We received company wagons here, and on the 16th, started for Webster, fifty-four miles distant, arriving there on the 18th. On the route we passed over Laurel Hill, where many a root was dug for the pipe, with which to cheer our lonely hours, and passed the scene of the battle of Phillippi, one of the most considerable fights of West Virginia. The grand scenery along the route of this entire march made the trip worth the taking, for that, if nothing more, and surely none of us could see for what other purpose our journeyings of the past two weeks could possibly be, unless it was as the boys invariably would answer, “military strategy, my boy,” though the wisdom of this sort of thing we learned soon to distrust. From Webster we took the cars for New Creek, arriving there on the 19th. On the 22d we had our first grand review by General Robt. Milroy, accompanied by General Cluseret, who has since figured conspicuously in the late French war. We remained at New Creek until December 12th, and during which time, besides being vaccinated pretty thoroughly, were brigaded and re-brigaded a number of times, finally forming a part of Col. Washburn’s brigade, with which command we moved out to Burlington, thirteen miles distant, and remained there awaiting orders. Up to this time, we had scarcely realized that we were in reality men of war—true, we had made some hard marches, and camped out in the snow and rain, after plodding along all day through slush and mud; but as yet we had not met the sterner realities belonging and incidental to a soldier’s life; it seemed more like a picnic excursion, without any definite object or end; later we gave more thought to the situation, and study to the chances of war.