150 Years Ago: to DC!

Judson Cheney
Born: May 11, 1838, Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: September 29, 1864, Chaffin Farm, Virginia
Relation to Author: 2nd Great Grand Uncle

Judson and the 98th NY have been in Albany since the middle of February. Kreutzer tells the story pretty well, so I'll let him take over: 

But the days of our sojourn at Albany were numbered. The soldier must leave that attractive place of peace and plenty, and go where well-dressed ladies, legislators, and high officials will never come to see his drills and dress-parades. They snatched every rumor for they knew that we were only waiting for the arrangements for transportation to Washington. The order to go was not long delayed. It was read one evening and commanded us to be ready to march at daylight. All night long the barracks echoed with shouts and cheers...

Could they have read what the future had in store for them, the deaths, wounds, disease and hardships, they would have been less boisterous in their gladness and hilarity.

Now on to Washington, DC! Kreutzer continues:

A train of 16 cars was required to transport the men and their five days' rations in bulk, and the horses of the field and staff.

They passed through New York city, Easton, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Long before they arrived in Washington, many of the men caught a glimpse of the Federal capital for the first time, as high and bold it glanced through the valley among the forests and the hills. They shouted like Christian pilgrims at the sight of Jerusalem, or [Muslims] at a distant prospect of Mecca. They had, too, as they approached, a fine view of the Potomac, smooth and silvery, and of the tall, white national monument standing near it on the flat ground.

They were landed almost under the shadow of the dome of the marble senate-house. The hour was 10am. Congress was in session; thousands of civilians and soldiers filled the approaches or collected on the porticoes and corridors. Beside the depot was a "Soldier's Rest," where the regiment had dinner, but no rest. We were ordered to go into camp on Kalorama heights, out 14th street, on the western border of the city. More definitely, we learned when we arrived there, that we were to encamp on Meridian hill, near Columbia college, just where the meridian of Washington passes, and were the government erected a great sun-dial. We must carry all we can, all we have, and tents and rations will follow when the quartermaster receives his teams. So out 14th street we go, up 14th street we go, through mud and slush and mire. The sun shines hot, the wind blows high, and by turns, snow and drizzling rain descent; still, tramp, tramp, tramp, we push along, slow and steady and sure, as the march of destiny. Without tents, we bivouacked on the cold, sandy ground, in the keen night air, and late in the hours, we watched the clouds and stars like Palinurus, with our martial cloak wrapped around us.

That is how Judson arrived in DC roughly 150 years ago today. I'll have more about his time there in a future post.