A. J. Bennett, private , First Massachusetts Light Battery, The story of the First Massachusetts Light Battery , attached to the Sixth Army Corps : glance at events in the armies of the Potomac and Shenandoah, from the summer of 1861 to the autumn of 1864.

[101] completely a new object of interest to the average soldier, as if the black man had just dropped from the clouds before his startled eyes. The various comments of the press of that day upon this measure, may be taken as representative indications of the various shades of sentiment with which the immortal proclamation was received. There were men in every company of the Army of the Potomac who perfectly comprehended the relation which slavery sustained to secession, and who had foreseen the necessity of an emancipation measure when the first gun was fired. There were others who looked upon the measure, this day, as a dangerous expedient.

Long before we had entered upon the new year, Capt. Porter had resigned, and it was inexplicable why the governor of our state had not forwarded to the efficient commander of our battery his captain's commission. How well he had led his company hither, on the toilsome marches from Antietam, how ably he had handled his company on the 13th of December, was sufficiently evidenced by the indorsement of his corps, division, and brigade commanders. But when at last there was a tardy recognition of his merits and his rights, another vexatious mistake must needs occur to disturb the equilibrium of our company existence. By the promotion of Capt. McCartney, of course his lieutenants would be severally moved forward one step, thus leaving a vacant junior second lieutenancy. Our orderly sergeant, a thorough soldier, with qualifications for command, should have been immediately elevated to the lieutenancy, but curiously enough our governor commissioned a comparatively recent recruit. We believe this official act was resented by the whole command; not that there was, so far as we are aware, any prejudice against the recipient of the governor's favor; he certainly was an exemplary young man; the resentment was an instinctive protest against an act of injustice to the soldier who stood first in the line of promotion.

New Year passed, and three weeks of varied winter weather followed, time replete with incidents of camp life, as checkered as is usually the stream of events in a large community; when, on Wednesday, the 23d of January, the left grand division was once more in motion. This time the columns moved to the west. The air had been so cold during the previous week, and the