"...stripped down to his drawers."

Saturday, June 20, 1863, above Front Royal, Virginia

We in this army are in top spirits. We do not know where we are going save that it is north. Those of us who were in on the Maryland campaign of last year have remarked that this new advance is so much similar to the one of last year. We all are of the opinion that we are forcing Hooker to abandon his efforts to capture Richmond. We believe that Lee is leading Hooked on a merry chase through the countryside. At a time and place of Lee's choosing, he will turn us loose to savage the Yankees and chase them all the way to Washington. Then we will be free.

The Shenandoah is behind us. We crossed it today just after we passed through Front Royal. We are camped not far from the crossing. Everyone is busy trying to dry themselves out. The area in which we are camped is lit up with so many, many fires. Wednesday, after marching through Culpeper Court House, it rained. Thursday, at Gaine's Crossroads, it rained. Yesterday, we went through Chester Gap in the rain. We have not had ten hours in the last four days where it has not rained on us. Sneezing and wheezing are common in camp. 

Will Crenshaw and Vincent are already asleep. I am sure they are not quite dry. Bill Barton, Senior is stripped down to his drawers while roasting his clothes over a fire. Bill, Junior is trying to boil some coffee over the same fire. Mathis has something wrapped around his ramrod and is cooking it in the same fire. Holton is washing his sore feet. Lieutenant Stover just left here, having inquired about us. It is well that he is back. I hope that he will be promoted to captain as is befitting one who is in charge of a company.

We have eaten quite well of late. The valley of the Shenandoah is a fine place to be. Much grows here. The apples are not quite ripe which is a shame as apples from these parts are very good. Some of the boys have yielded to their inferior natures and have consumed unripe apples. They will see Assistant Surgeon Keith soon enough.

My supper tonight, along with several others in the mess, consisted of soft bread, the kind made from real wheat flour. There were onions aplenty, several ears of corn and pork steaks. The people in Front Royal were generous to us. As we passed through the town, many of the citizens greeted us with smiles as broad as the brim of a hat. There were many of our flags in evidence. They pressed foodstuffs into our hands as we marched by and wished us to damage the Yankees. I fear the corn was a bit under-ripe but it tasted first-rate at the time.

From the time that we left the area around Fredericksburg, the citizens of the towns through which we pass have treated us well. We know they do not have much but they are willing to share with, "their boys". I have seen more than a handful of hams marching ahead of me on bayonets. We suspect things will become more bountiess once we cross into the bluelands. 

I believe that it is the Valley Turnpike upon which we march. It is surfaced in the McAdam style and is quite modern. The boys without shoes find the going very rough.

Now that we are on the western side of the mountains, we are shielded from observation by the Yankees. Stuart's critter boys will guard the passes and keep the Yankees at bay until Lee decides to invite them to at dance at which we will lead.

I Send You These Few Lines:

It is true that Lee has stolen a march on Hooker. Hooker did not abandon his position opposite Fredericksburg until after Lee's last troops started their march northward. Hooker does not know where Lee is going or why. He would like to penetrate the mountains and see what's on the other side but Confederate cavalry prevent this by securing the various gaps.

Tooms doesn't know it but the cavalry guarding the mountain gaps is not Jeb Stuart's. Stuart is supposed to keep Lee informed as to the location of Hooker's army. However, Stuart has managed to isolate himself from a position from which he can forward intelligence to Lee.

Tooms thinks that he's on the Valley Turnpike which is largely US11 and I-81 today. In modern terms, Tooms and the Twelfth were on US522 from Culpeper through Chester Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains and into Front Royal where it intersects with US 340 coming north out of Luray, Virginia. North of Front Royal, the two US highways run concurrently. At the time of the Gettysburg Campaign, US340 was the Front Royal Pike which Tooms thinks is the Valley Turnpike.

It's an honest mistake. The two pikes are constructed along the fairly recent McAdam pattern of large stones building up to smaller stones. The Southern Army will march many miles on surfaced pikes. This will be a factor in the campaign, to be revealed later.