John D. Billings, The history of the Tenth Massachusetts battery of light artillery in the war of the rebellion

[65] on the muzzle; meanwhile, the carriage has been pushed up with elevated trail, and the heavy piece falls back promptly with its trunnions in their appointed sockets. A few nimble leaps restore the implements to their respective places, and the Battery is ready for action. When all is completed, if the observer has noted the time, he will find that the carriages have been taken to pieces, put together again, and the motions of loading and firing gone through with, in less than a minute. This manoeuvre was once accomplished by the Fourth Detachment in forty-nine seconds.

In this camp, as in Camp Davis, occasional incidents occurred to enliven the monotony of drill. At one time we were inspected by a lieutenant from the Tenth Vermont Infantry, who evidently knew but little of artillery matters, and being under the influence of too much ‘commissary’ ventured criticisms on no point except our dishes, taking the opportunity to recommend to us a new improvement, sold by a Capt. Dillingham of his regiment, consisting of a dipper furnished with a wire bail. He returned in transports at our appearance, and, having seen double, reported Capt. Sleeper's Battery of twelve guns and three hundred men as in splendid condition. We, on the other hand, took the hint about the dippers, and from that day forward a tin vessel fitted with a wire bail was known among us as a ‘Dillingham.’

The weather becoming quite warm, nearly every man appeared under a straw hat, purchased in the town at the store of Jesse T. Higgins, one of two grocers then located there.

During the first week in May the battle of Chancellorsville was fought and lost. Soon afterwards the Rebel movement northward began, and our days