ed November 7th to do fatigue duty in Fort Blenker,
digging, shovelling, &c. The boys going out, came in at ten, A.M.,
driven in by the storm which was raging there. It commenced storming the
6th, and at ten, A.M., the next day it had culminated into an
old-fashioned New England snow storm. The wind blew a gale; the air was
very cold, and the snow, whirling about us, made our situation very
uncomfortable, especially to those who were on guard, and exposed to its
fury. B. was the only one from D. H. happening to be on guard, except W.
S., who volunteered to take another man's place for $1.25. I think he
earned his money.

CHAPTER II.

The snow storm of November 7th came upon us quite unexpectedly, leading
us to think we had journeyed in the wrong direction, and instead of
being in "Dixie" had approached the north pole, and were already in the
immediate vicinity of it. There were some wry faces about the camp,
though most seemed amused at this unlooked-for event, joking among
themselves at the idea of making snowballs in Virginia before Rhode
Islanders could get the necessary material--"enlisting under false
pretences," &c.

From November 8th to the 12th, nothing of unusual interest occurred, our
time being taken up in drill, and in other necessary duties connected
with camp-life. November 13th, the entire regiment was ordered to be in
readiness the following morning, for picket duty, with two days'
rations. The appearance of the sky, the night of the 12th, was
threatening, making us already feel, in imagination, the discomforts of
this duty in a storm, with no other shelter but the broad canopy of the
heavens, excepting, perhaps, a paltry one of bushes, affording indeed
but little protection from the pitiless storm.

The morning of the 13th came; the roll of drums at six o'clock, aroused
many a drowsy soldier of the Twelfth from his humble couch, and
interrupted many a pleasant dream of home, to awake him to the stern
reality of other duties and associations. It did, indeed, rain in the
night, which proved a benefit to us, raining just enough to lay the
dust. The morning broke upon us with the assurance of a pleasant day.
With cheerful hearts and willing hands, we began our preparations. We
took breakfast at the usual hour, half-past seven, filled our haversacks
with beef and hard crackers, our canteens with water, strapped our
blankets about us, buckled on our equipments, and at eight o'clock,
formed in lin