Chapter 6: removal to Muddy Branch.
After the return of the command to Camp Benton from Ball's Bluff, a reorganization of the regiment took place. Capt. Moses Stanwood, of Co. A., Lieutenants C. C. Sampson of Co. I. and Eugene Kelty of Company K resigned, and were discharged in October, and in November Capt. William H. Wilson and Second Lieut. William H. LeCain of Co. H., with First Lieut. S. D. Hovey of Co. G. were honorably discharged.First Lieut. Charles M. Merritt was promoted to be Captain of Company A, and Second Lieut. Isaac H. Boyd was commissioned First Lieutenant in that Company.
In Company D, Sergeant Major Samuel Baxter was made Second Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant John P. Reynolds was made First Lieutenant and Acting Adjutant and transferred from Company D to G.
In Co. K. Second Lieut. Edward P. Bishop was promoted to First Lieutenant, and First Sergeant Lysander Hume was advanced to Second Lieutenant.
First Lieut. Henry A. Hale of Co. H. was transferred to Co. I, while bandmaster John A. Spofford, with musicians R. W. Stevens, W. C. M. Howe, E. F. Spofford and J. M. Hine resigned and were discharged. Lewis Rimback, of Boston, was appointed as the new bandmaster.
Instead of staying all winter in Camp Benton as had been expected, the regiment was ordered, on December 4, 1861, to Seneca, at a place called Muddy Branch, some miles nearer Washington, where it relieved some of the command of Gen. Banks, whose division was sent to Frederick.
Camp Benton, with its well determined lines, its spacious streets, curiously constructed ovens and underground furnaces, its nicely thatched stables and log houses, was left as a monument
