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

[155] and continued a distance of about eight miles, when a halt was made one mile and a half from Warrenton Junction. November 1st the Battery was again inspected by Capt. Sleeper, and the location of our camp slightly changed. Our stay here was otherwise uneventful, and continued until the 6th, when, at evening, orders came to strap sacks of grain upon the caissons. This, in our experience, plainly portended a move, although some had thought no further movement probable, owing to the lateness of the season. But all surmises were now at an end on this head, and at 3.30 A. M. of the 7th we were aroused by the familiar notes of the reveille, and a more ill-natured set of men never tumbled out in the darkness to perform the duties which striking camp necessarily devolved upon them. Batterymen, to be studied in their most favorable aspects, should never be seen at so early an hour nor under such inauspicious circumstances. In the darkness ensued a scene difficult to describe, but perfectly familiar to artillerymen. Soon huge bonfires were lighted, and in their glare men were seen with loads of varying description in their hands. Tents were struck, leaving merely the skeletons of our late abodes, and through the camp resounded a Babel-like hubbub. The rattling of harnesses mingled with divers (and drivers') expletives, which were hurled at unruly or laggard horses, whose movements on this occasion showed, in one respect at least, their kinship to man. Loud voices resounded in all directions, sergeants' names were bandied from one end of camp to the other, and imperious tones of officers mingled with the urgent inquiries of puzzled men. ‘Sergeant Townsend send me a detail of three men, immediately!’ ‘Sergeant Townsend, have the picket rope taken down at once!’ ‘Sergeant Townsend, what ’