September 16.

Got up rather stiff and sore and hungry. No rations came during the night as we expected, and the prospect was another day of hunger. The enemy started to shell our camp and continued till afternoon when we moved about a mile. Two or three of the artillery men on the hill beside us were killed, also some horses. Saw two mules killed on a baggage wagon only two or three rods from our camp. Knocked them ‘higher than a kite.’

Had five rather yellow looking prisoners in camp. They gave themselves up, having got worn out. In the afternoon we marched about a mile and encamped. We were now drawing near to the rebels and we could see their movements on the hills in the distance. We could not tell what they were doing, but could see horsemen riding at top speed. Every few minutes a shell would come whistling into camp. They probably knew our position.

Cavalry and artillery came pouring past us and through the corn-fields, trampling the corn so that is was not worth a dollar an acre. We expected a battle every moment, but as it soon grew dark we gave it up. We were now lying directly in front of a masked battery, or something of the same sort.

Four guns were place in position in a small piece of woods directly in back of us so they could have blown us to atoms if they wanted. Trees were felled across and in front of them so only muzzles could be seen, and only four rods away at that. We lay only six or seven rods in front and I don’t think I could have told there were guns there if I had not known. To-night some of the regiments in our brigade got their rations of ‘har-tac.’ It made us more hungry than ever to see them eating.