Shnikerville - Shnikers Gap - Snikers Ferry*
In the morning we received chicken and one half ration of coffee. Departure nine o'clock.
Warm summersday. March to Snikerville, two miles short of Shenandoah Bridge. One o'clock to the river Shenandoah, arrive one thirty o'clock. Our way through fields and forest was either wet, or swampy, or just rocky.
Later deeper into the mountains on the Alexander** Winchester Turnpike. Excellent.
Shnikerville - Small mountain city.
The Shenandoah is about one hundred and twenty-five feet wide here and a wonderful ferryboat. Two boats with a platform, two small boats with three rudders in each boat, rudder in each boat serve as steering wheel. A wire rope spanned across the river in connection with a bottlepul constitutes an excellent mechanism so that a loaded boat cuts through the river obliquely in six minutes. At times eighty-eight men in one boat.
We are resting at the shore, cook coffee, receive crackers. After that, about five o'clock we, one and one-half Company are transported across. General Banks has sent Seamen to us, who accomplish the task with assurance and safety. I take my hat off to American ingenuity.
After a fifteen minute march we bivouac on a hill. Wheat and oats serve as spread. Beef and bouillon for evening meal. I have the jour (day) for the kitchen. (Kitchen Officer). Difficulty, only bath and two kettles are at our disposal.
Warm night, wonderful road.
*Present day Snickersville, Virginia. Before that it was Snickerville.
**Alexandria Winchester. Present day Virginia State Route 7. See history on Wikipedia.
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