During the time we spent regaining our strength after the little affair at Chantilly, a fair number of stragglers caught up with us and our ranks were somewhat swelled. Jackson marches us so hard that straggling is a problem. Her has ordered that stragglers be shot if they cannot match the pace with the main body but I know of no one that has been sent on in this manner. It is just as well that we do not shoot our own as the Yankees do a fine job of that themselves.
Even as our numbers increase, it is not as significant as it may seem. We have discovered that our losses in the company were greater than we had supposed. We knew about Conners, Johnson, Kirk and Robinson but now we have discovered that Taylor was killed as well. Lieutenant Buchanan, the regimental adjutant now rests in peace. We have not heard if Colonel Barnes is still among the living. Troy Crenshaw is in the hospital doing only fairly. Wilson Crenshaw sees him every day.
We had thought that after we had beaten Pope and sent him packing back to Washington, that we might be pursuing him with the ultimate objective of placing Washington under siege. During our pursuit, we changed direction and went north whereas Pope went northeast towards Washington. Our route of march took us into Loudon County where we crossed the Potomac at White's Ford near Leesburg. I do believe that we are bound for Frederick and perhaps Philadelphia beyond that.
Although Maryland is a Southern state, she did not secede with the rest of her sisters. She has remained in the Union at the point of the bayonets of an occupying army. Even though she is being held in captivity against her will, some of us in Lee's army refused to cross the river into a "Union" state saying that such a move was an invasion onto foreign soil and that by doing so, the Confederacy can no longer say that it is defending its own soil.
I will respect their opinions and hope they will not be shot as deserters but as for myself, I believe that northern Virginia has suffered enough from Yankee depredations. It is high time that the war was taken to the enemy in his own yards and fields. Let us liberate Maryland and then give Pennsylvania a blow, knocking that state clean into New York. If we kill enough of them, they will leave us alone. We can do this for we are Lee's soldiers.
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