July 11th
Passed through the neat village of
Rockville, and marched under a very hot sun towards
Washington city.
Halted about two miles from the inner fortifications, where we were exposed to a close and rapid shelling nearly all the afternoon.
The men are full of surmises as to our next course of action, and all are eager to enter the city.
We can plainly see the dome of the
Capitol and other prominent buildings,
Arlington Heights (
General Lee's old home), and four lofty redoubts, well manned with huge, frowning cannon.
Several 100-pound shells burst over us, but only one or two men in the entire division were hurt.
All the houses in our vicinity were vacated by their inmates on our approach, and the skirmishers in front were soon in them.
Many articles of male and female attire were strewn over the ground.
This conduct was against orders, but a few men, led by an Italian, familiarly known as “Tony,” who was once an organ-grinder in
Mobile and now belonging to the “Guarde
La Fayette,” Company “A,” of my regiment, exerted themselves to imitate the vandalism of
Hunter and
Milroy and their thieving followers while they occupied the fair Valley of Virginia.
Private property ought to be — and is, generally — respected by Confederate soldiers, and any other course is ungentlemanly and unsoldierly.
Yankee soldiers are not expected to appreciate such gentility and self-respect.
United States Postmaster-General Montgomery Blair's house and farm, called “
Silver spring,” were less than a hundred yards from my regiment.
General Breckinridge is an old acquaintance of General
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Blair, and had placed a guard around it, and forbade any one to enter the house or at all disturb the premises.
This course was in great contrast to that pursued by
General Hunter when he caused the destruction of the residence of his cousin,
Hon. Andrew Hunter, in
Virginia.
Breckinridge is the very soul of honor, as are all our leading generals.
The meanest private in our army would not sanction the conduct of
Milroy and
Hunter.
