Camp Shaws Fork May 6^th /62

 

            I write you dear wife from a camp situated on a stream called Shaws Fork at the foot of Shenandoah Mountain and about eight miles from the town of M^cDowell, from which place if I recollect rightly I last wrote you. We fly about now so rapidly from one point to another that we have no regularity in mails atall. Our letters reach us at odd times, and we send ours whenever we can. We left M^cDowell on last Saturday and marched as far as the top of Shenandoah Mountain where we staid all night on the spot lately occupied by the rebels. The top of the mountain was so broken that it was impossible to pitch our tents with any regularity or comfort and we therefore built fires and slept in the open air without them. The air was cold and frosty but our sleep was refreshing and just as pleasant / as if we had been covered by the best of tents. Some of the men spread pine branches green and fragrant with the smell of fresh pine over stakes making quite homelike rooms, but I selected my quarters under the branches of a pine tree lately cut down, and enjoyed my rest as much as if I had been in house. Col Constable was not with us, as I am sorry to say he was too sick to march. We left him at M^cDowell where he will remain in very comfortable quarters until he gets well. His fever will probably take the usual course so that he cannot expect to do any service for four or five weeks. I heard from him this morning. He was doing very well. After sleeping at the Shenandoah House (as I called my green hotel on the top of the mountain) we marched the next morning some five miles further towards Staunton to a point where the road forked, and camped in a beautiful meadow in the "calf pasture" / valley. One fork of the road led to Staunton by the "Buffalo Gap" and the other to the same place by "Jennings Gap". The rebels are said to have troops on both passes. Their cavalry pickets came within two miles of our position on Saturday morning before I reached the camp but did not make their appearance afterwards. Col Hughes with his regiment the 3^rd Virginia reached the camp on the evening before we did, and his pickets were found by the rebels and this I suppose caused them to vacate. Col Hughes ranks me in date of commission and therefore had the command but on Sunday Monday he was taken unwell, and turned it over to me. This kept me in the saddle all day as I felt it my duty to visit every picket and outpost, and make myself familiar with our position in every particular. Just before night much to our astonishment we received orders from Gen^l Milroy to retrace our steps immediately some / some four miles, and as in the morning to continue our march until we met his orders on the road. He stated that he had been ordered by Gen^l Fremont to do this in consequence of some information that Gen^l's Jackson and Johnson intended uniting their forces, and make an attack upon this line. We immediately struck our tents and in three quarters of an hour were marching back again. The men hated this very much, and if they had dared would have openly refused to go, but as it was they only said referring to their having had short rations lately, "Colonel we are willing to starve when we march forward, but if we go back we must have our full rations". There was no help for us, we were under positive orders, and so back we went, infantry, cavalry & artillery. The cavalry & one regiment of infantry had just arrived from M^cDowell that afternoon and had barely time to build their camp fires when about face came the order and away we all marched growling & disappointed. 

 

            The other troops halted at the foot of Shenandoah Mountain, but the place was wet and disagreeable, besides being crowded, and I marched my men forward to the top of the mountain again, and put up at the Shenandoah House once more. My accommodations were the same as when I stopped there the other day. I was very tired and slept almost immediately after going to bed and did not waken until just before daybreak. When I opened my eyes a bright light apparently on the opposite side of the mountain struck my view looking like a signal beacon of the enemy. I sat up and soon ascertained that it was the morning star, but larger and more brilliant than I ever remember to have seen it before. The atmosphere was perfectly clear and cold. We were at a great elevation and I suppose these circumstances made it appear so / very brilliant and beautiful. I watched the star with great enjoyment until the top of the morning dawn, and then up and away we marched, as soon as the men could eat their breakfasts. We met Gen^l Milroy himself who ordered me to camp where we now are. Capt Butterworth who has been waiting for this letter says he he cannot wait any longer and I must close or miss the only opportunity I may have for some time. Direct to M^cDowell as usual. Love to Lindy and all the children with loving kisses to dear little wife. Major Riley is now well & writing to his wife. Lieut Monfort and all the Glendale boys are well.

                                                                                                           

N. C. M^cLean

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