The Photographic History of The Civil War: in ten volumes, Thousands of Scenes Photographed 1861-65, with Text by many Special Authorities, Volume 8: Soldier Life and Secret Service.
Francis Trevelyan Miller, Ed.

[214] hour later, at the call of the assembly, they fell in, and soon took up the line of march, reaching the end for the day in the middle of the afternoon or early evening. The rear brigade awaited the movement of the wagon train and fell in behind. It frequently did not reach the halting-place until midnight, and sometimes much later. The average distance covered daily was something more than sixteen miles.

The men marched ‘at will,’ with little semblance of military order, yet each knew his place. Good-natured badinage, songs, school-day recitations, discussions as to destination— these served to pass the time. Seldom was halt made for a noontime meal, the men eating as they marched. At an occasional halt, some gathered over their cards; some put a few stitches in a dilapidated garment; some beat the sand and dust out their shoes, and nursed their blistered, travel-worn feet. The evening was pleasantly passed around the camp-fire.

But a day seldom passed without its trials. Frequently a Confederate force appeared in front; the cavalry advance was driven back, while a regiment or brigade, and a few pieces of artillery, moved rapidly to the front. A half-hour later the foe had vanished; a grave or two was dug beneath the shadow of the trees; an ambulance received a few wounded men, and the march was resumed.

Again, the rain fell in torrents the day long, and, sometimes, for days. The men marched in soaked clothing. The roads were quagmires, and thousands of men labored for hours tearing down fences and felling saplings to make a corduroy road, over which the artillery and wagon trains might pass.

At another time the march lay across or near a railway which could be of much use to the Confederates. The soldiers lined up along its length and, lifting the ends of the ties, literally overturned the iron way. The ties were piled together and fired; the iron rails were thrown upon them, and, after they were well heated in the middle, they were wrapped around trees, or twisted with cant-hooks.