with that it was a tedious process to get a
breakfast for fifty men.

Those were comparatively pleasant days, and the men learned to vie with
the brute in enduring exposures and hardships.

From this place the division moved, February 13, to a point two miles
south of Paw Paw Station, one part going into camp and the other to
Bloomery Gap, under the leadership of Gen. Lander, to surprise a small
force of rebels under Col. Baldwin. The expedition was a brilliant
success. The Colonel with eighteen commissioned officers and fifty
privates, was captured.

[Sidenote: March to Winchester.]

The contagion of "Quiet on the Potomac" prevailed at Paw Paw until the
1st of March. The division, consisting of fifteen regiments of infantry,
one regiment of cavalry, and four or five batteries, was put in motion
towards Winchester, but the sad death of Gen. Lander caused a return to
camp on the next day. On the 3d, all the troops turned out to pay
military honors to the departed hero, the Seventh Ohio being detailed to
escort his remains to the cars.

Gen. Shields succeeded him, and led the division up and down the
Shenandoah Valley until it became a terror to the enemy and was thought
almost invincible.

Passing down the railroad to Martinsburg, and taking the stone pike, it
reached a point four miles north of Winchester, on the 12th of March.
The rebels had evacuated during the previous day, and there was no work
to be done until the reconnaissance to Strasburg was made on the 20th.
An artillery skirmish took place without loss, and the troops made a
hasty return during the drizzling rain of the 21st.

The hasty retreat over the sharp stones, through the rain, and with only
one halt in twenty-two miles, made that another of the severe marches
which multiplied on that fated division. One poor fellow of the 110th
Pa. was so fatigued that he stepped into the corner of the fence to end
his military career forever. The next morning only about 100 of this
regiment could report for duty.

[Sidenote: Battle of Winchester.]

On Saturday afternoon, March 22, Ashby's Cavalry--the advance of
Jackson's army--made an attack on the town. The troops were called out
to repel it. All soon became quiet, and the next morning they returned
to their quarters. After an hour the booming of the cannon beyond
Winchester, gave the reason for the order to "fall in," which proved the
last summons to military duty for many a man of the Seventh Ohio