“It was cold business…”

On February 23, 1862, Shep wrote to Penelope that he was well and doing as well as he had since being in the service. He recalled an alarm on Friday night about two o’clock, when the regiment quickly formed and was ready in ten minutes, then marched to the intrenchments and stood in ditches half full of snow. In the cold, he marked time for three hours to keep his feet from freezing, but when day dawned there was no fight. He wrote that he did not want to fight as long as they could do as well without it, did not want to be shot at, and hoped to see the close of the war and live at home a free man once more.

Virginia · United States