An Army Restored

An Army Restored. . , Camps of Soldiers Surrounded Scottsville, Tents housing almost 5,000 soldiers, ten times the population of Scottsville in 1862, covered the hillsides around town. Imagine what it looked like. Imagine the sounds of men drilling, horses stamping and neighing, bugles blaring, orders being shouted, and the booming of cannon every morning at five o’clock!, The Men Drilled, Prepared for Battle, and Relaxed, For four hours each day the soldiers drilled, marched and practiced battle skills. One veteran officer organized a school of instruction, teaching new officers tactics, squad and battalion drill., When off-duty, soldiers read books, enjoyed card games or played harmonicas. Many wrote letters describing the camp and how they spent their day. On Sunday, they attended religious services in camp., The townsfolk came to gawk and to trade with the boys in blue. The soldiers bought fresh vegetables, fruit and pies to supplement their army rations. Some hired local women to cook, do laundry and mend clothes., Marching into Tennessee and into Battle, After several weeks in Scottsville the soldiers were eager to get back into action and help win the war. On November 26, 1862, the soldiers broke camp, leaving behind twenty-seen of their comrades who had died of disease. They marched down the Nashville Pike and into Tennessee. Many would fight in the massive Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro. Some would die there., “We were crossing the state line, and cheer after cheer echoed through the valley as different regiments shook the dust of Kentucky off their feet.” Sgt. Stephen F. Fleharty, 102nd Illinois. , (captions) , Scenes from Union encampments, “We have come nearer living like we used to at home today than ever before.” Lieutenant Thomas E. Smith, 79th Ohio , A Union encampment in Virginia