I have a shabby old tent, but there is a large chimney built up against it that excels all human architecture for magnificence; it smokes but one way and this is downward into the tent, consequently my hearth is not well adapted for pleasant evening musings. Some times a whiff of smoke will get out of the chimney top but it always comes back through the tent door. Today I learned the boys sacrilegiously tore down an old chapel a short distance over the fields and there's where the bricks came from, which probably accounts for its defect in drawing. There is nothing new at present and all is quiet. On Saturday, however, considerable skirmishing was indulged in on our front. On Sunday I took the picket line with my regiment on our left towards Ashby's Gap, in the Blue Ridge and beyond the Opequan; things indicated an engagement for a while in that direction but they very prudently left us alone and much to my surprise we had a quiet Sabbath after all. They have moved back again beyond Cedar Creek and silence once more reigns in the Valley, but the Blue Ridge and woods beyond Strasburg have a treacherous look. * * * Camp Near Kearnstown, Va., November 25 [Friday], 1864. * * * In contradistinction of what is called God's Country in the Army, I think this may well be called “the land of the Evil One,” or dry bones, or practically speaking a “pleasing land of drowsy head,” of soldiers' graves and carrion crows; the former are the more numerous, but the latter in larger crowds;