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This story from the December 1863 Valley Expedition describes in some detail the hardships of a march in the winter. This account is specific to the 34th Mass, but no doubt the other regiments participating in this march (12th VA, Miner's Battery, 1st NY Cav, and a section of the 1st VA Battery) also endured similar hardships:
December 17th, 1863
The wind changed in the night, and this morning blows pierceingly cold, from the north-west. At half past seven, without beat of drum, or blast of bugle, the men moved on to line, ready for the march. The scenes of the morning, though sad, were amusing enough. Everything had been thoroughly soaked in the rain of yesterday, and upon reaching camp, all hands had turned their energies to drying themselves, their clothing and equipments. Some taking off their boots, or shoes had placed them by the fires to dry; and now found them a “world to small;” others had laid down with their feet to the fire, and so the leather had been scorched to a crisp. Officers, magnificent in their long legged and stylish boots, were hunting for privates with whom to exchange for the regulation shoe; and all, of whatever rank, unable to trade for shoes of size large enough to slip over their blistered and swollen feet slit the uppers, from instep to toe or cut out the whole front of the shoe leather. Many of large understanding, wrapped their sore feet in bandages made of pieces torn from their shelter tents or woolen blankets. With all these discouragement, the column cheerfully limped along its difficult road. The rain, of the preceding days, had washed from the like all dust and loose dirt, and the sharp grit of its frozen surface, wore away the soles of our shoes, as a rasp would wear away paper. “Jordan was a hard road to trabble.” The spirit of good natured rivalry between the men of the two Infantry commands, was such that neither would falter, and, from one or the other could always be heard the merry jest or patriotic song. “Oo boss! Oo boss!” in allusion to the bounty of seven hundred dollars and a cow,” as the boys said ourold veterans would call out to a faltering recruit, less inured than themselves to fatigue and hardship; but generally there was little opportunity for such good natured crowing. All bore themselves gallantly, and many unflinchingly trod the rough pathway with bare and bleeding feet.
From: Lincoln, William S., Life with the Thirty-Fourth Mass. Infantry in the War of the Rebellion., Worchester, MA: Press of Noyes. Snow & Company, 1879.
December 17th, 1863
The wind changed in the night, and this morning blows pierceingly cold, from the north-west. At half past seven, without beat of drum, or blast of bugle, the men moved on to line, ready for the march. The scenes of the morning, though sad, were amusing enough. Everything had been thoroughly soaked in the rain of yesterday, and upon reaching camp, all hands had turned their energies to drying themselves, their clothing and equipments. Some taking off their boots, or shoes had placed them by the fires to dry; and now found them a “world to small;” others had laid down with their feet to the fire, and so the leather had been scorched to a crisp. Officers, magnificent in their long legged and stylish boots, were hunting for privates with whom to exchange for the regulation shoe; and all, of whatever rank, unable to trade for shoes of size large enough to slip over their blistered and swollen feet slit the uppers, from instep to toe or cut out the whole front of the shoe leather. Many of large understanding, wrapped their sore feet in bandages made of pieces torn from their shelter tents or woolen blankets. With all these discouragement, the column cheerfully limped along its difficult road. The rain, of the preceding days, had washed from the like all dust and loose dirt, and the sharp grit of its frozen surface, wore away the soles of our shoes, as a rasp would wear away paper. “Jordan was a hard road to trabble.” The spirit of good natured rivalry between the men of the two Infantry commands, was such that neither would falter, and, from one or the other could always be heard the merry jest or patriotic song. “Oo boss! Oo boss!” in allusion to the bounty of seven hundred dollars and a cow,” as the boys said ourold veterans would call out to a faltering recruit, less inured than themselves to fatigue and hardship; but generally there was little opportunity for such good natured crowing. All bore themselves gallantly, and many unflinchingly trod the rough pathway with bare and bleeding feet.
From: Lincoln, William S., Life with the Thirty-Fourth Mass. Infantry in the War of the Rebellion., Worchester, MA: Press of Noyes. Snow & Company, 1879.
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