Hd Qrs 32^d Mass Vols

January 1^st 1862

Camp on Potomac Creek Va

 

Dear Colonel

            It seems strange enough to so disconnect you with these headquarters & to think of you as once again a civilian at home, but not more strange than it is painful to us all. We miss you constantly, in the field & in the camp, as a leader & as a friend. Your little monumental table or stand is now in my tent. Hoyt amused himself in an idle hour by by putting this inscription upon it

 

Erected

To the Memory of

Col. Francis J. Parker /

Who departed this kind of life

December 29^th 1862

Regretted by every officer & man of his command.

A brave Soldier

An efficient Officer

A courteous Gentleman

He was a man, take him for all in all,

it is generally believed that we never

shall get the like of him for Colonel

again!

                                               

 

We realized Hoyt's expression very disagreeably the truth on the march we recently made & which is so well described by Dana in his Irish letter. At five minutes before twelve (noon) we received orders to march at noon with three days rations. At one o'clock the final orders came & we were off at two P.M. (the 30^th) The whole division went, & of course they did not tell us when we were going or that we should ever return. It began to rain hard as we took the road toward Warrenton. The head of the column / led off at an infernal pace & never halted for an instant. Of course in crossing the runs that often cut the road our regiment was greatly broken up. Night came on but still no halts were made. Soon the men became completely worn out. The Lt Colonel seemed to think that his only duty lay in keeping his horses nose against the ambulance of the 62^d. He never looked back or troubled himself about the regiment & often was half a mile in advance of where Capt Bumpus & a dozen of his men were plodding through the deep mud.

 

            I rode constantly from right to left. The Major tried to keep the men up but frequently lost the regiment & finally gave it up entirely & pushed on "saying nothing to nobody". We passed the house where you tried to buy that horse & then the church where we found or tried to find the hard bread that was stolen by the guard of the 62^d & still we went on. About seven miles beyond that church on the road to / Culpepper we halted in an old camp & as the men came in one by one we took our place in line of battle & slept on our arms. no fires were allowed. it was eleven P.M. & rained hard, a cold winters rain. All night some confounded orderly brought messages. The regiment numbered then 110 men.

 

At daylight we were again in motion & took the road to Morristown, while two other brigades under Col. Barnes went toward Barnetts ford. In a cut in a hill near the two or three old houses that made the town we were halted at eleven o'clock A.M. The artillery thundered to the front as if the devil was after it, & took position. The cavalry charged through our column as if there was a bunch of fire crackers on the tail of each horse, but there was no enemy in sight after all, so we were allowed a half hour to get water from mud holes & make coffee & then attention was sounded & we were ordered to about face & march back to camp, 30 miles distant. It was a frightful march. The men were cheerful at first & strengthened by the prospect of / getting back to shelter & their little fires, but one by one they gave out & lay down by the road side. I walked most of the way home & helped to lift into my saddle one after another of the men who were staggering & limping along. At last about 10 P.M. I fell completely exhausted on the ground in my tent (the bed had been taken down & packed up) & slept heavily until morning. It was hardly light before an orderly came & requested to be informed why my monthly report "due at these head quarters" was not in. I sent back my compliments & the message that Lt. Yates' order was the best joke of the season. Still I went to work at once & have just finished & sent it off.

 

            This accounts for my bad temper & bad writing to night.

 

            Your letter to me came this morning. that to Col Prescott was lost in transportation. I wrote a circular containing / the information from Major Todd & the rolls have been made out & are now being examined. The men were mustered by Col Prescott this afternoon. I am too sleepy & used up generally to continue my cheerful remarks & I know you do not like long letters so I will inflict no more at present.

 

Affectionately Your friend

& former adjutant

Cha^s K. Cobb.

 

[endorsement]

 

Adj Cobb

January 1, 1863

SOURCES