Waitt, Ernest Linden, History of the Nineteenth regiment, Massachusetts volunteer infantry , 1861-1865

The first three days passed without anything of note occurring. The men lived well and enjoyed themselves. Wood Grove was reached on Nov. 2 and on Nov. 3, in the afternoon, the familiar boom of cannon was heard in front and soon afterward the regiment filed into a field on the right to halt for a short time while the advance met the enemy in a short skirmish. Then, taking the road, the column moved on a short distance and formed line of battle on the left of the road in a wheat field, the Nineteenth being in reserve, closed en masse by division. The division remained in this position until sunset when the regiment took full distance, stacked arms near a stone wall and prepared for the night. During the following day, Nov. 4, when the journey was resumed to Upperville, the line halted many times to allow the cavalry to feel the way, but was not disturbed by the enemy. A few scattering reports were heard once as the opposing cavalry forces exchanged shots before the rebels retired through Snicker's Gap to the Shenandoah Valley. There was a great deal of foraging at this place because of the fact that there were more houses to forage upon.

The men were much amused in the early part of the afternoon to see a group of soldiers in the yard of a prosperous looking farmhouse chasing pigs, ducks, geese, hens and turkeys, and there seemed to be plenty of them, while a strong-minded, muscular female was chasing the men with a broom. Once in a while a man would try to grab something and then she would bring the broom down with a whack which could be plainly heard. A cloud of dust would rise from the victim's back and he would be careful not to let the broom make so close a connection with his person again. The men of the regiment took no part in this ‘circus’ as the general in command rode at the head of the column and was a witness of the whole affair. That night stringent orders were read from the division commander, forbidding foraging. At sunset the men encamped at the entrance to Snicker's Gap.