"...as much tobacco as we could carry"

As I mentioned, there will be foray's into surrounding counties. Today we travel to Fauquier County. In April 1862, the 1st Maine Cavalry went on a scout to 'Warrenton Village."

Below is a portion of a letter by Charles F. Beal from Company F. Beal would not survive the war, dying from disease on February 8, 1863. There is a photo of him in the American Civil War Research Database.

April 23, 1862
“'We have been sent out on scouting excursions. Once we had orders to go down to Warrenton Village. We surrounded the place with 3 companys and made a charge through the city with the remaining 4 comps. There was five hundred Rebels Cavalry there the night before but they had got the wind of our coming and took to thare heels. We remained in the city and scoured it until 3 o’clock in the morning. The rebels are encamped in a large force about 15 miles from here on the south side of the Rappahannock River where they had a small fight 3 or 4 days ago. We heard the firing. We go out foraging all most every day after grain for our horses and food for our selvs. We went out the other day and got a wagon full of grain and killed 9 Turkeys, 5 Ducks, 11 Chickens, 2 Geese, and got a large jar of Huney and just as much tobacco as we could carry. I found a barn of it about 150 feet long 60 feet wide all strung full of it."