Click here for this soldier’s biography:
https://micivilwar.com/authors/benton-thomas-h/
Regiment: 19th Indiana Infantry
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures:
Camp near Warrington Junction, Va. Apr. 16~ 1862
Dear Father:
I received your letter some days ago and have not had
an opportunity of answering until this time. We I wrote to
you last, we were at Bristoe Station, about ten miles
further back. We came here on last Saturday, and have a
very nice campground on the banks of the Cedar River. They
have finished the railroad to the river, and last evening
completed the bridge across it. All the way from here to
Manassas, the railroad track had been torn up and
bridges burnt. The way they took of ruining
the iron was to build a fire and lay them across it, and
the heat bent them. The track is torn up to the
Rappahannock River, which is about fifteen miles from hers.
We are about eight miles from the town of Warrington. The
boys are spending all their leisure time in fishing in
Cedar Creek for eels and other fish. There is said to be a
good many guerillas between us and the river, who pick up
everyone they find from the Union forces. The infantry
picket line is only about two miles from here.
There are but few inhabitants in this part of the country;
all have left. We are camped within a mile of the 16th
Indiana Regt., and it seemed like being at home, seeing so
many Richmond boys. They will go home in a month, so their
time is almost up. I suppose we have been brought here to
guard the railroad, etc. At least that is what we are now
doing. It takes almost three hundred guards from our regt.
every day. Lieut. Hindman arrived here last Sunday with the
recruits. Capt. Dudley has not joined us yet.
I was over to the 16th Regt. yesterday, and while
there called in it to see Dr. Fisher, and found him a
little under the weather. Direct your letters as usual to
Washington; they come to us from there on the railroad.
Give my love to mother and all the rest, Your son,
T. H. Benton
