Reveille by picket fire, and a cannon…

John H. Grabill. Image courtesy of the House Divided Blog, Dickinson College.

This morning we were awakened by the firing of our pickets. After eating a hearty breakfast and filling our haversacks with provisions, we were again on the march. The artillery of the enemy could be distinctly heard on our right. After marching and counter marching for sometime, we were stationed within a-half mile of the battle ground. The regular roaring of the cannon, enlivened by volleys of musketry and the shouts of our boys, whenever they charged, produced a combination of sounds as rare as grand.

John Henry Grabill, Co. C, 33rd Virginia Infantry

Tagged: 33rd Virginia Infantry, First Battle of Bull Run, First Battle of Manassas, John Henry Grabill, Sesquicentennial

Posted in: American Civil War, Ancestral tidbits, Sesquicentennial, Shenandoah Valley history, Shenandoah Valley in the Civil War