March from camp by Cedar Mountain, direction towards Culpeper C.H.
Long before one o'clock during the night we are awakened for our departure, still we do not march. The night is autumnal cold, foggy and dark. The moon is in the decline. Perhaps the darkness is the reason for our delayed departure. Towards four o'clock in the morning we march, interrupted by many halts. We rest while still dark for about forty-five minutes in order to let a number of cavalry regiments march ahead of us; later Schirmer's Artillery.
We pass quite a few infantry regiments who, under arms, are resting on adjacent fields. Generals Schenk and Stahl are with our division. Chief Amsberg is in command of our regiment. Towards daybreak we march under the command of General Schenk in platoons so the masses remain much closer together.
Six o'clock rest near the battlefield by Slaughter Mountain. We are marching with great care, apparently to guard against possible attacks in our rear. The enemy supposedly tried in full view of our pickets to cross the Rapidan.
The weather is, already, at eight o'clock quite warm.
About eleven o'clock: We are still resting, the entire army, near and partly on the battlefield. Almost all are camping in the neighboring oakforest which constituted part of the battlefield. Here too are hastily dug graves of the Secessionists - out of which the half decomposed corpses partly protrude. A member of the De Kalb regiment who at the time helped bury the dead, tells that by a fence eighteen corpses of ours, were found with bashed in skulls, evidently clubbed by the Rebels, who presumably denied them passage across the fence. March from camp by Cedar Mountain Culpeper.
I meet an intelligent soldier from the twenty-fifth Ohio regiment now with Ohio Artillery. He tells me many praiseworthy things about General Milroy "The Grey Eagle" who at this precise moment is riding past us. He boasts of his energy and bravery. Our extended halt evidently is depending or related with eventual movements of the enemy, over which one wants to move to Warrenton. It apparently was General Jackson's tactic during the battle here, that through a mock attack, or movement to our right flank in the direction form Madison C.H., to split our forces, whereas he later turned his main forces to attack our center.
Since we still are not marching I roam through part of the forest where the battle had been rather violent. Heaps of old clothing, emptied packs, parts of armature etc. are covering the ground. I also find graves of the Rebels who were hastily buried by ours so that still parts of the corpses are protruding, arms, feet etc. The hands have the appearance of dirty yellow gloves. Sixteen to twenty in one pit which was filled above capacity without wanting to start a new one, wherefore the great heat and the unbearable decomposition stench excusably speaks. "That's the way they treat a man who serves his country" was the remark from a soldier standing by. However, the cricket was chirping its song and a cooling breeze moved gently through the oakwoods, as if "beast man" never had set foot upon these heavenly beautiful regions and yet thousands were resting here in this very forest, shaded from the hot rays of the sun and strength gathering for their perhaps renewed bloody handiwork, or looking for paltry pieces of loot among the enemy or comrades of the left behind dead.
The enemy apparently indulges in the general custom of robbing the belongings of the prisoners and the dead, out of the packs from their bodies, and if clothing, to exchange right there on the spot. Towards noon continuance of march.
With many interruptions we arrive in and march through Culpeper C.H. before twilight. It is one of those small southern cities, situated in gorgeous surroundings and they are keeping most of the slaves for their own comfort consequently have only a few for their industry.
Manifold has been the desertion of homes, some are used for hospitals.
We continue to march until eleven o'clock in total darkness and on weedy roads interrupted every five minutes through halts since the wagons find it extremely difficult to get through.
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