The last week in October 1862 my Regiment moved from Tenlytown to Fort Alexander.
I was sick with the "Janduice" so I was not on duty that day, so I did not march with my company, but I had to walk just the same. It was about two miles, quite a long walk for a sick man but as I had no gun and equipments to carry I had no trouble in finding my way over there about as soon as the company.

    Fort Alexander was located on a high hill on the north side of the Potomac river about four miles above Washington.

    Our Regiment remained at this fort until we were ordered to join the Army of the Potomac in May 1864.


    On the 1st day of January 1863 the Regiment was reorganized, and named the First Maine Heavy Artillery, and recruited to the full strength of an Artillery Regiment, 12 companies of 150 men each. The recruits came from the same locality that the original 18th Maine was from.

    We lived in tents outside of the fort in the year 1863, and the name was changed to Fort Sumner. We slashed down all the growth outside of the fort within half of a mile, and that was no small job as many of the trees were large Oaks.

    The land where the fort was built was all hills and valleys. The highest hill next to the river was occupied by the main fort.