If 1-1 I
LEAVES FROll TIIE DIAPTY
OF A
AiMY StJIGEOiN;
1.~%'-IDE-NTS OF FIELD  CA.I[P, AIND IIOSPITAL LIFE.
13y THIOMAAS T. E~LLIS, Al.D.,
LATS, POST-SUR.GEON AT NEW YOIRK, A-ND AC,TING ME1~DICAL DIR.ECTOR
AT WITIOE,VA.               
11Liter.,tu,-e itself must languish, wl~ere thoughts are no,t reiiewe(I by N-ig,orous
ai~d vai-ied actio)n."                              -           MADA'\Ip Dn STAEI
NEIV YORK:
PUP-LTSJTID PY JOHTN'~UN
SUCCE-SSOR, TO'-. DOOLAI)Y,)
49 AVALKEP,-STI:'EET.
1 8 63.
OR,,
. 0
0 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1863,
BY JOHN BPRADBURN,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern
District of New York.
RENNIE, SHEA & LINDSAY
STRgKOTYPEBS AND ELCTROTYPKRS,.
81, 83 & 85 Centre-street,
Nxw YORK.
R. CRAIGHf'AD, PRIII.,
83 N. Y.
0 
4 ~~
0
4
%N  
cict' Ittb,  bo @;It     issi T,
TO
MAJOR-GENERAL GEOIIGE B. M'CLELLAN,
UNITED STATES ARMY,
AS A TOKEN OF ADMIIRATION AND RESPECT FOR HIS
SKILL AS A GENERAL,
IIIS BRRA-ERY AS A SOLDIER,
HIS COURTESY AS A SUPERIOR OFFICER,
IIIS IIONOR AS A GENTLE.MIAN,
HIIS CIIITSTIAN' SYMIPATTIY FOR TIIE WOUNDED SOLDIERS
OF TIIE ARMIY OF TIIE POTOMIAC, AND
HIS KINDNESS AS A MIAN,
BY THE AUTHOR.
a  
PREF-ACE.
In-  submitting to  the  reading p)ublic  the  follo wing
pag'es, it is but prop)er to informn themi  why the author has
wiritteii thlese " Leaves fiom thle l)iay of an iArmy Suro,eoil,"
or on -whlat groundcls lie lays claim to their lperusal of this
;narrative of incidents of the war.
In the autumnin of 1861, -whlen recruiting was at its zenitlh,
ind tlhe Citv Ilall Park was white with the tents of recruitinl  officerS and its streets resonant withl  sound of fie andl
drum, repeated  and daily representations were  m'tde to
tlhe then Governor of the State, by comimandiing officers of
reoiminenits, of the incompetency and total want of knowledge of tire milita-ry and 1)professional duties, by tlhe sultgeons
hlio hlid been appointed to the various reg,inients already
sent to the seat of war; these complaints became so fireqtuent and well groundedl that the appointllent of a Post
Suig,eon, -whose duty it would be to olganize thle imedical
staff of eacih regim ent, inspect and vaccinate the recruits,
atteind  the  sick, aind  instl'UCt  tlhe  regimental  surigeons,
assistanit-surgeons, and hospital stewards in their duties, oii
tlieir being app)ointed by the Sturgeon-(general, was decidedl
oi, and the writer was selected for that position, by tlhe
heads of the del)artments.   In naking, this selection tlhey
were influencede  by the faicts of his hlaving been in tlhe
Britisls  arui-y as staff sriiigeoi  aud his liavinug served it tlle
Cape of Goodl IIol)e lduringi, the Kliffir AVai,,wlileie duties
of a similar character were performed by hiiii, atd where
a 
PREFACE.
his efficiency and capability earned and received the pub lic commendation of the " Horse Guards," the name given
to the heads of the British army, analogous to the war de partment of the United States. For those services, and for
wounds received on the battle-field, he was permitted to
retire from the service with an honorable discharge and an
annual pension.
During the performance of these duties of Post Surgeon
at New York, and of Medical Director in Virginia, entailing on him the care and treatment of the wounded, with
the innumerable duties and responsibilities contingent
thereon, the incidents related  in the  following  pag,es
came under his notice, and it was his good fortune to be
able to soothe the last agonies of many hundred officers
and soldiers of the army, and to bear the parting message
of affection and dying blessing to many a bereaved parent
or sister who would never again, in this world, meet the
manly and beloved form sent out in the full enjoyment of
health and spirits to fight the battles of his country, and,
alas, to become a victim of that civil war, now desolating
this once happy and prosperous land.
In the recital of these facts the author has carefully
avoided the introduction of all political or sectional discussion, deeming it beyond his province and unsuited to this
faithful record of facts, which will be found often ludicrous,
sometimes pathetic, but always interesting.  And that the
reader may so consider them is the wish, and will be (for
the labor of relating them) full compensation for the
AUTHOR.
NEW YORK, March, 1863.
6
0 
INTRODUCTION.
A XATIOX that for many years has enjoyed the blessings
of peace, and whose standing army, if it deserved that
name, was scarcely sufficient to protect its frontier firom
intrusion, and keep in check the uncivilized tribes of
Indians forming a part, though a troublesome element, of
its population, could not be expected to possess the martial
spirit, or knowledge of the profession of arms, rendered
necessary to grapple with and subdue a rebellion or civil
war of that magnitude which sprang into existence in
1861, by the secession of the slave-owning States of the
South, the first overt act of which was the bombardme nt
and reduction of Fort Sumter, in April of that year. Nor
could it, with justice, be supposed that the machinery found
sufficient for the management and direction of a few tlhousand troops, or the officials having its direction and government in their charge, and who for years had trodden in the
beaten path of routine and old fogyism, would prove capable of organizing and equipping the vast army, recruited
from an agricultural and commercial population, which
was created on the call of the  nation's chief magistrate; many of whom were actuated by patriotism, but niot
a few responded firom that necessity or want of employment which the interruptions of trade and total stagnation
of commercial enterprise, through the war, had produced;
others, influenced by less worthy motives, adopted the life
a
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INTRODUCTION.
of a soldier more firom  the facilities it was supposed to
affordcl themn to lead a life of idleness or dclishlonesty, than
fiom the desire to aid their country in its hour of trying
darkness, and the government in its often Ivwell-meant but
imbecile efforts to crush the gifgantic struggle that threat ened the (csrupl-tion of this vast and hitherto prosperous
republic.  Nor was the latter class confined to the rank and
file, for many of the commissioned officers were men whose
lives had been passed in gambling-houses, or bar-ioomls,
and wlho, from the supposed possession of political ilfliLence, had obtained fi'om the Governors of their respective
States commissions in the volunteer army, on which their
ignorance, incompetency, and total want of honesty, has
brougohlt disgrace, and to whilch, in many instances, the
defeats sustained by our troops, and tlieir demoralized conditionI, can be traced.  A,mong the many ingeniioius coim)parisons to whichll life has been subjected, and which, if we
do not clearly understand, it is not for want of " reasonilg,
by illustration," none amlong  the reseitIlanles which at
mnomen ts to a quiet contemplator suggests so clearly tlhe
image of a whirligig or roundabout, in which each paiticipator ofthle pastime, seated on his hlobby, is alwvays p)llislliIg
some one before him, whlile he in turn is pursuecd by SOlme
one behind, as the efforts of these pseudo-p)olitico officers,
iwh-o by every contrivance endeavored to supplant or overreach each other, that the successful one might obtain, as he
hoped, a morc extensive field for his thieving operations.
In contradistinction to this too numerous class, there were
manly noble and strikilng exceptions-iien who  abandoned
lucirative positions, and a wvell-pI)aying occulpation or comfo1-ttlble homes, to rally round the fla(r of thleir country, and
dctind the goveirnmenlt fioom  its threatened annihilation
andi the Union o undivided   Nor  vweie these disinterested
8
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INTRODUCTION.
gentlemen alone found in any one particular State or political
party of the Union; for I can recall to mind many from
the agricultural West, the manufalcturing East, and the
commercial Mliddle States of the Unllion, who, possessed of
wealth, promptly and cheerfully responded to the call, and
willin,gly braved the rigorous and irksome duties of camp
life, with the chances of that possible fatal future which has
been the lot of so many brave and unselfish heroes, who
have become martyrs to a war that has entailed misery on
thousands, and that appears as likely to continue to sap
the life's blood of the nation as it did before the hundreds
of thousands of lives, and the thousands of millions of
money which it has cost, had been expended.
The wriiter's position having brought him in contact
with most of the volunteer regiments raised, not alone in
the State of New York, but in the Western and New
England States, he is led to the conclusions here expressed, by an  unlimited intercourse and exchange of
sentiment with the officers and men composing those regiments: and lie does not hesitate to express the opinion,
that the material of the army, both physically and in
intelligence, has never been excelled, if it has been equalled,
by any nation of the world; and, if the government (at
whose desire it was called into existence, as if by magic)
had but evinced an ordinary amount of prudence or ability
in the command or disposal of this mighty force, it would
hlave, by concert of action, struck the death-blow to the
rebellion, and peace, now despaired of,  would ere this
have been restored to us.  For the leaders of this rebellion
-which has grown into gigantic dimensions, not so much
firom its own innate strength, as firom the stupid blunldering and guilty miisiaanagement of the Federal forceswould have been forced to lay down their arms and seek
1*
9
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INTITODUCTION.
an  early opportunity to  renew their allegiaice to this
thlen iunitedl, but now disrupted nation.
The prepondleratinc amiount of testimony firom  wliiell
tlise s  ol)iiions are iformed, has been collected fi'oim  tle
]nost intellig'ent officers of the airmy, cery ir'mny of whomn
if(ll victims to tlhat crimninal ign'orance and blind obstinacy
w-hichl has characterized the conduct ofthe war, and wlich
hlas made the military acquireiments of the American pcople a by-word and reproach.
The Southern peol)e, who, by education and their peculiar state of social life, are eminently qualified to command, were not slow to take advantag(e of these Federal
blunders; and the unconstitutional inroads made on their
institutions gave color, if not indorsement, to their appeals,
descrlibing the war as one of invasion and extermination.
Nor have those appeals been made in vain to the ablebodied population of the Southern States, who  have respondecd with alacrity to the supposed defence oftlceir rig,lts,
liberties, and firesides.
Every patriotic lover of his country must deplore tlhe
course pursued by the President's constitutional advisers
in sncdingc forthl the firebrands of emanoipation Iproclamatiolls, whlich hav e proved barren of all good  results,  and
has but served to inflm-e and intensify the  hatredl of the
Southern people, and divide irrevocably tlie population of
the loyal States; nor can it be claimed for tlese injurious
p)roniunciamentos that tlhey have, in the smallest degree,
benefited  the slaves, for whose amelioration they  were
ostensil)ly issued, as flom tlleir very tenor and spirit they
are alone intended for that portion of the Soutlern States
over wh-ichl the Federal Government has no control, nor
ability to enforce them.  The Southern slave, too, if we
may judge from the experience of this rebellion, has but
a
I () 
INTRODUCT'ION.
little desire to avail himself of this unexpected liberty; and
thle ftict is incontrovertible that no  attempt at a servile
insrl'rection has been made, tlioug'h tlhe facilities foi )lrodillcing it must in many l)laces have 1)een al)le.   Vletlier'
we are to attributc tlhis to the geneially mild(l form of slavei)ry,
the fitness of the Aflican for a life of bonidage, and his
unfitness for an independent state, or to the distrust of tllhe
negro in the philanthropic exertions of the advocates of
abolition in his behalf, the writer does not )pretend to deci(de; but the facet remains patent, that the negro, for
lwhose emancil)ation this war is now avowedly carried on,
has piroved himself but a poor auxiliary in its prosecution,
and often an unwilling participator in its boasted benefits.
The iwriter deemis it fitting, here to state that on an iiml)artial comparison, drawn fr'om extended personal observation of the condition of the Afiican in his native land, in
thle Xorthlern free States, and Canada, or in the Southern
States inow in rebellion, he has become  conv-icedl tlhat in
none of these conditions are the negroes as happy or well
cared for, talenii as a body, as in the  cotton and  sugar
(gro0wing States of the South.  Nor are these coinvictions
hurriedly made or recently arrived at-thley are the growtll
of y)ears of reflection; for the writer, when he left lIis Enilisli lioie in 1S842, w-as as w-arni an advocate of the doctrine
of anti-slavery as ever  left the slhores of happy and firee
Al)ion.
These introductory remarks are ma de to sliow the reader
that the flicts and tlrillincg incidents related in tle following pag'es are not dictated by any political or party spirit,
but are, as they profess to be, leaves from the diary of
AN  Ar.uMY  SUIGEON.
11
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a 
LEAVES FROiM TIlE DIAPRY
OF AN
ARAMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER I.
Ix the month of October, 1861, pursuant to the orders
of the commandant of New York, I commenced the discharge of my duties as surgeon of the post, which included
the medical supervision of the several camps in the city and
on Staten Island.  Camp Washington, at the latter place,
first claimed my attention. It is situated on an inclined
plane of the northern end of the island, well suited for the
purpose, and on which the State authorities had erected a
wooden barracks, capable of accommodating 1000 men,
with the necessary buildings for officers' and surgeons'
quarters. This station had been occupied by the Sixth New
York, known as "Billy Wilson's Zouaves," and at this
time contained a portion of the Volunteer Engineers and
the nucleus of two or three other military organizations, as
yet in a state of infancy, but  which had  not reached
the number entitling them to the exclusive services of a
surgeon; and as the medical officers of the two first mentioned regiments had no interest in the condition of the
camp beyond its sanitary condition while occupied by their
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LEAVES FRiOM THE
regiments, I was not surprised to find it in a disordered
state; but neither was I prepared to meet with the absence
of all iegard for the healtlh, cleanliness, and comfort of the
troop))s, that presented itself on my  first visit, wlhich  tlhe
naturattl position of the ground, from its proximity to tlhe
water, had made a matter of easy accomplishment.  ily
first care was to inspect andl reform the  cookl-house and
nless-room, hitherto totally disregarded, and to make daily
examination of the cooked rations, suppl)lied by the coIntractoIrs, the quality of which was of the poorest kind, and
had giveni just cause for repeated complaint and dissatisfltction amnong the men; and here, at the outset of my duties,
I was met with the most determlined hostility by the contractors, who dreaded that the threatened inspection of the
food would oblige them to supply a better and more wholesome article, and put a stop to the shameless firauds priactisedcl on thle soldier in their department.  The sum paid by
the governmenit-40 cents a day —was liberal, andcl enabled
the contractors to realize a handsomle profit while supplying a good and wholesome quality of food.  But the temptationl was too strong, and the representations I made to
tle head of the subsistence department of the unfitness of
the food, and the unclean and ill-arranged mode of cooking,
andi issuing it, was met with the most determined and systematic opposition, backed by false statements of the intelested parties; but perseverance and the judicious use of
the power I possessed, succeeded, and I soon had the griatification to see that my  daily visit cluring dinner to tlhe
mess-room, secured for the soldiers a clean and wholesome
meal.  The alternate offers of thlreats and bribes were alike
unavailing to turn me  aside firom  the plain path of my
duty, in this first essential step to promote the health of
the troops.  The contractors thlemselves, after some time,
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DIAIY OF AN ALRMY S URGEON.
findling it of no avail to continue their opposition, became
reconcile          d to the change, as they learned tlhat the improved
discipl in   e        of the  men put a stopl) to the firequent outrag,es
committ ed            on their cookiing house and utensils by disorderly or drunk'en soldiers, who, in this  way,  revenged
thlemselves on the contractors for the inferior quality of the
provisions.
a
15 
LEAVES FROM THE
CHAPTEIt II.
CAMP WASHINGTON, the situation of which is described
in thle foregoing chapter, was, about this time, on my suggestion, made a depot for military organizations, while in a
formative state.  Its isolated but healthful condition, the
facility with which it could be guarded, and its easiness of
access to the city, recommended it strongly for this purpose,-the only connection with the city being by ferryboat, a small guard could at all times prevent stragglers or deserters from reaching the city, and the temptations held out by the villages on Staten Island were not
more numerous or attractive than could be expected from
the large number of troops stationed in its several camps;
even these the commanding officers could always keep
in check by the assistance of the civil authorities, which
was promptly rendered. When those means have failed,
the soldiers themselves, when suffering from imposition by
the keepers of these groggeries, or when released from the
confinement to which they had been sentenced as a punishmnent for drunkenness, not unfiequently "abated" these
rutm-shop nuisances by the demolition of one or more of
them. But this illegal and unjustifiable course often led to
a conflict with the owners, and the personal injuries received in the encounters have often swelled the morning
sick report. I succeeded in procuring, by requisition on
the medical purveyor, a liberal supply of drugs for this
station, and in having appointed a post-hospital steward,
who not belonging to any regiment, remained permanently
16
0 
DIARY OF AN AR-IY SURGEON.
w'ithl me.  I also had a buildcling fitted up for a hospital,
and by these and other imuchl needed reformis, was enal)ledl
to t.ake care of thle sick, and in time issued to tle otlher
e.aml)s on the island whatever dlrugs or hlospital supplies I
needed for the tieatiment and care of tlhe sick at thlose
stationlls.
tUndLer orders from the State siurgeon-general, I assumed,
at tlis tiiue, the medical cihaioe of Canip Sott, situated
about fotiur mniles fi'oin the Vanderbilt Landingi  on Stateil
Island; and found, on my arriv-al, that over one lindre(l
men of the 6tl New York Volunteer Cavahly, better knowni
is tile  -d Ira hIarris Guard, were sick withl measles, togetier withi the assistant- surgtieon and hlosl)itatl-stevward of
tlhe  re gimet, lwich  w-as in tenits and( destitute  of an)
loSl)ital acconiniodatioun.  Colone l Devin had taklen comiand  but the (day- before, and the total want of discipline,
agg'ravatecd bv thie unclean  condition of tile caml),  hiche
recent raiiil,. h ad made almost iimpa).ssable, increased the laIbor of (,ettino this station into a lhealthifil condition.  iIy
elfrts to prociure a buiil(ling( suitable fobr a hlospl)ital were
unavailing.  rThe building in use for tl(he  purpose was partiall]  occu)ied 1by a portion of thle Si(ckles IB) iigade, for
whlosec use it was erected; tile roof beingi le.aky acnd tle
butilding, ini a dilapidated condition, it  was totall)y unfit for a
lioslital, nor wAas it until I personll y assumed the cost of tlle
necessa' repl),tirs, that I litid aliy lplace to accolniilo(1atw tlhe
v-ely laiLrge    ilnumber of sick, mIost of wNlom1  were distributed
:,oigo the company tenlts, tlihus spre'adil(g' this cont.)i(ai,s
dis.cas, wlhichi assutilied a  iialiignant tyl)e.  IIo-everi, l)y
co)tinlued peirsonal suipervision and d:tilv close attentionl to
tl( i(,npr)~velut'lX t of tie s.iit:'y condil(litill of tle ca ilil), an1(l
euthucing' ha,bits of cletililiess  llInOllg the linc(, I liaid tile
,gratilicationl of chleckingi, its spread, whichi the hitlherto iii
17
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LEAVES FROM THE
discreet intercourse of sick and well had greatly increased.
For the month which this regiment remained at Camp
Scott, my daily labors were exceedingly onerous; as the
entire duty of inspecting the recruits, vaccinating the whole
regiment, and the treatment of the sick, together with arduous sanitary inspections daily made of the tents, the appointing and instructing hospital-stewards, obtaining hospital supplies, all devolved on the writer. The officers of
this regiment, before leaving the station, presented him
with a flattering  testimonial of their appreciation of his
services, and made liberal acknowledgmnents of the reforms
made, and the perfect organization made in the medical
department.  The  surgeon-general  also  acknowledged
those services, and in refusing the unanimous application of
the officers for his appointment to the regiment, stated as
his reason that the position occupied by him could not be
filled by any other surgeon as well versed in its duties.
During this period not a single death occurred in any of the
camps under the writer's care, notwithstanding the average
number of troops was over 3000. Caml; Ledlie, at Palace
Garden, New York city, was another of these stations, and
to it his first morning visit was paid. It contained about
400 of the 12th New York Volunteers, and about 700 of
the 87th  New  York  Volunteers, commanded  by  Col.
Dodge.
18
a
4 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER III.
TItE command of Camp Ledlie, Palace Garden, at this
time, devolved on Lt.-col. Henry Weeks, of the 12th New
York Volunteers, which had been removed fi'om Camp
WVashington to increase its recruiting facilities; this regiment was in part made up from the Twelfth New York
iMilitia, that had served in the three months' campaign,
under the command of Col. Daniel Butterfield, its gallant
conduct procuring for him a brigadier-generalship.  This
camp wa~ stationed at Palace Garden, on Fouiiteenth-stIreet,
near 6th Avenue, in New York city, and had been previously used as a place of public amusement.  It was
poorly adapted for the accommodation of the troops. The
quarters were two low  and badly-lighted hlalls, without
proper ventilation, and entirely destitute of bunks, which
obliged the soldiers to spread their mattresses all over the
floors, that were often wet and but seldom cleaned.  This,
and the many temptations to drunkenness held out to the
men by the adjoining bar-rooms, greatly increased my labors, and materially swelled the daily list of those reported
sick and asking exemption front duty. There not being
any accommodation for the officers in the camp aggravated
those evils, as their absence at night, when the men returned to quarters drunk and disorderly, frequently permittedcl rows, often attended with serious personal iinjury.
The many devices resorted to by the men to procure short
fuirlotughs were  such as could not fail to provoke a smile
for their novelty and ingenutity. If an appeal to me for a
19
'I
0 
LEAVES FROMI THE
pass failedc, I vwoldl often hear of the same apllicant lhaving
obtained one fi'omi the comnimanidant, on tle plea of tlhe sudden illness or death of a near relative whiclh had no existenee iii fact; or it mighlt be that the pass was ob)tained on
the piesunmed klnowled,ge of the  ihereah)onts  of one or
more deserters; or an assertion of the apl)licant's ability to
bring one or more recruits,  and as the positions of these
liine officers vwere dependent on tte number mustered into
their comipan ies, thlese applications were usually successfnl.
The miode of recruitilg and girantiing eonmissions adopted
in tlhis State was as follows   TlTe g,overnor giranted authority to any person, on appll)ication, -whlo was suppl)osed to
possess the influence to raise a reg'iment, withl the understanding, that if successful hle should be commissioned as
colonel of the   regimenit.  This  coloniel would tlhen issue
similar authority to persons to raise companies, withl tlhe
promise of the cap)taincy wIlen the nimimiin number required  by  tlhe  United  States  Army  Ic(gtlations weie
mustered into the Uiiited States service, and as tlhe calptain,
in time, would  -mak-te like arriangemients with al)pplicants for
the 1st and 2d lietutenaiicies, it was the interest of all to
iprocure as maniy recruits as p)ossible.  As the duty of examiningii  these recruits, on tlleir joilning the iregimenit, devolved
on lme, and as I was iinexorably strict in my examinatioln, I
fi'eqtlteitly liave given oltenee to those line officers, and tihey
resorted to mlany sutbterftig'es to evade my examiinationi;
nor were tlhe officers alone interested in passing any  and
every recruit, as it became  of vital importance to  tlhec
colonel of the regiment, as an order was issued at tlhis time
to consolidate the several oirganizations, thlose having less
tlani a giveni number to be  nierg,ed into tlhe largerl.  Tlhis
order, had it beeii carried out witlh imnp)ar tiality, would
not alone lhave givc       geneial satisfaction, but lhave bceil
20
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
productive of much  good.  But with the same system of
favoritism that has cursed the army, many were given  )o sitions totally unfit for the service, to the unjust exclusion
of more  competent and experienced  men.  Under this
order the 12thll Pegiment Newv York State Alilitia, reorganizing for the war, under command of Colonel IIeniy
Weeks, and wh-ich occupied this camp for. three montlhs,
were consolidated with the 12th New York Volunteers, a
Syracuse regiment, whose ranks had been thinned and re(Iduced to 400.  The Syracuse regiment, coimmanlded by Lt.col. RPicihardison, was stationed at Uplton's Hill, Virginia,
and the Newv York portion left to join them; the siurgeon,
J)r. Reese B. Berlky, who by this consolidation was rendered
s upernumerary, was transferred to the 4thi Nevew York Volunteer  Artillery, commanded  by  Col. Doubleday,  encamiped at Staten Island.  Dr. Berky, for some time, acted
as my assistant at Palace Garden, and I embrace  this opportunity of testifyiing to his professional ability and solicitude for the comfort and health of the men, and sanitary
condition of the camp. With the officers of the 12th I had
formed a most agreeable acquaintance, and felt indebted
to them for their cordial co-operation in my exertions to
keep the camp firee firom an epidemic made imminent by its
insufficient ventilation  and drainage.  They left for the
seat of war w-ith the best wishes of many citizens of New
York, and with none warmer than the vwriter's.  It has
been imy lot to meet many of them since in Virginiia, andl
I klnow of 1no single regiment, that had been stationed at
this post while I was post surgeon, in lwhose officers and
men I felt a greater interest, or whose military reputation
I felt more concern and pride for; many of the poor fellows
who left the Palace Garden in high spirits have  since met
ani honorabl-e grave on the truly-called sacred soil of Vir
21
0 
LEAVES FROM THE
ginia. Soon after the departure of the 12th from Palace
Garden it was taken possession of by the 2d battalion of
3d New York Volunteer Artillery, commanded by Colonel
James Ledlie, numbering about 400 men, recruited from
the agricultural districts of Western New York; their stay
at this station was but for three weeks, and since their departure its use as quarters for troops has been discontinued;
nor is this a matter of regret, as its position in a populous
part of the city, and its unsuitableness for barracks, made
its selection for the purpose alone justifiable on the pressing plea of necessity.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER IV.
CAMP SCOTr.
SITUATED in a valley and approached by a drive of three
miles firom the Vanderbilt Landing, along a beautiful road,
which passes through the village of Clifton, the encamp
ment named in honor of General Scott, is located.  The
briigade raised  y General Sickles, was the first quartered
here, and on its proceeding, to the seat of war, the Ira
Harris  Guard, or 5th  and  6th  New  York  Volunteer
Cavalry Regiments (then in a state of formation), were
ordered  to  Camp  Scott.  Stables  had  been  erected,
and a wooden building adjoining the old homestead,
called the "Stone-house," was used as cook-house and
mess-room.  The condition of these buildings, and the food
issued to the men, I found, on my first visit of inspection,
to be very bad, and I learned that the same contractors
who supplied Camp Washington had a monopoly of this
station.   Feeling satisfied that the extraordinary large
number of sick in camp was, to a great extent, owing
to unwholesome and badly cooked food, I issued an order
that the officer of the day should at each meal be present
and inspect the food.  This had a twofold advantage: it
obliged the contractor to furnish better rations, feariing a
report being made to me on my daily inspection, and also
preserved order amongr the men; the want of which had
been iurged by the mess-man as an excuse for the filthy
condition of the mess-room.
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LEAVES FROM TIlE
The wooden building used as a gutard-house, I found
one of the most wretlched  nd  filthy holes  imaginable;
the roof leaky-, tlhe boarded floors had been torn up aind
used for kindiclling-wood(l, by the prisoners confined in it, and
all those whlo for weekls had been locked up there, had accumulatedl a heap of filth, composed of thie rejected food and
offlil of every kind, whichl sent forth an intolerable and
unhealthy stench.  I at once determined on the removal
of thle l)risoners to better quarters, and on examining( tlhe
dozen or miore unfortunates, ordleredl four to the hospital,
andl recommended to the commandant of thle post,  hlio
accompanied me, the discharge of four others.  The  remiaiinder being deserters, confined under written clhages
1)refLrred against them, who, at great trouble and expense
had been brought,t back firom TBoston, hle had no authority
or desire to liberate.  To obtain a suitable building to use
for a gutard-lhouse, was a matter of nlo small difilculty, tlerec
being but tlhree others near the caip: olne, the lhosl)ital, I
bad neally fill of patients; another, the post sutler's establisllhnent, was too lairge, iand was indispensable to the camp,
as mrost of the oficers' and all the hospital food wvas cooked
in it.  I found, lho-ever, a smaller wooden building, which
belonged to the former sutler of the Sickles  Brigiade, and
recomnmended the coimmandant of the post to take possession of it and miake the necessary chlanges to ndapt it for
use as a guard-hlouse.
tav-in,g miade these arrang,ements, and hlaving had the
hospital bulilding repaired and heated with lairge stoves,
and( tlle belldding l)ropecrl)- cared forl, I was able to control
the epidemic then ragio)'; and, before twvo wveeks had expired, the sick report decreased friom one hundred and six
to sixty-four.  There was still another fiuitfil source of dis(,rdcr and dlisease,  lii,   tlon-lgh not in tlhe camp, exer
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DIARY OF AN ARMIY SUIEGEON.
cised a wonderful and pernicious influence on the mel).
On the roadside which led to the steamboat landing, aind
within an eighth of a mile, there stood a frame cottage, in
which the vilest liquor was sold, and from whence it was
daily smuggled into camp, causing drunkenness with all its
attendant ill consequences, and sickness from exposure, as
the men, on getting intoxicated, would ramble off into thee
adjoining woods, and there lie down on the damp ground,
certain to awake in the morning with a violent cold or
the prevalent sore throat; besides these ill effects, the oflicers found this place a source of great annoyance, and I
was not at all grieved on passing the place one day, where
this rum-mnill had stood, to find it torn down. On inquiry, I
learned that the evening previous a fight occurred between the keeper of the place and some of the soldiers,
who, maddened with the vile stuff drank onl the premises,
proceeded to blows, and in tile nilee w-hichl followed, the
cottage was entirely gutted, and then levelled to the
ground.   Several of the men who participated in this
affair, were, I found, on my daily visit to the guardhouse, doing penance for it: but, as a few days showed
that the removal of the groggery was a blessing to the
camp, they were let off with a lighter punishment than
wvouldcl otherwise have been their lot.
The isolated position of the camp was one of its strongest
recommendations, and went far in influencing the selection,
in spite of the soft, muddy nature of the ground, and the
difficulty in guarding it against desertion by the men, and 
thieving by the Staten Islanders-a nest of whom from
Rtocky Hollow fnade nightly visits, and generally succeeded
in carrying off some booty.  One night it would be a government saddle; another, a sack of oats, or even a horse; the
aggregate loss to the government, by these depredations,
o
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was considerable, nor could the utmost viilance of the
officers prevent it.
Camp Scott continued to be occupied by the 6th New York
Volunteer Cavalry until the 23d of December, 1861, when
they left for York, Pennsylvania, where they remained some
months.  They have since been in active service, and proved
themselves, as they promised to be, one of the best disciplined and bravest re,giminents in the army of the Potomac.
A  terrible snow-storm raged on the day of their leaving
Staten Island, the inhabitants of which parted from them
with regret, and many ladies of the island braved the storm
to witness their embarkation, which, owing to some mismanagemenit in the quarteirmaster's department, was attended with unnecessary delay and exposure that cost the
lives of many of the men of.this splendid regiment, perfect
in its officers, men, outfit, and discipline, and possessing, at
the time of its departure, as thoroughly organized and as
efficient a medical staff as any regiment that left the State.
In consequence of their being unable to be moved, I kept
back fifteen sick members, and also retained the hospital
steward, SIr. T. E. Icing, to take care of them, the whole
being under the command of Lieut. Wrighlt, detailed for
this and recruiting duty. In a couple of weeks they were
able to travel, and their leaving broke up Camp Scott, which
was not again used as a military station until by the Corcoran Legion, in the summer of 1862.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER V.
CAMIP ARTHUR, another of the stations under my care,
is situated on Staten Island, at the Quarantine Landing.  It
was named after the quartermaster-general of the State,
Brigadier-general Chester Arthur, whose services in fitting
out the New York troops and courteous treatment of all
having official intercourse with him, has made him very
popular.  The Commissioners of Emigration consented to
the use, by the volunteers, of the buildings and grounds of
the old quarantine establishment, which had not been coi1sumed by fire when the people of Staten Island "abated
the quarantine nuisance," in 1858, while the citizens of
New York were wild with the joyous excitement of the
Atlantic cable procession.  The buildings that escaped the
fire were four in number; these, with the store-house, a
three-story brick building, and two smaller ones, were converted into barracks for the volunteers.  Tle 52d New York
Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Paul Frank, and other
troops, had occupied this camp before my  taking charge;
it was, at this time, in the possession of the 78th Cameron
Rifle Highlanders, afterwards consolidated with the Van
Buren Light Infantry-i 104th New York Volunteers, and by
the Scott's 900, United States Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Colonel James B. Swain, by whose name they
were at this time better known; besides these the Marine
Artillery, commanded by Colonel  Ianchester, occupied
one of the buildings before mentioned.  These three organizations, in one camp, totally independent of each other,
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LEAVES FROM THE
was a daily and fruitful source of annoyance, as the orders
I found it necessary to issue for the sanitary regulation of
the camp were but partially obeyed, each of the coi-mmandlants claiming that the duty required belonged to one of
the other regiments.
Strange as it may appear, there had not been any hospital established at this post until I took charge of it; the
sick were previously either allowed to remain in the quartelrs, to the dangelr and discomfort of the men, or craimmed
into a small room of the building used by the boatmen
employed by the health officeri.  Owing to the kindness of
Dr. Gutn, the port physician, I got the use of this building, and, at a trifling cost to the State, converted it into a
very good hospital, in which I accommodated the sick of
the three different regiments in the camp.  I continued in
the discharge of the onerous duties of this and the other
camps, until recruiting was stopped by order of the Secretary of War, when I turned it over to Dr. Walter Kidder,
tbr whom I had procured the appointment of surgeon
to Scott's 900, which at this time was nearly recruited
o its full number, and which soon left for Washington,
where it has since done mounted provost-guard duty.
I now devoted my time to compiling a statistical re port of my services as post surgeon, and on their being
completed proceeded to Washington and personally pre sented them to the surgeon-general, who was so well sat isfied with the manner I had discharged the duties of the
office that he requested me to proceed to the Peninsula in
a professional capacity. This was a change of location I
had not expected, but as obedience, in my opinion, is the
paramount duty of all military men, I hesitated not to
comply. Making a hurried visit to my home, in New
York, I returned to Baltimore and took the steamer
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
Georgiana, for Fortress MIonroe, where I presented my
instructions to Dr. Cuyler, the medical director at that
place. I then visited Norfolk, commanded by General
Viele, which but a short time before had been retaken
firom the rebels; and while here went through the navy
yard at Gosport, on the opposite bank of the Elizabeth
river, adjoining Portsmouth, which is reached by a ferry.
This splendid yard had been burned by the Confederates
before its surrender; the loss sustained by this uncalledfor and barbarous destruction of property was immense.
On driving through the yard I was struck with the magnitude of the buildings, machinery, and docks, which were
now lying in a heap of confused ruin, and the desolation
saddened and disgusted me.  I was accompanied by two
officers of the Brazilian navy, whose ship lay at Fortress
Monroe. We returned slowly to Norfolk, where the incidents related below occurred. I copy from my diary
of the 27th of May.
A really pleasant incident occurred at General Viele's
headcl-quarters, last evening. About nine o'clock, in a pitiless northeast storm, a deputation of citizens, composed of
some of the most respectable persons in the community,
called upon the general, and desired to take the oath of allegiance to the government. A more impressive scene can
scarcely be imagined than that presented in the generial's
room, on the occasion alluded to. About forty persons were
there assembled, embracing a fair representation of the solid
men of the place; and the heartfelt earnestness with which
they pledged themselves to sustain the Constitution of tlhe
United States, gave evidence that loyalty was the sole inceiitive to the renewal of their plighted faith.  Some were aged
citizens, who had passed long years oftheir life under the blessingr,s ofthe Union, and who were anxious to close their days
29
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LEAVES FROM THE
in the enjoyment of the benefits so long vouchsafed to them,
but of which they have been so ruthlessly deprived by this
existing infamous rebellion. Others were in the meridian
of life; while others were just entering upon the stage of active duty,-and all were deeply impressed by the importance
of the act in which they were engaged.  General Viele addressed to them a few words of encouragement, and assured
them, that the protecting arm of the government would
be effectively extended over them in the future. After a
pleasant interview of half an hour, the party departed,
highly gratified with their visit, and confident that other
deputations of a like character would soon follow their
example.
Intending to return to the fort next day, I spent the
evening and next forenoon in looking over the old city of
Norfolk, and grieved to see the deserted state of its streets
and emptiness of its stores and warehouses.  Nor did my
uniform escape the notice or jeers of the Secession ladies
who still remained in the city. Passing the corner of one
of the streets, in the western part of the town, I saw a lady
sitting at an open window, with a bright and beautiful
child playing on the sidewalk under the casement; feeling
irresistibly attracted by the little fellow's pleasing face and
merry gambols, I stopped to speak with him, and one of
my Brazilian companions handed him an orange.  We were,
at this time, ignorant of any relation between the sickly
looking lady in the window and the child; but before we had
resumed our walk, she had stepped from the house, and
raising the child in her arms, she took firom its little hands
the orange, and returned it to the donor, with the cutting
remark, that "she and her child could do without any
favors firom the enemies of her country and plunderers of
her home!"  The scene was so sudden and unexpected,
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DI)TARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
that I was hardly able to reply for my gentlemanly comp)anion, who did not speak English; but I informed the
lady that hlie was not an American, and visited NorIfolk not
as a belligerent but from curiosity, and his kindness to her
cld, dictated by courtesy alone, was so badly received,
that it must make a most unfavorable impression on an
officer of another nation's navy.
WVe were informed that the boat for Fortress MIonroe
started at 3 P.r., but on arriving at the wlharf, learned
that General Wool had taken possession of it, and had left
at one o'clock.  The day being Saturday, and I having
arranged to return, and my companions being anxious to
get to their ship, we were much disconcerted.  Thanks to
Quarter-master Morton, of General Viele's staff, a tug-boat
was placed at our disposal, in which we safely reached the
Roads and were received onI boaid the Brazilian corvette
Parasia with demonstrations of welcome.  I was here made
acquainted with the officers of this splendid ship, built in
Rio Janeiro, and manned, from captain to cabin-boy, with
Brazilians, with'but one exception-a Mr. Williams, an
Englishman, engineer of the vessel, and who  was highlly
spoken of by the officers.   On our arrival at the foit,
rumors were in circulation that a fight was in progress or
expected, on the Chickahomiiny, and with imnpatience I
retired to rest, the steamer for the White HIouse not leaving until morning.  Before I had been an hour in bed, a
terrible thunder-storm commenced, which firightened the
inmates of the Hygeia Hotel, where I stopped,-in fact, the
only hotel at Fortress MIonroe, the greater part of it being
occupied as a hospital, under thle charge of Dr. Bouiitico,
-so that the portion used for an hotel was limnitedl, and
miserably furnished.  It was kept by one of the Willards,
of Washington, who added nothing to his reputation by
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the management of this hotel. It rivalled in'filth and exorbitant charges any California ranch that the reader has
ever heard of. In consequence of the crowded condition of
the house, I was the joint occupant with two others, of a
dark, small-sized room. Fortunately they were acquaiutances, and one of them, a Mr. Cook, of New York, on
hearing the very loud thunder, arose firom his bed; scarcely
had he done so, when a much louder clap and the most
vivid flash of lightning lit up the room, this was soon followed by a crackling of broken timber and hurried voices in
confusion, which we learned proceeded from a government
stable near the hotel, that had been struck and set on fire
by the lightning. The uproar caused by the fire, lasted
through the greater part of the night, and morning broke
long before we expected it.  Swallowing a hurried breakfast, I proceeded to the steamer John A. Warner, bound
for the White House, which, after a pleasant, though tedious passage, on the most tortuous river I had ever seen,
we reached at six o'clock.  Anxious to press forward to the
sphere of my  duty, I landed without delay, and found
spread over the railway track, on the wet and muddy
ground, over three hundred wounded firom the first day's
fighlit after the battle of Chickahominy, or by some called
Seven Pines or Fair Oaks.  In order to give the reader a
clear idea of the engagement I copy firom my diary of this
dlate, and would here state that I am indebted to officers
who were on the field, and to Mr. Farrell, of the New
York press, for the subjoined graphic description of this
bloody and fiercely contested fighlt, in which so many brave
fellows fell, and cwhich will be long remembered by every
manai of the left wing of the army of the Potomac.
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DIARY OF AN AREMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER VI.
THE BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS.
THE army of the Potomac which, since the battle of
Williamsburg, had encamped on the Chlickahominy creek,
w i t h its left                wing resting on that stream, were suddenly
and                unexpectedly attacked by the rebels, under General
Joe Johnston; the attack began by driving in the pickets
of Casey's division, and so sudden and fierce was the onslau     gh     t   that before th e  line of battle could be formed the
enemy had fired several volleys into, and killed many in
their tents. So ggreat was the consternation and confuision
cau      sed by the c   harge, th at the brigade which formed the
centre of the division was thrown into disorder, one or
t    w     o      regiments of whic h  broke and run, but the 88th New
Yo rk, 83d            Pennsylvania,  5th New  Hampshire, and  3d
.i aine Volonteer s, succ eeded in rallying to the fight and
checkce d the                   panic and     dismay caused by those two regimi ents tturnin                 g thei r b ack s on the enemy.  The engagement
n    ow became general along the line, and the corl)s to which
these    regiments       belonged, under the command of General
S umner,, were soon under a heavy and murderous fire.
The commanding general soon learned of the assaults on
h    i     s      left  iwing and  the unfortunate disorder into whichl
Casey's            division w as thr rown, and ordered a reinforcement
t       o supporot the          columns,   which had now borne for two hours
the hottest part of the fight. The soft and muddy state
o       f the groun   d  alon g  th e creek, and at Seven Pines, ren
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LEAVES FROM THlE
dered the movements of the artillery a most difficult task,
and               the day  wa s fa r  spent before sufficient numbers arrived
t       o         prevent Johnston, th e  rebel general, carrying out his de sigi               of cuttin    g off the left  wing from the centre and thus
whipping them in detail. The sultry heat of the atmos.
phere told terribly on the men and horses, and increased the
fa tigues  caused by the condition of the ground.  But not withstanding(r these impediments the charges of the rebels,
thou gh made in a        style of daring, and with a gallant bear ing( seldom excelled, were met by our men with the most
uinflinchingc heroism, and on two occasions the order givenl
to dislodge the rebels from the copse-wood adjoining the
Se          ven Pines, f        rom which the battle takes its name, was condlucted   with un       hesitating     alacrity and spirit, and the hotly
contested  possession of the ground, cost the lives of many
hundred brave fellows. In one of these affairs, a corporal of
the 88th New York Volunteers, Irish Brigade, got separated from his company, by pressing onward too eagerly
when the rest of his column were ordered to halt, and before lie could recover his position found himself surrounded
b       y over a     dozen Confe derates, who loudly ordered him to
sur render;           withou t  replyling to their demand he stepped
aside and, aiming his musket, shot a sergeant of the 11th
Mississippi,  and then retreating behind a tree, where, for a
few moments, he was concealed, he reloaded his piece,
a     gain  advanced,  and taking aim picked out another, who
fell firom the mass of yelling rebels; by this time his regiinent              had regained t he ground it temporarily lost, and he,
again falling into its ranks, advanced to the edge of the
wood, from which the enemy had been driven, but to
which   they soon returned strongly reinforced, and, in turn,
d     rove    our men f          rom their vantage ground.  A minie6-ball
having struck one of the officers of his regiment, this cor
a
34 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
poral, and a companion, lifted him fioni the ground to
carry him to the rear, and while so engaged he was shot
through the ribs; in this condition, and side by side with
his captain, he was, after a tedious delay of many hours,
carried to the railway station, and placed on board the
fieight car, with 300 others.  I met him when the train
arrived at the White House, and during my professional attendance on his mortal wound received from him the foregoing facts.  The train that brought this humble but brave
corporal, brought down 65 of the wounded of this regimcnt and over two hundred of other regiments of the
division.  All of these were wounded in the repeated contests for the possession of the copse-wood, but as it affoi'ded good cover for the enemy's riflemen it was deemed important to dislodge them from it.
Saturday night closed in on the contending forces, and
the result of the day's fighting was clearly in favor of the
rebels. The Union loss could not be less, in killed and
wounded, than 3500.   The rebel loss was not so large,
thoughl their loss in having their daring leader, General
Johnston, wounded, was a heavy blow.  During the niight
the men slept on their arms, and a heavy thunder-shower
deprived them of the rest so much needed after their day's
hard filghting, and, if possible, made worse the condition of
their muddy  camping-ground.   Sunday  morning broke
bright and clear, and a glaring summer's sun shone down
on the mud-stained and begrimed ranks of the contending
armies.  Orders having been issued by the commanding
general, MIcClellan, to attack the enemy, a hurried breakfaist was swallowed, and the long-roll being sounded, the
line was formed of fiesh troops, the ranks of those regiments engaged the day before being sadly thinned by the
asualties of the fight.
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The attack on General Casey's division, which it appears
numbered only about six thousand men, was made sud(ldenily by a force of about thirty-five thousand rebels. General Casey's camp was located in a corn-field, surrounded
by woods; and the enemy, after driving in his pickets,
which were a mile in advance, made a sudden dash on the
camp, with the above-named immensely superior force.
The troops of General Casey fought splendidly, the general
himself and his field-officers braving danger without flinching; but in the face of overwhelming numbers, they were
forced to fall back until reinforcements arrived, as mentionecd in General MIcClellan's official report, when the fortunes of the field were speedily turned by the action of
Heintzelman's, Richardson's, Sedgwick's, Kearney's, and
Keyes' corps, and a complete victory of the Union army
was the result.  All acknowledge the importance of that
victory, though our loss was undoubtedly heavy.  The
bayonet charges made by Richardson's and Sedgwvick's
divisions on the flower of the rebel army, commanded
by Generals Huger, Longstreet, and Rains, were magnificently executed, and although the enemy stood the fire of
our troops bravely, they broke before the vehement charge
of the bayonet, at every point. The loss on both sides
during this portion of the action, was very serious, the
rebels suffering terribly.
Saturday, May 31st, 1862, is distinguished to the future
as the first day of the hard-fought battle of the Seven Pines.
This battle was an attempt of the rebel generals to force
our lines and to drive back upon the Chickahominy river,
now swollen greatly, the left wing of the Union army.
,Iany suppose the present hig,h state of the Chieckahominy
river not to be natural, that the rebels by some contrivance
of dams near its head, have flooded it, and that their
36
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURIGEON.
strategy went so far as to involve our original passage of
the stream, which they are thus thought to have permitted
that they might swell the stream bchind us, and then, by
an overwhelming attack, cut off and destroy the whole of
General Keyes' command, and whatever other troops might
be in its rear. Perfectly informed of oUr position and force,
they chose a point for their attack that could least bear it.
They intended the blow to be desperate, and made it with
their best troops. Eighteen thousand men of the rebel
army in one division.  Men from North Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Virginia,-men of high
courag(e and admirable discipline, led by General Longstreet, left Richmond at daylight, on that Saturday, and
went out to battle. They went also to ruin, failure, and
defeat.  Never did simple courage more deserve success
than they did; never did soldiers falter less under fire or
show a better front than they did through five long hours
of that day. But they returned to Richmond, save that
large proportion of them that, side by side with so many
of our own brave men, "look proudly to heaven firom
the death-bed of fame."
Returned to Richmoncl, and far to the rear of the left
wing, the Chickahominy tumbles turbulently on: the Union
lines are drawn closer than ever; the Gaul is still at their
gates.  Though the battle of the Seven Pines may not be
the bloodiest of the war, it is the most important battle yet
fought, and it is the one in which the armies of either side
have had their hardest fight.  Nor will it fall far behind
any other fight in respect to loss, as our own will amount
to eighteen hundred killed and four thousand wounded,
while the loss of the enemy was cven grieater than this.
Nearly all of our men are accounted for, and the number of
our missing is consequently small, while of the enemy's
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LEAVES FROM THE
men we have taken firom a thousand to fifteen hundred
-)i'isoners.  For  a short distance  beyond  the Chickal1ominy river the highway to Richmond, known as the
Williamsburg road, runs directly west to the rebel capital. Seven miles east of Richmond, on this road, is the
place known as the Seven Pines; a common country road,
k,iowin to us as the Nine Mile road, crosses the main road,
and on the left (our left) runs thlrough the woods towards
,White Oak Swamp.  On the right the road runs in a
northwesterly direction by Fair Oaks station, on the railroad to Richmond.  By this road it is nine miles from
the Seven Pines to the city. In the northwestern angle
of this road and the main road is a house, and farther up
the same road, beyond a swampy wood, is another house.
A third house stands to the right of the Richmond road,
half a mile nearer to Richmond, and a fourth on the lefthand side of that road.  Beyond the latter house was a
large open cultivated field.  Towards Richmond both these
fields are bounded by a thick wood, the edge of which had
been felled to form an abatis and obstruct the approach
of the enemy. Dense woods run all along our left, but
nearly all the battle-field has once been cultivated, though
in parts of it there was a high growth of wood when we
came up; this was felled and formed abatis. General
Casey's pickets were in the edge of the wood, beyond the
house before mentioned, and his camp was formed with his
first brigade on the rilght, his second in the centre, and the
third on the left of a line across the plain in the rear ot
some inconsiderable earthworks hastily thrown up soon
after his occupation of the point.
These wiorks,-a redoubt on the left, and a line of riflepits,-were planned by Lieutenant McAllister, of the United
States engineers, and executed by Lieutenant E. Walter
38
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
West, acting engineer on General  Casey's staff.  It is
necessary to speak of the condition of General Casey's
command; and it will not, perhaps, be amiss to say of it,
what is not true of any other division of the army, and
what will not be true of that division, after a few weeks of
rest. It was made up, when first organized, of very raw
troops-the latest enlistments of our immense army. There
was no cohesive strength, even in the regiments; discipline was lax; and the men, as soon almost as the division
was formed, were pushed into active service, made to march
and starve with our year-old regiments; to bivouac and
fight, side by side, with those who had been out so long as
to consider themselves veterans. Numbers, consequently,
became sick, and this weakened his division considerably.
Aloreovei, it had, on the day of the battle, an unusually
extensive picket line, and nearly every regiment had out
three companies on picket or fatigue duty,-from these
various causes this division had not in the field, on Saturday,
more than six thousand effective men.  General Longstreet,
of the rebel army, left Richmond with the whole effective
force of his command (six brigades), purposely to drive the
Un,ion forces across the Chickahominy.  Other troops also
came, and a number of prisoners state the force in the field
at five divisions.  They advanced down the WVilliamsbuig
road, and thus the whole brunt of the first attack fell upon
General Casey.  It was about noon when we first hdard
the scattered fire of our pickets in fi'ont.  For two or three
days before, there had been skirmishes between the pickets near the road in firont, and this was mistaken for another
affair of the same kind, and thus some time was lost, fol,
instead of the dispositions that should have been made, a
regiment was simply ordered out-the 103d Pennsylvania,
to support the pickets.  This regiment went out quickly,
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LEAVES FROM3 THE
was formed near the road, and almost stumbled upon the
enemy advancing in line of battle. Before the men had
even loaded their pieces the One I-Hundred and Third re
ce(ived a flill and steady volley, fiom the effects of which it
did not recover. That one fire, delivered almost as a complete surprise, and which our men could not return, cut
down perhaps one-fifth of the regiment and demoralized
the remainder. No more service was had from the One
Hundried and Third that day, and what was worse, the
men began to stream to the rear, with the old story of
"cut to pieces;" it is a shibboleth with many, in which
they boast their own dlisgrace, though in this case it was
somewhat different.  Of course this stream of men had no
good effect upon the spirits of their fellows, and thus the
day began in misfortunes.
But that one volley, while it annihilated the regiment,
told, quicker than courier could carry the news, the mistake that had been made, and that the enemy were upon
us. Casey's force was turned out in a hiurry and formed, and
Colonel Bailey, of New York, Casey's chief of artillery, had
the enemy's line under his fire before it had gotten through
the first wood, and before the line was completely formed.
Spratt's battery, which was posted in a field to the right
of the road and near the edge of the wood, and RIegan's
battery, which was also in the same field between Spratt's
and-.the house, got into action immediately, and were supported by the 100th New York, in the road to the left, by
the 11th Alaine and 104th Pennsylvania on their right,
and by the 92d New York in the rear.  B(th batteries
did splendid execution, but the enemy's line advanced
silently and steadily, receiving the fire with apparently perfect coolness, and firing in return with great effect.  As the
enemy's line came into fire of our infantry, regiment after
40
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
regiment gave it to them in fine style, but still if there was
many a gap in their lines, there was no break; fire after
fire tore through their ranks but could not break them,
and our regiments engraged at that point, fell back, a little
shaky perhaps, but in good order. Spratt's battery was
composed of'Napoleon guns. Four hundr'ed yards in fi'ont
of where it was posted, there was rather  a difficult railfence, which the rebel line had to cross. As they came up
to it, the fourl Napoleons played upon them fearfully with
grape and canister. They could not pass the fence. Every time they came up to it, the new discharge tore their
lines asunder, mowed wide gaps through their formation,
and held them there beyond the fence. They did not pass
the fence till Spratt's grape and canister were gone. IHe
could not be supplied again, for the wagons were beyond
the Chickahominy. So the rebels passed the fence, and
Spratt with his four Napoleons fell back to the redoubt.
Regan's battery still maintained its fierce fire. But now
the enemy dressed his line in the most perfect manner, and
made for that.  Should he have a few more pieces?  Not
if fire could prevent it, and the fire of the battery became
warmer, while that of the four infantry regiments that supported it was redoubled. But fire could not prevent it.
General Casey saw that, in spite of what hle could do, the
battery was gone. The old hero, conspicuous on his large
gray horse, and by his white hair, rode in the thickest of
the fire, formed the four regiments, the 92d and 100th New
York, the 11 th Mlaine, and the 104th Pennsylvania, into line,
gave the word, and led the charge in person.  _'dre couzld ot
sctve the battery, beet tae bcayonet didc!  Back went the rebel
line, driven fairly out of existence.  Plenty were behind
however to take its place, and still the enemy came on.
And now a new line appeared on the right flank of Casey's
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LEAVES FROM THE
front, and Re(gan's battery and its supports fell back.
Another attack came simultaneously on the left flank, held
bythe 98th and 96th New York, and they too retired,
still in good order.  Casey's division was thus fairly driven
into his first line of defence, and the enemy advanced
against that in the redoubt.  On the left was Bates' battery of six pieces, which immediately began to put in reasons why it should not be taken.  In support, were the
81st and 85th New York, and 85th and 101st Pennsylvania; Fitch's battery was posted to the right, and in rear
of the redoubt, behind this line, Casey's other regiments
now retired. There was a silence of a few moments, and
the rebel line again began its terrible advance. Bates' and
Fitch's batteries had already opened, and now also the four
rebel batteries did the same; the rebel infantry, and our
own infantry.  Never since this war began has there been
heard a more terrible fusilade. At this time the left of the
rebel line was formed of Jenkins' Palmetto sharpshooters
(South Carolinians), the 6th South Carolina regiment, and
the 6th North Carolina. A fair view of this line was obstructed by the abatis of fallen timber between us and it;
but we knew how steadily it came on, for over the obstruction of branches and green leaves, we could see the light
faint fiinge of smoke curl up firom the continued file fire,
and far above the smoke their white battle-flag fluttered
proudly out and showed how fast they came. This battleflag is, doubtless, what has given rise to the many stories
of the enemy's exhibition of flags of truce in battle; it is a
small square white flag, with sometimes a regimental insicgnia upon the centre, but at others a green cross charged
with stars. The enemy reached the redoubt and the riflepits, and stormed both. In the redoubt was left Bates'
whole battery and two of Spratts' guns, because they
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DIARY OF AN ARMNIY SURGEON.
could not be taken away, but every gun was spiked.  Out
of one lot of one hundred and thirty-eight horses, only
twenty-eight were left alive.  Casey's resistance was now
pretty well done with; his batteries were all en routte rearward, and the majority of his regiments were completely
broken, but we must not overlook what the gallant old
soldier had already really done. General Keyes had apparently not been fiom the first very sanguine of his ability
to hold Casey's position, and had given his whole attention
to see that Couch's line of battle behind Casey should be
such as to hold the enemy and check him there at least.
Thus Casey was so far left alone, save some assistance
rendered by the New  York  62d, 55th, and a regiment
from Kearney's division. But this assistance was completely ineffective.
The attack began shortly after twelve o'clock, and the
battle was in full fiury at two; for three hours  and a
half, General Casey, with six thousand raw troops, had suistained the whole weight of the rebel onset, an onset made
by a force at least triple his own, and with the very oldest
regiments of the Southern army. From Casey's front to
the point of his last resistance it is not half a mile, and it
had taken the enemy three hours and a half of hard fighting;
hlie had lost by casualties nearly every fourth man he had
in the field. He had lost many of his best officers, including his gallant and capable  chief of artillery, Colonel
Bailey, and now, at last, he was compelled, with a heavy
heart, to relinquish the unequal  struggle.  During  the
quiet that ensued, after the loss of Casey's last position,
General HIleintzelman arrived upon the field and assumed
the command that had been previously held by General
Keyes.
General Couch, upon whose command the enemy was
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LEAVES FROM THE
next to fall, had upon the field parts of twelve regiments.
The brigade that contained his oldest troops, General
)Decin's, had only the 7th and loth Massachusetts, and the
36tlh Xew York, on the field, and each of these regiments
had three companies out on picket. Peck's brigade also,
and Abercrombie (lately Graham's), were both weakened
in the same way; but General Couch, ready for any emergency, prepared to do his best upon the first intimation of
the enemy's advance, his division was quickly turned out
and posted. Two lines of rifle pits, rather inadequate for
the purpose, had been constructed in advance'of Couch's
camp, and in open fields to either side of the main road
and in front of the cross-road; in the pits to the left of the
road the 55th Xew York and the 62d New York had first
been placed, but when they went ahead the Massachusetts
Tenth were placed behind the pits with the 93d and 102d
Pennsylvania on its left and rear; in the wood on the right
and a little in rear of the 10th, was posted battery C, 1st
Pennsylvania Artillery, Captain McCarty. In the pits to
the right of the road, and nearest the road, was the 36th
New York, to the right of the 36th the 7tlh Iassachusetts,
in rear and to the righlt of the 7th was Captain Miller's
battery of light twelve pounders.  Farther to the rilght, in
advance and resting on the Nine Mile road, was the 23d
Pennsylvania, and behind it the 1st Long Island.  The 31 st
and 61st Pennsylvania and the First Chasseurs, were also on
the right towards Fair Oak station.  Brady's battery was
in the same neighborhood, and Flood's battery was placed
behind tho Nine Mile road, near to its junction with the
main road. Such were the positions taken by the respective parts of Couch's command.
At two o'clock the Williamsburg road was lined with
a stream on their way to the rear.  Many were wounded,
a
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DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
and they seemed to show their wounds as the expianation
of why they went in that direction.  Others were sick, and
others again were the firagments of the broken regiments,
the i103d, 104th, and other Pennsylvania riegimIents, for it is
only simple justice to say that the Pennsylvanians were in
the majority in this stream.  Casey's division, however,
was composed, in a very large degree, of Pennsylvania
troops. General Keyes and Couch both endeavored to
ailrest this rearward stream, at first by moral suasion, and
subsequently by guard.  Lieutenant Eccleston, the efficient
provost marshal of Couch's division, was posted in the
road with his men, and did what could be done in the
matter.  General Keyes, accompanied by his staff, rode to
every part of the field, and did much, by the example of
entire indifference to the einemy's fire, to inspirit the men.
It was little more than half-past four when the renewed
advance of the enemy brought them to Couch's line.  His
line was not drawn exactly parallel to the enemy's advance
but was obliqued in such a manner that its right became
first engaged. Once more the woods were alive with fire.
Colonel Neile, with the 23d Pennsylvania, was first into it,
and by his presence kept up the spirit of his men. His fire
had been reserved until the enemy were very near him, and
only six rounds had been discharged when his own men
and the enemy's were fairly face to face.  Then the colonel gave his men the word to charge and went in ahead
to show them how to do it. Again the cold steel was offered, and again the men of the South refused it. They
gave way and scattered before the Twenty-third, and the
way was clear, but now Neile had the fire of the enemy
upon his right and left and began to suffer severely as lihe
fell back to his place. Many of his men also had gone
down in the charge besides those that were hit, for it was
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LEAVES FROM THE
over difficult ground and as they came up again did not
find their regiment.  Thus the Twventy-third was weakened
but fell back fighting, and Colonel Neile, with his colors
ctad less than a hitc'lred men, formed on the 1st Long
Island, the next regiment to his line, and in a few minutes
later our whole right was in hot battle. There the fight
seemed to have formed a nucleus, and supports were poured
in from the ]eft; the 93d and 102d Pennsylvania, and the
62d New York, were hurried across; and a brigade of
Kearney's division, Birney's brigade, then on the railroad,,
was ordered to push ahead and get into action at that
point.
While these occurrences were going on, on our right,
another misfortune happened on our left. From its place
near the rifle pits the Massachusetts Tenth was ordered
into a piece of ground nearly surrounded with abatis, and
with the thick wood on its left, the 93d and 102d Pennsylvania were ordered to the right. Thus the Tenth were left
in a bad place and entirely without support. As the enemy
advanced firing and torn by the firing of Flood's, MCarty's, and MIiller's batteries,-for Miller, firom his side of
the field, when hlie could not get a clear shot at the enemy
in his front, threw his missiles clear across the field, and
with awful effect, too,-as the enemy advanced under his
fire and the Tenth became engaged in front, a body of the
enemy made their way through the woods on its left.
Lieutenant Eccleston first discovered this body and rode
desperately over the field to find General Couch, that he
might get an order for the Tenth to move and so save it.
But his exertions were vain, General Couch was in the
thick of the struggle on the right, too far away to be
reached in time.
Colonel Bri,ggs was not aware of the approach of this
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
body, but as he knew the position that Peck's iegiment
had held, he deemed the report incredible, and went in
the woods to see.  He had not far to go.  There they were,
not only in the woods but through it, and ere an order
could be given they delivered their fire in the full rear of
the Tenth. Utter confusion was the result. The regi ment broke, but it proved itself to possess that power
which has been denied to Volunteers, and claimed as the
especial attribute of old and so called "regular" soldiers,
namely, the power of regeneration. It was rallied and becamne once more a complete regiment, with only those out
whose bodies lay upon the field. Nay they did it repeatedly.  Four different times they were broken on that day,
and four different times the gallant Tenth were rallied and
went back into the fight. Thus re-formed the Tenth went
back into the rifle pits to the left of the road. But the left
now rested upon others. Kearney was in and at it. 3Beiry's brigade, and a portion of Jameson's, now held the left,
and the Tenth was soon called across to take part in the
bitter struggle at that point which was then our right, but
which, by the extension of our line, by the arrival of firesh
troops, on both sides, eventually became the centre. After
the brilliant fight of the 23d Pennsylvania, which is described above, the enemy brought up a large reinforcement of fresh troops, and advanced again in the same good
order that had been observed in his line throughout the
battle. Miller's battery, a splendid battery of Napoleons,
formed in a field in advance of the Nine MIile road, and tore
the rebel ranks terribly until the rebel artillery got the exact range of it and hit the pieces every time. Then it
changed its place, and Brady's battery to the right kept up
a rapid fire.  Soon the 36th New York, the 7th MIassachusetts, the 1st Long Island, the 1st Chasseurs, 61st, 31st,
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LEAVES FROM THE
33d, and 102d Pennsylvania, 62d New  York, and  10th
3iassachusetts, were all hotly engaged at that point.  Three
batteries also played on the advancing line, and still it
came on, it seems as if nothing can stop it. The scene at
this time, was awfuilly ma,gnificenlt, the faint smoke of the
musketry fire arose lightly all along the line, just so the
heads of the men could be seen through it, sudden gusts of
white smoke burst up firom the mouth of cannon, all around
bullets shredded the air and lwhistled swiftly by, or struck
into trees, fences, boxes, wagons, or with their peculiar
chuck into men, and far up in the air shells burst into sudden flame, like shattered stars, and passed away into little
clouds of white vapor, while others filled the air with a
shrill scream and hurried on to burst in the rear. Every
second of time had its especial tone, and every inch of
space was packed with death.  It seemed that the enemy's
advance was checked, for he was fairly stopped in the
swampy ground, near the iNine 3Iile road;  but he had
gained too much to give it up easily, and he tried again,
and again our line gave way. The 1st Long Island broke,
but two of Jameson's regiments, the 57th and 63d Pennsylvania, would have more than retrieved it; but Colonel
Campbell, of the Fifty-seventh, was soon down, but Colonel Hays, of the Sixty-thlird, kept the men in their places,
and inspired all around him; yet the fire was fearfutil, the
regiments seemed to melt.
At this point it was that Colonel Devins received his
wound.  Hardly a man remained mounted, for every horse
was shot, and the regiments were thinned and thinned terribly; but a few brave men stood there for their country,
and kept their places. Birney's brigade, of Kearney's
division, when he advanced, had been ordered to advance by the railroad in fuill time to have reached this
48
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DIIAR.Y OF AN AR?,IY SURGEOLN.
point of our hardest fight.  Had he reached it, hfis fl'eshl
troops poured in after the hard fight already made, must
have tunned the tide, and the enemy would have been
routed then; but he did not, he halted.  Patterson's brigade, formed into Bilrney's left, went into the swampy
wools and almost impassable thicket and pushed on still,
while Birniey with a fair dry road, and the filght not a mile
away, halted and sat down.
It is not certain that our men would not still have held
the point, but inowv they were ordered to faill backl, rallyiing
and forming as they went, so that they gave ground and
kept their order.  The fight in that part of the field on tlhe
AVilliamsbturg, road for that day ended  a few hundred
vards faithier on.  For hour after hour, the enemy withl
continued accession of firesh troops had pushed on, and now
after lie had pushed us a mile, we still wenet fighting him,
step by step, and in good order.  Ihis impulse was spent
a,nl he stopped.  He occupied our camps that night withl
troops -who had not been in action.  AWhen the enemy
finally forced our position on the Nine 3Iile road, the
greater part of Couch's division fell back in the direction
of the AWilliaisburg road.  But the general himself, with
a smaller body, beiing, nearer to Fair Oakls station, fell back
across the railroad, and was thus cut off firom the army.  As
soon as this was ascertained, hlie prepared to lmakle the best
of it.  He examined his position carefully, sent men to beat
p) all the roads, and especially along the New Bridge
road, to see if Sutmner might be near.  The force with
Couch was found to consist of four regiments: the 1st
New York Chasseurs, Colonel Cochrane; the 62d New
York (,Anderson Zouaves), Colonel Riker; the 7th MIassacliusetts, Colonel Russell; and the 31st Pennsylvania, Colonel Williams; and Brady's battery of four pieces.  His
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LEAVES FRO.I TiHE
position was in a large open field, in an an,gle between the
railroad and a road that runs northward towards New
Bridge. On the west was a dense wood firom which tl)e
enemy might emerge any moment; and on the south was
the railroad and a fiinge of wood, thlrough iwhich they
could cross for a flank attack.  Whether he had any road
for retreat, the general did not know.  So he formed two
lines of battle,-one towards the railroad, with a section of
Bi-ady's battery, supported by the Mlassachusetts 7th; another towards the wood to the west, with the other section
of the battery, supported by the Anderson Zouaves, with
the 31st Pennsvlvania and the 1st Chasseurs formed close
in the edge of the wood, under cover of a rail-fence.
Lieutenant Edwards, who  had ridden  down  the  Newv
Bridge road, came back with word that Sedgwvick's division was only two miles away.   Couch knew hle could
hold his ground till they cane, so he was saved the misfbortune of defeat.  They hurried on, and came up at half-past
five o'clock, General Sutmner with them.  No change was
made in Couch's  dispositions, save in the comparative
strength with whichl either line was held.  The 1st Minnesota, Colonel Sully, was formed on the right of the Chasseurs, and Ricketts' battery of Napoleons to the left of the
31st. All the rest of the division was formed on the line
towards the railroad.  Shlortly after six o'clock the enemy
advanced through the woods, onI the west-in what force,
it cannot be said with certainty. Prisoners report it at
eight thousand. As we caught two brigadiers, the number
is, perhaps, not overstated.
As soon as the line of the enemy's advance was known,
Ricketts' battery opened, and threw grape and canister into
the wood with great effect.  Brady was not idle either.
One wounded man, of a North Carolina regiment, taken
50
a 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
fiom the field the next day, says, "that he fell at the first
fire; and, that his regiment only went a dozen yards beyodcl
the spot w-here hle fell, until it brokle."  It could not be
rallied.  Btt the line kept on until it was in the edge of
thle wood, and wiithiii ten paces of w-here the 31st Pennsyl vania, the 1st Chasseurs, and the 1st i[innesota, lay on
thleir faces, between the rebels and the battery.  The rebels
could not see them, and as they came to the ed,ge of the
wood, they delivered one volley at the Anderson Zonaves,
in the field fiuther out.  That volley killed Colonel RIiker,
and the Zouaves broke and ran.  Yet they ran only tiwenty
yards, lwhen they were rallied, and went righlt up to the edge
of the wood and opened th)eir fire. \No sooner had the rebels
by that volley emptied thleir guns, than the three regi ments that had been lying down arose to their feet, and
ponredl a volley in at almost no distance at all.  " That
volley settled that fight."  Through the woods in fiont,
the rel)els lay dead and -wounded in heaps.  Briigadier
general A. C. Davis was found dead there; and Brigadiergeneral Pettilgrew, wounded and his horse killed, was there
taken prisoner.   When the rebel line advanced in the
wood, Gorman's biigade, fiom the line of battle on the
railroad, was thrown forward on the right flank of the
rebel line, to turn it; but when the musketry broke that
line, and the rebels fell into confusion, the birigade pressed
forward, and so cut off and drove in a large number of
prisoners.  So closed the battle for that day, and General
Couchl  (than whom  his country has no better or briaver
soldliei) slept that night further forward on the road to
Richmond, nearer to the rebel capital than he had done
any night before.  Both armies lay upon the field.   Iainy
-woundls were dressed at Savage's, w-hich had been made
immediately a hospital, and between that point and the
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LEAVES FIROI TIIE
battle-field many remarklable experiences were compared.
Perhalps the miost notable was the great number of officers
l)it.  B,igao-(lier-general Derins received a bullet in tlc
ight leo', but kel)t the field for two hours  afterwar (s.
B,rigadier-g'eneral,Vessels was  struck by  a ball in the
sh,outlder, but not disabled.  A  musket-ball passed across
General Couch's breast, and only cut his coat.  Colonel
P,riggs, of the 3iassacliusetts 10,, was struck in  three
places, and  disabled finally by  a rifle-b'dll that passedc
thiougtbh both thighs.   Colonels Riliker of the 62d New
York,  Dodge of the 87th New York, B3ailey of tlle 1st
New York Artillery, and Ripley of the Glst Pennsylvania,
were all killed.  Colonels'IcCartey of the 93d Penns3ylvaiia, Pow-ley of the 102d Pennsylvania, Van W\Tyek of the
56th New York, and Hlunt of the 92d New  York, were
wounIIIded.   i,ajors Ely  of  the 23d  IPennsylvania, and
Kiiuc of the 85th New York, wei'e also severely wounded.
The loss of horses tells where the officers who  rode  tlhem
were.  General Keyes had a horse hit, and Captain Suydaun,
of his staff, had his horse killed.  All the gentlemen of
Couttchs staff, Captain WAalker, and Lieutenants Edwards
and Burt, had horses shot.  General Peck's was hit tilhree
timnes.  General Casey-'s horse was hit, also General Devins'.
In the fighlt of Saturday, the bulk of the losses on either
side took place, and show the terrific severity of the fight ing.  Our loss for that day will scarcely fall short of 3000
killed aclnd w-ounded.  Upon the field of battle the enemyi's
loss was estimated at probably two to one for our own, and tlhe
appearance of the field made the estimate seem reasonable.
On the second day, which was Sunday, our men stood to
their aims before daylicght.  As the einemy chooses Sun day for his battle-days, we expected him; but we knew
that if he did not advance, there would be no battle, as,
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
Sunday is never chosen for a movement on our' part, and
would not be, appariently, to win back our camp.   So, firom
very early on Sunday it beg.an to look, what it proved to
be, an affliir of three days.  Our men, at'dawn on Sunday,
were disposed as follow-s:
On the left, stretched across the Richmond road, the Sickle's briiade Iwas in face of the enemy, at scarcely two hundred yards' distance, posted on a slope, so that the rise of
the ground towards the enemy served as a complete cover.
To the righlt of Sickles, in a thick swamp, was Patterson's
:New Jersey biigade.  Both of these brig,ades faced towards
RPichlmoiid, and this was the point at w hichl our men had
been pushed the hardest and fiurthest.  To  the right of
Patterson was Richiaridsoi's brigadec, the line of which was
drawsn at right-angles withl the line of Sickles and Patterson.  RPiclhardson ficed towards the flank of the force in
firont of these two brigades.  Sedl,gwick joined on to Richai-dson, andc  a part of his division assisted to strengtllenl
Coeluch's line, in tlhe wood firom whic,iieh the rebels had been
dii-veii on Saturdclay afternoon.
Oitr first anticipations had scarcely settled into the con-IIvictioii that the enemy intended to give S(unday to care for
tlhe dying and dead, than we heard the pickets at it.  It
was in firont of Richardson's division.  Riclhardsoi's line
ran, as we have intimated, parallel with the railroad, aid(
was on the northern side of it.  The enemy was in our
camps on the southern side of it, and in a strong positioln,
covered by a swamp.  Force was immiediately sent forward(l to support the pickets, and became en,gag,ed in its
turn.  The enlemy formed his imen il line, anid was disposed
to feel us ag,ain.  Our men had risen fi'om sleep in anticipation of battle, and theirn minds were ready for it.  Thley
were not green troops, and the day gave pronmise of hard
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LEAVES FROM THE
work.  Soon the fire became general, and spread along the
lines of the Irish Biigade, French's brigade, and the biigadele
of General Howard.  This day, also, the enemy's fire was
well directed and severe, but was returned with certainly
equal effect, and our men pushed forward across the irailroad, and down into the swamp; and now the enemy in his
turn gave way.  It was very difficult ground, and the men
could not, at all times, keep the line, and were often up to
their waists in water, in the advance throulgh the swamp.
Yet still they kept on.  Sometimes, too, there may have
been a weakness under the fire, but the gallantry of the
officeis kept the men up to it.  This was once or twice the
case in Howaird's brig-ade, but by his gallantry he gave an
example which restored all: two horses were  shot filom
under him in this advance, and he received two rife-balls
in his right arm, but he bound up the shatteredl limb in a
handkerchief; and kept the field.  With the continual din
of the musketry, as it pealed up alld down tlhe lines on
eitlher side, no order could be heard, and only examnplc
served. Thus the mounted officers were compelled to keep
ahead, in the advance, to show the men what vwas wianted.
There was the Irish Brigade, in all the glory of a fair,i fiee
fight.  Other meni go into fights finiiely-, sternly,, or indifferently, but the only man that really loves it, after all, is tlhe
green, immortal Irishman.  So there the brave lads firom
the old sodl, with th,e chosen  Teagrher att their head, laughed
and fought, and joked, as if it were the finest fun in tlhe
-world.  AV,e saw one sitting on the ecldge of a ditch with lis
feet in the water, and the sun and the water, too, very hot,
and he aplparently wounded.  As we rod(e )by hle called out
to know if we had ev-er seen a boiled Irishman.  From
PRichardson's division the fire spread around to the New
Jersey brigade, on the front which the enemy had pushed
54
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
so far the day before. Nobly did the Jerseymen stand up
to it, and push on closer and closer, and the enemy fell
back througih the thick s-wamp slowly and steadily.  On
this firont the fire was not so severe as on Richardison's, but
still it told heavily on our brave fellows, though it did not
pi-evenet the advance.  Still further to thle left was the
Excelsior Birigade, and General Sickles with it.. Though
on, we believe, his first battle-field, the general had not the
air or manner of a novice.  He was all activity, and thought
only of the way to win.  Sickles' men apparently lost their
patience, andcl we suppose  the officers did, and General
Sickles esplecially.  WVhen  men  advance across a battlefield, loadirng and firing as they go, they naturally do not
go fast, and the Sickiles brigade voted the gait to be decidedly slow.  So tlhe order was given to fix bayonets and
charge, and they did it, not minciii,gly at all, but in terrible
earnest, and wiith a glorious  chleer.  Some of the rebels
stood it and held their places, some stood long enough to
fire thleir pieces and then run; but tle mass ran at once,
scalmperinig away through the wood(s likle so many squirrels.
That ended the fighlt for Suniday in that directioln, for it
NouLld not do to let the men  go raslily too fair into the
w-ood(s.  AV, e did not know what little arlanigements of
aitilleiy, &-e., the enemy might have  made there in our
absence, so with a wise caution the Sickles brigad(e was
drawn-) back to the edgle of the wood, and laid there snugly,
and there it spent its Sunday, ready for visitors, tlhough
none came, if we except several innocuous shell that the
eniemv t-hrew into the wood, over thleir heads.  On Rich-i'dson's fi'ont, also, the fight dropped off very much as it
lhad J)egun.  It iwas all)ppaiently not thle  dlesi(gn th-at we
shlould iimake any general advance on Slunday; so we nmerely
drove the enemy away as he came up, and then fell inte
.5 5
0 
LE-AiVES  FIZO',[ TIlll
our places again with a true Sunday calm.  It was only
nine A. m., when the calm came, but in this short figlit
much had been done.  IHoward's brigade alone, lost, in this
fight, in killed and wounded, over five hundred and thirtysix men.
General AIcClellan had ridden over very early on Sunday morning, and when the fight first began, he immediately rode down the Williamsburg road, and over the
whole scene of action which he directed.  His presence
excited the most intense enthusiasm in the troops, both on
the field, and later in the day, when he rode along the
lines, and looked kindly on the shattered regiments that
had been in Saturday's fight.  To these brave fellows, "few
and faint, but fearless still," thle young commander addressed a few words of pleasant encouragement that thrilled
every ear, and then rode away.  The scene in the woods
on Sunday told a sad tale, which will, no doubt, be heard
w-ith sad ears thlrolughout the South.  There lay in lheaps
the dlead, and those in mortal acgony, terribly mingled, men
young and old, mostly young, firom every Southern State.
All dclay SLnday, after our own men had been seenl to,
we had out parties in thle woods, wvith stretchers (which
had been sent to us from the White House), bringinglc in
the wounded rebels, and other parties engaged in burying
them.  Our  enemies, tired of the fight, employed the
-reater part of the day in the same way.  And so vwent
out the second day of the battle of the Seven Pines.  On
3Ionlday morning our position could be summed iup about
thus:  Two divisions, much reduced in streng,th fi'om vaniouIIs causes, had been attacked( by a greatly superior force
of good troops, and driven fully a mile fi'om the first point
of attack; but by the arrival of firesh troops the enemy's
course had been arrested, and his purpose to drive us into
56
a 
DIARLY OF' AN Ai     Y SUIIGlEN.GO
the Chickahlominy decidedly defeated.  Yet lie occupied
our c              amps an d the position hle had taken.  On SLII(unday lie
had  aagai        n attacked us, and been coimplelled to retire with
loss. Bu      t tlo thouigh Ricihardson's division had driven hilim on
th     e railr oad, and Sickles' brigade throuIgh the woods on
t       he A Willia msbti urg road, he still held nearly all, and certai      nly         m uc h t he greater part of the ground taken on Saturday.            Some men of the loth  Inssachusetts regimcent
-wen     t           into t heir camp on Sunday, and broughit away a ham;
on thlei           r rettu rn they were greeted by some of the boys of
one of th     e N  ew York regiments w-ith the well-known populai                c horus —
Johnny stole the hliam,
Sickles killed the man.
This exploit was quoted as a piece of dexterity, so near
-were the enemy to the p)lace; and the camp of the Tenth
w-as in the rear of all Conch's division.,  So now, on  lon —
dlay moriing, we were apparently to begin tl-he week well,
to go forw-ard and reoccupy-, alive or dlead, the position
fiom n whlich the enemy had driven us.  Pesolutioni was on
eveiry face, and all buckled themiselves up withl  a full determination to do a fitll share of the woik, and not only to
retiieve +what had been lost, but to win moie.  It was still
dini and miistv when the lines wei-e under arms, and but
little later lwhen the advance of skirmishers was tliiown
forward.  Cautiously the men went on, every step being
-ncde completely sure before the next was taklen, until a
position was gained on the AVilliamsburg road,  vlwhere a
battery could be posted.  There a batteiyv was accordingily
placed so as to command the w-lole ro.d, and a,gain the
men went on fiartlher and further, and the enemy fell back,
his pickets in silght.  It began to look very mulch as if the
third day-the dclay of reoenpation, was to be a bloodless
57
i,*
a 
LEAVES FliO3  TIIE
one.  And so it proved, our men  pushed on, step  by
step, pishing the rebels on before, with a light exehange of
flre, but no serious resistance, until we were once more
entirel  at home.  Tlhen they pushed on again, through
camip and beyond it, and once more they were on the road
to IRichmond; and they kept on it, and that night our
pickets were posted within four miles ef the rebel capital,
and near to a line of works that we fancy is. o' repre9ts,9
tlle celebrated last ditch  vhere the rebels were to nmake a
filal stand.  Thus tlhe affair became complete, we had lost
our camp, the enemy held it, and now it was retaken, ours
once  more, and we felt a satisfaction in the result that
would not have been greater if we had retaken the canmp
as bloodily as we had lost it.  Ilis departure was a full
acknowNledgment that he had failed, and was defeated in
the purpose for which lie came.  Hlere lay yet a large number of the rebel dead, even some of their wounded were
still alive and uncared for on the third day.
8
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER VII.
INCIDENTS AT THE WHIIITE HOUSE.
TIHE Richmond and York railroad crosses the Pamunkey
iver at the AWhite House.  This place, made memorable
)by being the residence of MIrs. Custis, who became  thle
wife of Washlington, on his visit of three days to the fhmily
mansion, which, up to the time of writing, stood on the
bank of the river, was stiurrouinded by a handsome and wellkept goardclen.  The house itself was a two and a half story
frame buil(ding, conitaining six rooms, with out-offices, and,
by order of General McClellan, was guarded against intrusionI, in compliance w-itlh a promise niade by him to Colonel
Lee, of the rebel army, who is a descendant of lIis. Custis.
The river at this point is quite a large stream, very deep
and muddy.  The opposite bank is but little above the
level of the stieami, which now bore on its winding waters
a numerous fleet of steamboats, barges, schooners, and every
imaginable kind of vessel used in transporting troops; and
the hoises, mules, guns, gun-carriages, locomotives, railroad
ca'rs, and thle immnense amount of llay, grain, and commissary stores necessary for the army.  Over one thousand
(vessels, of all sizes, were afloat on the river,-some fi'eig7hted with ordnance stores, and many others packed with live
cattle and mutles, which fi'om their unceasing uneasiness
seemed to suffer fi'om the heat and confined quarters. The
landing of the cattle was an occasion of much  sport
among the hundreds of idlers on the bank; and as each
one, tied by its horns, would be hoisted over the vessel's
.59
0 
LEAYVES FROMi THF
side into the river, a shout of merriment  wvould rend
the ailr.
AVitli the exception of the cldwelling and out-houses described, and firom whichll the place derives its name, there
is not a dwelling for a mile round.  And the  slhanties,
erected by suttlers and refi'eslhment dealers, wer-e the only
shelters firom  the burning sun, if I except the pine-trees
aloing the river's bank, beneath which, and extendilg to
the railroad, the quarter-master, his assistants, post-office,
telegriaph, and a hlost of other officials, had erected la,ge
and comfortable tents, in which the business of their departments was carried on.
About a mile beyond the AN'White House there wvas erected
a large number of'hospital tents, in which were treated the
sickl sent down from the advance.  The wretched water
and miiasimatic condition of the Chickahlominy kept these
ten)ts well filled.  The rebels having destroyed the railroad
biidgle across the river, the car's were run down to the
river-side, filled with the w-ounded,  after the battle of
Fair Oaks.  It was here, lying  around on the track, as
thley had been taken out of the fi'eighlt-ars in whichl they
-were transported fiom  Savage's station, I found over 300,
many of them in a d(ying condition; and all of them more
or less muttilated, anid still enveloped in tlheir filthly and
blood-stained clothingi, as they were found on the battle-field.
Sonie of these had been attended to by the surgeons, but
by far the greatest numIber were sent down to the station
Tiefore receiviingo any surgical care.  On learning that there
w-as not anv medical officer detailed for this duty, I consuiltecld w-ith Colonel Ingalls, the chief quarter-master, and
D1. Alexanclder, the mciedical purveyor, and withl their advice proceeded to have them taken care of, first telegraphing to the suirgeon-general and Dr. Cuyleir, the medical
C-. 0
0 
DIA,pY OF AN AT,MlY SUTRGEION.
director at Fortress  Ilonroe, the exact state of affairs.  I
foIund tlhat there vwas lying in the  river a large number ot
steam(boats, chartered for the Ipur-pose of tians)poiting tlhem,
)ut haviug no orders remained totally inactive.  Colonel
In)galls at once placed the lharbor-miiaster under mny orders;
and by his aid I got the steamers State of iNaiue, Elm
City, and AVIhildin alongside of the railroad w-harf.  On
board  of these boats I hli(ad the woundiled  men  carried
(,n litters by all the civilianis I could( press into the service,
and a detail of the 93d New  York Voliunteers, promI-)tly
given me by- Lieuit.-colonel Butler of that reoimenieit, which
NIas stationed as a guard over the stores accumulated here.
The agents of the Sanitary Commission,  on board of
their boat, the AWilson Small, were also in the river, under
the   gutidance of Frederick Law Olmstead, Esq., the efficient
secretary of the Conmmission.  Hle responded to my  call in
the  most prompt and effectiv-e manner, and labored with
i-e, night and day, to relieve the suiffeliings of the unfortunlate.  The general agent of the society, 3i. IKnapp,
t.  Jlitchell, and Dr. AVare, were also untiling in their
exertions.  -Nor can I ever folget the devoted and selfsacrificig services of the ladies of the Commission, IMs.
GCiiflin, Ilrs. Ilowland, and Mliss W7oolsey, and the invaluiable
aid   they rendered in makin(g nutritious be verages and cooling   drinks for the parched lips of the fhinting and exhlausted
woundedl  for forty-eight hours, withouit intermnission or rest.
They quickly and cheerfilly responded to my innumerable
calls on them for clothing, bandages,  lint, &c., and their iniitelli('eit ad fatigui  self-iIlmposed duties were discl-ar gecd with
a couirtesv and endeavor I have ne-er seen equalled.  By
tileir aid I wais enabled to have the nmen w-ell providecd witli
clean under-clothing, and fieely supplied, on arrival in the
cai's, with tea, coffee, lemonade, &e.  AMany a poor fellows
6-t
I
0 
LE,.kVES  FRPOM  TIIE
life vwas thus savedl, and the hundreds of blessings asked for
these ladlies, by the pa'cled lip)s of the exhausted but
l)ltient heroes, will doubtless be granted. Without food or
r(st, at all hours, and often under the most tirying and
dlisagrieeable circumstances, they labored cheerfilly., carriiig hope andc comfort to the wounded and weary.  13efoire
three o'clock,   onclday morning, June 2d, I had loaded and
d(ispatlched the Wliildin, under Dr. Smith of Pennsylvania,
the Elmn City, under the care of several physicians and
surlgeons of the Sanitary Commission,  and the steamer
State of 3Iaine, under the care of Dr. iIcDonald.  These
vessels carried away about twelve hundred, but they cointinued to arrivie firom the field by hundreds.  I felt terrnibly
tlhe w-ant of assistants, and called on the surgeons of tlhe
gunboats Sebago, Alarblehead, and Currituck, anchored in
the river, who quickly lent their aid.  I am under oblig,ationis, oft no ordinary kind, to Dr. Quin, of the Sebago, for
able and unremittin(g assistance.  He worked  with me
steadily and with great skill, fobr three days and nights,
and not until exhausted nature compelled him, did lhe
relinquish his humane efforts; and again, as soon as hle had
snatched a fewv hours of rest, he returned to his post.  In
this manner, for the seven successive days and nights, did
I work, not stopping a moment to eat or sleep, perfobrming the necessary amputations, providing steamers, after
inspecting them, procuring surgeons, stewards, and nurses
for each vessel, and supplying it with commissary and
medical stores, and the equally important articles bonntitfily contributed by the Sanitary Comnmission.   This
eno,nement was the first that really tried the resources
and efficiency of this truly good and useful association, and
nobly did it respond, through its officeis and supplies.  The
amount of ice, luxuries, and necessaries, freely given and
62
a 
DT)A,Y OF AN ARPMY SUPGEO'N.
judiciously selected for the wounded, was immelnse,  nd
I joyfillly bear my  unqualified  testimony to  its lusefilness.  There was at this time, in some of  the cities, aii
unjust prejudice ag(aiinst the association, which was even
entertained by armv officers, but it has fully  proved itself
to be the most needful and well-conducted charity that has
ever been org,anized on so large a scale.  This is, in a great
m.anner, owino to the character and usefiulness of the gentlemeni connected with it, and the truly iiol)le ladies, whlo,
at the risk of life and health, and total self-denial and
surrender of every personal comfort and necessary accomdation, lave contributed tlheir invaluable personal services.
The incidents crowded into this eventful week were so very
numerous, and the writer's time was so completely oceupiedl, and his mind continually on the stretch to meet  the
multitudinous wants ofthie occasion, that he had but a scanty
opl)portunity to make note of them, and the following are
but soine of the most strikiig, which firom being, imprinted
on his memory, he has been enabled to reproduce, wiith-out
claimingi, them to be firee firom  the eri'iors inseparable fi'omn
the confusion attendant on a scene of carnage of such magnitude.
Amonig the  many  wounde(ld  brouglht down  fiom  the
l)attle-field I had abundant oppl)ortuiit),, while atteniding to
t]heir w-ounids, of learningi, the true state of thiings on the
C}hiekahominy, since it was quite necessary I should know
l-hethler our army was falling back, as in stuchi case tlhe
Aliite Ilouse would be abandoned.  Reports to thlis effect
leaving been fieely circulated, I lost no opportunity to inform inmy-self of the fitets, by interi'ogatingT sluchI officers as,
fi'om their position on the field, were likely to be best informed.  From  Col. Champlain, of the 3(d  Iiehigan Voliniteeirs, whlo had received a flesh vwound of the thigh, I
63
0 
LFA'ES FROI TtIJE
received the followiing sketch of his iregiment's engage
menit.   Captain Nolan ancl Lieut. AIason, of this regiment,
welo  w-ere also brougl,t ldown wotunded, corroborated this
sttemount.  In the lattei, I met a schioolfellow whom  I
lald not seen for twenety years, and our meeting  under
such circumstances wn-as very affecting.
Col.  Cicin  la)I(i)l's  Stcttenme( zt.
After Couch's Division lhad fallen back, on Saturday,
Belr'y's Biig,ade was broughlt foirwarad, consisting of the
]st, 2d, 3d, and 5th MIichigan, and 3,th New York Vol unteeis. The 3d 3Iichigan (Col. C.'s iregiment) was thrown
into the battle in advance, anid about half an hour before
the others arrived.  General  Iearney directed them to
attackl the enemy on the left side of Bottom's Bidge road.
The rebels opened  fire firom  among the falllen timber,
wvlhere thley laid concealed.  On  the right wing of this
regiment, not distant over ten rods, an advance  was ordleied in double quick on  the  enemy's position.   The
centre and left wing extended to a thiclk grtowth of young
pines, a(nd by the time it was fonrmed in line was wiithin
thirty feet of the slashes.  The rebels nownv opened a nmurldeious fire on the centre and left, causing a heavy loss,
land tlliining the rankls of the 3d; but the boys received
the fire in a most unflinching manner, and before the ene
m-ry had time to reload, the iigholt chlaged on them with
the bayonet, reserving their fire until the concealed foe
w)ere diawnN fi'om their cover, and as soon as they were iii
ig}l~t delivered a deadly vollev.  This madcle theci  breakl
mi(I run like sheep), leaving tle slashles filled with thleir
dead and wouinded.  The iiglit continued to load and fire
at the rebels, who mnade several ineffectual attempts to reform their shattered ranks, but at each volley they again
6 -1
a 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURRGEOX.
broke  and  ran.  Thus  clvi-en out of the  slashes, they
fell back still fui'ther, and held in this position until reinforced 1).y the balance  of their brigiade, when tlhey still
continued to retreat, until we had recovered the ground
lost by- General Couch on that sidle of the road.  Wlile
this was transpiriing the eniiemy was gainingi ground on the
other side of tlhe road, and otur brigadcle was in gireat dan.
ger ofil)eig, flanled; on perceiving w    hich, General Beerry
witlhdrew his brigade w-ithin the slashes, which he held till
relieved, as nighlt came on.
As the coloi0el finished relating the foregoiing, a wounded  erebel                        of tle ltlth iississippi, who  la y  on  an al djoining
mattress,                          called out, "  That is true.  I   got th is  wound runn     inf4  out of those piies.              I             waas not  w-ithl m y regimenit,
lhav-ilg'ot                                               o sepaaated. As I was told if I  shot the onearmed General IKearney I  -woul(l be piromoted, ande seinig
Iiiam in the field thle other side of the road, I left the ranks,
entered the wood on the opposite side just as our men
-were lea-ving it, and, turniing to ran back, I was shot in the
thi('h.  Do  -on thlink tlhe bone is biroken, doctor?"  To
whlich(  I replied that I feaired it w-as; and  oil close examnination found it f' actiured for f)ur inches of the shaft, and
was ol)ligedl to amputate it.  IIe bore the operation with
great fortitude, and(, onl being dressed and returned to his
bed, mninus the left legr, he cheerfully said, "Phil Kearney
is better off nown-, with his one arm, than I aml."
Oi  the adjoiningi bed there lay a youIIng, delicate-looking
fellow-, a corporal in the 3d Georgia Voltunteers, -who had
lost ani  arm  on tihe battle-field, in Satturday's fig(ht, and
whose fathei, also iwoundedl, was at the timie on board of
the Daniel WVebster, the steamer I selected for use as a receiving ship, as it afforded facilities not possessed by any
65
a 
LEA'FvS  FII(Ol  TIIE
of the other steamers; and having dispatched all the steamers there were in the river adapted for floating, hospitals,
I was obliged to have a receiving ship for those that would
arriv e.  Even this was insufficient.  So that I was obliged
to make requisition on the quarter-master's department for
fortv Siblev tents, which I had elected along the railroad
trackl, to protect the wounded  firom sun and  rain, and
have their wounds dressed and their clothing changed
without dclelay. Some of these men had been lying on the
battle-field uncared for for two or three days; nor could
this be avoided, as the ground was alternately in the possession of the Union and rebel troops; and their condition,
on aririvNal at the WVhite House, was filthy in the extreme,
thlei]- wounds alive with maggots, their clothing saturated
and stiff with congealed blood and dried mud.
The captain of the Geo(rgia regiment before mentioned,
on hearing my dialogue with the MIississippian, asked me
what wvas his destination, or where I intended sending him
and the other wotunded Confederate prisoners.  I told him
I had arranged to have as many of the Confederates left at
Old Point and Portsmouth, Va., as tlhose hospitals could
accommodate.  He expressed great  satisfaction  at this
announcement, and seemed terriblv unwilling to go North.
I was anxious to learn the cause of his hostility to the
Northern people; and -while engcaged withl a patient in an
Idcljoining bed, made some inquiries of him as to the feeling
(xistiIlg in his State.  He described it as intensely and
iinaniiaioulsly hostile; of Imany years' growthl; and stated
that he personally was opposed to war, and had been, for
lis peace proclivities, looked on by his nieighboll)ois withl suslicion of entertaining Union sentiments.  "But," said he,
"Doctor, whlen I found it had to come to blows, I raised
money on my plantation, equipped and mounted a com
66
a 
DIAP'RY OF AN ARIMY SURGH()N.
panv of youngc, fellows I had recruited, and hav-e paid them
fi'om imy  own means ever since."  Ile  flrther sail, "I
lhavNe but that one boy you see lying there with his arm
,shot off," pointiing to the co)rporal; "and if I had a doze]],
or wa-s -worth a million of dollars, I would risk and lose all
before I would again consent to live un(ler the United
States fla,g."  I told him I hoped hle Nwould change his
opinions before his wound was suffi(iently healed to allow
him to be exchanged, and I trusted yet to see him a good
Union man.  When  I visited the Chesapeake Hospital,
some weeks after, he recognized me, and renewed the convei'sation; an-d in reply to my inquiry, if he was yet converted( to Unionism, he said there  was little hopes of it,
but if any tling woutld have suell an  effect on him, it
wouldl be the good care and kind treatment he and the
Confederates had  received fi'om me  and the other surgeons sinlce they were taken prisoners.  As an offset to
this deep-rooted hostility to the Union, I will mention the
case ot'f a rebel surgeoin, a Doctor  IcPhlail, of Geoirgia; he
h.ad been taken prisoner withl a couple of -woundecd rebel
officers hle was attending on the field, and all three wei-ec
se,t dow-n to the WVhite Houtse, fiom Awhence I forwarde(d
tlhem to the Fort, on board the steamer Kennebec, in
cllarge of which I had placed DrI. MIiddleton, Asst. Suig,eon
U. S. A., and Dr. Alvord(, of Michig,an, who  had  ililant lii'opically volunteered his services.  Dr.  loPhal:il remained( oil board of my receivillo- h-ospital-boat with his fi'iends,
and I aillow-ed him all the lilerty and extended to himr any
couirtesy- in my poweri.  On lhis goi,g ahboard of the Keninel)ee, wilen albout to start, he ectime to bid me fluewell,
and thank] me  foi mv kind,ess.   I asked him to whliat
State lie belonged(l, and( stated I was sorry to see himi in
the irel)el serv-ice.  He  replied, he was firom Georgia, aidc
67
a 
LEAVES FrnO0[ TIHE
was ashamed to tell it, as he believed the war, which had
cost the lives of many  dear relatives, could have been
avoid(led, but for some llnsclrupulous politicians firom his
ow%n and other Soutlhern States.
The arrivi-al of wounded and sick continuing unabated, I
determined to send away none but the wounded.  To put in
the hospital the sick, for whom room  had been made  by
my repeated drafts on it for convalescent soldiers to act as
nuirses.  I also  obtained firom  Assistant  Quarter-master
Broaldwoodcl  fifty contrabands,  to  aid in  car'rying  the
wounded, and distributing thle lemonade, as the men  detailed firom the 96th New York Volunteers were entirelv
iwo,rn out with the fatigue of the last tlhree days and nights;
but I found the colored men poor substitutes for the willing boy-s of the ninety-sixthl, who, under the orders of their
efficient officers, rendered most valuable aid.  A  niumber
of  cteting assistant-suirleons arrived this day in response
to my  repeated telegriaphic  requests  for them,  but I
found, on an interview, that a very large majority iwelre
young and inexperienced, and totally incompetent to take
chlarge of a steamer.  I consequently recommended thlem
to proceed to the advance, wherei the demand foir dr'essers
was very gieat, and requested Captain Sawtelle, assistant
quarter-master, havingi charge of the transportation, to inform me of thle arrival of any surgeon under orders to join
the advance.  By this means I was able to secure the assistance of some few surgeons, and thus give a respite to
t]:ose gentlemnen who had worked so long  and faiitlfiflly
w-ithl me.  Tile news of the great battle, spread over the
nation tl-hrough the newspapers, brought,t hundreds to the
WNVhite IIoIse, each one fearing, his or her relative or fiiend
hlad fallen a victim; the repeated inquiries by these persons, to many of whom I could offer no consolation, nor
0 Is
a 
DIARY OF AN AR.IY SURGiEON.
imlpart ainy intelligence, seriously hindered me, whiie it' was
of but little use to them.  I adopted a pla'   b,' having my
clerk learn fi'om  any officer that came down in charge of
the woun(oided, or of )risonllels, thle names of the regiments
engsaged, and by talkinio' a list of tlhose that ha,d arrived, I
was frequently enabledl to giv-e the desired infolrmation.
Judg'ingl fiom the number of dclisI)teches I hourly received
firom Dr. CLuytler, at the fort, he must have been similarly
importuned.  As far as I couldt  I used the cooking appairatis of the receiving steamer, the Daiiiel Webster, to cook
food fob the nurses, where the beeftea and otlher necessaries
for the -woun,ded vweie prepared; and as there was not any
hlotel or place to procure   a meal at the Whlite Ihouse, it
soon  became known that it' any thilng could be hlad to eat
it was on boaird the hospital boats.  This broughlt many
field and line officers, whlo for (lays had not tasted cooked
f()od, and fi'om  them I learned the latest news, and probable number of wvoucnded I would be obliged to make provision fotr.
The  Con(gressional  comnuittee on the conduct of the
war had paid a visit to the White House, accompanied by
Ilo10. John C. TuLckei, assistant secretary of war, and other
gentlemen.  Two members of it, the IHon. Aloses F. Odell,
3[. C., of Brooklyn,I and Hon. John Patten, M. C., of Pennsylvania, wiorked unceasingly to aid in getting the wounded
fi'om the cars to the boats, and preserving order.  In this
tlhey were ably seconded by Col. Wm. Borden, of New
Yoi'k, agent of the Fall River line of steamers, two of
which, the Canonicus and State of Maine, were being used as
hosl)ital boats, and both of them were models of cleanliness
and order, and well worthy the imitation of others.
The number of wounded was so great that I was obliged
to have  mattresses spread on  the saloon floolrs of the
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0 
LEAVES FROM THE
steailers, on each of which a patient was laid.  And finding it much cooler and easier, I selected thle vworst cases for
these beds.  Frequently I have heard the poor fellows, who
nowr lay helpless beside each other, recount the bloody
deeds of those two days; and on one occasion I was called
to separate two vwho had quarrelled.  Both Nwere Irishmen,
and had been fiiends, working for a stevedore.  One went
to -Iobile, where he entered the Confebderate service;
thle other, remaining ill Nev York, joined tlhle Irish Biigade.  TIle) had not met for seven years, and their recognition, under these peculiar and tiying circumstances, was
the opposite to fiiendly, and I have no doubt, if able, they
would lhave had a set-to.  Each reviled the other for havi,ng taken up arms on his side, and fieely used the names
of traitors  and  turncoats.  This  turbulent  scene  had
scarcely been ended by the removal to another part of the
vessel, of one of the belligerents, before another, of a very
different nature, occurred.  It appears that a private of the
15tlh 3Iassachusetts Volunteers had, on the death of his
wife, some years ago, gone West, taking, his two children
with him.  One, a daulghter, had married in Detroit; the
other went to Grand Rapids, the father returning to Boston.  The son, on the breaking out of the rebellion, joined
the 3d 3Iichigan Volunteers, and the father the 15tlh  Iassachusetts; and here, after a separation of several years,
they met on board the hospital steamer, both wounded.
The meeting was very alffecting, the old man, with a sev'ere wiound of the shoulder, and a flesh wound of the leg,
cirawled firom his bed to embrace his son, who lay terribly
mangled by the explosion of a shell, from which he died
the following morning.  There arrived this day, with the
woundedl, a private of one of the Pennsylvania Volunteers,
who had become a ravingcr and violent maniac firom fi'iglht,
i
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4 
DIAIRY OF AN ARNIY SURGEOX.
The shock to his nervous system was more than hle could
beai.  His exclamations of terror were piteous and heart  rending, and caused  rsuch discomfort to the other sufferersl
that I sent himt onI shore to the hospital, to do which six of
the strongest men were barely sufficient.
Mr. Clement Barclay, of Philadelphia, has been most ac tive and untiring in his exertions in aiding, the transporta tion of the wounded and car]ying out my  suggtestions,
which hle asked and cheerfully acted on, he enabled me to
devote to the operations the necessary time; hlie also sent
for me to the Secretai'y of War several dispatches to lh]ave
steamers and surgeons sent on, and rendered such services
as only could be contributed by a gentleman of ability and
whole-souled philanthropy.
The staff of volunteer nurses was increased this day
by several ladies: one, the wife of Lieut.-col. Chlas. Salip son of the 3d  1ainie Volunteers, was most active an(d useful, and did mtchl to alleviate the sufferings of the b.rave
fellows, all of whom  bore their wounds, and subsequent
exposure and want of care on the field, with wonderful
and uncomplaini(ng heroism.  WVhere their parched lips received  the  cup  of tea, gruel,  or lemuonade,  or, as  in
many cases, a stimulating drink, they were truly gratefutl,
aind expressed their thanks to the lady nurses in a very
flattering manner.
On Thursday night, at 11 P.r., I received a dispatch
firoml the advance that a cargo of 250 wounded had left for
th-e White  hIouse  at 6 P. 31., and asking if they had
arrived, as the officer in charge had failed to telegraph his
arriival, as ordered.  I proceeded, with about fifty nurses
carrying lanterns, along the road for a mile, the rain pouring in torrents, not meeting the train.  Several of them sat
down, myself among the number, and soon fell asleep, the
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9 
LEAVLES   FI.O~. TrI l
first I had since the Saturiday night previouts.  I had lain
on the wet gronlud for about ani hour, when I was awakened
1)b the shrill whistle of the locomotive, makin,g up ill speed
foi the loss of time it had sustained by irunningi off the
track near Dispatchll station.  AVlieni these had been  re   ceived and cared for, I determined to return w-itlh the train
to the advance, to learn, by personal observation, the num   ber of -wounded( still remaining.  We  started at three in
the mnorningi, and after a tedious ride of tlhree  hours reached
Fair Oaks station.  I then procured a horse and ordclely to
visit the hospitals and learn the niumber each contained.
To do this it was necessary to pass near the battle-field, the
odor firoom which was insufferable.  For over a mile, the
ground  was thickly strewvn with  unburied  men, mules,
and horses, -whlose decomposing bodies infected the atmos   phere for miles.  Having collected all the wounoded togrethier
-it to be removed, I proceeded with two hundred of them
to the WVhite House, the rest to followv thle return of the
train.  I had them  conveyed on board of the Louisiana,
one of the largest and best boats chartered by the govern —
nmelt, and determined on the arrival of the others fiom the
advance, to proceed ii person with thlem to a INoitheiii
hlospital.   lly reasons for so dcloing were, that I had re-ei-vedl all the wounded who for somie time would be fit for
iemov-al, and as among  those last sent down, were very
many of the most dangerous cases,-many of them hlaving
lain on the battle-field uncared for for several days,-aind
as all the surgeons in whom I could place confidence had
been dispatched with the other steamers that took away
over four thousand of the wounded; I decided on going
with these myself, taking Dr. Bates, surgeon of the 15th
3Iassachusetts, and Doctors Case and Robinson, of Buffalo,
as assistants.
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0 
I)IAI',Y OF A(N A1-I'Y  StGE()N.
WVednesday night the train fi'om Fair Oaks station, with
over two  hundred  wounded, was  delayed nearly three
hours by the following causes.  It appears that a rebel
cavalry company of Stuart's brig,ade conceived thl-e idea of
cutting off the communication between VWhite IHouse and
head-quarters, and made a sudden dash at the train, whicl-h,
in consequence of the trackl having been washed awvay with
the late heavy rain, was proceeding at a very slow pace.
A shot firom one of their carbines disabling the engineer,
the fireman stopped the locomotive, and the rebels proceed(led to rifle the cars. Ascertaining that it contained
wounded, they were not very close in their scrutiny, and
failed to discover a paymaster's safe, containing thirty
thousand dollars of government funds, which Paymaster
Taylor was returning to the White Ihouse with, havin~ir
been obliged, by the conflusion consequent on the battle, to
suspend pay-ing the men of the brigade to which he was
attached.  The attack on the train was so sudden and unexpected, and the means of resistance at hand so feeble,
that the paymaster, leaving the safe with the money belindcl him onl the car, sought refuge in an adjoining wood.
The train, after some delay, was allowed to proceed to its
destination, and the valuable, but mitch-coveted prize, was
found in one of the freight cars, and handed over to Captain Sawtelle, of the quarter-master's department.   The
fiighteneed paymaster made his appearance at the White
IIouse in a state of great trepidation for the supposed loss
of the money; but, after some bantering and ridicule for his
cowardly desertion of the treasure, was informed of its
safety, to his great and unconcealed joy.
Among the wounded which arrived from the field on
Wednesday, was a young private of the 1st Long Island
regiment, son of Captain Stillwell, of that corps, who had
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LEAVES FROMI THE
been shot through the body.  He was carried on board
while I was busily engaged in extracting a musket-ball
fiom beneath the fiontal bone of a young fellow of the
103d Pennsylvania Volunteers. His f*ther, who was sick at
the White House, having been sent off the field in a feeble
state, was a friend of IHon. AMoses F. Odell, who  was
woirking with unflagging andcl laborious zeal.  This gentlenlan requested imy care for young StillIwell.  The falllily
iresided in Brooklynl, New York.  I was unable to give any
reason to hope for his recove]ry, as he was then sinking,
and died in a few hours.  Tlhe body, through the exertions
or -AIr. Odell, was embalmned, and was taken by me on the
Louisiana to F;ortress Monroe, on the following Saturday,
'lhere I was obli(ed( to leave it, ini consequence of the previous orders issued( forbiddilng the transportation Nolrth of
dead bodies.  I was, howiever, enabled to recover it on my
return fiom Philad(lelphlia, fi'om which place I brought his
brother on the steamer, and witlh the aid of -ir. Allartin,
of New York, a most carefll and considerate undlertaker,
ladl his remains removed to Brooklyn for burial.  MIr.
:Martin  had  accompanied  MAr.  James  Cooke,  of  New
York, lwho was now returning to the White Itouse, to renew
his valuable lal)ors, of no ordinary kind, for the soldiers.
Mr. Cooke's kindcl and cheerful compliance with the many
requests of the suffering, and his untiringi attendance on
them, was a most valuable assistance, and a blessing to
many, who gratefiully remember his kind and encouraging
nursing, promptly rendered, without hope of reward but
that arising from the pleasing kntowledge of soothing the
ag,onies of a suffering fellow-being
Anot-her member of the 1 st Long Island regiment, which
had suffered so terribly, was eagerly sought for by his fathler on Wednesday, but I had not as yet received him.  It
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
was Corporal Samuel F. Bouton, of Brooklyn.  HIe arrived
on Tlhuisday, and as I had taken the receiving, ship, the
Daniel W'ebster, down the river to load the Spattlldingi firom
beri, and tlhen turned her over to be cleaned and fiumigated,
— rendered necessalry by the intolerable stench arisitng firom
tlhe hundreds of wounded that had been treated. and the
lari ge number of operations performed on board of her lier main-deck and saloon being used for this puirpose,-I
had Corporal Bouton, who w-as dangerously wounded, car itied on board the Louisiana, and appropriated enough sl)ace
in the uipper saloon to his use.  Hlis deeply distressed father"
clainmed the privilege of nursing him, to whlich I assented,
and detailed a inurse for his special assistance.  The ball
]raving passed thiIough the subl)stance of the iight lung, his
bienthing was dclistressinglyN difficult, and his being able to
reach lhis home alive depended on his beiing kept perfectly
quiet.  No  surgical aid could be rendered him, the ball
hiaving passed out below the shouldler-blade, and medical
skill was alone useiful in relieving the distressing symptoms.
Iis flther watched and waited on him with the most solicitous affection dur'ing the week he was on board the Louisiana, until our arrival in Philadelphia, when he had  him
carried to the Camden and Amboy railroad, en ro?te for
his home, in a very feeble condition.  The  fatitgue of the
joiurney was too much for his fast-failing strength, and as
thle Amboy steamboat came within sicrght of his native city,
opl)osite to Staten Island, he breathed his last.  His mother,
to w hom, at MIr. Bouton's request, I had telegraphed friom
Philadelphia of his havingff started for home, was denied
the p)rivilege of seeing himn alive.  Her grief must have
been heart-rending when she behleld the lifeless body of her
handsome son.  Too many mothers, alas! have thus sadly
been bereaved since tlhe breaking out of this unholy war,
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w-hichl has spread desolation over the land, and swept away
th-e briohltest floweis of its youth and manhood.
Aimong the wounded Confederate prisoners I brought
down to Fortress 3Ionroe wvas a major of a North Carolina
regiment, as noble and as fine-looking a fellow as I had ever
seen.  He had been shot in the thigh, firacturing the thigh
bone very badly, and renderiing amputation necessary,
which I perfornied before leaving the WhAVite Hiouse. After
the operation was over, and he had been removed to his
I)td and made comfortable, he thanked IIus for our attention,
statiing that he had not expected such kind treatment at
our' hands, but said, "Your men will never take 1Tichmond,
unless tlhey do it over the dead and wounded bodies of
fifty thousand Southern soldiers. They have resolved upon
it and will perform it at any cost of life."  I-e was very
communicative, and was  evidently a gentleman of fine
education and good social position. He deplored the war
and its necessity, but said it had been brewing for many
years, and that sooner or later it should come, and that the
Northern and Southern people were so dissimilar in their
habits, sentiments, and social organization, that they never
could, nor should they be commingled as one people and one
nation.  HIe argued that the Union had been held together,
for the last twenty years, by a dislike on the part of the
Southern people to go to war with the North, and that the
concessions, which they had firom time to time made to the
N\orth, had only put off the evil, but not remedied it-that
Webster,' Clay, Calhoun, and the statesmen of the last
generation, had foreseen this rebellion, and had succeeded
in postponing it by  advising compromises of the just
claims of the South to the peaceffl possession of their slave
property, guaranteed to them by the Constitution, which he
claimed had been violated by Northern abolitionists.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER VIII.
VOYAGE TO FORTPESS MTONROE AND PIIILADELPHIA.
WVE started at 6 P. Mr., on Saturday evening, for Fortress
3lonrioe, and during the night performed  several operations.
Just before leaving, a yotung private of the 3d MIline
Volunteers, named Gordon, who had been struck in both
legs by minie-balls, and wlose legs were amputated abo-ve
tle knees, died.  On the voyng(e down the river: five more
breathed their last, having sunk under their wounds andcl
exhaustion, and were buried at the fort, which we reached
on Sundclay iforenoon.  I at once called on Dr. Cuyler, the
medical director, and was most kindly received by lhim: he
knewN firom the inumber of wound(led I had consigned to
limi, and the daily reports of gentlemen arriving firom the
AWhite House, the extent of my labors, and made fiill acknow-lecdg'ment of them.  I also visited General Dix, wlto
had relieved General Wool at this station, since nmy departire fiomn it.  Ile came on board the Louisiana, talkled kindly
and snympathized with the wounded sufferers, and expressed
his fuill commendation of my services and the ordeily condlition of the vessel.  On consultation w-ith Dr. Cuyler, we
decided on removing to the hosp)itals, at tle fort, 85
wounded Confederates I had on board, and to take an
equal number from these hospitals, lwho  vwould thus benefit by a change to a more northern hospital.  A sudden
and violent storm spitung, up, which made the steamer part
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her moorings fromn the dock, and run into the steamer
Flushing, previously sutnk opposite the fort.  The storm
continued wvith unabated fliry for three days, and obligedl
us to run the steamer to Newvport News, as slhe had lost
both her anchors at the fort.  On Wednesday, tlhe weather
giving promise of a chlange for the better, I took on board
the wounded Union troops and started for Plhiladelphia
withl my precious cargo, all of whom had, notwithstanding
the storm, greatly improved firom the sea-breezes and care
bestowed on them, and the attention paid to their wounds.
On tlhe way down firom the White House, the Confederate
wounded had also picked up in spirits, and becamne more
communiiiiCative witl) our men; the dialogues between them
were of the spiciest kind, each clairing bfor ])is side all the
bravery, and each having some instance of cowardice of
the troops of their opponents to relate.  I was busy the
whlole night in getting throughI w-ithl tlhe opelations, and,
on their completion, in taking a correct list of all1 on boalrd
foi my own use, a copy of Iwhichl I slupp)llied to the press.
D)uiring the hours spent in this weary taisk, many of the
men being too sick or too sleepy to disturb, I heard a
Conifcdlerate soldier, on thle lower deck, singinlg for lhis
own, and the aimuseinent of some dozen others in ad(joining
beds, the following Secesh song, of wlhich I obtained a copy,
and now give it for the reader's edification.
Secesh SoJyg.
CHIVALROUS C. S. A.
Air.-Vive la Compagnie.
I'll sing you a song of the SoutlIt's sunny clime,
Cliivalrous C. S. A.
V'hicll wvent to lhousekeel)ing, once on a time,
Bully for C. S. A.
78
a 
Thllree cheers for the Southl  now-, boys, with a will,
And:,.roans for the U. S. A.
Cl/or ls.-Cllivalrous peop)le are tliey, &c.
Thiirs(lay mornio cng brokle briliit and sunny, a(nd foiund
us steaming i up thle Delnware  river.  Wc reached Plhiladelphia at nine o'clock, and droplping ainelior in t]he streatm,
I )proceedled on shore to report my alrrival to Dr. Kiil(,, tlim
meliecal director at that city.
H-ardly hlad the Louisiana touceled the C.llowlill-street
~illaif, when the citizens of Phliiladelpl)lia, amoing whomo tle
news of her ar]ival hlad spread like imagic, cerowded  the
llarves 1anid stieets aldjoiniing, all eager to catlch a',limpse
of the imutilated heroes of Fair O.aIks.   Vithl tlhe concuriiuce of Dr. Kingi, I determinedi on giving firlotglis to
ill tlhe wounotded iwho were ale to )pro(ee(d to tlieir |lomes;
aid( a, miany of t-hemi belonged( to Pellnsy-vania reg'imets,
tt,is piviieg'e  w-as g,la(ly  ace)te(  l)y nealy  lialf  the
niun)er on board.   Lxl)eri,   ne had tagi,it ime that Iceli
sifiring  io' fiii  wool    onds and the long-contined privatiolns
of ca.tl) life, would recovner multCh sooiuer  under the kind
0 
LEAVES FROMI 1 IIE
care of home and fiiends than in a military hospital, and
thus return to their duty in far less time than if kept in
general hospitals.  The result proved the correctness of my
conclusion, and a vast expense was thus spared the govern mient, while it afforded much gratification to the soldier
and his anxious fiiends.  The Philaclelphians, true to their
wvell-earnedl reputation, behlaved most generously on this
occasion.  The police force attended and preserved order,
and afforded full opportunity for us to avail ourselves of
tlle promptly tendered services of the fire department, lwho
turned  out e~~  9i~cisse to convey, on their  carriages, to
the dififrent hospitals those poor fellows unable to walk.
The citizens, generally-, vied with each other in bestowing
klind attentions on them, and  before leaving for the seat of
war, I received, for thle benefit of the Awonnd(ed, bountifuil
contributions of elvery imagintiable  luxury and necessary
indispensable for their use.  Thle Sanitary Coiimission,
throughll its philanthropic and benevolent agent at tlis city,
also sent to their general a gent liberal supplies of articles
most needed, and thus replenished tlhe stock on w-hicli I
had largiely- drawn at the AVhite House.  AImong those lwho
had fallen or been wounded in the Fair Oakls' fighlt, there
-were many residents of Philadelphlia, the friends of whom
heaped the kindest and most generous couitesies on the
-writer.  Among them was the family of Colonel Lee, lwho
had lost a noble son, Lieutenant Lee, of the 81st regiment
Pennsylvania Voltunteers, and  whose eldest son, Captain
P1obert Lee, had received a severe wound from a mini5iball, lwhichl had lodlged betwieen the bones of the leg.  This
exemplary family  received the kild sympathy of many,
and elicited my sincere condolence for their bereavements.
Their delicate and kind attentions, tendered throtugh their
fiiend, Joseph P. Lougheadcl, Esq., to me, during my  briet
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARM.IY SUORGOON'.    N
stay in their hosp)itable city, -ill ever be gi-atefull' remembeiedl.  It -was, indeed, a rich ireward for my services, and
I sincerely g, iie-ved that the piressiung necessity for nmy return
to  the Peninsula, alone prevented me  fi'om paayinig my
respects in person to that venerable gentleman, Colonel
Lee, whose soirrow-stricken fiee, when I first met himn, at
Fortress MIonroe, bearing manfilly up  under  the twofold
afflicting v-isitation, was a true index to his warm  and pati'iotic heart, and bespoke  him  the  iworthy  fatTier of a
-worthyl) son, whose heroic and iuncomplainillg fortitude had1
enideared himi  to me, as it had  to his regiment.  There
were miany noble -woutnded  under my care at the Whllite
Iotuse, but y-ou, Captain Robert Lee, stand out in pleasino,
ioiniience on my memory.
It being necessary to have  some replailrs (lone to  the
boilers of the Louisiana, she was taken to the Richlmond
boiler-slhops, and  this delayed our  departure until  lIonday-.  Tl1e assistant-surgtceoiis and niurses, as soon as we had
l:uided our wiounded, eaCerly sougnlt leav-es of absence, lwhich
I could not refulse; and, withl some few exceptions, tlhey
-wenIt to 1)ay short visits to their families.  T}his I-)prevented
iny leavin-g, and  obli,ged mne to telegraal)h for nmy wife to
meet me in Philadellphlia, to aillay her anxiety for my safety,
as I lad not been able to -write to her for many days; and
shle knowingii  I was at the great battle, naturally felt solicitous for imy return.  On her arriv-al, in the ni,ght train, she
w-as struck wiith the chlang,es whichiel  fiti,gue, exposure, andi
the loss of rest, for ten consecutive nighilts, had effected oni
me.  I hId h oped,  onii leaving tlhe AViite Ilouse, to lave
ol)taliied som        e r    est on the oy ae, but the many seveie
cases on boaid, requiling my  conlstant care, tlle illniess of
Dir. IB~ates, my fiist assistant, and  tlhe inexperienice of the
others, prevenitedl my sniiatching anl hour's sleep; and while
4*
81
0 
I.EAVES FROM' THE
in Pliiladellphia, the demnands on my time were'so nlmelrolis
fiom the friiends of the soldcliers, that I had but little titie
to reciruit my strenthi, so much needed on my return to
the Peninsutla.
Fisit to the Philt(7el2Jhict Ihosia     itals.
At the invitation of the surgeons in charge, I visited tllhe
hospitals in which the wounded volunteers firom the several
steit,ers I had dispatched fi'om the  VhIite House and fi'om
loue Louisiana, were cared for. On my aiivail at the U. S.
llospital, corner of Fifthi and Buttonwood streets, I was unexl)ectedlvy greeted with a heairty clheer fiom the poor fellows, as they lav on thleir comfortable beds.  iIany of their
tfaces were quite familiar to me, but the number I had attended duiring the pieceding ev-entftil week was so large
that I could not possibly recollect thlem all.  They, however, geneirally riecogeized me, and expressed their thanks.
I found here Col. Cross, of tlhe 5tlh Newv Iamnpshire Vol
llnteeis, who had been woundoed in the leg, while leadingr
on the birigadle of Nwlichl his regimenlt formed a part, and
of  whiclh hle was then in command.   I was gratified to
find lhim fast recovering  fi'om thi  effect of his vwouInd, but
suftering mentally firom soi-e unjust statements, in relation
to his regiment, tlhat appeared in one of the N-ew York
1l)apers of the day previous.  Jealous of the well-earned
reputation of his gallant corps, and of his own  valorous
contduct, lie stated the partictulars of his part in the engagenmeIt, whichl I giv-e in his own words:
"3Iy regimelnt, the  5th  New  IHampshiie Voliunteers,
wans detached firom Iloward's Briigade on Saturday eveniug, and on Sunday morniing occupied the extieme righit
of tlhe line formed by General French, wlhen we skirmislhed with the enenmy, aind took quite a number of prisoners.
82
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T)IAIPY  OF  AN  ARIIY  SUL-IGliO()N.
The battle lhacd r,aged som,e tinme, -whlen orders came for me
to (oo  to the relief of a porltion of Frenclih's Brig ade.   I
moved(  quicklyI doiwn  tile railroad track, passed Genelral
Fi-enchl, and halted on thle track, fatee to the enemny, in rear
of the position just occipi)ied( by tIoward's two regiments,
the 01st and 04th Xew Yoirk.   Beiing in command of the
brigadle, I sent an order by Adjutant Gregory, of the 61st,
foi tlhe two regiments to clear my firont as soon as possible,
and I would take their place.  Tlhis i-as done at once, and
wlhile the movement was oiig' 01on, the li-llisi-.riade came
1i}) ill ny  rea'.  The 69t]i New York foi-med on th)e irig,lt
ot [,iy line, and the 88thl on my left, but in rear of my line,
where they halted(l.  The 5tlh NewN Iiampslirei tlhen enter'ed the w-oolds, solitary and alone, the iregimenits on  tlhe
'igrht and left remiaini,ig in tlheir places.  About 200 yards
fiomn the railroad track we camie upon the dead and wounded of the 61st and 64thl New ~Yok, and a few yards fairther on we met the enemy.  Twice we drove b)ack tlheir
line, and( it rallied; the tl)ird time it broke.  AIost of the
fi:'ing took place at twenty yards i.range.  While advanciing
the second time on the enemy's line, the 69th  fired a volley right into the backs of my men, for I had obliqned llmy
line to prevenet  being(r  flanked.   That volley mortally
-wounaded  many of miv best men.  Fortunately, being on
the railroad track, their aim was hig,.  I expected the
tw-o re(gimenits on my flanks would have entered the woods
w-itlh is, but they did not; and wly, I never could learn.
\Vlhen the eneiy ceased( firing, my regiime)t broke by tlhe
rihllt of companies to the rear, and filed out to the railroad.  It was here I receiv-ed this ngly wound in tlhe tliil,
that made  me  acqiuainted witlh yon, Doctor.   3Iy boys
cariied me to the track, in fi-ont of thle regiment.  On  the
track -we found the two iregimenits; and hecre two men oft
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L'EFAYI3S FROMi TII'
the 69th relieved Iny own men, and carried me'to the rear.
Thle Irish Biigadcle, while on the track, lost four killed and
twentv-seven wouinded.   The 5th  New Ilampshiire lost
neaily two hundred killed and wounided, among tliem mysell; the major, and many other ofieers; and yet we have
hardly been mentioned as having been in the fihlt, and
tlhere, as you see (hainding me the newspaper),.grossly misreipresented.  No otiher regiment was sent into the wioods.
This ended the fight of Sutinday.  The 5th bore their part
in its closing' scene, and not till then did I turn over the
command of the 1st Biigade to Col. Parker.  It is true
that the brave Ilioward's Brigiade bore the brunt of Sundlay-'s fight,,ianid no doubt thle official reports will do justice
to tlhe 61st and 64th regimnients, wilich foght so well and
lost so he,avily.  But I do wvant to see justice done the 5th,
and no more.  AVe did our duty, and want our country to
know it; and I owe it to the imotheirs, wives, and sisters
of the brav-e boys I took with me  firom New IIampshire
that the truth should be told."
Tihe recital of the above consumed all the time I couldI
sparie to this w-ell-oir(eired establishmient.  It had been  a
coach ftetoiy-, and was converted into a hosl)ital.  The
wairds were laige, and kept well ventilated.  The patients,
onec and all, were loudcl in their plaises of tlhe care tlhey
-were receiving'(, and of the kind attentions bestowed on
them by the ladies of Philadelphia, many of  ihomn I saw
tenderly- niursing the -wouinded, to whom thie change firom
thle )loody field of Fair Oakls to the comforts they were then
siiilrounded with, must have been as striking as ag,reeable.
The Louisiana having received the necessary repairs and
taken in coal, was again hautiled into the Callowhill-street
8-1
Phil(tclell-)bict.
0 
DIAPY OF AN ARIMY SURGEON.
wharf, to take on board the generous contributions of the
Philad(lelpliians for the sick and  wounded, the necessary
commnlissai'y stores, and the supplies for the Sanitary Com mission at the AWllite I-House.  The quarter-master haviing
received diiections to forward, with all possible haste, a
number of aitillery horses, sixty were p)ut on board, in
boxes or stalls, fitted up on the miain-deck. WVith  this
caig'o, so unsuited to  a hospital boat,  we started fi'om
I'Philadlellplia on the afternoon of Mlonday, June 16th.  The
ihliarves  were again  crowded  w-ith a dense  throng of
people, to bid us farewell, and send  messages to their
fiiends in the armyn,                   and to obtain poromises t hat all the
IP   ensn sIl v aniia              wounded uwouldl,  in ftture, be sent to Phliladel         phia. A               nnumber of gentlemen, MIr. Binney, 3ii. Longhead, ancl                        others, came on board, some  with tleeir ladies, to
see the Louisiana,                   of whose size they  ha d h eard much. Nor
d        id they come empty4-hanclded; thlei            r carriages b rought down
m       a      ny luxuries for the use of the medecical  sta ff on board, and
valluable                                                contributions for the  wonunded. Steam being up,
anI                            the oword "alals ready" having been  given,  the gangplak pulled in, we moved out of the wharif, and amid the
1de'feuing cheers of the crowd, the Louisiana steamed majestically down the Delaware on her mission of nmercy and
relief.
I slubjoin a list of the medical staff and nurses on board,
whlen we started for Fortress AIonroe, which we reached
on WAVednesday:
LIST OF 3[EDICAL STAFF AND NURSES.
S?('yMo/z1   i)z C/Ictr,/c —Dr. Thlomas T. Ellis.
4e(i)?d Assistct)t S,trgeoiis-Case, Janiner, iMaury, Tyson,
Corson.
Actidly Ilosl)it(l Stewc(r(I-Sankey, 49th Penn. Vols.
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Cler7 to S?(;ieo~z iz Carcd)e-G. A. WVood,  40thl N. Y.
Voliunteelrs.
),'esse,' —Platt Paymondl, 5th AVisconsin Volunteers.
Vt;('eses-E. Graves, E. ti. Post, L. Port, G. Foot, Wm. ItI.
Bo(yd, O. L. Guildl, C. Ii. AMiller, F. E. Wheeler, G. L.
AVelden, T. Riae, J. Potts, J. Bliven, L.  I1. Clapp, E.
S. King, J. 3tyeryN-, E. Emerson, WV. P. BarIncs, I31. II.
Conley, J. G. Abbott, L. Ratyinoud, J. Legarty, WVin.
Jillin-s, Patr ick Lyons, E. Almnsted, E. B icelay, J. Gay  lo(rd, F. AV.  Carpenter, S. G. Peterson, G.  W.  Gillel),
L. Ilaven.
These men were members of volunteer regimnents, and
the grieater niumber of them  I had obtained froni the hoslpital,it the White House.
Thle fobllowing Philadelphia ladies requested to be allowed
to  )roceed to the VWhite IlHouse as voluniteer nurses, but
returned, withoutt rendering any  services: Mrs. Corson,
[IlIs. Pliillil)s, Miss Caldwell.  In addition to these, we hId(
on hoard, Mr. Jas. Cooke, iMr. Mlartin, iMr. Taylor; IMajor
]trinten, U. S. paaymaster; iMr. Goddard and Mr'. Alexiander, his clerlks; and Mr. Stillwell, of Brooklyn-thle dleath
of whose brother I have mentioned-ancd  who  was now
proceeding to Fortress MAonroe to recover his  iremainis,
whlich, through the kindness of Dr. Cutyler, he was enabled
to do.
Our trip was  a most  agreeable  one.  Ihaving  al aitially recovered  firom  the fiticgue, and  not hlavingT any
care but the disei)line of the inurses to attend to, we
enijoyed the beaititit1 sail down  the Delaiware river and
bay, iand arrived on  WAVediiesday at tle tolrt, well supplied with every requisite foir our future labors.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CIHAPTERP IX.
FORTRESS MONROE —RETURN TO IVHITE IIOUSE.
ON our arrival at Fortress Mlonoe, I anxiously inquired
for the latest inews firom thle armiy, —fefaiing a renewal of
the fighlt had taken place, as I was satisfied that thle fitilure
of tle rebels to achieve their desirgn in cutting, off our left
fi'om the main body of the army, tlhough  for the I)present
foiled, was not totally abandoned; but I learned firom
Geneial Dix, to wnlom I introduced the ladies and gentlemen from Philadell)lhia, that all had been comparatively
quiet since my delpartuie, and that, with the exception of
some shlelling, of thle pickets and slight skiirmisliing of the
outposts, matters were as I had left them.   As a coupl)le of
hours -would necessarily  elapse  before  starting  for the
A\Vhite Iouse, in consequence of our intention to tow thle
li)sliital-ship St. 3larki,  whichl  lay  in Ilampl)ton PRoads
w-aitiig( for a ttug, it was spent by the Philadelphlians in
viewingir the Fort.  Foirtress MIonrioe, as most of my readers
are aware, is built onl the san(ldy promonotory fobrming one
ot' tle southern boundaries of Chlesapeake ITay, and which
lhas been better known as Old Point Comifort,-biit a fewv
yeais since one of thle most popular and fs}hionable Soutlhei-i w-ateiring-pl)aces, to accommodate whom a largie wooden
hotel, with a circular friont ornatmenited with Corintlhian
co)lumi s, was erected.  This hotel, the only one at the
place, was capable of containing  1,200 guests, iand such
was the rush to the "Point," that fiequently 1,500 persons
ST
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LEAVES FRO5[ THE
laV-e been accommodated at one time.  It contained a fine
dilill gig-room and concert-room, with all the necessary public
Ilaialtmenits usual in an hotel on a scale of such magnitude.
It iwas at this timie, and had been for some months pr'evious,
used as a United States  hospital, under  the  clhaige of
DI)octor  Bointico, an excellent  sturgeon, who  spared no
trouble to prevent the ill effects of its want of ventilation,
in a great measure owving to its peculiar shape, and inll
consequence  of w-hichl it was soonI after abandoned for
hospital   purposes.  Two or three other general hospitals
were situated near-thle Chesapeake  and Seminariy.  The
reader can hardly iimagine a busier scene than that going
on at this time at Old Point: thousands of soldiers, sutlers,
calmp)-followers, and  contrabands hurrying to and fio in
a state of confusion; the steamboat  wharif-the  great
rendezvous-contitnually crowded with passengers  going
to or returning from the Peninsula.  This was the outer
gate of the army lines,-all passes to which, were here
issued, oil  proper authority,  by  the Provost 3Iarshlal,
!Jajor WAV. P. Jones, U. S. A., lwho performedl his arduous
duties wn-ith unusual suav-ity.  His forbearance must have
beeni friequently overtaxed by the unreasonable requests
for passes firom  persons hlaving  no  better claimi  than
curiosity.  The general satisfaction given by MIajor Jones
caused much sincere regret on his leaving, wheii General
AVool (of whlose staff he was a member) was relieved by
GCeneral Dix.  The maijor's office was in the hotel building
a(ljoiningI the hospital; and between it and that portion of
tlhe buillding used as an hotel by  Willard, the other
staff officers, viz., the  quarter-masters and commissary,
were distributed around  amiong  the  cottages  formerily
used as family residences, or were accommodated in temporairy buildings,  a large number  of  which  had  been
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
erected for these  and various other purposes, such  as
storie-ho utses, post-offices, express-offices, lharbor-master offices,  &c.   Their  number  and  unfinished  appearance,
scattered around without any reference to order, gave tle
place an appearance very unlike what it presented w-hen
used as a watering-place before the comrmencement of the
rebellion, and bearing a striking resemblance to San Francisco or iMelbouirne in thle early days of the gold fever.
The Rip Raps, on which Fort Wool is being erected, lies
in the roadstead oplposite the fort.  It is a small, baie
rock, and presents the appearance, at a distance, of having
been artificially constructed.  It is used as a military prison,
the inmates being, obliged to work on the fortifications:
cut off firom all communication with the mainland, they
miist lead a terrible life.  Besides the  steamboat wharf
there is another, the light-lhouse vlwharf, the approaches to
w!-ichl  were equally throngedl, and, taken in connection
with the crowds of shiI:l)piing and steamboats which lined
the Iwharves and filled the roadstead, presented a scene of
animation tllat could not fail to strike a visitor as peculiar,
and only to be accounted for by its proximity to the army
of a g,ieat nation in time of war.
As the Fort was used as the depot of supply for all
oridnance and other stores, the offices of the lheads of each
department were continually crowded, and any one havingo business to transact with these gentlemen suffered an
unav-oidlable loss of time, trying to their patience; and
in some cases the outbursts of temper caused by the delays
created amiisement, and helped to pass the time spent in
Nwaiting.  Ilavingi completed my  arrangements on slioie,
we started for Yorktown, where we left the St. Mark,
and reached the AVhite Ilouse next dclay after another
scoirching trip up the tortuous and muddy Pamunkey.
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Back again to the former scenes of our busy labors. But
how- changed an appearance every thing wears! No hurrvyim  to andi fro fi'om the hospital steamers; no arrivals of
tr.ains witlh woundedl; every thing peaceful; and the bustle
and confusion at the quarter-master's, and other offices,
seems to have quieted down, as if tIhe scorching sun had
p)roduced a letihargy w-lich the employees of the departments could not shake off.  Even the contrabands, horses,
and nimuiles were visibly affected by the lheat; and the oppressive calm seemed an ominous precursor of the storm
that soon broke over this placid scene.
I found that bult a few wounded had been received fioni
the advance during miy absence.  They were now lying on
board the steaimer South America, at the railroad wharf,
w-aiti-( until enouglh  had been sent down to load the vessel.  M[y letters had been sent on board the Sanitary Conmliission steamer AVilson Small, as was usual while I was
lere; but she had gone to Yorktown with Mr1. Olmstead
and Dr. Vollum, iand would(  not return until next day.
Tlhe short distance firom the Louisiana to the post-office occpj)ied some time in getting over, as I met miany wvellklnow-n flces, and was fiequently saluted wvith, " Welcome
b)ackl, Doctor."  Most of these gentlemien  had labored
with me,-many of them day alcnd niglht,-and we consequenltly had hecome better acquainted than an ordinary
11tcrcoui'se of years would have made us.  From  them I
learned that Dr. Chas. Tlil)ler, Medical Director of the
Ainmy  of the Potoimac,  had been down  to  the White
Ilouse, laving, as I suppose, heard of the commendations I
had irecived firom thle memnbers of the Committee on tlhe
Conduct of thle Wair, and of the censure he received fo)r
not having'i made p)rovision for tlhe d(lischarge of the duties I
assumed on my first arrival.  I have stated, in a former
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DIARY OF AN APRMY SURGEON.
chapter, the condition of things on my first getting here.
I at once telegraphled to tlhe surgceon-general, Dr. Cuyler,
anid D1). Trii1)ler.  Frolfi the two former I received orders
to act as mv (liscretion would dictate; but Dri. Triple  took
little or no notice of nmy letters and disl).patcles.  The formner, hlowever, were sufficient authority bfor me to act on.
The amount, quality, and necessity for the services I had
perfoirmed had received the commendation of the authorities and the coUntry.  Of this Dri. Tripler was aware; and,
in order to neutralize it, he appointed for those duties a
Dir. Watson, who was in chari,ge of the hospital at the
AVWhite House, and who, as he expressed it, had more duties
than  hle could perform.  The  opporituine  arrival of Dr.
Vollumn, at this time, set this miatter to riglts; and tlhe
relief (as medical director of the Army of the Potomtac), of
)Dr. Trliiplei, by Dr. Lettellrman, which occurred a few days
after, -was the most convincingli  decision in my fivor.
The excitement at tlhe AWhite Ihouse to-day, and for the
last twenty-fbour hours, hl as been  intense.  The story is
ab)iroad tlhat the lubiquitous Stonewall Jackson, witlh a lairge
flying co)lS, i'a))s m, is applroaching  the AVWhite  IHouse,
with the general idea of capturing the stores lhere for thle
Army of the Potomac, or of dlestroying, thlemi, or of b(re.iking up) our communication with the  advance, and tliereby
of starving out the armvy, acnd of clearilg out thiings ii
general, besides killing  all the troops, canmpl)-follovwers, &c.,
C. as a sort of by-play.  Ahlat atddls to the excitement,
is the fact that a goia-el-tiain, tl)at went  up) tlhe railroad
fi'om herwe this mornino,   lias jlst returned, and briings backl
the stoiy of the taking 1)y - thle rebel troops of Dispatlch
Station and a do wn train.  Be tlhis as it may, it is certain
that a train leaving before the one capitured ehad tlitiee
army paymasters  on board, w-ith about $6,000,000 between
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them;-this would have been a good haul folr Jeff. Davis.
On receipt of the above intelligence, orders were given
civilians to leave.   The fact of the taking of Dispatch station needed only to be told them  to insure prompt conmpliance with the order.  There has been, too, a studden
diminution of the firaternity of sutlers, who have skedaddled
in an agony of fiiglit.  The mail-boat, which left very late,
never went away so well loaded.   There is a general
movement of all the vessels, that have been so long lying
in the Pamunkey r iver, towards the mouth.  Every thing,
possible to be moved has been, or will be, sent down to
Ctmnberland or WAVest Point.  All the ttugs and steam-vessels have been busy as bees, and things look rather lively
on the water. The river is now comparatively firee firom
vessels, and if the famous "Stonewall Jackson" does come,
he will find little in the river to tempt his cupidity.  On
the land there has been quite  a general  cleaiing out.
Quarter-masters, and other  officers, have  placed  their
effects, private or official, upon steamers, ready for an instant start, so soon as the rebel bayonets gleam near us.
Thle woods liningi, the shores of the river have been cut
down to give the guns of the gunboats a chance to work,
and evelry precaution has been taken to insure Jackson a
wiar  reception.  There is certainly a great fiighlt on every
one's face.  But I fancy there is little reason for it.  Perhapls, as a precautionary measure, all this general evacuation may be wvell enoughl; but it strikes me, a looker-on in
Venice, that it would have been as well to have sent troops
eno,ugh here to guarantee safety, when it could have been
done.  It is certainly a singular oversight to leave a base
of operations, and a point so essentially important as this,
with a force which may not be deemed sufficient to protect it against small  raids of partisan corps.  It may have
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been an oversight, but after the "scare" which the presence of a roving band of rebels caused, some weeks since,
it seems to be a blunder that precautions against a recutrlenllce of the movement should not have been taken.  VWe
are stronger to-day, of course, but it seems by military
ininds not to be deeimed strong enough.  Eight or ten
thousand men  ough(t to be at this point guarding it, as
well as the railroad to the firont.  There is undoubtedly
hleavy fighting going on, on the right wing of the army,
to-day.  The enemy are endeavoring to turn our right
flank; but fi'om all accounts they are not meeting withl
success.  It is very generally believed the grand battle is
soon to come off, and may be now going on; if so, the result will soon be known.  May it be a glo]rious one.
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CHAPTER X.
TRIP TO NVASlIINGTOX ON TIlE JUNIATA.
HAVING received orders to proceed to Washington and
make a personal report of my duties while acting medical
director at the Whlite House.  I turned over the chaige of
the Louisiana to Dr. Middleton, assistant-surg,eon United
States Army, and started in the Juniata, which Captain
Saw-telle, assistant quarter-master, placed at my service.
The trip, which occupied two dlays, was delighltful, the clear
bracing sea-air was a most agreeable change firom  the hot
and sickly banks of the Pamunkey.  I arrived at 5 p. Nr.
on  MIonday  evening, and had  been  at the  Kirkwood
Hotel  but  an  hour  when  I  was  called on  by  Dr.
Alvorcl, of the office of the Interior, already mentioned,
and who had, with Judge Clark, his associate (as a commiittee), to look after the interests of the wounded Michigan
Volunteers, efficiently aided me.  They had also written
from the White liouse a very strong letter to Senator
Chandler, making favorable mention of my services, and now
called to introduce me to him.  Between Senator Chandler's rooms and that of Mr. Odell the evening passed away,
ancd, accordipg to appointment, I reported at the Surgeongeneral's office the following morning at nine o'clock.  My
reception by Surgreon-oeneral Hammnlond, was cordial in the
extreme; he stated he had heard of my valuable services
fi'om  quite a numiber, mentioning Mr. Odell, Paymaster
King, IMr. Olistead, and others, and said I had proved myself a highly competent and efficient sur'geon, and that he
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DIARY OF AN ARMY'I SURGEON.
wns d(leel-Ily gratefil to me  for assuming the duties at tlie
IVliite I-House as I had thlereby saved him and the coiuntiry
everlastingc disorace; that he sup)posed tlhere was a stiureon
it the White HIouse, detailed by Dr. Tril)ler for that duty.
Thlat it would afford him  pleasure to forward my claims
for pr'onotion, if I desired it, and that lie aldvised me to
take some rest after my unusual labois, and tendered inc(
tianspoltation to imy home in New York for the purpose,
wh1ichl I accepted, and after considerable coiversatioc  with
]inm  alnd tlhe assistant surgeon-general, in relation to re f)irms needed aiimong the niurses, withi whomi  I had had great
tiouble to keep sober, and other matters connected with
tlhe department, I left the office to return, by ap)pointmelit,
it three o'clock for a second interview.  Leaving the Sur geon-genieral's office I proceeded to the capitol to meet, by
:-)pointmenit, the Committee on the Conduct of the War,
somre members  of which, as I have stated, were at the
AVlNite louise when the wounded firom the battle of F,air
Oaks were arriving, and witnessed my  exertions.  I was
initriodiuc(cd to the committee by Senator Chandler, who
sp)(ke higlily of my services.  I replied to several questions
fi oni members of the committee, and urged on them many
needed reforms.  I then was birought into the Senate chimI)er anid introduced to miany senators.  The confirmation of
(General Shields as a miajor-general, was iunder discussion,
and I learned before leaving the capitol that it had fallect
tliouglih.  3Ir. Forney, the secretary of the Senate, who lhal
lbeen written to by,)Ir. Lougheadl of Philadelpl)hia, showed
me  lmuch attention, and promised me any influence hle possessed to insure my promotion-this he redeemed so far as
wrliting letters for me.   But I found, that for some reason
tlein unknowni to me, the sturgeon-general, who, I suppose,
feared beiiing censured for not having provided suitable care
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for the w-ouncldedl, wvas most anxious for me to leave Waslington, under pretext of his,giving me leave of absence,
w-ith the hope that the session of Congress would have adjoiurned before mny return.  He wvas proceedingT to Philadelphlia by the train of this evening, and desired me to
accompany him, wlrich I did.  After a few days spent at
home, and in official visits to Albany and Boston, I returned to the White House in time to witness its evacuation.
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DIARY OF AN AR,MY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XI.
EVYACUATIOX OF TIIE WVHITE IIOUSE.
SINCE the 15th of M1ay, the White House has been the
base of operations and the griand depot of supplies for the
Army of the Potomac.  It now is being abandoned.  This
has been determined on for some days, for the reasons that
it is too remote from the main body of the army, and being
easily approached by  many  avenues, afforded superior
inducements of attack by the enemy,  and required too
large a force to guardt it.  Yesterday, forty or fifty cargoes
of Qiuarter-master and Commissary stores were sent down
the riverI, Nwich were in danger of capture, and wortli
three or four millions of dollars, of just such supplies as
the rebels most need.
The raid made by the rebels under General Stuart and
Colonel Lee, two weeks ago, convinced General MIcClellan
of thieir anxiety to cut him off from, and capture the large
amount of supplies stored here both ashore and afloat.
The enemy have commenced their flanking movement,
which has been purposely met with but slight resistance;
but when they do get possession of the White House, it
will be to find it a mass of ruins, and thoroughly empty of
the valuable prize they hope to come in possession of.
General Casey assumed command here two days ago, and
at once gave orders for the felling of the trees along the
river's bank, to give play to the gunboats, so that if
attacked before the stores are all removed, the rebels will
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get a warmi reception.  Coloniel Butler, the Provost 3Iarshal here, to whom  the order was given, has a large force
now engag,ed of the 93d New York Volunteers and 6th
Pe nusylvanlia Reserves in cutting down  thle lofty pinetrees under w-hichl so many men found shelter firom the
scorchiing sun.   The  axemen  of' these two  regiments
commenced on the lawn in front of the White HIouse, and
the sound of the chlopping is plainly heard, as one by one
the lofty trees of a century's growth-l-oaks, elris, and
pines-topple over and fall with a fearful crash.
Others are engaged in the erection of a hili signalstation, from  whichll the movements of the enemny can be
watchied, and a lofty cupola on the roof of the White
liouse or Lee house, from which a splendid view of the
river for its full length and the surrounding counltry can
be had.  A detachment of the signal corps fiom the gunboats are now stationed in both of these, to give notice to
General Casey's head-quarters and the vessels on the river,
so that they can act in concert, and, if necessary, drop
down beyond the reach of the enemy's gutns.
Otlher active preparations for departure are going oln
the fireig,ht-laden sehooners and transports are one by onle
startingl for Fortress 3tonroe, and 1many exclamations of
surprise issue from the lips of those ignorant of the order
to evacuate, but as yet little or no panic exists.  The railroad over which so many hundred Nwounded have been
carried, with its locomotives and hundred fireight-cars, and
w-hich carried all the supplies, men, and horses to  the
advance, is now busily engaged  in biinging back such
supplies and wagons as can be shipped down the river, and
are not required in the purported change of firont by the
airmy.  These active preparations have not escaped the
notice of the hundtre(ls  of  sutlcris and  canl,)-followers,
98
0 
DIAPY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
the buastle soon becomes geneiral, and vessels of every kind
Iare beiing rapi(dly loaded at thle'lwharves.   The papelrs iand
l)personal eiects of the chief oflicers here are beillg put on
board of the steamboats, and the heavier articles on the
sclhooners, barges, &c.
The contrabainds are being put on board of canal-boats.
TIhe order was sent this noon to their camp, about an
eighltli of a mile from here, and withl their camp eqitipage
tley are busily ihurrying to andcl fio fromi the boats.  One
old iwhite-hleaclded darkey was the first to go on board.  lie
vwas closely followed by a motley crowd of men, women,
and  children, each  carr,ying some  household article 0or
piece of dilapidated fiurniture.  This colored stream con tinnues, and soon all of the three or four thousand " culer'd
p)ussons" will bid farewell to this part of Dixie.  JuLdgiig
fi'om the grini each face wears, I think they don't regrlet
tileir exodus firom the Old Dominion.   But the negro loves
excitement, and nothiing is now thought of but the sail
(ldown the river.  The excitement has increased so much
thi't many of the  laborers, panic-stricken, refuse to work,
fearing to be taken  prisoners.   Colonel  Butler has  a
bandl plaiying airs around the camip, which seem-ns to inspire
them wi th confidence as to their safety.
~5tt~,rcct.,O]3~o )ig(.-A1ll the night was spent in getting
the stores on board, and by the crowd in getting  ready
for the start.  The fighting we know has been going on
for two days, but we are in suspense as to the result.  A
report has just come in that a train laden with commissary
supplies, which started early this morning, has beenl capturted; and another, laden with railroad truck, went as far as
Ttiinstall's station, but was sent back by General  Stoneman,
whlo comnmands a brigadle of cavalry and flyirng artillery,
detailed to watlch the eneimy's flankiing, movement made
99
a.                                                                   li              -
I 
,lLEAVES FRPO5  TIIE
yesterday ag,ainst General Porter's  corps.   The rebels
were pressing on to thle Wliite T-louse, and had cap)tured
l)ispl;teli station.  General  Stoneman  consequently  orderedI the return of the train, and requested that as soon
as it reached the White Housse  the locomotive should
return, so that hle milght ride up the railroad to reconnoitre, which was compl)lied with.   ie had proceeded but
a fewN miles, when he found himself within musket-shot of
the enemy.
The removal of the sick in the General Ilospital began
to-day.  -Ilany of them bein(r well able to wvalk to tlhe
river, were permitted to do so; the remainder, several
Tllundred in number, were carried in ambulances or on
litters, as their cases required.  The whole number were
quietly  and comfortably removed, and by the arrangeiments I had made were well accommodated on the hosp,ital transports.  AVlhen they had been all placed safely on
board, the large tents of' which the hosI)ital w-as composed
-were struck, and col-nveyedl onl board of the barges provided
by the Quarter-master's Department for this purpose.  I
here mention  w-itlh  pleasure  my   acknowledcgalenlts to
Captains SaNvtelle, P, wkin, Fiarnsworth, and Waagner, for
thei(ir prompt co-operation on this and other occasions, and
cannot omit making, mention of their efficiency and the
perfect order preserved by the employees under them.
General  Stoneman  has  just  arrived  firom  Tunstall's
station, withl an escort, and is now holding a consultation
with General Casey, at his tent on the lawnii in fiont of the
5Vhite IHouse.  I-e ordered supplies to be sent up for his
command, and says he can hold the enemy in check until
we have all left here.  At the same time hlie recommends
all possible dispatch.
The gunboat Commodore Barney has been added to oui
1 I' 0
0 
DIARlY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
fleet.  The Currituek is about a mile above the railroacl
bridg(le.  The other's are in positionl below, w itlh every tlli)ng
inl readiness for all attack, should the elneliy force our proteetingi lines.  Tlhe si(nal gun, for all to elbark, has just
been fired, and  hundreds, takifng  advantage of it, nre
making a fierce onslaulght on the sutler's stores, stripping,
them  of dry-goods, groceries, and whiskey.  Thle soldiers
and laborers vie with each other as to who shall make tlhe
largest haul of the miserable stuff, and if not prevented in
thleir depredations, we will have a boisterous time.  Eaclh
one onI loadiingl himself starts for the boats, and his place is
quickly filled by another.  The stores cannot long hold out,
at thle rate they are disappearing.  Already many  tlhonsalds of dollars' worth must have been carried away.  The
oflic,rs interfered to prevenlt this waste of property, butt
too late.  The commissary stores, to a great extent, were
g(ot onl board; but a large amount, stored in a wioodlen
building, were destroyed, as they were said to be partially
ldai-l,ged(l.  The building, outside, was heaped up wNithl bales
ot' hy, oln wh-lich lwhiskey was spilled, to hlasten its destrutctio)ll.
Colonel 3[orris, this afternoon, under orders fr1om General
Caisey-, coimmenced  the destruction of  the goverli-lnent
)i'opeity, by the imen of his regimenit, the 93d New v  ork.
They began withl  the large water-tanik, built to sul)lpply the
locomiotives.   The  p)ost-ofice and quarter-master's tents,
the  ofliceris' aiId  sutlers' tents, the  negro quarters  and
railroad shanties, then the Whlite House itself, were given to
the flames.  Tile fl,ame, smiioke, and noise firom the crackliIng
and fialling timbers, made the scene one of the grandest
i magminatble, tlhrowing, a  lurIid glare  for  miles  around
andI over the river, in stranoe contrast with the sunliglht.
Added to this, was the fi'equent explosion of shells and
101
a 
LEAVES FROM  TIlE
other aimmutnition.  The light firom the fire continued until
after dark, and lit up the heavens, mnakingc visible for miles
the scene of the destruction.   The White House itsel;f,
situated as it was on a highl  bluff must have been seen
blazingr at a great distance.  il~any mourned its destruction, which, I learn, was contrary to the orders of Gcnieal
Casey, but the torch was set to it by some one of the many
who had for a long time complained of its being so
jealously guarded by Union sentries, and it the property
of a rebel leader-claiming that it could, with advantage, be
used as a hospital.   There  was  some  justice in  these
complaints, for althloulgh the building was small, and would
accommodate, comparatively, but febw, yet it could be used
for the worst cases, or as medical head-quarters, apothecary
,shop, &Ce.; and a large number of hospital tents could
have been erected( on the lawn, beneath the slhady trees
withl which it was covered.  This would have afforded an
ag,reeal)le and cool shladiing to the sick; and the well of
sl)iingi  water  on  the premises, the  use of which  was
denied, would have prevented miany cases of dysentery
that occurred on the gunboat fleet and among the ecm)loyees on the boats.  These complaints were iurged wiith
considerable pertinacity at WVaslington, and the surgeongeneral issued an order for its occupation by the Sisters of
Chariity, who have been, for a couple of weeks, devotedly
nurllsingc the sick and wn-ounded.
The workl of destruction beitlg nearly complete, including(
the explosion of three splendid locomotives and the burnig of over one hundred railroad cars, General Casey, wiith
his staff, are gettingc on board the Knickerbocker.  Colonel
Ingalls and his department have gone on board tlle Circassian, and we start down the river, whichl is filled with
the transports.  As we turn the winding, of the crooked
102
a 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
stream, forests of masts can be seen, bound for Fortress
3Ionroe.   Lookiing, back at the Wllite Ilouse,  e cain    still
see the brigh,t flames fly)-ing  pwari(d, lig,llting np thle blnks
of tle mudd(y stream, nov loaded witli a fleet, resecmbling
ioine closely the approach to a large conmmercial  city tliaii
a quiiet inland river of Viirginia.  AVe soon (dropped anchor
fbr tlhe iiight, it being unsafe to proceed fniither.
As  soon as daylight returned  C-e started for Fortress
3Ionrioe, which wNe reached at 10 A. [., Sti(ay.  ColoncI
Iig,alls started(  at once up the Jamies river to learn hown
matters were going, and, if possible, the result of thle battle
l(f()rc 1i(1ichiimoncd, whiclI has been rag'ing for tle( last t-wo
dcays.  Orders n-ere received to send but a I)oitioin of tlhe
flect, w'ith supplies, upl the James ri-ver —thle remainder to
remain at Fortress Mfonroe awaiting orders.
103
0 
LEAVES FROM THE
CHAPTER XII.
THlE SEVEN DAYS' FIGHT
THREE or four days have again passed witnout any thing
of any great importance occurring here, except a very lively
skirmish between the pickets, which came near bringing on
a general engag(,ement.  I was at some distance firom the
scene of the skiirmishl  when it first commenced, but the
rapid booming of cannion, which lasted nearly an hour, told
ie that something was occurriing in that direction which I
should know.  As I approached the late battle-field I be,came convinced that the heavy firing was firomn our side
altogetlher: it proved so upon my arrival.  It seems there
is a redoubt of great force, and mounted withl heavy gulls,
-whichl the rebels hlave got an eye upoIn: in filet, I learn tlhey
lhave had an eye upon it ever since it was comiilmenced, as it
is in plain sight of their pickets, whlo have attempted to
capture it no less than four or five times, each time being,
repulsed with great loss.  The last attempl)t will probably
remain the last until the great battle takes place, as they
should, by this time, knowN its little use; but if they sllould
try it again they will find as warm a reception both here
and elsewhere as heretofore.
At five o'clock yesterday afternoon the pickets of the
2Cd (Troy) re'imenit, Colonel Cari, New  York State Volunteers, relieved those of another brigade.  They wvere
about four hundred strong, those on the right of the redoubt  comnmanded by Lieuteniant-coloniel Olmstcad, and
1 0-1
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
those on the left by 3imajor Otis.  About  six o'clock the
enemy made a feint on tile left p)ickets, to di-aw thle attentionI of the reserves inll tlhat direction.  Alimost at tlle saiae
instant they attacked the right, and in a few minutes tlhe
-whole line was engag,oed.   Tbhe eenemy were futll six hlundired sti-ong, as no less than eighlt coml)anies were seen by
our p)ickets.  The pickets comimanided by Maijor Otis wiere
outnuinmibered and driven in, retreatiing( in good order, and
)laciiig tlhemselves on the right of thle redoubt, the enenmy
out of lang,e fioln our battery and rifle-pits.   The troops
unider Lieuteinant-colonel Olinstead maintained thieir positioil fi'oim  first to last.  Three or fotur comipaIies of the
rebels followed the retreating pickets beyond the skirt of
tlle w-oodcls, ex!)osing themselves to vieN, and commnenced(  a
-,.lling- fire of imusket-ry  on our rifle-lpits.  WVhen within
r,nge our men  returned their fire, and the eneniy still advcilng, tihey approached so near  the  redoubt  that the
orders of thle oflicers could be distinctly' heard.   Nowv was
thle tiime: tlhe tmusklet firing lhad lasted about tlhree minutes,
draw-ing tlhe enemly on, lwhen the artillery, fi'om a redoubt
in thle celntre, opened upon tliem.   This was instantly foll)\ed by- a chlarge of caiister friom  the redoubt  on the
riglit and shlell on the left, makling a cross-fire, the iniusketiy, firom the rifle-pits, still continuing.   Nothingi could
wiitlhstand tlhis; as shot, shlell, and canister, with deadly.air,
flewv  amiong  then,  loilowing  tlhemn down  and  scattering
l]hem like chaff befbre the wiidc, they retreated ill great
(liso(rder.  The firinog was continued soine time loIi,er, when%
the pickets whlo  retreated to the rifle-pits were sent to
tlieir original )positions, hlolding the g,round until irelieveed
tlhis imorning.   Tile enemy's loss, in killed and wounded,
must be very great.  They were seen fi-oin the first reiuovigff themi to the rear, and even to thle end, as they sup
5*
105
a 
LEAV-ES L;'R:5[ TIEIL
posed, carried off all thleir dead and wounodedl with them;
but early tlhis morniniiig our pickets observed a         man lying
uil)on the ground, waiving a  -white handkerchief    ie was
biouchlt in, and found to be a rebel sergeant.   -ie Nwas
badly wounded in the groin, by  a rifle-bloall, and lIis iecovery is y-eiy doubtful.  He reports a great num-ber of
the enemy killed and woundedl, and states that hle heard
tlte eries aid groans of the wouniided and dyiiig all ni ght,
and that they were all carried off but himi.  According to
iis account, there was one Georigia regimenit and four comil)anies of the 2d Northi Caioliiia engaged in tile fight, and
thley had v-oliiteered their services to take tile redoubt.
Vhien they saw our I)ickets on the left retreat, they yelled
like madmen, and, no doubt, thought that the redoubt was
already won.   Our noble  fellows fotughit bravely.  Two
were killed and seven wounded, thieir names are as follows:
George Miurray, Coi)mpanyiv B, killed, shot in  the breast;
iteniy L. Dunham, Companlay B, flesh woIund in arm; Jesse
G. Iliuse, Company F, slightlyt, in fLce and ]land; James
MieGann,  Companyil)a     D, wounded in hip, seriously; George
IPaine, Comipainy D, wounded badly in the arm, thle ball
eniterinlg at the elbow and comingi, out at tile wrIist, shatterilg, the boine; Firancis 3iegott, Compr any D, wounded in
thie hip; 3iichael Barrett, Company  D, sllot through the
lad.; Johlin 3IcGoverii, Company D, slighitly in tlhe fice.
Thle otiher thlat.was killed belonged to the Third Excelsior,
and was shiot in tile breast, whlile on )iceket, just befoire the
ski'ni ihl coieinieecld,-I could not learn h}is name.   [ufiii-ray
wias fioln Scllaghlticoke, Rensselaer county, unmarried and
about thilrty-five years of age.    ie lived abouit an lloiur after
being shlot.  The woundiced are all fi'om  Troy, N..,  an(L
werIe tile advianced pickets.  Tiheie is no doubt but that if
thle eienemy lad succeeded in ca ptliag thle redoubt, a gell
106
a 
DIA~, Y ol' AN ARiMY SUiGEON.
eral enag(eimenit would hve b)eeln the result.  I fol'got to
imenition, that the first notice of ally thil   unsunltil u   was
tlLe al)ppearance  of several officers, apl)pal-elltly makingil   a
recoinoissane,  and  tlhe  chief  oficer  sen(ling  aids  to
ttle iight and left.  Two  horses, belongingr to  the  rebel
oflic(rs, were brouglh(-t in by  the  pickets  this imorningiy,
tlhey havingo found them  strayilng riderless in the woods.
One  was  a  splendid  aniinal, and  the  otller  desirable.
A  few  days since two  companies of this  reg,ilnent, Corn]1,ay D, under comma(nd  of Cap)taiin MIeGuiire, and CorIi,.ay  E, by Lieutenant Wilso'n, drove  tlhe enemy, after
tlley lad driven in our I)ickets, skiri-isihilg thliouglil tlhe
wioods, back to thleir own  rifle-pits, wiitlouit losing a man.
Colonel Carit, of thlis regimnent, is acting Biigadier-general,
as General Patterson  was taken sick  and has returned
borne.
I have just seen a number of rebel prisonelrs and  conti,a,bauds, Awho are on tlheir way to Foirtiess l3onroe.   The
coltlral)aunds were so stupid and thiek-skutlled that notling,
could be oleaned firom  themn, and the rebels so bitterly
sceesli tlhat equallv as little could be learned firom tlhem.
Of thleir appearance there as prisoners, however, I learn that
some lhave been cap)tured by our pI)ickets; some  were of
tlie 1st Virgiuia cavalry, andl  had been  hunted down, as
tliey teirmed it; while otheis-honest, quiet farmers-lhadcl
beeni torn fi'om thleir homes, b)ecaiuse they said they -would
not take the oath of allegiance, but  were, probably, sll:)l)osed to be connected withi, or kinow  soliethil)g of that
little aff.iir down the road the otlher evenigi).  Tlhey are
teribi)ly seceshl, as I saild befoie.  Tlhey appear to delight in
l)oasti)ng of tlleir connection with thle  rebel army, their
ijtention nev-er to take the oathl of allegiance, and their
h)atredc aind contempt of thle   ortllehn army and people.
107
0 
LEAVES FROM THE
One man said, " RicAmiond(I is not y'ours yet, noir can it ever
be.,"  U-pon asling one, who appeared more intelligent than
the rest, if he did not think w-e would be in Richmond
before long, he said: "Yes, I think you will, but the same
wa- as I am here," meaning as prisoners.  They did say
they did not expect the kinid of treatment from  us that
they received.  Yet they act as though they despised it.
It will be well to remark, that after General 1IcClellan
had paid his accustomed visit to  our troops in this direction, on Wednesday afternoon last, when he was Igreetedl
with such bursts of applafise, the rebels attempted, and
succeeded, in driving back, with an immensely superior
force, our pickets to their reserve.  The rebels engaged in
this affair consisted of a whole brigade, while our picket
and reserve did not outnumber a lwhole  regiment. What
the motive for this attack was cannot be diviiled, unless it
was to learn the cause of the immense glee in our camp.
"Seceshl," probably, imagined that reinforcements  were
arriving for General MIcClellan, and the reconnoissance in
force was for the purpose of ascertaining the extent and nature of the reinforcements.  At all events, the effort, whatever may have been intended, was a perfect and entire
Iailure, the shells firom our batteries drivingo them like chaff
turoug,h the woods and swamps, and enabliug, our pickets
to obtain an advanced position.  On Friday, Orderly Sergeant II. D. Ilanahlan, Company  I, 2d South Carolina
Volunteers, Colonel Kennedy, of IKers-haw'vs lrigade, was
found in the woods, wounded in thle legs, where he had
been since ATcdnesday ni,ght.  IIis legs -were ampultated
by tlhe surgeon of the  1st Califoirnia.  HIec  was found,
by Captain W. P. Tomlinson, Company F, 1st California,
in an  emaciated  condition.  The  prisoner expressed a
great desire to have one f,act noticed, which was, to disa
ios
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURIGEON.
buse the minds of the Southern soldiery, who believe, firom
representations of thleir leaders, tha     t thei r  woun0ded do not
receive mei-cifil and charitable attenltion at oire hands.  IIe
desires to express his thanks for the noble and generous
treatment extended  towards him  since he  has been  a
-woniuded plrisoner in our hands.  le believes the loss of
tlhe rebels severe, in the skirmisl  of Wednesday, as the
sliells firom  otur battery exllodecld  iight among  tlhem in
tlheir retreat throughl the wioods.
As aii incident illustrative as well of the fearlessness as
of the vigilance and activity of General McClellan, durin,g
Aediiesday hlie rode to the outer line of oure pickets and
pulling off  his coat Illounted a tall tree, generally use(d
for reeoninoitel:;ng purl)oses bv our officers and men, withl
all the agility of a w-ell-trained "salt of the ocean," and
ascended  illtO its  topmost  branches,  where hl e    had  a
siplendid view of the einemy's position and dlefences, and also
of hIis army'Ils lPari(lisian city of Riichmond, the heart of the
the rebellion.  Thle rebels were no respecters of his valuable
presence in the tree, for their volleys flew thick and fast
around and aimong its clusteiingc boughs, happily wvithout
ilijuryi to the chief above, who  was taking notes.   The
ol)ject of their most recent movements is judged, by our
geiiei-als, to have beeni to capture a quantity of comniiissary stores, Nwhich  they piestumed laid near Fair Oaks
stationi.  Our picket lines, during the whole of last niolit,
resoundled with the  crack of musketry, mostly fi'om thle
rcbcls, who, fi'om  motives of spite, seen determined to
1lrevcnt our forces in caimp fiom  enjoying, tlheir nightly
sleep.  These eonstaltly r-ecurringi( alar'ms in campl) are now,
lho-ve-er, taken chlieerfillly by the imen, and the line of
battle is iuniformly foirnmed after a few  shots have been
exchanged between the pickets.  Wlhile the position and
It,
109 
LE.AVES FI'OMO  Ti1'E
stienthl of our forces are at present sulch as to dissipate
all fear fi)r our own safetyN firom  aany attack whichl the rebels
laya make upon us, a reinforcement of fifty thousand fiesh
trool)s would insutie thle imm4i ediate reduction of Riclhmond,
which is generally conedeed here, and with miuchl less loss
to oiii side than it could be accomplislhed otlciherwise.  It is
id(le to deny  the fatct that the rebels outnumnber us, tliongli
in effectiveness our animy is sui)erior to thleirs in the field.
I aua g'lad to see that some of our regimenits have been
p-rovNi(1ed, as a measure of protection fiotn the fervent heat,
with a ne,at,n(d  light straw hat, with tlhe name of tlhe
1 eC( iiment neatly printed on its black band.  I noticed the
16th New  York, in iregimenital line, this mornilng, and
tlhey presented  a really neat aicnd tidy appearance  with
thleir new chapeaus.  If any thing can be said to be hopeftil about tile rebels, the fact that yesterday they allowed
the blessed Sabbath to pass, or at least the devotional
nmorning hours of the same, without the resort to tile messeng-er of death, would indicate a changie for the better on
tleir part.  Thle health of the troops has slig-hitly improved.
AWedn(esdlay\, June 25thi, was signialized by another gloi'iolts stcruggle between the rebels and thle Union troops, in
whichl the latter were twice victorious.  About  six thousand of our men encountered (on that day) two divisions
of tlhe rebel army, a short distance beyond Fair Oaks, and
driove tl,em back a mile.  By a very remarkable blunder,
we relinlluishled all the g,round we gained as soon as we had
obtainedl possession of it, and then wheii the errior was
sifted and nu,derstood, our gallant 1],ds went at it again and
corrected the mistake.  Upon our retirement, the enemy
latd once more swN-ept in over the field like a recurrent tid(lewave, and for a second time we drove him back, step by
step, over all the giound oiigiiiallyr won, and maintained
110
0 
DI-)APY OF A,N ARP[Y SURGEON.
our 1position tlhere at nighit.  But little artillery was eim-)loy-ed, and tlhe casualties are therefore not so niumerious as
iig,hit be s)upposed fi'ol the duration of the fight.  As the
anitiller that was used was minostly ours, the enemy's loss is,
doubtless, considerably hleavier than our own.   Oniis will,
pe1)rlhalps, reacli the neigolhbolrhood of eightty killecd, and less
tlhan two lhunclred -woutnde(l.  It slhould be clearly understood what this particular fight was for.  It was not an int(eirup)tion of our march to Ricihmonil, in wvichi, as might
be supposed, the rebels tlhrew themselves in our way and
stopped us at a mnile firom  our  original line.  It was a
fi(,lht for a position; a determined stiruggle for a piece of
(rIlounvd which it was deemedC necessary  that we  should
"have  and  hold."  This  piece  of ground  is barely  a
mile beyondc  our formner line, and we have it and  hold
it, for  what  purpose I cannot  state.  It  will be  remoembered, that the field on -which the battles of Fair
Oaks and Seven Pines was fo,ugllt, was bounded  on the
side towardis Rtichmondei   by a line of woods.  This wood
extends on eitlher side of the ANilliamisburg road for a mile,
and beyond it is a piece of open country.  Our outer pickets have lhitherto been posted in that edg,e of the' woodl
whichl is farthest fiomn the " sacred city," and the line of
rebel p)icklets was  drawn only a little fairtler in the woods,
ariid so near to our lines that the men could talk to one
another.  It appeared to be well understood that any firthle  aidvanace on our part -would bring on a general engg-teiteiit, and in tlhat view our line was kept stationary.  lBut,
fidtlly, it was deeimed necessary that our pickets should be
posted at thlle oute r edge of tlhe wood.   Accordingly, General Ileintzelmian was ordered  to advance the pickets on
l)is fiolot to the point namnedl, and to advnance the pickets on
,.is left in a lile withl those in firont.  At seven i. i r., tliei'e
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LEAVIES FiROlIM THE
fore, the greater part of his two divisions was  in line aicnd
r'eady for action; but the  advance was not made by so
lariige a force.  Two brigades of Ilooker's division, Grovel's
a')d Sickles', did nearly all the -workl, tloughl some other
brig'ades were sligohlitly ecngaged before the day was over.
Sickles' brigiade is composed of the five "Excelsior" reg,imeats, the Se-venitiethl, Seventy-first, Sevenity-seconid, Sevenity-third, and Sevenity-fouitli  Ne\ew York.  This gallant
])ody of men has lost so heavily ill previous battles, and by
ilaless, that it imustered( for AVedniesday's fight only foiurteen hlundred men.   Grover's birigadle is composed of the
First Alassachutisetts, Colonel  Cowvdin; the Second  Newv
Ia'ill)sliire. Colonel  Gilhnan  3Jarston; thle TFwenty-sixti
enii issylvanaia, temporaril y commanded by LieCteinant-colonel Wells, of the First MAassaclihusetts; the Alassaclitusetts
EleNventhl, Colonel AVilliam illaisdell, and the M[assaclhuisetts
Sixteenth, Colonel Wymian.   This birigade mustered about
four thousand men for duity.  At a little before eighlt A. 3M.,
the -worid  was gi-iven, and thlese two brigades imoved forward.  Sickles' line was formnied across the AVilliamisbulg
road, and he advanced in the direction of that tihoroughfar-ie,
lis second regilienit on his rig,hit, tlhe Fourth  next to it,
and both these reg'imenits on the right of the Williamisbiurg
road.  To  the left of the roadcl in the order in which  they
are tnamed, the Fifth,  First, and  Thirld  were   formed.
Sickles' left stretched about three  hundred yards to the
lcft of the road.  Grover's line joined on to Sickles' left,
:edi was fobrmed of the First Mlassachuisetts on the riglit,
and thie Eleventh ALassachusetts on the left.  lIis othler
rcg'iments -were at hand ready for use anywhere.  bIotli
bri)'ades advanced in line of' battle with skiirmislhers out in
f'ont.  Never was there a day better fitted for a fight.
Two or three teimpest-like showers in the few  days previ
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oils, seemed to have washed all that was disagreeable out
of \irginiia.  Natture and tile cool, fiesh air, filled our
Northern lutings withi life.  It was just cloudy enoughli, too,
so to temper the sutin's heat withlout miaking it a dull day,
a-d tlhere was just breeze enoulgh to lift the smoke.  As
the line moved out across the field that lay between the
point and where they had been drawn up and the wood, it
presented a beautifiul spectacle; the light-blue of the unliforms contrasted with the brilliant green of the field; tihe(
light reflected fiom thleir guin-barrels in a silvery slheen;
and( their olorious standards blown out in the breeze, gave
thle iwhole scene the gayety and show of a Fourth of July
1parade.  In a few minutes the whole line disappeared in
the woods, Sickles' part more slowly than the others, for
the left of his line had to move  thirotghi an abatis  that
was very difficult, and was thus detained.  Thlroughl this
imeans, also, the regucilarity of lhis line was broken, and did
not,et into action so soon.  Only a fewv moments, ho wever,
lhad elpl)sed( after the disapl)pearance of Grover, when the
scattered  " po)p," "1)po1)," told that hle had reached the
cuerney's rifle p)ickets.  This little fire only continued a fetw
minutes, rattled rapidly once, twice, thrice, and down the
lines'rid was over, and Grover went on.  The  eniemy's
outer line was driven in.
Slowly  and  cautiously  the  advance  was  continued.
AWhenI the picklets were  driven in, they formed onl the
picket reserve sonie distance in their rear, and after some
little delay-, with difficult ground and necessary caution,
(Grover's skirmishers came upon their second line.  They
dislputed the ground tenaciously.   Nearly all their firont
al)Iearied to be held by -North Carolina troopls, iwhom  we
hve foiund to be by far the best and bravest troops of the
Southern Coifiederacy.  These gallanit tfellows stood to their
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LFLEAVES FRO5[R TIlE
posts and kept up a rapid and accurate fire that galled our
lines severely-, until they were filirly driven back in rout by
(Irover's stecady  advance.  The stout resistance of these
1)ickets gave ample time for the formation of Hlill's division,
to whhi(h they belonged, and which is made up in great
Iart of North Carolina troops.  This division, supported
T)y that of General Ituger, now advanced  to meet our
line, and in a little whlile the ball was fairly opened.   So
rapid was the rattle of the fire this time, that the sotund
seemed to be without cessation, without pause, or interval,
one continuous rattle of rifles.  This fire was very severe,
Iand wounIIded men now began to find their w ay to thle rear;
somne on stretchers, otlers leaning, on tlhe shoulder of a
comrade, and others again, withl a bravAe pride, determined
to help tlhemselves, and "g o it alone."
Thle head-quarters were established in the open field
near to Fair Oaks, and there General IHeintzelman, very
(juietly, and wiithl  a very business-like air, " taiught  the
doubltftil battle where to rage."   The two houses at that
1)oint were used as hospitals, and numbers of the wounded
were laid on the ground in the oak grove that gives name
to the locality.  There, many wounds were dressed and the
soldiers made comfortable; aind there, also, many  a gallant fellow bcreatlhed his last.  Alore commodious hospitals
were established further back, and the ambulances passed
liastil bI)etween field and camnp with suelh good effect that
the wounded men were all cared for withl admirable  disI)atch.  General  Sickles, for tlhe reasons heretofore givei,
dlid not become engaged as soon as General Grover, and
whlen the very heavy fire was heard on the latter's firont, the
Excelsior Brigadcle was still under the irregular picket fire
of the enemy's outer line.  l)y deorees, as they advanced,
this fire becaime hotter, until it broke into the rattle of
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DIARY OF AN APMY SURGE~ON.
several thousand rifles; a fire fiilly as severe and intense as
that on the left.  On Sickles' fionlt it was straighjtforward
work.  I-e had only to keep his mien up to it and push on,
and this was well and gallantly done.  WI,hen Grover advan,iced lhis line, it was understood tlhat iearncy's line,
wlhicil joiined IHooker's at that point, was to lhave been
advanced also; but, as it did not keep up, Grover's position became dangerous just in proportion to his apparent
success, for his flank was left exposed to tlhe attack of the
rebels, whlio filled the woods in firont of' iearney.  To
gnaird against maishaps in that quarter, and to establish the
co,nection with  iecarniey, he threw out, on his left, five
comp)anies of the 3Iassacliiisetts 16th, which regimenit wae   s
]held in reserve.  At about the samie time, as the fire conitumed teiribly- severe in firont, lie p)laced a battalion of the
ew IIampshirie 2dcl on his extreme righlt, to strengtlie
his coinnection wiith Sickles' left, and placed the 1remainder
of the same  erCimeni t between the 3Iassacliiisetts 1st and
1 itlith, ilwhere tlhere was some apl)eaniance ofweak,iess.  Thus
stiecnthened in firont, and provided against attackl on lhis
flank, Ie went on.   Betiy'i s brigade soon began, howeveri,
to push forward on Giover's left, drove the enemy irapidly
and easilv before it, and advanced till they comp)leted( the
line fi'om Grover's left.  Robinsoni's brigade (late Jaiiieson's) w-as subsequently pushed in between GrIover's and
1crry's, and continued the movement.  But the enemy
was not at any time in gireat force b)eyond Grover's left, so
tha)t tlhe figlit in that direction iwas not severe.  At halfl.st nine our line was )brought to a stand still.  It was
evidenit that the enemy was iln gr,Ieat force along the whole
line.:Near that lhour the 5th NewNr Jersey was sent out as
a reserve to Sickles; thle'2d New -York, to reinforce  his
advance, and a legimea.t of Sedgwick's division, the 19th
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LEAVES FRIOMI TIIE
i3[assachusetts, was pushed in on lhis iil]ht, so as to extend
lis line to the railroad.  Still, with occasional intermissions
of comparative quiet, the fire iag,ed along the vwhole firont
(t' tlie two devoted brigades, and seemed ever to rage wiith
iiltense fiiry as it approached the road on which the Excelsior Brioade had advanced.  Duiring this hlard-foiugllt
hour our men had not flinched at all.  Every one toed the
niark resolutely to do what he came for.  There was not a
straggoler to be seen;  and those even who  helped  the
wounded off the field, helped tlhem only to where they
could get better hellp, and then went back.  Gloriously
does the conduct of these two brigades speak the praise of
the gallant officers who  have  made  them soldiers, and
filled them  wiithl the soldier's spirit; and especially does
their good conduct on this dclav redound to the honor of
that noble old veteran, General IIooker.
AW,hen the rebels found that our boys were not going to
give way, under any circumstances, they concluded to give
wav themiselves.  Their disposition to do so first appeared
in fi'ont of Grover.  It was hailed withl a hearty cheer by
our bo-s, -whlo pushed ahead, and, now that the machline
was firly started, went oln withl a rush.  In a few minutes
tliey broke out into the open field, and the object was so
ftr gained at that point.  A  battery was sent down to
IKearney to play on the enemiy's flank, and shlell the masses
iii retreat.  Grover was not, however, perm-itted to hold
the ground he gained in quiet.  An attempt was made to
dislodge him, by a body sent to reinforce those previously
driven out.  A hard filght ensuted, and the attempl)t was iepullsed.  I')ut while the enemy were thus driven in on the
left, the righlt did not get along so well.  There the enelmy's
-whlole available force seemed concentrated in one endeavor
to bear down the gallant Excelsira B]rigade.  lPeinforce
116
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D!IARY OF AN ARM\Y SURGEON.
imeits were ordered there immediately, and Birney's Bli,gade went llup the AVilliamsbuirgT road at the double quick.
As t!hese regimients filed on, chieeredl by those they passed,
a chorutis of responisiv-e cheers arose fi'om Grover's brave
fellow-s, a-way off on the left, as thiey drove the enemy before them.  Sickles' boys took it up in turn, and made a
stouiter push at tle foe.  Ev-erybodyl seemed exhilarated at
tlhe sound.  Orderly after orderly rushied in to tell how
(8rover was drivingl   them, and others to say thlat Sickles
could hold his ground till B}irney could reach them.  NWe
l]ad tlhe enemy fairly started, and could have driven hill
any distance.  Just at tis exciting juncture, the order was
received fi'om head-quarters, to "withldraw gradually to
tlhe original line."  They alone who know how brilliantly
the fiirst daw-n of vietory beams upon the battle-field, can
al)llpreeiate the gloom this order east on every spirit, but it
had to be obeyed, and was disseminated.  It was hard to
credit the news firom the tongues of aids or orderlies, but
it was soon venified, and the men were withdirawn.  They
all believed that we were beaten on some other part of the
line, and that we had gone too far ahead for safety, and all
retired in good order, and took up the line in the edge of
tlhe wood nearest the camp.  This w-as about halfpast 11
A. Mr.  General MIcClellan and staff rode upon the field at
one r. -r., escorted by Captain  iIcIntyre's squadron of
regular cavalry, and the 1st PRegiment New YTork Volunte(er cav-alry, Colonel 3IcReynolds.  He  made his headquarters at Fair Oaks, where Heintzelman had previously
been; and there drewi around him all the sources of inforimationI that such occasions fiurnish.
All -were then in amazement at the recent unaccountable
order.  B-ut hle soon saw how affairs stood, and ordered,
very shortly after, that the same advance should Ibe made
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LEAVES FROMI THE
again.  The order was received with joy on every hand.
All was again activity and s)pirit, and evelry one prepared
to dlo the thingo over again, as bravely as if thley had never
been  conmpelled  to relinquish the almost  gotten prize.
Once more they went fo-rwar'd, in the same order in which
they had already done so well.  Girover, on the right,,ot
inl first again, and rattled away; but the resistance there
was not so tenacious as it had been, and he pushed tlhroug],
still finding,, lhowev-er, enouglh resistance to keep up the interest.  IKearney, on the extreme left, found also no great
resistance.  But on  the Williainsburig  road, in firont of
General Sickles, the fightiIng was harder than ever.  There
the enemy had evidently gathered a strong force, and he
seemed determined to hold that point at every hazard.
Steadily and accurately as the battle-trained boys of the
Excelsior Brigade delivered their fire, still they made  no
permanent impression.  The place of those rwho fell on the
rebel side were again filled, and tlhe enemy wvas still there.
For nearly three-quarteris of an hour the hard fire was
continued at this point.  Thus the battle stood at a little
after two o'clock, when General J. N. Palmer's (late Devin's) Brigade, of Couch's Division, was ordered up to sup)port Sickles.  The vigilant, and ever-ready commander of
the Fourth Corps, had put Couch's Division under arms
when the firing first began on the left, and they had awaited their chance till now.  They went up the road handsomely-tlthe 3Iassachusetts 10th, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Decker, in advance, followed by  the Rhode
Island 2dcl, Colonel Frank WVheaton; the New York  36th,
Colonel Innes; and the MIassachusetts 7th, Colonel Russell.
At the same time, Batteiy D, l st New York Artillery (four
rifled pieces), Captain J. IV. Osborn, was ordered up tlhe
Williamsbturg road to shell the woods beyond our advance.
118
a 
DIAItY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
It was expected that they would throw shell directly over
our advancilg line illto the eneuiy's line, and into his caij)
b(v-ond.  This is always a perilous attempt.  Slhells eitlter
fill false, or the distalce is mniscalcil.ited, and misfortune
ensues.  So it did iln this ease.  Several of Captain Os boin's fell fiilse, and exploded in the rear, and even rilght
in the rankls of ouri men.  By this means the M1assachutsetts
thl, wlich was ldeployed in the woods as skinrmislhersl, lost
seeral nmen; and, by one of these shells, Lieutenant Buil lock, of tl,at iregiaient, received  a wound  which  soo11
proved fatal.  This fire was immediately stopped.  Two
glns of Battery K, 4th United States Artillery, Ca,ptain
De   IIussey, were then sent up the road and into the wood,
and(l took position right in the midst of Palmer's Brioade
and thence opened fire, whichl they kept up briskly for
some minutes.  ileanwhile there was an almost complete
cessation of the musketry fire.  At the sanme time Gener al
Sumner began to shell the woods on  his friont, and tlhe
aitillerymen had it all to themselves.  Soon the eneniy
also got artillery at it, and began to throw shell and sleot,
with considerable accuracy, all around De Russey's guns.
So perfectly did he get the range of their pieces that they
were w-ithdrawin.  But this did not stop the eniemy's fire,
Alaniy IrqOjectiles-slishell and round-shot-fell in the woods
in that neilghborhood, and a number of men were  mutilated
by them.  Lieutenant V, hiting,, of General Palmer's stafr,
lost his arm by a round-shot at this time.  Colonel A. TJ.
Mloirrison, volunteer aid to General  Palmer, had  beeii
wounNo ded in the thigh and hand earlier in the day.  The
contiinual push of the Excelsior Brigade, and the fire of the
artillery, finally forced thle einemy entirely through the
woods, and our line now lay just in the fittheri ecldg(e of it.
Thus we had gained our ol-ject, and thecre the battle restedl
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0 
LEA'VES FROMi THE
for atime.  The fire now fell off into an occasional shot
firom  skirmishers, and in that position matters continued
until six P. Ar.  At about that hour General Kearney led
1-3ir-neys B~rigade against the enemy.  Pushing, in on Grov-er's left, and between Grover and Robinson, lie went at it
in gallant sty-le, and entirely cleared the woods.   The fire
there was very fierce for several minutes, when it subsided,
and shortly all was quiet ag(ain. Thus had passed altogethler
a glorious day, in which we hadcl twice beaten the enemy,
twice driven him before us over the same ground.  Dispositions to hold the ground, in case of a night attack, wvere
made all along the line; and on the right, the weakened
and weariied Excelsior Brigade was withdrawn, and relievedl by that of General Palmer, which thus held the ad-.ance on that part of thle line.
Soon after dark large bodies of the enemy were brought
up in fiont of the position held by General Palmer, and
the rebels also pushed forwvard, at the same poiiit, a battery of field-pieces.  Arrang(ements were in progress to
strengthlen our position there, when at ten r. P. a large
force was pushed in suddenly, and delivered a volley in
the line of the 2d Rhode Island and 10tlh  Iassachusetts.
Sonme confusion was caused, but the men  were soon ]rallied,
and repulsed this threatened advance, driving the enemy
back with considerable loss.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XIII.
CONTINUATION OF THE SEVEN DAYS' FIGHIT.
TIiE foregoing particulars of the battles of Friday and
Saturday, necessitated the vacation of the north bank of
the Chickahominy, and made certain the evacuation of the
White House and the York River railroad.  This obliged
the falling back on the James river as a new source of
supplies and another base of operations. The tents of General iMcClellan's head-quarters, which had been pitched in
Dr. Trent's field, on the Chickahominy, were moved to
Savage's station at dusk on Friday.  At night, as the several brigades came over the bridge and clustered on the
borders of the swamp, one single tent stood on the hillside,
and that was General MIcClellan's. At eleven o'clock a
council of war was held in fiont of this tent, in which the
general commanding, corps commanders, with their aids,
among them the French Princes and the General of Engineers and Artillery, took part. A large fire had been
lighted just beyond the arbor in firont, and its blaze
lighted up the faces of the generals as they sat in the arbor
which formed a pavilion for the tent.  The conference was
long and seemingly earnest. This was the first council
called by General McClellan since he took the field, and
here he disclosed his plans of reaching the James river.
The rumor soon got wind that the army was to move, and
all Friday night the baggage wagons went in long trains
towards Savag,e's station, whence they took their way over
6
121
a 
LEAYES FPROOM TIIE
the hills to the AVilliamsbulro  road, and thence to White
Oak Swamp.  This procession continued all the following
iliorning', andcl the large siege p)ieces Awhichi  had colme up)
fromi the AVhite Ilouse the previous weekl, went passidng
along with ambulances, batteries, and pontoon trains —" retiring in good order" —in pursuanee of the prearranged
plans.  The celerity of their movements, howvever, caused
an anxious look on the faces of the initiated; and the quarter-masters, thoulgh they said nothing, appeared disconcerted.  All know it requires much patience to await the tardy
uarch of an army, even when the troops are firee to go in
advance and leave the teams to follow leisurely; but when
the baggage-wagons lea,l the way, blocking up the roads,
sticking in the ruts, and  upsetting down the lhills, the
marich is trying in the extreme.  Such was the case on tihe
several marches of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, wvjieii
the tedium became almost unbearable, firom the anxiety to
press forwiard.  At dayli,ght on Saturday it was kinown that
the army was to evacuate its line of intrenchments.  To
do this waith sufficient celerity, it was necessary to move
only thle most essential baggage, and leave behind every thllilg
)oncderous or bulky.  An order was issued to officers to
discriilinate between necessaries and luxuries.  Even the
sick had to be told that but to fewv of them  could ami)bulances be allow-ed.  The wounded were told nothling, but the
oiinous silence must have convinced thlemr that they were
to be left on contested ground at the mrcey of the enemiy,
while the army would, column after column, recede to the
distant Jamnes river by a doubtful anddangerous route. None
w-ho witnessed it w-ill ever forget the scene on Saturday
morning.  All knew the AWhite llouse had been abandoned,
thus cutting off the depot of sul)l)lies-a part of the line of
earth-works were deserted, and the tentless army lay on
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DIA-',Y OF AN AP,-:Y SLUTGEON.
the open field, man), sleeping after the labors of the battle,
but by far a greater numhber wveire grouped in anxious coiI  veisationI.  llIundrleds, also, were limping along, or with
ani  arm ill a sling, iniquiring eagerly for their own  regi  menits.  3lany, very IImany3, started on the painfill and lop)e  less  )ilgrimage to the nowv coveted  Jamnes  river, wvhere
tley hoped to find the Union gunboats, feeliig tlhat under
their portholes alone could they find rest or safety.  Tlhe
long and stiraggl,,ing lines of these left many a drop of blood
on tlhe sandy track as tlhey filed through brook and wood and
over hill and dale, braced by the certainty of deliverance
whicell each step secured to thlem.  Some of them hobbled
ten miles the first day lill)on crutches; and one poor fellow
Nilio had received a ball in the hip, and lhad the aikle of
tle othler leg brokein, kept ullp N withl ani ambulance for eleven
hours.   The ambulances  vwerie crowded so fiull that the
s)rings, often bieakini, were all bent flat on tlhe axle.
-laiiy poor wound(led fellows sat on the tail of the alllbulances, tlleir bloodt-dripping feet dang,ling, behind.
FIiles upon files of wagons were  )assiing all dclay, and the
troops sauntered alono, eacli  one bent  on reachingr the
wislhed-for destination.   Witli them  the siege-guns and
p)ontoons were corming,led; the horsemen, teamsters, and(
iegroes vied withl each other in profane eflorts to,urge on
the hor-ses or mules.  Few, if any, slept this Saturday night,
for the heavy forebodings of the conling day, and each felt
a terrible anxiety for the army and his own personal safety.
It was reported that the enemy, advised of our planls, had
Uslled  a large coltiumn between us and the James river,
and that if we succeeded iIn reachling the river, JBeaui.egar(d
was there with a hundred tholusand men to prevenlt our
e.acihing the iigunboats.  A little rain that fell duiiiing the
ni,ght moistened the dusty ground and improved the walk
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LEAVES FROMI TIlE
img.  At 3 A. -r., the rebel prisoners in chllarge of iMajor
AVillard were marchedl off, the teams were on their way,
and before two hours after, the commanding general and
his staff were dashing across the country.  Coming to an
elevated position, General McClellan reined his horse and
took a survey of Richmond and his late position.  Over a
thousand wounded were left in the hospital at Savage's
station.  This was unavoidable, under the circumstances,
and every arrangement that could be made was attended
to, to insure their comfort and secure thiem good treatment
firom the enemy whose bloody grecting they were a second
time destined to hear.  Sturgceons and nurses in abundance
volunteered for the duty, and but little complaint was heard
even among the wounded thus unwillingly abandoned.
Thte Ba(ttle of Peacht Orcha)'d.
Daylight Sunday morning saw the trenches deserted
and the artillery moved a mile in the rear, where it was
judiciously distributed.  The batteries masked and the infantry concealed by the woods which formed a part of tlhe
battle-ground of Fair Oaks, but to distinguish it is now
called Peach Orchard.
At daylight the enemy were discovered coming eastward
along the WVilliamsburg road-one column advancing down
the railroad.  They opened from two batteries on the left,
but their artillery and musket fire was irregular and ineffeetive, thoughl  the latter  was within ordinary  range.
When they reached a line of marsh about three hundred
yards firom our front, a terrible fire from our large guns
burst uplon them.  They staggered, but before the full effect of one of the discharges was discernible the guns rang
again, and their columns were fearfully thinned.  For an
hour and a half the fire was so continuous that it seemed
a
12.1 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
the unbroken echo of one prolonged deafening report. A
perpetual blaze of flame and flying of balls, to which the
Confederates replied feebly but wvithl determination.  Gen eial Sumner passed throoughl the thickest of the fight, and
1Icalgher's gallant Irish Brigade stood like an unyielding row of RIound Towers.  The troops of Richardsoni's,
Ieyes', and HIeintzeliman's divisions vied with each other
in the rapidity of their firing and the steadiness of thleir
behavior.  The whole fight, although it lasted fiom eight
in the moining until noon, was like one unbroken incident
when it terminated.  Many a participator breathed a lonIg
breath of relief, and the nervous tension of many brave
mlen was followed by a corresponding reaction that prostrated them.  Our loss was utnder 200, that of the rebels
must have been five to our one.  IIis efiorts to overreach
us were rendered futile, as we took pains to protect our left.
Otur line of general retreat lay along the Williamisbiurg road
to a creek that crosses it more than a mile fi'om Savage's
station.  The enemy tried to chalrge through the brigades
of Burns, Dana, and Gorman, but the steady fire of the
regimeenuts, conspicuous amongo  whom  was the Mlassacliusetts Twentieth, baffled them completely.  Having held the
position until the teams, ambulances, heavy artillery, sick,
and wounded, had crossed White Oak Swamp, the order was
given to fall back leisurely to Savage's station, and aigin
firm in line of battle.  So the fight of Peach  Orchard
ended  with a clear victory to the Union troops, it was
fought with but a small fobrce of our army, and against
largely superior numbers, with a comparatively  tirifling
loss, when the ftact is considered that we were the rear of a
retreating army, and opposed to a foe, who, flushed with
victory, supposed us flying before him.  To plan and execute such a battle, in the manner it had been conducted,
125
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LEAVES FROM THE
required more than ordinary general,hlip and bravery.
General Sumhner's large figure, miounted on a noble charger,
and attended by his dashing staff, with his long and flowinig white beard, was conspicuous during the figlht; his appearance, as he rode down the lines, was greeted by the
soldiers with the exclamation, "Boys, here comes Old Bull,
give him three cheers," which they did; and his acknowledogment of the compliment made them  fight with  redoubled energy, and renewed enthusiasm.  General Dana's
cool, steady, and valorous conduct all through the enogagemnent, won for him the loud praises of the mien, the best
proof ot'its being merited.  There were many others conspielotts for their bravery on the occasion, and many who,
thoilgh they were not privileged to wear a shoulder-strap,
by their coolness and bravery materially aided in securing
to the Union army the victory g'ained on this occasion.  A
private of the 74th LNew York Volunteers, seeing the last
gunner of a battery shot down, slprung to the gun and rendered efficient service, dealiing death to the rebel ranks.
The B((cttle of $((vc*ge's Stcttio).
The battle of Sa vage's was much morec sanguinary than
that of Peachl  Oelrchard; it coimmenced at five in tlle afternoon, and lasted until eleven at night.  The ]ebels, wlen
we had fallen back firom Peachl  Orchard, filed with large
reiniforcemients andl additional batteries, as well as witli
several squadrons of cavalry, toiwards several roads leading(
to the ClhiclkahomiIny; and, covered by the thlick tiimberl,
they were enabled to remnain concealed until tlhey hlad
reached a whleat-field that stretclhes fiom  Sav,ae's to a
ldense belt of woods in tlhe direction of Dr. Trent's flium,
and the falr'ms of a A1r. Dudley and a Mlr. Couche.  Suddenly
appearing out of the edg,e of the timnber they opened with
a
126 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
their rifled guns on our men, drawn ap in fuill view to the
southl of the railroad.  Directly they ran out their batteries
to commaniding  points in the whe't.ield, and o)pened a
ral)id and w-ell-directed enfilading filre of shell and g'ape,
-hiehll was at first so staggeiing that our men  could not
fonrm, nor the artillerymnlen bring their guns into service.
Tlhe  OCthl Pennsylvania were panic-stricken, but soon reco-vered and did good service.  Tlhey lost, in tlle beginning
of thle battle, a hundred killed and woundedl, and a  regiment of rebel  cavalry galloped throughi their ranks, d(iiving
the regiment  off and  obligingii  tlhem to abandon  their
wounded.
In thle iiem  time, a rebel  iigadce was observed stealing
ldown to tlhe right, as it' with the desiogn of flanki1)g, o01r
troops by reac}ing a position on the WVilliamsbl)tii( road.
Captain Pettit at once planted two  o-ins oR the railroad
and swept thle column with gral)pe and canister until it went
back to tile woods upon a run.  Soine of the sharpest infthtty filghting of the -war ensued, ill wilich lparts of Sedgwick's, Iliehardson's, I-Hooker's, Iearney's, and Smiith's di
visions eingaged  witih variious success.   The rebels came
determinedly across the field, firing as they advanced, until
General Sumner ordered oiur trool)s ul), at dclouble quick, to
a clibage.  About four thousand of them went off at once,
witll a roar thiat might have drowned the mnuskCetiy.  Tilo
rebels kept tlheir position for a mnomenit, and then fell back
to the rear of thleir batteries.   Ieagcrlier's l)rigrade, however, succeeded in clhaging  righlt up to the guns of a
\-iinoiiia battery, two of which they haitled ofl; spikedl, and
clhol)led the carriages to pieces.   The 88thl, 63d, and( 69t-h,
)articil)ated in this gallant act.  It was  here that biave
Colonel Pierce of the 29tih i3assacliiisetts regimlent, iormerly General Pierce, of Big Bulethel famne, lost an arm; it
127
a 
LEAVES FROMI TIlE
was taken off by a solid shot. Night came on, but put no
end to the carnage. The steady roar of cannon, and the
sharp ring of musketry-now bursting into volleys-now
dlegenerating to that rasping noise, made by file-firing, filled
the whole air. The darkness was lit up by fitful flashes,
and to complete the awful picture, the woods were set on
fire by bursting shells, and conflagration painted fiery terrors on the sky. In the battle of Savage's the rebels fired
into our hospitals repeatedly, although admonished by the
customary red flag,, and afterwards the white flag. Deaf
to all appeals for forbearance, they continued to hurl messengers of death among those already past their vengeance,
and the wounded were compelled to lie immovable and
receive the quietus to their sufferings from the hands that
had already maimed them. A fewv had limped away fiom
the hospitals, but were shot down, whenever they were
discovered by the blood-thirsty foe.  The battle at Savage's
was much heavier than that of Peach Orchard.  We lost,
in addition to our wounded,-all of whom fell into the possession of the enemy,-fiomi  seven hundred to a thousand
men, the greater part of whom were killed or wounded.
]Nost of the wounded and all the killed were left behind, as
we had no means of transportation for them, and the exigencies of the army would not allow of delay in waiting
the tardy movements of the wounded.  The enemy lost
severely, and several of his caissons were blown up by the
effectivenless of our firing.
During the several parts of the action, we took not
less than five hundred  prisoners, but  were compelled
to let them go, for the same reasons that operated in
thle case of our wounded.  The weary but still resolute
soldiers received orders at midnight to fall back rapidly
firom Savage's across White Oak Swamp. The enemy was
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
making furtive attempts to overreach them in thlis respect,
and it was likely to become a tighlt race between the rebels
and Unionists as to which should first cross the creek and
gain the high ground on the other side.  If they should be
more speedy, and succeed in placing, thb  swamp between
ourselves and them, our retreat would be inevitably cut off
and almost the whole army butchered or surrendered;
althlough every soldier and officer felt this dreadful alternative so close, no one acted otherwise than as a Northerner and a man.  There was no murmurinlg, no flinching,
no undue hastening,-onily the subdued talk of soldiers
comp)aring opinions, the steady tramp of battalions, and
nownv and then the gritting of teeth, or the hard drawing of
a breath to indicate the bitterness in the hearts of all. Had
some spiirit supplied the torch, there was the requisite fire
in the whole army to rush headlong upon immolation at Richinond and end the campaign with honor if not with consummtnation.  At dawn, all had reached the swamp, and the
enemy were coming on behind.
TVAIite Oak Swcamp.
Tlle enemy followed us hard towards WVhite Oak Swamp
-the faithful fellows of Heintzelman, Sumlner, and Frank]in protecting our laggarad ba-ggage and artillery.  These,
indeed, were compelled to keep in line of battle across the
country, along the whole extent of the retreat, for the
(lenly w-as forever trying to turn us upon thlle right and
left.  Notw-ithstanding this, our march exhibited no symptoins of haste or fear; the trains went on duly, but not
riotoutsly, and  -whlen finally the last wag,oni and cannon
went splashing throughi the creek, our teamis whitened all
the l]ills on the southern side, and the weary soldiers,
having torn lip the bridge, laid themselves down to rest.
6*
129
a 
LEAVES FRO3M TIlE
It was now eight o'clock on 3Ionday, a day aridi, dusty, and
closer than  the  )panting,  but  inidomitable,  Nortlierners
could  -well enduri-e.   lIaniy of them  were  hiungry-the
water in the swvamnp was such, the stomach turned at it with
loathiing —anid the wounded hobbled here and there, withi
dry eyes, that seenmed to plead for drink. White Oak
Cr'eek runs thliough a belt of swampy timber, precisely as
the Chiekalhoiiliy flows throughl its encomnpassing morass.
The creek is not more than fobur or six feet deep, and had
been made passable by the engilleer's brigade, who built a
good corduroy bridge across it.  A  strip of' bottom-land
lies on both sides of tlhe swalmp, and on the north side a
steepl) hill, crowned with a fatrm-house, formerly the headquarters of General Casey, had been encircleed, by our own
troops, with a line of riile-p)its.  An abatis also stretched
across the bottom-land.  Beyond the stream  the country
w-as rising, and two falrm-houses lay opposite each otlher, at
a little distance,  -lwhere some of our oflicers stopped to rest
and refi'eshl.   Beyond thlle most easteni  house ran a small
creek, suplported by a thick wood.   This was the right of
our newv line of battle, wherec General IlanIcock was posted
wNithl  lis brigadle, conlsisting of the 5tli Wisconsin,  6th
3Iaine, 43d Newv York, and 49thl Pennsylvania.  Generals
]';rookls and Davidson lay close into Ilancock, and the batteiies of the division were commanded by Captain Ayres,
foirmerly of Shlerlmaii's battery.  Gecenials Stumner, Ileintzelmtan, Poiter, and, in fact, thle  whole of the army,-exceptinu  tle col'l)s of Keyes,  and  anI  immense  numnber of
stiagg,leirs that had pushed on towards the James  river
aud could not be rallied in time to be of service,-extended(
the line of' b)attle nl)NNwards of fotur miles to tlhe left, bordiering, tle  -lwhole distance uponl the swampl,  wvithl  batteries
rangedl upon every commanding hill, and a strong p)icket
11,910
0 
DIARY OF AN ARIMY SURGEON.
situated at Charles Cit       r cross-roads, whlere it was Ahrewdly
expected that the elnemly would come out in force fi'om
ielichimond.
Hancock's position was a stiroIif one, and it would have
taken a strongi  enemy to dlislodcge himi.'lThe fire coIImimencied at this point, on iloniday, whenl the bridge that tlhe
englineels had constructed for the passage of our army,
llavitg siubserved its purposes, wAas iremoved firom White
Oak Creek.   Previously, the railroad biidg,e lhad been
bhurned, the culverts blown up, and a lot of superfluous
ainimiunitioni and cumbrous baggag(e run, by train, into tlhe
Cliickahlominy.  Thle  enemy  al)peared  oln  Whlite  OakSwamp, strong in force, and directly opened firom  soiIe
twenty mnaskled batteries, tlhat )blew up several of C.ll)tain
Mott's caissons, dismouilitedI his pieces, and iraised lhul)biub
generally, altiong teamisters, wagonerls, canniroeers,  and
infitntry.  Thie 20tl New  olrk.it tlhis timiie  made tlheir
celebrated stampedle, for  lich next day thle provost guarid,
by order of General -[cClellan, picked tlhem  ul) and took
them  to head-(quarters, like so many cll)rits.  Very soon
our lighlt batteries recovered tlhemiselves and  vigorously
.responded to the einemy, lwho waxs soon at a perceptible disadv(antage, so far as accuracy and effect was concerned.  Our
iizfiutry, too, fell in line, ready to supl)port the batteries, or
meet lhalif-way any attenl)t of the rebl)el infantry to pushl
across the creekl.  Tlhus the battle )prog iessed(l till late in the
afternoon, with selious loss to both sides, mor'e  wounds'
fi'oem cannon-shot, perhaps, resultiing than at any other battle.
The rebels made sonie desperate efforts to cross the creek,
but General Smiith brouglht his meni  up to close quarters
with them whlenever they dared the contest, and although
in each case somie of our best soldiers bit the dust, there
were no signls of holding' off.  Thle cannon firing was inces
13.t
0 
LEAV* FROM TIIE
sant here-some of the deepest and closest of the war-and
the infantry fire extended along the whole column.
The cannonading( had continued several hours with fearfiul effect among our baggag,e and artillery teams.  AVe
had, however, prevented the enemy  firome crossing the
swamp in our firont, and fervently hoped he would be unable to pierce its fastness at any other point of our ri,ght or
left.  That this hope was ill founded was soon testified by
the appearance of the enemy in strong force at Charles
City cross-roads, which lies about four miles from White
Oak Swamp, due south, and about a mile and a half or
two miles from the James river at Turkey Island Bend.
lIe had advanced direct fiom Richmond eight brigades,
the first under command of the redoubtable Gen. I-enry
A. WVise, and, when discovered at the cross-roads, was endeavoring to work quietly down the river road between
our trains and wounded and the army.  Two hours previous such attenmpt niight have been successful, when utter
ruin and conftusion would have ensued.  Porter and K,eyes
were ordered up to repel these new-comers, the troops of
the former still suffering firom the battle of Friday in so
great a degree that many regiments had no organization at
all, and many brigades scarcely a regimental organization.
At five o'clock they engaged the enemy, hidden by woods
and the swelling of hills, and the firing from musketry and
fielcl-batteries was soon intense. The rebels did fatal exelcutiol  among us, and some of our most valuable officers
fell here wounded and dying.  The reports of ordnance
had now been heard so many dayls, that such chaos seemed
the normal condition of nature, and painfully the battle
went on.  It was scarcely an enthusiastic fight, for all the
romance of battle had worn off by reason of its monotony.
The men fought well, however, though half dead with
132
0 
DIARi'Y OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
l1eat, thirst, and weariness.  Some broke for theiiver and
ptlunged in the cool wvater for an instant, then emnerging,
ruiished back to the fi'ay and fought like lions.   Fresh
troops and superior numllbers seemled bearing the tide of
battle against us at five o'clock, and the fate of the army
hung trembliing in the sunset, when a new advocate came
to our relief.  About five o'clock in the afternoon the gun boats, Galena, Aroostook, and Jacob Bell, opened fiom
Turkey Island Bend, in the James river, with shot and
shlell, fiom their immense rifled guns.  The previous roar
of field artillery seemed as faint as the rattle of musketry,
in comparison with these monsters of ordnance, that liter ally shlook the water and strained the  air.  The shells
seemned to be supplied with eight-second fiuses, and a con si(lderable interval elapsed between tlhe shock of the report
and the subsequent explosion of the shells.   They  fired
about three times a minute, frequently a broadside at a
time, and the immense hull of the Galena careened as slhe
delivered her complement of iron and flame.  The first few
shots went wide, but the man in the Galena topmast lookout signalled the proper elevation to the guns, and SoonI
they tlhrew among the seirried ranks of the rebels on the
hills their ponderous obligations, that cut down whole lines,
spreading confusion, desolation, and dismay.  The fire went
on with the same fatal effect, making music to the cars of
our tired men, and consternation among, the rebels.  They,
alireadv( confident of concludiing their work and diriving us
into tlhe James river, began to reel and grow unieasy.
Tlhe(ir fire  )erceptibly slackened, thleir ranks scenemed slow
to close up lwhen the naval thunder had torni them apart,
disaffection and disappointment had  already seized upon
tthem, and every deep tocsin from the Galena added its
impetus to the prevailing dread.  General Ileintzelman,
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0 
LEA.ES FIOIOM THE
withl his whole coi)ps, confident that a recovery of the fortuntes of the time could be made, prepared to give another
great effort to retrieve the losses of the day and the cause of
the country.  Suchl a charge of horse and foot was seldom
seen, while our batteries upon the hill-tops fair and near
-)layed incessantly uiponi the foe.  Signals were given to
the Galena to cease firin(r w-hen this advance was determined ui pon, the Galena lhavilg, aliea(ly hauled off.  This
w.as done by consecutively placed signal officers all the
way firom  thle i)oint of battle to the banks of the  James
rivel, whlen the thuinder lllled( and the grieat ship rested
after her labors.  Ileiiitzelman made a little appeal to his
gcenerals, telling them, that in the dashl about to l)e made
their confidence and couragoe might not only save the army,
but do something towards avenging the great number of
loyal men who had fatlleni in the several fatal encounters.
Thle soldiers, poor, helroic, jaded fellows, responded with
a sl)irit tlhat must have come friom huiigry hleaits, and soo50
the  i'and corps of IIeintzelmian was in line, with the gaunt,
gi'ay figure of its commander galloping down its columns.
The enelny anticilated sonme such dashl, for they directed
their fire uplon this part of the line, if possible, more coIleeitratedly than ever.  Thlen Heilintzeclinan  passed  dow-n
tlhe order, and like the sulrging of a sea long emabosomed in
a plain, the column moved  slowly, certainly, vigorously,
belchingi fire and ball at every step, but never lialtiig, until they camie so close to the rebels that they might have
hlallooed the names of each man to man acrioss the little interval.  The latter camie up bravely to the offered combat,
but there -was a destructiveness in our fire, and a velieoennce in our tread, that they could not withlstand.  The
fiery- brigadei.d  of Aleaglier eldgedl up gallantly on the liglit,
using tlhe musklet quite soldierly; and General Sickles' Ex
13-i
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
celsior Brigade, already fearifily cut Uip, went into tlhe action like a battalion of fivesl  yeterans.  The  brigade of
Ihooker w-as ably led by that distinguishled  officer, and
Genecial IKearney seemed ubiquitous, as lie screamed lhis
orders here and there, always ur(,ing( his men on to the
foe.  The brigade of General Grove-r, including somie  Mass.ichlusetts regiments, behlaved finely here; but the whole
corps was a unit, and HIeiniitzelmnian was its genius. Pushing  steadily aheadcl, defying, all etforts of the enemy to
break or turn its line, the corps had at last the satisfiction
of seeing the enemy break and fly in confusion to  tlhe
swamli), totally dispirited and repulsed.   WTe took, in thlis
ellgagen.ent, over two thousand prisoners; but as our object had been gained, in covering' our advance to thle Janies
rivei, it w'as not deemied of sufficient importanlice, in viewv
of the risk to be enicotiunteredl, to hold possession of theiii
through tilhe nig-lit.  A  large numl)er of these prisoliers,
lo)wevecr, remain on orI hanlids, and wvill serve in some way
to coniisolc us for tlhe loss of very many of our ownl.  Tlie
b)attle of AVhite Oak S\wampi   w-as scarcely inferior to that
of Gatinces' Mtill in point of losses of life, woiundtled, and )prisoiiers.  We undoubtedlyN sufired less than the enemiy, iwho
w-as  literally butcheired, but our own  loss is enormous.
VWe lost all of MLott's battery but a single gunii; the wVlole
of  l)andalli's battery; one  o,iun, we-  believe, of Captaill
Ayres, and several otheis in various parts of the field. We
could not lihave lost, in killed and w-ountided, less thlan 2500
miieI, iand our loss may reach tw ice tlhat amounit.  lBut wec
gained our 1)oint, and made thle Jamnes river-, despite all
tlhe eemiv's attempts to cut us off theref'rom.   In failiii
to (do thlis, lie suffered a defeat.  AVliereas, in the I-itelt
of l)attle, w-e beat him back wiith imnmense loss, and he was
so eril)l)lecl as to be unwNilliing, or unable to fire a gun next
19.
0 
LEAVES FROM TIiE
d(lay. The gunboats Galena and Aroostook are entitled to
the most unbounded credit.  They came into action just at
the ri,ght time, and did most excellent service.
The region of the James is high, hilly, and bountifiully
marked by nature with all that vegetable opulence can
supply. The ripe wheat-fields, and tlhe long wavy stretches
of clover, burst like a vision in fever uponl the weary eyes
of our wounded and footsore.  Some  fell down  by the
banks of the river, and lapped the bri,lIt water like dogs.
Others fell upon the imargin, and wepl)t.  General MIcClellan's tenit was pitchled by a beautiful farm-house at Cummings AVhalf; near Great Turkey Bend, just on the balnk
of the river.  lie wrote his dispatches here, and sent them
off by the "Stepping Stones," in charge of the French
Prince De Joiinville, the Duke de Chartres, and the Count
de  Paris.  The general spent a part of the afternoon on
board of the Galena, and as he passed along the crowded
banks in the coimmodore's b,arge, all the troops, even to the
lhaggald wounded, cheered him lustily.  lIe doubtlessly
slept peacefully that nilght, having saved his army  and
placed it more secure, and in a more convenient position.
In addition to the loss of our fieldcl-batteries reported, we
also lost several of the large siege-guns, that had only
reached the army a few days before the action on Friday.
A number of them  were spiked, and rendered useless tfor
all tilme to come.
rThere are here, at I-Iarrison's Landing, fine wharves and
roads, vwhich will probably be the future depot of the grand
army of the James.  It is a fine old property, commanding
a long viewv down the  river, and there are several excellent
wells on the premises.  The house itself has been turned
into a hospital.  At the landing there are several thousand
teams of all descriptions, and five hospital transports were
I 1") 6
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
lying off the pier.  Ammunition was being landed in great
quantities, and hauled to the field of battle.  On Tuesday,
at two o'clock, every thing on the James had assumed a coIndition of comparative cheerfuilness. There was no strong desire to leave the place expressed either by civilians or soldiers, reviving, confidence was expressed in every look and
assurance.  The people had comprehended General  McClellan's bold plan; when it was fought out, and the reins,
by unanimous consent, were restored to him, as still the
only successful arbiter of our destiny.  Had we had half as
many men as the enemy, in the fights of Gaines' Mill and
AWhite Oaks, we would have possibly retrieved the whole
fortunes of those disastrous engagements.   The  James
river was full of transports on Tuesday afternoon, and the
-wounded will soon arrive in New York and other large
cities.
Tlle Battle of Goldingr's _;ctrm.
About seven o'clock on Friday evening, Toombs' Georgia Birigade, one of the best in the Confederate service,
drove in our pickets, and advanced, with close volleys of
mnuskletry, in two lines of battle.  Hancock's BP)rigade, consistin(r of the 5thl Wisconsin, 6th MIaine, 43d New York,
and 49th Pennsylvania regiments, was immediately under
arms, as they had indeed been all day, expecting to join in
the contest on the other side.  They advanced over a piece
of corduroy road, passed the redoubt to the right, and after
traver-sing a bottom or declivity, formed in line of battle
about a third of a mile firom the redoubt, and on the as.
ceinding slope of a lhill.  Here they threw themselves upon
their bellies, so that they could just peep over a crest by
rising to their knees, and awaited the onslaught of the enemy.  The pickets skirmished right into the main body,
137
0 
LEAViE"S Fl10I  TIlE
tlle rebels coming pell-mnell after them, hoping to capture
thle -lwhole force, Awhlen, just as thley turned the crest of the
l]ill, tIlancoek's arigade  ld lrooks' 5th Vermont regiment
gave them a staggeringi fire.  At tlle same time tl-he artilleiy fiomn the redoubt and below opened upon them, and
tliey fell right and  left, in  heaps  and files, until the desperation of the Georgians chlanged to doubt and then to
panic.  As they attempted to fall back our men  rose to
their feet, rushecd some distance, and lay downn again, pouring in, as before, murderous volleys.  The whole filght lasted half an hour or an hour, and ended in one hundred dead
Geoorgians beiiing left upon the field.  Our loss was exceedingoly sliolght, as our men were not only properly gener.illed,
but the regimnental officers of this brigiade are some of the
most eflicieniit in the service, as Colonel Cobb of tlle 5th
A isconsin, Colonel B-uruliam of the 6tih ]Iaine, Colonel
Vinton of the 49thl New York, &-c., &c.
ASecond _)cty of  the  lyight act Golci?g's F(grn.
The next morning, the infuriated Georgians, who had
imeantiime heard of their stucecess of Friday across the Chicktliomi-on, determined to attackl our lines before General
SHiitlh's division a second time, and make  another effort to
occupy the iredoubt near Gold(ling's house.  Their dead still
l:Iy in the bottom or meadow whilere they hlad fallen tlhe
ighlt before, and our troops had stolen  around in tlte
iiight to a strip of wood near a picket station, where
tlley dugc  and masked  a rifle-pit.  About  eighlt o'clock
tlhe Geoirgians formed in line of battle, commanded by
Colonel  Lamiar of the,th Georgia Volhinteers,-whose
connection w itlh the celebrated slave case of tlhe yacllt
AV,-cderer will be rmeiuberee(e,-tlthe Seventli was the first
regiiment, by rep)ute, which joined the rebel service.  They
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
(lid not seem displirited bv their ill success of the (lday be foi)e, but imarched'bol(lly up to thlle same inevitable fite.
Terr'ible v-olle-s that cut them to pieces, literally butcher ilg, them, and their enemyiv, though so obv-ious to ieeling,
wa.s nowlieie plain to the silght.  Lyiing in tlhe tangled
grass, br'ied in the timber, prone under the sill of turf, or
di-awitg  a bead tlu'ough a fence, the keen-eyed Wisconsin,
[aline, or Pennsylvaniian, was hlolding the terrible  rifle,
every tlhrill of w-hichl  sent the leaden messenger throtugh,
flesh andd bole.  In the be(ginning of the filght Lamar was
mioitally wounded, and in attempting to  rescue hiim  lis
lieutenant-colonel was taken prisoner.   Our rifle-pit galledl
their retreat, a nmovemenit they were compelled to make,
)but all its heroic cldenizens were bayoneted.   Lamar was a
beautiful man, singularly like a woman, but lie h.ad all
the fierce elements of a warrior, and died suppressing every
moan  or criy.  His wotund -was a badcl one, and lie must have
sufiered terribly.  General  Brooks is generially rumor ied to
be  seriously wounded.  htis  brigade of Ve-rmouters  behayed like v-eterans in the several en-gagements between
({,aines' Aiill and AVhite Oak Swamp.   The same indomitable pluck that instigated tihe clharge across the  da.m1 at
W1arwiek ilciver, marked their course in the fi,ght of Gol(limo's Farm, Sa-a(e's, and AVhite Oaks.  The loss of tlhis
brigadle is, perhaps, less than that of any of the li)rigad(les of
Sinithl's (livision.  The provost marshal's troops, commanded by  LAIjor John 3[.  Willard, were of incalculable service in maintainingr discil)liue on the d(lay of the battle.
Thley collected the tihed straggleis and skulkers and sent
tlzem to tlheir several leg'iments.  Otlhers Awho could not be
turned ov-er to tleii commands, were organized by sonlie
of thle oflicers of thle piovost guard(, and made to do guard
service in the fight at Clharles City cross-roads.  Captain
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WValcott commanding a battery, did fine execution in the
fight at White Oak Swamp.  They were posted on the brow
of a hill, and signalized themselves among a number of batteries posted around them, for skill in the handling of their
guns and general soldierly demeanor.  There is no doubt as
to the loss of General MIcCall.  This gallant officer had his
horse, a spirited black stallion, shot in four places during
the fight on Friday.  His coat was also repeatedly torn by
bullets, and his aids trembled for his safety as he persisted
in riding hither and thither encouraging his men.  The
gallant fight of these men may be traced entirely to the
coolness and collectedness of their commander.  lIe had(l
been the victim of neuralgia for a long time, but has filfilled his duties unflinchingly through evil and good report.
General Mleade, also of this division, distinguishled himself
for courage andcl activity. Hie has been taken prisoner. The
rebel officers were so disguised by questionable and obscure costumes, that perhaps on the several ecngagemeIlts
they lost fewer officers than we.  Our officers, on the contrary, were so conspicuously clothed that they were promiinent marks,-hence the great mortality in thlis respect.
Our troops say that, during the fight, they saw no rebel
officers.  Rush's regiment of lancers did good service, not
only in the fight of Friday, but in the subsequent occurrences of Savage's station and White Oak Swamp.  In the
battle of Gaines' MIill they charged a little to the south of
the old mill upon an Alabama brigade, and threw their
long-handled lances with terrible effect, in many cases
smiting the rebels to the ground by piercing them through
and tlhrlough.  The scene witnessed when this fine regiment
charged, may well be historical: their long lances upright,
their redl pennants streaming, and the riders like so many
avengers, bending forward to make the plunge.
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The most fiightftil slaughter occurred in the New Jersey Brigadle, commanded by General Taylor.  Colonel
Tuckler, of the 3d regiment; Colonel Simpson, of the 4th;
and Lieut.-colonel Hatch, of the 4th, are dead; Miajor Birney, brother of General Birney, shot through the bowels;
3iajor Ryerson, of the 2d, killed; Miiajor -Hatfield, of the
1st, shot in the head; lAdjutant Fairly, formerly connected
with General Garibaldi, wounded seriously in the head.
The l st regiment went into action with 685 mnen, lost 195
tlie 2d lost upwards of 200 men; the 7th went into action
wiith 700 men, aind came out with 70; the 3d had only four
companies eLngaged: the brigade went into action with
2500 bavonets, and cannot now muster 1200. All this loss
ocemrred on Friday, between the hours of five and seven
r. NP., and does not include any subsequent losses that may
have happened in other battles.  Colonel Torbert, of the
1st regiment, is safe, having been sick with a fever.  He
rode upon the field, tottering.  The Pennsylvania Reserve
colrp-)s foilught on Thursday, Fiiday, Saturday, Sunday, and
3Ionday, on each and all of the leading fights, and their
losses are terrible. In all cases they behaved like good
and gallant soldiers, and the commonwealth they represent
hadl nothing in common with them of which she may not
be proud. The Reserves did not lose more than 150 men
in the en,gagement of Thursday, at Mechanicsville; but
after thle fight on Friday, they reported the almost incredi})le loss of 2200 men. The subsequent encounter must
have increased their loss to 4000, and in this is contained three
generals, including General iMeade, several colonels, majors,
captains, &-c., &c., representing every part of Pennsylvania.
Among the rumors afloat on the field of battle was one, on
Tuesday, that General IMcCall had been killed; and it was
also reported that General Meade and General ]'ey-nol()s
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LEAVES FIROM TIlE
were  mnissintg.  Ayres and  i-Iott's batteries, of General
Siuitlh's Division, hlave been eng'(aged in a dozen fights, andl
]ave acquitted thieiselves g lorioisly on each  occasion.
Captain in1ott lost his battery at AVhite Oak Swvamp.   Ii
the embarrassing position in -hieli hle was placed, he fitted
up temporary -wheels firom the baggage-wagons, and fired
to the last.  The charge of thle 1st and 5th Regular cavalhy, at Gaines' HIill, tiougtii brave and dashiing,, was not
prudent.  The 1st ha& btl5 two companies; the 5th, 600
men.  They charged up the hill and galloped around two
divisions of the rebels, firing their revolvers at them.  The
rebels waited with fixed bayonets for them, and drove
tlhem  over one of' our batteries.  The next morniiing the
5th reported but one officer for duty.  The  20thl  New
York, it is said, did not bellave well at the battle of White
Oak Swamp.   Some mules were drinking at tllhe time in
WVlhite Oak Creek, and these, alalnmed at the opening of
the fire, g,allopedl furiously up the hill, close to the 20th,
which broke and run, scarcely less undignified.  General
3IcClellan ordered a squadron of cavalry to pick up stragglers of this organization, on Tuesday, and guacrd them to
head-quarters.  The order was carried out in its extreme
conditions, and thle regiment may be considered as virtually
under iarrest, officers and men.  Colonel Gallagller, of the
1 itli Pennsylvania Reserves, was killed in Friday's fight;
Lieutenant-colonel Porter and c Iajor Snodgrass, of the
same  regimrent, were  made  prisoners.  The  Bticktails
report about  120  men  left.  Four of  their companies
were witlh  Iane in the Shenandoah Valley, and six with
1IcClellan.  A  -whole company was taken in the fi,ght on
Thurlsday.  3I1jor Stone commanded dluring the late battle.  Thle 6th regiment of lResel'ves were doing, picket duty
at Tunlstall's station, and it is believed they all escaped
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DIARY OF AN Ai35IY SURGEON.
lharm  upi to Saturday, but subsequently they mighi,t have
stifered seriously.  General Seymotur, iwho commandedl tlle
bi-igadle, formerly commanded by a general of Dranesville
'fitme, had two horses killed under him.  The Rcselrves
made several desperate dashes withl the bayonet.  Their
ammuniition gave out at six o'clockl on Friday, up to whicll
time they had discharged 100 rounds-50 in cartridcge-box
and 50 iin haversack.
At foure o'clock, on Friday, the fight beyond the Chicka lhominiy g,rew desperate.  The enemy redoubled his effoirts,
ai(d pressed hard upon our centre and lright.  le evidently
labored to turn us in the latter direction, and to that end
pushled his left to Coal Harbor, desig(rning, to flanlk us and
l)rievent, if possible, access to our bridgles of communication
withl tlle south baink.  Our brig,ade was ready to l)revent
any such catastrophe, and battery after battery was brolug,lt
into position, until the screaming of balls bafled description
such sublime artillery practice was never witnessed.  The
iifilntry that had been skirimisliing on their bellies, or fliillg
irregularly firom some concealed covert, now  rose in line
and l)outred in deadly volleys.  All seemed to realize that ani
eimer,genucy had come, and resolved to contest each inlch of
ground.  The scene has never been excelled on this continent. Eiach volley took hundreds off their feet, until tlhe
air seemied to grow clammy with the dead, and hoar'se with
thle dying.  Slowly our troopls-outntumbered, but greathlearted-fell back after resigning their dead; and all tle
w-lile the enemy's shell and ball played havoc in their ranlks.
Ilost of thle dead, and a p)ortion of the wounded, we were
obliged to leave on the field at Gaines' 3Iill to the imercy
of thle enemynv.  It was a cruel necessity, but unnavoidl.ble.
All thle hospitals were crowded withl sick and   otinde(ld,
and thle sulg,eons were busily engaged in relieving,,is f-ast
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LEAVES FROM TIIIE
as possible, the suffering and misery of the great numbers
committed to their care. The usual heart-rending scenes
were witnessed at the hospitals; and, as the groans and
sighs of the wounded and lacerated heroes ascended to
heaven, it seemed as if the hatred of this cruel, causeless
rebellion in which their lives had been sacrificed, must be
deepened and intensified throughout the land. The loss of
the rebels in the battle at Mechanicsville wvas much larger
than ours; and as they by far outnumbered us at the battle
of Gaines' Mill, and were for hours under a very heavy
artillery fire, as well as small-arms, and exposed to repeated
and determined bayonet chlarges, it is thought that their
loss on Friday must have largely oxceedcd our own. It is
but justice to the rebels to say that they fought well, and
with a bravery which, if displayed in a better cause, and in
defence of, instead of for the destruction of our national existence, would have forever secured the admiration and(
gratitude of their countrymen.   They fought with  an
energy and desperation which has not hitherto been displayed by them anywhere. They were animated by the
presence of "Stonewall Jackson;" and Jeff. Davis himself
was on the field cheering them to the battle. The 4th
Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Childs,
assisted in covering the retreat. At the battle of Gaines'
Mill it lost ten men and twenty horses. The bridges that
had cost so much labor were blown up on Friday night
and Saturd'ay-Woodbury's beiing the last to go up, at ten
o'clock, on Saturday morning.  They had facilitated our
retirement; but their removal could not greatly embarrass
that of the enemy, who recrossed at New Bridge and
above, and prepared for their subsequent descent upon our
forces at Peach  Orchard and Savage's.  Sykes' Regular
Brigadle, the gallant brigade of regular infantry men, is
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DIAi.Y OF IAN AM3IY SURGEOX.
said to have lost forty officers and two thousand soldiers.
The 2ld regimenet is cut down to a mere vestig(e, and some
(:an scar cel- turn  out a corporal's g(uard.  Lieutenant-colonel
B)ar nley of the 2d Mlaine is miissing', probably a prisonor; Ad jltitanIt L. P.  ludgc-ett, dlo., Assist.-surg. A. D. Palmer, do.
Ca;l)tain Emmeisoni, Company E, severely wounded, and
a l)risoner; Lieutenant Brown, Com)any B, wounded and
a prisoner; Lieutenant Currier, slig'htly wounded.   All
these were lost in the fight of Friday.   This regiment took
the flag of the 5th Alabama.
Aiiiong the killed in Flraanklin's division, now  Slocum's,
Colonel Tucker, 2d New Jersey; Colonel Goslin of the
IPlila(lellphlia Zouaves; Colonel  Simpson, 7th  New Jerse-; Lieutenant-colonel Heath, 5th  Nlaine; Colonel Stocktoil, 16th  ili,chigan.  Among the wounded and prisoners
are  Colonel Jackson,  5th  Mlaine;  Colonel  Pratt,  32d
'New  Yorkl;  Maljor   loug'h, 55th  Pennsylvanaiia.   The
presence of General Slocunmi at Woodbutiry's Bridge battle
is a high attestation to his gallantry.   lie had  been
sick, with fever, for a long time, but when the order was
given for his division to advance, he determined to lead
themi.  The firingcr was hottest when they entered the field,
andl death made gashes in their lines.  They persevered,
regimenleit  after  regiment  pressing  on,  until  depleted
and wasted; and the heroic Slocum cheered them on, until
Nature assertedl her claims, and hlie fell from his horse.
lavin-iig been taken fi'om the field, he recovered, after a
time, and again ordered his men to place him on his horse
and accompany him to the field.  Perhaps no one is more
regi'etted, in this division, than Lieutenant-colonel Heath,
of WaVterv-ille,  lainie.  li-e was, of all men, the most consistent, courageous, and chivalrous.  I-e was seen, a little
while before the battle, reading serenely in the shade of his
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LEAVES FROM TIlE
tenit, a Latin copy of Cesar's "Commentaries." His relations
with his men and fellow-officers were  such as only exist
among high-miinded gentlemen.  Ileatlh was a soldier by
instinct, and a man of rare forensic powers.  IHe had been
UTnited States consul at Quebec, during iMr. Buchanan's
admlinistiration.  Colonel Jackson is seriously wounded, but
-was in good spirits when last heard firom.  Hie has arrived
at Fortress Mionroe.   Each of the three brigades of NewtonI, Bartlett, and Taylor fought like fiends, and they
covered the army, saving it firom still greater loss.
The reserve artillery was engagedl on Thursday and Friday, and also in the great battle of Monday.  Tidbatll's
battery blew up three of the enemy's caissons, and had
seven men and six horses shot.  5lIjor lRobinson's battery
suffered as severely.  WAVeed's regular artillery broke two
axles, whereby two pieces had to be abandoned, afier beiiig
spiked.   Captain Weed was  wounded in the face.  We
captured a rebel flag, now held by the 2d Mlaine reg,imenlt,
marked on one side " Victory," and on the other "Equal
Rights."  That regimnent had lost one hundred and thirtysix men, firom various causes, up to Satturday morninghow many since, it will take some time to decide.  It was
posted on the left of 5Iarticndale's brigade, in the centre of
the line of battle.  The 13th New York took the battleflag of the 7th Tennessee.  The rebel artillery consisted, in
the several battles, mostly of rifled six and twelve poundeirs,
seldom, if ever, of larger calibre.  They practised the concentration of fire firom a dozen or twenty batteries upon a
single point, and their practice was most  unerring and
powerful.  In some cases, as for a time at White Oak
Swamp, wve could not get under play at all, owing to the
vehemence of the enemy's artillery.  When the Galena's
big guns opened, however, the rebels beg,an to think we
146
0 
DIARY OF AN ARPIMY SUPGEON.
bad a whole armada in reserve.  Colonel Toihbeirt, of the
1st Newv Jersey, is safe.  HIe had thle fe-ei, but p)erlsisted
ill riding to the field, lwhere findillg his colors still waving,
he seized them, in an acrdor of emotion, and pressed theon
to his breast.  Ile is the idol of the brigade, and the sign'  tures of e-very general in his corl)s have been fo-rwardtled to
the War DIepartment to make  him  a birigadiei-g-eneiral.
The 83ld Pennsylvanaia regimnent was raised in Crawford
alud Erie counties.  Its colonel, J. W.  iMcLane, of Eie,
had been sheriff, and his term was yet uiinexpiied, whlen lhe
hastened to the defence of the  Union.   Ile  was shot
throlglh the head, Ineai Woodbury's BI-idge, and instantly
killed.  lI,ajor L. II. Nagle, of Newv Alb,any, Indiana, of
the 83d Pejnnsylvania  regiment, was shot  thlioli,l  tlhe
breast at the satne time.  Captain MIorris, of Company ]3,
was shot thirough the hip and taken prisoner.  Tie regi ment lost, in the filght of Friiday, about two hundred men.
It was attached to Aorrell's division, and was the left ]egi inenit in line but one, v-iz., the 44th Newv York.   They
also suffeied badly.  Several companies of the 1st regiment
United States Slharp-shooteirs, Colonel Berdan, were, early
in the day of Friday's fight, deployed as skirmishers in the
w-oods on our right and in firont of General Griffin's biigadcle,
underi the immuediate command of Lieutenant-colonel R,,ipley.  They had thirty-eig,ht of the new target rifles; and
the two companies in tlle woods, to the left, used Siharlpe's
riifles.  They  held their position until their support  had
fallen back somie distance, so that the rebels attacked them
on the flank, as well as in firont.  They then fell back and
formed  a line with them.   Lieutenant Gibbs,  with the
tariget rifles, was ordered by Colonel Griffin to pass around
the reserve. This brotcughlt them into a field surrounded
on three sides by rebel riflemen.  Ihere they were ein
.,
147 
LEAYES FPOMl THE
ployed with the artillery with great success.  They were
attakedl(  by a rebel brig'ade, which  deployed out of the
woo(ds in good order, bearingi    a black flar, w-ithl deatll's
hle(ad  and cross-bones.  This brigade was repulsed by the
united efforts of tlhe artillery and sharp-shooters. The different companies were splendidly posted by Colonel Berdatn,
and were on duty the whole day, rendering good service,
as iusual.
The 14tlh New York, 9th MIassachusetts, and 62d Penns-lvtania were formed in the woods, on thie right.  About
two o'clock they were attacked by a large force of rebels,
v,lio had succeeded in entering tlhe woods.  They were at
first driven back, but soon rallied and charged ulpon tlhec
enemyl, and drove them1   out of the woods.   They lield
the position until sundown, when they were ordered to fill
back.  Early in the day Colonel Black, of the Pennsyl'ania 62dl, was killed.  Ie was an able and popular oflicer.
Oni the opposite side of the ravine, Colonel LIcQutade, of
the 14th Newv York Volunteers, assisted by detachments
fionli differenit regiments of the Pennsylvania RIeserves,
held tlhe position until the left was broken; and it becoming
mitcnable, they retreated up the hill.  For about an hour
and a half, in the afternoon, the rebel infantry and riflemen
fired by volleys, without cessation.  It was one continuous
sheet of fire, and the noise terrific.  Dnring this time they
did great execution, but the men stood it well and returned
thec fire vigorously.  It rained shot and musket-balls.  To -wards night a number of the regiments, who had lost a
large number of their officers, began to retreat rapidly
towiards the bridge on the Chlickahomiiny, and for a time
therie was danger of a regular stampede.  IIad not this been
checked the battle would have ended in a complete rout.
Seeing, this, Colonel Berdan, of the sharpshooters, rallied
0
14S 
DINARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
some officers and men, and determinedly stayed the retreat iigr mass, discliargingI several shots from lhis revolver over
their heads, calling loudly upon tlhem not to disgrace them selves and their cause by such an ignominious flight in the
face of the enemy.  In this hle was vigorously assisted by
Captain Hoyt, of General Butterfield's staff, and other
officers.  The disorderly retreat was checked and the men
formed in line of battle, under Colonel Berdan's command.
While this was goiIng on, the enemy had collected a large
force, and were preparing to charge down  upon them.
The men then commenced  to advance rapidly, cheeringr
loudly, and the enemy, seeing this, withdrew.   Inlch credit
is due to Colonel Berdan for his prompt and decisive action, anil it is undoubtedly due to his exertions that this
portion of the army was saved firom the disgrace and disaster of a disorderly retreat.  Ie was enthusiastically cheered
ly the men  whom  he  had  sa.ved.   They remained in
position, near the hospital, until about d.irk, wvhen they
retreated, in good order, across the Clficekalominy.
Jeff. Davis was at the house of SIs. Price, just opposite
DLi. Gaines', for three consecutive davs before the battle of
Thurslday, in every case engagedl in close consultation withl
General Lee.  Colonel Towers, of the 7th Georgia, stated
that Jeff. )lanned the whole attack.
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LEAVES FROM THE
CHAPTER  XIV.
RETREAT TO JAMES RIVER.
Ix the foregoing pages I have given a full and faithful
account of the movements, actions, and conflicts of the two
contending airmies during the ever-memorable seven days'
fight before Richmond; but some'detail of the individual
commands will not be uninteresting to the fiiends of those
brave troops engaged, and will serve as an impartial record
of those initeresting incidents of this volume of the rebellion.
AWlile the great battles of the 26th and 27thll of June
w-ere progressing on the extreme igh-lt wing of the armly,
there was more or less fi(ghting, aloing the whole line of tle
extreme left.  The enemy was now everywhere oii the offensiv-e.  In these affairs Sumner's corpls, which formed our
centre and firont, played an important part.  The sound of
cannon on our ri,ght grew louder towards tlhe evening, aind
it became evident that we were drawing, the enenlmy into a
trap, or that our troops were obligedl to retire before them.
The latter soon became a,pparent, when  the right wing,
under General Porter, were retreating, after an obstinate
and bloody resistance.  At six o'clock, in the evening, General cIeClellan ordered two birigades firom Sumhner's corps
to the ri,ght, to cover the retreat of our forces across the
Chiiekalickiiny. In obedience, General Sutmner sent forward
the Irish Brigade and General'French's.  They proceeded
at a double quick, with cheers, and crossed the Chickahoininy bridge in less than three-quarters of an hour after
I!- 0
il
0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
warids.  Here they joined the brave fellows who'b had been
figllting thle rebels all day against superior numbers, but
iwho were novw hlastily f-lliung back, Sykles' division covering
their retreat.  General  French's brigade was tlhrown out
to the ri,ght.  The regulars, under Genera.l Sykes,  were
ordered to fall back, the Irish Birigade takiing their place.
As the stream of dead and wounded was hluiirried to the
rear, these fresh troops, undaunted by the panic, rushed
forwarid with enthusiastic chleers, wlhich the rebels hearing,
and seeilng the newi re,iments (deployiiig before themi, hesitated.  This gave timie for all the other battalions to reform,
w-lsicl thley did in good order, and stouitly lheld their grouind.
The Irish BIrig(ade at once tlihrew one or two volleys inito the
rebels, and Flencl's Brig(ade iuaneLuried in a menacing
iannier on tlheir flank; thus chiecking their pursuit alnd
oblig,ing tihemi  to fill back a       or so beyond the late
battle-field.  As the niglit closed on the scene, some of the
troops were so near each other that the 30th Geoirgia lay
down wi ithiin forty paces of thie SStl New York VYolunlteers,
of the Irilih Briigade; and its adjut;anit, and several of its mien,
unwittingrly entered the caimp of the 88thi, and were astonishied to find themiselves prisoners of war.  The orders
wceie not to pursue the enemy, and both sides were too
imuich exhausted to continue the conibat.
The morning broke clear and cool.  Our troops still held
the g roundiic  be-yond( the Chickahominyii.  The  rebels had
returned towards the position they held on the precedilng
day.  The losses of yesterd.y were ]ieavy on both sides.
Ae lost over six thousand, in killed, -woundied, anld missing.
''lie einemy's loss, if not greater, was fill as many.  Early
tils morning the Irish and French's brigades fell back to
protect the bridgce, until the division of General Sykes lhad
crossed over.  This it did at dayli,ght, in good order, but
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LEA.VES FROMh THE
with terribly reduced ranks, and without any opposition
firom the enemy, who showed but little disposition to
renew the fight, as they imagined our right wing had been
reinforced, and supposed we wanted to draw them into an
ambuscade across the creek.  As soon as all the troops had
safely crossed over, the engineers blew up the bridge, and
then these two brigades, Frenlch's and the Irish brigades,
returned to their encampments with their own division
(Pichardson's), and, with the rest of the army, remained
constantly under arms.
It now becoming evident to General McClellan that no
time was to be lost in carrying out his plan of chang,ilg
his base of operations from the Pamunkey to the James
river, he at once changed his firont, as the ground gained
by the enemy enabled himn to threaten our right flank, as
as wNell as our communications in the reai.  The order,
whlen given, was  promptly obeyed.  The  baggage a nd
supply trains commenced mioving, while a strong force of
cavalry and artillery were placed at every ford and liridgec
across the Chiekahlominy by whichl the enemy mig,llt effet
a crossing before we were fuilly prepared to receive him.
Skiirmishiing had been briskly carried on by the rebels durting
tle night, but discontinued earlier than usual.  At dayli,ght on the 29thl, most of the troops had left tlhe breastwvorks and taken up their marlch for the James river.
General Sumnher's corps was intrusted with the dlangerous
post of covering' the retreat.  By four o'clock the pickets
were called in, which wvas done so quietly that the enem-iy was
still unconscious of our design, and imagined that we were
still in full force before them.  Yet they soon dcliscovered
tlhe movement, and before long tl-hey entered the works our
men had left.  The imarch was steadily continued, undet
the precautions taken to cover otur rear; nor did we again
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0 
DIAFIY OF AN All'MY SUI'GEON.
see the enemiy until they  iappeared( before us at Peach
Oirchard, on the line of the IRiclhmond and IVest Point
railroad.  Xo sooner were they discovered than Geneiral
Sedgwick ordered General Burns to prepare to receive
tlhem.  They were distant but a mile, and beginiiiiig to
showi their strengthll; and before we  were aware, a terrible
shower of shells and rotnd-sliot snapped the branches of
the trees above and around us.  It became evident that to
save ourselves thlle enemy must receive a check.  The  1st
3Iinnesota was thrown out as skirmishers, and the rattle of
musketry soon mingle(ld with the booming of artillery.  Oi
our side, Iirby's battery had obtailed a good range, and(
l)layed away, w-ith a certainty of aim  and constancy that
tore the ranks of the rebels asunder; but their force was
so large that the M[innlesota boys were soon obliged to fall
backl, w-hichl they did in good order, under Colonel Stlly,
their commander.  The 71st Pennsylvania, 2d New York,
andl otlher regiments now rushled to thleir assistance, whiech
(heceled the advance of the enemy, and obliged himi to fall
back to the cover of the woods.  This occurred between
nine and ten o'clockl, and cost us over one hundred and
fity-, killed and -woundedl.  Tlhus ended the first of a series
of encounters, whlich, witl the several battles described,
ingiut be said to ha-ve commenced at Orchard station, and
continued, without intermission, until our arrival at Tll'lkey
Grove, on the James river.  The time spent inl d(lestroyilig
the stores whichl  we  were unable to carry with us, gave
the einetIny timne to rest, anid at about five o'clock in the
a.fternooIn hle came in siglt, ne'ar SavaNi'e's station, about
three miles fr'om Oirc(Iard station.  AVWe first discoNvered,his
ceivaliy- miasking a battery, and w-ithl botlh flalnks and iinfintry, in the reail, marching in colnumn of brigades, presenting a triple fi'ont of over half a mile in length.   Thle
0
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LE1AV4-ES iFR)IO  TIIE
lIinnesota boys, with Baxter's Zonaves, were again thrown
out to skiilmish.  Smiitlh's Division fornied on ourl rilght, and(
]iclhardsoln's protected our left finom the flanking columins
of the enemy.  Segdwick's Division formed the firont, and
well maintained its,ground, though often the skirmishers
were drivenl back upon it, by the terrific firont and flanking
fiIes of the eneimy.  A heavy portion of the action fell on
Buirns' I'fligade, and General Burns was wounded  by a
inini-ball, which  shaved off  his moustache and passed
thlough l  is cheek, comning out below the ear, fi'actur'ing
the jawbone and knIockiing out several of his teeth; but
thongh lie received this painful woundl, he continued to
keepl) his seat, and, by gestures (for he could not speak), to
direct his nmen in the face of the enemy, with great gallantry.  That he was able to do so, can only be accounted
for by his possessing a brave anid indomitable spirit, whiichi
the occasion had nerved to its utmost pitch.  His heroic
conduct called forth the unqualified admiration of his men
land of General  Sedgwick.
Tlhe terrific onslaught of the enemy  was momentarily
stay-ed by the steady and well-directed fire of the  1st
Calitornia, 2d Nevw  York, and 106th Pennsylvania, who
weie hlotly- engaged duliln'i this time, and the reinforcement
iio\  received by the rebels told upon our centre, under
tlheir terrible storm of grape and musketry.  Just at this
momentous timie, General AIcClellani was seen ridling in
thle mid(st of the field with the greater portion of his staff
Ilis order to let the enemy have some grape and canister
was heard mid passed along( the lines; and as hlie rode feariessly thlrough the enemy's fire, he was loudly cheered by
the  gallanlt 88th, iunder Colonel Bakeri, who now came
suddtenly onl the flank of the rebels and routed them conmpletely, taking 140 prisoners.  In the miean time, other
15-1
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DI.'' rY OF AN  AI  IlY SUR'lGEON.
rebel regiments closed around them; and to add to their
diso         c o mfiture, they                           weee slelled fi'om th e   w-oods  out of
w         hich they eimerged to the engagement.       This figlht oc curi'ced in an open field nearly a mile square, and the strug gle  was one of the fiercest ever known.   It lasted over
three hours, in the most determined manner, and the yells
of the men on both sides, mingled at intervals with the
thundering of the guns and the incessant cracking of musketry, lent an exciting interest to the scene, that held in
breathless agony of susp)ense the lookers-on of this bloody
conflict, whilch night put an end to; but not until the rebels
vwere fail-ly driven from the field of battle.   When these allimportant results were procured by the bravery of the gallant Irish 88th N. Y., General 3IcClellan, seeing that all
dang,er was at an end, rode off the field towards the firont.
Our loss in this engagement was very heavy,-over one
thousand men  killed, iwounded, and mnissing.  The enemy's
loss was also heavy, equal, if not exceeding,  ours.  Of
this we had no means oft ascertaining but by the gaps made
in their ranks by our artillery and nmuskets.  Our troops
remnained in the unmolested possession of the battle-field
until eleveil o'clock, when our advance guard of the coverii(r column i    esulned its line of ilarch to the James river.
At oie o'clock that nighilit it reached the White Oak bridge;
and at 3 A. Ni. on AIo(nday the rear-guarda, consisting of a
squadron of the 6tlh NewN York V. C., crossed the bridoe,
bi-ilgilng up with them all the stragglers capable of walkimg,; but many were  so worn out that they fell by the wayside and became the enemiy's prisoners.  At 5 A. 3r. the
bridge over the swamp was blown up.  This was done as
tlhe hellad of the enemy's coltumn was seen advancing.  Soon
tlhe tl-ool)s reached a position which will ever be reinembei-ed by them, and will form a strikling feature in the an
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nals of warfare.  Encamped here in the stillness of a sum-imer's morning, the clear whistle of a steam-valve is heard
.-t a mile's distance.   One reimarks, " The rebels are running the train;" to which another repl)liecs, "That cannot
be the cars."  "Yes, but it is," chimies in a third.  But
hark! another, louder whistle is heard, unlike a locomiotive.  It is not firom the direction of the railroad.:No; it
is a much more welcome sound.  It is fiomn the gunboats
on the James river; and now that this is decided, a loud,
spontaneous, and long-continued clieer is given for the gunboats  -whlich proclaim their readiness to assist Its.  But
our toils are not yet over.   No;  we havc to fight the
bloodiest of the seven days' battles, and that withlin hearing of our gunboats.
The enemy, prevented by our artillery firom reconstructino the V, hite Oak biidg,e, would, we thlouoht, not molest
us for a day at least.   3Iany of our men were much exlauisted firom w-ant of sleep and extra labor, and all were
so weary that the prospect of even a temporary rest was
a grieat boon to us; next to which came the beautifiul weatlher, which  kept  the roads in fine condition.    Quietness
reiigned until four o('clock in the afteirnoon, when we   were
again aroused by tlhe boomingii   of distant glis.   We knew
that the rebels could not have crossed the broken bridge,
as our artillery held it.  From  vlwhence, then, did this new
cannIionadingc  come?   Could hle have got in our rear?
Such were the questions quickly put to one anotlher by the
nmen and officers of our corps, as the shells begani to fhll
a'oui(i us.  [lortihied, but not discouraged at thlis fr'esh
attack, a shout, clear aind ringing, passed down thee lilnes,
IHere they are again, boys   Let us show them agaill
how they imust run before Yankees!"  This was thle spirit
that animated Sumnier's corps.  Mleanwhlile the rebel guns
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DIARYT OF AN ARMY SURGE,ON.
werie imowing down the trees andcl branches, and every thing
tlhat offered resistance to their missiles.   Our guns Awere
not lon' silent, and, as usual, soon slackened the enemn's
fie.  Thle inquiry becanme geneial,  "Hlow  did they get
theie?"  It was  )laiu.  They made ulse of two roads un  knownii  to us, by which tlhey flankled us on tlle rigiht and
left withl their coliumns, while we  hlad otur wearied troops
guarding the biridge on the principal roadl to the James
iiver.  Our troops were disposed as follows at this junc tureil': Piclhardson, with lhis own division and two brigadcles
of Sedgwick's, with the bulk of Sumner's artillery, were
eni,. gaged together in w-atchingi the biridge.  3IeCall's corps
was the nearest to the enemy by the by-road on our liglht
flaulk as we marched towards  the James  rivei.  I3Burns'
BIig-ade was  detailed to (guard a portion of the supply
train, whichl we now had overtaken; and Hooker's division
formed our left wing, on a road almost parallel to them, by
w-lhich 3IcCall's and Biurns' were advanacing,; and the ene y, after engaging us in the rear and on  the  left flank,
slil(lddeily and unexpectedly appeared in firont of General
'[(:Call's forces.  This was a disastrous be,ginning to the
)tttle, buit the sequel proved that " all's well that ends Awell."
Gcneral Buirns, seeing the  dang,er, ordered over the 69th]
Pennsylvalnia to check the progless of the  einemny, whlo
Awee cih'siig our flyiiig troops-artillery, infntiy, and cawaliy-, all mixed in indiscriminate confiusionII-across an ol)pen
field( in the direction of ilichari(sonl's forces. At this criticil timie and lplace, the  69thl Peniisy-lania, i(lunder Colonel
Owcnls, clhlaged bhayonets onl the enceny's  fl,ank,  whicell
checlked1~     thleir leadloing impetuosity.    \stoiislhed( at the
attack, they turned to figlit thlis inew- foe.  A fierce struiggle einsued, lasting for some time, w-ithi varIiable results; but,
finally, the 69t1i drove them  bevond a 1]ill across the road,
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which they occupied and held.  Wlhile this Was going on,
the engagemenit became  general along the  whole  line.
Sedg'wick's and Richardson's divisions drove  the enemy
back.  General HTooker, at the head of his division, nowv
came Utp, and seeing Colonel Owens, of the 69th, sharply
aslked him,'"Where is your regiment, sir?"  "On  that
]ill," proudly returned Owens, pointing, to where his regimcelt was drawn up in the form of an arc arIound the crest
of the hill.  "Well and nobly done," said Iooker, and
rode away.  On the left, IKeces' corps was desperately asstiulted, lwhile the fuiry of the rebel attack on our firont was
unabated.  Trap after trap was set for the enemy, and our
,hein literally mowed them down so that their wounded and
ours lay in heaps together on the ground.   The 2d and
34th New York regiments lost terribly, but did good service.  The 42d New York also fought well, and lost their
liteutenant-colonel, 3looney.   The 1st California and  19th
~Iassachusetts were placed in the space occuplied by the
broken regimients, and,  with one of the most destructive
fires ever heard, repelled the enemy after a long-contested
and often doubtful struggle.  Thus Sedgwick's division at
all points drove them off, yet could not retakle the guns
iwe had lost.  But at another point of the line some of the
enoemy's gIuns were captured, his columns driven away fr'ont
and( rear, and he found there was no possibility of uniting, llis
tfoices, so long( as we chose to prevent it, and hastened to
lirotect one of his wings, in dalger of being cut off by us.
Night came to the rescue.  Our object was not to pursue
them; so that, after a short chase, they were allowed to
retire unmolested from the field.  Next morning at one
o'clock our reair-gu(ard reached Turkey  Grove, on  the
James river.  The loss to tlhe enemy by his firequent attackls on us during  our weary march  and in the ei,ngag,e
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DIARY OF AN ARM1IY SURGEON.
nments provoked, was not less than 3,500 killed and'wvou(lded(l.  Our own loss was nearly as heavy. When the battle
of the 30th was over, we all expected an attack firomi the
enemy- along our -whole line, as their best hope lay in oveiwhelinug us before reinforcements could arrive.  At  this
critical time iMeClellan rode through the ranks, inspiring
confidence among the men, assuringi them he had now got
the enemy in the position he wanted to have them.  They
had played the old game  of masked batteries whenever
possible during the retreat of our columns.  Their loss in
the whole pursuit must have exceeded 20,000 up to the
eveningi of the 30th June.   OuIrs was not so heavy, thoughl
terilbily severe, for many  hundreds of stragglers fell into
thleii hands.
The position taklen up at Turkey Grove, near thle Jamies
river, by our forces, was a promontory of highl land formed
by  a bend  in the  river  nearly  opposite  City  Point.
It  was naturally strong'; and in addition to this, our
left wing was well guarded by the gunl)boats.  All that was
left of the brave almy of the Potomac, was drawn up in
line of battle on the promontory this Tuesday morninig,
Jtily thle 1st.  Contrary to expectation, thle enemy remained
quliet dturing the previous  nighlt, thus admiitting the severity of the conflict on the afternoon before.  At  daylighlt we  were  formed in a circular line, our left flankl
on the  river, our riglt well protected by the igunboats, tlhe
reserve corps in sIuchl  a position that the wlhole had the
appearance of a half mnooil: the front of the line in some
1,1aces was three miles distant firom the river.  The rebels
were drawn up about a mile and a half beyond; and thle
shleen of their bayonets, glisteniing gayly in the morning
sun, could be seen extending for mile upon mile: tlheir
-waving bainners sho-wed wlhere the long line rose over the
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a 
LEXA-VES FRO0I TIIE
wooclded lhill, or sunk in the slopes of the rich;alleys. The
picture was sublime beyondcl conception, and fully showed
the proud pomp of war.  Sumner's corps, which up to nine
o'clock had been engag,ed in coveringc the retreat, now fell
into its original position in the liine; and when it had done so,
thle enemy again assumed the offensive.  Their cannonade
lasted an hour, but did us little damage, as their shells
either fell short or failed to explode.  Our men were suffering( for want of irations, and in fact every necessary.
D)uring the dclay there was a good deal of skirmishling alolg
the line.  At Sumner's corps the cannonade was revived at
i'uterv-als until ni,ghtfall.  The enemy had plantedcl a battery
on the left of his position, fiom Iwhichl Sumner's force suffered considerably.   General  IeClellan decided on  its
capl)ture.  It was planted on the margin of a wood, about
lHalf a mile firom our principal line of battle.  Between five
and six, General Sumner ordered a battery of the 4th Ullited States artillery, thle Irish Birigade, supported by the
69th Pennsyl-aniia Volunteers, the  29th  3Iassachusetts,
and a couple of other regiments, to take up a position near
to and capture that battery.  The rebel leader Jackson's
eagle eye quickly discovered the movement, and he determinedl to prevent it, and sent for-iward ten thousand men,
in.arlCling at slupport-arms, in columns of brigades.  This
w-as done to deceive us as to their object.  But no sooner
,tdcl tliey debouched firom the wvoodls which lay between
tl]eir lposition and  oiurs than  they broke  to  the  iht
ni(I leftt, and opened on our men a deadly fire of shell,
(-apl)e, slnrapnel, and c,'nister.  The 69th Pennsylvania was
the first to open fire and engage them.  Such was the natiire of the ground, that but one of our regiments at a
time could oppose them.  The rebel front was twice the
extent of ours.  The 69th, after a san,guinary struggle, were
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DIARY OF AN ARM~Y SURGEON.
compelled to fall back towards the right, where they sub  sequently dlid goodl service on  the flank of the  enemy.
The 69thl Ne-w York replaced them, with Meagher iriding,
at their headl, br-andlisling his snword, and  their colonel
(Nug; ent) commianlded themi to chaige the enenmy witll tle
bay-onet.  AVhile these movements were going on, a fi'esh
body of rebel troops suddenly appeared on the left flank
of this regiment, and fired two volleys into their ranks at
twenty paces, whichl annihilated the two left companies of
thle battalion; every officer of these companies fell dead or
wounded, and but ten men escaped.  This, howevere, did
not prevent the bayonet clhage, and the 88t), under il[iajor
Quinlan, comling up, repaid futlly the death-blows dealt to
the )9thi reg,iment, inaklig a desperate  charge witlh tlhe
bayonet.  Tlhev were w ithl difficulty prevented by tlheir offi ceis fi'oi  ruslling on the enemy's batteries, lwhich would
hae resulted in their destruction.  Thle 63d Newv York of
tlle Irish Bigade, under Col. Johln Burke, and the 29t1i 3[ass.lulset.ts, iunder Col. Pierce, now arrived; the latter lieree
filly ri(et iiev-ed lis reputation firom tile cloud tlihrown over it
at )ig Betllel, and a general chaige bayoiets along the line
followedl, produtcing, an instantaneous and comp)lete rout of
tl,c enemy, withl a loss of I 500-one half of them were killed
ill thle )pursuit and in the incessant and ineffectual attempts
to lally.  Our boys chleered loudly as tlhey followed up the
enemiy, and( paid them severely for their temerity whverever
tlhey atteml)tecl to re-form., re captured two guIns, and l
numberl c of prisoners; but our loss was terribly heavy: over
1200, in killed and nwoundedl, fell in this bloody conflict.
f'le officters and men  bela aved nobly.   l[eagliler  was con;l)i(.ioils ill the figlht; and Captain  [IcCoy, of lhis staff, had
iis lhoise shot under lhim by a iround-shot.   As niglht set iii
;lie rebels fell back, to attack us no miore.  They had failed
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LEAVES FROM TIHE
in their efforts to turn our left, and had received a severe
blow, lunder which they reeledl back to their position.   Qtietness reicrned in our camp that ni,ht: the dead  were
b)eiiing buried in silence, and the w-ounded cared for in the
temporary hospitals, as well as our limited supplies and circnmstances would permit.  The surgeons worked all night,
and the gray morning broke on our labors.  The wounds
were chiefly firom  mini6-balls, and  fi'agments  of shell.
Numbers were wounded in several  places, and in their
prostrated condition were unable to undergo the necessary
operations until recruited by rest and nourishment.
The enemy, finding our position impregnable, and our
troops prepared to defend it, at once determined on  a
chlange of tactics, and commenced the erection of a fort on
the opposite bank of the river, firom which he could bomb)ard our camp in the rear.  General MIcClellan came to
the determination of foiling him in this, as he had already
done in all his desig,ns.  For this purpose he had the bag-g.ae ordered to a pCinIt down the river, called Iarrison's
ILanding,, where the streamu is so wide that a battery on tlhe
ol)posite bank could receive more damage firom the gunboats than it could inflict upon us at such a distance.  This
loinlt is about seven Ioiles below Turkey Grove.  The bagg-,o'e and  heavy artillery commenced moving, early on
Tuesday afternoon; and at two, A. L, the rear-guard, coilsistingc of Sumner'is corps, commenced its marchl  without
mnolestation fiom the enemy.  Tlhe rain had now begun to
Ipoir down.  The roads were getting in a bad condition.
This made the movement slow, but as we were on the best
road, the enemy, in followiing us up, were unable to move
even as faist as our train.  The rain was on WAVednesday
followed by a thick fog, tlhrouglh   which the eiemyy's videttes
were visible.  Somie sliglht skirmishingi took place between
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4 
D)IARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
his cavaliry and ouirs, and the gunboat Galena threw a few
shells among their ranks, which dispersed them, and for
the nighlt all was quiet; nor have the enemy made any
si(ns of attacking 1us to-day, doubtless having heard of our
reinforcements.  All the prisoners taken by our men were
ijtoxicatedcl, and most of them had their canteens partially
filled withl  bad whiskey.  They say their losses, since the
retreat to the James river commenced, amount to 30,000,
our artillery having made  sad hlavoc in thleir ranks, and
tlhat the firing of the gunboats was very accurate and dcestructive.  Thiey boast of taking General.1cCall prisoner
whenl he was wounded, and speak of him as a skilful general.  The rebels are, in their present position, far removed
fiom their base of operations and suppllies-their commiunic.ttion is dlifficutlt; while we are on the bank of James
river, on w-hich float our supplies, and able allies-the gulnboats.  These are some of the adv-antages gained  by abandoning the Chickaliomtiny intrenclhments, and tlhe White
lI(ose as a depot.  But the change has cost us terribly;
anid but tor the valor and endurance of the men, the patielnce and pronmptitude of the officers, and the ability of tlhe
coininmaldiing general, the Army  of the Potoiimac  woul(i
have been annihilated by our indefatigTable foe.  As it is,
otur men are in good spirits and discipline, thotugh mucel
fittigu,ed by the hardships of the retreat and battles of the
last days.  Their confidence in General  IeClellan is iunshaken; this has borne themn along, and encouraged thema
to sutrmount every trial, difficulty, and danger.  Their fortitutide,' when ifot-sore and wieairy, whenl suifiering for water
and fi'om intense lheat, want of sleep and rations, and, in
slhort, w-heii iindeig'oiing evervy privation, never  forsook
theni; and their l'eliai:e w'as increlased  when they saw
the folresiglht of General MceClellan in providing so laig,
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LEAVES FROM THE
a park of artillery, and proceeding so cauttiously against the
rebels. It was a shield and a safeguard to the retreating
army at every step, and a terror to the enemy, who had to
sacrifice their best and bravest troops in capturing one
masked battery after another.  We  lost 25 of our guns,
which must have been a rich prize to the rebels, as they
stood in need of such war material.  The wonder is, that
with such a force, such an immense train, and during such
a retreat, our loss was not even greater than it is.  h-ad
General MIeClellan received 50,000, or even 30,000 fresh
troops, we would have whipped the rebels, and to-day, instead of bivoutacking on the James river, would, in all
probability, be resting in the hotels of Richmond.
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DIARY OF AN ARIMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XV.
INCIDENTS OF TIIE SEFVEN DAYS' FIGIIT.
COLONEL  WAVOODBURY,  of the  4th  ilicligan, fell  at
thle head of his regiment, as -he was cheering his men on;
his command has been terribly cut up, having had fiftythree killed, and olne hundred and fifty-eight wounded,
besides tlhirty-three missing.   Among, the officers killed
was Cal)tain Pose, whom General McClellan complimented
so highlyl- at New Briidge.  He was formerly principal of
~ in acadeimy, and eleven of his pupils, who were in his coinllany, are either killed or wounded.  Captain Pie, was also
klilled; he was a great favorite with his men.  Captain
~l,:tlding and Adjuttant Earle are wounided.  The 9th Miass:tcliusetts has suffered the severest loss of any regiment in
its division, amounting to one half the regiment.  Colonel
Cass. their leader, was wounded in the head, and for days
we feared(l he would die.  He is, however improving; he
was on thle sick-list when we went into action, but refused
to allow any one to lead his boys but himself.  The 62d
PJennsylvania, of this brigade, also suffered heavily, and
others of General  Griffin's command.   General Daniel
Butterfield, of New York, behaved with great gallantry.
He risked his life repeatedly; he rode close upon the enemy, and planted the colors of the 44thl New York with his
own hands.  It had been twice stricken down; while doin(g
0o, two balls passed thlroughl his hat; one of his aids, young
Fisllher, of New  York, Nas3 killed by  a minii-ball wile
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a    -. -. 
LEAVES FRIOM THE
ridiing beside him.  His brigade suffered terribly, and lost
a third of its number.  Colonels Stocktonl and 3lcLeanI were
both wounded.  I learn that Prince de Joinville has to(lday presented General Butterfield w-ith his horse, in token
of his admiration for the general's bravery.  The plrince,
w-ith the other French nobles on MicClellan's staff, leave today for Europe.  It is said they intend to return, but this is
doubtful.
General  3Iarltindale's Brig ade has also lost heavily.  In
fact all 3Iorrell's division has been badly cut up.  They did
some of the hardest fighting.  Captain Achmuty and Lieutenant Williams, of General Miorrell's staff, had  each  a
liorse shot under him.  Great praise is given to Lieutenant
Batchlelder for his defence of the ammunition-train, of whicli
hlie had commnand; and which, but for his coolness and
braveiry, would have fallen into the enemy's hands.  I have
just had an interview with Professor Lowe, the aeronaut,
who witnessed the battle of Friday firom his balloon.  Ile
describes thle evolutions of the battalions, the charges of
the cavalry and infantr', the flashing of the artillery, and
the cairnage of the fight, as truly grand. He says the
rebels also sent up a balloon, and that he and the occupant
of the rebel balloon for some time viewed each other
thlroughl their telescopes.  The distance was too great to
permit him to distinguish one division firom another, but
he could plainly discern the blue uniform of the Union
troops from the butternut and many-colored clothing of the
rebels.  This enabled him to judge of the relative firmness
and endurance of the contending forces; and he speaks
highly of the rebels, for their unflinching bravery and obstinate resistance, which vwere at length overcome by our
mien. The information hlie gained by the ascent was of
great importance to General M[cClellan in the disposition of
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I)IARIY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.L
his torces and the strengthening of our weakest points at the
proper time.
Wittiledfl'om t/he B<(ttle befor e o   Richl))Oio(.
A  remarkable feature of the wounded I have received
on board the transports fi'om the seven days' light is, that
almtost all of thenil are wounded in the limbs, principally in
the left thi,gh.  The nuniber wvounded in the head, abdomen, or side, is very few.  One, Colonel Pratt, of' the 31st
New Yoik, was wounded by a mini6-ball in the left cheek,
in Friday's battie.  The ball entered the left clheek betwveen
the,gum and  upper jaw, passed tlhrlough the nose,  II(nd
lodged in the right cheek or mnalar-bone.  Hle has gone to
lhis ]home in BrIooklyn, where he will have it extracted, as
there was no pressing necessity for its beiiig done here,
anmd he was anxious to get to his home and family.  Another poor fellow, named Sharp, of the 2d United States
Infantry, was struck in the abdomen with a piece of shell,
-liich lacerated the muscles and firactured the floatilng iibs
on tle left side.  The wound left by the missile was tl.e
mnlost jagged andiil extensive I have seen: the intestines, hlaving lost their support, protruded.  After returning theim,
and other proper surgical care, he is doing well, and, notwithlstandling the extent of the wound, will probably recover.  Lieutenant Freeman, of the same regiment, hlad
hlis arm shattered, but it will be saved.
WVe dispatched, yesterday, the Vanderbilt and Louisiana
o Waslingiton with neaily 1300 -wounded.  MIany of tlle
ure able to walk, having been but slightly -wounded in the
tllper extremities, and some were sick.  To-day we sent off
,he Arrownsmith with,00 wounded, the  Elmn City with
!00;  many  on board of  this vessel  weree  very  badly
ujuried.  We are now loading the steamer John Brooks,
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and will put 400 on her.  A great many officers, some of
thlem badly wouncledl, will go in her.  The IKennebec and
State of Auiine Mill follonv to-nig,lht, and will takle nearly
600 imore; miany of tlhem  are but slilghtly wounded, and a
lairge number are sick.
A  inumber  of prisoners will be sent  dowvn to-dclay to
Fortress Mtonroe fi'om  this place.   Among  themi are fiftythree ofticeis.  The mien are fine-looking fellows, but imiserably clotlhel, and terribly dilty.   The  Comlmodore  took
down  nearly 500, mostly wounded, few  veiy bad  eases.
This is a terrible scene, ecliplsing that of the \TWhlite Iouse;
but tlhere is imore assistance and less confiusion, and the accomimodationts are more extensive than there.
As I before stated, when the order was given to abandon our old caimp on tlhe Chiekahominy, the sick hlo were
able iwere told to walk to the Jaimes river.  Many of theiii
gladly desired to cdo so -who were unequal to the taskl, but
as transportation had to be provided for a laig,e  nu.mber,
tlhey were  not  prevented.  On  beini(  furnished  plentifully with cooked rations, coffee, etc., off they started, a
long  and  stiraggling, line, on  Satur day  evening; some
on crutchles, som$ e lhad caies.  3[ost of themi reachied tlhe
JamIes river 3ionday nig(ht, and bivouacked near Epilp)ig
Island, in a beautiful, shady grove on  the river's bank,
where they received such attentions as we could bestow.
On MIonday morning they werec sent to Harrison's Island,
but soon after they started it began to rain in torrents,
whilch so cut up the soft, clayey road, that it took themr
many hours to get there. Their suffering during the journey was  very great, but unavoidable.  On  ariivii]g, there
was not any accoimnmodations for them; but some of them
soon erected shelter on the lawnI iin front of the HIarrison
inanision, and as I heard there was about a dozen wall-tents
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DIARPY OF AN A1RMY SUPRGEON.
at hand, I got possession of them, and had them eretefed. In
them all tl-hat could crowd took shelter; and on the lawn, the
poor, w-eary fellows, with their blankets wrapped around
them, lay down in the rain, and soon forgot, in sleep, the
solrow-, privxations, and dangers of the past week. We took
)possession of the dwNelling-hlouse for a hospital.  As fast as
each case was attended to, we sent them on the steamers.
Noui'ishment was, with great difficulty, procured for them,
I,-lt, after some delay, I had coffee and soup prepared
for them; and in distributing it, the Rev. MIr. Fuller, chaplain of the 10th Mlassachusetts, was most efficient.  IIe
worked withl untiring energy, and appeased the cravings
of many  a poor fellow who for days had not tasted any
thing but hard crackers and muddy water, which he could
not at all times procure. We hope by to-morrow to
hlave matters in better preparation; but our labors are
very onerous, and but few of the surgeons have as yet had
any rest, and little, if any, food.
8
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CHAPTER XVI.
VISIT OF TIlE PRESIDENT TO THE ARMY.
I STARTED yesterday for Fortress Monroe on the steamer
John Brooks, with nearly four hundred wounded.  It was
not my intention to proceed further than the fort.  My
visit was for the purpose of obtaining supplies, and,naking
other necessary arrangements.  I found, this morning, that
many of the hangers-on and sutlers, swho have thronged the
White House and Harrison's Landing, are about leaving for
the North; it appears that General Dix, having had repeated complaints made to him of the frauds committed on
the soldiers by the Jews and sutlers, has issued an order
that they at once leave the fort.  Yesterday Lieutenant
Duval, of General Dix's staff, notified 200 of them that
they should depart  withlin twenty-four hours.  All last
night and this mlorning, they have been on the move; the
order is a just one, although it will bear heavily on some
honest men, who have invested all their capital in the purchase of goods that are much needed by the soldiers and
cannot be got elsewhere, for which they have charged a
fair price, considering the cost of bringing the goods to
this point; but others have been robbing the poor fellows
by selling them worthless trash at enormous prices.  I
found that the steamer State of Maine, which I dispatched
two days ago from Harrison's Landing, and which I hoped
was now safe in New York or New Haven, has returned
here, having broken her shaft. On going on board of her
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DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
I found the wounded doing well, but sadly disappointed at
tlhe delay in ieachin" their firiends.
To-day (Tuesday) the President arrived here (Fortress
MIonroe).  As I start back for Harrlison's Landiing he is
goilg ashore to hold an ijterviewv with General  Burn side, who is at the fort,-Ihis division being on its way
to reinforce General -icClellan, but has been, as I am in formed, countermanded.  Yesterday the flag-of-truce boat
which was sent up the York River on the  tli inst. returned:
at Cumberland 105 sick and wounded of our boys were
found and taken on board, the rebels consenting to their
surrender, but afteirwards changed their minds and obliged
themn to be brought back.  They were terribly disap,,pointed.
They were iunder the care of Dr. Daniel Wersel, U. S. A.
On my arrival at Iar]isoi's Landiing I learn2ed that the
retfusal to give up the wounded  at Cumberland, by the
rebels, was owing to some mistake, and that another vessel
will at once be senit for them.  A  giand review of all the
troops is about taking place.  The President, who has
arrived from  Fortress 3Ionroe, is now in  consultation
with Generial 3IcClellan, and the line will be formed at 6
r. M.  It will necessarily be quite late before the review is
over, as the line extends several miles; but it is moonlight,
and this will afford the men an opportunity to see President Lincoln, of whom they have  heard so  much, even
firom the rebels, whose pickets daily taunt them with repeating the opprobrious names they have given the President.
Stctem)en,ts of Rebel Prisoners at Il(trrison's Landinig.
On conversing, to-day, with some of the wounded rebels,
I learned that the wounded we had been obliged to abandoni, but whom we left in charge of surgeons, had been
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LEAVES FRO51 TIIE
w-ell taklen care of by the enemy, who had treated them
and the surgeonI s wiithi great kindniess.  This is doubtless the
eftect of our good treatment to their woiunded.  The prisonels who arrived yesterday are being sent down  tlhe
river to-dav  there are many officers among  them; I had
some conversation withl a colonel and a captain.  They are
genltlemien of education and refinement, and have been in
thle habit of makling(r annual visits to the   orlthern cities,
especially Baltimore and Philadelphia, where they are well
known: they made thle following statement, with every appearanece of candoi., and it seems iwortlhy of credit.  Before
the evacutation of Corinth portions of Beauregard's army
began to arrive in Rlichmond, and continued to do so until
that event took place, by which time nearly 50,000 hbad
arrived, and that, subsequent to the evacuation, half as
many more arrived; thlat these  75,000  troops are the
flower of Beauregard's army, the best of the old army of
3[anassas, and that, as a general thing,, they hav-e not been
engaged in the late battles, nor in the pursuit of our army
onl its retreat, but are held in reserve; that the whl-ole
number of troops around Richmond amounts to 200,000;
that General Lee has the chief command.  Generals Beauregard, Jackson, and Joe Johnston, before receiving his
woutnd at Fair Oaks, had the command of the cor)s d'(argte under hini.  They speak of the report of Stonewall
Jackson's deathl as if it were a rutse, and say that he will
soon again turn up at some unexpected point.  From what
tlhese officeis say, I infer that the ei,ght forts of earth-works
nortlh of Richmond, two or three miles from the city, are
not very strong, nor are they mounted with heavy guns.
They mainily rely on Fort Darling to defend the city, the
obstructions and subaqueous batteries in the James river
and  on the fighting of their troops.  They are greatly
1 i-2
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
elated at our reverses before Richmond And Chlaileston,
whichl they attribute more to the fighting quality than the
number of their troops, but say they have plenty of reN serves, and can place fiesh men in any battle when those
first enigaged become weary.
They say it is utterly impossible for the Union army to
take Richmond by land or water.  By land, on account of
the number and quality of their troops; and by water, on
account of the defences of the James river. Of these, Fort
ItDarli   is but one, for besides it they have erected three
iron batteries, mounted with heavy guans, and casematedcl
for the protection of the gunners.  That there are also siub
merged iron batteries, each containing five tons of gun  powder, connected with the land batteries by wires, and
so ariranged as to explode at any desired moment.
WVith regardi to the obstructions in the river, they are
such, that althloulgh it is possible to remove them, yet it
will require such a vast amount of labor, and so much
time, that it never can be dclone under the fire of the bat  teries, and no vessels can pass while they remain.  During
the -whole of the seven days' contest our troops fought
biavely, and drove the enemy back at many points: this
was, they said, noticeable  when  General  Heintzelman
charged with his whole division.  Yet in spite of this the
general result is in their favor.  The Chickahominy was no
barrier to their pursuit of our wearied and  decimated
coliumns.  General V,oodbury's Eingineer Corps remained
behind till the last moment, destroying and blowing up the
biridges.  But the enemy has also engineers to reconstruct
bridges; and firom their intimate knowledge of the topog  raphly of the country, had a decided advantage over us, as
they knew the position of many fords; so that while a por  tion of their army crossed on the bridges they rebuilt,
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LEAVES FRO-[ TIlE
others crossed at these fords. Thus they kept close on our
rear. Our engineers obstructed all the roads through the
White  Oak  Swamp so effectually, that they saved the
Union army by delaying the advance of the enemy; but
they toiled day and night to remove these obstructions,
and found new pathls, by which some of them were avoided.  By Tuesday night they had cleared their way so that
they could advance across the swamp in any number they
pleased; but at that time our troops had reached the
James river, and were comparatively safe.  We  are now 
encamped for five miles along its left bank. The rebels
are in our rear, between us and the Chickahominy, their
right resting on Richmond, where the main body of their
armay remains. Their left extends to the junction of the
two rivers. If they had recovered firom their fatigue they
would attack us before they knew of our being reinforced;
but the labor of the seven days' fight has told as heavily
on them as it has on our men.  Doubtless, before many
days will have passed, we shall again hear firom them. Our
men are not unwilling, nor at all daunted at the prospeect, thoughl the enemy has two to our one.  Yet our position is strong, our artillery well posted, and our able auxiliaiies, the gunboats, prepared to meet them, but we look
daily for reinforcements.
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XVII.
SECOND BATTLE OF MALVERN IIILL.
ON Saturday last, an expedition under General Hooker
set out for the purpose of recapturing 3Ialvern Hill, where
our troops fotught so well, but lost so many, and the position.  For some reason they returned wvithout any engngenmeit, but started again yesterday evening for the same
purpose.  The column  was not all on the road until the
mnoon hadl risen, which threw a flood of light on the men's
brilliant bayonets throughl  each ol)ening in the woods.
The roads were in good order; the artillery train went
smoothly on, makling but little noise.  Precautions were
taken not to give alarm to the enemy's pickets, one of
whom was arrested on the road.  Guards were stationed
around each dwvelling-houtse they passed, to prevent the inmates giviing the alarm to the enemy, whose camp was
near.  Our men having reached the place determined on
to halt for the night, pickets were thrown out with the
greatest quietude and caution, so as to prevent the enemy
fioni being aware of our proximity.  These precautions
would have succeeded, but that some newly-fledged brigalier, to show his authority, gave the order to lhis brigade
to halt, in a voice that could be heard for miles.  It was
heard by the enemy's pickets at 12 o'clock, and reinforcements were sent for.  Our men bivouacked on the Quaker
Church road, in the rear of the battle-ground at Glendale.
Grover's Brigade was in the advance: their pickets sawv
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LEAVES FRO3 THE
none of the enemy, but three, who, on seeing the 2d New
IHampshlire, disappeared.  At daylight the column moved,
and passed through Nelson's farm, by the old battle-ground,
and near the church, which on a former occasion had been
riddled with shot and shell, and its pews torn up to make
amputating tables. At half-past five the column reached
3lalvern HIill. The sky was clouded, the atmosphere damp
and heavy, and not a breeze moved the leaves.  The cav
alry and artillery led the column into the field through the
wooded gorge, in firont of the hill occupied by General
tIooker and his staffi, who at once took a position, by posting his artillery and ordering the cavalry to the attack.
The enemy had a battery in position on the right of the
brick house wh-ichl stands on the bluff towards the James
i-ver;-this was Sti-ibling's Fatuquier battery. The 8th and
1,thll Georgia regiments, and two cavalry regiments, were
also on the field.  Orders were  given to the 8th Illinois
cavalry to charge on the Fauqnier battery, whilch received
them withl a storm of grape and canister that drove thlem
back.  It then fired shell and case-shot on the road leading
to the Quaker church, to whichl  Benson's artillery replied.
The morningr, as stated, was calm and cloudy, but the ene
my, with great accuracy, continued to shell the road on
whliichl our troops were advancing.  Grover's Brigade led
the infantry, and stood the fire unflinchllingly.  Tlhe other
birigades followed in good order.  The men, by dropping
down as a shell w-as heard, escaped unlhurt, with the exception of two killed and fifteen wounded.  Thus they marched upon the field and took theiri position.  The smoke  became so dense, fi'om the absence of any wvind, tlhat General
Ilooker ordered the artillery to slacken their fire, and soon
discovered that the rebels were retireating along, the road
that leads to Ptichlmond, on the balnk of the river.  Gent
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a 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURIGEON.
eral. Pleasanton, with cavalry and artillery, charged on
them.  They formed ill line of battle to receive  as they
supposed, nothing but a cavalhy charge, but a couple of
rounds firom  the batteries undeceived them,  when they
again retreated, closely followed by our cavalr'y, which cut
up thleir rear-Lguard and took fifty prisoners.  Thus ended
the second battle of Mialvern IHill.  The enemy were not
prepared for us, and not receiving the expected reinforcements, retreated towards thle river, where it would be unwise to pursue them, as a strong force was posted further
ulp, near Richmond.  We took over 100 prisoners.  Lieutenant Ilubbard captured ten prisoners and two  horses.
IVe lost Lieutenanit-colonel Gamble, of the 8th Illinois cavali-y, \vhlo was shot thlrotugh the lung.  Captain Benson lost
a leg by the explosion of a sltell near the muzzle of one of
his guns.  Before our men were all quietly settled down,
General.IcClellan arrived, and, in company with General
Ilooker, rode over the field.  It is reported that our troops
will occupy this place permanently, but I tlhink we will all
soon leave the Peninsula.  This opinion is based on the refuisal to reinforce ius, as our present force is inadequate for
tl,,e calpture of Richlmond, and daily growing smaller by
sicknIess.
8*
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LEAVES FROM THE
CIIAPTER XVIII.
INCIDENTS AT IIARRISON'S LANDING.
FOR the last two days we have been occupied in sending
off the sickl and wounded, as soon as they were able to be
moved, and we couldl procure steamers for the purpose.
Every thing is unusually quiet since  the enemy shelled
our camp, firom the opposite bank of the river, at night.
I had a conversation to-day with a gentleman who has just
returned from Richmond.  Ile remained with our wNounded
at Savage's station, on the retreat of the Union army.  IHe
describes the scene as truly awfuil.  The confusion and
want of accommodation, caused by the retreat of the army,
added to the sufferings of the wvounded.  It was many
hours before they could secure a cot, shelter, or blanket, to
lie down  on.   The  dwielling-louses and negro-quarters
were filled to overflowing.  A  few tents, and improvised
coverings of boards and branches, were all the shelter that
could be obtained.   The surgeons were without instrumenIts, bandages, stimulants, or the necessary appliances.
Tlhe wounded  fi'om the battle of Peach Orchard were
brought to Savage's, and during the battle in the afternoonI, to the left of Savace's, shells were thrown  into
the hospital by  the  rebels.   A flag of truce was sent
to them, and a promise obtained to respect the hospital,
signed by three colonels of the Confederate army. The
wounded fromi this battle, whichl raged until nine or ten
o'clock at night, were also brought to this hospital.  At
178 
DI-ARY OF AN AlRMY SURGEON.
day-light, next morning, the rebels mounted a gitard over
the hospital, and sent out wagons to collect the wounded
still left on the field.  Thle burying of the dead, after these
two battles, continued for three days.  On Tulesday morning, the barricades and the smouldering ruins of the locomotives and cars burned by our forces hlaving been removedl, the truck-trains were run out fiom  Richmond to
Satvage's station, and the Confederate wounded were takeni to the city.  Detachments of their troops were set to
pick up the spoils of our camps,-old shloes and clothing.
Thley also took our men's haversacks, belts, and even the
fi'agments of shells that lay around.  The rebel wounded
weie placed in hospitals and private houses. Our wounded
were not removed until Tuesday week after the battle.  InI
the mean time many of them had died of their wounds, and
were buried near tlle station.  When they were transferred
to Richmond they were Inot treated as wounded men, but
as prisoners, and placed in warehouses and prisons, where
the airi, firom want of ventilation, was shlocking.  The rebels did not provide surgeons for them, except one in charge
of each of the temporary hospitals.  These took no means
to relieve the wounded, save in one case, where a surgeon,
with a rusty saw, performed an amputation, firom which the
patient soon died.  The Richmond ladies attended to their
own sick and wounded; but not one came near our men,
amIIong whom the mortality is increasing.  Our surgeons
were not kept in prison; and the gentleman vwho informed,
me of these facts, being a civilian, was allowed to come
awayv  to make arrangements for an exchange of prisoners,
on giving his parole to return in twenty days, unless previously exchanged.  He  came by way of Petersburg, to
City Point.  Ile says the rebels are exultant over our
recent defeats, but that Richmond and Petersburg are
ili-9
a 
LEAVES FRO-1 i'IE
filled with mourning for their relatives lost in tile late battles.  General Dix has arranged the exchange, which has
commenced.  Two hundred and fifty of the Union prisoners
have been sent to the AWhite House for this purpose.  Generals McCall and Reynolds are in one of the prisons at Richmoend  which is used for officers.  These officers and the
-wolnded( receive rations of bread and meat twice a day.
Tihe officers have bunks, but the sick lie on the floors
of the w-arehouse, which has not been cleaned since last
occupied as a prison.  Until a day or two before he left,
many lay in the same clothes they were taken firom the
battle-field.  Before leaving, some of them had received
clealn drawers and coverlids.  Their old clothing was collectedcl, to be sent to a woollen mill, to be manufactured into
clothing, for the rebel soldiers.  There are in prison, at
Richmond, over a dozen sntlers of our army, many of
whom have a,greed to pay large sums for their release, if
not exchlanged.  From  some  of these the rebels  have
received futll particulars of our strength.  Many of them
are Jews: the rebels have made agrleements with them to
commence rutnning the blockade, with contraband articles
most needed in Richmond, on their return within our lines.
The steaimer Louisiana was sent yesterday up the river
to receive the sick and wounded Union prisoners who have
been exchanged.  Shie passed down the river to-day with
a joyful load.  These are the wounded taken at Savagce's
*tation.   General Dix made the request for their release.
Tlhey are on their way to Baltimore.  f[ajor Clitz, of the
12Ith  Regculars, andcl Colonel Charles of the New  York
Tammany regiment, both of whom were reported as killed,
are on board and are doing well.   They give a much
better account of the treatment they received than we
received before.  They say that, excepting the food, they
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a 
DIARY OF AN ARM:Y SURGEON.
were well cared for, and the reboels gave them'the best
food they- had.  All is quiet here.  It is expected that
Geneial Beauregard, withl 30,000 men, has taken posses sion of the southl bank of the river downi to City Point.
This may cause a renewal of the firing on our steamers
p)assing down- the ri-ver.  For the last week they have not
been molested, and since the Juniata was fired into, but
little injury lhas been done to any of them.   We are busily
einigaged to-day, endeavoring to have the abuses existing
on tlhe Baltimiore boat fiom  Fortress Alonroe remedied.
lIatny of the sick sent down-n firom here, who were able to
go home on ftirloughls, andcl others discharged fiom  the
O(ld Pl'oint hospitals, have been kept lyingc onl the floor of
the boat anld wharf, before tley could procure berthls.  The
consequence has been, in many cases, a relapse of their
illniess.  These complaints have comle firom Baltimore, and
I hope in future it will be prievented.  The provost-marslhal
to-dlay seized a quantity of percussion caps at the expressoflice.
AIatters and tlings here wear the usual quiet appearance.  There has not any tiiincg happened to break tlhe moliotony of diills, parades, &c., excepting the visit of (Gen.
Ilalleck to head-quarters.  Some say we are goinig to make
an advane on RPiclhmond as soon as all our reinforcements
arrive, and that Gen. Halleck's visit to Gen. iMcClellan was
to decide on the nilumber of trool)s he requires to securee
tlhe capt'~ of the city.  Others say we  are about abandonilg the IPeninsula, and that Gen. I-lalleck reftlsed( to
give Geni. McClellan any further reinflorcenents.  Deathls in
the hoslpitals are daily occurring.  The weatler is intensely,hot.  Tlhe fatigue parties are di,ging wells, but meet
witlh but poor success.  Our supply of wiater is miserable
A  terrible row took place last night on board the Adams'
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a 
LEAVES FROM THE
Express Company's barge. The negroes employed by the
Company, in the absence of the agent, Mr. Montgomery,
getting intoxicated had a row, which broke the stillness of
the nilght.  Quite a number of absentees are daily returnin(r to their regiment.  This looks as if some change was
near at hand.  The surgeon of the 1st U. S. Sharp-shooters
liaving died in the Richmond hospital, the account of his
death and a eulogy was read last evening to the regiment.
Dr. Marshlall was an excellent surgeon and a favorite with
his regiiment.  The occasion was peculiarly affecting: as the
men, drawn up in a hollow square, heard of his death, their
emotion was quite evident.
The thunder-storm of last week here, has given us some
cool and refireshing weather.  The army are daily engaged
with reviews.  The regimental bands are being mustered
out of service, and in future but one will be allowed to a
brigade.   This, I am  convinced, is mistaken economy,
as the men fight much better with music, and remain in
camp more satisfied if there is a band. Besides this, the
band-men, if properly trained, carry the wounded to the
iear, thus avoidiing the necessity of reducing the ranks
when most needed.  The regiments most decimated are
being filled up with recruits but slowly.  Yesterday a cavalry picket was sent out in the direction of Richmond, and
met the enemy's cavalry with an artillery escort.   This
was looked on as a sure forerunner of an attack, but as yet
"all is quiet."  General Marcy and General Butterfield ileturned to their duty to-day, and were (especially the latter)
heartily welcomed by the men of their brigades.  I see with
satisfaction that our firequent requests for vegetables for the
men has at last been heeded: a lairge cai-rgo arrived to-day,
and will be at once distributed to the commissaries.  This
change of diet will check the alarming spread of scurvy,
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0 
DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEION.-'
and give great satisfaction to the men.  A large force was
sent across the river yesterday, to cut down the trees that
gave shelter to the rebels dulring their midnight attack
onI IS.
The firing on  the mail-boats by the rebels, and the
means taken to prevent it, have been the only topics here
for a week.   The list of sick is daily diminishing under
the improved vegetable dcliet.   One of the gunboats ran
aground above City Point yesterday, and as yet is not got
of;f, but it is expected that by to-morrow she will again be
afloat.   At twelve o'clock, last night, General Hooker's
division fell back to its old encamp)ment, leaving a strong
guardl at Hlaxall's; on perceiving which the rebels advanced
by three roads from Richmond, under the impression that
our forces were marching on the city, but on driving in
our p)ickets for a mile or so, they discovered we had no
such intentions, and fell back.  While at AI'lvern IIill one
or two of the soldiers set fire to an ice-house, the flames and
smoke firom w-hich, on being seen by the enemy, made him
suppose we were about to evacuate it, and a large force
advanced by the Newmarkcet road, but on discovering their
mistake  returned.   The  remains  of  Lieuten,ant-colonel
O'Conner, of the 81st Pennsylv-ania Volunteers, were discov-eiecd yesterday, buried near one of the barns used as
a hospital after the battle at Nelson's farm.  Ihis money,
compass, &c., were all found in his coat pocket, and were
takenl care of with his remains, which are now being forw-arded to Pennsylvania.
Yesterday Gen. Butterfield's Brigade returned to their
old camp, after having been on duty on tlhe opposite bank
of the James river.  During their short campaign they
saw but little.of the enemy.  Part of the time the brigade
head-quarters were in the Ruffin house. Our ambulance corps
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LEAYES FROM TlHE
is uindergoing reorganization.   Each  division ambulance
coIrps will be placed under command of a lieutenant, with a
dcletail of ten men fiom each regiment.  These men will be
dlistiinguishled by a  igreen cap-band.  This arrangement, if
properly carried out, will insure prompt attention to the
w-ouinded, and prevent straggling.  On the mail-boat, this
miorning, a large number of officers and sergeants went
down the lriver, on their way home for reciruiting duty.  We
had an arrival from  RPichmond this afternoon.  A  small
steamer came down with a flag of truce.  On board of her
ire a number of British subjects, leaving  D)ixie.  A Lieutenant Aurplhy, of the 67th New York Volunteers, arrived
to-day, lhaving, in company with three others, made his
escape fi'om Richmond.  They were taken prisoners, with
the other wounded, after the battle of Savage's station, and
since then have been confined in one of the tobacco warehouses.  They give a detailed description of tlheir mode of
escape-by pulling off a board fiom the back of the buildigc, and getting into an alley-way.  They  are now with
General  [IcClellan, desciibing the Richmond fortifications.
This morning orders were received to dispatch all the sick
and woutinded down to Fortress MIonroe.  This will occupy
us for several days.  The regimental, brigade, and division
surgeons have also received orders to hold a general inspection, and to send to us every man unfit folr active duty, so tlhat
tlIevy may be forwarbled with the others. This indicates some
rieat chl.ance; and, firom the order issued in relation to the
lse of transports by the sick, I have but little doubt tlhe
wNliole aiimyv is about to evacuate the Peninsula.  General
-IcClellan has been very active, lately, in visiting the diffeient camps, and thleir concentration towards the river would,
if necessary, confirm this opinion.  There is much dissatisfaction among the men at the failure to send reinforce
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
ments; and now that the engagements of General Banks'
and Pope's commands have become known to them, they
seem very desirous to leave here, as there is not any prospect
of an attack on Richmond.   The weather is becomi,g
intensely hot, and tlhe sick suffer much firom  the heat.
Several of the generals commnanding divisions and brig,ades,
who have been away on leave of absence, have returned to
their commands.   These combined movements  will, ere
long, produce the usual result.  The reports fiomr thle recruiting officers to their commandants are not encouieaging to the
men here, nor do the lairge bounties, now paid to recruiits,
please the troops.  They argue that it is an injustice to
ihlose wl-o have for so long a time borne the fatigue and
ldangeis of the campaign.
Yesterday the news reached camp of the release of Colonel Corcoran, after a year's imprisonment in Richmond.
The occasion was one of rejoicing in the 69thl Newv York
regiment; but they feel that the corps has passed tlhrou(gh
many scenes since his capture, whichl entitles every meimber to an equal amount of glory.  The army, as a whlole, is
in good condition, tholugh there are many who desire to
return to their homes, and are silck of the war.  This morning, about 10 o'clock, smoke was seen arising firom the vicinity of' City Point.  The rebels had set the wharf on fire at
that place: the smoke increased and soon the whole vwharf
was inr flames.  The flag-of-truce boat, which usually stops
at this -wharf, was consequently obliged to proceed further
up the river and may not return to-night.  The flamies and
smoke ascending from the fire could be seen for many
miles.  It is said that the gunboats coul(d have prevented
the destruction of the w-harf, but feared they might fire on
tile flag-of-tiruce boat, then momentarily expected.  The
enemy'k object in destroying it, is supposed to be to pre
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vent our landing a large force on the other bank of the
river.  While the wharf was on fire, a report arrived that
the enemy had appeared in force in the woods on the other
side of the river.  Two of the gunboats commenced shell
ing the woods in that direction, and kept it up for half an
hour.  These have been the only incidents that occurred
here for maany days; we daily look for the order to leave.
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CHAPTER XIX.
EVACUATION OF IIARPRISON'S LANDING.
EARLY this morning the long looked-for order has been
issued, and important movements are now being made: the
gunboats were all ordered up to cover our mnarchl.  The
advance has started for Williamsburg: the rear-guard will
probably start by midnioghlt.  The movement is not received
with much favor, the bulk of the officers and men think
that Richmond can be taken now if ever, as Gen. Pope has
drawn off a large portion of the rebel force hitherto engaged
in its defence; they also say that the present camping
ground w-as gained at a terrible heavy loss to be abandoned
withlout cause.  For the past week, heavy ordnance and
loads of' ammunition have been shipped down the river.
To-dclay the contrabands are being sent down on barges and
the steamer Illinois.  The 93d Newi York, lwhicll was doingiprovost-g(uard duty here, was sent down  on the North
Amierica.  About 10 o'clock, Col. Ingalls' tents and desks
were sent on board the Long Branch, and he wvent to Gen.
)[eClellan's  head-quarters to march overland with the
army.  There has not been any loss but the burning of two
bairg,es tlhat were worthless: all the stores vwere safely shipped.  Thus the prolonged encampment of the Union army
on the pleasant bankls of tlhe Jaunies river ends.  Its future
destination is not generally known, but we all first proceed
to Fortress MAonroe, wvhelre our fleet of transports are nowv
lying, to the number of twelve or thlirteen hundred.
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3fctrch to Yorktozwn.
By Wednesday night all requisite arrangements  were
completed, and the army ready to march at short notice,
at any time.  XNearly all the sick had been embarked, and
the rest could be disposed of in an hour's time.  In the
afternoon, it became known that General MIcClellan had
gone down the river for some  purpose connected  with
the anxiously expected movement; it was reported, and
generally believed, that upon his return marching orders
would be issued, and the line of march to be taken would
be indicated, and the suspense relieved.  The uncertainty
whichl existed as to our destination was rather annoying, to
us who had to make the journey, as it might be, in the
dalrk, not know ing what enemnies we were to meet, or -whlat
battles had to be fobught before we were extricated fiom
our unpleasant situation.  The weathler continued to be
quite cool and comfortable, and much better for marchiing
than any which had prevailed for two or three weeks previously. Thursday morning was pleasant and comfortable,
and nothing of particular interest transpired througih the
day, until in the afternoon, when General IMcClellan ieturned, and it was soon rumored  about that the long
looked-for time had arrived, and that the army would coinmence moving in a few hours, and that its destination was
to be WAilliamsburg, in the first instance.  It was believed
that the army would move by three roads, in order to get
throug,h more rapidly, and to be better prepared to meet
any attack which the rebels should make  upon our columns. By some means the general plans intended to be
pursued hadcl become known (as events proved), probably
it not being, deemed necessary to maintain such perfect
secrecy in regard to them as had hitherto been done. At
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DIARY OF AN AlRMY SURGEON.
abouit six o'clock in the evening, orders were issued to the
reg,'imeints and batteries coimprising  General I'orter's corl)ps
to I)repare to move immediately.  These orders were received w"ith cheers by the soldiers, who were rejoiced at
the termination of their suspense and the prospect of a
clhange of locality.  3Iany of them believed, up to the last,
that it was an advance towards Richmond, to co-operate
with General Pope in the reduction of the rebel capital.
Thev could not, or would not believe, that after so many
sacrifices, and the expencliture of so many lives, and so
muchl time, labor, and money, the campaign  was to be
abandoned, and the Peninsula allowed to relapse to rebel
rule again.  They could not realize the fact, that the proudcl
Army of the Potomac, which three months before had commenced its march w-ith such high and noble hopes and aspiratious, with fill r'anks and joyous hearts, to wipe out the
record of Butill Runi and Ball's Bluff, was now, with decimated ranks and disheartened spirits, about to retrace its
steps and return, withoit haviing accomplished its purpose.
True, too, that the army had foutight well, and stood by
their general throiughi good aicnd evil report.   They had, at
Yorktown, IVilliamsburg,  Fair  Oaks,  Hanover  Courthlouse, Gaines'  lill, WAhite  Oak  Swamp,  and  Malvern
Hill, enshrined their name with a halo of glory by their
dauntless courage and gallant bravery, so fearlessly displayed(l, often against superior, and sometimes  overwhelming
niumbers;-and now, that all was to be abandoned, and a
retrograde movement was to be made, they utterly refused
to credit.  Soon  all was bustle and  excitement in the
camps, the tents struck, and wagons packed very rapidly.
So perfectly had every thing been prepared, that it took
but comparatively short time to have every thling in
readiness. By nine o'clock most of the regiments were
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ready and waiting for marching orders, and by ten all the
preparations were made.  The division of General Sykes,
which was to lead the advance, commenced its march  at
about that hour.  This was followed by General Morrell
and General'McCall's divisions.  It was nearly three o'clock
on Friday morning before all were fairly started for the
march.  The sight was very romantic and interesting, as
the long files of soldiers moved out of the intrenchlments
at the firont and into the Charles City road, their bayonets
,listeniing in the moonlight as they moved  silently along.
Suppressed congratulations were exchanged, that we were
at length actually leaving the contracted lines wsithin which,
for more than six weeks, the army had lived, and suffered
discomforts which must ever render the recollections of the
place any thing but pleasant or satisfactory.  We proceeded slowly along, and soon the signs of approacl-ing day
streaked the horizon, and in the light of early dawn we
bid, at last, farewell to the scene of our recent uncomnfortable experiences.  The air was cool and healthful, and the
men generally cheerful and good-natured. The incidents
and descriptions of the scenes connected with the beginning
of marches have become  so familiar, it is sufficient to
say, that at last we were fairly started on our journey, and
prepared to meet whatever fortune or adventures were in
store for us.  AVe  reached Charles City Coturt-house at
about eight, A. Mr.,-this is about five miles firom Harison's
Landing, -and from it a road which leads to Barrett ferry,
on the Chlickahominiy river, near where it empties into the
James.  To this point our day's march was intended to
reach, and it was said to be twelve miles distant, but my
subsequent experience would seem to indicate that it was
nearer fifteen.  The Charles City Court-house, which is the
seat of government of Charles City county, is a very an
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cient and venerable-looking one-story brick building with
two wings.  The main building was used as a court-house,
and the wings contain the jutry-dfoms, &c. &c. Adjoining
the court-house is another smaller building, which contain  ed the various county offices, and where were kept the
public records of the county. These buildings have for
some time past been used as a sort of head-quarters for one
of our cavalry regiments on duty in that vicinity. The
records and public documents which were kept in these
butildings, extended back for nearly two hundred years, and
must have been of very great importance to the inhabitants
and property-owners of the county.  These had been pulled
about and torn to pieces and scattered all about the build ing and adjoining grounds.  Great confusion must arise
firom this wanton destruction of valuable papers, and liti gation in the future be largely increased thereby. By
such conduct friends and foes are injured indiscriminately,
and without any accompanying advantage to compensate
for the injulry inflicted. Here also is the county jail; and
these, with three or four other buildings, appear to con,stitute the city. It does not take much to make a city Sotlth.
The dwelling-houses appeared to have been generally deserted by their inhabitants. Leaving this place, we moved
along slowly and cautiously, as it was thought beyond here
we might possibly meet with some trouble firom the enemy
Previouts cavalry reconnoissances had shown no rebel force
between us and the Chickahominy river, but yet there was
a possibility that they might attempt to annoy us, even if
not in force to attack seriously. The moving column of
soldiers, artillery, army wagons, and horses filled the road
for miles, as it moved along. There were not many iresidences along the road, and some of them had been abandoned by their former occupants.   The few inhabitants
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who remiainecld weie astonishled to see us mo\-ing along in
suchtel force.  Tihey- pretended to have had no communrication wsith their rebel firiends, or wNithl Richmond, for a lone
time, and to be in coimplete ignorance of what hadc lately
transpired in the outside world.  They were very cur'ious
to know if it was a movement of our whole armly, or if
only a portion of it, for some particular purpose.  Their
rebel proclivities caused, what their caution could not entirely disguise, the exhibition of their rejoicing at the
thought that we were going a'way, although they, generally,
made professions of neutrality, and denied having  any
part in the war, -, &C  &c.  One fact is generally noticeable
in this  State, and  I have  found it almost  invariably
wherever we have been, that is, the absence of all young
or middle-aged men. A persevering inquiry will usually
disclose the fact that they are with the rebel army, although most generally their fiiends claim that they lhave
been forced away under the conscription, or volunteered to
save the disgrace of being drafted.  There are to be found
on the plantations only women, old men, and children.
The negroes who are able to be of any service are also
mostly gone. Some having been removed down South by
their masters for safety, and the balance having sought
refiuge within the lines of our army, where they, of course,
cannot be pursued, and are thenceforth free.
This portion of the State is fertile and productive, and
has been styled the Garden of Virginia, but owing to these
causes and the disturbing influence of war, is largely lying
waste and overgrown with weeds and brambles at present.
The crops gathered this year will be but small, and with
the destruction caused by the presence of contending
armies, the inhabitants must suffer greatly, and will find
difficulty in obtaining a subsistence until next year's harvest
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
is gathered. In every household there is mourning for
near and dear ones, whose lives have been sacrificed to the
wicked and pestilent delusions to which, for the time being,,
the Southerners seem to be given over. All along the line
of our march the houses were visited by stragglers from our
allrmy, of whom there will always be many, in spite of every
exertion made  to prevent it.  The occupants  of these
houses appeared highly indignant because guards were not
stationed, as formerly, to guard their property and prevent
intrusion.  They thought it extremely hard  that they
should be compelled to contribute towards the support of
the army in any way. Poultry and firuit rapidly disappeared, and many a soldier's mess that night could boost of
a.o/el addition. In some instances, what was taken was
paid for, but in more they were in too great a hurry to
rejoin their regiments to settle. The sufferers acknowledged, however, that their firiends, of the rebel army,
treated them with no more regard for their vested rights;
but what seemed to afflict them most was, that the hated
Yankees should have the benefit of secesh property. Of
course this pillaging by soldiers as they pass through an
enemy's country must be condemned, and when detected
and proved, should be punished for the good of the army
itself, which such practices tend to demoralize; but still it is
a great temptation to one, who has for weeks lived on salt
pork and hard bread, to see a young and fat fowl within
close proximnity to him. The march was conducted in an
orderly manner, and the absence of any attack or attempted opposition to our passage, must of course detract from
the interest of the story. It however gratified both officers
and men, who, as nothing could have been gained by fighting, more than was better attained without it-a passage
through the country-desired that we might get peaceably
0~~~~~~
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LEAVES FRO0M THE
through it.  They were all ready to fight, if required, but
preferred, if possible, to be spared the necessity. Without
any incidents worthy of note, the river was reached by tho
advance early in the afternoon, and by night the divisions
of General 3Iorrell and General Sykes were crossed over
to the opposite bank. General Il[cCall's division having
taken another road, and having left the old camp subsequently to the others, did not reach there until the next
forenoon.  A splendid pontoon bridge, of nearly a third of
a mile in length and about thirty feet wide, had been built
across the Chickahlominy by the engineer  brigade, and
upon this marched the weary soldiers, followed by the
artillery, and encamped upon the opposite shore for the
night.  Near this bridge were lying the gunboats Delaware
and Yankee, to protect it against any attempt the enenmy
might make  to destroy it.  The day's march had been
loing and tiresome, but the men stood it very well.  The
weather throughout the day was cool, and until about one
p. M. was overcast; so that, except for the dust, the march
had been pursued in comparative comfort.  In fact, up to
this time, the weather had been most favorable. Ilad it
been ordered expressly it could not have been bettered;
except, perhaps, a little rain, to lay the dust, would have
been an acceptable improvement.   The intense heat under which we have been sweltering for weeks past, has
been succeeded by a cool and comfortable temperature,
which has enabled us to march through the day and encamp at night, to the manifest advantage of the army, as
regards its health and strength. Night marches have not
been resorted to, except upon the first night, but the men
have been allowed to rest and refi-esh thenmselves after the
day's march, and prepare for the labors and fatigues of the
succeeding day. Saturday morning the march was resumled,
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
and the columns moved on towards Williamsburg, at which
place tile advance arrived about eight A. M.  General ~Moi  rell's division arrived there about one P. x., and passed on
to the vicinity of the old battle-field, where they remained
encamped  until Sunday morning.  Every thing passed
peaceably.
It wsas now evident that the rebels were either unaware
of the time when and the direction in which we were go ing, or that they had other business for their army than
following us.  Their experience at White Oak Swamp and
i[alvern Hill may have taught them a lesson which they
do not care to repeat at present. If any attack is intended
by them, it must be upon  our rear-guard, but it is not
thought that they will now disturb us at all. Tlhis dlay's
march witnessed a repetition of the previous onslaught
upon the poultry and orchards of the secesh inhabitants by
the stragglers.  As a general thing they were civil, how ever, and willing to pay for what was taken (when re quested to do so).  Large quantities of unripe firuit and
melons were devoured, which will most probably cause a
material increase of cases of diarrhea and dysentery, and
refill the regimental hospitals, which had been cleared of
their occupants preparatory to this movement.  There was,
also, some disappearance of fowls and poultry of all kinds,
which had become a very common article of diet in
the camps.  AMany of the soldiers were seen to carry, in
addition to their arms and accoutrements, extra rations in
the shaple of turkeys, geese, chickens, and ducks, which, by
the noise they made, had evidently been recently served
out to them (?), and were yet, in many instances, alive and
kicking.  Just before entering Williamsburg, there was
noticed an enterprising private by the side of the road, under the shade of a large tree, with some half-dozen un
195
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LEAVES FROM THE
ril)e water-melons spread out before him, which he was dis)posing of to his less fortunate comrades at the moderate
rate of fiftv cents each. HIow he became possessor of this
valuable merclhandise is unknown,  but that his profits
equalled the total of his receipts there is no doubt.  He
was not a native Yankee, but an Hibernian, and one who
evidently, with the reckless generosity and profusion characteriistic of his countrymen, combined the thrift and
shrewdness which is supposed to belong to the natives of
the land of his adoption. The secessionists of Williamsburg,
as elsewvhere along the route, were much rejoiced to see
our army making a retrograde movement, anticipating that
soon this part of the Peninsula, also, would be surrendered
to the rebel rule again.  The colored population had taken
the alarm, and were very anxious to learn what the future
had in store for them. Some of the more indiscreet of the
rebel sympathizers, upon learning that we were evacuating
our position upon the James river, indulged in threats of
what should be done to the negroes when the Yankees were
gone. This increased their alarm and agitation, and the
exodus of this class of the population, most of whom had
been the slaves of rebel fugitive masters, has already commenced, and probably a few days will see the town relieved
of nearly all of them, but a very few will remain to experience the tender mercies of their secesh friends. Between the action of the rebels in carrying their slaves down
South, and the operation of military rule, the Peninsula has
been cleared of the more valuable portion of the slave property, those who are left being generally either of an ancient
or very tender and juvenile age, neither of which are of much
profit. Practical emancipation has taken place; and those
who have not availed themselves of its benefits, are of the
class who arc either too old, too young, or too shiftless to
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
do so. This morning, one of the rebel sympathizers of this
place, named Robert Coles, was arrested, by order of the
provost-marshal; at his residence a quantity of ammuiiition and some arms were found.  It is said that he was
busily engaged, yesterday, in running bullets, while our
troops were passing through the town.  The avowed purpose was, to stop the departure of the contrabands after
the expected withdrawal of our troops.  At an early hour,
this morining, the march was resumed, and continued in an
orderly mannelr until Yorktown was reached. There was
now no danger of an attack, and there did not exist the
necessity for any special care in making the advance.
Nothing worthy of note occurred, and Yorktown was
reached soon after noon, and the weary soldiers encamped
in the old camp, made familiar to most of them by a four
weeks' residence, during the famous siege of the rebel for.
tifications. Here they remained and rested. The marchigc was beginning to tell upon the men, and there were a
good many stragglers, who had fallen out of the ranks.
The prov-ost-guard was constantly employed in riding to
and fio upon the road, hunrying them up, but in spite of
their exertions they came in slowly, by twos and threes,
and sometimes in squads.  Mlost of them rejoined their
commands in the course of the day and evening.  The
scenes of the previous two days were repeated along the
route, although not to so great an extent. It was, however, highly dangerous for poultry to show itself in any
close proximity with the soldiers.
Upon my  arrival at Yorktown I called upon General
Van Alen, the military governor of the place, who received
me kindly and courteously; and to him am I indebted for
kind favors and attentions received.  Since the occupation
of the place by the Union troops, it has been much im
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proved, and its general appearance and clean and orderly
condition is higrhly creditable to him and to Captain R1evere of the 44th regiment, New  York  Volunteers, the
provost-marshal.   When  the "Union" troops first took
possession of the place, it was in a filthy condition. Under
the direction of Captain Revere it has been thoroughly
cleaned, and large quantities of filth, offal, and  decaying carcasses of animals have been removed and buried.
The main street has been filled and raised two feet, and
every thing possible has been done to make the villagre a
healthy and respectable place of residence.   The earthworks and intrenchmnients built both by the Union and the
rebels rlemain intact, and by their extent and massiveness
show with what perseverance and energy both parties contended for the locality.  The  first buildings erected in
Yorktown for twenty-seven years, is a rowv of five onestory buildings, built under Captain Revere's direction for
the use of the officers, etc., connected withl  head-quarters.
Thle place is fully prepared for deftnce against any attack
which might be made upon it by the rebels, who cannot
safely or successfiilly enter upon any operation of this natutre.  A single gunboat would conmmand Gloucester Point
opposite, and prevent the erection of batteries there, alnd
any hostile demonstrations firom the other side must result
in a speedy repulse of any force which might be brought
down for that purpose.  Upon the plain, outside the rebel
works, quite an extensive biurial-cground has been laid out,
whiclh already contains about three hundred graves, mostly of
our soldiers who have been buried there.  When the army
advanced firom this point, a large number of sick were left
here, of whom many died.  Some bodies were also brought
here fiomn Williamsburg and other points up the Peninsula,
and here, after "life's fitful fever, they slept well.'   A
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headboard at each grave records the name, regimeit, and
company of its occupant; so that their firiends can, at any
tilte, find the place of their sepultiure.  A neat rail-fenlce
inceloses the whlole and protects it fi'om intrusion.
The avant-courier of the army of tle Potomac arrived at
Jiampton Roads this morning, in the shape of Htunt's artillery reserve, and immediately went into camp for two or
tlhree days' rest. Fitz-John Porter's corps is now at Newport News, or rapidly airriving there, and by to-moirrow
imorning the entire army of the Potomac will be at Yorktown, Niewport News, and Ilampton.  Up to the present
time I have heard nothing but rumors of filghting; they
were based on the fliing of gunboats, as they shelled the
w-oods on the banks of the James  river, to keepl) them
clear of the rebels who mighi(t use their cover to hang oi
our flanks and rear to annoy us, and perhaps do us considerable damage.  So far as can be learned, not a silgle
rebel has been seen on the entire march. In short, tlhe
cliang,e of base has been effected withlout the loss of a man,
tle necessary firingi of a shot, or the dclestruction of a
hundred dollars' worth of stores, commissariat or quartermasters', and the army will soon be in a position to speedily embaik for other points, where the enemy and Richoond are more accessible and success more certain.  Most
assuredly, to effect such an important change in the relative position of contending forces, without a severe and
disastrous  conflict, must  have called forth the  highest
powers of a great general, or it must have resulted firom
the weakness of the enemy.  One or the otler cause gave
to our arlms this fortunate escape from disaster, and perlhapls destruction.  Old Point Comfort will be quite lively
of course for a little time.  Storekeepers and sutlers are
hauling in sail and making ready for a long calm.
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CHAPTER, XX.
SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
PART of the Army of the Potomac, after fatiguing
marches, have formed a junction with the Army of Vir ginia, now commanded by General Pope. For the last
four days a heavy firing has been heard, and I learn that
another battle has been fought on the identical battleground of Bull Run. On the 26th, General Pope discovered
that the enemy was turning his right towards Manassas,
and as the division ordered to take post there had not
arrived firom our forces at Alexandria, he broke up camp at
WVarrenton and the Junction, and marched back towards
Washington by three columns.  General IMcDowell's and
General Sigel's corps, with part of Reno's division, marched
upon Gainesville by the Warrenton and Alexandria turnpike; General Heintzelman, with the remainder of Reno's
division, marched on Gainesville; and Pope, with Porter's
and Hooker's divisions, marched back to MAanassas Junction.  General McDowell's corps interposed between the
enemy's force that reached  MIanassas through Gainesville, and his main body, that was moving from White
Plains through Thorou-ghfare Gap, and drove Longstreet's
corps back through the Gap to the west side of the mountain.
Gen. Hooker's forces came upon the enemy at Kettle Run
on Wednesday afternoon, the 27th, and had a sharp engagement with them, killing and wounding a large number, and
capturing some baggage and small-arms.   On Thursday
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DIAIY OF AN ARIMY SUPGEON.
morning the command moved forward rapidly to Manassas
Junction,  which  General Jackson hlad evacuated  some
hours before. Returning by Centreville, on the Warrenton
Pike, six miles west of the village, hle met the forces of
3[IcDowell and Sigel, late in the afternoon.  A severe fight
followed, which ended when darkness came on. Next morning Heintzelman's col'ps advanced on the enemy at daylight
fioin Centreville, and at thle old battle-field of Bull Run the
combined forces of our army and the enemy fought with
fiury until after dark: the result was in favor of the Unioni
troops.  The enemy acted on the defensive, and remained
withini siglht of our camp during, the night.  The fight was
renewed on the two following days, with heavy loss to
both sides, but no decided advantage to either.  On  the
30th, General Pope again attacked the enemy.  The Union
forces are suffering very heavily, and hundreds are airriving
firom Washington to witness the battle acnd attend to tlhe
woundedl, among the latter a great many clerks in the
I)epartments are constantly arriving to attend to our men.
Thle response by them to a call issued for the purpose, has
been miost prompt. Among them is Vinceent R. Jackson, of
the city post-office in Washington, and I learn he and
twenty others have been taken prisoners by the rebels,
tlhoughl acting as nurses and entirely unarmed.
The battle which was raging yesterday (the 30th August) was one of the bloodiest of the war.  The Confedcrates were reinforced, and drove General Pope back to
Centreville with heavy loss.  The excitement was intense
at Pope's defeat, and from his dispatches was entirely
unexpected. It is fearedl that the supplies for his army
may be cut off, as the rebels are marching, for the Chain
Bridge, but this is doubtless mere rumor.
From all indications for the past week, it was clear that
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a severe battle would come off at Mianassas or Bull Run.
The first sign of this was the rebel raid on Catlett's station, on the Alexandria  railroad, on Sunday, the 24th
August; and next their appearance at Bristow station, on
the 2 th, and the destruction of our army stores. This was
followed by an attack on our troops at Manassas, and the
continued arrivial of reinforcements, Withl the evident intentionl of turnling Pope's right.  On  Wednesday morning
Taylor's Biig,ade of Slocium's division of the Army of tle
toto2mac left Camp  Ellsworth near Alexandria by rail for
3[lanassas, and arrived at Bull Run bricdge at seven, the
next evening.  They landed and crossed it without delay
and marchled for Manassas; but on ascending the hill over
tlhe valley of Bull Run, they met the enemy's skirmishers,
who fell back.  The brigade proceeded to Manassas, and
as soon as they came withlin range of the circular fortifications around  the Junction, they were  opened on by a
lheavy fire of artillery.  Having no artiTllery or cavalry, they
were obliged to fall back to the shelter of a hill.  Here
thley were attacked by a brigade of rebel infantry, and a
sliarl) fire of musketry was kept up for half an houri, when
a force of rebel cavalry was seen advancing in the rear of
tle brigade, whichl obliged the general to retreat across
tlhe rnl at Blackburn Ford; whlile doing so, they were
followed by horse-aitillery, and badly cut up.
The enemy seized on the advantage, or rather disadvantage, of our troops being so far separated, and actively
endeavored to fall upon and whip each division, in detail.
Oil Tuesday, the 22d, Stonewall Jackson arrived at Bristow
station, four miles south of  Manassas, burned the station
and two railroad trains, tore up the track, cut the telegraph
wiries, and took all the Union guards on the railroad prisoners. He and General Ewell had started on Sunday
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firom near AVrrenton, with their divisions; crossed the Rap )allaniIIock, Six miles solthl of' the Blue lidge, and arrived
l)y waya of Orleans and Salemn, making the distance in less
than three davs.  Ilis first attack after was arrival, on the
dwelli,ng-houose of a 31r. Lipl)scombe, in which were a dozen
Union officers, all of whomn, with the exception of one,
were takei prisoners.  The next attack was upon a com pany of 105thl Pennsylvainia Volunteers and about twenty
cavalry, left to,guard the road.  Two or three of themi
weie killed and the remainder were tlaken prisoners.  A
train oft'emplty cars then caine along, tfr'om Warrenton, and
was fired into, but escaped.  Jackson then issued orders to
tear up the track.  It was done, and a second train cominig
along, ran off the track and was also fired into.  A tlhird
one, in like manner, followed, and was also run off the
trackl and into the last train.  All the persons on board
were madle prisoners.  The cars were then set fire and destroye(l.  Proceeding down the track, about a mile, they
burned the bridge at Cattle Run, tore lup the track, and
cut tlhe telegral,)h wires, and, subsequently, burned  the
bi-idg(l,e at Biroad Run,  near Bristow.   On Wednesday
inol-iling Ewell's division, with the batteries, took up a
p)ositionl  near the railroad, one on each side, the other
quite near  the  trackl, withl  infantry and  cavalry betweeii.  This entire force of the rebels was encamped behind brtshwlood  and the railroad bank, with an  open
field in firont. General Ilooker's division left Warrenton
to attack, with a portion of Kearney's; but these did not
have an opportunity of getting into the filght.  General
IHooker,  being  in  coimmandl,  gave  orders  to  charge
thlrough a piece of woods and into the open space, not ex)ecting to meet the enemy in great force; but no sooner
had they entered the woods than a murderous fire was
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opened on his men, firom the entire line of the rebels,three batteries throwing grape and canister. The most of it,
however, passed harmlessly over  their heads; but the fire
fi'om the infantry was very destructive, compelling some
of Hooker's regiments to fall back to the woods; but, on
being supported by others, they repeated the charge, and
fired several volleys, when the enemy broke and retreated.
Hooker's boys pursued them, yelling.  The 3d New Jersey
BIrigacde, commanded by Colonel Carr, sustained a loss of
over six hundred, killed and wounded, in this action.
Colonel Carr had his horse shot under him. This was
plain evidence that the rebels were in force at Manassas,
and that it was his intention to turn Pope's right.  The
battle of Saturday, the 30th of August, was continued by
the army corps of Heintzelman,  McDowell, and Sige],
against a force of fifty thousand of the rebels, undler Jackson and Lee. The location of the battle was in the vicinity
of Haymarket, towards Sudley church, but a few miles
nortlhwest of the old and famous Bull Run. HIeintzclman's
corps came up with the enemy's rear at ten o'clock, A. M1.,
seven miles firom Centreville. He there found Jackson
fighting with IMcDowell and Sigel's forces, in the direction
of Ilaymarket, the position they took, by going north from
Centreville, to command Thoroughfare Gap. It was supposed that the reserve of Lee's army, thirity thousand
strong, might suddenly appear near the field. Fitz-John
Porter was so posted that he could, with equal facility,
narch on Lee, whether  attacking McDowell,  Sigel, or
Ileintzelman. The enemy was reinforced early on Saturday, and attacked Pope's army before the arrival of Sumner
and Franklin, a severe battle followed, in which Pope was
badly beaten and forced to fall back on Centreville.
This second battle of Bull Run was a long and bloody
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one. General Pope had concentrated the greater portion
of the army under his command, and commenced the at tackl.  HIe supposed, at first, that the rebel forces engaged
were only those whlich had been met on the previous day
under Generals Jackson, Ewell, and A. P. Ilill, but they
had received reinforcements in the nmorning.  The line of
battle was formed withl the left resting eon that portion of
the Bull Run battle-field which, on the 21st of July, 1861,
was occupied by the main body of the rebel troops.  The
line was extended in the direction of Manassas Junction.
The battle began at noon, and success appeared to be on
the Union sile until about four in the afternoon.  General
HIleintzelman's corps was on the right and McDowell on
the left.  The army corps of Fitz-John Porter and Sigel,
withl Reno's division, were in the centre.  The enemy's
artillery was advantageously posted, and at once opened a
brisk fire on our line from right to left. The ground in
that vicinity is broken and uneven, and for the most part
covered with woods. The fighting on both sides was desperate and destructive-the artillery of both armies firing
shrlapnell and grape. The Union troops were, to somne extent,
protected by the unevenness of the ground firom the enemy's most destructive fire.  Yet they suffered terribly, and
many of their best officers were killed or wounded. Our
artillery was well and accurately served.  About four
o'clock the whole of General Pope's troops, excepting those
under Banks, were closely engaged with the enemy. The
Awhole army, from generals down, behlaved well and foiught
with heroic valor.  At this time the result was very doubtful; but soon reinforcements of the flower and full strength
of the rebel Army of Vii]ginia were brought up to the fi'ont
of the engragement. The estimated number of the rebels
was between 150,000 and 200,000, under the command of
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Gens. Lee and Johnson, who brought their men forward in
deCnse  imasses, and hurled theli  with irresistible violellce
against every p)art of our lines, which turned the tide of battle ag,ainst us.  In addition to this furious onslaught on our
i(gIht and ceintre, and without any diminution of the enein-'s bforce at these points, an overwhelming number of reiniborceime1its were precipitated on our left wing, under
(eineral MIcDowell, whichl compelled hili to fall back, not
oluly on account of the violence of the attack, as the fear
of all our forces being outflanked by the superior forces of
thle elilaemy.  Our left wing keplt retreating, until at niglltfill it formedl an acute angle with the line of battle formed
in tlhe imorningi.  The severe losses our troops were susttiIinig, and the evident superiority of numbers, compelled
the retreat of the whole army to this side of Bull Itun and
tle hleighlts of Centreville, where General Pope established
his head-quarters.  Our loss in this second unfortunate battle of Bull Run is over 6000.  The enemy's is not as much.
The division and brigade generals behaved with great
I)Iavery and coolness, and our men fought withl their usual
valor; but the number pitted against them, and the disp)iri-gti   results of the previous dlays' fights, added to the
lack of enthusiastic confidence in their leader, produced
its inevitable effects-a disastrous defeat.   The wounded
talken to the rear during the fight are in our possessioln,
but all those who lay on the battle-field are in the hands of
the enemy.   During  the  battle General Schenck  was
wvounded in the arm, which has been amputated.  General
Towers was wounded in the thigh.  General Hatch was
slightly wounded  in the  head.   While  General Pope
was writing a dispatch hlie had a narrow escape, as  a
shlell from one of the enemy's batteries struck and killed
two horses belonging to his staff, standing quite near him.
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General Franiklin's corps did not reach the battle-field in
time to be engaged.  The brigades which suffered most
are being sent to the rear of Centreville to protect tlhe
roads to the capital against any attack or raid that mi,ght be
made in the rear of the army.  The men  are much dispirited and  demoralized.  The  heavy rain of Saturday
nighlt prevented a renewal of attack by the enemy on Sunday morning.  Both armies rested during the day, with
tlhe exception of movemnents of baggage trains, and  a
flank movement by the enemy to cut them off on  tlhe
road to Fairfax Court-louse.  On  MIonday morning  the
scene was beautifully striking firom  the heights of Centreville.  The weather was clear and balmy.  The  panorama splendid, full of life and bustle, spread out before the
beholder.  In the direction of Bull Run you coild see the
mountains rising in the distance, with the splendid surrounding, scenery.  There was also to be seen, not only the
large bodies of troops moving up steadily to their assi,gned
positions in the fiont, but hundreds of wagons and ambulances hurrying to the rear, so that, as far as the eye could
reach, the road was crowded with moving troops and
trains.  The flashes of the enemoy's guns could be seen in
the distance, and the curling smoke of exploded shells was
seen sailing, in the air. Thle nion-arrival of Franklin's corps
in time for the battle is much talked about.  It reached
here yesterday, and took up a position in the firont.
During the fight of Saturday, General Buford's brigade
of cavalry, comprising the 1st IAlichigan, the 1st Virg,inia,
and the 1st Vermonit regiments,  was  ordered to reconnoitre on the left to prevent the enemy turning our flank;
riding, beyond the left where our infantry were found close
behind the batteries, which were playing on the enemy
while the men were loudly cheering, the cavalry reached
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LE,AVES FROM[ THIE
an eminence, and were about to send out a- detachment
to explore, when a large force of the enemy were seen
(onling along the line of the adjacent woods.   A  rebel
battery whleeled into position, which soon threw shell, canister, and grape, into the midst of our cavalry.  Long lines
of rebel iinfintry could be plainly seen hurrying to take up
position, and soon other batteries opened on our left.
Our cavalry, forced to return, retreated behind a low
ridgce; but the clouds of dust revealing their place of retreat, the rebels continued to shell them, and obliged them
again to change their position.  Soon a cavalry force was
ol)served riding towards them.  The order was given to
draw sabres and prepare for a charge, when it was discovered that the squadron were firiends, of the 4th New York
Volunteer Cavalry, which now fell in behind General Buford's Brig(ade.  The bugle sounded the advance, and over
the hills galloped our men to meet the enemy. As they appeared, the rebel cavalry discharged double shot-guns at
them, and then both met in filll charge. Our men broke
their line; they rallied in fine style and dashed forward
again; but again their line was broken,-seeing which the
rebels opened on our boys with a battery, and conmpelled
them to return. By this time our left had given way, and
on the retreat passed the cavalry, which now safely carried
off a battery that was short of ammunition and came near
being captured. Our troops then fell back on Franklin's
division which had just come up, and were formed in line
to prevent striaggling and quell the panic which now existed. Franklin's arrival a few hours earlier would, probably, have altered the result of the fight. In this cavalry
charge, Colonel Broadhead of the 1st Michigan, a brave
and gallant officer, fell mortally wounded, Lieutenant Morse
was killed, and Lieutenant Merriam was wounded and taken
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.,
prisoner.   Franklin's  division after rallying our panic stricken  men, retired to Centreville.  General Martin dale's Brigade made a charge and drove a body of the
enemy concealed in the woods, who were harassing our
forces by their rifle-shooting.  General Hlartsall's Brigade
made a similar charge, but with a different result.  They
penetrated the woods, when a deadly fire of grape and
canister opened on them; at the same time a murderous
volley of rifle-balls came firom one side, and a dashing charge
of the enemy from another.  Our men  foulght well, but
were forced to retreat.   The  enemy  remained  on the
battle-field all night.
The road, from  Centreville to Alexandria, is crowded
densely with wagon  trains, ambulances,  and  carriages.
Some of the wounded have been sent to Washington, but
a larger portion of them are being sent to Alexandria.
The couit-house, city-hall, and churches there are being
converted into hospitals, and confusion reigns suprelne, distrust and disaster is painted on every one's face along the
road.
On MAonday evening following the disastrous battle of
Bull Run, a severe engagement with the enemy took place
at Chantilly, two  miles north of Fairfax Court-house, between a portion of our army and Jackson's forces.  Our
loss was very heavy, including General Stevens, who was
shot in the head, while he was leading his brigade into
action, bearing the colors, the color-sergeant having been
previously shot.  His son, also, who was acting on  his
staff, was wounded.   General Philip IKearney  was also
killed the same evening.  Ile was shot through the back,
while whleeling his horse around to clheer on his men.   His
loss is deeply deplored by the whole army.  lie was considered one of the bravest generals in the service, and the
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enemy made repeated efforts to kill, wound; or capture
him.  Ijis daslhing and fearless bearing, and his cons)icnous figuire, withl but one arm, made him an easily distinguisled and coveted aim.  Up to the night of his death
lhe was, on every occasion, to be found in the thickest of
the fight, and seenled to lead a charmed life.  The Union
army has not lost an officer who will be as much regretted as General IKeairnev. The operations of the contending armies, on the south side of the Potomac, completely
absorb the attention and interest of everybody, citizens
and soldiers.   The excitement  that would naturally be
awalkened by the knowledge of the fact that bloody battles
were being fought within cannon sound of the national
capital, was considerably increased, because no full and
authentic information respecting the results, or losses, had
been received firom the scene of action.
The authorities  at XVashington  called for volunteers
fi'om the citizens to proceed to the battle-fields to pick
up and attend to the wounded and bury the dead.  Thousandts are strewn, for miles, all over the sanguinary field.
The reason tfor this call on the citizens, is so as not to
wealken the strength of the forces by detailing the weary
soldiers for the duty. HIundreds of citizens promptly
responded to the call,-each one supplied with two days
rations, a bucklet, and tin cup, to supply water to the
wounded, and also a bottle of brandy.  Transportation
wtas, as speedily as possible, provided for them.  Orders
wAere also issued for the immediate removal of all the sick
and wounded, that were able to be moved, firom the hospitals in Washingiton, to make room for those expected to
arrive fiom the b)attle-field of Bull Run.  Soon the streets
wvere crowded with ambulances, conveying them to the
cars for Baltimore, Philadelphia, and other places. In the
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
afternoon the War Department impressed into the service
of the government, all the stages, hacks, and wagons, whicl
s()Oll sw-elled the long ambulance train that was on its way
to I)ingi in the wounded.  Some of the citizens tendered
tlheir private carliages for the purpose, and, by nightfall,
the turnpike from Alexandria to Fairfax Court-house was
crow ded with this long procession.  The experiment utterly
and slhaineftilly failed,-thie drivers and many of the voliunteer nurses, who drank fireely of the brandy, mistaking the
road, travelled all night, and at two in the morning,, instead
of reaelliing the battle-field, found themselves  entering
Alexandria.  They were at once ordered to return to
AVaslliig,ton, which most of themn gladly obeyed.   Others
went in a train of cars firom the capital, but, by some Iiisimanagiement, it was four hours behind time in sta'tiiig,
and by this time half of the volunteer nurses had gone
]home to their beds.  Wheni the train did start, it slowly
proceeded to Fairfax station, where it stopped.  Some of
thlle nurses, determ,ined to be of some use, proceeded fiomr
this place on foot, in a hleavy falling iain, to Centreville,
where they were stopped by tfe guards and sent back.
Some went, by way of Fall's Churchl to Ball's Cross-ioads,
but were  here informed that the pickets were driven in by
thle rebel cavalry.  Thley then crossed to Fairfax Court
house, firom which place to Centreville the road was completely blocked by trains of wagons, gutn-cairriages, and
ambulances, goingl in difierent directions.  All this time
tlhe rain was pouring in torrents, and, to add to their discomifort and confulsion, they were met by seven hundred
Union prisonelrs, taken by Jackson but paroled iminediately.  Behind them were twelve hundred rebel prisoners,
who were captured durigi  Friday's battle.   They were
proceediing under guard to Washington.
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At Fairfax Court-house, the hotel and other buildings
were converted into hospitals.  It was here  that the
news was received of the tide turning against the Union
troops, which obliged them to abandon the field during the
night.  At Centreville, the whole of Pope's army, with
the exception of Banks' corps, were found bivouacking:
some drawn up in line of battle on the heights.  Some
of the brigades which had been badly cut up were in a
demoralized state, and their generals were exerting themselves to restore order and discipline among them.  The
confusion was terrible, and arose from many regiments and
parts of regiments getting separated from their commands,
and now were unable to find the brigade or division to
which they were attached. So great was the uproar, it
was impossible to ascertain the number killed or wounded.
Dui'ing the past fortnight over a dozen battles had been
fought, some of them little more than skirmishes, but the
battles of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were the most
bloody of Pope's campaign, though not equal to many
fought on the Peninsula under MIcClellan.
Among the Union losses, besides Generals Kearney and
Stevens, General Taylor was mortally wounded, and died
last night in one of the hospitals at Alexandria.  Colonel
Fletcher Webster, son of Daniel Webster, was also mortally wounded on Saturday, and has since died. The scenes
in the hospitals at Alexandria are heart-rending. The
churches are crowded with the wounded.  In the Baptist
church, under the care of Acting Assistant-surgeon Hammnlond, I performed in two hours several operations; the
beds are filled with the poor fellows, many of whom are
mortally wounded, all of them suffering firom the worst
horrors of the battle-field. The dwelling-houses on an
adjoining street, and all the public buildings, are in like
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
manner  filled.   The  surgeons are  working, continually.
The old Lyceuml is now being prepared to receive patients,
as every other available place is full.   The wvounds are
chiefly firom minie-balls. mIany. of them are wounded
iii the lungs, and all of them have suffered by the tedious
journey fi'om the battle-field over the rough roads, and
the utter impossibility of obtaining any refreshment. Even
water was difficult to procure, and the teamsters, in many
cases, were so panic-stricken that they forsook their teams.
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CHAPTER XXI.
GENER,AL M'CLELLAN RESIUMES COMMAND.
TO-DAY, by order of the President, General McClellar.
has again resumed the supreme command of the alrmy.
Immediately after accepting the chief command of all the
Ulnion forces in the neighlborhood of Washington, Gener
al  McClellan proceeded to inspect the troops and fbrtifica.
tions on the south side of the river.  This occupied him
until after midnight. His reception by the officers and
soldiers was marked by the most unbounded enthusiasm.
In every camp his arrival was greeted by hearty and prolonged cheering, and manifestations of the wildest delight.
Many of the soldiers who fought under him in the hardest
battles of the war, wept with joy at having again for their
commander one upon whom they could place implicit
reliance.   Already his hurried visit to our camps has
wsroutght a remarkable change in the soldiers.  His presence
seemed to act magically upon them, despondency is replaced by confidence, and all are glad that McClellan will
hereafter direct them.  He has been busy in perfecting the
organization of the army, and preparing it for the duties
to be assigned; and has easily resumed his old habits, and
spends most of his time among the camps and forts.
Yesterday General Ilalleck was at General McClellan's
quarters for a long timne, and subsequently the latter pro.
ceded to join the army. This, now, consists of veterans for
the most part; and a little time for reorganization, and for
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DIARY OF AN ARIMY SURGEON.
the designation of some new general officers, will make it
so formidcable a force, in conjunction with the new regi  inients now here, as to render it doubtfil whether the
rebels will dare to advance into 3Iarylanid.  Fresh excite mnent multiplies upon us with each incoming day; and this
has been the most painfiully exciting period in the history
of our national capital.  What with the pouring in of the
wounded fi-om the field, the rushing hither and thither of
ambulance carriages, wagons, and vehicles of every dclescrip tion; the movements of troops through the city towards-s
the scene of war; the queryings and button-holeings of
every person coming firom across the river; the heralding
and bulletining of every rumor however vague and iunie liable, the whole town is kept in confusion worse  con founded.
The scenes in the street, at the hotels and newspaper
offices, and at the various departments, beggar description.
Early this morning, long before the denizens of the capl-ital
are usually alive, the whole population was out, and then
commenced the manufacture of rumors and reports, each
relator vieing with the others in extravacgance and color.
The Washington morning papers set the ball rolling with
the story that "our army was safe at Centreville;" but this
story was soon spoiled by another, that the enemy had succeeded in moving quietly down near the railroad, towards
Alexandria, and is turning our left wing, and that they
were now on this side of Fairfax Court-house, and between
that place and Falls Church.
This latter story gained credence from the fact that at
10 A. r. a long line of army wagons, loaded with camp
paraphernalia, came  moving, up  Fourteenth-street, fi'om
the Long Bridge, and defiled out towards the outskirts of
the town in the direction of the springs. Then an officer
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of General Pope's staff came in, confirming the report.
Yesterday there was brought into General Halleck's headquarters, from VYirginia, as prisoner of war, Captain Ashe, of
North Carolina, acting adjutant-general in Gen. Jackson's
army, firom whom much has been learned of the state of
affairs in the rebel army, and at the South. It is learned
from other sources, entitled to credit, that the enemy have
no fears or doubts of their ability to take Washington, and
that very soon. Their force they deem amply sufficient
for the purpose, numbering, as it does, under the five generals, Jackson, Longstreet, Ewell, Hill, and Smith, not
less thani two hundred and fifteen thousand men at the
present time. Jackson, Longstreet, Ewell, and Hill are
now consolidated at Mianassas, while Smith (our own Gustavus) is marching, with a column thirty thousand strong,
on Fredericksburg. The gentleman from whom these facts
were learned left the rebel camp at four A. Mt. yesterday.
He also states that the rebels now there were quite destitute of rations, they having expected to subsist on those
captured fiom our men at and near Mlanassas. They were
in this disappointed, as their supply trains had not come up
when my informant left; and as they had not been heard
firom, it is to be presumed that the rebel troops are fully as
badly cared for in the commissary line as our own. The
rebels appear to look upon this movement as their last
hope, and I am confidently told will never turn their backs
upon Washi.ngton, but are determined to do or die there,
and now. Their mortality has been enormous, and their
own captured officers and surgeons admit a loss of from
ten thousand to twelve thousand in killed and wounded up
to Saturday night last.
Generals Jackson and Longstreet had a quarrel one day
last week, growing out of the question of rank, but it was
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, DIARY OF AN AIZMY SUPRGEON.
settled in favor of the former by General Lee, who  com mnands the vwhiole rebel force in person.  The Bull Run
biidcoe, on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, has its l)ps
anid downs as wvell as every thing else.  When  the rebels
left Mfanassas last springr, they biurned the structure, but it
was rebuilt by outr people, and held by tliem until yester(dai w-eek.  The first structure built by the Union forces
w'ts merely a temporary one, but over it was thrown a
beautiful trestle friame afterwards, and the temporary one
was thrown down.  On the night of Tuesday, the 26th of
Au11Ist, the rebels made  a dash upon it, drove in our
guards, and burned it the second time.  X'othing daunted,
liowever, Colonel -[cCollumi got his men  at work  ag,ain,
and oin illonday night of this week had it rebuilt and ready
for the cars to cross.  But alas for all human calculations,
about midnight of the same nighlt a body of rebel ca —
aIlry dashed down to the bridge, drove away the sentries,
and burned it for the third time.  General Pope's headquarter  trains  have  arrived  at  Alexandria.   General
[IcClellan has arrived firoom Alexandria, and established his
lhead-quarters in this city.  The sick, wounded, and missing continue to arrive, by all possible means of conveyance, firom the field, and are being cared for at the several hospitals.  The following statement  was made by  a
g'entleiman who  has every appearance of being reliable.
lie left WAVashlington yesterday to go to Centreville to look
for his brother, who was wNounded on Saturday.  He went
out on the cars as far as Fairfax station (seventeen miles),
then walked across to Fairfax Court-lhouse, arriving( there
at 4 r. r.  Here he met, as hle judges, about four miles of
army wagi os, loaded withl tlhe army llrggagec and sick and
wounlCded  men, coming this way.  Tlher'e was also some
artillery, some cavalry, and a large number of skulkers
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217 
LEAVES FROM TiHE
interspersed, all belonging to A[cDowell's corps.  They
brought the news that Pope's entire army had fallen back,
and were en 9'ozrte for the forts around Washington.  MIy
informant pushed on about a mile the other side of Fairfax, and as he reached the summit of a hill, he saw in the
plain before him a large number of our troops drawn up
in line-of-battle order.  Here he met an officer, who told
him that Jackson had succeeded in turning our left wing,
and our troops were momentarily expecting an engagement. Just then the rain commenced falling, and my
inf,Vmant went back to Fairfax. He had not more than
reached the village before the action became general, and
continued until night, in the midst of a terrible thunderstorm.   General Pope's assistant  adjutant-general,  Selfiidge, who had left the scene at six o'clock last night,
confirmed the above report. There is great dissatisfaction
against Pope and MAcDowell, made continually manifest by
imiprecations and execrations, which are loud and deep.
General Pope may claim that he has obeyed orders, no
muatter what the result may have been, but I find no one
inclined to do BIcDowell honor.  To-night the Union army
will all be concentrated in the works around this city, and
General MicClellan has already assumed the position of
commander-in-chief of all the forces in the field in this
part of the country.  The announcement of this latter
fact has been hailed with acclamations of infinite delight
by nearly the whole population. Those who were before
trembling with apprehension, and preparing to evacuate
the city, are now assured of safety, and feel confident that
the splendid army concentrated in the vicinity will be able,
under the  administration of a general in whomn it has
confidence, not only to repel the assault of the whole rebel
army, advancing with rapid strides upon the defensive works
21S 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SUPRGEON.
around the city, but to drive them back and utterly defeat
and routt them, and thus withini  a febvw weeks end the pres   ent campaign.  After a desperate strugg,le upon the twice   troddein field of Bull Run on Saturday last, the foirces uui  der General Pope withdrew to the other side, of the heighllts
of Centreville.  It appears the enemy  immediately began
to execute another of those mlanceuvres by which they have
accomplished eveiy success they have gained.
As was reported, on Sunday morning intelligence was
broulght to the head-quarters of General Pope that a large
force of rebel cavalry and artillery was moving around his
right.  The general, apparently regarding thle niovemelnt
as a simple reconnoissance in force, to ascertain definitely his
positionl, paid little attention to the information; but subse quenit events have demonstrated that it was tlhe beginniing,
of a general movement of the rebel army to the right and
rear of the forces of General Pope, in position at Centre ~ille.  Fortunately, as a protection to the immense supply
trlins, moving in the direction of Fairfax Cournt-l-lhoutse, a
considerable force had been detached firom Pople's arimy
and thrown in that direction.  The remnant of IMcDowell's
co())s d7'as re  had been sent to the rear, and was located
uploln the WVarrenton turnpike, leading from Fairfahx Courthouse tlhrough Centreville, about a mile beyond its junction with the Little RPiver turnpike, leading to Leesburg.
Gen. Couclh's division was located near Germantown, about
two miles from Fairfax Court-house, upon the Little River
turnpike.  During yesterday information was received that
a large rebel force was approaching Fairfax Court-houtse
by the latter route, and a portion of Heintzelman's corps,
under Generals Kearney and Grover, was moved in that
direction; and General Hooker was specially detailed, by
orders from head-quarters here, to take command of all the
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forces at tlhat point.  Just before dark an attack wvas conmmencedl by a stroing rebel force, comprising the divisions of
Generals Ewell, A. P. HIill, and Longstreet, upon the position occupied by General Couch.  General s KIearney and
Grover were marcheld rapidly through the woods to his
support.  A few discharges of artillery wvere made by one
of our batteries, but the battle, which was brief and fierce,
was almost  exclusively an infantry eng,agemnent.   The
charge of our gallant troops was desperate and irresistible,
and the enemy were almnost immediately repulsed.  It wvas
here that General Groveir's Brigade, of Ilooker's division,
had one of the fiercest bayonet filghts that has occurred
duiring the war.  The brigade charged into the woods,
lwhere the enemiy were posted, in three lines, behind a
breastwork four or five feet high, and in about twenty
minutes five hundred and seventeen of their nu-mber fell.
Formed in one line, the brigade broke through two lines
of the enemny, but, being unsupported, they were oblig,ed
to fall back.  The 2d New Iliamlpshire regiment, Colonel
)Iariston, actually crossed bayonets with the rebels, and had
a desperate encounter, in which they lost severely, although
they drove the foe from  their position.   Among  the
killed  was Lieutenant HIiram Banks, of  the 16th MIas sacliusetts regimenit,  brother  of  MIajor-g,eneral  Banks.
Hle was a true soldier, and was rapidly winning his way to
distinction.  M,ajor Gardiner  Banks, another brother  of
General Banks, is in command of the 16th Massachusetts,
Colonel Lannatt and Lieutenant-colonel Lawson being in
hospital.   General Butterfield commanded a division in
General Fitz-John Porter's corps, in the battle, and in his
division twenty-two color-bearers were shot.  The victory
was achieved with the loss of two of our most gallant,
brave, and accomllished generals,-Isaac J. Stevens and
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
Phlilip Kearney.  The former fell at the head of his brigade,
and the latter while leading one of his regiments into position.
Thle ob)ject of this rebel movement upon Fairfax Courthouse was, unquestionably, to obtain possession of some
portion of the vast amount of supplies which were parked
in that vicinity.  It was known here yesterday, from information derived firom Wm. S. Ashe, formerly representative
in Congress firom North Carolina, but lately assistant adjutant-general to Stonewall, Jaekson, who was captured by our
troops onl Alonday morning, while making a reconnoissance,
that the rebel army was greatly in want of provisions. Their
raid upon Catlett's station and Alanassas Junction, and this
last movement, were all intended to obtain suplplies.  Their
movement towards Ilaryland is supposed to be actuated,
not so imuch by the hope of thereby capturing this city, as
to obtain food for their army.  They foiught, last night, like
dlesplerate and starving men, but they failed in their object.
The supply trains, Iwhichl had all been moved firom Centreville to Faiif-ax Coutrt-house, were immediately put in miotion: and without the destruction of any public property,
except the loss of a wagon here and there overturned on
the road, all the thousands of wagons have been brouglbt
into Alexandria, or within the circuit of the forts around
this city.  As soon as it was ascertained that the whole
rebel army had moved to the right and rear of Centreville,
the rest of General Pope's forces were marched towards
Fairfax Court-hlouse, General  Fitz-Joln Porter  briinging
up the  rear; and by midnight to-nilght tlhe whole army
will have arrived within the slhadow of our fortifications.
There was no object in holdling Centreville after the depl)arture of the rebel army firom before it, and now new plans
are to be formed and new positions taken.  Durinig last
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LEAVES FROM THE
night a small force of rebel cavalry came in as far as
Fairfax Court-house, about three miles from Upton's IIill.
This morning a large force of rebels was reported at Leesburgt, and it is stated that a considerable portion of the
rebel army will attempt to cross the Potomac, between that
point and Harper's Ferry.  Reports have also reached here
that another rebel force, under the command of General
Gustavus Smith, has arrived at Fredericksburg, and designs
crossing the Potomac into lower MAlaryland, somewhere
about the Rappahannock river. This is the present position.
There was no lack of courage in our troops, nor faltering
on the part of their officers, to which may be charged this
retrograde movement; but there was, and is, sad complaint
of mismanagement by commanding generals, and a deplorable want of confidence in their capacity.  3Mr. Dennis,
military ageut here for the State of Indiana, has received a
letter from Colonel Ateredlith, of the 19th Indiana, which,
with the 2d, 6th, an(d,th'Wisconsin regiments, form General Gibbons' Brigadle.  On Thursday evening they encountered Hill's rebel division, from whom they took a battery,
which they are repor'ted as still possessing.  They held the
battle-field, but Col. MIereditlh was the only field-officer who
was not hurt.  TIe had three horses shot under him.  Our
entire loss in this brigade, killed, wounded, and mnissing,
was seven hundred and seventy-eight.  The Indiana 19th
lost two hundred and twenty-seven.  The brigadcle was not
in the fight on Friday, but was on Saturday, and held out
to the close of the day. Their loss has not been ascertained.
A Newi York battery came in this nmorning to exchange
their damaged giuns and appu rtenances for new ones.  It
went off in tlhe direction of the arsenal. I did not learn
the name of the commanding officer. It is stated that
the New IIampshire battery lost three of its guns.  Balti
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
moreans, of secession sympathies, state here, to-day, that
the rebels will cross into AIaryland, below Harper's Ferry.
It is stated that General Wool has gone to I-Harper's Ferry.
to concert measures for the protection of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad.   A  gentleman  fiom  the immediate
neioghlborhlood of Leesburg states that a force of rebels is
there.
WTV(sh(iw/ftoi, September 2, P. Mr.-Thie city to-night was
in a state of great excitement, and not without most substantial cause.  Crowds were gathered at all the hotels, and
on the streets, discussing and speculating on the future.
It may here be said, that while the more timid of our
fellow-citizens apprehend danger firom the rebel movement.s, there are stout hearts that are not intimidated.
Last night there was a series of skirmishes  along the
whole front, Lduring which wve lost two or three of our best
generals, and other valuable officers.  According to prievalent reports, it was HIlooker's division which was mainly, if
not altogether, engaged in driving back the rebels, but the
one mile of skirmishing, was attended withl muchl loss of
life.  At about four o'clock this morning, a train of one
hundred -wagons, with commissary stores, was intercepted
by the enemny between Fairfax and Centreville, and driven
off towyards Mtanassas, before the party could be overtaken.
They secured the entire train.  So soon as this raid in the
rear of our army at Centreville was known, the necessity
of giuarding that direction became apparent, and at noon
the whole army of Virginia had abandoned Centreville,
and was massed this side of Fairfax Coiurt-house.  This
noon they again took up a line of march, and this evening
the advance was in sight of  ltunson's Ilill.  The enemy's
cavalry followed them in the distance, but made no attack,
and the entire movement was being accomplished in exel
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LEAVES FROM THE
lent order. At noon to-day, General MIcClellan rode out
to meet the returning column, and was received with great
demonstrations of gratification and pleasure by the army.
The works for the defence of Washington are all in excellent condition, and are strongly manned by experienced
artillerists. The gunboats lining the Potomac are doubtless dlesigned to prevent any attempt to interrupt the navigation on that river.
T/~e Netreacr of thie Left  Wibg in the Bu?ll Rin Battle,
September 3C1, 1862.
When General Franklin's corps arrived at the battleground on Saturday afternoon, the fortunes of the day had
been decided, and the command was halted near Cub Run.
iI,ajor-gencral Slocum, seeing that General Pope's left wilng
was falling back towards Centreville, formed his division in
line of battle across the road, and deployed a squadron of
cavalry attached to the corps, as skirmishers.  General
Smithl's division was also drawn up in line of battle half a
mile in the rear. WVhen the troops came back they were
brought to a halt, and not allowed to pass this point, and
numbers  of stragglers and skedaddlers were collected.
General Hooker's division, and General Kearney's division
came back in order, the regiments marching with wellclosed ranks. Many of the stragglers attempted to fall in
wsith thiose regiments and march off the field with them, but
they were repulsed and kept out of the ranks of the steady
veterans, who did not desire the companionship of men on
the retreat who would not face the enemy by their sides
in the front of the battle.  As incidents of the battle, I will mention that over
eleven hundred paroled prisoners, some of whom were taken by the enemy as far back as Thursday at Mlanassas,
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
arrived late this evening at Aqueduct Bridge, Georgetown,
andi report that General Lee has establislle(  lhis headqui:urters three miles beyond Bull IRtun, on the Warrlenton
turnpike.  The only force at Fairtfx was Stuart's cavalrhy,
hle beiIg there in person.  The rebels assisted the men in
the bturial of our dclead last nighlt, wlhomi they stripp)ed of
their clothing, except their pantaloons.   Our men  say
that the rebels were so hungiry, they rushed for the haversackls of our killed and wounded.   They saw the  solliers of the enemy marching, to the rear, on the  Varrenton tiilurnp)ike, towards Thorotughfare Gapl).  WVasliington is
comlparatively quiet, the excitement of the last two days
havingi slubsided.  Such disposition has been made of the
troops within the last twenty-four hours as to restore confile'lence.  P-,eports have reached here, firom time to time, of
certain regiments having been annihilated, when after the
lapse of a few days the rumors prove groundless, the appeairanice of numerous stragglers being thle best refiutation
of the exagg,eration.  Brig',adier-general Butterfield, in the
battle of Saturday, commanded that portion of General
1oirr-ell's division taking part in the engagement.  General
[torrell was with General Griflin's Brigade, wvlichi took no
part in the fight.  Colonel IHenry A. Weeks, of the 12th
New York, who commanded General Buttecfield's jBrigade,
-as shot through both legs.  IIis coolness and bravery on
the field, and the able manner in which he manceiuvred his
comman d is worthy of the highlest praise.  The officeris,
one and all, and tlie men of the 12th1 regimenit, fuilly suistaimed their reputation. Captain RPyder, whio was temiporar,ily attached to General lButitterfield's sta-ff, was shot in the
head, but not imortally iwounded.  Captain Fowler, also of
the Tw-elfth, was wounded in the foot: his conduct here, as
well as at MIalvern Ilill, elicited the wiarimest commendation
10*
225
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I,EAYES FP-OM1 TtlE
of the vwhole brigade; when unable longer to lead his comIcany he was unwillingly mounted on a horse, which was
(altiiied(l fi'om thle enemyv, on which he proceeded to Fairfix Court-liouse: wvhile restiing there dutring Io\onday niglht
the enemy shelled the town, and he again narrowly escaped with his life.  On Tuesday he was sent forward, via
Alexandria, to Washington.  Some  of the best  oflicers
were not present during the engagement; Captain Boyle
was acting brigade provost-marshal, and Captain Cromie,
who had been severely w-ounded during the Seven D)ays'
filght and taken prisoner at Sa-vage's station, was not suffieientlv recovered to rejoin his  regimenlt.  Lieutenant
Oli-ver distinguisled himself during, the fig,ht; he is a welldeserved favorite with officers and men.  Colonel Roberts,
of the 2d  Iaine, who commanded General  Iiartindale's
Bri,gadcle, had his hlorse shot und(er him.  All the regiments
engaged fought gallantly, and none better than the 17th
New York and 18th  [aNssachusetts regiments, never before
under fire.  The 5th New York sustained severe loss.
General Dutryea's Brigade, which is composed of the
97th, 194tlh, and 105tlh New York, and 107th Pennsylvamia regiments, was ordered, duringr the battle on Saturday,
to adclvance into a piece of woods near the old Bull Run
battle-field.  Here they found tlhe 57th New York, which
had been obliged to fall back firom the advanced position
w hich had been previously occupied.  They were ordered
to relieve thlem, and did so.  This was about one o'clock,
r. Ar.  The brigade was then ordered to advance to the
position originally held, and firom whichl the 57th had retreated.  Soon after reaching this advanced position, the
rebels made their appearance in considerable force and
w ith tbur pieces of artillery, witlh whichl they opened fire;
but fortunately their guns were too much elevated to do
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0 
DIIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
serious mischief. This continued for half an hour without
material advantage to either side.  While thus engaged,
General Dutryea received a wollud in the righlit hand fi'om
a piece of shell, while dismounted and cheering on his men.
IIe had the hand bandaged up, and remained on the field
in command of his brigade through the day.  The brigade
was then ordered to fall back and occupy a position in the
woods, about 400 yards in the rear. They remained in this
position two or three hours, engaged in skirmishing and
bush-filghting, and until an order was received to fall back
fiurther; but before this could be done the order was countermanded, and they were ordered to advance to their
original position.  Here they remained until between five
and six o'clock, P. x., constantly under fire of the rebel
artillery.
Captain Thomas Hight, of the 2d regular cavalry, was
taken prisoner by the rebels near iManassas, and the first
question asked him by his captors was, whether he beloingedC to Pope's army.  Colonel Fitzhugh Lee took him
in charge, and told him that he could not be paroled until
Stonewall Jackson should come up or fall in with them.
Hle was put upon a horse and rode with Lee, except, wihenever they came in collision with our own troops he was
sent to the rear, so that he might be out of danger. When
Stonewall Jackson came up, the next day, Captain Ilight
was paroled.  He was given to understand, that if he had
been under General Pope's command he would have been
sent to Richmond.  On  Sunday morning, as the rebels
neared our provision trains of cars at MIanassas, Captain D.
L. Smith gave orders to save all that could be saved and
to burn the balance, wthich was done.  To carry out this,
he directed two young clerks in the commissary department, named Rollis C. Gink and James Paul, to stay to
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LEAVES FR0OM THE
the last, which order they cheerfully obeyed. They succeededl in saving over one thousand dollars' worth of coffee
and bacon, and other articles of value, when the rebecls
ngain appearing, they began to think it was time to leave.
Looking for their clothes, they came across the almy mailbags; and dropping their own property, they shouldered
the mail-bags, and carried them a distance of twelve miles,
through heavy rain and mud, to Bull Run, where they got
the cars, and delivered the mail safe in the post-office. One
of these brave )'young men has been quite ill since from
fatigii e.
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XXII.
IN-CIDENTS AFTEPR TIIE BATTLE OF BULL RUN.
TIIE excitement existing for the news of the expectedl
great battle has been partially gratified by the intelligence,
received to-nilght, that a skiimishl occurred last night, in
the vicinity of Poolesville, between about 140 Union cavaliy under Captains MIeans and Cole, of eastern Virginia,
and a large force of rebel cavalry, and that a battle has
been going on to-day on the Virginia side of the river, opposite Poolesville, 28 miles firom Vashlington. General
Sumner's corps has been sent forward to intercept the
rebel troops, who are said to be concentrating near Poolesville with the intention of crossing into AIaryland.  Reports firom Falls Church state that brisk cannonading, in
the direction of Poolesville, was distinctly heard this mornilg, about nine o'clock.  A  large number of ambulances
and an immense train of wagons are proceeding towards
Poolesville, and three batteries are now on their way.  The
provost-guard is again impressing all the hack-carriages
found in the streets, and sending them to join the ambulance-train.  These preparations indicate a severe engagement, and a large number of wounded to be cared for, but
nothingi beyond this is certainly knowni.  WThen the restoration of General 3[eClell.an to the supreme command of
the army was made known in the hospitals, the men who
had been wounded at Bull Run and Chantilly, under General Pope, though suffering agony firom their wounds, sent
229
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LEAVES FROM THE
forth shlouts of glaldness, and endeavored to rise from their
cots to 1-thurrah for him.  Nor is the effect of General McClellan's reappointment confined to the army in the field
or the wounded in the hospitals, it has actually allayed a
panic, already begun, among citizens of all classes, who are
now loud in their expressions of congratulation, whatever
their former opinions may have been.
Since the accession of General McClellan, the recruits
are arriving in great numbers to fill up the decimated
links.  They will add much to the efficiency of the several
divisions, now so much reduced in numbers, especially that
of General King, which left Cedar Mountain on the 19th
of Atugust, and arrived at the Rappahannock next day.
The following morning the enemy opened their batteries
on the division, - and kept up the fire till Friday night,
during which the division lost a very large number of men
and some officers, among whom was Lieutenant Jordan,
acting aid to General Hatch. On Saturday the division
moved to Warrenton, preceded by Butford's cavalry, which
di-ove out a considerable force of the enemy.  On Tuesday
morning the command reached the Sulphur Springs, where
they were again shelled by the rebels firom the south bank
of the Rappahannock.  The enemy also sent down to the
river, and stationed in the bushes a body of inifantry, who
attempted to pick off our men. A detachment of the 2d
Berdan Sharp-shooters were sent down the river and stationed behind trees.  From this position they soon checked the enemy's fire, and held them in their own ambush
until after dark, whlen a flag of truce was sent by the rebels, under pretext of returning a woman found in man's
clothing, but really for the purpose of withdrawing their
men.   On Wednesday the division was ordered to fall
back to Centreville, and reached Groveton  that night,
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
iwhere it joined General Reynolds with a division of Penns-lv-ania troops.  Early on Thursday, signs of the enemy
were discoveredl, and the brigade of General  Iatcl was
sent fo-rward to reconnoitre; but finding nothing, save indications of a small cavalry force, the command moved on.
Hardly a mile had been made before a heavy fire of artillery was opened upon General Hateh's brigade firom the
left.  Campbell's battery, 4th artillery, immediately galloped lup to the front, got into position upon a ridge, and
opened upon the enemy, posted just across a valley upon
the crest of another hill, but a short distance off. Gibbons'
Brigade was then ordered up; the 2d Wisconsin taking the
left of the line, then the 6th Wisconsin, next the 19thl Indiana, and lastly the 7th Wisconsin.
Scarcely had our lines been formed before the rebel inflintry began to advance, pouring a terrible fire of musketry
into our ranks, and repeatedly attempting to charge on our
battery.  It was a hotly contested fight; for over an hour
these four regilments were under a storm of ball and buckshot, fired by a whole division of the enemy, and never
yielded an inch.  Colonel Conner fell, mortally wounded;
others dropped fast, and the ranks seemed to melt away
iunder the fire.  The rebels repeatedly advanced in overlwhelnilug numbers, and were as often driven back by the
steady fire of these Western regiments, until nilght closed
the scene and both parties retired firom the field. As the
fig,ht was about to close, Doubleday's Brigade came up to
the support of Gibbons'; it consequently lost but a few of_
its numbers. All night the surgeons worked hard and
earnestly, attending to the wounded.  Amputations sueceelded each othler in rapid succession, until the gray daiwn
of the morning broke in through the windows of the tenmporary hospitals. Among the few benefits derived firom the
a
23t 
LEAVES FROM TIlE
war, is the marked  improvement ill military  surge]ry.
Some of the stugeons, who now skilfully perform the ne c(xsai,y oplerations, and judicioutsly decline to  amputtate
iwlieie a hope of savingi the limb exists, were at the cornmencement of the rebellion inadequate to the positions
they occupied.  On  Friday morning  the weary men  of
this division started for )ianassas, having fought an entire division, under Ewell, wlho had been  Nwounded in
the leg.  In the afternoon the division returned to the field
of yesterday-, and found Sigel's andcl Reynolds' divisions
slelling the eneimy.  As the brigades of IIatch, Doubleday,
and Patrick moved oIff to the left to the aid of Sigel and
RFeynolds, an order arrived firom iMcDowell for the division
to proceed to the right, and pursue tlle enemy, said to be
retreating.  Although  this was known to be an error, tlle
order was promptly obeyed, and the brigade of General
1Iatchl hastened up the road until it approached a ridge,
lwhere the regimients were deployed in line of battle, and
moved rapidly up the slope to the left.  Suddenly a shleet
of fire burst on them firom the right and left, at close range,
chlecking their advance and causing a momentary panic.
At this juncture General Hatch rode along the line and
restored order.  It was now getting dark, and the field
presented a view of unequalled grandeur.  The fire of tl-e
enemy kept up incessantly a steady shleet of flame, blazing
away firom the ridge-now advanicing, and then recedingenv-elolping our troops completely, and mowiing down the
men  by scores.  General Hlatch's horse was shot under
hian; 1his assistant a(djutant-general, Captain  Judcson, was
captured; one of his  aids, Lieutenant LyonI,  was  dismounted.  It being found impossible to carry the eienmy's
position, and the regiments having been terribly thinned,
orders were given to retire, and the division gradually fell
') 3 2
a 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
back for the night, leaving many of the killed and *N ounded
on the field.  Saturday mnorning the enemy had  disappeared, every thing was perfectly quiet, and not the least
indication of another engagement was to be seen.   Suddlenly the rebels were discovered upon our right; and in a
few moments it w-as found that they had moved around to
a position at rilght-angles wvith that held by them on Friday.
Our line immediately swung round, and the engagement
commenced.  After some hard fighting, the enemiy sueceeded in turning our left: bringing his batteries rapidly,
one by one, still further around, near our rear, he compelled us to withdraw fi'om the fight, though wve retained a
portion of the field.  Dturing those three days' fight, our
loss in killed, wounded, and missing w-as unusually heavy,
thought our troops foughqt well against superior numbers.
Every effort was made to remove our iwounded, but many
had to be left on the field.  Our paroled prisoners say they
were w-ell treated by the rebel officers, but that their men
treated them  shamefully.  General  JacksonI sent withlin
our lines the hat, sword, watclh, spurs, and other personal
eflects of Alj-:or Barny of the 24th New YTork, and issued
an order permitting our paroled prisoners to biing back
with them the private effects of their comrades killed on the
field.  The enemy captured several hundred new uniforms
of the Brooklyn 14th, and distributed them among their
artillery.
T/te -Rebels cross tle Potom(zac.
It is believed the rebels have crossed the Potomac in
force, this side of Point of Rocks.  Jackson has entered
Leesburg w-ith his troops, and is pushing on for IIarper's
Ferry.  Longstreet with his corps is marching in the same
direction.  They are well supported withl artillery.  Many
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LEAVES FOIOM TIlE
of the inhabitants along the route are escaping to Maryland.   Others have, while attempting to do so, been
arrested by the Confedlerates and irnpisoned.  Night before last, a rebel battery arrived at Edwards' Ferry and
fired on the boats on the river. The rebels announce their
intention of crossing the river at three points and marching into Pennsylvania, with the intention of capturing
Iharrisburg. All our wounded that were in the hospitals
at WarVrenton have arrived at Alexandria, after a perilous
and tedious journey of four days, part by railroad, and part
by vwagons; and passed close to where the battle was raging for miles.  They came in charge of Dr. Haynes, and
escallo molestation.
Visit to the Bull -Run Battle-field.
'We had some interesting experience within the enemy's
lines since the recent battles. Several of us surgeons went
in bugg,ies to the field after the long train of ambulances
had started, under a flag of truce, on Monday morning,
for the purpose of bringing in our wounded.  When we had
gone about a mile beyond the stone house which had been
used as a hospital during the first battle of Bull Run, and
which stands on the Warrenton turnpike beyond the stone
bridge, we established a depot on the hill, and sent out the
ambulances all over the field.  The rebel pickets, on meeting with them and learning their business, passed them
without hesitation.  HIalf of the day was spent in examining, the battle-field of Saturday, and caring for the wounded we found. After passing the rebel pickets we met a
whole brigadie of cavaliry stationed on the Warrenton road,
and large parties of their infantry, all of whom passed us in
silence. The part of the field which most claimed our attention was upon the right of our lines, where General
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HIatclh's Brigade, of Kearney's division, had  been  en,gaged.  During the battle this brigade had lain behind a
piece of wood(s, having skirmishers thrown forwarId to its
edge. In firont there is a plain about a quarter of a mile
wide, and an ascending slope, crowned by a rail-fence; belind it is an excavation, through which the MIanassas Gap
railroad passes.  Behind this fence, and within the excavation, tlhere had been posted a large force of the enemy, to
attack whom Hatch's brigade had been moved over this
extensive plain and up the ascending slope.  From the
point where they emerged out of the woods and moved up
the hill, the ground was thickly strewn with the dead.
WVhen our line had been formed, it was open to a destructive fire from the rebel artillery and infantry, which nmowed
downi  our ranks, so that the dead lay in one continuous
line w-here they fell.  Here and there, under a tree, or the
slhadow of a rock, we saw groups of mnen who had been
wounded, most of whom died unstucecored, while an occasional one was living still. The rail-fence, in front of which
our line of battle had beenl formed, was blown to pieces
and scattered by the enemny's grape and canister-the rails
being perforated by bullets.  On the other side of the railroad-cut a group of rebels were employed burying their
own dead, with whom we had some conversation.  They
treated us politely, and offered to accompany us through
the woods in search of our wounded, many of whom said
they had been well treated by the enemy.  In passing,
along the railroad excavation to a point where it was followed by an embankment, we found eighty-five of our
dead; these we had covered by the levelling of the embankment over them, as the most expeditious mode of burial.
We came up wnitll a party of our wounded under the shade
of some trees and a neg,ro cabin, in which a number were
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being(r cared for.  There were about sixty, officers and men,
all badly wounded, in these places; among, them was a
lieutenant of the 30tllh New York, whose  spinal column
]had been seriously injured by a rifle-ball; he was  completely paralyzecd, and could not be removed.  The rebels
who accompanied us during our search were quite conmmunicative; they seemed to know  all about our army, its
strength, and condition.  They said their marches to reach
the battle were long and harassing, their food, though
often indifferent, was plentiful, and  their confidence  iii
Generals Jackson, Lee, and Longstreet, unbounded.  They
stated they had no doubt of soon clearilng Virginia of the
tfnion army, and carrying the war into MIaryland and
Pennsylvania.  After going over a large portion of the
ground, andcl making, complete arrangemients for the discovery of all the wounded and the burial of the dead, we
returned to the depot, and performed some of thlle necessary
operations.  AVith the aid of the other surgeons, all that
had been brotught to the depot were cared for.  Next
morning we did not see any of the enemy but a few cavalry videttes on commandiing points.
The medical director of the rebel forces informed our
iambulance drivers this forenoon that the place  must be
cleared as soon as practicable, and those of the wouinded
who had not been sent away should be broughlt down to
the stone house to be paroled.  As this would necessarily
occupy several hours, I drove down  the road across Bull
1]tlt  by the ford, below the stone bridge, imeeting occasionally two or three ofthe rebel soldiers. In a meadow, near
tlhe Run, I saw another hospital depot, alnd our men eiigaged in burying a number of the dead.  All over the
identical battle-ground of the first Bull Run, our dead lay
thickly scattered, after the second fight, as far as the eye
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DIApRY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
could reach, side by side witlh the fast-decomposing carcasses of horses and mrules, broken caissons and fi'agm,ents of
shlel!s, and but one cannon.  Further on, I met somte of the
enem y's pI)ickets, who were now inquisitive as to my objects,
and closely scrutinized my dress.  I had on a linen blouse
over my  unifornm, which they wished to see, evidently
dout)tiug my being a surgeon; but I soon satisfied thlem
on this point, and proceeded on for half a mile, when I
agu,il met another hospital containing about sixty more of
oui-r wounded, under the charge of Dr. Berryville, who infoirmed me that our troops had evacuated Centreville and
tlhat the rebels had taken possession of it.  I proceeded,
]however, passing many dead artillery horses, and a quantity
(-)of rifle ainmuniition.  On reaching Centreville, I was met
l)y a rebel officer, who inquired my name and business, and
told me to consider nmy-self a prisoner; but on claiming the
exemiption of siurgeons  firom  arrest, I was, after a few
hours' delay, permitted to proceed by the provost-marshlal,
who was butsily eingaged in placing guards over the medical
stores left by our surgeons for the use of the sick.  Ile
stated it as his intention of protecting them for the Confederate government,  whose property he declared  they
lhad become, expressing his willingness to issue whatever
medicines were absolutely required for our' wounded, but
said "he wanted none of our d           dcl Federal  extravagance!"  At two o'clock, on Tuesday, we left Centreville
for Fairfalx Court-house.  On the road we met several of
the enemy's pickets, who allowed us to proceed, on presentingi their provost-marshal's pass; but, on reaching our own
cavalry pickets, we  had  considerable difficulty to get
thlrough, and had to wait their sending back to headquarters, at Fairfax Court-house, for instructions for our
admission within our lines.  We noticed that the enemy
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had but a small force at Centreville. WVe met on the road
the colonel of a -Iassachusetts regiment and over twenty
of his men, all unarmned.   They said they had got separated firom their regiment in the battle of ]1onday, and
had been since lying out in the woods, without food, endeavoring to evade the rebel pickets.  They were on their
way to Centreville, and would soon have been arrested;
but, on learning their mistake, they again took to the
woods, and reached our lines in safety.
On arrival at Fairfax Court-house, we found General
Couch with his division, and some cavalry regiments, covering the rear of our army.  From Fairfax to Alexandria
the road was filled with our men, marching in good order
to Alexandria, at which place we arrived that night.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
REBEL ADVANCE ON FREDERICK, MARYLAND.
TiE rebels having crossed the Potomac,  their forces
occupy the north bank of Seneca Creek, their line extending to 3iiddlebrook, on the road between Washington
and Frederick, the capital of Maryland.  The Union fo rces
that had occupied Frederick have fallen back to Harper's
Ferry. Friday afternoon the rebel pickets extended as far
as New Mlarket, eight miles southeast of Frederick, the
Union pickets  having been withdrawn to sixteen miles
from that place. The rebels got possession of several cars
loaded with pontoon bridges.  Mlany of the Southern syiti)athizers of Baltimore, and other places, are joiningi( the
rebels, but there is no general uprising of the people, as
they evidently expected.  On Saturday morning the rebel
cavalry arrived at the Frederick junction of the Baltilinore
and Ohio railroad, cut the telegraph, and carried away the
operator and his instruments. They did not molest any
one else, nor was there a shot exchanged between them
and the Federal guard at the bridge over the Monocacy,
which retired on their approach. Later in the day their
infantry arrived and took possession of the bridge, throvwing
out pickets in all directions. Another body of the rebels,
5000 strong, crossed the Potomac yesterday afternoon. Gen.
McClellan sent forward some cavalry, under Colonel Pleasanton, to Poolesville, to reconnoitre fiom that point back
to Frederick, and ascertained that the enemy is not in
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force.  Last night our forces occupied six miles further
out, and continue to-day to acldvance.  Tlhe rebel force that
passed through Frederick on their way west, is variously
estimated firom fifteen to fifty thousand.  It is thiought this
raid is not alone for the purpose of obtaining supplies, but
to induce General'IcClellan to drawv his forces firom the
defence of WVashington to pursue them, and thus give their
army in Virginia an opportunity of advancing on the cal)ital.  Our force at  Iarpl)er's Ferry is large enoughl to hold
at bay an army of tw-enty  thousand  until  the  aririval
of )IeClellan.   The  intelligence of this  morningr indicates that a division of the rebel army has taken a wiestern
course to wards Iag'eristown, the inhabitants of which have
fled to Chambersbiirg, tlhoughtl that town has not as yet
been occupied by the rebels.   By moving on Ilagerstown
firom Frederickl, the enemy  virtually turns his back on Baltimore and  Washington, but will then be  wvitliiii seven
miles  of the Potomac  at Williamsport.  The  enemy's
cavalry is scouring on the borders of York  county, Pennsylvania.  No fiurther movements have been made by the
enemy, w-ithl the exception of scouting parties being sent oiut
in the direction of HIlagerstown.  A body of rebels have
also crossed the Potomac at Noland's foird, and marchled on
Buekeyston, five miles fiomn Point of Rocks.  They are
sadly in want of clothing and slhoes, a gieater part of their
cavalhy and infantry  being  barefooted.  Their advanceguard, during the night, camnped at WVhite Oak Springs,
three miles firom  Frederick.  During, their malich they
seized all the cattle and provisions they could find, but paidcl
for it in Virginia and South Carolina money, or United
States treasury notes, and generally treated the people
well, declaring thley came as fiiendcls and not as enemies.
They destroyed the culvert of the Chesapeake and Ohio
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DIARY OF AN ARiMIY SURGEON.l.
canal,  thus  cutting off  navigation  with Washington.
Another division of their forces crossed the Potomac on
Friday,- night, near Berlin, consisting of cavalry, infantry,
and artillery, and made a junction with the other forces at
White Oak Springs. On Friday evening the people of
Frederick heard that this force was collecting cattle and
sheliep firom the farmers.  This caused great excitement, as
the whole military force left in the city consisted of one
conmp)any, under command of the provost-marshal, who,
on learning these facts, at once commenced to have the
wagons loaded with the most valuable of the stores, leaving
sufficient for the use of the six hundred patients in the hospitals there-the balance w-ere set fire to, to prevent their
falling into the enemy's hands.  This conflagration,  as
might be expected, increased the excitement, and many of
the citizens at once left the city, by every mode of conveyance, and duiing the night thousands departed, blocking
up the roads to Baltilmore and Pennsylvania.  Many of the
convalescent patients in the hospitals also left, and becoming exhausted on the way, were afforded shelter by the
farmers. The rebels entered Frederick at ten in the morning, to the number of twenty thousand, and marched quietly
into Market-street, where they were halted, and a proclamation issued, of which I subjoin a copy.  The  people
were informed that their persons and property would be
respected, and that any supplies taken for their troops
would be paid for.   They appointed a provost-marshal,
with a strong iguard to preserve order. During the afternoon the streets were thronged with the rebel soldiers,
visiting the stores, that had been closed, but which their
provost-marshlal ordered to be opened.  They made large
purchases, for which they promptly paid, and preserved
the strictest order. In the evening a meeting was called,
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L1E~AVES FRIO5  TIIE
at whichl  Bradley Johnson delivered a miost conciliatory
speech: hlie asserted the ability of the Conifederates to take
AW,ashingtol and Baltimiore, and dictate terms of peace in
Independence IIall at Philadelphlia.  The following is the
proclamuation:
TO TIIE PEOPLE OF IAPHYLAND.
Head-quarters Armny of Northern Virginia,
nieair Frederick, Septemiber 8, 1863.
It is right you should know the purpose that has brought
the army under my  command within the limits of your
State, so far as that purpose concerns yourselves.  The
people of the Confederate States have long watched, with
the deepest syripattO, the wrongs and outrages that have
been inflicted upon the citizens of a commonwealth allied
to the States of the South by the strongest social, political,
and commercial ties, and reduced to the condition of a
conquered prov-ince.  Under the pretence of supportiig
the Constitution, but in violation of its most valuable provision, your citizens lhave been arrested and imprisoned,
upon no charge, and conitrary to all the fornms of law.  A
faithfuil and imanily protest against this outiage, made by a
venerable and illustrious lIarylanlder, to wlhom in better
days no citizen appealed for right in vain, was  treated wvithl
scorn and contempt.  The governmenit of your chief city
has beeni usurped by armed strangeis, your Legislature has
been dissolved by the unlawful arrest of its members, fireedom of the press and of speech has been supl)pressed, words
have been declared offences by an arbitrary decree of the
Federal Executive, and citizens ordered to be tried by
military commission for what they may dare to speak.
Believing that the people of  Iarlaland possess a spirit too
lofty to submit to such a goverulmeliet, the people of the
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DIAlEY OF AN AIRMY SURGEON.
Soilthl have long w-ished to aid you ill thlrowing:  off  thlis
f()reig'n y-oke, to enable  you agaill to enjoy the illalien'ble
rigi,lts of fieelelle, and restore the independence and the
soverei~gnty of your State.   In obedience to this wish, our
ally has conie ailong you, and is prepared to assist you
w-ithl the power of its arms in regaillilg tlle righ,lts of which
you  hlave been  so  unjustly  despoiled.   Thliis, citizens of
'itaiyland, is our mission so far as you are concerned.   No
restraint upon your fiee will is intenided-no intimfid(ation
will be allowed,  within the limiits of this airmy at least.
a3 iIrylaiidelrs shlall once m,(,'e enjoy their ancienlt freedom
of tlhoug(ht and speechl.  AVe know no enemiies aliog you,
and will protect all of y-ou in every opinion.  It is'for you
to decide your destiny, fieely and witllout constraint. This
ar-my will respect  your  choice, wlhatev-er it may be, and
while the Southelrni  peolie will rejoice to w-elcoi-ile you to
3youIr nat'ural position among tlhem, they will only w-elcome
you when  you com1e of your own firee will.
P-. E. LL:E,  GeCac)'cl Co)2)))Icci(i)iry.
Alanyl of tlhe citizens of Frederick, who sympathized
withl the South, attended this meeting, but the Unioiiists
wl}o remained in the city kept to their houses.   At ten
o'clock all the Confecderate soldiers were  orderecd to their
campls on the outskirts of the town, and soon all was again
quiet.  The Federal flags wNere lowered, and the Confederate stars and bars were ]loisted in their stead.  MIost of
their officers were quartered  at the hotels and private
Ihouses.  All the cattle seized by the rebels in  the surroundiiiiigii   counltry, were immediately driven towards the
Potomac.
There is inow but little doubt that tile vwhiole of the Confederate army  are crossing the Potomac.   They  have
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LEAVES FROM THE
extended their pickets for twenty miles on the roads leading east and west from Frederick.  Their main column is
moving direct for Pennsylvania, through Hagerstown and
Chamlbeisburg, to Harrisburg,.  The inhabitants of the two
former places are fleeing, there being no Union forces to
protect them. General McClellan has advanced his headquarters beyond Rockville. iTis army is approaching the
'Nonocacy river, some of the bridges over which have been
destroyed by the enemy. At half-past seven o'clock last
eveningl, the rebels made a raid into  Vestminster, about
five hundred strong, with two pieces of artillery, but abandoned it this forenoon,  marchling towards  Uniontown.
While at Westminster, they destroyed the books of the
provost-marshal, and those that contained the names of
persons enrolled as liable to do military duty. They took
possession of the post-office, and carried away all the postage-stamps.  They treated the inhabitants with respect
and consideration. They made large purchases, and paid
promptly, even for the food for their horses. Colonel Rosser,
who was in command of their cavalry, rode a horse which
had belonged to General Pope.  Many  recruits joined
them, but none were accepted unless armed and equipped.
Loss of Ilarper's Ferry.
This morning, at daylight, General Pleasanton, with the
8th Illinois cavalry, and Captain Fitchall's battery, started
after the enemy. At Boonesboro' he came up with the 9th
Virginia cavalry, with a battery acting as a rear-guard.
The Illinois cavalry charged after them through the town,
and two miles out, on the Hagerstown turnpike, capturing
two of their guns, and killed, wounded,  or took prisoners about thirty of them.  General Richardson's division, being in advance, took the road from this place
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
towards Sharpsburg, two miles and a half from which
town he came up with the enemy, in large force, who occupied a long rang,e of hills.  They showeed a line of battle
a mile and a half long. The afternoon was spent in
ascertaining the position and force of the rebels, not a sufficient number of our troops having come up to bring on an
engagement. During last night the larger part of the army
arrived on the ground. It is now nine o'clock, and no
engagement has taken place. The rebels are rapidly moving
across the river.  The receipt of intelligence confirming the
loss of Harper's Ferry, and the absence of dispatches firom
General McClellan, throughout the early part of the day,
cast a gloom upon the community, which was relieved at
a late hour to-night, by the news of the hasty evacuation
of Harper's Ferry by the rebels. This is considered to be
sutfficient evidence that General McClellan is progressing
successfully, and that the whole of the rebel army, including the captors of Harper's Ferry, are involved in the rout.
Up to late this evening few of the wounded, in Sunday's
battle, had arrived at Frederick.  They have, probably,
been provided for at Middletown and Boonesboro.  A hundred and eight prisoners, captured along with General
Lonlgstreet's baggage train, by the cavalry that cut their
way through firom Harper's Ferry, arrived here this morning, and fifty more have reached Chambersburg.
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LEAVES FROM THE
CHAPTER XXIV.
BATTLE OF SOUTH M[OUNTAIN.
THERE is a report to-dclay, September 13th, that a battle
is ragingi south of Hagerstown, between the Union forces
and the rebels, under Stonewall Jackson.  The cannonading
was heard at HIanover and Chambersburgc, this morning,
proceeding,, evidently, firom an action between McClellan's
forces and the rebels, at South Mountain.  The lheaviest
part of the fil-ghting was done by the 9thl army corps, under
General Ieno, who was shot dead.  General lBurnside was
also on the field, and assisted in the direction and command
of the troops.  The fight commenced early in the morning,
and lasted until nine at night.  The Union loss is over
twelve lhundred, killed and woundled.  The enemy's loss is
much heavier, and differently stated.  The forces, on both
sides, fought  with great bravery.   The position of tlle
rebels was very strong, and required repeated efforts to
dlislocdge them.  Their artillery was advantageously posted
and did great execution on our ranks; but the determined
charg,es of our men triulmphed.  WAVe took a large number
of prisoners.  Among the enemy's loss, there are many
officers.  The rebel General Lee is reported wounded, -and
General  Garland killed.  They are hurriedly  retreating
for the river.  Thle riglit w-ing of the Union army  was
opposed by Hill and Longstreet.  The left, commanded by
Franklin, was equally victorious.
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DIARY OF AN ARMIY SURGEON.
The Field( of -Battle.
From Middclletown the road runs in a westerly direction
throughir  a rather rough countiy, and stiikes the abrulpt
irise of the mountain, at about three miles fiom the towin.
It heere becomes very steep and stony; in some places the
ltill rises considerably above the road, on eitller side, forming a gulch rather than a road.  Ilighl and rougih as the
country is at this point, it is fenced, and near the summit of
the mountain, at a point where the sides of the road are
consideral)ly higiher than the road itself, a good stone wall
]runs around firom the road to the riglht at'right-ang'les, and
crosses the field to the wood.   A slhort distance beyond,
a lane leaves the road fi'om the left at a right-angle, and
on eitlher side of this lane there is a low stone wall with
onie iail above it.  This spot, intersected by the roald and(
thle three stone w-alls, was the scene of action.
From an early hour in the day two 20-poulnders on a rid(ge
lelow the mountain had shlelledcl the various parts of tle
imountain's side,  -lwhere the rebels were s5nul))osed to be, and(
at 9 A. Mr. a portion of General Cox's division went foiward(l as skirmishers, and drove the rebels fi'om thle lower
part of the mountain.  Tlhis was followed by artillery firing
on Lothl sidles, which ended in many of the enenmy's guns
being silenced.   Early in the afternoon,  Genecral Seammion's Brigcade-the 12th, 23l, and 36thl Ohio recoiments
-wa-s sent forward up the mountain, and deploye(d  in tlhe
iroug h goround to the right          of the road, while the 45th
Penyivi -\va       nia vas          dleploe yed to tlle left of it; on its left the
4 8t11 Penns-lvanina w        as formed. All this time the rebels
l'ty    concealed         behind the tw o stone walls to the left of tlhe
r     oad, where they ha     d      posted a battery, which playved upon
o     ur men, as they a             dvanced, w-itlh terrible   effect.  Notwith
a
247 
LEAVES FROM THE
standing this, our men pushed up the hill and over the
difficult ground to the left of the road. On one side the
45th Pennsylvania carried the position, but with terrible
loss; on the other, the Ohio boys were repulsed in their
first advance, and were driven back.  They, however, soon
rallied, returned to the charge and carried the position.
All around this point the dead lay thickly strewn, and also
down the lane where the Pennsylvanians fought. At
nightfall the Ohio boys were relieved by the 51st New
York, 51st Pennsylvania, 21st and 35th Massachusetts, un der command of Colonel Ferrero, who held the summit of
the mountain. Soon after dark the rebels made a determined attempt to regain their position, but were driven back
by these regiments, who held the field during the night.
On the other side of the hill, the 17th Michigan, a newv
regiment, was engaged with a part of the enemy's force ill
the woods.   They employed the stone-wall tactics, and
delivered their fire from behind this barrier with telling
effect, cutting up a regiment of the rebels so severely they
could not be rallied.  The rebel force engaged, during this
fight, was part of the division of General D. H. HIill, and
part of Longstreet's,-these latter were brought eight miles
on the double-quick to the battle.  On the followVing day,
at Clayton's Pass, five miles south of this engagement, and
near the town of Burkittsville, a portion of Franklin's corps
-Slocutm's division —not over 6000, engaged the rebels
under General MIcLaws.  It was a brief and decisive action.
The enemy was driven firom the town on the eastern slope of
the Catocini mountain, across the hill, and lost over 400 killed
and wounded, and 500 taken prisoners.  The Union loss was
under 300.  The town of Burkittsville is situated about four
miles southwest of MIiddletown.  It is a pleasant village of
teat brick houses, with one or two handsome churches.
248
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
General Franklin arrived near the town with his corps
on Sutnday afternoon, and at one sent forward General
Slocuim's division: two regiments of Bartlett's Brigade,
the 5th inMaine, and 96th Pennsylvania, were sent out as
skirmishers through the village and up the lower slopes of
the mountain, driving the enemy's pickets before them.
On the slopes they were supported by the ]6th and 27th
NXew York, which steadily advanced, fighting all the way,
until the enemy's main body was found, which was admirably posted on the eastern slope of the Catocin mountain,
at Clayton's Gap. The road here is narrow, and winds up
the mountain in long reaches, which could be so swept by
grape-shot that nothing on it could live.  Apart firom this
road, the side of the mountain is so steep and rocky that
it is only withl great difficulty one can climb it.  The enemy
had availed himself of every advantage of his position.  At
the foot of tile steep part of this hill his infantry was
posted, behind stone walls, and also on other parts of the
mountain; and the only part where an attempt could be
made to scale the place was swept by eight pieces of artillery.
Notwithlistanding the desperate nature of the undertaking, it was determined to attack without delay, and
Newton's Brigade, of Slocium's division, was ordered up to
strike the main blow; while Kearney's old brigade, composed of the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th New Jersey regiments,
under command of Colonel Talbot, was ordered to support
General Newton.  Simultaneously  with this movement,
General Brook's Brigade of Smnith's division was  sent
to skirmish the mountain, and advance upon the extreme
rig(ht flank of the enemy.  It had a long way to go,
and thus the battle was a single straight-forward attack,
by Slocum's division, with a contingency on the rebel flank
11*
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LEAVES IFROM1 TIlE
in case they met with great difficulty.  As  Newvton's Biig1d(e imove(C  foli'waid therie wa,s not a straggler to be seenl.
— All seemed eqially cager   for the ti-'ay, and intent on victolry.
leI  nevIer we nt in-to an action with better spirit, whichl
was showni  thlioughl  the whole battle.  The obstructions
in the line of advance were of great advantagre to the
enevmy, and consisted of six-rail fences and two stone walls,
all of which hlad to be crossed, the enemy  playing feaIfully writh tlheir artillery all the time.   The stone walls
were all held by the eienemy's inftalntiy, who were ultimately
drivien from them by oir troops at the point of the bayionet.
Soon after tlis adv-ance be,gan, General XNewton, seeing tlhat
the rebels were started, ordered forward the other two biri,gadles of Slocium's division, to advance witli his own.  Oniward thley piishecl, tlhe enemiy flying and fighting, until they
reached thle foot of the steep declivity, where they, a-pparenitly, expected to makle their best defence.  It is hardly
posil)le to conceive how  this position could  hlave been
carr'ied; but it was, withi little delIty aid  loss  by our
men.  After the battle, it was  fouind tlhat it was a work of
no small difficutilty to climb the precipitous side of tihe lhill.
Yet our bo-s stiruggled ulp, with coiurage, while the foe
abov-e pouried down upon them a perfect storm of balls, and
drove him  firom the -veryv summit of the ]lill, fly-ingi down
the further side in one wild auid confiised mass.  A large
number of prisoners were taken, especially firom  the briga(les of IJowell Cobb and Semmroes.   Nearly the whole of
the Cobl)b Legion were capture(d, with their colors, on wlhichl
is inscribedl, " Col)b  Legion-in the name of the Lord."
The colors of the lthl Virginia regineint were also taken.
Thle ficlld of battle l)presented a muclli less torn-i-Up apl)ear
mice  thaln usual, -whichl can be accounted for by the fact
that artillery was not much used on either side.  The stony
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Di)AI-Y OF AN  AAI',!Y SUItGEON.
and steep slope of the lhill was thielly strewn with tlhe
dead.  The rebels had to ahbIandoni one of their gunis, whichl
fell into the hands of t}he Union tl-OOl)S; iand such was tlhe
suddenness and boldness of thle charge, that it was with
difficulty they saved their remiaining pieces.  The removal
of the wounded fiom the field, aftei the close of the action,
was one of the most impressive pictures of the day.  The
road leading to the Gap was filled with long and windling
lines of ambulances, goincg and returning.  As  fast as the
men could be placed in the ambulances, they were removed
to the principal pnivate-hotses in Bu'rkittsville, and their
wounds dressed.  Mtany had to remain where they fell all
nigihlt, and tle impossibility of attending to them promptly,
cost many a life.
The inhabitants of Bnrkittsville opened their houses
witih alacrity for the reception of the wounded, and offered
the kindest attentions to the sufferers.  The surgeons were
busy all nilght, and the most painfnl  operations were  submnitted to without a nmiurmnur.  As soon as they are able to
bear removal they will be sent to Frederick, where  arranigeients are made for the reception of 1000 patients.
The rebel wounded were nearly all taken to the Baptist
lchurch in Biurkittsville, whIich has been converted into a
temporary hospital, where they receive the same attention
as our men, at which they express their suirprise and gratitide.  On the battle-field, bodies of the dead lay about in
every direction, and in every imaginable position.  Here
fell an officer, sword in hand, urgcing on his men; one was
drinkingii  fi'om his canteen as the fatal bullet pierced his
br'ain; another, in the act of d(liselhargilg his piece; and
othlers, while loading thleir miuskets.   3[ost of the killed
were shot in the head, whlich is owingA to the elevated position on which the enemy was posted.  General Howell
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LEAVES FIROI TIIE
Cobb commanded a brigade in MeIcLaws' division, and led
his brigade into action.  He was wounded in the leg.
The Cobb Legion, commanded by his brother, was terribly cut up: but few of its number oame out of the action
alive.  Seeing our men advancing upon them up the mountain's side, the order was given to push down from their
position and repel us.  Instead of remaining behind the
stonie wall, and taking advantage of it as a protection
against our fire, they madly leaped the wall, and, with a
yell, rushed on our advance column.  It was a madness
that led them to death. Besides the fire of our advance
column, they suffered from an enfilading fire on both sides.
Several rebel officers were killed, and many taken prisoners. General Newton and his brigade acted with coolness
and bravery. He was in the thickest of the fight, and his
men climbed up the steep rocky sides of the mountain
with unflinching bravery.  The loss of the brigade, colnsidering the severity of the action, is very small. The 2d
brigade of Stevens' division, under Colonel Bartlett, was
alike conspicuous for its courage and steadiness. Colonel
3Iatthewson and Major Lawson were both wounded.  The
latter had reached the top of the mountain before being
disabled.
General Smith's division pushed on after the enemy, who
retreated for some distance, and shelled their rear; but as
no stand was made they returned, on account of the news
having reached them of the fall of Harper's Ferry.  On
the right, at some distance, heavy cannonading has been
heard, which probably proceeds from Sumner's corps, engaged with the enemy. As no effort was made by the
rebels to recover their dead after the battle, orders were
issued for their interment. The wounded in the houses at
Burkittsville are all doing well; but few deaths have oc
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cutrred since their removal from the field. The rebel
wounded are chiefly inIjured in the lower extremities, and
one or two of them positively refused to submit to the
necessary operation, preferinig death, the inevitable consequence of their obstinacy, to the supposed suffering of an
amputation.   One  very remarkable case, of a gunshot
wound through the loins, came  under  my notice.  The
patient, though quite sensible, was entirely free firom pain,
notwithstanding the wound would prove mortal, and produced total paralysis of both legs.
Operatiois of the 9th Army Corps.
The scene of the reception of our troops in Frederick
was one of exciting joyfulness, but, if possible, was excelled
when they started in pursuit of the rebels on the following
day. For hours the long lines of men, horses, and artillery, kept passing through the town, and it was not until
near midnight that the monster military procession hadc
drawn to a close.  The citizens hailed them as performing,
or about to perform, the double task of preserving the
country and driving firom the soil of Maryland the rebels
who had come to conquer and despoil them, or to tamper
with their loyalty; but they were not easily to be moved.
The brief stay of the Southerners in Frederick is the reason they assign for the failure of its citizens to join their
army.  The 9th army corps proceeded to Middletown, a
small village, beautifully situated in a valley about eight
miles firom Frederick, where they learned that the enemy
occupied the Catocin mountain in force (a description of
which is given in the previous chapter), and that they were
strengtheningc their position, with the avowed intention of
resisting any attack that might be made upon them by our
forces. It was known that they had a large body of men,
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but thle i(ldea pr)evailedc thiat they would not make any decidled
stand until thev reached 13oonesboro' or ITagerstown.  On
tlle niglit of the 13thi Sepl)tenil)er, thle troops    removed a
little distance firom the tow-n, where they encamped for the
nig(lit, readyn and w-illiing for any -work they would be called
on to d(lo on the followingc day.  The new regiments were
all anxiety, the old ones confident that success would be
theirs, whlile figting under l[cClellan and Btiurnsid(le, even
tlhouigh opposed by  Jackson, Lee, and Longsstreet, with
thleii darLing and desperate troops: their night's rest was not
broken or disturbed by any forebodings of defeat, and the
imorning found them eager for the contest.  The dclay broke
fine, but with- the appearance of comin,  rain, whlich renlered the air cool and lpleasant, and well sutited for an
engagemient.  At an early hoiur, the booming, of guns told
tl)at the artillery had resumed the contest beguin the previots evemning, but which was now destined to be attended
witlh  tr more important results than before.  The men
were soon marching to the scene of action.  It was a splendidl pageaintthle long lines of infantry, unattended by
wagons, and consequently unbroken, passing over the hills
iIi a steadyl aind solid coliumn.  On  approaching nearer, tlhe
reports of the artillery became  more distinct, and the
iwreaths of smoke that rose after each discharge, showed
at a glance the relative positions of our own and the eieimv's batteries.  The rebels were  apparently holding ba.ck
their fire, so as to use it with effect against our. iinfintiy
wNhen they were attacked by it: this, their usual wise plan,
told severely upon soime of our poor fellows.  The position
w-as well chosen, and with all possible reference to military
advanitages. Situiated on the slope of the mountain, covered
itih w-ood(s, it was splendidly calculated for masked batteries, and those surprises, for which the rebels have become
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DIIARY OF AN ARP,MY SURGEON.
so fatoiis.  The road ascendinl  the side of the'mounitain
was steel) and narrow, and so filled with la ge stones tll:it
qui(ck locomotion  w'ts imipossible, and a clarge a d(lifli(lilt
thi        ng-c    to execute.  The enemy also had a series of breastih      igh                      stone fences, tha t had been built by the farmers.
Behilnd  these thley coul d fo rtify themselves, and pourIII volley
anfter                           volley i nto any     opposing( force, while they were corn)a.rativ-ely firee firom  dlanger, being able to diopl) and  load(l
as soon as they fired.  They had also cut down the trees
il thie imimedliate vicinity of these fences, to as to leave an
open space, that must be crossed by the attacking force
)efoire they were dislodgled.  In these natural fortifications
they possessed great odds; and without good officers and
men, it would have taken a much larger force than that we
emilloyed to disloldg-e them.   But our men went there that
mornllino deteinmined not to f.il.
The fiohlit, properly  speaking, began on Sunday morning,
our trool)s foreing tlheir way, to the top of the mountain
lknow-n as South or Seared mountain, one of the Catocin
group, by a road situated a little to the left of whalit is known
as tlhe Natioinal road, and thus drove the rebels back, step
1)- step.  At three o'clock the greater part of the corps was
fully engeaged, and fought desperately until seven, when the
enemyii  was iairl  driven  back,  leaving their dead  and
-woiiided on the field.  By nine o'clock the summit of the
hill was entirely in our possession, and the rebels, under
cov-er of the darkness, left for parts unknown,  and all
fiiing ceased in that quarter.   They  were  not closely
pursuied, for fear of mistaking our own men  for them.
'lThe most daring fihitiing was done by Cox's division, as
befoire desciibled, —their splendid bayonet clha,g,e, made
nIl)oion the rebel iintirenehients, behind  the stone walls,
though wmaimly received by a shower of bullets, was ii'e
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LEAVES FROM THlE
sistible. They continued to push on; and though many
fell dead and wounded, still the rest heeded it not, but
kept on their avenging course, like a destroying avalanche,
and, with a yell, rushed on to surmount the obstacles, killing
the enemy right and left, who could not stand the cold
steel. After making a feeble resistance, they broke and
retreated as fast as possible, leaving a number of wounded
and some prisoners in their victors' hands, which were at
once sent to the rear. The regiments that achieved this
gallant exploit were the 11th, 12th, and 30th Ohio. The
officers and men of these corps acted with unflinching
bravery, and reflected credit on the whole division to which
they belong. About nloon, General WNVilcox's division,
composed of the brigades commanded by Acting Brigadiers AVelchl and Christ, was ordered to the support of
Cox's division.  They went forward to the ridge, where
they found him, slowly, but surely, advancing on the left
of the Sharpsburg road. The 50th Pennsylvania was sent
to support him, and the balance of the division was formed
on the right of the road, wvith Cook's battery planted opposite to a rebel battery that was stationed on the ridge. It
opened with good effect; but there were other rebel batteries that had not, as yet, exposed their positions, but
which now opened an enfilading fire on the left, from this
central point of defence, commanding the road. Their first
discharge disabled one of Cook's guns, killing and wounding four men, on which the battery retired. At this point
the enemy appeared and threatened to charge, intending
to capture Cook's battery.  A  rumor was now started
among the men of Wilcox's division, that a large rebel
cavalry force was coming down on them, which almost
created a panic in the ranks. All this time they were
under a heavy fire from the enemy's guns; grape and
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
canister were flying about them in a most lively manher.  The 79th New York was now sent to repel the
expected charge, and the 17th Mlichigan was dispatched to
their support. The division then changed front to left, and
advanced again to the ridge. At about four o'clock the
pickets reported that there was a battery, and two regimnlents supporting it, some little distance ahead, in the woods,
when an order was received from General Reno to take it, if
possible.  A  fitting reply was made to the order, and
General Sturgis's command was sent to support General
Wilcox.  The enemy appeared to divine our intention, and
also prepared to make a charge. It was now about five
o'clock, and the charge was met by the 45th Pennsylvania,
under Major Curtin, and the 17tllh Aichigan, under Colonel
AWhittington. A desperate fight followed, both sides doing
bravely, but the dcletermined will of the Union soldiers
prevailed, and the rebels were driven back with great loss.
The charge was a splendid one, and cost the Union forces
nearly four hundred, in killed and wounded.   The two
brigades under Ferrero and Nagle, of Sturgis's division,
which had been ordered to the support of Wilcox, advanced
on the left of the road, Ferrero's in advance. They met
with determined opposition, and some hard fighting was
done by them; but the rebels were again obliged to fall
back, leaving their wounded, and some prisoners, in our
hands. During, this the division of General Rodman was
sent to scour the adjacent woods, around the base of the
hill, on which Ferrero held his position under the most
trying circumnstances.  The 51st New York and 51st Pennsylvania contended, in the most  heroic manner, against
superior numbers. All of this brigade, firom Colonel Ferrero down, fully sustained the reputation they had earned
through the Virginia campaign.
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IlEAVES  FrO.r TIIE
The brigadcle of General Nagle was not actively engaged,
but dischargedl the duty allotted to thlem withl coolness ap —
steady obedience.  General Rodman's  division did some
hard fi(gl,tin(g in tlhe woods, and lost a number of men.
Our victory, tlhougth complete, has been dearly won, as we
have lost many brave fellows, as well as M,ajor-general Reno,
wh-lo commanded the 9th armny corps, formerly under Gen.
lurnside.  All day General Reno had been most active,
fearing no danger, and apparently at several places at one
timie.  Up to seven o'clock he was safe, standing, with his
staff, back of the woods in a field, in fi'ont of which were
the rebels; a body of his troops were before him, and' at
this point the enemy's fire was directed.   A  mini-ball
struck  him, and went  through his  body; he  fell, and
fi'om that moment seemed to have a knowledge that lhe
could not survive.  He was at once carried to the rear and
attended by his surgeon, Dr. Cutter.  At the foot of the
hill le was laid under a tree, where he died in a few minites. Thle officers of his staff exhibited the most sincere
gief at his los.  3[any wep)t overl him, and vowed to avenge
lhis death.  lHe was one of the bravest generals in the service, respected and loved by all, and warmly attached
to General Burtnside, who will deeply deplore his loss and
momurn his untimely end.  The country can ill afford to lose
suc!l men as IKearney, Stevens, and Reno.   The command
.t once devolved on General Cox, -who ably directed the
no-ovements of the corps.  It is difficult to determine the
exact loss in the ditferent divisions, brigades, and regiments, as to each; but our total loss is fully 1200.  The
eioemy's loss is still greater.  The  roads and w oods are
thicklv cov-ered with their dead.  Colonel Vild, of the 35th
New York, was seveirely -wounded in the arm; Lieutenant
WVilliamns, 51st NewN York, wounded in the chest, and Lieu
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0 
I)IARY OF AN APMY SURGI;.ON.
tenant Spriiigweller, of thle same regiment, was shot dead.
Thle woundedl  were cared for in the temp)orary hospitals,
tlhe siurgeonls workingr all ni(lght at their onerous tasks, doing all in their power to make tlhem comfortable, whichl
tlhey seemed filly to alppreciate, and but little compl)aint
was heard, the pooI' fellows bearing their sufferings like
martyrs.  Some exl)ressed thleir regret for loss of legs and
arms, as it would dlisable tlheIn fi'om  duty.  IVien all tl-he
wolIunde(d  were  dressed  and  cared for, they  were sent
furither back in ambulances,  w-heie they could be  better
provided for.  The prolportion of killed is unusually smnall
to the number woutnded-the rebels must have  had two
for one of our killed, as firoom  tleir position hehind tlhe
stone walls, when struck it was mortal, being chiefly in the
lheatd or cllest.  The appearance of the field the nmoriing
after the fight was a terrible siglht.  In some plaes tlhe
dteadl were lying two or three dleepl).  On  the road( or pass
along wlielh r'an the stone walls, tlhe dead lay tlhickly strewiin.
Tlhe death of many w-as so instantaneous tlhat thleii arms
nwere in position of firing their pieces, while others still retained the bitten cartrid(le in their hands.   Thley al)l)ealed(l
to be mostly yoiung men, many of tlhem mere  boys.  The
diffirence between the clotliing of the Union and( tlhe iebel
dead was very marked.  The  Union troops vwere all well
cladl, while the rebels were in rags: in many instances
wiithout any pretence at uniform.  Their garmen-ts  were of
all colors and styles.  Tihere firearms, lhowever, were  all
good, and they used themn well.  A number of farmers came
on the field to witness the sig(ht, of wihich they had so often
heard but never  seen.   Tliey  collected as  relics every
thing(  portable: car-thig de-boxes, bayonet  scabbards,  old(
musklets, an_d even cannon-balls were carriedl away by them.
A  paitly of imenl were  detailed as soon as possible to
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LEAVES FROM THE
bury the dead. When this sad and painful office was performed, and the men rested from the fatigues of the battle,
orders were given to prepare for another march and another
fight.  General Burnside rode by, this morning, and is
again to take command of the corps in person. HIe was
welcomed by the men with shouts of delight. It is expected
that the rebels, disappointed at their reception in Maryland, will attempt to recross the Potomac, and reoccupy
Viuginia.  But it is hoped that before doing so, General
McClellan will force them to another fight, and, if possible,
cut off their retreat.
0
260 
DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM.
Ox  WAVednesday, September 17, the Union  and rebel
forces in MIaryland met in the Blue Ridge, and fought a
battle which, when its full extent is known, will probably
dwarlf all other battles yet fought in the present war.
General MIcClellan commanded the National troops in person, and had on the field the whole command of General
Burnside, recently augmented by the addition of several
new regiments,-the army  corps lately under General
MAcDowell (now under command of General Hookeli), General Sumner's corps, General Franklin's corps, General
Banks' corps, commanded by General Williams, and Sykes'
division of Fitz-John Porter's corps. On the other side,
the rebels undoubtedly had present the whole force which
they oriiginally brought into Maryland.  They were commanded by General Lee. The battle was fought in the
valley immediately west of that portion of the Blue Ridge
known as the South mountain, and to the east and north
of Sharpsburg, almost in a semicircle, the concave side of
which is towards the town.  Unlike most of the valleys in
this Blue Ridge country, this valley has not a level spot in
it, but rolls with eminences of all dimensions, from the little knoll that your horse gallops easily over, to the rather
high hill, that makes him tug like a mule.  Many of the
depressions between these hills are dry, and afford amnple
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a 
LEAVES FrPOM TIIE
cover for infantry against artillei'y.  Others are watered by
the deep, nalrrowv, and croolked Antietanm, a stream  that
seems to observe no decoirum  ill r'espect to its course, but
his to be crossed e-very ten minutes, ride iwhich way )oi
will.  Shlarpsburg lies on the western side of the valley,
and a little to the south firom our point of viewv.  PRight
across the valley, froom  the nortl)east, runs the turnpike
fi'om Boonesboro' to Sharpsbuirg.  Two little villages, Polterstow-n and Ieetersville, or 1,ee(dyville, lie on the eastern
side of the valley, at the foot of South mountain.  Numerous fine firm-houses dlot the valley in every direction, some
standing out plainly and boldly on the hill-tops, others halfhiddei cdown the little slopes; and, with the larg,e, comfortable bairns about them, and their orchards of firuit-trees,
these hitherto happy and quiet homes greatly enrichl the
view.  N'early every part of thle valley is under cultivation,
and the scenes are thus varied into squares of the light -
,reeni of nearly-ripened corn, the deep-green of clover, aind
the duIll-brown of lnewly-ploughed  fields.   Tovwards the
nortl, wlhere our right lay, are some dense woods. IJmagine
this scene, spread ini the hlollow of ani amphitheatre of hills,
that rise in terraces around it, and you  have the field of
last WAVednesday's battle.
Our position had been taken in outline, as it -were, on
Tuesday, and was filled lip to its proper strength as flist as
the troops arrived and streamed down the mountain by the
road firom 3iiddletown.  This they continued to do for the
greater part of Tuesday and Tuesday night.  It was a miagnificent sight to see our men thus pouriled forward across the
field to different points, in long shiming lines.  Burnside's
ilen turned short to the south, passing across the foot of
the Elk Pidge mountain, and took a position on our extreme left.  Porter held a commandi nglii    eminience to the
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DIAIRY OF AN AIRAMY SURGEON.
righlit of Buuside, though,   Wairien's Brigade of Porter's
corps wvas subsequently posted in the woods onl our lett, in
sup)port of BIuruside's i menl.  Sumer's coirps was  onl aii
eiineneice next to tile  right, or northl fi'oin Portei, and
General Hooker had tile extremile iiht, in and bel-hiid the
w-oods before mentioned, and onl the Antietami.   Our left
was on Elk PRildge mountain, and our line of battle stretcIl ed to the northieast, across the ShapIsbiig road.   The lijie
-wa.s betveen four' and five miiles long.  Thle rebel left was
in the woods, directly in fiont of General IIooker, ann(
thieir force was posted across the valley between ls aii(
Sharpsbui'g, in a line iieai'ly parallel with our own.  Tlhougt
the men have been spoken of as onl eminiences, it must be
understood that they were carefully covered in every case
just belowv the erest of the hills they held.  Our artillery
was also carefilly posted behind the crests of the hills,
ready to be run up and to blaze away at a imomenit's notice.  Nearly every hill had  a battery on it, and  tihe
greater number of batteries looked over fields that extecnded to the limit of the range.
General hooker had the honor to open this great coIibat.   He commanded the corps iformerly under General
Iec)oweil, composed of Ricketts' division, iMeade's (fOimerly AIeCall's), and Iiing's division.   3lanty of these miiel
caine iup inii the night, and there was perhaps a little conftusioni in posting themi.   Mleade's men say that they slept
amiong the rebels.  Owing to this over-near neighbolrhoold,
thle pickets got at it in the night, and kept uip a scatterlig
fire until the battle began.  General Aieadcle, who was thus
nearest the rebels, was  relieved at daylight by General
Ricketts' divisionl, which also immediately advanced against
the einemy, supported by the division of General  Kviug,
wh-ichll eventually became engaged on tihe right of General
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LEAVES FROMN THE
Ricketts', and also by the division of General Meade. The
line advanced through a piece of woods, a corn-field, and a
piece of ploughled land, and into another piece of woods,
where it found the einemy in line of battle, and was received with a hot file-fire, which told very severely on
our men.  B3ut they steadily advanoed into the fierce fire,
giving back'one equally destructive; while our batteries,
particularly a Pennsylvania battery under Captain  MIatthew-s, and Captain Thompson's  1st MIaryland battery,
played splendidly upon the enemy's line.  Thus pressed,
the rebel forces gave way, thoiugh they certainly did not
"skedaddle."  Slowly, and in fair order, they fell back,
disputing every foot that they gave up w-ith the greatest
obstinacy.  Still our boys pushed on with great courage
and determination, every man, firom IIooker down, intent
only on victory. Occasionally a more determined resistance at some point in the line, or some difficulty in the
ground, would check our advance for a few moments; but,
with these exceptions, it was almnost steady firom its comn
mencement until about ten o'clock in the morning, when
General Hooker was wounded and carried firom the field.
General Ricketts at once assumed command of the corps,
but our' victorious movement had lost its impulse.  At that
time our right had advanced and swept across the field so
far, that its firont, originally almost in a line wvith the front
of the centre and left, formed almost a righlt-angle with
them.   While our advance rather faltered, the rebels,
greatly reinforced, made a sudden and impetuous onset,
and drove our gallant fellows back over a portion of the
hard-won field.  What we had won, however, was not relinquishled without a desperate struggle; up the hills, and
down through the woods and the standing corn, over the
ploughed land and the clover, the line of fire swept to
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
and fro, as one side or the other gained a temporary advantage.
Thus the battle raged, till Sumner's corps came up to support the worn-out heroes who had maintained the fight so
long against very evident odds.  How gloriously they went
at it, those Peninsula boys-Burns's old brigade, led by
gallant young Howard, who lost an arm at Fair Oaks, and
A[eagher's Irish Brigade, led by the gallant MIeagher himself, and many other heroes tried in the fire! As the Irish
BBrig,ade charged the enemy's line, their cheers arose in one
great surge of sound, over the noise of battle, over the
roar of a multitude of artillery, and was heard far down
the lines to the left, where Burnside's boys were just getting, at it. Thus met, the rebel advance was checked and
broken, and they were driven with awful slaughter. It is
beyond all wonder how such men as the rebel troops are,
can fight as they do. That, ragged anid filthy, sick, hungry, and in all ways miserable, they should prove such
heroes in fight, is past explanation-men never fought better. There was one regiment that stood up before the fire
of two or three of our long-range batteries and of two
regiments of infantry, and though the air around them
was vocal with the whistle of bullets and screams of shells,
there they stood, and delivered their fire in perfect order;
and there they continued to stand, until a battery of six
light twelves was brought to bear on them, and before
that they broke. Nothing mortal can bear a battery of
six light Napoleon guns, if there is plenty of grape and
canister in the ammunition chests. Thus Sumner effectually stayed what at one time threatened to be a fearfully
dangerous onslaught.   But all the ground Hooker had
gained was lost, and we were as we had been before the
misty daylight had dawned upon us. But there is-a stir
12
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and a murmur around us different firom the nioise of battle.
There are troops in motion behind, and here comes Frankiin's corps.  When the battle began at daylight, this corps
was in camp eight miles away, on the mountain over which
it had driven the rebels on Sunday last.  There it was, in
all the seemingly inextricable camp confuision; and in the
valley, at the foot of the same mountain, was Couch's division, temporarily attached to Frankliii's command. All
these troops had had orders on Tuesday night to be in
readiness to march at a moment's notice, and so they lay
down.  But the night passed, and no orders came to move;
and the morniling hours went by, till it seemed that they
could not be wanted.  But at eight o'clock the orders
came, and here they are, at one. It was a good march,
and, unlike most troops that make those hasty marches,
they are not too late, nor are they used up. H-Ieralded
only by the jingle of their own canteens, and their regular
tramp, they move into the field.  No  slogan announces
them; no music note tells that the Campbells are coming. But hardy, brave, and comparatively fresh, here they
are. The two fi'esh divisions at once moved forward, lobr
it was rightly reasoned that the enemy must be fully as
much shaken as we were.  Onward went Slocum, with the
three brigades that carried Cramnptoln's Gap so handsomely
on Sunday; and onward went Smith, with the brigades of
Hancock, Brooks, and Davidson, who first made the enemy's acquaintance on Warwick Creek.  Exhausted,  no
doubt, by his last desperate endeavor, the enemy gave
way. Easily, and without the great outlay of life that it
at first cost us, the ground was once more won.
Hitherto we have spoken only of what transpired on our
right. There, after desperate struggles, we had won what,
considered in itself alone, was a glorious battle, and our
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enemy was there fairly beaten.  When  the batteries that
participated in Hooker's attack at daylight first opened
their fire, and were severely felt, several rebel batteries
opened upon them, and also on our advancing line.  Some
of these batteries were  on points quite out of the battle
that raged on the right.  As they opened their fire, one by
one, our batteries, posted on various eminences, opened on
thenm, and, in their turn, were opened upon by still other
rebel batteries; and thus was begun a stupendous artillery
fight, which soon became quite independent of the battle
on the right.  From every little hill a battery thundered, until the mountains around seemed to be shaken with the roar,
and the tracks of shells and shot were woven across the
valley like net-work. So numerous were the batteries, and
so constant their fire, that it was impossible to keep up with
it. However much this or that beautiful shot might excite
your admiration, you could not decide who made it, or
what battery was entitled to the credit. It is probable that
the artillerists were fi'equently deceived themselves, and
assumed, as their own, those shots that luckier gunners had
made. The effect of the artillery can hardly be estimated,
save where the effect of its fire can be seen ploughing
through the masses.  When, as in this battle, batteries fire
at batteries, no result is perceptible; and even if a battery
ceases to fire, you are not sure that it is damaged. The
whole artillery fire of Wednesday looked very like a waste
of ammunition, though, doubtless, many a badly injured
gun was the result.  Whether any one "blundered" on
the left, it is impossible to state now; but the battle, there,
got started late, and went on slowvly. It was noon when
the fire of musketry first announced an engagement at
close quarters in that direction; and then the firilng was not
heavy and continuous, but desultory and light in its char
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acter. Our first advance was made there down the slope
of a hill, to a bridgcle which crosses the Antietam river.
Beyond the river the enemy had so posted his men, as
to sweep the bridge with a severe musketry fire: their
own advance was checked, and General Burnside seemed
to hesitate. The peculiar brass pieces handled by the
HIawkins' Zouaves-one of the many recent experiments in
artillery-were then tried on the rebels beyond, as the position was one in which regular artillery could not work;
but the peculiar brass pieces achieved but little, and the
enemy remained in position beyond, and kept up a severe
and well-directed fire upon our men. Finally, at about
two o'clock, P. M., after much time had been lost, the bri(dge
was carried by a brilliant charge, in which the 11th Ohio
and lth Connecticut participated very conspicuously and
lost many men.  If the greater obstacles constitute the post
of honor on a field of battle, General Burnside may justly
claim to have had that post in Wednesday's fight.  Once
more across the river, he found the enemy in force before
him, and in a new position of great strength, on a hill.
Against this position he advanced at once, and the old
valor of the divisions of Generals Cox, Wilcox, and Sturgis
was once more triumphant, and the hill was taken. No
sooner was its summit reached, than a heavy battery of
artillery at once opened upon his ranks, with a fire which
must have annihilated them if permitted to continue. It
was at once clear that the hill was untenable, unless the
battery was taken. At the same time the enemy, in front,
began to receive heavy reinforcements, and General Burnside's position became critical.
To go forward, with that heavy battery mowing his
flank, and with an equal number of the enemy on his front,
and overwhelming numbers coming up, would seem like
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madness. To stand still would only be destruction; and
then came the alternative to retreat. Bitter as this alternative was, it had to be taken, and steadily the line swept
back, relinquishing the hard-won hill; but it was  now
so fully under the fire of newly posted batteries, that no
enemy could occupy it.
As Burnside's line withdrew, the word was passed along
the hill for Sykes's men to "fall in;" and the tough old soldiers of the regular regiments, who had been lounging on
the hill, quiet spectators of the battle, hurried gladly into
line, joyful at the prospect that their turn had come;
there they stood, ready to check the progress of any sudden disaster. Night prevented fiurther operations. Let it
be understood that we were only not entirely successful on
the left. WVe suffered no disaster- nor could we suffer any;
for it is the glory of General iMcClellan's plan of battle, that
if the rebels had even routed Burnside and driven him in
conllfusion from the field, our left would still have been safe,
for there, close in hand, was Porter's corps, fi'esh and ready
oibr the emergency.   General McClellan had his headquarters during the day at a commanding point of the field;
he did not remain there all the time, but rode over the
field firom point to point, as the battle raged here or there,
watching vigilantly its progress, and sharing the dangers
of the nameless heroes who fought so bravely to win the
glorious day. As we rode fiom the field at nightfall, and
passed Porterstown, near to where our wagons were parked,
we noted one circumstance which alone ought to establish
the superiority of our men. There was beef cooking on
the fire. All about the camp, kettles stood in rows on
blazing rails; and while the battle raged furiously, at half
a mile distant, rations were being prepared as quietly as
if all were in camp.  Thus  our tired boys were sure of
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a supper ere they slept, while if the rebel soldiers had
any thing at all to eat that night, it must have been a
scanty bite all around.
The smoke of the battle of yesterday is now dispelled,
and we can see more clearly what has been done. Our
victory is an undeniable and glorious one. Our soldiers
have done what was expected of them. They have come
upon the rebels, who, showing fight, were met and whipped
at every point along the line by our invincible army.
In every concerted movement yesterday we were successful, while every movement against us was handsomely repulsed. General McClellan's head-quarters for the day
were at a large house on the hill on the north side of
the Porterstown valley, about one mile from Keedysvillc,
and in a position overlooking the entire field of action.
To the wide field of vision opened before him, may be
imputed a large measure of the success which attended our
arms during the day.
At nine o'clock in the morning the severest fighting commenced, when Sumner's full corps became engaged with
the enemy. These veterans of the Peninsula pitched into
the seething tide of the battle with a right good-will, their
old and plucky general leading them.  It is said, indeed,
that his undaunted courage carried a division, Sedgwick's,
into the enemy's line, where they fought superior numbers
successfully for an hour, though at times their situation
was critical indeed.  Cothing but the most daring and
determined courage saved this noble body of men from
annihilation. The rebels here made a bold push to capture
the 1st Rhode Island and Kirby's, formerly Ricketts', batteries, against which they have the old grudge of Fair
Oaks and Savage's station to settle. Ricketts' light brass
twelve-pounder battery poured grape and canister with
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destructive effect, and with the aid of its support of infantry firom the 15th Massachusetts, effectually checked the
enemy's advance in the direction of the battery: the fire of
the combined infantry and artillery literally mowed down
the rebels. The 15th Massachusetts followed the enemy,
who by this time rallied their forces and received assistance.
Noobly did this regiment sustain itself against the increased
and increasing numbers of the rebels, bringing down scores
of them at every discharge.  They were finally obliged to
fall back to the original line, whichl they did in good order,
fighting the mean time under cover of Kiirby's well-directed
grape and canister.  The  15th Massachusetts  went into
action with six hundred men, and came out with about two
hundred uninjured, the rest killed, wounded, and missing.
The 1st Rhode Island battery was well served, and ably
supported by the 34th New York and the Baxter Zouaves,
and finally drove off the rebels. The 34th and 2d New
York Militia, and Baxter's  Zouaves,  suffered terribly.
One of the severest struggles occurred near Numas's house
and barn, where a large force of rebel infantry was posted,
with some artillery.  The scene described is, that the
ground is covered with the rebel dead and  wounded.
Fire firom several of our batteries was  directed  there
with terrible effect, as the hecatomb of victims attest.
-uLmas's house and barn were destroyed by fire, making a
splendid spectacle after the night began to darken. Colonel
Pratt, of New York, was wounded in four places, at dif
ferent times during the day.  After he had received the
second wound, and was bleeding profusely, he led his men
into a most gallant and successful chlarge, receiving his
death wounds. The colonel of the l7th Michigan was
killed while advancing his men to a bayonet charge, after
they had exhausted their ammunition. The Washington
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artillei-y, of New Orleans, was the last battery of the
enemy to cease firing last evening, all the rest having pre viously become silent. It is supposed that the want of
ammunition was one cause of the slacking of the rebel fire
in the latter part of the day. Our well-served and numer ous batteries did the most towards silencing those of the
enemy. In the afternoon the rebels were using the ammunition captured at Harper's Ferry, with more effect than
their own ammunition used in the morning. The enemy
used, in this engagement, railroad iron, slugs, and smooth
stones, as missiles of destruction. The New York troops
which suffered most severely were the 82d, 34th, 59th,
69th, 53d, 9th, and 42d.
This morning, September 18th, a few shells were thrown
into the enemy's lines, to ascertain their whereabouts.
Shortly after a flag of truce came out from the rebels to
solicit permission to bury their dead. This was granted by
General MIcClellan, and until four o'clock this afternoon
was given in which to do the work.  Our forces are in a condition to renew the engagement, begun so gloriously yesterday, with increased vigor.  About three o'clock a heavy
rain began, which would prevent further hostilities. The
pickets, on the outer posts, have been firing at intervals today.   Six  regiments  from General  Cox's division are
engaged at South Mountain, to-day, in burying the dead
firom the battle-field of Sunday last. On Tuesday night,
the 16th instant, the enemy massed his forces under Lee,
Jackson, and Longstreet, with the intention of turning
3IcClellan's right-flank. At daylight artillery skirmishing
wvas commenced on tihe right, and continued until about a
quarter of eight o'clock, when musketry firing commenced
-the opposing forces having got within the musket range
of each other.  This was near Sharpsburg, and about five
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or six miles northeast of Boonesboro'. Sumner's c6rps was
mainly engaged.  Sedgwick's and Frenchl's divisions were
foirmed in line of battle, and so advanced in two lines across
the fields and through the woods. The brigade of Genieral
3[ax Weber formed the first line of French's division.
As they came on the brow of the hill they found the rebels
in rifle-pits and behind stone walls, who immediately opened
a withering fire, which our men stood bravely.  The enemy
had also planted two batteries in a position to give us a
galling flanking fire. This was replied to by our batteries,
and a terrible cannonading ensued.  The Irish Brigadeileaghlier's —which is in French's division, made  a ga]lair and effective chiarge upon the enemy, who retired
slowly, disputing the ground as they went. The enemy
were driven beyond Sharlpsburg, towards the Virginia line.
General Sumner was in his element, and encouraged his
men by calling upon them to "go in boys," wavng his
hat enthusiastically in the air, &c., &c.  He has every
reason to feel increased pride in his command after the
work they did yesterday.  General Alax Weber was shot,
and severely wounded, while ordering a bayonet charge.
hIis assistant adjutant-geineral, Captain H. M. Burleigh,
was also wounded in the shoulder.  The rebels were driven
three miles beyond the position they occupied at the beginimg of the fight in the Inorning.  Brigadier-genei'al Crawford, while leading up his division in an attack upon the
enelmy's centre, was severely wounded in the thigh, but
refused to leave the field.  Jackson's forces are now so
backed up against the river, that unless hlie can get off
towards IHagerstown, where there is a ford by which he
might cross the river, or receives aid firom the vicinity
of Harper's Ferry, he must experience great difficulty in
extricating himself from his present position.  The usual
12*
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report, that General Jackson has been killed, is, of course,
circulated. The battle-ground covered a large area, comnposed of mountain, wood, field of grain, and marsh near tlhe
Antietam river, whlich had to be, and was, forded by our
soldiers, although the water wvas from three to four feet
deep. The loss on both sides was very heavy, but the
enemy's loss was largely in excess of our own. Three
barns, besides all the dwelling-houses in the vicinity, are
filled with the wounded. About three thousand prisoners
were captured.   The firing was kept up until half-past
seven P. M.
Fttrther Particulars of the Battle of Antietam. 
The battle of Antietam, in western Maryland, fought on
Wednesday, the 17th September, between the main bodies
of the rebel and Union armies, was the fiercest  and
bloodiest battle of the war. The close pursuit of the rebel
forces by 3McClellan's army, the several skirmishes with the
rear-g,uard of the enemy, and the positions assumed by the
contending armies on Tuesday, rendered it apparent that a
tremendous battle would speedily be fought in that vicinity.  Accordingly, on Tuesday afternoon and during the
night, both parties were busily engaged  in marshalling
their men and making judicious disposition of their troops,
preliminary to the commencement of the battle. 3McClellan
had pushed forward his several army corps with great
alacrity, and on Tuesday evening our advance, composed
of Hooker's corps, drove back the enemy on the right, and
secured a favorable position for the opening of the great
battle at the coming dawn.  It was with great reluctance
that the enemy surrendered that favorable point on the
right, and on several separate occasions during the night
he appeared to be attempting to regain it before morning
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came, as he kept up a sharp picket-fire from dark till daylight.  But whenever the pickets of the enemy endeavored
to advance, under cover of the dlarkness, they were promptly repulsed by our own.  General Lee, the coimmander-inchief of the Confederate forces, and his principal generals,
were also actively employed foiming their lines to meet
and resist the anticipated attack, and placing their columns
in position, ready to be hurled against our infantry or sent
to storm our batteries, as opportunities, during the shifting
scenes of the battle, might afiford, or their minds suggest.
The enemy received heavy reintbrcements from the Virginia side of the Potomac.  Jackson's, Hill's, and MIcLaw s'
divisions, which had participated in the attack on Harper's
Ferry, were among the troops that had left that place on
Tuesday.  They  recrossed the river, marched all night,
and arrived in time to participate in the battle of the valley
of Antietam. All the available forces of the enemy were
concentrated to resist this grand assault. It was believed
tlhat, with the exception of some detachments, the whole
Army of Virginia, under the command of its ablest generals, confironted  MIcClellan's army on  this battle-field.
General:McClellan planned the battle, and gave instructions to the different corps commanders what part their
troops were expected to perform in the conflict; while he
himself was on the field all day, visiting different portions
of the lines, and directing all the operations, from the commencement of the contest to its close. The battle-field is
one of the most magnificent that could be selected for a
contest of such magnitude. The valley of Antietam is a
luxurious part of MIaryland; the ground admirably adapted to the successful inasincg of troops in reserve, as they
could be shielded behind the numerous knolls firom the
artillery fire on either side,-as well as to the firee and fair
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engagement of the contending infantry, when the lines
came in close proximity.  The undulating nature of the
ground furnished fine positions to both parties for artillery,
while the beauty of the surrounding scenery-the trees beginning to show their rich autumnal tinges-threw a halo
of enchantment over what was now, at once, the garden
and the battle-ground of M1aryland.  On our left, heavilywooded mountains rose to a considerable height, inclosing
the valley on that side, and Antietam creek wound its way
through the gorge and along the verdant valley beneath.
Away, in every direction, hills covered with splendid corn
and clover fields, vales rich with the summer's harvest, and
orchards laden with ripening fi'uit, spread out before our
view.  It almost seemed at times, during the cessation of
the firing, that many engaged in the bloody fray would
turn from the scene of carnage to contemplate the lovely
valley and its surrounding scenery.
The position of the Union forces, as ordered by General
McClellan, was splendid.  Hooker's corps, formerly McDowell's, which had made the advance, occupied the extreme right of the Union line. Here the battle began.
Mansfield's corps, formerly under Banks, acted in concert
with Hooker's. Franklin's corps came up in that vicinity
during the afternoon, and acted as a reserve at first, but
was pushed to the fiont later in the day. Sumner's corps
had the centre of the line, where some of the hardest fighting took place. Fitz-John Porter's corps, which was only
slightly engaged, followed next in order; while Burnside's
corps acted as a flanking column on the left. It was here
that our loss was heaviest, by reason of the determined
opposition of the enemy to the repeated, and finally successful attempt at storming the stone bridge over the Antietam. On the centre and right, as well as on the left,
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the fighting was furious and the losses severe. Along
the crests of the chain of hills our batteries were posted,
in opposition to those of the enemy planted in similar
positions beyond.   The  smooth-bore  short-range  guns
were placed on the little knolls in firont, and the rifled
artillery, for longer range, on the higher hills behind. Supporting their several batteries, regiments of infantry were
lying down, or moving into line, just taking their positions
to begin the battle, while whole brigades and divisions
could be seen from the commanding summits, also hidden
by the elevations of the ground, marching away to support
these attacking lines. On various prominent points small
groups could be distinguished.  These were corps, division, and brigade commanders, surrounded by their staff
officers, who had, for the most part, chosen positions
where they could direct the operations of their own commands, and at the same time perceive how the battle was
progressing in other sections of the field. The cavalry,
with four batteries of flying horse-artillery, under General
Pleasanton, were posted in the centre, to the rear, whence
they could descend swiftly to any portion of the field. On
a higher hill, still further behind, General McClellan established his head-quarters.  From  this commanding  eminence he could view the whole scene of action, watch the
execution of his plans, and speedily proceed to any portion
of the field, where his personal presence in the fi'ont might
be required.
As General Hooker captured the position where the battle commenced, it is proper to state, for the sake of continuity in the narrative, that after the enemy had been driven
from his position at South Mountain on Sunday, Hooker's
corps, preceded by artillery, with skirmishers and supports
in fiont, moved forward to Valley Mills, on Monday, where
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a slight aitillery engagement took place.  L1ater in the
afternoon, the corps pushed forward on  the road whichl
stretched away to the left, for the purpose of obtaining a
position in which it could engage the enemy's flank with
the hope of turning it.  The corps consisted of AMeade's,
Doubled(lay's, and Ricketts'  divisions.   lIeade's division
(fobrmerly MIeCall's), composed of the Pennsylvania Reserves, led the march, the other two divisions following.
Thus the corps moved forward in solid column.  The
advance-guard came upon the enemy's pickets about five
o'clock, on Tuesday afternoon. MAeade's division was deployed in line of battle, his skirmishers in firont driving in
the rebel pickets.  The rebel line of battle was encountered in a piece of woods, with ploughed fields and cornfields to the right and left. It is only necessary, in view of
the description already given of the fight, to say, that the
opposing forces were hotly engaged with artillery and infantry till dark.  Both fought in splendid style, our men
determined to take the position, and the rebels apparently
as determined to defend it; but at last our men drove
them fi'om the ground, secured the important position, and
slept on their arms all night.  There was an opening in the
woods, thus forming two separate belts of trees: General
Seymour's Brigade occupied that on the left; the 2d Brigade,
Colonel  Magilton commanding,  covering  the  opening;
while the 3dcl Brigade, Colonel Anderson commnanding, occupied the belt of woods upon the right.  This was the
position of the division at dark, the pickets of the opposing
lines being, in some instances, within a dozen yards of each
other during the night, and sharp picket-firing was continued until morning. The battle began at the first dawn
of day. General iMcClellan's order of battle provided that
the attack should be commenced on the right, continued
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along the centre, and in turn pressed forward by Burnside on the left,-Franklin's corps, constituting the reserves for the right and centre; and Porter's corps for the
left of the line, and its flanking column.   The arrangements for the battle were complete, and the battle was
won almost without the necessity of a shot being fired by
the troops in reserve.  The moment it was light enough
for the pickets to perceive each other,theyblazed away.  The
men in line on either side sprung to arms.  The skirmishers
on either side were thrown out in fi'ont; but as soon as the
troops advanced, these, of course, retired, and the two
battle lines were immediately engaged. In these operations, our front line, formed as on the preceding evening,
steadily advanced, supported by two other lines, composed
of the two remaining divisions of Hookei's corps.  The
enemy had placed heavy pieces of artillery to defend this
point; but as our lines advanced the rebel artillery retired,
while, on the contrary, our batteries, advancing with the
infantry, took up new positions as they went.  Ricketts'
division pushed forward to the left of Seymour's Brigade,
while Doubledclay's advanced in front of the position which
had been occupied by Magilton and Anderson on the previous evening.  Thus Seymour's Brigade was detached on
the right, and the other two brigcades of Meade's division
were led forward by their commanders between Ricketts'
and Doubleday's divisions.  Our troops fought with deternined bravery for several hours, drove the enemy friom the
ground he occupied at first, advanced through the thin
belts of woods over the ploughed, corn, and clover fields beyondl, slaughtered the rebel regiments in a fearful style, and
calptured a large number of their colors.  Ricketts' division
advanced to the support of Seymnour's Brigade, and fought
with vigor.   After the  men  had  been hotly engaged,
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and expended their ammunition, they returned to replenplenisi their cartridge-boxes, and while doing so Ricketts'
division pushed forward and delivered a fresh volley in
the enemiy's fiont.  Duryea's Brigade was  on its right,
Hartsuff's a little in advance, on the left, and Christialn's,
consisting of Jones's Brigade, was placed in the rear as a reserve: Thompson's and Ailatthews' batteries of rifled guns
wheeled into position between D)uryea and Hartsuff.
The sun had scarcely risen before the whole division was
participating in the bloody fight-the enemy returning our
fire with considerable effect. Through the corn-field the
enemy advanced in considerable force, with eight or nine
colors flying, in line of battle. It was a splendid sight to
see their long and steady line, the men moving among  the
high stalks of corn, the bayonets glistening above the
ears, and the battle-flags floating over all. The whole
division fought in gallant style, and equal bravery and valor
were displayed by the rebel troops.  The firing was terrific
at this time, and the ground (especially the colrn-field), after
the battle, told how severe the contest had been. The
rebels succeeded in killing a number of gunners at one of
the batteries. The remnant of Duryea's Brigade, which
was still fighting in the corn-field on the right, took up a
new position, a little in the rear of a ledge of rocks, and
kept up a continuous cross-fire, preventing the enemy from
carrying off the guns.  Early in the  engagemenit, both
Hartsuff's and Chiistian's brigades were under fire, and
poured destructive volleys into the enemy's ranks. Geneial Hartsuff was wounded in the side by a rebel sharpshooter. The command of his brigade devolved on Colonel
Coulter, of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteers.  Our wounded, as fast as they fell, were carried to the rear, and without delay put into an ambulance, to be carried to the hos
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pitals we had established, and were promptly cared for.
She fight was raging furiously all this time, with great destruction to both sides.  As the right flank could be easier
turned by the enemy, it was the most important point to
hold. It was consequently of much importance to General
cIeClellan and General Hooker to provide for its protectioni and defence by our troops.  The  enemy  was  observed to be massing large bodies in that direction, and
he subsequently tried to drive us fiom our position at
that point; but the attempt was gallantly repelled, and
proved entirely ineffectual.  All the brigades in each of the
divisions here engaged suffered severely. General Ricketts'
had his horse shot under him, but himself escaped injury.
A similar accident happened to General Duryea. His
brother, Captain Duryea, was severely wounded.  Many
of the other staff-officers had their horses shot. But one
field-officer of this brigade escaped injury; and of the
foulr regiments which went into the fight, two hundred
men could not he mustered on the following morning.
Other brigades of this division suffered in like manner,
which will give the reader some idea of the fierceness of
the conflict at this point. When the rebel battery suddenly opened in the morning, at the commencement of
the action, Doubleday's division, composed of Patrick's,
Phelps', and Gibbons' brigades, was within a few hundred
yards of it, and suffered severely. The rebels appeared to
be short of ammunition, as they threw solid shot where
shell would have been more destructive. One of their
shells, thrown as Gibbons' Brigade was getting into motion,
exploded among the 6th Wisconsin regiment, killing and
wounding several of Company A.  This brigade preceded
the other two, all of which went into action in regular
line of battle, supported by Doubleday's old brigade, under
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Lieutenant-colonel Hoffman.  As General Hatch had been
wounded at South Mountain, Colonel Phelps commanded
his brigade.
The ground was obstinately contested by the enemy.
The rebels in large force, supported by strong reserves,
were driven nearly a mile beyond their original position,
by the right wing, in which Doubleday's division participated. At the close of the action, not more than sixty
men out of one of the brigades could be nmustered, but
many have come in since. Amnong the regiments especially
commended for their splendid conduct, was the Brooklyn
14th, which behaved in the most gallant manner, and suffered severely.  General Gibbons' Brigade moved up in
column, and deployed in line into the woods. General
Patrick's Brigade came up immediately, and formed on the
righlt, in support of Gibbons'.  The brigade commanded
by Colonel Phelps formed partly on the left and partly on
the right, as reserves. The fire in front of Gibbons' Brigade was fearfiul, but the troops held their ground until
more than half the officers and men were killed and
wounded. They were then relieved by General Patrick,
and retired to the foot of the hill, where they re-formed for
fiuture action. After getting into the woods, at the commencement of the fight, where the action was severest, in
moving( to the firont, an enfilading fire of the enemy did
considerable execution among Col. Phelps' men. They re;
turned it with vigor and effect; but in order to escape the
dreadful  consequences  of a flanking fire, the brigade
changed its front, and filed off under a ledge of rocks on
the right of the wood, and fotught in that position, near
where the troops who had come firom the front wvere reorganizing, until all the ammunition was expended but nine or
ten rounds.   At the same time the fire of the enemy
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was tremendous, and other troops were wavering in
fi'ont. General Hooker had given instructions to hold
that position, at whatever  cost.   General Hatch's Brigade was pushed forward to the firont, and became engaged, and a fiesh line of reinforcements sweeping up,
poured a regular fire into the rebels, who soon retired, and
left us master of that portion of the field.  For a moment
it seemed as if we must entirely relinquish the ground
which had been taken so bravely on the right the night
before; but, just at that critical moment, reinforcements
came to our relief. This had the effect to reanimate the
troops, whose ranks had become so terribly decimated,
and several regiments which were reorganizing, although
they had not been replenished with ammunition, dashed
into the fight behind the reinforcements, and fought until they had expended every round.  In this encounter
on the right, a large number of flags were taken. General Patrick's Brigade has five of the battle-flags, one
for each of his regiments, and a spare one for at battery of
artillery. As our victorious troops crossed over a hill, they
suddenly came upon a mass of rebels five or six thousand
strong, in the hollow.  This rebel force had been quietly
awaiting just such an opportunity as was now presented.
They immediately arose, and poured in some murderous
volleys, and, with flashing guns and fixed bayonets, stood
like a wall of fire add steel before our men, whom they
drove back a considerable distance, to the corn-field, wlhere
such fearfil execution had been done among the rebels
at an earlier stage of the contest.
At this important moment Captain Campbell's battery
opened on the rebels with double-case and canister, at
close range, and mowied them down in heaps in that fatal
corn-field.  At the same time a portion of the division
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LEAVES FROM THE
came upon the enemy's flank, and the enfiladinig fire from
our artillery and infantry was more than they could stand.
They fled in considerable confusion, and although they had
driven us back fiom the ground which we had taken, we
still held the position where the fighting had commenced
in the morning.  Captain Campbell ws severely wounded
in the shoulder. After this encounter, the command was
relieved by General Sumner's corps. Lieutenant Ilaskell,
of General Gibbons' staff, while riding in the corn-field,
returning from delivering an order, came across a corporal
in the 2d Wisconsin regiment. The corporal was badly
wounded.  The lieutenant asked him how he came by such
an ugly wound in his breast, "was it a piece of shell that
hit you?"  The dying corporal feebly replied, "No, I was
wounded first by a musket-ball, and afterwards a rebel
thrust a bayonet into my breast."
It is impossible to estimate, with any degree of accuracy, the number of our losses or those of the enemy.
It is certain that no harder fighting was ever seen on this
continent-not even in the bloody battles of the Peninsula.
One or two instances, in this connection, will be sufficient
to illustrate the fearful character of the contest. That of
General Duryea's Brigade, as previously mentioned, is one.
The 2d regiment of the United States Sharp-shooters, which
had been reduced by death and sickness to one hundired and twenty men, lost over one half their number,
among them Colonel Post and Adjutant Parmalee. The
regiment is now reduced to a number less than a single
company, and is conmmanded by Captain Stoughton, the
only captain remaining on the field after the fight.  give
captains are now on the sick-list, and were absent in
the hospital. The ranks of the Brooklyn 14th were also
greatly thinned.
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1)IAP.Y OF AN AR3IY STURGEON.
Rather early in the action Gen. Hooker was wounded in
the foot by a musket-ball.  It was a matter of sincere regrtet to this gallant general that he was compelled to relinquish his seat in the saddle,-and was not vouchsafed the
privilege of leading his men in the consummation of the
great wGlk which had been assigned him in the morning.
GCen. IIooker is a soldier in the flillest sense of that military
term.   Of commanding form, and pleasing features, lie
presents a fine appearance on the field.  He has withl him
nearly all of his excellent staff-officers, and has retained
AIljor Alyers, Captains Sanderson and Houston, and Dr.
3Ia(ruder, of 1IeDowell's staff; and, as an additional aid,
has appointed Captain MIoore, of the Italian army, who is
here oni leave of absence from Victor Emanuel, and who
served with the lamented General Kearney in European
battles, and in all the battles of Virginia, up to the moment
of the death of that regretted general. General Hooker's
wound is painful, though not dangerous.   He says he
would have been willing to have compromised with a mortal wound at night, and died a soldier's death at the conclusion of the action, could he have remained with his
command all day. He had eight orderlies shot during
the progress of the battle.
The army corps which had been under General Banks
before he was directed to take charge of the defences about
Washington, was assigned to the venerable General MIansfield. It consists of two divisions commanded by Generals
Williams and Green. The corps advanced to the scene of
action in close columns of companies, arriving on the field
about a couple of hours after the battle was begun. General Williams' division occupied the right, and General
Green's the left, when the command was formed in line.
The battle was raging fiercely on the right, when this corps
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came up.  With commendable alacrity the divisions were
placed in positions ready to push into the contest.  Hooker's men  were fighting  bravely and losing heavily, and
assistance was required.   Ilapidly the regiments wheeled
into position and deployed into line. General Mansfield
was mortally wounded while  directing their formation.
A rebel sharp-shooter seeing him mounted in firont, withill range of an excellent rifle, and evidently perceiving
also, from his venerable appearance, that he was a general
officer, took deliberate aim and shot him down. The general fell, mortally wounded in the breast, and was carried
from the field before his command became engaged in the
important operations of the day, in which the corps bore
no inconsiderable part.   General Williams being senior
officer, assumed command of the corps, and General Gordon, till then commanding a brigade, took charge of his
division. The corps was formed in battle order in the rear
of General Hooker, and relieved a portion of that officer's
brave, but decimated regiments.  General Williams' division
was deployed with Crawford's Brigade on the right, and
Gordon's on the left and centre. This is a small command,
there being only two brigades in the division. These two
brigades went right into the contest, pushed through the
woods and met the enemy, still fighting furiously and in fuill
force.  The division, though small, bore not a little of the
brunt of the eiermy's retaliatory attack upon Hooker, and
in turn helped to fill the corn-field and the surrounding fields
with dead and wounded rebels, which were subsequently
found there.  Changing, position, rendered desirable by
the movements of the enemy, this division fought with
distionguished valor, and held the position they had taken
up, until subsequently relieved by some of the fi'esh troops,
who were led by General S,tmner.  They were warmly
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DIA[Y OF AN AiMLiY SURGE()N.
engaged on the left of the hard-fighting previously dcle scribed, and shared a portion of it.  They fought side by
side with other victorious troops under the command of
Ilooker.
General Green's division, which is better known as Gen eial Augur's, was divided before going into action.  It is
composed of General Geary's old brigade, commanded by
LieuLtenanlt-colonel Tyndale of the 28th Pennsylvania riegi ieunt; General Prince's old brigade (Geneal Prince who
was taken prisoner at Cedar MIountain), commanded by
Colonel Steinrook of the 109th Pennsylvania; and Geneial
Gi-eein's Brigade, commanded, after Mansfield fell (and thle
other changes in consequence), by Colonel Goodrich.  This
brave and gallant colonel, however, was, like the venerable
General Mansfield, killed at his post by a musket-ball, at
the commencement of the fight, and the command of the
brigade devolved upon a subordinate officer.  The division
was brought into the thickest of the battle, on the left of
General Williams; the 3d brigade, under the lamented
Colonel Goodrich, having been placed by General Williams
on the right. The other two brigades at first were posted
as supports to the 3d Rhode Island battery. The battery
wvas placed in position in fiont of a small (Dunkard's) church.
The guns, apparently without much infantry support, at
first presented a tempting offer as trophies to the enemy,
and consequently a large force of the rebels soon advanced
in splendid style, firing on the gunners as they came, apparently determined to capture them.  But as they came
within convenient distance, they soon found, to their sorrow, that these two brigades of General Green's division
had, in the mean time, been getting into position, and had
formed on a line to the right and left of the Rhode Island
battery. The rebels came from the woods in splendid
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LEAVES FR0OM THE
style, as mentioned, and were met not only by the galling
fire of the artillery itself, but by a simultaneous fire of
the infantry, which until then was unperceived by them.
It is comparatively an easy undertaking for a large body
of soldiers to capture a battery of artillery, however quick
its fire, if undefended by infantry, because the advancing
line soon shoot down the horses and the gunners; but it is
quite another thing to capture guns, and carry them firom
the field, when they are well supported by infantry. And
so, in the present instance, were these Rhode Island guns
defended. The rebels were driven back into the woods,
when our infantry then advanced, drove them out of it,
and occupied the woods themselves. The battery then
wheeled to the left, and poured in a most destructive fire
upon their retreating lines, and upon other rebel troops
appearing on the left. The 27tli Indiana regiment, which
had been sent to participate in the last-mentioned operation, fired fast, and was compelled to retire before some
of the other regiments because the men had expended all
their ammunition.
The 13th New Jersey regiment, which was present on a
similar service, did excellent execution, and remained in
the woods till the command retired. The rebel battery
had been compelled to retreat-the gunners leaving limnbers
behind.  This position was held for a full hour, until, at
nearly noon, the rebels came out in tremendous force in
front of Gen. Howard's command, of Sumner's corps, which
had already got into action further to the left; and General
Green's being partially outflanked, and subjected to a disastrous enfilading fire, was compelled to withdraw firom the
woods about a quarter of a mile, and did not actively participate in the action during the remainder of the afternoon.
Six flags were captured by this division, which are held by
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DIARY OF AN AZIMY SUPGEON.
the regimenlt that took them.  Indeed there is scarcely a
brigade, w-hichl was actively engaged, along the lines, that
did not capture some of the enemiy's colors, and wear themn
in triumphl firom  the field.  I have stated that Colonel
Goodrich, commiandincrg a brigad(le, was killed early in the
action.  It is also my painiful duty to state that among
many other noble fellows who fell during the battle, Lieutenant-colonel Tyndale, who was likewise cormmanding  a
brigade, was wounded near the close of the engagement.
The corps was fiercely engaged for four or five hours, and
lost a number of its best officers and men; in return for
which, the satisfaction to be mentioned is, that more than
corresponding numbers of the enemy were stricken to the
ground.  The corps, shattered but not disorganized, reinained in firont until relieved by a portion of General
Franklinii's commiland in the afternoon.  A considerable portion of the hard fightiing of the day was done by the troops
under the commiand of General Siumner.  Before coming
on the field of action, he had under his command, as senior
officer, his own and General Mlansfield's corps,-two veteran
commnanders, and who fought near the same portion of the
field whereon the latter fell with a mortal wound.   Pre-ious to the present engagement, as will have been perceived, General Mlansfield's corps had been detached for
temporary service with General Hooker, who had command
of the right wing of our army, while Suimner had the centre.  Hooker, who  had opened the battle early in the
morning, had been fightilng some hours, with his whole
command, before General Sumner  received his orders to
biing his troops to the front.  It was nearly eight o'clock
-henli he was directed to cross the Antietam with his corps
and push forward into the enigagement.  The order was
obeyed with promptitude. General Sumner himself, by
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LEAVES FROM TIlE
his personal presence keeping his columns well closed up,
and after his lines were formed urging them forward to the
friont.   The  corps came upon the field in three lines,
Sedgwick's division on the right, Frenclh's on the left,
Richardson's considerably in the rear, and went into action on the left of General Ilooker's.  General Sumner
on arriving on the field found General Hooker wounded,
and his command being pressed back by superior numbers.
As the corps advanced-in three division lines-so the
first division (General Sedgwick's) went into the battle, in
three brigade lines, General Gorman's Brigade constituting
the first, General Dana's the second, and General HIoward's
the third.  They formed in rear of the position occupied
by I-looker on the evening previous, and then marched up
to about a hundred paces apart, where they were brought
under the enemy's fire.   When these troops had been
placed in position, it was perceived that the enemy had
been fast extending his line of battle to his right-our left;
and a gap existed, where he was coming in heavy force
to flank General Hooker's left, while we had no troops there
to oppose him. When General Sedgwick became acquainted with the position of matters in his immediate
front, he ordered the 34th New York regiment to march,
by the left flank, to meet this flanking force of the enemy.
During this movement  the regiment was exposed to a
double fire, receiving it both on the flank and front. This
unexpected greeting, before it had formed into position,
had a very disastrous effect. The regiment immediately
broke, and the consequence was, that the first line retired in
confusion tQ the rear, carrying the second line away with
it. The mass of fugitive soldiers, falling on the third line,
had almost the effect of breaking it also, and scattering
the whole division in confusion over the field. A portion
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DIARY OF AN ARIMY SURGEON.
of Baxter's Zouaves, in the third line, did break'; but the
remainder of the regimient, and of the bhiigade, held its
ground and met the onslaiught of the einemy.  The officers
did all that mortal men could do to reorganize the terrified
troops and put them forward in their positions, but the
force of the enemy was tremendous.  Captaiii Howe and
Lieutenant Whittier, of General  Sedgwick's statff, were
prominent among  those who attempted to rally them.
They succeeded in rallying a portion of the 34th, and
re-establishing it in action; but it had already lost many of
its choicest officers.  The remnant of the 34th was rallied
around its colors and conducted to the fi'ont, on the left of
I-owa-rd('s Brigade.  General Sedgwick wvas wounded while
gallantly urging the men in his division to fearlessly face
the foe-no matter tlhougt,h the rebels came with such
superior numbers.  At the time he was shot he was far in
the advance-right in the thickest of the battle-close by
his forward line.  He was wounded in two places, one
striking his wrist, the other his neck.  Reluctant to leave
the field, he remained two hours after he was wounded,
when he was taken off, and the gallant General Howard,
who lost an arm in the battle of Fair Oaks, assumed command of the division. 3:ajor Sedgwick, assistant adjutantgeneral, and nephew of Gen. Sedgwick, was seriously, and
it is believed, mortally wounded.  Gen. Sumner was one of
the prominent personages on the field. Though he is a veteran commander, the weight of years seems to rest lightly
upon him. The vicissitudes of a campaign do not inconvenience him, and he came upon the field, apparently, with
all the vigor of more youthful generals. Accompanied by
his staff' officers, he was in the hottest of the' fight, conducting thimself in the most commendable manner, and succeeded
in rallying those who had become disorganized.
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LEAVES FROM TIIE
General Dana was slightly wounded at the -head of his
brigade, -whlen the fearful front and enfilading fire of the
enemy caused our lines to waver.  The wound, however, is
not dangerous.  It is a flesh wound in the leg, by a musket-ball, and the general hopes to assume command of his
brigade again before the present campaign is ended.   The
command was ordered to retire to the piece of woods in
firont of which it had been fighting.
In obedience to the order of General Sumner, General
Sedgwick's division fell back and reorganized in the woods,
about three hundred yards to the rear, where the line of
battle was formed  again.   The division, however, performed little efficient service after that.   While it was
re-formiing in the edge of the woods, Capt. Kirby's battery
came up, and Gen. Sedgwick, after he was wounded, placed
it in position. The battery opened a sharp fire with spheri.
cal case-shot, effectually driving back a force of the enemy
-whichl was seen advancing.  Kirby's battery was supported
by the 125th Pennsylvania Volunteers; so that the enemy
did not attempt to take it.  Simpson's and Hooper's batteries, which were in position on the brow of an adjacent
hill, opened on a brigade of rebels that was fast bearing
down towards General Sumner's right.  The nature of the
country gave full sweep to the artillery, and the rebels
retired before its raking fire. These troops were subsequently relieved by General Franklin's corps.  The loss was
lheavy,-as it is a fixed principle, that when troops falter
before a fire, though ever so fearful, their loss is greater
than if they stood by their colors and fought bravely,
no matter how numerous the foe, until support arrives.
Colonel WAVistar, who lost the use of his right arm at
Ball's Bluff, was wounded in the other yesterday; amputation will, probably, be necessary. In the Fifteenth
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
'Iassaclusetts  recgiment  nine  officers were  killed  and
wounded, out of seventeen on duty.  Company  E  went
into the battle with forty-three men, out of which number
five were killed and twenty-three were wounded.   The
colors are always tenaciously guarded by their bearers;
and when one color-bearer is shot down and the colors fall,
another man immediately grasps them, lifts them to the
breeze, and carries them either till he is stricken down to
the earth himself, or bears them triumphantly firom the
field.  An interesting instance of this kind occurred in the
battle of yesterday.  The color-sergeant of the 15th Massachulsetts regiment was shot dead; hle fell wNith the colors
in his hand.  The flag was instantly caught by his comrade, who, sad to say, had scarcely raised them in the line,
when a bullet killed him also, and again the colors fell.  A
third time they were raised; and were carried from the
field when the regiment retired.
One interesting incident was quite observable on the
rebel side.   Our  troops had broken  the  enemy's  line,
stricken down the rebel flag, and were steadily ad(vancing
over the disputed ground.   The rebel color-bearer had
fillen mortally wounded.  As he fell, he caught the colors
which were falling from  his hands, and grasped  them
tightly with his fast-failing strength to his bosom.   Another rebel took them fiom the dying man, and bore them
off. Numerous instances of similar devotion and bravery
w ere found on either side.   General  French's division,
which had just been organized as a part of General Sumner's corps, is composed of General Kimball's veterans, a
brigade of raw recruits under Colonel IMorris, and Max
Webl)er's splendid command.  WVhen the heavy firinig had
been heard in front, Sedgwick's and French's divisions
marched in parallel columns across the Antietam creek,
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LEAVES FROM TI E
Richardson's division not crossing for nearly an hour afterwards. French formed his division in three lines on the
left of Sedgwick's.   General Max  Weber's fine brigade
formed the first line; the new troops under Colonel Morris, the middle line; and General Kimball's command, the
last.  Thus the new troops were placed between two
brigades of splendid disciplined soldiers'  The right of this
division's line rested on a fine plantation, with its group of
houses in the hollow.  Each line was over half a mile in
length, and about fifty yards from the other.  The lines of
the two divisions moved forward almost simultaneously,
until they encountered the vast force of the enemy, which
immediately opened with artillery and infantry.  None of
our artillery in front of this division had got into position,
and the iinfiantry performed alone the important service
which followed.  Our troops moved  forward firom  the
ravine or hollow, up the rising ground, for the purpose of
carrying the crest of the hill upon which the enemy was
p)osted.  They moved  rapidly at first; but the fire was
so fearful in front of General Sedgwick, that the left of
his line retired (it will be remembered), leaving a wide
gap on the right of General French's.
HIe pushed forward a regiment from Kimball's Brigade,
to prevent the left flank being turned. Changing front
towards the right, General French met the enemy, who
was advancing through the gap, and engaged him, while
Richardson's division went into action.  The Irish Brigade
was sent forward, and, with an impetuosity which cost
many lives, gained the crest. Colonel Burk's Brigade now
assisted in driving the enemy away.  General'Max Weber
was wounded  in this encounter.  General Rilchardson's
division, as before stated, got into action, and bore the
brunt of the enemy's attempt to cut our line.  The divi
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
s,on deployed into line of battle by brigades.  Meagher's
took the lead to the right, Caldwell's followed, and Burk's
came last.  VWhen they arrived on the ground, the enemy
were engaged with French's division, in the ploughlied field
in the hollow.  General Richardson was wounded while
personally directing the movements of the division.  The
Irish Brigade was ordered to charge up the hill, the 69th
and 29th New York to chlarge the enemy's column on the
right, and the 88th and 63d New York to charge on the
left.  The two former regiments obeyed in gallant style,
but Lieutenant-colonel Kelly, of the 69th, being wounded
in the face, they faltered, but continued an unbroken fire
on the enemy firom the ascendilng ground on which they
hlalted.  The other brigades of this division participated iii
this attack,  driving in the enemy's column.   General
iealgher's horse was shot under himn.  General Richardson
was w-ounded, while near one of the batteries, by a piece
of shell, in the shoulder.  He was taken to the samie house
where General Hlooker lay.  General IHancock, by order of
General MIcClellan, assumed the command of the division
until the close of the battle. General Franklin's corps, as
stated, marched from Crampton's Gap, and arrived while
the battle was raging, and went into action without delay,
doing good service, and slept on the battle-field. General Fitz-John  Porter's corps was but slightly engaged.
The corps of General Burnside performned an important
part in the battle, having had to encounter the most determinied opposition in successfully executing that part of
General MAcClellan's plan to whlich it was assigned.  Being
distant from  that part of the field, I can give but a
gene,'al outline of its operations.  Antietam creek lay
betweeii General Burnside's forces and the enemy, who
were strongly posted in a favorable position on the oppo
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LEAVES FlOMI TIHE
site side.  It was necessary to cross the creek, hnd dislodge
the enemy.  The stream is spanned  by a stone brildge,
which joins the turnpike.  It was well defended by the
rebel infantry and artillery, and after two bloody and un  successful attempts to cross it, which cost us many  lives, a
third and successfifl one was made, and the enemy driven
firom his position on the other side.  This, the crowningi
feat of the day's victory, was soon followed by simultaneous
shlelling along our line, and our troops driving the enemy
befbre theIll fiom all their stronlgholds.  The enemy were
now, under cover of a heavy artillery fire, endeavoring to
push forwardcl on the left a large body of their skirmishers,
followed by three columns, but our' batteries in firont kept
them  back.  At this time, several farm-houses were set on
fire by the shells, and added to the exciting scene.  Burn side's coirps, assistedcl by the batteries on the hills, was suc cessful; and the rebels, driven on the right centie and left
by our advaincihg columns, plainly told that the battle of
Antietami  was won by the Uuioli arms, under the able
direction of General  MlcClellan, who,  during  the elntire
day, w-ithl  indefati gable  einery,,  personally guided  the
various movements, riding to andcl fio, now rallying, tlhis
point, then another, and leaving nlothing to chance.  lie
inspired, by his presence and sagacity, lhis brave  men,
who, in turn, stood by him, in this, their bloodiest battle,
anA addedl the name of Antietam to the long list of victories to which he had led them. Next morniing the battlefield presented a scene of carnage and struggle that baffles
description.  During the whole night the wounded were
being searched for, and continued to arrive at the temporaiy hospitals.  To-day the burying of the dead will bu
attended to.
296
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DIARY OF AN ARMY SURGEON.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE REBELS RECRIOSS TtIE POTOMAC.
TIiE rebel army has succeeded in making its escape fiom
[laryland.  They commenced to leave about dusk, on the
18th of September, and by daylighlt, yesterday morning,
were all over except a small rear-guard. They saved all
their transportation, and carried off all their wounded but
about three hundred.  General Pleasanton's cavalry, who
led the advance of the Union forces, picked up between
three and four hundred rebel stragglers.  After our forces
occupied the whole field, the rebel loss was found to be
filr greater-particularly in killecld-than was at first supposed.  Fully two thousand five hundred were found lying
on the field, thouglh a larger number had been buried the
day before by their friiends.  This will iiiake their total loss,
in killed and wounded, nearly twelve thousand.  Lairge details were made this miiorning to bury the dead, which hlave
become offensive.  General Stark, of the rebel army, is
reported killed, and Generals  Ripley, Walker, and Ilayes
were wounded.   The rebels, on Thursday  nigi,ht, burned
the railroad bridge and several houses at lHai per's Ferry.
They are still visible on the opposite shore, in force.  They
have posted a large amount of artillery to )preent our
trool)s firom crossino' the river.   Nearly  every  house in
Sharpsbnrg, was struck by our shlells.  Two were burned,
and also a laige barn located in the centre of the town.
The citizens wh-lo remained escaped injury by staying in
their cellars.  One child was killed.  Some of the rebels
were also killed while cooking in a kitchen.
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LEAVES FROM TiHE
2~oveeiizts of the Army, after the _                    -erIey recrossea the
Potomiac.
Early this morning some rebel cannon were to be seen
on the opposite bank of the Potomac, to the left of Shepherdstown. A few gunners were the only men visible. A
reconnoissance was ordered. The 4th MIichligan, Colonel
Childs, and portions of the 62d and 118th Pennsylvania
ieg,iments, were ordered across on a tour of observation,
'accompanied by Griffin's battery, under command of Lieutenant Naslett. The 4th Michigan took the lead, and
righlt gallantly they led the way, in the face of tile enemy's
frownin(rg gutlls belching grapl)e and canister.  Unflinching
ly they plunged into the stream, and forded its dangerous wiaters, not unlike as they forded the Chickahlominy,
near New Market bridge, in face of Semmes' whole rebel
briigade.  During the passage over, one private was killed,
and Lieutenant Gordon, company I, and eight privates,
wounded.  Our men poured a terrific volley of musketry
into the rebels, which made  them run, leaving their dead
and tguns on the field. They took possession of the four
guans, and recrossed the stream. No rebels were now discernible, and the coast seemed clear.  Forthwith, General
lMaitindale's Brigade, Colonel Barnes commanding, consisting of the 18th Massachusetts, 2d Maine, 25th and 13thl
New York, and 118th Pennsylvania regiments, with the
5thl and 10tlh New York, of Sykes' division, were thrown
across the river. As these men were allowed to land undistiurbed, it increased the conviction that the enemy was
inaking a hasty retreat into the interior of Virginia.  The
3(1 Indiana cavalry, of General Pleasanton's Brigade, was
the only cavalry that succeeded in crossing,-the enemy
having suddenly opened a cannonade of shot and shel'
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upon the remaining regiments, that proved too warm a
reception, and obliged them  to return to the Maryland
shore. The principal portion of the day's work now commenced-a brief but spirited battle, in which a small force
of our men fought valiantly against a superior number.
The enemy began to show himself in unexpected strength,
and could now be seen in line of battle as far as the eye,
aided with a glass, could extend, on the left of Shlepherdstown. It was the duty of our men to stand their
ground until beaten or ordered to retreat, and they stood
most nobly. The enemy camne down on them like an avalanche.   The sharp crack of musketry, and the  rising
smoke, betokened that a battle had begun. Seeing the
perilous position of our men, RPobertson's, Gibson's, Benson's, and Tidball's United States artillery, took positions
on this side, and poured shell and solid shot at a furious
rate into the eneny's ranks.  But few shots were received
in exchange. Our men remained on the other side several
hours, although actual firing was kept up but little over
half an hour.  When the order to recross to the Maryland
side was given, our men came back in excellent order, notwithstanding the enemy kept up a continuous fire.  Our
muskets and artillery had played fearful havoc among the
enemy, and our troops had the consolation of knowing that
they have left more rebel dead and wounded on the field
than of our own.  A number of our men were taken prisoners. They belong principally to the 118th Pennsylvania,
now in the field.  Through some mistake, they took the
wrong road on the retreat.   They  fought with great
bravery, and received the commendations of their commanders.   Colonel Provost  received a severe but  not
dangerous wound in the side, while carrying the colors of
the regiment.  The men of all the re,giments engaged be
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haved splendidly.   They have  suffered heavily.  Whlile
thle battle raged, a woman  crossed the  rivei, and imparted to General 3Ioriell information as to the positioln
of the enemy, and stated tlhat they were maicliing towardis our army wvith the intention of enti'apping us.
There has come a lull, in which the contending armies
are lying quietly, with the Potoimac between them, await
ing developments which will probably eCrc long bring tlhem
iito collision; but neither will  inadlvisedly reinew the contest, without  exhaustin g  all the precaution wh-ichi their
leaders' skill can sutgest.
The battle-field of Wednesday is daily explored by an
airmv of relic-hunters froni all parts of the country, who
have nearly cleared off all material evidence of tlie fight.
The dead have all been buried, except some poor fellows
who in their last hours of agony crawled to a secluded
spot or shady cornier, and whose bodies escaped the burial
parties.  Their whereabouts is now easily detected by the
intolerable effluvia firom their fast-decomposing remains.
I mentioned, in a former chapter, the marked improvement in the surgeons attached to the army in contrast with
thleir inefficiency at the commnencement of the rebellion.  I
cannot withl justice avoid alluding to it again.  After the
battle of Antietam the wounded were more promptly and
properly cared for than ever before, notwithstanding the
large number to be provided for. This is owing, in a great
measure, to the beneficial change in the ambulance service,
which, under the efficient management of Lieutenant Dunkelberger, of the 1st United States cavalry, has become
more prompt in the discovery and conveyance of the
Nwounded.  The surgeons also are more eielngetic and capable, and the hospital supplies are obtained with less delay and circumlocution than bef()re.  These chlanges, which
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have been so long and hitherto fruitlessly urged on the
surgeon-general, have been produced by the co-operation of
the surgeons with the medical inspectors —Drs. Cuyler and
Coole(dge materially aiding the good work.  The Sanitary
Commission has also borne a large share of the expense
and labor. Its assistants, and the liberal distribution of
its clothing and supplies, have again alleviated the sffeirings
of hundreds.   Too much praise cannot be bestowed on
this great and good institution.  In it the people havre a
safe and efficient channel tbr the dispensation of its contlibutions.  The untiring and faithful exertions of the secretary, general agent, and volunteers of the Commission, are
a sure guaranty that no wasteful or improper use will be
made of the means placed at their disposal. The wounded
hleave been all recovered.  Those who were able to bear the
journey have been sent to Hiagerstown,  Chambersburg,
HIarrisburg, and other places.  The worst cases we have
placed in the houses and barns in the vicinity of the battlefield, which have been fitted up as temporary hospitals.
Dr.  Muir,  Medical  Inspector-general of  the  British
army, was here on the field.  He has witnessed some of
our operations and the preparations made for the wounded.
Their extent and completeness has called forth his praise.
His opinion, in such matters, is entitled to the highest
respect from his large and varied experience in the Crimea
and East Indies, and the thoroughly organized and wellknown efficiency of the surgical department of the British
army.  Di-. Mluir made many valuable suggestions, prominent among  w hich he advised the organizing, under  a
competent head, of the female nurses, who should be
selected between the ages of thirty and forty-five. This
sucggestion, which coincided with the opinions of many of
the surgeons, has been since acted on; and Miss Dix;
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whose name has for many years been identified with the
most philanthropic exertions in behalf of suffering humanity, has consented to take the supervision and management
of that department, which has hitherto been a source of
annoyance to all the surgeons of the army. Women from
New York and other cities, of doubtful age and reputation,
had succeeded in getting employed?as nurses, and had
abused the privileges of their ill-assumed position to plunder the poor wounded soldiers and embezzle the clothing
and luxuries generously contributed by individuals and the
Sanitary Commission. I can recall to mind more than one
of these female harpies who, under the garb of religion and
phlilanthropy, have robbed the dying sufferer of his hardearned pay, sacredly hoarded and intended for his suffering
family. Some of these miserable counterfeits of noble
women, have been detected and exposed; but others, I
regret to say, have carried on their nefarious practices with
such artful and methodical secresy, as to elude detection.
The day, I trust, is not far distant, when the generous
and self-sacrificing attendance and almost divine sympathy,
evinced by the efficient and kind anticipations of the wants
of the patients, of that inestimable class of ladies-" The
Sisters of Charity," will be sufficient for the wants of the
hospitals; their presence in which lends a sanctity to the
place, and restrains any disposition to profanity or impropriety that may exist.
The wisdom of the rebels in bringing their famished
army to the beautiful Cumberland valley, and on to Harrisbtrg and Hagerstown, is fully proven by the rich and
luxurious landscape it presents; teeming, as it is, with every
production of husbandry, and its numerous and well-stocked
farm-houses giving unmistakable evidence of the superabundant plenty tlhat abounds. This also suggests the great
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importance of that repulse which, under the able generalship of McClellan, promptly aided by his gallant officers
and men, they have sustained. Had they been permitted
to remain this side of the river but a week, they would
have found sufficient supplies to feed their half-starved
legions for months, and would, undoubtedly, have carried
out their threats of capturing Baltimore and Washington.
The head-quarters of General McClellan were moved yesterday three miles nearer to Harper's Ferry. This movement is interesting, as it is supposed to be the percursor of
an advance of the army into Virginia. Harper's Ferry is
is now held by a large force of our troops, as it is regarded
as an important point in the position of the army. The
great distance from the centre to the right wing of the
army gives one an idea of the immense number of men and
the amount of material that has been collected here-for 13
miles the eye never loses sight of the camps.  The Virginia
side of the river continues to be picketed by the enemy;
while our troops do the same on this side. The pickets
of both armies, by mutual consent, have abandoned the
useless and murderous practice of firing on each other. A
few days since a Dr. McLaughlan, of the rebel General
Bradley Johlnson's staff, crossed the river and gave himself
up to the 8th Maryland pickets, stating that he was tired
of the rebel service, and preferred being sent to Fort McIHen'y to serving longer in the Virginia army. Early
this morning a large force of our cavalry crossed the river
at Blackburn's ford.  At Shepherdstown and at Shepherdstown Ferry, there are between three and four hundred
wounded rebels.  The former place is neutral ground; and
not being occupied by either side, is visited alternately by
our men and the rebel cavalry.  The rebel wounded prisoners at Sheplherdstown are guarded by the 91st Pennsyl
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v'ania regimnent.  They are under the care of three rebel
s,rgceons, and have been liberally supplied.  We have done
every thing in our power to make the pool' fellows comfortable. iMIost of them are badly wounded, the greater number of themi having lost a leg or arm.
I reached Harper's Ferry this noon, from Sharpsburg,
and found important movements going on.  Already  a
pontoon bridge crosses the river, and the railroad bridgedestroyedl by the rebels-is being reconstructed by the
railroad company, who have a large force employed upon
it. Its completion at an early day is of great importance
to the movements of the army,-should they advance into
Virginia,-it being the only means of supplying the army,
should it be necessary to make rapid marches against the
enemy in its direction. Our advance is four or five miles out
firom the river, on the Virginia side; and in our fi'ont are
two rebel brigades of Louisiana and North Carolina troops,
who seem prepared to contest our further progress.  A
skirmish took place this morning.  Our cavalry and artillery drove the enemy some distance, and captured an
officer and a squad of their cavalry, who were brought to
the Ferry. Preparations are now making to protect Cumberland against an attack, as it is expected the rebels will
make a dash on it.
General McClellan's report to General Halleck of the
battles of South Mountain and Antietam was made known
to-d(lay in the camps along the river. He estimates our loss
at South Mountain, as killed, four hundred and forty-three;
wounded, one thousand eight hundred and six; missiIg,
seventy-six; making a total loss of two thousand three
hundred and tw-enty-five.  The loss at Antietarn, it will
be seen by the following numbers, is heavier that of any
battle since the commencement of the war, though less, by
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considerable, than the losses in the retreat firom the Chick ahlominy to the James river, or the Seven Days' fight.  It
amounts to twelve thousand four hundred and sixty-nine,
divided as follows: killed, two thousand and ten; wounded,
nine thousand  foul  hundred and sixteen;  missiing,  one
thousand and forty-thlree.  The total loss, in both battles,
is fourteen thousand seven hundred and ninety-four.  The
immense number of wounded to be cared for —over ten
thoutsand-nearly one half of whom required surgical operations, and all requiring care and hospital accommodation,
will give the reader some idea of the amount of duty and
responsibility devolving on the medical department of the
army, and will show the necessity of placing at its head a
man of unquestioned ability, and incorruptible integrity, who
cannot be approached by parties interested in obtaining
contracts for supplying the hospital stores, mnedicines, instruments, and appliances, the cost of wvhichl, for the last year,
has exceeded twelve millions of dollars. The sinful waste
of supplies at some places, and the impossibility of obtaining iwhat has been most urgently needed for the sick and
wounded at others, together with the guilty sacrifice of
human life caused by the incompetency and negligence of
men claiming to be surgeons, is justly charged to the governing head of the department, who from either favoritism,
ignorance, or imbecility, has permitted such persons to be
employed in the government service at a rate of compensation much larger than they merited; though it was, by
far, too little for the competent surgeons, whose services
were constantly needed. In agreeable contrast to this, I
will state, that many eminent surgeons have relinquished a
lucrative practice to join the army, since the commencement of the rebellion; and many surgeons justly distinguished in their several communities, volunteered after each
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of the great battles, and at a great sacrifice of personal con
venience and pecuniary gain, rendered valuable aid to the
army surgeons in the treatment of the wounded, at a time
when overpowered with the overwhelming numbers requiring their aid.
October 1st, 1862.-This morning General Pleasanton
crossed the river at Shepherdstown with a force of cavalry
and artille,'y, for the purpose of making a reconnoissance in
the enemy's rear, information having reached General
McClellan that they were falling back from the river. iHe
came up with their pickets beyond Shepherdstown, and
drove them to MIartinsburg, from which place they were
soon after driven by his artillery. The greater part of the
rebels are encamped between Martinsburg and Winchester.
General MIcClellan, with General Marcy, and their staffs,
visited Harper's Ferry, Bolivar, and Sandy Hook to-day,
and inspected the railroad bridge across the river, which
will be completed to-morrow. General Rodman, who was
wounded at the battle of Antietam, died yesterday, and
will be sent to Baltimore for burial.
Review of the Army by the President.
To-day the whole army are preparing for a grand review.
President Lincoln has arrived, and, in company with General McClellan, is now reviewing General Burnside's corps,
near the mouth of the Antietam. He will next review the
corps of General Franklin, at Bakersville, and then those
of Generals Porter and Reynolds. There are crowds of
spectators, and the cheering of the soldiers for McClellan
can be heard at a great distance.  The President has also
b)een well received, but by no means so enthusiastically as
General  [IcClellan.  His proclamation, issued last month,
has caused considerable discontent among the regiments oI
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Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and the
West.  The President came by railroad from Washington
to lharper's Ferry, where he was met by General McClellan,
at General Sumner's head-quarters.  After General Sumner's corps had been inspected, he rode with General
McClellan, his staff, and a large nunmber of officers, over
the battle-field of Antietam. lIe will remain to-night at
General McClellan's head-quarters, and return to Washington to-morrow, by way of Frederick. Our hospitals at
Keedysville and Sharpsburg have to-day been cleared of all
our wounded, but the rebel wounded still remain. We are
having the vacant houses in Sharpsburg prepared for use
as hospitals, as they may possibly be again required, though
General Pleasanton, who has just returned fiom his recoinnoissance, says the rebels will not again invade Maryland.
For several days there has been nothing of importance
transpiring along our lines.  On Saturday, October 4th, a
company of the 54th Pennsylvania regiment, guarding the
railroad bridge between Hancock and Cumberland, were
taken prisoners by a rebel cavalry force; but while they were
thus engaged, Colonel McReynold's 1st regiment of New
York cavalry captured their camp, and took two pieces of
artillery and several wagons and mules. Colonel Egan, of
the 40th New York, and his regiment, have returned fiom
a reconnoissance to Leesburg, where they captured a riebel
wagon-train, containing supplies, tents, and the personal
baggage of General Longstreet.  Commanders of corps,
divisions, and brigades, are to-day lhaving read to their
regiments a congratutlatory order firom General McClellan,
for the victories of South Mountain and Antietam.-Exciting news reached us to-day, October 12th, that General
Stuart, with one thousand rebel cavalry, has crossed the
river above here, at Hancock, and has marched to Cham
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bersburg, Pennsylvania, which surrendered t6 him, there
being no troops there.  The rebels seized all the governmenet property, carrying off clothing, etc.; they destroyed
the machine shop of the Cumberland Valley railroad, and
government storehouses, and took away over five hundred
lhoises.  Cavalihy and infantry are being sent out to intercept the rebels, and if possible to cut them off.-A report
received here to-day, October 13th, says that the rebels
under Stuart are recrossing the Potomac, at Noland's ford,
with over one thousand horses and othler property they have
captured.  Their force which has thus escaped our army, it
is said, numbers two thousand five hundred cavalry and
four pieces of artillery. General Pleasanton, in his report
of the rebel raid of last Sunday, throws the blame on General Stoneman.  I learn to-day that the rebels are moving
on Centreville in force.-October 16th. Our army are advancing into Virginia to-day.  This morning, General
Humplrey's division crossed the river at Blackburn's ford,
and advanced on Shepherdstown, supported by Gen. Porter's division. They were met by the rebels, who opened
a heavy fire on them. Having no artillery they retreated
across the river. Part of Sumner's corps, under General
Hiancock, advanced on Charlestown, met the enemy at
Ilalltown, and, after some artillery fighting, drove the enemy back, and at noon occupied Charlestown. In the afternoon they formed in line of battle near Bunker Hill, and,
after some skirmishing, the rebels fell back.
Ifeacl- Qtearters moved into Viryinia.
General 3IcClellan has crossed the river and reached
Charlestown in the afternooon. Large reconnoitring parties continue to be sent out daily.  Early this morning
the cavalry force, under General Pleasanton, with four
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pieces of artillery, crossed the river, on the new pontoon bridge at Berlin, and proceeded to Lovettsville, in
London county.  Soon after General Burnside commenced
crossing with his corps, which has occupied nearly the
whole day.  To-day, October 30th, the whole army is now
in motion, except Sutmner's corps, andare pressing on into
Virginia.  General McClellan's head-quarters are at Berlin.
Yesterday we had a terrible fire at I-arper's Ferry, which
destroyed fifteen railroad car-loads of hay and a portion ot the
bridge.  The reports to-day represent that the rebels are
in strong force between Winchester and the Potomac.
General Slocum's division took possession of Leesburg
without opposition. Our cavalry have been attacked and
driven towards Aldee by fifteen hundred rebels under
General Stuart. On Saturday General Pleasanton had an
artillery fight witll the rebels at Phillimont, which lasted
five hours. The rebels retreated to the town of Union,
which he took possession of next day.  A train of cars,
sent to Bull Run, was captured by the rebels, with one hundred men who accompanied it.
Our army is making advances through the gaps of the
Blue Ridge mountains, hitherto held by the enemy. Our
forces are in front of Ashby's Gap. General Pleasanton,
commanding our cavalry, moved on Barbours, near Chester
Gap, on the 5th (Nov.). On approaching the town he came
up with the rebels, three thousand strong, under General
Stuart. They had but one battery, which was posted on a
hill, but was driven off. Salem was to-day occupied by
our cavalry, under General Bayard. Stonewall Jackson
occupies Chester Gap with a large rebel force. General
Reynolds' corps took possession of Warrenton to-day at
three o'clock. Our men found five rebel cavalry there, the
rest having retreated on the arrival of our troops.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
GENERAL M'CLELLAN'S REMIOVAL FROM THE COMMAND OF
THE ARMY OF TIlE POTO:MAC, NOVEMBER 8, 1862.
INTENSE excitement was caused to-day, in all the camps,
by the report that McClellan, their beloved commander,
was  relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac,
and that General Burnside had been appointed to replace
him. The order was received at head-quarters last night,
and was presented by Assistant adjutant-general Buckinghlam, in person.
General McClellan at once issued an address to his army
notifyingc them of the change, taking a kind farewell of the
men who fought and conquered with him so gallantly
through his long and arduous campaign.  He will leave for
Trenton as soon as he can place General Burnside in full
possession of his plans, and turn over to him the command
of the army. This will necessarily occupy some time. The
excitement in camp is intense, there is nothing else talked
of, and many, very many of the best officers express a desire to quit the service; not that they have any dislike to
General Burnside, for he is a universal favorite, but they
feel and say, that without McClellan, the Army of the Potomac will be powerless. His name alone acts like magic
on the men, and the beloved "Little Mac," who is looked
upon by every soldier as the father and preserver of the
Army of the Potomac, can wield an influence over them
that no other general can hope to possess.
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Sunday was a sad day in. camp, as General McClellan
took his leave of the gallant Army of the Potomac, which
he loved so well and had done so much to organize; which
had shared with him so many perils, and had bestowed on
him so much of its confidence and esteem. He visited,
one by one, the several army corps he had so often led
to victory; and as he rode by, in company with General
Burnside, the shattered colors of each regiment, bearing
the unmistakable evidence of many hard-fought battles,
were lowered in salute, while the long-continued applause
of the men spoke fully their love, confidence, and esteem
for McClellan, and their regret at losing himn for their
commander.
In the evening, the officers attached to General McClellan's head-quarters paid their respects to him in his tent,
and seldom has such a scene been witnessed. One and all
were stricken with grief of no ordinary kind. The love,
honor, and respect entertained for him by the soldiers of
his army was, if possible, exceeded by that of the officers,
whose daily intercourse with him had endeared him to
them. "The Army of the Potomac" was the only sentimnient given. It was enough. Those few and simple words
bore a meaning that required no eloquent elucidation, no
lengthy dissertation to explain.
The reason assigned for the removal of General McClellan firom the command of the Army of the Potomac by
General Halleck, is, that he has refused to advance into
Virginia.  This, every one who has accompanied the army
knows is false. Not a day has passed since the battle of
Antietam was won, but some important movement has
been made by the Union army. But General McClellan
wisely allowed his weary troops to recruit their wasted energies, and, with the skill of a superior general, hesitated to
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lead his forces, with insufficient supplies and inadequate
means of transportation, into the interior of Virginia, every
foot of whicl had been prepared by the enemy, and on
which our army had been twice before beaten.  Political
influence alone, or his hesitation to sacrifice his beloved
army to the ignorance of the War Department, has been
the cause of his removal.
And nowi, having accompanied my readers through the
trying scenes of battle, with its varied fortunes of defeat
and victory, and admonished that I have exceeded the allotted space to these imperfect, though unbiased descriptions of my campaign, I must bid them a reluctant farewell:-shall I say forever? The reply must come from my
readers; for, if these pages sufficiently interest them, I will
renew our relations of writer and reader, and continue the
history of the Virginia campaign; in which it is my intentionl to give a correct list of thie killed and wounded during
the several battles described, firom the commencement of
my connection with the Army of the Potomac.
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