Brandy Station for its base of supplies. My
brigade occupied log huts on John Minor Botts' (10) farm, partly
constructed by the Confederates prior to November 8th.

The caring, in winter, for a large army calls for great vigilance,
skill, and energy. The season not permitting much opportunity for
drill, discipline is hard to maintain. Sickness becomes prevalent,
and there is much unrest, both of officers and soldiers.

Camp guards, however, had to be maintained; also grand-guards and
pickets around the front and flanks of the whole army. The freezing
and thawing and the constant moving of supply trains caused deep
mud in the roads and camps. The brigade commanders of the Third
Corps, and of other corps as well, were, alternately, detailed as
corps officer-of-the-day, the duties of which lasted twenty-four
hours, and required the officer to be with the advance-guard and
on the corps' picket lines to see that vigilance was preserved;
that orders were understood and obeyed, and to report any unusual
occurrences. He was required to visit all guards and pickets,
personally, at least once by day and once by night. The Third
Corps' advance line was from Mt. Pony, its left, around the front
of Culpeper Court-House, covering the Madison Court-House road;
in length about five miles. This service was arduous, trying, and,
by night, attended with danger.

During my service as corps officer-of-the-day, in March, 1864,
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Townsend (106th N. Y.), in charge of
the grand-guard on the Sperryville road, in violation of orders,
admitted some refugee ladies, who presented a pass from an officer
of an outer cavalry picket. The orders were to recognize no pass
for a citizen not emanating from army headquarters. The Colonel
reported the occurrence to me, and I disapproved his action, but
made no report of it. The ladies, on some errand, reached
headquarters, and told of their admittance on this road. Meade
ordered me to report the delinquent officer, which I did, giving
all excuses I could for him, but they were unavailing. I was
ordered to prefer charges against Colonel Townsend, "for disobedience
of orders." A general court-martial was called for his trial, of
which General D. B. Birney was President, and, notwithstanding I
had preferred the charges, I was made a member of it.

On the trial I protested my interest and asked the court to excuse
me from sitting, but my request was refused. The court