Augusta County: Diary of James E. Beard (1861-1862)

        Well nothing of interest in camp until the morning of the1st day of January 1862, when we left this camp and marched inthe direction of Bath, Morgan Co.We marched 12 miles that day through a mountainous and poorcountry and stopped for the night. The next morning (Jan. 2,1862) we left our camp again and marched to the cross roadsnear Ungers Store on Sleepy Creek, the country still poor andmountainous.

        The next day (Jan. 3, 1862) we marched to within 6 miles ofBath and camped for the night. It commenced snowing aboutdark, it fell some 2 inches deep, we started next morning(Jan. 4, 1862) about daylight for Bath, which place we reachedabout 2 o'clock, where we put up for the night. The wagons didnot get up that night and we had to go withoutsupper.

        The morning of the 5th (Jan. 1862) we had to go back abouta mile to meet our wagons. We then went on through Bath towardHancock on the river, where we stayed all day and in theevening fell back a short distance and camped for the night,the snow was falling fast, we remained here overnight. Ourwagons came up about 10 o'clock at night.

        The next morning (Jan. 6, 1862) we struck our tents andmoved back about a mile and pitched our tents and stayed allnight.

        The next morning (Jan. 7, 1862) we again struck tents andsent our baggage off by daylight. The Army had to remain till the whole train of wagons, about500, passed which took til 1o'clock in the day. We then took up the line of march andmoved on slowly until after we passed through Bath some twomiles. We then commenced passing the train and moved on at abrisk rate until we came to the cross roads, which place wereached about [unclear: 1] o'clock.

        We remained here with but little change in our camp untilthe morning of the 13th (Jan. 1862) when we again struck tentsand took up the line of march for Romney at which place wearrived on the evening of the 15th (Jan. 1862) inst., after a heavy and toilsome march of45 miles through a mountainous and ragged country.

        Nothing of interest transpired while we were in this place(Romney), being quarted in houseswe had no use for our tents. We stayed here until the morningof the 23rd (Jan. 1862) when we started back to Winchester byway of the Northwestern Grade and arrived near here on the25th (Jan. 1862) and encamped 3 miles on the Romney Road.

        I left Romney on the same morning for the Hospital inWinchester sick with a cold a sore throat, I remained at thisplace until the 3rd day of February 1862, when I againrejoined the Company at Camp Zollicoffer to which place theregiment moved on the 29th of Jan. (1862), and madepreparations for winter quarters, which we got into on the 7th(Feb. 1862) inst.