The men of the Fourteenth were ordered hither and yon to do this duty or that and did not receive orders to encamp until December 27th. Then we marched about two miles south of Stevensburg to a low, forested, rock-strewn hill known appropriately as Stony Mountain. Experienced builders now, we built our second hut in just a few days. We had neither the opportunity nor the inclination to consider Christmas celebrations, but on the last day of 1863, Jim, Charlie, Otto, and I planned and enjoyed a hearty feast. As I had done the year before, I ordered each man a pair of Hick-ham’s boots from home, although Otto’s feet were so large that, even with my years of retailing, I could not determine the size. I simply traced both the outline and the profile of each of his huge feet on a sheet of paper and sent the sheets home to Jessie Anne. Chaplain Stevens returned to Connecticut to take up his pastoral duties once again. He had already extended his service with the regiment four months beyond the one-year leave granted by his congregation.
