ul than almost
any other, and aside from the continual round of drills, the time passed
most agreeably. The Jersey boys here spent the time in pleasant
alternation of guard duties and social enjoyments; a part of the time
being devoted to military affairs, and a much greater part spent in
agreeable attentions to the winning young ladies of Warrenton.

But, like every other brief respite for the army of the Potomac, this
was destined to come to an end. On the 15th of September the army moved
toward Culpepper, which was reached on the 16th; the Sixth corps taking
position at a place called Stonehouse Mountain, three miles west of
Culpepper.

Here we remained three weeks; the camps were by no means so delightful
as those about Warrenton and Waterloo, and the weather was becoming
quite cold, so that our three weeks stay at Stonehouse Mountain had
little about it to make us desire to make it longer. Some pleasing
incidents, however, relieved the monotony of our stay at this place, the
presentation of an elegant sword to Colonel French, by the line officers
of the Seventy-seventh, was the first. The presentation was followed by
festivity and merriment, and in the evening our friends of the Seventh
Maine, forming a torchlight procession, marched to the camp of the
Seventy-seventh to congratulate the colonel and line officers upon the
mutual trust and confidence existing between them. The next was the
return of the Vermont brigade from New York. The Third brigade was drawn
up in line to receive our returning comrades, and with much ceremony
welcomed them back to the division. It must be acknowledged that both
brigades would have been better pleased with the unrestrained welcome
which would have been expressed in cheers than by the formal military
salute.

On Monday, October 5th, the Sixth corps marched to Cedar Mountain on the
Rapidan, the scene of General Banks' conflict with Jackson. The First
corps was already stationed in the vicinity of Raccoon Ford, and the two
corps now occupied a line of five or six miles along the bend of the
river, holding the roads to Culpepper and Stevensburgh. The two corps
were thus thrown out ten miles in front of the main army, having little
communication with the rear. Few wagons were allowed to follow us, and
those were ordered to the rear under a strong escort. On Friday, the
11th, the signal officers stationed on the summit of Cedar Mountain,
while watching the rebel signals, read the mes