sket shot just
behind me, and turned to see that Billy in entire undress, had unhorsed
the leader of the Rebel squad. We ran for all we were worth for camp,
Billy in his extreme undress state bringing up the rear, he never was good
on the retreat anyway; as we ran we shouted Rebs! The boys soon came
pouring out of their tents, and the Johnnies seeing what they were running
into, turned and made good their retreat, leaving their wounded comrade
behind them. We started down the river the 15th, marching along the left
bank and on the evening of the 18th, went into camp on the same field we
camped on August 13th, when we were on our way to join General Pope.

November 19. We continued our march down the river and toward night went
into camp opposite Fredericksburg. After supper I noticed a lot of the
boys down along the river bank, and a lot of Johnnies on the other side.
They were having a good deal of fun jollying each other across the river.
We remained in camp down opposite the city for ten days, watching the Rebs
as they worked away on their entrenchments on the heights back of the
city. The chaffing of the men on either side of the river was early put a
stop to.

The day after we reached Fredericksburg, rations being a little short, I
thought I would go out foraging. I must have gone three miles when I saw a
pig disappear over a little hill about a quarter of a mile ahead of me. I
chased him for a good mile, gaining on him steadily, and as I got up
within a few rods of him, fired at him twice with my revolver, once
wounding him, when bang went a carbine and over rolled Mr. Pig, dead.
Imagine my surprise at hearing the carbine so near. I stopped, looked
around, and behold I had chased the pig right into one of our cavalry
outposts and one of the men had shot him. It might just as well have been
a Confederate outpost, for I must have been nearly four miles from camp.
Well, we skinned Mr. Pig, cut off some meat and fried it, and we had a
good meal, the cavalrymen furnishing hardtack. Then we divided the rest,
the cavalrymen keeping a part, and I trudged back to camp with the
remainder.

November 29. We were relieved from duty along the river and went into camp
with the rest of the brigade about a mile and a half back from the river
on high ground.

December 1. As the weather grew colder many of us set to work to improve
our quarters. My tent-mate and I raised the walls of our tent about two
feet high, using three log