as once more ordered to rejoin
Grant's army, and the regiment left the historic valley on December
1st, arriving on the 5th before Petersburg, where it was assigned a
position near the place of its skirmish on June 22nd.

"Then it was unbroken forest," says its history; "now, hundreds of
acres were cleared, and dotted with camps. A corduroy road ran by, and
a telegraph, and Grant's railroad. No other such railroad was ever
seen before, or ever will be again. It was laid right on top of the
ground, without any attempt at grading, and you might see the engine
and rear car of a long train, while the middle of the train would be
in a valley, completely out of sight. Having reached Parke Station,
we moved to a camp near Battery Number Twenty-seven, and went into the
snug and elegant little log houses just vacated by the Ninety-fourth
New York. This was a new kind of situation for the 'Second Heavies.'
The idea of being behind permanent and powerful breastworks, defended
by abatis, ditches, and what not, with approaches so difficult that
ten men could hold five hundred at bay, was so novel, that the men
actually felt as if there must be some mistake, and that they had got
into the wrong place."

* * * * *

For two months no fighting fell to the regiment's lot, for though the
Union commanders and armies were ready and eager to make an end of the
war as soon as possible, little could be done during the winter.
Though this inactivity brought perhaps some relief from the rigors of
army life, the men had numerous reminders that they were still in
active service. One of the chief events of this season the history of
the regiment describes as follows: "On the afternoon of the 9th
(December, 1864), the First and Third Divisions of the Sixth Corps
were marched to the left, beyond the permanent lines, and off in the
direction of the Weldon Railroad, to prevent any attack on the Fifth
and Second Corps, now returning from their expedition. After going for
about six miles we halted for the night, in a piece of woods. It was
bitter cold when we left camp, but soon began to moderate, then to
rain, then to sleet; so that by the time we halted, everything was
covered with ice, with snow two inches deep on the ground, and still
sifting down through the pines. It was the work of an hour to get
fires going,--but at last they began to take hold, and fuel was piled
on as though it did not cost anything. Clouds of