We have since learned, to our cost, that it was too small to go where we went. We thought when we were going to Lynchburg that we had an awful large army and nothing could stand before it. The firing served to drown the noise of our retreat. The Cavelry left their horses some distance back and opened a brisk fire all along the line. It was a very bad place to get an army from without alarming the enemy. Everything was moved with caution and in perfect order. We had not marched 10 minutes until we saw enough to satisfy us that we were retreating. At half past 8 Pm we were right about faced and marched by the flank. This was done in order to deceive the enemy for our rear was already on the retreat. Our battle lines were kept up and our skirmish lines strengthened. Our dead and most of our wounded fell into the enemy’s hands. We could never retreat, that was impossible if we were not all captured we should most certainly starve. We must and would take Lynchburg at all hazards rations we must have and we could get them only in Lynchburg. The waggon trains were soon started back but we did not think such a thing possible. After the battle, Hunter made preparations to retreat. We heard heavy canonading afar off in our front. We supposed Grant would send us reinforcements. We waited anxiously and wondered why our forces were idle but concluded that the Cavelry were flanking them. They were chopping and hammering all night. While laying on the skirmish line tonight we knew when reinforcements came to the enemy. They took so long putting Staunton, Lexington, and other towns to the torch that General Early, sent on by Lee to save Lynchburg, arrived just in time. Then, as seasoned soldiers, the 34th started south with Hunter’s 18,000, burning as they went, with the objective of destroying Confederate stores at Lynchburg. After spending eleven months on garrison duty at Washington, the 34th went to the Shenandoah Valley and participated in the battle of New Market, where, according to General Sigel, no men ever fought better. Stark, of the 34th Massachusetts Volunteers. These pages have been selected from the manuscript account of a private soldier, William B.
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