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LETTEBS

WEITTEN DUEING THE CIVIL WAE

1861-1865

PRIVATELY PRINTED
1898

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TO THE MEMOBY

MY MOTHER

NOTE
The Second Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was organized in
April, 1861, immediately after the firing on Fort Sumter.
Colonel George H. Gordon, Lieutenant-Colonel George L. Andrews
and Major Wilder Dwight were the active spirits in creating the organ
ization and in securing the acceptance of the regiment by the Secretary
of War prior to the first call for troops by President Lincoln, May 4,
1861. The regiment was mustered into the military service of the United
States in the month of May, 1861, at Camp Andrew, West Roxbury.
It remamed at this camp for drill and instruction about two months, and
left Boston for the seat of War in Virginia, July 8, 1861.
These letters, written to members of my family, record my experi
ences as an officer of this regiment during its term of service, from
May, 1861, to July, 1865.
CHARLES F. MORSE.

V

LETTERS

Hagebstown, Md., July 11, 1861.
We have just arrived here, two o'clock A. M., and have
quartered our men in two churches.
I am perfectly well and will write again as soon as I have
an opportunity ; now, I must get some sleep, as we start to
join General Patterson's army early in the day, about twenty
miles from here. (3* e?*' JF*
Mabtqjsbtjbg, Va., July 15, 1861, Sunday.
I will try and take time to give you an account of the
proceedings up to this time since we left Hagerstown.
We started from the latter place about four o'clock,
Thursday afternoon, and marched to Williamsport, a dis
tance of seven miles. The men stood the march very well.
We reached the side of the Potomac about 6.30, where we
camped for the night ; nothing occurred of importance dur
ing the night except one of the guard being fired upon just
before daylight. The camp was aroused at four o'clock, and
the column started very soon after. The fording of the river
was a very interesting sight. It was about a quarter of a

6 Letters
mile wide and two to three feet deep in that place ; the regi
ment marched through it bravely, keeping in close column.
As soon as we got over, everything was put in fighting order,
as we were told there was a body of cavalry on the look-out
to cut us off. Our company was thrown out as rear guard
to look out for the wagons, stragglers, etc. Our march was
uninterrupted, however, and we arrived at Martinsburg
towards night, after a hard march of fifteen miles with no
halt except occasional rests ; passing by, on our way, the
late battleground, on which I picked up a small dirk which
had evidently seen service. I have now got to hurry up,
as the Quartermaster has just informed us that we march
to-morrow morning at five o'clock, and it is now " tattoo."
Our army here is about twenty thousand strong, and
is encamped seven miles from General Johnson's rebel
force. I suppose our move to-morrow is towards the enemy,
although I don't know it.
We had a rather narrow escape from getting into a trap
to-day. Colonel Gordon detailed Captain Curtis and myself,
with four picked men from each company, to go with • the
Quartermaster and four wagons to forage. We started off
for a place the Quartermaster had been told of, where there
were hay and other things we. wanted. We had got within
about a mile of the place when we met a white man, who
happened to be a Unionist, who told us that instead of going
to a place where we would get forage, we were within about
fifteen minutes' march of about two hundred rebels. We
deployed the men instantly, and then the Captain and Quar
termaster started back on another track to see what could be
found in another direction. In about five minutes, I had
orders to carry the party to a house about a half a mile off

Letters 7
that belonged to an out-and-out secessionist. We surrounded
it, made our bargain for hay, pigs, chickens, etc., very much
against the owner's will, and started back for camp, where
we arrived in due time.
You must not expect to hear from me again for some
time, as we are going out of the region of mails. I am in the
best of health, and we are having cool, comfortable weather.
i2F* i&^ m&*
Habpeb's Febbt, Va., July 23, 1861.
Since my letter from Martinsburg, I have hardly had time
to take a pen in my hand, we have been so busy.
We left Martinsburg at the time when we were ordered,
and took up our position in the column and commenced our
march towards " Bunker Hill," where about six thousand of
the rebels were encamped six or seven miles from Martins
burg. It was a sight I never shall forget, to see this great
army, covering the roads for miles in each direction, with
colors flying and bands playing in nearly every regiment ;
then, after marching about two hours, to hear cannon firing
at the head of the column, telling us plainly that we had
come up with some part of the enemy. The firing soon stop
ped, however, and we learned, in a short time, that the rebels
were flying in confusion, and that we had killed two and
taken several men and horses prisoners.
Before long, we came up to their camps, and it was a sin
gular sight to see them all deserted while the fires were burn
ing and everything in readiness for dinner. We marched on
till near night, when our regiment camped in a beautiful

8 Letters
grove on the so-called " Bunker Hill." We lay down on the
ground that night, as our wagons hadn't come up. However,
we were undisturbed and got a good night's rest. The next
day, the whole army was allowed to rest, which was needed
very much ; the only thing that troubled us officers was, that
we could get nothing to speak of to eat ; we fairly envied the
soldiers as they ate their rations. The only way we got along
was by begging some coffee and hard bread of the men. At
night came the order to have everything ready to start at a
moment's notice, and to see that every man was supplied with
forty rounds of cartridges and caps. Soon after, Colonel
Gordon sent for us to say that, in all probability, we were to
move on and attack General Johnston and his army of about
twenty-six thousand men, in a very few hours.
The men slept with their rifles In their hands, and we
with our swords buckled on, but we were not roused until
three o'clock, when "reveille" was sounded in the various
camps and, in a short time, we were marching again ; but, to
our surprise and, I must say, disappointment, we found that
we were making what is called a flank movement instead
of an advance. Towards afternoon, our line was threatened
by cavalry ; our company was ordered out by Brigadier-Gen
eral Abercrombie to act as skirmishers. The enemy, however,
kept out of the way, and we soon returned to our position in
column. About dark, we halted by the side of a wheat field,
and the men were allowed to stack arms and rest, which they
needed very much. Captain Curtis and I had just got fast
asleep for the night on a pile of wheat, when I was aroused
by the Sergeant-Major to be told that I must get ready to go
on guard immediately ; very disagreeable, of course, but no
help for it, so I got up and reported myself for duty. The

Letters 9
Colonel came around before long to caution me about being
especially vigilant, as there was a strong chance of ah attack.
I don't know how I should have got through the night if
Major Dwight had not, with his own hands, brought me out
some hard-boiled eggs and bread and butter. I devoured
them as if I had never eaten anything before. I managed,
afterwards, to get some coffee, so I was all right.
The news of our defeat at Bull Run has evidently shaken
our General. We are ordered to get ready to move at a
moment's notice. tS^ t£^ t&* July 24, Wednesday.
A moment after I stopped writing, I was busy ordering
tents struck, wagons packed, and everything got ready for a
start. We were almost prepared to move, when General, Pat
terson got a dispatch from General Scott ordering him to stay
where he was ; so unpack wagons, pitch tents, was the order.
We were generally glad of it, as it would have looked as if
it were a regular runaway, and we haven't got over feeling
sore at not getting to Winchester and giving General John
ston a try.
**********
My story left off at Charlestown, where we were last
Thursday. About noon, our regiment received orders to
march at half-past three P. M., on detached service. Every
thing was moving at the appointed time. We marched out
in good spirits, but with empty stomachs. After traveling
about a mile, we were informed that we were going to Har-

10 Letters
per's Ferry to hold the place. I was assigned the honorable
command of the rear guard. We had a very pleasant march
of eight miles through some of the finest scenery I ever saw.
We met with quite a reception in the town ; men, women and
children cheering us, waving flags, and evidently overjoyed
to see United States troops again. We camped on a high
bluff just over the Potomac, and proceeded to put the town
in a state of martial law, taking several leading secessionists
prisoners. Here we got plenty to eat ; my first purchase was
a gallon of milk ; Captain Curtis and myself drank the whole
of it before we lay down for the night. The next day we had
a good rest. Captain Curtis picked up, during the day, infor-
formation of a party oi troopers that were camped over the
other side of the Shenandoah, and obtained permission to take
me and forty men and find them, if we could, that night. We
called our men out at twelve and started. It was very dark,
and there was a severe thunderstorm. We were ferried across
the Shenandoah, and scouted all over the mountains, visiting
every farm-house and barn, but we found we were just too
late, as they had left, suspecting our approach. We got back
to camp at eight or nine o'clock, wet and tired, having trav
eled some ten miles over the roughest possible roads.

JF* t2P aj»
Haepeb's Feeby, July 26, 1861.
Reveille roll-call is just finished, and I have a short time
before breakfast to improve by writing. We still garrison
the town, and very hard work it is, too, it taking five com-

Letters 11
panies a day to do it, making guard duty come every other
day. What we principally have to do is to keep the rum-
shops closed to the soldiers. At night we have patrols on
the streets all about the town, and any one found out after
nine P. M. is sent to his house or quarters, or if suspicious-
looking, taken to the guard-room, which, by the way, is the
very engine house where John Brown made his final stand.
The loop-holes and all are just as he. left them.
We also guard all the ferries very carefully. The other
night, when I was on guard, there was a report brought to
me of a fight in a house a little ways off. I took a Sergeant
and eight men and went, double quick, to the place ; the
house was full of men, fighting and drunk. We cleared it in
about two minutes, took the noisiest, prisoners, then went
back and emptied a rum barrel that had caused the whole of
it. Such things were occurring frequently, two or three days
ago, but, as the Pennsylvania militia go home, we have less
and less of it. They are going home at the rate of two regi
ments a day, and we are glad of it, for a more undisciplined
set of men I never saw, spoiling everything they come near,
breaking into houses, robbing orchards, and doing all manner
of harm generally. Our force will be about eight thousand,
when they are all gone. General Banks arrived here, night
before last, with two or three of his aides. We all hope he
will do something more for us than Patterson has. You can
form no idea of the terrible destruction of government build
ings here, without seeing it. For nearly half a mile along
the river were these splendid works, and now there is nothing
but bare walls and heaps of ruins ; they say twelve million
dollars will not replace them. All the bridges across the
Potomac and Shenandoah are also burned.

12 Letters
Habpbb's Feeby, Va., July 30, 1861.
Our regiment is now left here alone, the whole army hav
ing moved across the Potomac together with all our baggage-
wagons. We are quartered in some of the least ruined gov
ernment buildings ; our picket guards extend some two miles
out into the country around.
There was quite an excitement here the night we first
raised the American flag on the staff at the Arsenal. There
was a large fragment of the secession flag flying at the head
of it when we arrived in town, but it was so securely fastened
that it could not be taken down without a person's climbing
to the top. As the staff was one hundred and five feet high,
this was quite an undertaking. Several tried, but had to
give it up. Finally, our First Sergeant secured fresh hal
yards and raised the Stars and Stripes. Half the town had
gathered together in the yard, together with a great part of
our regiment. As our flag was run up, the band struck up
" Yankee Doodle," following with the " Star Spangled Ban
ner." The excitement was, for this latitude, immense.
Those who have been abroad say that this town reminds
them strongly of foreign towns by its narrow, dark streets,
dirty, steep alley-ways, peculiar stone houses, etc. Our mess
chests have been extremely useful to us. Wherever we
could get at our wagons, we have used them entirely to get
our meals with and to eat from, our servants managing the
cooking of chickens, mutton chops, tea, coffee, etc., very well.
Our mess consists of Captain Curtis, Captain Mudge, Bob
Shaw, Tom Robeson and myself ; we have very good times
whenever we can all get together, which is not very often,
there being so much special service.

Letters 13
Maeyland Heights, July 31, 1861.
It is just about midnight ; I am seated in the guard tent
and have just finished my guard report ; as I have to keep
awake all night, I cannot spend my time better than by writ
ing home.
After closing my letter of the 29th, all but Companies A,
G, and C were ordered across the river to take position on an
elevated plateau as guard to the Rhode Island Battery which
commands the ford and ferry. We forded the Potomac in
the middle of the afternoon, and climbed up a steep, rough
road to our new camping ground, an elevation of some six or
seven hundred feet above the river. Rifles were stacked and
knapsacks unslung in time for the men to get the fires going
and coffee boiling at the usual time, as well as the few prep
arations necessary for bivouacking. In the mean time, our
own stomachs craved a little food. Luckily for our mess,
Bob Shaw had been with the pioneer guard that came up
with the Rhode Island Battery, and had spotted a very neat
little log farm house quite near our camp, and engaged sup
pers for us. We found a very neat-looking hostess with the
romantic name of Buckles, waiting tea for us. She had some
nice broiled chickens, apple sauce, bread and molasses, etc.,
set up in tempting array on a clean white cloth, and alto
gether, we had the most Christian-like meal, I think, since
we left home. We made arrangements for our board while
we staid here, and have been living there ever since.
About five minutes after we had lain down for the night,
who should come along but C. Wheaton, Adjutant, with an
order saying that Company B was detailed for picket guard,
to extend from camp down to the main road and canal, and

14 Letters
to guard the ferry and ford, and to give a sudden alarm if our
three companies the other side of the river were attacked.
Nothing could have been more agreeable to us, and the men,
of course, were delighted to jump up, with their wet boots
and tired legs, after the hard afternoon's march, to have the
pleasure of going on twelve hours' more duty ! But orders
are orders, and in less than fifteen minutes, we were moving
down our break-neck path full of rolling stone, and dark as a
pocket. Our guard was soon posted ; we had a quiet night
and were relieved at daybreak. Our breakfast was eaten
with a relish, and two or three hours' sleep set us up all right.
As I said in my last letter, we have got used to everything
now, and when, by chance, we get a six hours' sleep on a
stretch, it is considered a luxury worth taking note of.
t&l t^' M£r*
Mabyland Heights, August 5, 1861.
We still are in the same place my last letter was dated
from, but instead of being in tents, we are bivouacking again^
Last Thursday afternoon, the order came that, as we were the
advance guard, we should not have our wagons and baggage
liable to being cut off. Everything was moved off in a hurry,
and the men set to work building shelters of bushes.
They are built like long sheds, have posts every little dis
tance, rafters and string pieces connecting them. For the
reason that we have two architects at the head of our com
pany, ours was the soonest and best built. Captain Curtis
and I had an elegant little bower made for ourselves where
we live cool and comfortable,

Letters 15

Maryland Heights, August 11* 1861.
There is nothing very new to write, everything is quiet ;
drills go on three times daily. I had command of the picket
at Sandy Hook Thursday night, consisting of some sixty men.
We had frequent alarms, through the night, from the other
side of the river, caused by firing across the Shenandoah ; the
long roll was beaten and several of the battalions turned out
under arms, but nothing came of it but a pig and dog being
killed on our side. The orders to me were to allow no one
to pass the ford or ferry without a pass from General Banks
or Colonel Gordon, and to shoot any one who attempted to
pass without.
I had an interview with Banks Friday morning, to get
some orders from him, and give him some information. He
was very pleasant and gave me a great deal of discretionary
power about shutting up stores, hotels, etc., whenever I had
any trouble with liquor. The whole discipline of the army
is improving very fast; the soldiers and officers are all
obliged to stay by their camps except on special occasions.
There is going to be an examination before a military board
of officers which will probably throw out a great many ineffi
cient ones. I am happy to say we get some of our pay very
soon now; our muster rolls have gone to Washington, and
the Paymaster will be here some time this week. We are
paid from May 11th until June 30th, this time ; that is for
me about one hundred and forty dollars.
I just heard that we were to move away from here to
morrow and join our brigade, some four miles off. I shall be
glad, on some accounts, as it will join our regiment together

16 Letters
again and get us off from this continual guard duty. The
weather here is steadily hot, averaging from ninety to one
hundred degrees. J& vr* «5^
/ Monday, August 12, 1861.
We have just got back with our company from Battery
Hill, where we have been on guard. It rained, pouring, all
night; our rubber blankets were our only protection. We
got pretty wet, but I have just had a good, hot breakfast and
feel very comfortable; the only thing is, we have no dry
camp to go to. We are going to fortify our position, and the
word is now that we are to hold this place until we are driven
out. We have lost our Quartermaster; he has accepted a
position as aide on General Banks' staff; probably Motley
will be appointed in his place. The Chaplain goes down with
the letters shortly, so I must stop.
t£r* t&* tfir*
Jefferson, Md., August 22, 1861.
I dare say you are surprised to see where we are, and at
not having heard from me for some time, but I have had no
time to write, on account of various movements, expeditions,
being without tents and wagons, etc. I shall give you, as
soon as we are in camp again, a journal of what we've been
doing for the last ten days. Yesterday, after shifting around
for about a week since the army moved, we received orders
to march and join our brigade. Just think, we have been on
detached service for a month ; the only regiment out of this
army that has had anything of the kind to do !

Letters 17
Buckeyston, Md., August 23, 1861.
Before starting on our march again, I am going to try and
take time to write you some account of what is going on, and
of what has happened the last week ; as I have kept a journal
of it, I will give it to you according to that.
Thursday, August 15th : —
I was ordered this morning to be ready, immediately after
breakfast, with the company armed with picks, shovels, axes
and bars, to proceed to join two other companies and work
on a road that was building across the mountain. Captain
Curtis did not go, as the road was in charge of another
Captain. Friday, August 16th : —
Working on the road the same as yesterday until about
five o'clock P. M., when an orderly came to me with an order
to report at camp immediately; arrived there and found
everything getting ready for a start. At eight o'clock, the
order "fall in," was given, and we were soon on our way
down the mountain; a dark night and pouring rain. On
arriving down at the foot of the mountain, we were strung
along by companies between there and Sandy Hook. We
then learned that the whole army had moved to Point of
Rocks to cut off a rebel force that was said to be marching
on Baltimore. The night was uncomfortable on account
of the rain and having to bunk down on the road without
blankets, but we managed to get through it.
Saturday, August 17th : —
Nothing in particular done until afternoon, when Com
panies B, D, I and E were sent across to Harper's Ferry
under Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews to seize some flour. We

18 Letters

took possession of all the roads leading to the town, built bar
ricades, etc., and held them through the night while seven
hundred and eighty barrels of flour were carried across the
river. Another rainy, cold night.
Sunday, August 18th : —
Back to Sandy Hook. I managed this morning to get a
few hours' sleep to make up for the last two nights ; it re
freshed me very much. In the afternoon, we marched two
miles further on, leaving two companies to guard the ford
and ferry. On halting, we found six of our wagons with our
tents, which were immediately pitched. At night, the com
panies at the river were relieved ; we then heard that there
had been a little skirmish after we had left. Some three
hundred cavalry had scoured into town and begun firing at
our men; this was quickly returned, and resulted in the
enemy losing three or four wounded, which disconcerted
them and they left.
Monday, August 19th : —
In the afternoon, we were ordered to the ferry with our
company to keep guard for twenty-four hours. We had fre
quent alarms, but nothing of any consequence happened.
Tuesday, August 20th : —
We were relieved at six o'clock P. M., by Company A,
and learned from them that the regiment was being paid off.
We got our pay-rolls signed that night, and (Aug. 21st) were
paid this morning, each man receiving eighteen dollars and
seventy-four cents pay, up to the 30th of June. I got my
full pay of one hundred and eight dollars a month, one hun
dred and eighty-four dollars and forty-five cents. We are
paid again in less than a month, when I shall get two
hundred and sixteen dollars and ninety cents. It makes me

Letters 19
feel quite flush to see so much gold, all 1861 pieces. At
twelve o'clock, noon, the regiment started to join our brigade
and marched six miles to Jefferson, a very pretty town, where
we camped for the night.
August 22d : —
Marched eight miles to Buckeyston, over hard roads on
account of the heavy rains. Camped for the night here. I
have now arrived up to date, and must stop, as we start soon.
I shall send some money home at the very first place I can
get hold of Adams Express. I have had but one mail for
several days, so I've no doubt there are several letters for me
somewhere. tJ* Jr* W^
Hyattstown, Md., August 26, 1861.
We are finally located with our brigade, which we joined
Friday towards night, after marching from Buckeyston
about eight miles. Saturday noon a mail arrived containing
all our back letters.
**********
Our camp here is quite a nice one. Most of General
Banks' army is right about in the vicinity. Directly about
us there are some twelve thousand men. The nearest rebel
camp is about fifteen miles off, over the river at Leesburg,
where there are nearly thirty thousand of the enemy. 1 am
writing this in my guard tent. It is nearly one o'clock A. M.,
and I have just sent a corporal to wake Captain Coggswell
who is " officer of the day," that he may make the " grand
rounds." The camp is perfectly quiet; my candle and one
in the hospital tent are the only lights to be seen anywhere.

20 Letters
The silence is broken only by the snoring of the first and
third reliefs, who are "off," and by the footsteps of the
second relief, who are " on." I hear now, in the distance,
the sentry challenge : " Who goes there ? " " Grand rounds ! "
" Halt, grand rounds ! " " Advance Sergeant with the coun
tersign." " The countersign is right ; advance, rounds ! "
Captain C. has been and gone ; he reports everything cor
rect. There is no excitement now until " reveille," at five.
Captain Mudge and company started for Washington yester
day morning as guard to a wagon train. Washington is about
thirty miles off ; I should not be much surprised if we all got
there before long.
It is now two o'clock and I must inspect a relief, so I'll
close up this interesting epistle and put on my sword which
I've taken off, contrary to regulations, and step out into the
moonlight. J™ v^* t&*
Pleasant Hill, Md., Sept. 1, 1861.
Since writing my last letter, we (General Banks' division)
have moved some fourteen miles, so that we are now within
twenty miles of Washington; you need not be surprised if
my next letter comes from the latter place, although we
know nothing at all of our movements until we get march
ing orders. These are given us, say, at nine o'clock at night.
" Reveille " is ordered to be at four A. M., and the cooks are
directed to cook a day's rations. At four, everybody is tum
bled up, men get their breakfasts, pack their knapsacks, and
have their day's rations served out and put in their haver
sacks. At six, the "general" is sounded, and at the last-

Letters 21
roll of the drum, every tent comes down as if by magic. It
is the greatest change you can imagine ; one minute you see
the field covered with these great Sibley tents, the next
nothing but a mob, apparently, of men. By seven, the
wagons are packed, the line formed, we wheel into columns,
regiment joins brigade, brigade joins division, the column is
formed and we start.
By the way, I never- told you anything about "our"
brigade. It is the ' Second,' under command of Colonel Aber-
crombie, an old army officer who has seen a great deal of ser
vice; it consists of the Second and Twelfth Massachusetts
and the Twelfth and Sixteenth Indiana regiments. We have
the right of the line. We are camped now on the top of a
hill close by General Banks' headquarters ; the rest of the
brigade is in the same field with us ; on the other side of the
road are two or three other regiments, and several more
within sight. At night it looks like a great city ; every tent
is illuminated and hundreds of camp-fires are all about us.
It is a fine sight. Then, too, there is continual music from
the various bands which play until "tattoo " stops them.
Our last march from Hyattstown was through a pouring
rain all day and any quantity of mud. To top off with, we
had no tents for the night. You would have thought that if
ever men might grumble, it was then. I did not hear one of
our company open his mouth to complain, although they, as
well as we, had to lie down on the ground without any hot
suppers. Camp-fires of rail fences were a comfort that night.
I got along very well by taking two fence rails, laying
them parallel and filling the space between them with straw.
Towards morning, the fire got low, and I had to burn my
bedstead to keep it from going out.

22 Letters
You know I said something in my last letter about the
baggage being reduced. The Brigade Quartermaster made
us a call yesterday and cut off our mess chests and the Cap
tain's bedstead. We do not lose them ; they are being taken
to Frederick and receipts given for them. In case of our
being in barracks this winter, we shall have them again. We
saved our tea, coffee, tea-kettle and our little coffee machine
which is worth its weight in gold. The people at the north,
I think, have no idea what a fine army ours is becoming under
McClellan's influence. The men are being thoroughly drilled
and they, as well as the officers, are kept under the strictest
discipline. Everybody here is getting confident and longing
for the next great event, which must take place before long.
We are now within a day's march of Washington, so that, in
case of an advance, our chance is good of sharing it.
t3^ Vr* Vr* September 18, 1861.
I had the pleasantest time, yesterday, that I have had this
long while. General Lander's Brigade, including the Twen
tieth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, was on the march
from Washington to Poolsville; they were to pass within
about two miles of our camp, so Captain Curtis and I got
permission to go off and see them. It' was the first time I
had left camp except for picket or other duty, since I left
Camp Andrew; it seemed very much of a holiday. We met
the Twentieth after about three-quarters of an hour's march.
I tell you we were glad to see so many good fellows ; at least
a dozen of them were intimate friends ; Charley Pierson, the
Adjutant, Bill Bartlett, Caspar Crowninshield, John Putnam,

Letters 23
Harry Tremlett, and lots of others. They were all looking
well, dusty and sunburnt. Captain Schmidt seemed very
glad to see me ; he was very unchanged. After walking a
mile or two with them, we returned to camp well pleased
with our visit. Poolsville, where they are now encamped, is
seven miles from us.
I have just made me a delicious cup of black coffee ; it
will keep me awake the rest of the night, I think, as it is
now near one. I have been on court-martial for the last two
or three days ; Rufus Choate was Judge Advocate. The way
we put cases through would have astonished a police court.
Captain Curtis went on to Washington, to-night, to rec
tify an error in the date of pay roll ; he will be back some
time to-morrow or next day. General McClellan is going to
review General Banks' division Tuesday. It will be a great
sight, if they can find a good place for it ; fifteen thousand
troops marching company front. Ellis has been made brigade
commissary, a regular staff appointment. Sedgwick has re
ceived an appointment on some staff with the rank of major.
Lieutenant Howard and Tom Robeson have been made signal
officers, and are detached. Copeland has gone on to Banks'
staff, and there is some talk of making Charley Horton or
Steve Perkins ordnance officers of this division, so you see
our roster of officers is quite reduced. If anybody is wanted
for any purpose in this division, our regiment is sure to be
called on to supply him; it is complimentary to us, to be
sure, but it makes it rather hard for the rest. You asked me,
in a letter some time ago, if I was trying to get a commission
in the regular army. Not a bit of it ! I shall try for one
some of these days, likely, but not till I have seen some ser
vice. I should not care for anything less than a captaincy

24 Letters
in the regular army, and it will be a good while before I can
expect that. I suppose you notice by my talk that I don't
think we have a short war before us ; the more I think of it,
the more I think it will be a long one. I saw a list of Tom
Stevenson's officers, the other day. There are several very
good companies, Bob Clark's, Bob Steve's and some others.
Captain Robert Williams, General Banks' Assistant Ad
jutant-General, has got a furlough from the regular army,
and is going to take command of the cavalry regiment now
raising in Massachusetts ; rather singular that he, a Virgi
nian, should be the Colonel of a regiment raised to fight his
own State. He is a very fine officer, and I should think would
be much liked ; his present rank is that of captain.
You will hardly believe it when I tell you that the men
of our regiment look better now as regards their rifles, accou
trements and dress, than they did at Camp Andrew. At
dress parades and inspections, we insist on every man having
his shoes and belts shining bright with blacking, also on every
button and bit of brass about their firelock being polished,
and, if on drawing the rammer from the barrel, there is
enough rust or dirt on it to soil a white glove, the man who
owns it is obliged to clean it (the rifle), immediately after
parade, to the satisfaction of his officer. Their clothes are
considerably worn, but the general effect is far better than
ever before. We have earned the name of the " stuck up "
Massachusetts Regiment, which amuses us considerably.
Others think we cannot get along well with our men, as
they never see them sitting around in our tents smoking and
joking, with us and enjoying themselves generally, as they
are allowed to do in some regiments. We let them think so.

Letters 25

Camp near Conbad's Febby, Md.,
October 24, 1861.
My last letter left off rather abruptly, and as a series
of exciting events has taken place since then, I will try
and detail them nearly as they occurred. I left off just as
Captain Curtis got back from Banks' headquarters with the
good news that we were to join our regiment and march at
once towards the river.* We didn't stop to strike tents or
pack the wagons, but left a small squad of weak men to do
it. We packed our trunks and other traps and piled them
up together in our tent. At half past eight P. M., the regi
ment marched by so quietly that one would not have known
that there were more than ten men on the road ; no drum or
any other music. At nine, our company was ready and
started. Before we were off, we could see, by the camp
fires, that the whole division had marching orders. Going
at quickest time, we caught the regiment at a halt ; the night
was ploudy, but the moon made it quite light. At twelve
thirty we got to Poolsville, distance ten miles ; here we began
to hear rumors of the fight ; men on guard told us that the
Fifteenth Massachusetts and several other regiments had been
cut to pieces in crossing the river near Conrad's Ferry ; one
said the Ffteenth had lost seven hundred men ; we disbe
lieved them almost entirely.
As we got nearer to the river, the stories began to get
more probable, and when within two or three miles of it, to
confirm them, we met numbers of wounded who said that the
Twentieth and Fifteenth Massachusetts and the California
* Company B had been on detached service as Provost guard for
about ten days.

26 Letters
and Tammany regiments were in the fight and were all more
or less cut up. At about five A. M., we reached the river, dis
tance twenty-one miles from the camp, a splendid march, made
with very few halts, the men all carrying their knapsacks.
Here, as daylight came on, we began to hear the terrible
truth; the houses all about us were filled with dead and
wounded, and down the river about a mile, there was a tem
porary hospital with over a hundred men in it. Of course,
my first inquiries were for my friends in the Twentieth; I
could hear nothing definite. Shortly afterwards, Captain
Curtis received a message from Lieutenant Willie Putnam,
a splendid young fellow, saying he would like to see him.
From the Major, Captain C. and others, I learned, when they
came back, the following : That Colonel Lee and Major and
Doctor Revere were prisoners and probably carried to Lees-
burgh; that Lieutenant W. Putnam was mortally wounded
by a shot through the body ; Captain C. saw him and said he
conversed as calmly about the events of the battle as if he had
been a spectator instead of an actor ; he said the wound was
quite painful, but by his face you would not have known it.
(He died this morning.) Captain John Putnam had his arm
taken off close to the shoulder by a round shot; he was
brought across the river and is in the hospital. Captain
Crowninshield had just swam across the river ; he had fought
splendidly, others say, all through the battle, had been unable
to retreat with the rest, and had hid over night. He was
unhurt. Poor young Holmes was badly shot through the
body and arm ; he and Lieutenant Lowell saw Charley Peir-
son, the Adjutant, fall, and ran up to attempt to bring him
off ; as they lifted him from the ground, they were all three
shot down, Lowell through the leg. Holmes is likely to

Letters 27
recover, Lowell is doing well, Peirson is a prisoner. George
Perry is missing. Harry Sturgis, Harry Tremlett and Char
ley Whittier, got off safely. All of these that I have men
tioned were down at Fort Independence in the Guards, and
Putnam, Peirson and Tremlett were in the same mess with
me. Captain Schmidt, I believe, is badly shot through the
body. I am not certain about it.
My understanding of the affair is this : — Brigadier-General
Baker was ordered by Brigadier-General Stone to take a cer
tain number of regiments and cross the river at Conrad's
Ferry, while he, Stone, was crossing at Edward's Ferry, five
miles below, with his force. The troops were all landed on
an island first, I believe ; their only means of conveyance
was one flat boat. Four companies of the Fifteenth crossed
first, and, without waiting for reinforcements, foolishly moved
forward towards Leesburgh, of course stirring up the enemy's
pickets and alarming the country.
Parts of the Twentieth, Fifteenth, California and New
York regiments now followed, making the whole force over
the river about fifteen or eighteen hundred men and two
guns. The fight, at first, was skirmishing almost entirely,
the enemy being out of sight in the woods ; their firing was
very heavy, and it was evident, from the first, that they had
numbers of sharpshooters lodged in the trees and everywhere
else, to pick off the officers. Those who were there say that
the Massachusetts men fought splendidly, making no confu
sion, and falling back perfectly orderly to the river, which they
were fairly driven into, numbers drowning, others swimming
to the island and Maryland shore. Of course, the- great mis
take of the whole affair was trying to cross an unfordable
river with an insufficient force, unsupported by artillery and

28 Letters
with no means of retreat; any one of these things would
almost be sure to cause defeat. It is almost fortunate that
General Baker was killed, as he would have been constantly
reproached by everybody and could have hardly kept his com
mission. How much General Stone was to blame, no one
can yet say ; his orders to Baker were to cross in a discreet
manner. About the detail of the loss of the Fifteenth, I cannot say,
as I know no one in it. The Colonel of it told Mr. Quint last
night that he had lost near half of his regiment and twelve
of his commissioned officers. The Lieutenant-Colonel lost
his leg. To go back to our regiment. We were left along
between the canal and the river. Early in the morning, it
commenced to rain, pouring, and continued till night; we
had nothing but mud to stand in and were wet and uncom
fortable. At about ten A. M., I was detailed by Colonel
Gordon to take a dozen good men and get a small flat boat
there was up the river, and cross with it to the island to
bring off a number of our men who were beckoning for aid
from there. We got the boat and crossed successfully. The
men were from different regiments and had hidden over
night ; they were very glad of the chance to get back into a
friendly State. Not a Secesher made his appearance. The
current was strong but the water was not very deep.
Towards night, our regiment moved a little ways back
into the woods, where we pitched tents, built fires, got dry,
and changed stockings, besides getting something to eat for
a change. Next morning, we changed camp, moving back
about two miles to get out of reach of the enemy's shells.
Five of our companies were out on picket the whole of the
night before, in all the rain, without fires. On arriving in

Letters 29
camp, our company was put on guard. Just before supper
time, I saw a mounted officer ride fast into camp and go up
to a group where Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews was standing,
and whisper something to him. Two minutes afterwards, I
received an order to have the "general" beaten, which is the
signal for every man to be at his quarters and strike tents ;
twenty minutes afterwards, the " assembly " was beaten, the
line formed and immediately put in motion towards Edward's
Ferry. Although the regiment was jaded, it moved off in
fine shape, every one thinking we were sure of a fight. Get
ting near the river, we were surprised to see the camp of a
large army about their usual duties, no signs of a movement.
We marched straight to the river and halted for orders. The
first I heard was, " Countermarch by file right, march ! "
The Colonel came by and said to Captain Curtis, " Where
do you suppose we are going ? " "I don't know." " Back
to camp ! " An attack on the other side had been expected
and the order had been sent to us to come on. The alarm
blew over, our orders were countermanded, but by some mis
erable mistake, were not transmitted. We had marched six
miles for nothing. We started back at ten and got into camp
at twelve. Our dead on the other side of the river were treated
shamefully ; every pocket was slit down and rifled and every
button and shoe taken off. Probably our company goes on
picket to-night at the island ; if it does not, I shall go over
to the Twentieth. Just heard that Captain Schmidt got four
balls in his leg and side. He only feels afraid he will not
be able to fight them in the next battle. He is doing well.
You had better direct to General Banks' division via Wash
ington.

30 Letters
Camp neab Muddy Bbanch,
November 6, 1861.
" Tattoo " roll call is just over and I shall take the inter
val till bed-time to write you a brief letter.
The mail came in a short time ago, and I received your
very pleasant letter of the 2d. I always kept very quiet
about Captain Curtis' going away, because I couldn't bear
to believe it possible. For two or three months, we have
lived in the same tent and have been together constantly,
and I think he felt almost as badly when he went away as
I did. I shall not think anything about getting a position
in the cavalry regiment, as the chances are so small. I know
Captain Curtis will do all he can for me. I should like to
be a cavalry officer for several reasons. It is the highest
grade of the service, and it is more dignified to have two
or three horses and ride, than to go on foot ; then, after you
are well drilled, you are sure of more active service than in
infantry. Lieutenant Williams will undoubtedly have this company,
although nothing has yet been done about it. He had the
luck to be second on the roll of first lieutenants ; I am
sixth, so you see my captaincy is in the distance. I have got
a fine wood fire burning in a fireplace in my tent ; it makes
it very comfortable. The weather is very cold, freezing
almost every night. fgr* V& V^ November 22, 1861.
I have just passed a very pleasant Thanksgiving, and will
give you a little description of it. Yesterday was very pleas
ant, quite mild for a change. In the morning at ten o'clock,

Letters 31
we had church services. Mr. Quint officiated and read the
Governor's proclamation, music by the band, etc. After this
we officers had a " turkey shoot." Then came dinner for the
men. I provided our company the following: eleven tur
keys, seven geese, eighteen chickens, one hundred and forty
pounds of plum pudding. It was all nicely cooked at a farm
house and looked as well as need be. It was quite a feast
and was enjoyed highly. Other companies were treated ac
cordingly. I doubt if most of the men ever had as good a
Thanksgiving before. The turkeys we shot we gave to the
non-commissioned officers. At four thirty, after dress parade,
we had our dinner. The tent was nicely warmed by a fire
place running under it, and well lighted by candles in fes
toons. We had very nice stewed and raw oysters to start off
with, followed by roast turkeys, geese, celery, etc. We had
plenty of champagne and plum pudding, and everything
passed off pleasantly. In the midst of the dinner, Lieuten
ants Grafton and Shelton arrived (very opportunely for
them), and joined us. We sat till near " tattoo," smoking
and singing ; then dispersed. The usual supper of cold goose
without mince pie, was eaten about eleven o'clock. Alto
gether, it was a very pleasant day, much more so than I
anticipated. The band played during dessert, in the ap
proved style.
Tuesday, Wheaton was taken sick. I have been acting
as Adjutant ever since. I like it very well for a change.
If you see Rufus Choate, tell him about our Thanksgiv
ing ; we were very sorry to lose his company on that occa
sion, he is such a good fellow. ^3" l2r* l2r*

32 Letters
Camp Hicks, neab Fbedebick, Md.,
December 8, 1861.
I take the opportunity of Captain Williams' going home
to send a letter direct. Last Tuesday morning, about half-
past twelve o'clock, I was fast asleep as usual, but was
awakened by some one saying, "Mr. Morse." I answered,
" What ? " and got the following order : " Send a circular
around to the commanders of companies, saying that reveille
will be beaten at half-past five, the men to be ready to march
as soon afterward as possible, with three days' rations." I
asked if that came from the Colonel ; the answer was, " I'm
the Colonel." I begged his pardon and got up, lighted a fire
and wrote the circular and sent my orderly round to. the
captains. Everything was executed as per order, the usual
lively scene of striking tents and packing wagons, and by
half-past seven, we were ready to start.
It was a very cold, clear day ; so cold that, though I had
a horse, in my capacity as adjutant, I hardly mounted him
all day ; we all had to wear overcoats. We marched between
seventeen and eighteen miles to the village of Barnsville,
arriving there near four o'clock. We pitched tents in a thick
wood, and the men were immediately employed getting their
dinners and making arrangements for a comfortable night.
I got a very nice dinner at General Abercrombie's headquar
ters, a house in the town. It was an awfully cold night;
water froze nearly an inch thick.
Reveille was beaten Wednesday morning at half-past four,
and we left our camping ground as soon as there was light
enough to see our way through the woods, about half-past six.
The weather was so cold that we marched ten miles without

Letters 33
a halt, through a very rough, mountainous country. After
a short rest, we went on five miles farther through a splendid
farming country, a pleasant thing for us to see after the des
olate region we had been living in. We camped a short
distance from Frederick. The next morning, after a very
nice breakfast at a miller's, the regiment marched to its
present camp, situated in a wood about three miles from the
city. It is a very pleasant place, with a warm southern slope,
and is a neat looking camp. We are near enough to the
city to get anything we want from it, which is very con
venient. I haven't been in yet ; several of the officers have,
and find it a very pleasant and civilized city.
(3* t£r* ?&*
Camp Hicks, Md., December 16, 1861.
I walked into Frederick yesterday to do some business
pertaining to the company and a little for myself. It is
rather a pretty city, about the size of Cambridge, with a
number of very nice churches and private residences. The
streets are full of officers and soldiers, and on the corner of
every street, there is a sentinel posted ; occasionally a patrol
goes through the thoroughfare to seize any drunken soldiers
or stop disturbances. However, their duties are light, as the
soldiers find it very much for their interest to keep sober and
quiet when they have passes. I was glad to get back to
camp ; if there is anything forlorn, it is to walk about in a
city where you know nobody and have nothing particular to
do. A camp becomes your whole world, bounded by a line
of sentries, when you live in it as much as we have lived
in ours. My visit to the city was, I believe, my fourth
absence from camp since leaving Camp Andrew.

34 Letters
We had services this morning; Mr. Quint conducted
them, as usual. I think it is getting rather cold weather for
out-door preaching, and shall not feel very badly for stormy
Sundays. The last fortnight has been remarkably pleasant,
the weather generally quite warm; the nights are cold.
Imagine yourself going out before sunrise and washing your
face and hands, with the mercury standing in the thermome
ter at twelve degrees, as it was here two or three days ago.
Captain Tucker's resignation has been accepted and Hany
Russell is now assigned to the command of Company H.
George Bangs is now first on the list of first lieutenants and
I am second. tlr* l£r* v&
Cantonment Hicks, February 13, 1862.
The splendid news of the fight and victory of Roanoke
Island reached us this morning, and has caused great excite
ment and enthusiasm. We are most anxious to hear the
particulars, especially as the Twenty-fourth is mentioned as
being terribly cut up by the fire from the batteries. It will
be dreadful to hear of any of our friends being among the
killed or wounded. What a record there will be for the
New England Guards after the war is over ! I believe all its
old members have done well so far; after the Second has
been heard from, the list will be complete. Our news from
the west is scarcely less interesting ; what a plucky and suc
cessful thing that was for those gun-boats to go right through
the heart of Tennessee and into Alabama ! It's a great pity
they couldn't have stayed to the ball at Florence.
Last night, General Banks received a telegram from Gen
eral McClellan saying that he, the latter, wanted five hun-

Letters 35
dred men from Banks' division to go out to join the gun-boat
expedition down the Mississippi ; they were all to be volun
teers. We were called upon to furnish thirty from our regi
ment, three from a company. As soon as it became known
to the men, there was a perfect rush from the company streets
to the captains' tents ; everybody wanted to go. We chose
three good fellows from " B," who when they found out they
were the lucky ones, were perfectly wild; one, a fine, big
Irishman, that I enlisted at Chicopee, jumped right up in
the air and gave a regular wild Irish whoop.
(^* MP? 1tf&
Cantonment Hicks, February 24, 1862.
Last Friday my two boxes arrived while I was on guard.
I had them carried to my tent and invited my friends for
Saturday night. Saturday, the 22d, our regiment went into
Frederick with the brigade to parade through the streets, so
I had a good chance to make my preparations. . I borrowed
a white tablecloth of a civilian, and the necessary dishes from
our mess, silver, etc. Everything came out of the boxes in
perfect order ; the pudding dish was broken, but the pudding
was all right. I found your note describing the contents,
stuck to a pie. Dinner was ordered to be ready at half-past
five and at that time punctually my guests made their appear
ance, hungry as bears after their ten-mile tramp. The table
had a truly grand and magnificent appearance. In the centre
of the white cloth reposed the turkey in all its glorious pro
portions, filling the air with its fragrance, its flanks and
approaches were well guarded by those noble grouse, currant
jelly, potatoes, etc. Plates were set for seven: Captains

36 Letters
Williams and Russell, Lieutenants Shaw, Horton, Perkins,
Oakey and myself. Candles suspended over our heads fur
nished the light in very festive style. Captain Williams
carved the turkey in a most scientific manner, it was splen
did ; if it had not been for the grouse, there would have been
very little but bones taken out of the tent, but the grouse,
they were perfection ; and now I come to them, I insist on
knowing who sent them ; the health of the donor, he or she,
was drunk in both Sherry and Madeira, and will be drunk
again when the name becomes known. Pudding, pies, coffee
and cigars followed in proper order, and after a prolonged
sitting of four hours we got up from the table convinced that
in future years we should remember the 22d of February, not
as Washington's birthday, but as the anniversary of our din
ner in Cantonment Hicks. The whole affair was a perfect
success, and I am truly thankful to you for the pains and
trouble you took to make it so. It will stand out as a bright
mark in our usual monotonous routine.
ffT* *2r* t£r*
Headqtjabtees Co. B, 2d Mass. Reg't,
Chablestown, Va., March 2, 1862.
I wrote in my last that we had received marching orders
and were liable to be off at any moment. We remained in a
state of uncertainty till Wednesday afternoon, when we had
the following order: "Reveille at four Thursday morning;
march at five; take cars from Frederick at seven."
These orders were complied with on a dark, cloudy,
muddy morning, except that we had to wait till half-past
seven on the railroad track before we started for Sandy Hook.

Letters 37
Our whole brigade went on this train. After a hard ride of
about four hours, we arrived at Sandy Hook. We disem
barked as soon as possible, and formed line along the canal.
Everything looked as natural as if we had only left the day
before, except the lower part of Harper's Ferry, which, you
know, Colonel Geary destroyed by burning. We marched
down to the ferry, across which there had been a pontoon
bridge constructed. We had to cross this in single file to
avoid much jarring. It is a beautiful bridge, built in this
manner : at intervals of every twenty feet are the pontoons,
which look like common flat-bottomed scows, and are con
nected together by planking about eight feet wide. The
whole arrangement is connected to the shore by a system of
ropes. The bridge must be at least eight hundred and sixty
feet long.
After crossing, we marched through Harper's Ferry, which
seemed perfectly full of troops ; we went down the Shenan
doah road about a mile and quartered the regiment in some
empty houses we found. The weather had changed since
morning, and the night was very cold, with a perfect gale
of wind. Captain Williams, Lieutenant Oakey and myself,
found a very good room which we occupied together. At
four o'clock next morning, we were awakened by the " officer
of the day " ordering us to have our men get their breakfasts.
As the regiment was going to move in light marching order
at daylight, I got up and hunted for some coffee. I was
lucky enough to find one house pretty well supplied, and
engaged them to make me ten gallons for our company.
We were very fortunate in getting this, as it enabled the
men to start off feeling warm and comfortable, which is a
great thing.

38 Letters
At seven, our line was formed, and then we learned that
we were to form part of a reconnoitering force, to consist of
four squadrons of cavalry, four pieces of artillery and two
regiments of infantry, the whole under command of Colonel
Gordon. As this was a very good specimen of a reconnois
sance in force, perhaps you would like to know how it was
conducted. First, a few cavalry skirmishers to scour the roads and
fields; then the main body of cavalry; then two pieces of
artillery supported by a company of infantry, followed by
two more supported similarly ; then on each side of the road,
a platoon of skirmishers covering near a third of a mile each
way; these protect the advance of the main body of infantry;
the flanks are protected by skirmishers deployed as flankers.
I had the second platoon of our company deployed on the
left of the road to drive in any pickets that might be out, or
obtain other information ; every house we came to, I had a
man search from top to bottom, for arms or anything else
that might be hidden in them.
Our cavalry skirmishers met those of the enemy just this
side of Charlestown, and drove them into their main body ;
our cavalry then came up at the gallop and sent the enemy
flying out of town and a couple of miles into the country,
many of them throwing away their arms in their hurry. We
followed along and took quiet possession of the town, proba
bly as thoroughly secesh a place as any in Virginia. People
scowled at us from their windows, but did not venture much
into the streets ; those who did seemed almost frightened to
death, every one thinking we were going to burn the town.
The guns were put in position at once, commanding the
Winchester roads. The cry was suddenly set up, " The Gen-

Letters 39
eral is coming ! " Ranks were formed and dressed. Pres
ently, Generals McClellan, Banks, and Hamilton, with their
staffs and guards, rode by ; we saluted, and the General took
off his cap to us ; he is a splendid looking man, though not
much like his pictures. They rode out about two miles and
returned. He was so well satisfied with the movement that
he decided to have our force remain and occupy the town.
Most of our regiment are quartered at the Court House ; our
company occupies the toll-house of the Charlestown, Berry -
ville and Winchester turnpike, a short distance from the
town, supporting a section of Hampton's battery ; very com
fortable quarters.
We were reinforced, Friday night, by two regiments and
a regular battery. That night, our cavalry was several times
driven in by the enemy's cavalry; we lost four horses and
three men by these attacks, and captured one of the enemy.
One of the sentinels of our company shot a cavalry horse
through the neck while on picket last night, about a half
a mile from our house ; the picket fired three times and drove
them back.
The only currency here in town is the Southern shin-
plaster, dreadful mean looking stuff; I will send you a five
cent bank bill in a day or two. Coffee costs four dollars a
pound here and hard to be had at that. We shall be off from
here in a day or two for Winchester, but I do not believe we
shall have to fire a gun to take it ; then for Richmond via
Manassas. This is a little better than sticking in the mud
at Frederick. Direct to General Banks' Division, War De
partment, Washington. (3* O** *9^

40 Letters
Headquaetebs Co. B, Beebyville Tollhouse,
Charlestown, Va., March 5, 1862.
You see by my elaborate heading that we have not
moved since my last letter was written. General Banks has
about eight thousand troops in town ; General Sedgwick has
about ten thousand at Harper's Ferry. I believe that ten or
twelve thousand more are to join Banks from Williamsport,
what was formerly Lander's division ; then, I imagine, all
will be ready for an onward movement to Winchester or
elsewhere. I sent, day before yesterday, a few papers I picked up in
Andrew Hunter's office. This latter gentleman is some great
man in the Confederate Senate; his office is occupied by some
of our officers. He was the lawyer employed by the Govern
ment in the John Brown case, and those who had the first dip
into his legal papers found some very interesting documents ;
such as a letter from Governor Wise to Mr. Hunter before
the trial came on, saying that he had made up his mind not
to pardon John Brown or any of his accomplices, but that
every one should suffer death. There was another anony
mous letter from Boston implicating T. W. Higginson, San
born and others; also letters from the different prisoners
suing for pardon.
Three of our companies are quartered in the Court House ;
one is in a printing office, from which they have issued vari
ous bulletins, such as, " Confederate notes to be had at par ; "
" Hard bread to be exchanged for chickens ; " " Gas wanted
by Company D, for the- Union Theatre." Our mess has a
room formerly occupied by a secesh confectioner ; it still re
tains the smell of peppermint. I drank some rye coffee, the

Letters 41
other day, and liked it very much ; with cream and sugar, it
makes a very good drink. Marching orders ! I close for the
present. Ifr* t&^ V^
Camp neab Winchester, March 15, 1862.
I never thought to head a letter as this is headed until
after a hard fight, but so it is. I will give you a short jour
nal of things as they happened to us since I wrote mother
last Sunday.
Monday morning about two thirty, we were again awak
ened by C Wheaton, Jr., with the orders, " Wake your cooks;
cook three days' rations ; reveille at five ; breakfast immedi
ately after ; march at seven."
Reveille and breakfast took place per order, but marching
orders did not arrive until past eleven, when they came post
haste, ordering us to leave tents and baggage and march at
once, as General Gorman, who had gone on with his brigade,
was threatened with an attack. Start we did and marched
eleven miles to Berryville, but saw no enemy. Our brigade
was marched into a wood to bivouac; we stacked arms in
line of battle and then allowed the men to get straw from
a neighboring stack to make themselves comfortable with.
With the help of rails borrowed from fences, various styles of
shelter were rigged up. We made one to accommodate four
of us, that was quite comfortable, although the night was
cold and windy, with occasional rain squalls. Hogan and
Tom (Captain Williams' servant), built us a fire, and then
went foraging for a supper; they succeeded in getting two
or three slices of raw bacon, some hard boiled eggs and a
canteen of milk. With these, we made a good supper, toast-

42 Letters
ing the bacon to a delicate brown and making some good tea
in my faithful tea pot. I have got to be a pretty good cam
paigner, now, and never start on any kind of a march without
my rubber blanket, my thick woollen one and a haversack
containing a little bag of tea, coffee and sugar, some hard
bread, a piece of salt pork and my aforementioned tea and
coffee pot. With these articles, I can make myself and sev
eral others happy, no matter where we bring up.
Rolled up in our blankets, with a fire at our feet, we
enjoyed a good night's sleep. The next morning was very
pleasant, although cool ; breakfast was a repetition of supper ;
in fact, almost every meal up to date has been, varying bacon
with pork and tea with coffee. We passed the day lazily;
four or five regiments and as many batteries came up in the
morning and camped near us. Wednesday was a beautiful,
warm day with us ; our company was detailed for " Grand
Guard." About five o'clock that afternoon, we received orders to
draw in our vedettes and report with the company at the
camp as soon as possible, as the brigade had received march
ing orders. We joined the regiment on the Winchester road.
It was a fine, clear moonlight night and we had a very good
road. We marched until nearly half past twelve, to within
a mile of Winchester, and bivouacked in a very thick pine
wood. The trees were so thick that we officers all lost each
other, each one, on finding a comfortable place, settling him
self for the rest of the night. I was lucky enough to stumble
across Hogan and got my blanket ; after a good cup of coffee,
I rolled up under a pine tree and slept soundly until morning.
Looking around me at daylight, I saw Captain Williams not
twenty yards from me, alongside of Charley Horton, Captain

Letters 43
Savage and several other officers. George Bangs and Cap
tain Goodwin presented a lamentable appearance, not having
brought any blankets. Our wagons came up in good season
for the men to get their breakfasts, and at ten, or thereabouts,
we pitched our camp in a neighboring field. Yesterday, Bob
Shaw and I walked into Winchester to see the sights. It is
a rather decayed-looking town, larger than Frederick ; some
fine houses, not many. ' We saw Mason's house, now used by
the field officers of the Fifth Connecticut; the shops and
stores are almost empty, but will probably revive rapidly.
We took dinner at Taylor's Hotel, a pretty large house ; a
great many officers there. While we were in town, a skirmish
took place on the Strasburg road four or five miles from town,
resulting in our capturing between twenty and thirty prison
ers ; we saw them marched into town, some in uniform, some
not. (5* 1£r* t£r*
Camp south of Steasbubg, March 28, 1862.
You must be expecting, by this time, to hear some account
of what we have been up to for these last ten days. I will
give you a journal of things as they have happened.
Last Friday afternoon, our brigade received orders for a
four days' march to Centreville, fifty-five miles across the
Shenandoah and over the mountains ; the Second brigade had
gone the day before ; the First was to follow us. Our brigade
formed line and started at ten Saturday morning, and made
a good march of fifteen miles to Snicker's Ferry on the
Shenandoah, passing through Berryville; we camped there.
Reveille the next morning was beaten at five o'clock; at
seven, things were moving ; our regiment that day being put

44 Letters
in the rear of everything. The Third Wisconsin, Twenty-
ninth Pennsylvania, and Twenty-seventh Indiana, had crossed
the bridge and half the supply train was over, when a refrac
tory team of mules succeeded in making a bad break, two
mules were drowned, and of course our chance of crossing
was small until the bridge was repaired.
It was near night before it was ready, and we were
ordered to camp again where we were. Reveille Monday
morning at five o'clock. Mounted orderlies coming at the
gallop brought us news of a fight at Winchester. Our march
was countermanded and we were ordered back with a section
of artillery and some cavalry to Berryville. Here we stayed,
guarding the approaches till noon, when the rest of the
brigade came up. Starting at about one, we marched back
to Winchester, arriving there just before dark. Our regi
ment was quartered in some empty warehouses. We officers
had the ticket office of the railroad for our quarters. I will
give you now an account of the skirmish and fight of Satur
day and Sunday, as I have heard it from eye-witnesses and
from soldiers engaged. A few hours after the First and
Third brigades had marched away from Winchester, Colonel
Ashby, with a few hundred cavalry and a battery of artillery,
drove in the pickets of General Shields' division, and came
with his force almost into town ; our side pitched in and took
a good many prisoners ; no great harm was done except that
General Shields had his arm fractured by a shell grazing it.
That night, every precaution was taken to guard against
surprise. The next morning, the enemy again appeared in
small numbers, and there was cannonading on both sides
throughout the day till three o'clock, when their infantry
appeared. Our line was formed and the fight began. We

Letters 45
had six regiments engaged; their force must have been be
tween seven and eight thousand. The fighting was of the
fiercest description for two hours, when the rebels gave way
and retreated, leaving in our hands two hundred and forty-
two prisoners, and between two and three hundred dead on
the field and several hundred wounded. Our loss was about
a hundred killed and four or five hundred wounded. The
rebels fought as well as they ever can fight. They were
close to their homes, numbers of them living in Winchester,
and we whipped them by sheer hard fighting at short range.
Persons who were near by told me that for two hours there
was not an interval of a second between the firing of the
musketry. Captain Carey, of our regiment, whose company
is on provost marshal duty in Winchester, had a pretty hard
duty that night ; he had to provide quarters for the wounded
of both sides as they were brought into town. All night
long they were brought in by the wagon load, every empty
house and room in town was filled with them; the poor
fellows had to be laid right down on the floor, nothing, of
course, being provided for them. Monday they were gradu
ally made more comfortable, yet as late as Monday night,
when we arrived in town, there were numbers of wounded
who had not seen a surgeon.
Tuesday morning, I went into the Court House, which
had been turned into a hospital. In the yard, there were two
cannon which we had. captured ; one of them was taken from
us at Bull Run and belongs to a battery in our division.
Just in the entrance were about twenty of our men that had
died, laid out in their uniform for burial, their faces covered
by the cape of their overcoat. The sight inside was of the
most painful description ; there were sixty or seventy of the

46 Letters
wounded in the room, mostly of the enemy, and the most of
them very severely wounded. Generally they did not seem
to suffer much, but there were some in dreadful agony. I
saw one nice-looking young fellow that I pitied very much.
He. could not have been more than sixteen or seventeen years
old, and was mortally wounded, shot through the body. He
was sitting up resting against the wall ; his eyes were closed
and there was almost a smile on his face. You could see,
though, by the deathly color of his face, that he had only a
few minutes to live. It seemed hard that he should have to
die there with no one near that knew him. There was one
rebel captain who was shot across the forehead, blinded and
mortally wounded, who, when our surgeon attempted to help
him, slapped him in the face and said he wouldn't let any
" damned Yankee " touch him ; he relented, however, in the
afternoon and had his wounds dressed. I will say this for
our two surgeons, they worked nobly for nearly twenty-four
hours without rest.
During the day, the ladies of the town brought a great
many comforts to the wounded of their side, but everything
was refused for particular individuals, and they became more
charitable and gave a great deal of aid to the surgeons.
One of the rebel wounded was George Washington, of the
present Sophomore class at Cambridge ; as he was brought in,
he recognized Lieutenant Crowninshield, who was his class
mate, and spoke to him. G. W. is of the old Washington
family and, of course, one of the " F. F. Vs." He was serv
ing as a private ; he has been made a great hero of in Win
chester ; he is said to be mortally wounded.
About ten o'clock, after visiting the hospital, Captains
Savage and Russell and myself walked out to the battle-field,

Letters 47
four or five miles from town. On the road as we approached
it, were the marks of shells, dead horses and cows lying about
where they were struck. At the side of the road where
our artillery turned off, we found one of our men, the top
and back of whose head had been entirely knocked off by a
shell. The hardest fighting was along a ridge which the
enemy attempted to hold. Along it for nearly a mile, the
bodies of our soldiers" and those of the enemy were scattered
thick, although most of them were the enemy. In one little
piece of thick woods, there were at least thirty of the enemy
lying just as they fell; they were sheltered by a ledge of
rocks, and most of them were shot through the head and had
fallen directly backwards, lying flat on their backs with their
arms stretched out in an easy, natural manner over their
heads. Some were terrible to look at, but others looked as
peaceful as if they were asleep. Men killed by a shot scarce
ever have an expression of pain on their faces. It is astonish
ing how much less repulsive the bodies were that were lying
about in this manner, than those that were regularly laid out
in rows for burial.
The countrymen about here had, when we visited the
ground, taken every button and other article of value off the
bodies. I saw one who had had a daguerreotype cut out
from a case that was hanging around his neck; almost
all had had their boots taken off their feet. A number of
people were out from Winchester, trying to recognize their
townsmen. The bushes and trees here were completely
riddled with bullets; there was not a twig the size of your
finger that was not cut off, and trees the size of a man's body
had every one at least three or four bullets in it. Our men
shot remarkably well, as these things go to show. Several

48 Letters
soldiers of Captain Carey's company got passes, and went out
to the fight and joined the Seventh Ohio ; they fought well
and took two prisoners and two rifles.
One of Captain Quincy's company, who was taken pris
oner at Maryland Heights last year, and was released about
a month ago, arrived at Winchester, on his way to join the
regiment, the day of the fight ; he went out to the battle and
took a prisoner and a gun. At six o'clock that night (Tues
day), we got marching orders ; at seven, we were on the way
to Strasburg; we marched thirteen miles to just the other
side of Middleton, arriving there between one and two A. M.
We built fires here and lay down till daylight, then pro
ceeded on to Strasburg, where we marched into a wood to
bivouac. There was a good deal of sleeping done that night
although we lay on the ground with nothing over our
heads. Thursday morning, as we were quietly sitting around
our fires, we heard the long roll beaten, at the guard tent.
An attack had been made on our outposts, and all disposable
forces were marched in that direction. After going four
miles, the firing stopped. Our brigade was halted in a fine
wood where we are now camping.
t£T* t£& t3^
Camp neab Edinbuegh, April 7, 1862.
As I write less often now, you must expect me to be
more voluminous, and I shall stick to my form of journal,
as it may be interesting to me as well as you, some of these
days, to have a connected history of our small share. in this
campaign.

Letters 49
The Saturday following my last letter, our whole regi
ment was ordered to go on outpost duty. We started about
four o'clock and relieved the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania.
By the way, at this time our regiment consisted of only eight
companies, Company G being on provost marshal and off at
Centreville, and Company A being at Snicker's Ferry guard
ing the bridge over the Shenandoah. I had command of
Company D, Captain *Savage was sick. Three companies
were held in reserve, the other five, B, D, E, H, and K,
formed the pickets, furnishing the outposts and sentinels.
We did not get our men posted till dark, and then it began
to storm, raining, hailing, thundering and lightening. My
company did not have the slightest shelter, and at the out
posts no fires were allowed. The rain froze as fast as it fell,
giving everything a coating of ice ; altogether it was what
might be called a pretty tough night. Morning came at last,
and then I found that we were within a hundred yards of a
big barn full of hay and straw; of course I moved the com
pany right into it and had big fires built in front of the door,
making things seem quite comfortable. The next thing to
do was to push out the outposts and sentinels ; this I did in
connection with the other officers, until we came in sight of
the enemy's vedettes. They do all their outpost duty in our
neighborhood with Ashby's cavalry. It is an interesting
sight to see their line of horsemen slowly walking back and
forth on a ridge, standing full out against the sky.
About nine o'clock, Company F was sent out to make a
reconnoissance of their position, but was driven back by a
large force of cavalry. In the afternoon, they ran a gun
down to within a mile of us and fired a few shells ; one of
them burst within a few yards of one of my men, but did no

50 Letters
damage. We were relieved in the afternoon by the Third
Wisconsin. Monday night, we were waked up to draw and cook
rations, and received orders to march in the morning. At
nine next morning, our line was formed ; our brigade had
the advance of all. As soon as we came in sight of the
enemy's vedettes, the column was halted; five of our com
panies were deployed as skirmishers, H, C, F, B, and I, form
ing a line a mile or more wide. As we advanced within
rifle range, they fell back ; wherever they had any woods to
take advantage of, they would stay on the edge and fire at
us as we came across the open, but they shot very badly,
most of their bullets going over our heads. One of Com
pany I received a bullet in his breast-plate, bending it all
up and passing through his overcoat, dress coat and shirt,
inflicting a slight wound. Occasionally they would give our
men a chance to fire, but very seldom, though we managed to
kill several of their horses, and, I think, wound some of their
men. Going through Woodstock was very lively ; the rebels
planted their battery in the middle of the street, and shelled
away at our main body until our skirmishers almost flanked
them. One of our shells went straight through a church
steeple and through one wall of the jail.
We marched thirteen miles, the shelling and firing con
tinuing the whole way. The enemy burnt their bridges as
they retreated; there were four splendid railroad bridges
burned in tbis way. We almost caught them at Edinburgh ;
the two bridges across Stony Creek had not been on fire
fifteen minutes when we arrived. The enemy, knowing we
could not ford that stream, took up a position and shelled
away. at us, but our battery silenced them in less than a quar-

Letters . 51
ter of an hour, firing with great accuracy right into the middle
of them. One of the Third Wisconsin was killed here, and
three or four others slightly wounded. It seemed impossible
that we should get off with so small a loss ; the shells seemed
to strike everywhere except where our men were. My good
boy Hogan knocked one of their cavalry out of his saddle at
nearly five hundred yards ; he is quite a hero now in the
company. As night came on, the firing ceased and we went
into bivouac near by. The day was a very exciting one, and
though it really amounted to nothing as a fight, on account of
none pf our men being hurt, yet it was good practice for us
and gave us confidence under fire. Our pickets along the
river are in sight of the enemy's all the time.
Last Friday our company was detailed to accompany some
signal officers up one of the mountains of the Blue Ridge, to
establish a signal station. We had a hard climb of it; the
mountain was very steep, the view on top superb. You could
see up and down the Shenandoah valley for miles ; could see
some of Jackson's camps and a section of a battery within a
short distance of our outposts ; most of his force is concealed
by woods. That night we bivouacked about half-way down
the mountain. Our position was so isolated that we did n't
dare to have any fires, but we did not mind much, as the night
was warm and the moon bright. I thought, as I lay down,
how impossible it would have been for me to conceive of
being in such a position a year ago. It was the wildest place
we have ever been in, the nearest house being a mile or
more off.
Towards morning I was awakened by hearing the pleasant
sound of rain-drops pattering around my head ; a delightful
sound, you know, when you have a roof over you, but not so

52 Letters
pleasant when there is nothing between you and the clouds.
There was notliing to do but pull my blanket over my head
and sleep until daylight. No signalling could be done that
day, so we marched down the hill and put the company in the
nearest barn ; we officers took a room in an adjoining house.
Sunday was a beautiful day, and we again ascended the moun
tains. Monday I returned to camp.
i&* i&* i&* April 9th, 1862.
As the mail has not yet gone, I open my letter to write a
few more lines. We had a sad accident happen to our com
pany this morning. We were returning from picket from
across the Shenandoah ; the river was very high and running
like a mill-race. The only means of crossing was in a small
flat-boat which would carry but six ; the boat was making
one of its last trips, when a man named Freeman, sitting in
the stern, gave a jump, capsizing the boat ; four of the men
swam ashore, but Freeman and our fourth sergeant were
drowned ; their bodies have not yet been recovered. It is a
very sad loss. Sergeant Evans was a faithful, intelligent man,
and we shall miss him a great deal. The storm of sleet and
rain still continues ; everything and everybody looks misera
ble and uncomfortable. JF1 «5* «3*
Camp " Miseby," Two Miles South
of Newmaeket, April 21, 1862.
The name of our camp did not originate at headquarters,
but it is the most appropriate one I can think of for it. The
regiment has been here for three days without tents, on a bare

Letters 53
field, with no other shelter than what the men could rig up
out of rails and straw. The rain has been pouring down in
torrents most of the time, making the whole surface of the
ground a perfect mire. We are lying around, like pigs, in
straw, with wet blankets, wet feet, wet everything, and a fair
prospect of nothing for dinner. We have had some pretty
tough times lately, but this knocks everything else higher
than a kite ! I think even Mark Tapley would get credit for
being jolly here.
Last Tuesday our company went on picket. I was sta
tioned just at night at a barn on the extreme outpost on the
edge of Stony Creek. The following morning I went out,
taking Hogan with me, to make a little reconnoissance of the
enemy's pickets. It was foggy, and I couldn't see more than
a hundred yards. All of a sudden the sun came out and the
mist disappeared. I had hardly brought my field glass to my
eyes, when pst — pst — pst — three bullets came past me.
One cut a sprig off a pine tree over my head ; another struck
a rail of the fence I was sitting on ; the other went into the
ground. You may have seen the Ravels execute some pretty
lively movements, but the one that Hogan and I made to get
behind the fence beat them all.
As soon as we were under cover we looked for our enemies.
None could be seen, but Hogan shifted his position, exposing
himself a little and drawing their fire again. This time I saw
the smoke come from behind a fence about two hundred and
fifty yards off. I saw at once that we could not touch them.
The nearest cover from where we were was about one hun
dred feet away ; that place had got to be reached in order to
get back to my post ; I waited some time before I could make
up my mind to exposing my valuable life, but I got across

54 Letters
safely in this way : I put my cap on the point of my sword
and raised it over the fence ; their bullets struck in the rails
all around it. Hogan fired a shot where the smoke came
from, and then we ran for it ! I tell you, I never felt more
comfortable than when I got two thicknesses of a barn be
tween me and the other side of the river. In the barn there
was a little window ; one of the men was taking aim to fire,
when a ball struck his hand, inflicting a slight wound and
tearing up his sleeve for six inches. Four other bullets struck
the barn, going in one side and out the other. After that, I
kept the men entirely out of sight, and no more harm was
done. To give you an idea of how well they can fire, one of
our sergeants put a board in sight, which they took for a man's
head, and they put three bullets through it.
We returned to camp towards night. Reveille sounded
the next morning at two-thirty. At four A. M., we started,
and inarched all day over the most confounded roads, con
stantly fording the streams, the bridges being burnt. Our
movement was off on the flank ; Shields's division moved
straight down the pike. At one time we were within two
hours of Jackson's army, but they got away. After twenty-
two miles of the hardest marching we've ever had, over mud
roads, we got into bivouac about nine P. M. I had nothing
but my overcoat, but I never slept sounder than I did that
night on the leaves. I don't know whether I ever told you
that I had been appointed ordnance officer of this regiment ;
such is the fact. Early Friday morning I started out to look
up my three ammunition wagons. I found my armorer, who
told me they were stuck fast about seven miles back on the
road. Colonel Andrews, on hearing this, ordered me to take
a guard and go back to them. This was pleasant, but no help

Letters 55
for it. It took us till Saturday night to get those wagons up
to this present camp, which is between Newmarket and
Sparta. ^^V l2r* 1W^
Camp neab Habeisonbubg, April 28, 1862.
Yesterday, having just completed the usual Sunday inspec
tion, we received an order in hot haste to get ready at once
with one day's rations to make a reconnoissance. Our regi
ment, the Twenty-seventh Indiana, and eight hundred of the
Vermont cavalry, formed the party. We went out on the
Gordonsville road about nine or ten miles and drove in the
rebel pickets, forcing them to display near two thousand
cavalry and four regiments of infantry; this showed pretty
plainly their position, and our object was accomplished. Jack
son has apparently been reinforced by about five thousand
troops, and is now in an entrenched position just the other
side of the south fork of the Shenandoah, with a bridge be
tween us and them, which has been stuffed full of combusti
bles ready to burn on our approach. We took two of Ashby's
cavalry prisoners, and one of our cavalry was killed.
After a hard twenty-mile walk, we got back to camp about
eight P. M. Our division (General Williams's) marched to
this place last Thursday, eighteen miles from Newmarket.
We are now distant from Staunton twenty-five miles, aiid
from Gordonville sixty-five. The enemy have saved us the
trouble of going to the former place by turning off on the
Gordonville road. I suppose by this time some of General
Fremont's force must be in Staunton.

56 Letters Stbasbubg, May 14, 1862.
1 never expected to write another letter from this place
during the war, but so it is. After ten days' marching and
countermarching, crossing the mountains into the other valley
and coming back again, we have got here again, after an ab
sence of nearly two months, without having accomplished the
first thing during the whole of that time. We line officers
have drawn up a paper to be sent to the Secretary of War,
begging to be transferred to another division ; one copy to be
forwarded to Charles Sumner, and another to Judge Thomas.
A somewhat similar one is going to Governor Andrew asking
his assistance. They are all ably written, and I hope they
will help us out of this.
The other day, when we were over the other side of the
mountains, one of Captain Abbott's men disappeared from his
company. Last night he came into camp in secesh uniform.
His story was that he was taken about fifty rods from our
bivouac by two of Ashby's cavalry and two infantry ; that
they carried him about twenty miles to Jackson's main force,
and then promised him they would send him to a place where
he would never see Yankee-land again, but he balked them
by escaping their guard one night and keeping in the woods
until he got inside of Colonel Geary's lines.
I dare say you have noticed, in the paper, that our Adju
tant's clerk was shot, the other day, as he was marching
between Mount Jackson and Edinburgh. He was a long dis
tance ahead of the regiment ; there were three shots fired ;
one minie ball struck him, passing through his right arm into
his body, grazing his lungs, coming out the other side ; he is
still living, but his recovery is doubtful. We have had three

Letters 57
other men disappear lately, very likely shot in this same way.
An orderly was fired on, the other day, but not hit ; he chased
the bushwhacker, wounded him and caught him.
I had one piece of good luck when we were over in the
other valley. I was out with the company on picket ; early
in the morning, I discovered three contrabands with as many
horses just outside our lines. I had them brought in before
me ; one of them had a beautiful brown mare which took my
eye amazingly ; I offered the darkey five dollars for her, and
he took me up. I sent the other horses in to brigade head
quarters by the contrabands. (P* t0** t£r*
Williamspoet, May 29, 1862.
I take the very first chance I have to let you know I am
safe and well. I did not cross the Potomac until last night.
I was left there with a small detachment of men to support a
battery. My hands are full to-day of ordnance business, so I
must stop. I will write in full in a day or two.
t£r* 10^* t3^
Camp neae Williamspoet, May 29, 1862.
I am going to start to give you a detailed account of what
has transpired during the last week ; whether I shall be inter
rupted or not, I cannot tell. Last Friday, after dress parade,
I went out for my usual ride with Jim Savage. We met an
artillery man, who cautioned us about riding outside of the
camps, as they had just had a man shot by guerillas within a

58 Letters
short distance of camp, and several others had been fired at.
This shortened our ride. No sooner were we back at camp
than we heard of an attack at Front Royal. The Third Wis
consin of our brigade was immediately ordered over there.
At half-past two that same night, we were roused and ordered
to strike tents and pack wagons at once. From that time till
daylight, we sat around waiting further orders ; none came
till Saturday at ten A. M., when the whole division started
down towards Winchester. After marching five or six miles,
one of Banks' aides came galloping back from the front to
order up a battery, saying that the enemy were right ahead of
us attacking the wagon train. We halted for a short time,
but the alarm proved to be false ; only one wagoner had been
shot by a guerilla, but this was sufficient for Banks to make
up his mind that the wagons were safer behind than in front.
We kept on in this way till the town of Newtown was
passed. Soon after, we halted, and a section of Cathran's and
a section of Best's batteries were sent to the rear. In less
than fifteen minutes a brisk cannonading commenced, and
our regiment and the Twenty-seventh Indiana were ordered
double quick towards the sound of it. We found the wagon
train in a perfect heap in and on each side of the road, some
wagons tipped over, and a great many deserted by their
drivers. The men were allowed here to take off their knap
sacks and overcoats which were left piled up in the field under
a guard. The rebel cavalry ran as soon as we deployed, leav
ing a good many killed and wounded by our shells. The
enemy were drawn up (how many we do not know) just be
yond Newtown, with cavalry stretching out on each flank ;
they commenced the skirmish by shelling us ; the second shell
wounded two men of Company A. We took up a good posi-

Letters 59
tion on each side of them, with the artillery on each flank.
We fought here with our artillery for nearly two hours until
our wagon train was fairly started and most of it in Winches
ter. Then, just as it began to get dark, the artillery and the
Twenty-seventh Indiana filed away and left us alone to cover
the retreat to Winchester. Companies A, B, C and D were
thrown out as skirmishers ; hardly were we out of town than
the enemy's cavalry and artillery dashed in, with a tremen
dous yell of triumph. They attacked us at once. We fell
back without any hurry, firing all the time, till we got to a
little bridge the other side of Cairnstown, where half the
regiment made a stand while the other half got their knap
sacks. The rebels here closed right around us ; they were so
near we heard every order, and were able to make our dis
positions accordingly. There was not a word spoken in our
regiment, by officer or man, above a whisper, and it was so
dark that nothing could be seen except by the flashes of our
muskets. Finally, we heard the order given to the rebel
cavalry to " Charge ! " A square was instantly formed in the
road, and the skirmishers rallied on each side. The rebels
came thundering down the road, literally making the ground
shake. Not a shot was fired until they were within fifty yards
of us, when Major Dwight gave the order, " Rear rank, aim !
fire ! load ! Front rank, aim ! fire ! Charge bayonets ! " But
the bayonets were not needed. Men and horses were rolled
over together, breaking the charge and sending them back in
confusion. This was the last attack of their cavalry that night ; they
fell back and their infantry took their place. The firing here
was very heavy, but we finally drove them back again after
losing about twenty of our men killed and wounded. The-

60 Letters
men had now all got their knapsacks, and we again started
back. All of the wounded that could walk were sent on
ahead towards Winchester, but nine had to be carried into a
house to wait for ambulances. Colonel Andrews wouldn't
abandon these, so we halted again, throwing out a strong
guard in every direction. It was now eleven o'clock, the men
were tired out, having been up for twenty-four hours. They
sank right down in the road and a great many went to sleep,
I among the rest. I don't know how long it was, but we
were awakened by a tremendous volley being poured into us
from almost every side, and for about a minute I could hardly
collect myself, but I gave the orders for my platoon, which
was then in the rear, to " dress, face about and fire ! " I lost
two men by their volley, both badly wounded. We were
obliged to abandon our dead and wounded here and Doctor
Leland was taken prisoner.
At one A. M., Sunday morning, we reached the bivouac of
our brigade, stacked arms, lay down tired enough, to get a
short sleep. Our total loss that night was somewhere about
twenty or thirty. Company I suffered the most severely,
losing about twelve.
I have been as minute as possible in describing this fight
because I believe that we saved the entire train from destruc
tion and kept the whole rebel force in check. Great credit is
due to Colonel Gordon, Colonel Andrews and Major Dwight ;
the latter especially displayed the most perfect bravery and
coolness. The men never obeyed better on drill or parade
than they did under the hottest fire ; they behaved splendidly
throughout the whole.
At daylight on Sunday, our cavalry picket was driven in
and soon afterwards the infantry; still no orders arrived as

Letters 61
to the disposition of our brigade. Finally, after the rebel
infantry began to deploy, Colonel Gordon would wait no
longer and ordered us into line. On the right, the Second
Massachusetts succeeded by the Wisconsin Third, Pennsyl
vania Twenty-ninth, Indiana Twenty-seventh, then came
Colonel Donnelly's brigade consisting of the Fifth Connecti
cut, Forty-sixth Pennsylvania, and Twenty-eighth New York.
In all, seven regiments not averaging six hundred men apiece.
We had three first-rate batteries, and one or two regiments of
cavalry that might just as well have been at home for all we
saw of them. We had no sooner taken arms and faced to the
right, than the infantry commenced firing. Not many of our
men were hit, and we moved steadily on till we reached our
appointed place. Meanwhile, the batteries on each side were
keeping up an incessant roar. We attacked the two regiments
opposite our position and drove them away. Two companies,
G and D, were then deployed as skirmishers to attack the
the battery in front of us ; their fire was so well directed that
the guns were abandoned by the gunners, but the rebel in
fantry pressed them (Companies D and G) so closely that
they were withdrawn by Colonel Andrews' order just as the
Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania and the Twenty-seventh Indiana
came up to their support. These latter fired a few volleys ;
then, as two rebel regiments came out of the woods, prepared
to charge them, but before they had fairly started, seven more
regiments emerged from the woods stretching almost down to
Winchester. The firing was then tremendous, and, I am
sorry to say, the Twenty-seventh Indiana broke and ran, every
man for himself. The Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania filed off in
good order at the double quick. Colonel Andrews gave the
order : " Attention ! battalion ! About face ! By company

62 Letters
right wheel ! " We marched away from the enemy in ordinary
time, company front, in the most perfect order. The rebels
instantly took our former position and commenced a pelting
fire ; they were within short range, yet almost all their shots
went over our heads, otherwise our regiment would have been
destroyed. It was cruel to see our poor fellows shot through
the back and pitch forward on to their faces, as we marched
down the hill. As soon as we reached the town, we took the
first street on our right hand, and there formed line. Then it
seemed to be first discovered how completely we were out
flanked and the strong probability that, in a few minutes,
their artillery would be posted in our rear, cutting off all
avenues of retreat.
We were then again faced to the left and, started on the
double quick through the town. Meanwhile, the enemy had
gained the Martinsburgh pike parallel to the street we were
on, and were pouring a heavy fire on us through the side
streets, and numbers of men fell dead here that can only be
accounted for as missing.
After getting out of town, they again began with their
artillery, throwing grape and canister. Here the retreat was
better organized ; the whole division formed into five parallel
columns, two or three hundred yards apart, all going on the
double quick. We continued this for a considerable distance
when, having passed all their flanking batteries, the lines
were closed in more to the centre, the artillery and cavalry
formed in the rear, and we went on in ordinary time. This
was the last I saw of any fighting, although there was a con
stant firing in the rear of us. We marched twenty-three
miles to Martinsburgh without a halt. There we rested for
about ten minutes, then marched on to the Potomac, thirteen

Letters 63

miles further. We brought up here between seven and eight
o'clock P. M., after twelve hours' incessant marching. From
twelve o'clock Saturday noon till seven o'clock Sunday night,
we had marched sixty miles,* been in two severe fights, had
only three hours' rest, and had scarcely a particle of food.
Our loss in the regiment, as well as it can be ascertained
to-day (Friday), is nineteen killed, forty-seven wounded,
eighty-three missing. None are considered killed unless they
were seen dead by some one. We were the last regiment
that left the field from the right/ flank, and the very last in
Winchester. I forgot to say that the United States store
houses were in flames as we passed by them, and the heat was
perfectly terrible. The loss in our company was eleven.
Monday morning at three o'clock, I was roused by the
Adjutant and ordered to report with Company B, together
with Companies A, K, and E, and two companies of the
Third Wisconsin, to Lieutenant Colonel Pinckney of the
Third Wisconsin, to act as rear guard and support to a sec
tion of Cathran's battery and some cavalry, while the wagon
train and troops crossed the river. We were in this respon
sible place till Wednesday night, when we were relieved. It
was a most anxious time, as the enemy, in what force we did
not know, were within a mile of us and we were receiving
constant alarms from our cavalry. . The first night, we kept
our men under arms all the time, tired as they were. How
ever, we got safely across Wednesday night, and I had the
pleasure of taking my shoes and clothes off and getting a
little quiet sleep for the first time since last Friday night.
* The actual distance from Strasburg to the Potomac is 54 miles, but
including countermarching and movements on the field, the total dis
tance marched was not much less than 60 miles.

64 Letters
Our greatest loss is the poor Major, but he may turn up
yet. The men think everything of him and speak constantly
of the "bully little Major." Captain Mudge is at Frederick,
shot through the leg. Lieutenant Crowninshield is at Wil-
liamsport, shot in the leg. tXT* tfir* t£r*
Camp neae Williamspoet, June 3, 1862.
Last night, as we officers were sitting around our tents
after supper, we suddenly heard a shout from the further side
of the camp of " Major ! the Major ! " which was instantly
taken up all over the field, followed by a rush of the men
towards the guard tent; we all followed, and, passing across
the lines, discovered the Major coming up the hill to camp, in
a little old wagon. I wish you could have heard the shout
the men set up when he fairly came in reach of them. They
finally made a rush at him ; it seemed as if they would tear
him to pieces in their eagerness to touch his hand or some
part of him ; every cap was off and every face was on the
broad grin. When he did get through the men, Colonel Gor
don got hold of him and shook his hands and hugged him in
the heartiest and most affectionate way ; so he was passed
along until all had given him a greeting.
After a short time spent in congratulations, Major Dwight
returned to the men, who had not yet dispersed and were
watching his every movement. He made a short speech, and
then proceeded to give an account of every man of the regi
ment who was killed, wounded, or a prisoner. He had
attended the burial, himself, of all of our dead, and had

Letters 65
visited the wounded, who were all doing well. He was able
to contradict entirely all stories of the rebel soldiers' cruel
ties ; they had not killed a single wounded man, but had
treated them kindly ; the citizens were much worse than the
soldiers. When he spoke of Company I and their large num
ber of killed and wounded, he said he could not help asking
for three cheers for their gallant conduct at the Kernstown
bridge on Saturday night ; they were given with a will.
The Major mentioned each of the wounded by name, and had
something pleasant to say about almost every one relating to
some little peculiarities, which the men understood.
After Major Dwight had finished, Colonel Gordon made a
few remarks, ending by calling for three cheers for the Major.
Three times three and a "tiger" were given, and the men
dispersed, happy as they could be. One of the pleasantest
things that has developed by our late action is the kindly
feeling shown by the men to the officers ; they have learned
their dependence on them, and have confidence now in their
pluck and willingness to share every danger with them.
We received a great deal of interesting information from
the Major, — none more so than this: Major Wheat, of a
Louisiana battalion, told Major Dwight that on Saturday
night their loss must have been ten to our one, and he wanted
to know what regiment it was that was ambuscaded all along
the road ; he said that after their cavalry had been driven
back, the Second and Fifth Virginia regiments had been
ordered to the front, and it was with them that we did most
of our fighting that night. Their loss was very heavy, in
cluding a number of officers.
Major Dwight was taken prisoner in Winchester ; he had
just helped a wounded man into a house and was surrounded

66 Letters
by rebel cavalry before he could get away. He surrendered
in the cool manner he does everything. He made friends
with everybody and succeeded in getting paroled ; he left this
morning for Washington with his brother, to try and effect
his exchange. Drs. Stone and Leland have both been uncon
ditionally released. L. is still at Winchester, taking care of
our wounded. The correct statement about our company is,
one killed, four wounded, and twelve prisoners. Jackson and
his army are disheartened ; they did not entertain a doubt but
that they would capture Banks and his division, bag and
baggage, and then make a foray into Maryland, but by good
luck, we got out of this scrape with pretty whole skins.
Captain Mudge is at Frederick ; his wound is very painful.
Crowinshield will be able to be moved in a few days and will
go home. Major Dwight saw over a hundred of their dead
buried Sunday.
I have just come in from a brigade review, almost melted ;
two mortal hours have we stood under a scorching sun, ready
to drop. (J* IgT* tS^
Camp neab Williamspoet, Md.,
June 5, 1862.
You see by my heading that we are still on the wrong side
of the river, but we shall be so for only a few days longer. I
will mention some of the narrow escapes that came under my
notice. Bob Shaw was struck by a minie ball, which passed
through his coat and vest and dented into his watch, a very
valuable gold one, shattering the works all to pieces, doing
him no damage with the exception of a slight bruise; the

Letters 67

watch saved his life ; he has sent it home. A private in our
company was struck in the forehead by a ball which cut a
groove right across it, doing no harm and making an honor
able scar. Another of our men was struck down in the street
at Winchester by one of Stuart's cavalry ; the sabre glanced
on his cap and inflicted only a slight wound in his head ; he
was passed over as dead by the cavalry ; he then quietly got
up and escaped through a side street and across to Harper's
Ferry. A corporal in my platoon, Saturday night, was raising
the rammer of his piece to " ram cartridge," when a ball came
between the fingers holding the rammer cutting into each.
You remember Sergeant Lundy of whom I sent home a
daguerreotype ; well, he was cut off from the regiment by
some cavalry, but managed to hide from them and get on
to the Harper's Ferry road. Soon after, he caught sight of
three of Ashby's men sitting by the side of the road; he got
close to them, then presented his piece and told them they
were his prisoners, and they were brought by Sergeant Lundy
to our camp, where they were delivered over to the Provost
Marshal. One of our privates named Fagan was shot through the
arm, and walked all the way to the Potomac that day ; he
is one of the best men in our company, only about eighteen
years old. Another, named Stevens, was struck in the back
by a piece of a shell, knocking him down, but only slightly
wounding him ; he got up with a smile on his face and was
making some joke about it when another ball passed through
First Sergeant Hatch's coat and into his hips, wounding him
severely ; he fell and I thought at the time he was killed,
but I know now he is safe in the Winchester hospital. There
were dozens more similar cases, but I have told enough to

68 Letters
show that bullets were pretty plenty that Saturday and Sun
day. The thing that strikes everybody most forcibly after
a battle is, how it can be possible for such a small proportion
of the bullets to produce any effect.
I suppose you have heard of Charley Horton's having his
horse shot under him. He was close by our company at the
time, the horse, a large gray one, was struck by two balls,
one passing through his head, the other through his body.
I am happy to say that Gordon is going to get a brigade
at last ; he deserves it more than any Colonel I know of.
This makes Captain Savage, Major ; George Bangs, Captain,
and me, Senior Lieutenant; and probably First Sergeant
Powers, of Company H, Second Lieutenant. I hope that
Gordon will get this brigade and Green will be transferred.
10r* t2P *£r*
Camp neae Newtown,
June 14, 1862.
After about eighteen days' absence, here we are back
again in Virginia, camped on the identical piece of ground
where the fight raged the fiercest on Saturday night, the 24th
of May. We crossed the Potomac the 10th, Tuesday, and
bivouacked on this side of the river; the next morning we
started early, six o'clock, and marched to Bunker Hill,
twenty-two miles, camping there that night; the next day
we marched twenty miles to this place. Our march through
Winchester was with closed ranks, band playing " John
Brown," " Yankee Doodle " and " Dixie," and our old Har
per's Ferry flag flying, almost torn to pieces by the bullets

Letters 69
of the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth. People scowled as
we marched through town.
As I said before, our camp is on the ground occupied by
us in the first skirmish of Saturday night, and what is a still
more striking coincidence, our mess tent is pitched on the
exact piece of ground that our skirmishers rallied on when
they poured in such a deadly fire to the rebel cavalry. The
last man of ours that was killed here was buried close by, by
a citizen. Yesterday afternoon, I rode back to Winchester
and over the battle field. The effects of the artillery were
still very apparent ; stone walls and fences knocked to pieces,
trees cut off, etc. Near where our right was, are three
graves of our men who were killed there.
I had a very pleasant visit to the hospital where our
wounded are ; they are mostly looking very well. It does
one good to see how they brighten up when one of their
officers comes into the room where they are. I believe I
spoke in one of my last letters about a private named Stevens,
in our company, whom I saw wounded, first by a piece of
shell, then by a bullet. The poor fellow is dead ; I could not
find out any particulars about him yesterday, only that he
died in hospital June 4th. He was a very good boy, not
more than eighteen years old ; he was one of the recruits that
joined us last fall ; he always did his duty faithfully, and was
a brave little fellow. It seems sadder about him because he
had an older brother in the company, who always took care of
him when anything was the matter. He has been very anx
ious since the fight, and now the first news he has received is
of his death. It is a severe shock, but he bears it bravely,
and says he feels happy that his brother never showed him
self a coward.

70 Letters
Camp neab Feont Royal,
June 19, 1862.
Yesterday we struck camp about eleven o'clock, and at
noon started off ; we marched about thirteen miles and camped
this side of the Shenandoah. To-day we are on picket on the
Middleton road, in quite a pleasant place.
t&& t&r* tE^t
Camp at Nineveh, neab Feont Royal,
June 24, 1862.
I don't think I have ever mentioned in any of my letters
anything about the Third Wisconsin regiment. We have
camped alongside of it now since the last of March. It is,
without exception, the best regiment we have ever seen, leav
ing out our own ; the men are in good discipline, and the
officers are gentlemen. For about a month, most of us of the
Second have boarded at their mess-table ; it is a very pleasant
one. Colonel Ruger sits at the head. He is one of the finest
gentlemen I know, a graduate of West Point. If we had a
few more such regiments as this, our army would be very dif
ferent from what it is now.
(^* Q^* ffr*
Camp neab Wabeenton, July 12, 1862.
Last Sunday our division broke camp, and after a tedious
day's march, accomplished only about five miles, the whole
day being used up getting the wagon train across the Shenan
doah. The weather was fearfully hot, equal to the famous

Letters 7i
eighth, last July. When we formed line before going into
camp, many men fell fainting in the ranks.
Monday, we made an early start, and crossed the Blue
Ridge through Chester Gap. The scenery was beautiful, but
the weather was fearful ; we camped for the night in a fine
wood near the village of Flint Hill. Next morning we went
on, five miles farther, to near Amesville. We stayed there
until yesterday, when* we marched to this camp, two miles
west of Warrenton. All along our route, the men have al
most subsisted on cherries and blackberries, both growing in
the greatest profusion here ; the men would fill their quart
dippers in less than ten minutes.
We have got into a new country in appearance; the
mountains have entirely disappeared and given place to
splendid, great rolling hills and valleys,. with beautiful woods
scattered over them. The views that you get in this State
are certainly wonderful in their extent. From the top of
a comparatively slight elevation you can see for a dis
tance of twenty miles all about you. I think that there is
to be a large army concentrated here, and that, then, we are
to move " On to Richmond," by the present indications ;
there is already considerable force here and it is increasing.
I rode into Warrenton yesterday with Bob Shaw and Dr.
Stone; we found the place a great improvement on most
southern towns. There are some very pretty houses and
well kept lawns and gardens in the vicinity. We took tea
at the "Warren Green Hotel," regaling ourselves on iced
milk and corn-bread, finishing the evening by smoking our
cigars on the piazza. Just as we were coming away, Charley
Horton arrived with his General ; it was a great mutual sur
prise to us and a very pleasant one. We have received orders

72 Letters
to-day to turn in all tents except a limited number for the
officers, to send away all trunks, each officer to keep only a
small valise and roll of blankets. Regiments, etc., are also
to keep constantly on hand ten days' rations, so you see we
are all ready for a long march ; don't care how soon it comes
if it carries us towards Richmond! I am acting Adjutant
for the present, but shall not be appointed, as Colonel
Andrews says the time will be too short before I get my
promotion, to make it worth while.
tfir* £/* VT*
Camp neab Washington, Va.,
July 18, 1862.
We are experiencing a long, severe rain storm, which is
attended with the usual discomforts in camp. With the men,
it is particularly hard, as they have now lost their comfort
able Sibley tents and have ' only small shelter tents in their
places, which afford them very little protection. Wednes
day, just at dinner, we received orders to march at once. We
were off in an hour's time on the back track towards Gaines'
Cross Roads. We went only a distance of five or six miles,
crossing Hedgeman's River; the rain poured most of the
time in torrents ; it cleared off at sunset and we had a beau
tiful rainbow. We were on the road the next morning by
five o'clock. The day was terribly hot and sultry, but at
noon the rain began again and fell by pitchers-full for several
hours. We marched fourteen or fifteen miles to Washing
ton, a small village on the Luray road. The fields by the
roadside were as usual filled with blackberries, and, as we
had frequent rests, every man had a share of the fruit.

Letters 73
The cause of our retrograde movement was this : General
Pope's adjutant general sent an order to General Banks to
take up a strong position with his corps near Warrenton;
instead of writing Warrenton, he should have written Wash
ington, so we had thirty-five miles' extra marching for nothing :
one man's mistake causing several thousand to swear and
wear out shoe-leather. We are encamped in line of battle,
the batteries all in position ; our line extends along a high
ridge for a little over a mile. We are near the centre, sup
porting Cathran's battery. Our camp is on the side of the
hill and commands a beautiful and very extensive view ; the
mountains are on every side, some close by, others blue and
misty in the distance. Right below us on the level is the
little village, quite a pretty one, almost hidden by trees. The
whole country half way up to the top of the mountain, is
covered by either wheat or fine woods, so that there are no
bare, unpleasant looking spots. Before camping, there was
directly behind our line a field of fifteen or twenty acres full
of wheat stacks ; an hour afterwards the field was there, but
every stack was gone and every man in the division had
a comfortable bed. Mr. Secesh was saved the trouble of
threshing his grain at the expense of a good many barrels
of flour. I suppose that you have heard that Captain Underwood
has been commissioned Major in the Thirty-third Massachu
setts. If this is so, there is speedy promotion ahead for a
certain first lieutenant. Don't address me yet as Captain of
Company I ; it might be embarrassing before I get my
commission. •p >p 3P

74 Letters

Camp neab Little Washington, Va.,
August 2, 1862.
While you were quietly enjoying this Sunday morning
among the mountains, our corps d'arme'e was out in a large
field being reviewed by our new commander, General John
Pope. The review passed off as most reviews generally do,
terribly tiresome and tedious to the officers and men engaged,
but rather a fine sight to outsiders. I was not much impressed
by the appearance of our new general, but shall keep my
mouth closed about him until he does something.
We have lately become acquainted with a new horror of
war. The other night, we were all awakened, about one
o'clock, by the most awful screams and groans, proceeding
from directly behind our tent. We all rushed out and found
Tom, Captain Williams' servant, apparently trying to tie
himself up in a knot, all the time holding on to his ear for
dear life, exclaiming, between his groans, " Oh ! take him
out ! take him out of my ear ! I shall go crazy ! " and such
like ejaculations. We found out at last that some kind of a
beast had crawled into his ear while he was asleep, and was
now working around near his tympanum, making him suffer
the most horrible pain, if we could judge by the noise he
made. The doctor came at last and took him to the hospital,
and by pouring oil into his ear, killed the bug ; he then gave
Tom some morphine to make him sleep. In the morning,
after a vigorous syringing into the afflicted ear, the animal
hove in sight and was removed by a pair of pincers. It proved
to be a hard, round pointed black beetle about three-quarters of
an inch long. We all now stop our ears with cotton wool

Letters 76
every night, not caring about having explorations made so
near our brains.
We had, this last week, besides other drills, two corps
d'arme'e drills and one brigade drill. Banks manoeuvered the
corps and did pretty well, except that he gave some rather
original orders. It was rather a fine sight to see the whole
corps formed in squares with the artillery in position, and to
add to the interest, a squadron of cavalry charged some of the
squares to try their steadiness ; they thundered down on our
regiment at full speed, not stopping until they fairly touched
the points of the bayonets, but they didn't stir one of our
men. The sight is really quite frightful, and it is easy to see
that if the charge is not broken by a good fire, that the in
fantry would have to go under, but we know by experience,
that the effect produced among the horses by the shots is very
great. General Gordon is fast making his brigade a fine one ;
it is now altogether the best in the corps.
t3^ t5^ t3^
On Picket neab Culpeppee,
August 13, 1862.
At last I believe I have a chance to write you an account
of our doings during the last few days, and to relieve all your
anxiety about myself. Last week Wednesday, our army corps
marched from Washington, making about fourteen miles
under a terribly hot sun ; the next day, we went on five miles
further to Hazel River. Friday night we made a moonlight
march to Culpepper. Saturday morning, we started away
again at ten o'clock towards the Rapidan River, leaving every-

76 Letters
thing behind us, knapsacks and all, taking only two days'
rations and plenty of ammunition.
We were ordered to the front to support General Craw
ford's brigade; following our brigade was General Augur's
division, consisting of two small brigades, the whole making
up Banks' army corps; we formed line of battle about six
miles from Culpepper in a very strong position, our brigade
on the right and Augur's division on the left. Nothing
occurred until about half-past three in the afternoon, when a
cannonading gradually began, increasing every minute until
our entire left became engaged. From our position, we could
see all that was taking place, and it was a sight that I shall
never forget, to see two lines of infantry gradually approach
each other across an almost level plain, both under a heavy
artillery fire. As they drew near enough, we could see them
exchange volley after volley of musketry; then everything
became enveloped in smoke and we could see only whether
our line advanced or retreated by watching the colors. It
was easy to see that the men were falling fast by the constant
lines of ambulances that we saw going and returning from
the field.
About five o'clock, Crawford's brigade moved up in front
of us and became engaged. The firing of musketry now be
came tremendous. We could see notliing of it in front on
account of an intervening hill. At about six o'clock, our
brigade (Second Massachusetts, Third Wisconsin, and Twenty-
seventh Indiana), was ordered up on the double quick to
relieve Crawford, his brigade having been literally cut to
pieces by the terrible fire of the rebels. After going about
a mile over the hardest kind of swampy and wooded ground,
we reached the edge of the woods and came under fire. We

Letters 77
marched steadily along, our whole flank being exposed, and
took a position behind a low rail fence, the men being ordered
to lie down. I will give you an idea of how things stood at
the time. General Augur's division had been obliged to fall
back to their original position and was now disengaged. Of
General Crawford's brigade which went into the fight two
thousand strong, twelve hundred had been killed, wounded or
taken prisoners; the* small remainder was rallying at some
distance from the field, so there was nothing left to fight the
rebels with but our three small regiments. Crawford met
with his great loss in charging across the open field lying
between the woods. General Gordon was ordered by Banks
to do the same thing with our brigade ; Gordon protested
against it as an impossibility without supports, anfli finally
gained his point.
At first, we sustained a fire from the rebels only in the
woods, which was not very severe, but soon the enemy made
their appearance in an oblique line and commenced a cross
fire which was perfectly fearful. The Twenty-seventh Indi
ana gave way almost at once ; the Third Wisconsin stood it
nobly and did not fall back until the enemy was almost in
their rear. In our regiment, not a shot was fired until Colonel
Andrews gave the order " Commence firing ! " which was not
until the rebels were within two or three hundred yards of
us. The effect was tremendous ; we actually tore great gaps
through their ranks, and their whole right was wavering; if
we could have had any support at that time, we might have
charged and driven their line like sheep, but that wasn't in
Banks' programme. Meanwhile, the roar of musketry was
perfectly deafening ; the noise of the bullets through the air
was like a gale of wind; our poor men were dropping on

78 Letters
every side, yet not one of them flinched but kept steadily at
his work.
Sergeant Willis of my company (I forgot to say I was in
command of Company I), who was acting first sergeant,
stood directly in front of me ; he received a ball in his head
and fell back into my arms saying, " Lieutenant, I'm killed ! "
and almost instantly died; he was a very handsome young
fellow, and as he expired his face had a beautifully calm
expression. I laid him down gently on the ground beside me
and had hardly done so, when one of my corporals named
Pierson, who was touching me on the left, was shot almost
in the same place, but not killed. It is impossible to relate
all the incidents that took place ; it seemed as if only a
miracle could save any one. I received two bullets through
my trousers, but wasn't scratched. Colonel Andrews was
splendid! He kept riding from one end of the line to the
other, giving his orders coolly, as if on drill ; his horse was
wounded twice.
I never was more surprised in my life than when I heard
the order to retreat. I did not know what had taken place
on our right, and could not understand what it was for. With
Lieutenant Abbott's assistance, I managed to help Lieutenant
Oakey off the field to the hospital ; he was quite severely
wounded. Our regiment formed behind the hospital, about
a quarter of a mile from the field, the rest of the brigade join
ing us. It was not until I saw the regiment in line that I
began to appreciate our loss. Major Savage had been left
severely wounded on the field ; Captain Abbott, dead ; Cap
tains Carey, Goodwin, Williams and Quincy, Lieutenants
Perkins and Miller, wounded and left behind; Lieutenants
Robeson, Grafton, Oakey, Browning and Surgeon Leland,

Letters 79
wounded and brought off, and Captain Russell missing, and
our regimental line was not more than half its usual length.
The only officers left were Andrews, Adjutant Shelton, Cap
tain Bangs, Lieutenants Pattison, Choate, Fox, Abbott and
myself. Our colors, those which the Boston ladies gave us,
had five bullet holes through them ; the eagle was shot off
and the staff was shot through by a minie ball, splintering
it into two pieces ; our color-bearer, Sergeant George, brought
off the whole of it. This is the second flag we have had hon
orably used up in battle.
Soon after forming our second line, I was detailed by the
Colonel to go to the hospital to take charge of sending off
the wounded. A house with quite a large yard had been
taken for hospital use ; the scene in and about it was very
painful. Soldiers lying in all directions, with every variety
of wounds. I took hold and worked hard, loading the ambu
lances, for about an hour, when our regiment moved and I
was ordered to join it.
Our brigade now took up a position on the left of the
line of battle, to do picket duty, Ricketts' division being
on the right. Our sentinels were close to the rebels and
we had continual skirmishes throughout the night. We
had one man killed, and took several of the rebel cavalry
prisoners. Once the enemy crept down on us, as they did
that night at Newtown, and poured a volley over us, which,
luckily, was too high and did no harm. Morning came at
last, after, to tell the truth, a pretty nervous, disagreea.ble
night. Daylight showed us that large reinforcements had
arrived and that we were now in a condition to fight, but the
day wore on, still no attack was made by the enemy. Banks'
division was in reserve.

80 Letters
The battle I do not consider a victory to either side ;
we held our original position and they theirs, the ground
between being neutral. Our brigade was withdrawn from
the field about noon and bivouacked in a wood near by.
I was sent into Culpepper on official business for Colonel
Andrews. The town seemed to be one great hospital,
every hotel and private house, almost, being used for that
purpose. I saw Robeson, Grafton, Oakey and Browning ;
they were all suffering considerably from want of atten
tion; the first is wounded in the wrist, the second in the
forehead, the third in the hip, and last in the thigh, a very
severe, dangerous wound. I got back to camp early in the
evening. Soon after, Lieutenant Abbott, Mr. Quint and a
burial party, left for the battle field to perform the last
duties for our poor men. Abbott returned early in the
morning and brought the shocking and sad intelligence that
Captains Abbott, Carey, Goodwin and Williams and Lieu
tenant Perkins, were lying dead on the field, and that a
number of our wounded were still there. I was sent right
off with all our ambulances to the field. The scene there
was too awful to attempt to describe ; very few of the dead
had been buried, and they were lying thick in every direc
tion. Captain Carey had lived nearly twenty-four hours and
looked as natural as if alive.
I had the bodies of all the officers put into the ambulances
and sent them back to the regiment ; the wounded also were
all cared for. I then went over to the rebel lines with Bob
Shaw, under a flag of truce, to see what could be heard of
Harry Russell, the Major, Captain Quincy and Lieutenant
Miller. We met some very pleasant rebel officers who were
very gentlemanly and kind, and found out from them and

Letters 81
some other sources, that Russell was unhurt and a prisoner,
Quincy and Miller wounded and prisoners; we managed to
get some money to Savage and Russell.
Our loss, as it stood yesterday morning, was as follows : —
5 Commissioned officers killed, 8 wounded, 1 prisoner.
25 Enlisted men killed, 97 " 38 missing.
30 killed, 105 " 34 " Total 169.*
We carried into action twenty-two commissioned officers
and four hundred and seventy-four enlisted men, a little more
than one out of three meeting with some casualty. In Com
pany I, there are, one sergeant killed, one sergeant wounded,
one corporal wounded, nine privates wounded, and one miss
ing. Yesterday afternoon, Banks' army corps moved back
to Culpepper to reorganize. I was sent out on picket imme
diately after arriving last night, and am taking the oppor
tunity to write this long letter. I have not had my clothes
off since last Thursday night, so you can imagine I am not
very pretty to look at. I am a full-fledged Captain now, and
have got my commission. I shall be assigned to Company B,
if possible. Poor Captain Williams ! I saw him standing perfectly
erect only a few minutes before he was shot, and ran over
and spoke to him. His was the next company to mine. He
will be a great loss to us all. <P* <3^ tuM
Neab Culpeppeb, Va., August 19, 1862.
Yesterday afternoon came orders to our corps, direct
ing wagons to be instantly packed and sent to the rear, and
* The actual loss was 58 killed and mortally wounded, 101 wounded,
15 prisoners not wounded. Total loss 174.

82 Letters
our men to be provided with three days' rations, and to be
ready to march at a minute's notice. We were bereft of our
tent and all other luxuries, but no movement commenced
until about half-past eleven P. M., when we started and
marched about a mile, then halted and are still halting, for
what purpose Pope only knows. Last night, for the weather
was fearfully cold, we kept as close around the fires as we
would in winter. I have just had some bread and butter and
peaches for breakfast, and am now enjoying a good cigar, so
I shall be fortified against whatever may turn up to-day.
From what I can learn, this is the nature of our movement:
Pope has found that his army is not quite large enough to
take Richmond, and is going to let the enemy once see his
"back," and find out that a "line of retreat" may be very
useful by falling back as far as Warrenton and concentrat
ing with McClellan.
Orders to "fall in" and "march."
t£r* W^ l2r*
Resting near Bull Run,
August 29, 1862.
I resume my narrative again like a shipwrecked mariner,
hoping at some distant day I may be able to send it to you.
Since the twenty-first, we have been marching and counter
marching, manoeuvering and skirmishing, almost constantly,
in all that time not having quarter rations or more than one
or two whole nights' sleep. We have really suffered hard
ships, now, for the first time ; we have known what it is to
be grateful for a drink of the muddiest of water and for a
half of a hard cracker and an ear of corn or a green apple for

Letters 83
dinner, and to be able to lie down and get two hours' quiet
sleep. Last night, I took off my shoes, washed myself and
got a whole night's sleep for the first time in ten days ; this
morning, I had a beefsteak, a cup of coffee and a piece of
hard bread for breakfast ; I feel now like starting again, and
shall probably be gratified before long.
For six or seven days, we skirmished along the Rappa
hannock, moving constantly from one point to another of the
river, generally marching in the early part of the night,
stacking arms at eleven or twelve o'clock, and lying down
on the ground until daylight to catch a little sleep, half the
time not being able to take our blankets from our horses
for fear of a sudden move. At daylight, cannonading gen
erally began, either by our batteries or others along the
river. One morning, we had a pretty lively time; our bat
tery (Cathran's First New York), became engaged with two
rebel batteries and, for an hour, we saw and heard the
smartest artillery fighting we have heard yet. At the end
of that time, the two rebel batteries were silenced and with
drawn; four of our Parrotts were burned out and rendered
unserviceable, and a number of horses and mules, and one
man, killed. The solid shot and shell came tearing through.
the woods where we were supporting the guns, in great
style, .making the branches fly ; one tree was cut down close
to where Colonel Andrews was. Fortunately, none of us
were hit, though the noise of the shot and shell was terrific.
Day before yesterday, our army was withdrawn from the
river on account of a movement of the enemy to our rear.
We reached this place last night, after two days' toiling
along after Sigel's wagon train, over the dustiest of roads,
under the hottest of hot suns. Two days ago, a battle was

84 Letters

fought near here, in which we were victorious ; the graves of
some thirty of each side are in the field ; this is all we know
of the fight.
Last night a fight* began which is still going on, four or
five miles north of us, where the enemy seems to be in force.
Everything seems to be upside down and wrong end to. I
have not heard a man yet wild enough to suggest how it is
all going to end. The enemy are certainly using the most
desperate measures to capture Washington and invade Mary
land ; they may be successful, but I trust not. The whole of
McClellan's and Pope's army is near by somewhere, and there
are large reinforcements around Washington. We don't feel
very anxious now, except about our next meal. Somehow or
other, officers and men seem to keep up their spirits wonder
fully through all these hard times, and I hope will continue
to, as there is nothing I can see now to change the times.
Hogan and the mare are safe and perfectly invaluable in this
emergency. Rumors come to us now that Jackson is at Cen
treville with his whole army. 9£r* t£r* t£r*
Bivouac between
Centreville and Bull Run,
September 1, 1862.
We have been moving around for the last two days in
about the same style as heretofore. Yesterday morning, we
were routed out early and marched, by a very wide detour,
thirteen miles to this place, the enemy having pushed a large
force between us and our main body. We were fortunate to
* Second battle of Bull Run.

Letters 85
get off as safely as we did, as the enemy came into our old
camp as the rear of our column moved out of it. We had to
destroy a railroad train nearly a mile long, to prevent its fall
ing into their hands. There was any quantity of clothing,
hospital stores and nice things furnished by the Sanitary
Commission, on board ; all these were burned. I can't learn
anything about what has taken place the last few days ; I
only know we have been fighting severely. I judge, by our
movements, that our left has been driven back. We have
passed over two battle-fields in our marches; one of them
covered some of the old Bull Run ground. We passed yes
terday some of the winter quarters of the rebels. Their
houses looked very comfortable, but of all dreary places on
the face of the globe, I cannot imagine a drearier one than
the Plain of Manassas. For miles and miles, almost to the
Rappahannock, these great rolling plains extend, some times
covered with woods, but mostly with high, coarse weeds and
rank grass. There is very little population, only a house
here and there at intervals of a mile or more.
t&* <5^ t&t
Near Dabnestown, September 10, 1862.
I have time to write a word to say that I'm safe and well.
We are on the move all the time and have not had a real rest
yet. I have been considerably used up with fatigue, but am
feeling better now. We are with Sumner's corps and have
been beside the Twentieth Massachusetts several days. I
expect we shall see some some fighting in a day or two. We
move toward Frederick in about half an hour.

86 Letters
Maeyland Heights, September 21, 1862.
To go back a little; last Sunday, we marched through
Frederick, almost the last corps of McClellan's army. We
marched to the sound of the cannon to Middletown Heights,
reaching the latter place about half-past one Monday morn
ing, after the battle had been fought and won by our men.
We lay down on the ground and slept till daylight.
Monday we marched to within about five miles of Sharps-
burgh. Tuesday we united our corps to the main army. A
battle was expected that day, but nothing took place beyond
a little shelling. We were aroused that night at ten o'clock
and marched to our position on line, reaching it between
one and two A. M. We were just behind Hooker's division.
There was continual picket firing throughout the night.
I awoke at daylight with the full conviction that we were
going to fight a battle that day. The first thing to do, of
course, was to eat a good breakfast, which I fortunately had
with me. I had scarcely finished before the cannonading
began, followed quickly by heavy musketry volleys. We
got under arms at once and our corps marched forward. We
halted just before reaching the field, while our gallant gen
eral, Mansfield, gave the orders for our disposition. He was
a splendid old veteran ; fine white hair and beard. He had
commanded us for three days only, but we all felt his good
influence. The poor man received his mortal wound before
we had been under fire five minutes. •
Our brigade moved up into an apple orchard ; we had the
right. The Third Wisconsin was engaged first, receiving a
tremendous fire; we were quite well protected. Captain
Mudge was slightly wounded, and about a half a dozen men.

Letters 87
Our regiment was now called upon to support the Third
Wisconsin. We formed a line almost at right angles with
theirs, and poured a heavy cross-fire on the rebels, who
were in a cornfield not a hundred yards off ; this continued
about ten minutes, when the rebel line broke, turned and
ran. Our brigade now advanced with a tremendous cheer;
the whole field before us was literally covered with dead and
dying ; we took a number of prisoners from the rebels and
the battle flag of the Eleventh Mississippi. We advanced in
line for several hundred yards, then halted ; our part of the
work had been done for the present.
It was sad, now, to look around and see the shattered
battalions that were left in the places of the comparatively
full regiments we had seen an hour before. The Third Wis
consin had lost more than half its numbers, and almost all
its officers ; it was very much the same with the Forty-sixth
Pennsylvania. Our loss had been very small, though I think
our fire was altogether the most effective of any regiment.
Colonel Dwight caught up our rebel flag and rode by our
line, waving it triumphantly; every cap went off and a
cheer went up that you must almost have heard at Jamaica
Plain. It was one of our poor Lieutenant-Colonel's last gal
lant acts, and I don't believe many who saw him will ever
forget it.
All of a sudden, Sumner's whole corps came up behind
us ; we gave them a cheer as they passed by. They were in
three lines and looked splendidly. They advanced into a
wood and were met by an awful fire ; they returned it gal
lantly, but were unequal to their task and were obliged to
give way to the right a little, leaving the woods to the
enemy. All this time we were lying down flat under a

88 Letters
heavy fire of solid shot and shell, which tore the ground up
around us, but as usual did no harm.
Now came our turn again ; Gordon's brigade was ordered
to attack the woods on the right. We crossed a high rail
fence into a lane* and ensconced ourselves behind the fence
on the other side within fifty yards of the woods ; we had on
our right and left two new regiments. We had hardly taken
our position when the rebel line came out of the woods, so
near you could distinguish the features of the men. We gave
them a volley which sent them back in quick time under
cover of a natural breastwork they had there ; then, without
any cause, the new regiments bolted, officers [Sept. 22, 1862,
The first sheet was written on picket: I was suddenly re
lieved and am now in camp in Pleasant Valley] and men,
and we were left alone. We stood it for about ten minutes,
losing a third of our men and several officers, when the order
was reluctantly given to fall back. This we did in good
order (though it was hard work getting over that high fence
in our rear, with much appearance of dignity), for about a
hundred yards, when the regiment was halted; then ranks
closed up and again made ready for attack or defence.
Now, too, it was sad to look at our thinned ranks ; I
found I had lost two men killed and five wounded ; many of
the companies had suffered more severely, but our greatest
loss was Colonel Dwight. I saw his horse shot, and saw him
dismount and try and hold his horse by the head, but the
animal struggled so violently that he broke away; almost
immediately afterward, Colonel Dwight received his death
wound. He was within six feet of Colonel Andrews at the
* The Hagerstown turnpike, which is quite narrow at this place.

Letters 89
time, and as he was struck and sank to the ground, said,
" That's done for me." As soon as our regiment halted, four
men immediately volunteered to bring him in; this they suc
ceeded in doing, though all the time under a heavy fire. He
was carried to a farmer's house, but lived only about thirty-
six hours. Lieutenant Mills, acting Adjutant, was badly shot
through both legs ; Crowninshield received a flesh wound
in the leg. Captain Francis was shot through the hand and
lost two fingers. Colonel Andrews' horse was shot through
the shoulder. Captain Shaw was struck by a spent ball in
the neck; Robeson was grazed in two places; I was struck
by a spent ball in the temple, which laid me on my back for
a moment and raised a pretty black and blue spot ; I thought
at first it was all up with me, but I soon got the better of that
idea. We carried into action less than two hundred and
forty men and lost about eighty killed and wounded.* Dur
ing the rest of tbe battle, we were on different parts of the
field supporting batteries. We lay down that night about
ten o'clock, glad enough to get a little rest. The dead and
dying were all around us and in our very midst.
At the first streak of daylight, I awoke ; the first sight I
saw was a squad of wounded rebels coming into our lines ;
you can't imagine such miserable looking objects as they
were ; their wounds undressed, and bleeding, and their clothes
torn in tatters. I found that Bob Shaw and I had slept
within fifty feet of a pile of fourteen dead rebels, and in
every direction about us they were lying thick.
One of the most brilliant actions of the day was a charge
of Smith's division ; they passed our left and swept the rebels
* Actual loss 18 killed and mortally wounded, 54 wounded. Total
loss, 72.

90 Letters
from their front like chaff. Our artillery was splendidly
served and did great execution. Everywhere the rebels
fought with desperation. Rebel prisoners stated that their
army numbered over one hundred thousand, and that they
expected to win the day and annihilate our army and have an
open road to the North. Friday morning, we had been rein
forced by at least thirty thousand men, and McClellan moved
his whole army forward, but the rebels had gone, leaving
dead and wounded on the field uncared for ; the sight every
where was dreadful, and one that I hope you may never see
the like of ; it cannot be imagined or described.
Our corps marched until two o'clock Saturday morning,
over the roughest of roads and through the darkest of nights,
reaching the summit of Maryland Heights ridge about ten
miles from Sandy Hook; here we lay down till daylight,
then marched along the ridge over rocks and stumps to Mary
land Heights. Our old crowd had a nice dinner at Mrs.
Buckles' ; it was very pleasant. I was sent out upon our old
camping ground with my company to do picket duty. Here
I stayed until Sunday evening, when I was relieved and
marched my company down a breakneck road to the regi
ment which was bivouacking in Pleasant Valley. I arrived
about nine P. M., and lay down and slept under a blanket
for the first time for a week. It was luxury enough, though
there was nothing overhead but blue sky.
To-day we pitched camp and began our work with com
pany books and papers, thinking at last we were going to
rest ; but to-night our hopes are dashed by an order saying,
" Reveille at four o'clock ; march at daylight." I am now
sitting up to finish this letter, because if we move as we have
been moving, it is actually impossible to write.

Letters 91

Maeyland Heights, September 26, 1862.
In my last letter, I wrote that we had orders to march
the next morning. Our whole corps was routed out before
daylight; our division, under command of General Gordon,
marched to Maryland Heights, our brigade occupying our old
last year's camping ground. Green's division crossed the
Potomac and now occupies London Heights, the other side
of the Shenandoah. Sumner's corps is encamped on Bolivar
Heights. I think at last we are going to have a little rest ;
I can't tell. Everything seems about as it did last year up
here ; we have as splendid views and fine sunsets as ever.
We have been very busy making up our pay rolls for the
last two days. They are now a month behind time ; there
is any quantity of other papers which have been accumulat
ing for the last six weeks, which will keep us hard at work
for a week at least. «
One of the men of my company killed at Sharpsburgh,
the other day, lived in Brookline, and had been out here
only about six weeks ; his name was Thomas Dillon, and he
was a good, faithful fellow. He was buried by two men in
my company who volunteered to do it. A letter came for him
two days after his death, which I think, under the circum
stances, was one of the most affecting things I ever read, and
yet it is only one instance among thousands. I do not know
of anything that has brought the horrors of the war more
plainly before me than this letter. I have written to the
father of Dillon, telling him of his son's death.
You remember, don't you, of my speaking of a young boy
named Stephens, who was killed at Winchester ; his brother
was wounded at Cedar Mountain, and has since died ; they

92 Letters
were their poor father's and mother's only sons ; it is one of
the hardest cases I have known.
I have talked with a number of the rebel prisoners. You
have no idea what innocent, inoffensive men most of them seem
to be ; a great many are mere boys ; there are some old men,
too, with humped backs. Scarcely any of them seem to have
any idea of what they are fighting for, and they were almost
all forced into the army. I talked with one poor little fellow
from Georgia who had received a severe wound ; he could not
have been more than sixteen years old. He said that all he
wanted was to get into one of the hospitals at the North ; that
he had been abused and knocked around ever since he had been
in the army, and that the first kind treatment he had received
and the first kind words he had heard were from our men.
He expected to be bayoneted as soon as we came up. The
more I see of battle fields convinces me that instances of
cruelty to the wounded are extremely rare, and that they are
treated, almost universally, with kindness by the men of both
sides. When we crossed the field, we drove the rebels
from where their wounded were lying everywhere; but our
men took the greatest pains not to touch them or hurt them
in any way, although sometimes it was almost impossible to
avoid it. And when we halted, the men gave almost every
drop from their canteens to the poor rebels. The idea that a
soldier could ever bring himself to bayoneting a wounded
man, strikes me now as almost absurd ; it may have been done
during this war, but I don't believe it.
Our wounded at Cedar Mountain were treated with the
greatest kindness by the rebels; they gave them plenty of
water and built shelters to protect them from the sun in many
cases. This making out the Southerners to be a lot of cut

Letters 93
throats is perfect nonsense ; their leaders give a great many
harsh orders, but the soldiers are not responsible for them.
I wonder if R. knows that his class-mate and friend, Breck
Parkman, was killed at the battle of Sharpsburgh, the other
day. He was on some general's staff and was probably killed
by the fire of our brigade. Charley Horton saw a rebel
surgeon who told him of it.
I believe that we are in quite a permanent camp now. It
must be so, I think, for the whole army has endured a hard
campaign of six months and must have rest; neither men
nor horses can hold out forever. Then we have our recruits
to make soldiers of, and the new regiments need any amount
of drill. But there is another thing also true, that we have
only got two months more in which any work can be done
before we go into winter quarters.
The best news that we have heard lately is that Harry
Russell is at liberty and exchanged ; we hope soon to have
him back here with us. There is no one I feel more pity
for than Major Savage; we heard that he had lost a leg
and would probably lose one arm; I don't believe he can
live through it. He is one of the finest men I ever knew ;
nothing coarse or rough about him. He had a very delicate
constitution, but was so plucky that he would do his work
when a great many in his situation would have been on the
sick list. He was one of my intimate friends, and had been
particularly so during the last few months before Cedar
Mountain. Captain Quincy is at last heard from, it seems, badly
wounded and a prisoner at Staunton. I doubt whether he or
Major Savage ever will rejoin the regiment again to do duty
with it; if that is the case, Captain Cogswell will become

94 Letters
Lieutenant-Colonel, and Mudge will be Major. I shall be
third Captain and shall have the colors. No one in our reg
iment can complain that he has not had promotion enough
to satisfy him during the last few months. You will be
pleased, I think, to know that a few of us have now got a
first-rate " mess " in working order. It consists of Bob Shaw,
Lieutenants Oakey, John Fox, Tom Fox, Abbott and myself.
We have a really good cook, who can make good coffee, cook
eggs in any way very nicely, and also make pies and pud
dings ; to roast and broil or stew is child's play to him, and
although our cooking materials are of the most limited de
scription, we have not, since we have been this side of the
Potomac, had a poor meal.
We found it, in our last campaign, to be an unmistakable
fact, that a horse couldn't stand as much marching as a man ;
it got to be a common remark among the men on our march
from Culpepper here, as we passed the dead or dying animals
which had been abandoned, " There, we've killed one more
horse ; bring on some fresh ones, we're good for a few more
yet." 1&* 10T* Q&^
Maeyland Heights, September 29, 1862.
I rode over to Harper's Ferry, yesterday afternoon, with
Bob Shaw and Charley Whittier (the latter you remember
of the Twentieth ; he is now on General Sedgwick's staff).
We went to Colonel Lee's headquarters and to the Twen
tieth regiment. I saw John Ropes's brother ; he is now Act
ing Assistant Adjutant-General to Colonel Lee who is com
manding Dana's brigade.

Letters 95
There is a rumor that Andrews is going to be made Brig
adier-General ; it would be hard for us, but he deserves it.
Igjt 9£T* Wr*
Maeyland Heights, September 30, 1862.
We have received, to-day, pretty conclusive evidence of
the death of Major S%vage ; we have also heard that Quincy's
chance for life is very slim. Hasn't the mortality among our
old officers been dreadful ? I cannot bear to think of it. If
we lose Colonel Andrews, there will be very little left of the
old Second.
To-morrow I go up on the mountain in charge of a large
fatigue party to fell timber. I imagine there is going to be
another fort built there. <^* G&* $0^*
Maryland Heights, October 6, 1862.
Everything continues quiet with us. We have a nice
camp and are beginning to make ourselves comfortable. I
have a floor in my tent and a patent bedstead of Hogan's
invention. Our mess gets on finely ; we have plenty to eat
and very good too. I know you will be pleased to feel that I
am no longer in danger of starvation. You'd hardly believe
we had suffered any hardships lately, to see us after dinner or
supper, sitting or lying around my tent, enjoying our pipes
and cigars, reading the papers or having a quiet discussion on
some subject.
Last week, we had a visit from President Lincoln, accom
panied by Generals Sumner and Howard and a large staff of
other officers. He reviewed our regiment briefly, we receiv-

96 Letters
ing him with the customary honors. General Sumner paid
our regiment the handsomest compliment that I have heard
come from any officer of high rank. He said, in our hearing,
to the President, " This is the Second Massachusetts Regi
ment, the first regiment that volunteered for the war. I have
it on good authority, General Sedgwick, that it is the best
regiment in the service."
Such praise as this, coming from the source it does, is very
pleasing. After the review, I was detailed (I suppose from
my knowledge of the mountain paths and the fact that I had
a horse), to guide the party to the summit of the Maryland
Heights. I showed the way until we got to a path where it
was right straight up, when Abraham backed out. I think
it must have reminded him of a little story about a very steep
place; at any rate, around they turned and went down the
mountain. I gave " Uncle Abe " a few parting words of
advice with regard to the general management of things, bade
them farewell, and went back to camp.
I am afraid we have lost Colonel Andrews; he was de
tailed day before yesterday, to take command of a brigade
of four new regiments ; this is probably but an intermediate
step before being commissioned Brigadier. Captain Cogswell
is now in command; if neither Major Savage nor Captain
Quincy ever come back, he will be Colonel, making Mudge
Lieutenant-Colonel, and Russell, Major, and me second Cap
tain, Curtis' old place on the left of the line.
Has the death of Major Sedgwick been spoken of in any
of the Boston papers ? You remember he was formerly a first
Lieutenant in our regiment ; he left us last autumn to go to
his cousin's, General Sedgwick's, staff, where he was made
Assistant Adjutant General and promoted to be Major. We

Letters 97

have seen a good deal of him since we left Washington. He
was one of the most interesting men in conversation I ever
knew, full of stories and experiences of the Peninsular cam
paign, in which he took an active part, having been present
at most of the principal battles. The night before Antietam,
he was around at our bivouac. We were discussing the prob
abilities as to when Richmond would be taken ; I made him a
bet of a basket of champagne that it wouldn't be taken the
. 1st of January, 1863. This wager he accepted and registered
in my pocket book and signed his name to it. The next
day was the battle. General Sedgwick went into it with his
division in Sumner's corps; Major Sedgwick received his
wound in that terrible wood where our right wing suffered
its heaviest loss. The bullet went through his body, grazing
his backbone, instantly paralyzing the whole lower parts. He
remained on the field two or three hours perfectly conscious,
though suffering the worst pain. During this time he wrote
several pages in his book, requests, etc. He was removed
to Frederick, Maryland, where he died two or three days ago.
He was only one among many, but he was one of the origi
nal " Second," and a man I always liked very much.
I believe I have not told you about our old flag. Ser
geant Lundy is color-bearer now (the old Crimean soldier of
whom I sent the daguerreotype) ; he's a splendid fellow and
plucky as can be ; all through the action, he kept the flag up
at full height, waving it to and fro. Well, on examination
of it after the fight was over, we found twenty new bullet
holes through the colors and three through the staff. The
socket in which the butt rested was shot away close to the
Sergeant's belt. Our old staff was shot in two at Cedar
Mountain, and is now at home being mended. While I think

98 Letters

of it, I must tell you of one most singular incident that hap
pened the day of the battle. As we were advancing over one
part of the field, which was pretty thickly covered by our
dead and wounded, a man of Company F, Captain Mudge's
company, suddenly came upon the dead body of his father,
who was in the Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment and had
been killed early in the day. It was a terrible meeting for
father and son ; they had not seen each other for over a year.
The next day the son got permission to bury his father in a
decent manner and put a head-board at his grave.
Have you made up your mind about the Emancipation
Proclamation? At first, I was disposed to think that no
change would be produced by it, but now, I believe its effect
will be good. It is going to set us straight with foreign
nations. It gives us a decided policy, and though the Presi
dent carefully calls it nothing but a war measure, yet it is
the beginning of a great reform and the first blow struck at
the real, original cause of the war. No foreign nation can
now support the South without openly countenancing slav
ery. The London- Times, no doubt, will try to make out
slavery a Divine Institution, but its influence does not
extend everywhere. I think the course of that paper, since
this war began, has been more outrageous than anything I
ever knew of; you wouldn't think any paper could be so
base as to say, as it has just said, that the President's Proc
lamation was published to produce a servile insurrection. It
may have the effect to cause disturbances among the troops
from the extreme Southern States, who will think, perhaps,
that their presence is needed more at home than up in Vir
ginia. There is no mistake about it, if the fact becomes gen
erally known among the slaves of the South that they are

Letters 99
free as soon as within our lines, there will be a much more
general movement among them than there has been before.
It is evident that Jeff Davis is frightened by it, to judge by
the fearful threats of retaliation he is making.
Yesterday, Bob Shaw and I took a fine horseback ride of
about twenty miles, visiting the vicinity of Antietam. Most
of McClellan's army is encamped near there. We expected
to find the First Massachusetts Cavalry, but they had moved
up the river to Williamsport. My horse is in fine condition,
now ; she seemed to enjoy the exercise yesterday as much as
I did. t^* i&* ifr?
Maryland Heights, October 20, 1862.
To-night I am all alone and naturally feel a little blue,
so my letter may not be very cheerful. Bob Shaw is on
picket ; so is Captain Robeson ; Tom Fox is sick with a light
fever down in Sandy Hook, and his brother has gone down
to see him ; my tent, therefore, is deserted. To-day I have
been out again with one hundred axe-men ; it is an interest
ing sight to see so many men at work at once felling trees ;
we began our labor at the bottom of a ravine and worked up
a steep hill. Sometimes there would be as many as twenty
or thirty fine trees falling at once ; they reminded me of men
falling in battle, that same dead, helpless fall. The effect
was still stronger from the fact that the choppers were almost
always concealed by underbrush. I very nearly lost one of
my men in an accident to-day. He had just given the coup
de grdce to a large, heavy ash tree, and had cleared himself
from the fall of it, when another tree falling from above,
struck it, changing the direction of the fall of the first and

100 Letters
bringing it down with trememdous force where the man was
standing. He attempted to dodge, but had not time and was
thrown to the ground. I was near by, and ran up to him. I
found him perfectly senseless, and I thought, at the time,
dying. He proved to be a man of my company named
Conlan, one of my very best soldiers, the only one that I
mentioned as having distinguished himself by bravery at the
battle of Antietam. I had him moved to a comfortable place
and sent for our surgeon and a stretcher. After lying insen
sible for about half an hour, he came to himself for a little
and was moved to our hospital. I was much relieved by Dr.
Stone's telling me that there were no bones broken ; his
shoulders and back were terribly bruised, though, and it will
be a long time before he gets about again.
Major Higginson of the First Massachusetts Cavalry made
us a passing call the other day, on his way to Washington,
arriving last Friday night about ten o'clock and taking break
fast with us and spending the forenoon Saturday ; he gave
us all the latest news of our friends in his regiment. They
are having considerable work to do now, scouting about over
the country. I had one of the pleasantest times, Sunday,
that I've had for some time ; after inspection, Shaw and I
mounted our steeds and rode off into Pleasant Valley. The
road was very pleasant and the day beautiful, a genuine
October one, with a hot sun but a bracing air. The country
is looking its best now, though the trees don't change here
as they do around home. Yet there was some bright color on
the sides of the mountains. We made our first call on Cap
tain Charles Lowell at General McClellan's headquarters.
We found Major Higginson there, and a Mr. Bancroft of
Boston, who is visiting his friends in the army. After spend-

Letters 101

ing an hour very pleasantly there, we proceeded to accept an
invitation we had received a few days before, to take dinner
with a friend of ours, Johnny Hayden, of Captain Edwards'
battery, Third United States Artillery. We met some pleas
ant, jolly officers there, who had been all through the Penin
sular campaign. Of course, there were plenty of yarns told
on both sides, and experiences compared. We had a nice
dinner and rode back' to camp at sunset satisfied that we had
had a thoroughly good time.
Days like these are like oases in our ordinary dull routine,
and they come rarely enough to be enjoyed.
So many of our officers are sick, absent or on some extra
duty, that there are only about seven of us in the line left
to do all picket and fatigue duty, bringing each one of us
on once in three or four days. There are at least two hun
dred men detailed from our regiment every day now for
guards, or other purposes. t&t t£& t£^
Camp neab Sharpsburgh, Md.,
November 2, 1862.
You see at once that our position is changed, although we
are still on the Maryland side of the river. The orders we
received at the time of my last letter were countermanded
the next day, and another corps was sent across the river.
Everything remained as usual for several days ; Wednesday,
I was sent on picket with my company up the canal to guard
a length of three miles of the river. It was a beautiful Octo
ber day, and I enjoyed the scenery along the Potomac very
much ; the trees on both sides were very brilliant. If it had

102 Letters
not been for the existing animosity between us and our
Southern brethren, I could have had some capital shooting,
as the river was full of ducks.
About eight o'clock, P. M., the field officer of the day
paid me a visit and informed me that I was instantly to draw
in my men ; that our brigade had received marching orders
and probably had already started. This was interesting, but
no time was to be lost. It was after nine when I left my
post, and after ten when I reached the old camp ground.
The regiment was gone, but one of the surgeons who was
left with the hospital told me that the brigade had moved
towards Sharpsburgh about two hours before. I was relieved
at once by this information, for I knew I could find them
there. After a little deliberation, I made up my mind that
it was best to spend the night where I was. The men found
no difficulty in making themselves tolerably comfortable in
the skeletons of their old houses with the aid of good fires.
I borrowed a blanket of the sutler and lay down on some
straw on one of our old tent floors. Towards three o'clock
in the morning, I woke up with awfully cold feet and amused
myself till daylight making a roaring great fire, burning up
our old bedsteads and other furniture.
Soon after daylight, I started with my command; after
between two and three hours' pretty smart marching over a
splendid road through a fine country, I came up with the
brigade bivouacking by the side of the road. Very soon, we
marched again to our present camp, where we relieved some
regular regiments of Sykes' brigade which were on picket
here. Our camp is in a beautiful open wood about five hun
dred yards from the river; we are on a sort of a perpetual
outpost duty. Our regiment guards the principal ford (run-

Letters 103

ning for three-quarters of a mile along the river). This
takes a hundred per day for the actual guard ; the remainder
of the regiment acts as a reserve. The rebel cavalry pickets
are on the other side within talking distance. They seem
to be peaceably inclined, and I trust the murderous practice
of picket firing will not be begun on either side. It would
make the duty dangerous and uncomfortable; now we can
ride along the tow path within pistol shot of the enemy
without feeling any anxiety.
McClellan is probably pushing southward with his army.
We have heard pretty heavy and rapid cannonading to-day in
the distance. I wish now that we were with the army ; if the
main body of it is going through a winter campaign, I want
to be with it. We shall not stay here if our forces occupy
Winchester and the intermediate points, I feel sure.
Yesterday I had a mighty pleasant call from Major Curtis
and a friend of his from Boston, Mr. Edward Flint ; they took
dinner with us and we had a very pleasant time talking over
old experiences. I rode back with them to the place where
Major Curtis is on picket with a part of his regiment, six
miles above us. I took tea there and rode home by moon
light. I lost my way about three miles from here, among an
endless number of wagon tracks, paths, etc., so I threw my
rein on my horse's neck and she brought me across the fields
in almost a bee line to our camp.
I don't know whether I mentioned, in any of my last
letters, that we had heard, the day we were at McClellan's
headquarters, that Major Curtis had been mentioned as having
distinguished himself on the reconnoissance towards Martins
burgh, where he had command of the cavalry.

104 Letters
Camp neab Shaepsbuegh, Md.,
November 11, 1862.
We had an interesting little reunion and supper at my
tent last evening. Yesterday morning, Bob Shaw and I rode
into Hagerstown where the First Massachusetts Cavalry are
stationed, about fourteen miles from here. We found our
friends there getting ready for a move, having a preliminary
inspection of men, horses, etc., they having received orders to
join Pleasanton. By dint of a little persuasion, we got Curtis
and Higginson to ride back with us. We had already arranged
a supper to which the five captains in the regiment had been
invited ; Cogswell, Bangs, Robeson, Shaw, and myself. We
sat down immediately after " tattoo " and had a jolly time ;
there were seven of us, all original " Seconds." Of course,
there were innumerable recollections recalled, many of them
sad, but a great many very pleasant ; old times were talked
over and the many changes that had befallen us since our
first Camp Andrew experience. The supper was very good ;
a capital soup, followed by roast quail and " fixings," claret,
coffee, cigars, etc., all done up in pretty good shape for camp.
An occasion like this makes up for many vexations, and we
all appreciate it.
Last night we received the news that Andrews had been
appointed Brigadier-General and assigned to Banks; so we
have lost our second Colonel, as honest and faithful a man as
ever lived. He is one of the officers in the army who has
worked his way up himself, and has been promoted purely on
account of his own merit without political influence or wire
pulling. By this promotion and the death of Lieutenant-
Colonel Savage, Quincy becomes Colonel, Cogswell, Lieu
tenant-Colonel, and Mudge, Major. I shall be third Captain

Letters 105
and have the colors, Savage's original place. Sawyer will be
tenth Captain ; at Camp Andrew he was tenth Second Lieu
tenant, twenty grades he has gone through.
That was a very good article you sent me, taken from
the "Advertiser," about Colonel Savage. It was evidently
written by some one who knew him well. It was perfectly
true and did not exaggerate his good qualities an atom. He
was nearer to being a perfect man than any one I ever
knew. tgP t&* t&*
Camp near Sharpsburgh, November 14, 1862.
I wonder if you are having as charming a day at home as
we are having here. It is genuine Indian summer, with that
soft, hazy atmosphere so peculiar to the season. The sun is
almost hot, and only the chill in the air occasionally tells
one how near winter it is. The leaves have nearly all fallen
from the trees around us, and the river is almost in view
from my tent door. Our camp must now be in plain sight
from the other side, but I trust the rebs won't be so ill-
mannered as to throw any shells into it.
Everything about our camp has the appearance of winter
quarters ; the men have, most of them, built themselves very
comfortable houses of logs, boards, etc., with fire-places of
various kinds in them, all far more comfortable than any
thing we had last winter. We officers are all fixed up in
some shape or other, very pleasantly. I am living alone now
and have my tent nicely floored ; at the end of it, I have had
the seam ripped up and have had built a good, open brick
fire-place, so that now these cold evenings, and, in fact, nearly
all the time, I have a fine blazing wood fire. You have no

106 Letters
idea how cheerful this is ; it seems almost like sitting down
at home. We heard, yesterday, the joyful news that Harry Russell
had been exchanged. He won't allow much time to elapse
before he joins the regiment. I know we shall all be glad
enough to see him. He is one of our very best officers and
a first-rate fellow ; I hope he will never have to go through
another such experience as he has had this summer.
You don't know what an interesting thing it is to ride
over the hard fought ground of Antietam. Yesterday, Bob
Shaw and I visited all the places where we were engaged,
saw where our men were killed, etc.
We could follow our first line along by the graves ; next
to ours came the Third Wisconsin's, which lost terribly in
this place ; next to that was a battery which was splendidly
fought. Where it stood, in one place there are the remains
of fifteen dead horses lying so close that they touch each
other. Farther on, towards our left, we found numerous
graves of the Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania men; they were
in a wood. Every tree in the vicinity is scarred by bullets,
and the branches torn by shell and shot. No language could
describe more forcibly the severity of the fight. It is hard
to realize, in riding through these now peaceful and beauti
ful woods, that they could have been filled so lately with all
the sights and sounds of a great battle.
(5^ *5^ c5^
Camp near Shaepsbubgh, November 22, 1862.
Yesterday, I received the great box of clothing which has
been the matter of so much interest with us all for the last

Letters 107
few weeks. It was in perfect condition and everything was
most satisfactory.
All my men are now well provided against the cold, and
are as comfortable as they can ever expect to be while they
are soldiers.
I forget as to who you told me was the knitter of that
pair of patriotic stockings for Sergeant Lundy; she would
have felt flattered if she could have seen the expression of
thanks on his handsome face as I gave them to him. Hogan
also received his pair, pleased at the distinction.
I cannot say for certain that some of the men with slim
shanks and long feet didn't, in some cases, receive the stock
ings designed for thick ankles and chubby feet ; but generally,
the written instructions were followed out to the letter.
I have tried to write a note of thanks, but it is a very
poor expression of them. You know that speech-making and
that sort of thing were never in my line, but such as the note
is, I enclose it with this epistle and you can circulate it among
those of my friends who may be most interested in it.* I be
lieve that the greatest share of the thanks belongs to you, and
you must so take it.
* The note was as follows : — Camp near Sharpsbukgh,
November 22, 1862.
I have received to-day the long-looked-for box of clothing which
you have so kindly made and sent to my company.
I have felt very thankful to you all since I first heard of the interest
which has been shown to serve myself and my men, but I never appre
ciated the extent of the gratitude that I owed you till I saw the amount of
labor and pains that must have been bestowed to produce such a quantity
of most excellent and comfortable clothing. I had my company formed

108 Letters
Camp neab Shabpsbubgh, November 30, 1862.
I have nothing very new or interesting to write to-day^
except about an expedition we made into Virginia last week,
which you may like to hear about.
Last Monday night, about nine o'clock, Captain Cogswell
took seventy-five men of the regiment and marched quietly up
the river about two miles. Captain Robeson and Lieutenant
Grafton went with him ; hardly any one else knew anything
about the expedition. Captain C. had a guide who was
thoroughly familiar with the country on -the other side of the
river. They crossed in three boats, having to make several
trips, and proceeded at once to Shepherdstown and posted
guards at the principal entrances to the town. Then with
the main body, they surrounded two houses pointed out to
and marched to my tent, where I read your note, and then I commenced
the distribution of the shirts and stockings ; I first gave each man in the
company one of each of these articles, and then to every sergeant and
returned prisoner, or any one else who had seen especially hard service,
another one, making as fair a division as I could. The written instruc
tions found with some of the stockings were very entertaining and proved
very useful in the distribution.
I believe that my men felt truly grateful to you for your kind
present, and though a soldier shows very little emotion, whatever may
occur, yet when they thanked me, I knew that they meant what they
said. It must be some comfort to every man to know that while he is
suffering hardships and dangers, he has kind friends at home who are
thinking of him and admmistering to his comfort and happiness. You
may be sure that it is a strong motive for us to do our duty bravely,
knowing all this, and feeling that we have your best wishes.
Once more I thank you, each and all, most heartily, and hope that at
no very distant day, I may do so in person.

Letters 109
them by the guide as the headquarters of the rebel scouts.
At the door of one of these houses were five cavalry horses
ready saddled and bridled ; these were immediately taken ; a
party under Lieutenant Grafton then burst in the door and
rushed into the lower rooms; four men were immediately
secured ; the fifth seized his arms and rushed out a side door.
Captain Cogswell, on the outside, saw him and called out for
him to surrender ; this order was repeated several times, but
no attention was paid to it. Captain C. then called to the
men to fire on him ; two shots were fired ; the second hit him
and he fell ; almost before any one reached him, he was dead.
He proved to be Captain Burke, a captain of scouts. He be
longed to Stuart's command, and was on that General's staff ;
he was quite a famous character in this neighborhood, almost
as much thought of by the people here as Ashby was by the
inhabitants of Warrenton and the Shenandoah Valley.
After taking one more prisoner and a few arms, the party
returned safely to this side of the river, arriving in camp be
tween three and four o'clock, A. M. Tuesday noon, an order
came for a similar party to go again to Shepherdstown for
the purpose of paroling some rebel officers and men supposed
to be secreted in the houses there, and to make a further
search for papers and arms. This time, I had the good for
tune to be detailed for the service, and had command of the
infantry, the whole party consisting of seventy-five infantry
and about twenty cavalry, Captain Cogswell commanding
the whole expedition. We forded the Potomac just below
our camp. The water was terribly cold, and between two and
three feet deep ; the bottom was rough and the stream fast.
The river here is about three hundred yards wide ; you may
be sure there was very little fun fording it. We kept quietly

110 Letters
along the Virginia side of the river for a mile, then made a
quick turn up the bank and came suddenly on Shepherds
town ; the cavalry dashed into the town first and gave chase
to a few scouts that were there, but the latter escaped.
When we came up, the people, men, women and children,
were all on the streets ; they seemed to be in a state of great
alarm. We made a rapid search through the principal houses
and public buildings, finding quite a number of papers and
taking and paroling three commissioned officers and twenty
privates. Among the arms that were taken was one very
good English double-barrelled gun, which I have kept and
shall try to have some sport with, as quail are very num
erous in this vicinity and I have made friends with the owner
of a very nice setter.
We recrossed the river safely and the men were allowed a
good strong whiskey ration to make up for their wetting.
They enjoy these expeditions as much as anybody.
The people over there are in a great rage at the death of
Burke and swear to be revenged on our regiment. The man
who killed him belongs to my company ; he is a new recruit,
but a very smart one.
Thanksgiving passed off with us very pleasantly. My
wine came all right and was very nice. We had a union
dinner of all the officers of the regiment. The dinner was
very good indeed, plenty of nice poultry, plum pudding,
champagne, etc. We couldn't help remembering last year's
dinner and the great change in officers since then, but there
was very little sadness manifested and we had a very pleasant
time. Charley Horton came up from Harper's Ferry and all
General Gordon's staff were also with us. My company had
a fine dinner I bought for them out of company fund; ten tur-

Letters 111
keys, six geese and twenty-four chickens and a barrel of cider ;
they had, besides, as much plum pudding as they could eat.
The chances for furlough have sunk to the lowest point ;
I don't think now there is hardly a chance for one. Captain
Bangs is going to try the experiment of sending an applica
tion on to Burnside, but I don't believe it will be noticed. I
am, of course, allowed the first chance, but I prefer to wait
for about two Weeks. General Gordon, you know, has been
sent home quite sick ; this hurts my chance considerably.
%ft* i2r* Qrfrf
Camp near Sharpsburgh, December 9, 1862.
Orders have come to us this afternoon to prepare for a
march to-morrow morning, with five days' rations, etc.
From what we can learn, we are going to cross the river
at Berlin, and proceed via Leesburg to Fredericksburg, to
join Burnside. Everything in camp, of course, is in appar
ent confusion, packing up, sending off sick, etc. It seems
hard to leave this camp, where all is so pleasant and com
fortable ; the men are all nicely housed ; we have first rate
kitchens, everything seemed arranged for the winter, but it
is no use regretting these things ;. we can stand a roughing
as well as most of them, I think.
t£r* W^ tS^
Bivouac neab Faiefax Station,
December 15, 1862.
I will take the opportunity of a few hours' respite from
marching, to let you know of my present whereabouts and

112 Letters
good condition. We have arrived at this place after about
five days' marching, making seventy miles from Sharpsburgh.
We have been called up at half-past three every morning, and
have not stopped until after dark any night, though our
marching has been very much interrupted by bad roads,
delays about the wagon trains, etc.
I met with the greatest misfortune, on my third day's
march, that I have had during the war. Hogan started out
about a mile ahead of the column, as was his usual custom,
to forage for us ; he had just got through a small town called
Hillsborough, when a party of guerillas made a dash out from
the side of the road, and before he had time to put spurs to
my horse, they had ridden him down and seized him. They
had hardly done this when our advance came in sight, and our
cavalry saw them and gave chase. I saw the scamps as they
rode off for their lives, but 1 had no idea, until nearly two
hours afterwards, that my poor mare was among them. It
was an awful blow when I did hear it; they told me that
Hogan was between two of them ; one held a pistol to his
ear while they whipped the horse. The pursuit was vain,
and I lost everything, Hogan, horse, saddle, bridle, overcoat,
dressing-case, tobacco, rations and all. You can hardly im
agine how badly I felt : to lose all my comforts and conven
iences, and my poor horse also, was a great deal ; but to have
Hogan taken by a parcel of ruffians who haven't anything
good about them, was worst of all.
Harry Russell and Bob Shaw have been very kind to me
since this happened, lending me their servants and doing
everything they could. Of course, our "mess" is now broken
up, but we three stick together and sleep under the same
blankets. We've had very good weather for marching and

Letters 113
sleeping out since we started, being quite warm. We heard,
yesterday, that Burnside had met with some success, but had
been pretty badly cut up, and that fresh troops were being
pressed forward in large numbers to the front. Our regiment
is rear guard to-day ; it will be very late before we start, and
after midnight when we get into bivouac.
te& •S* (5^
Bivouac neab Faibfax Station,
December 20, 1862.
I wrote, the other day, from near this place. That day
we marched as rear guard over seven miles of the muddiest
kind of Virginia roads, crossing the Occoquan creek ; we
went into bivouac in a thick wood a little while after dark.
We made our usual nightly arrangements, eating our supper
of coffee, bread, etc., and spreading our blankets, and very
soon lay down for the night. Towards morning, all three of
us awoke simultaneously, with some large rain-drops spatter
ing in our faces. We drew the rubber blankets out from
under us and put them on top, and turned in again. I was
next awakened by a perfect deluge of water pouring in on me
from the blanket where it had collected ; as it was nearly
daylight, I concluded to get up. About nine o'clock the rain
stopped, and shortly afterwards we marched. The roads were
in the worst possible condition, wagons sinking to the hubs
of the wheels ; we went only three miles, then stopped for
the day. The next morning (Wednesday) we started at day
light, and marched back to this place. If we hadn't got used
to such things, the march back over these horrible roads would
have been very discouraging. We learned, when we got near

114 Letters
the station, that our division had been ordered back because
that place had been threatened by the enemy. The most
that could have been lost by losing that place would have
been some fifty thousand rations, yet this seems to have been
a sufficient reason for preventing us from joining the main
army. We also learned here that Burnside had been entirely
repulsed, and was again on this side, of the Rappahannock.
The rebels have paid us off now for Antietam. No one seems
to have any idea what will happen next. I am more afraid
of a disgraceful peace than anything else, from the looks of
everything now. t2r* i&t f&*
CaMp neab Faibfax Station,
December 22, 1862.
As my first announcement, I will tell you that Hogan is
all right with the exception of being paroled. He arrived
at camp last Friday, having been kept by the guerrillas three
days. The terms of his parole are so strict that I asked him
very few questions. He told me that one of the scamps ap
propriated my overcoat, and that another rode off on my mare
the morning after her capture. He managed to save some of
my letters which were in my coat pocket. I felt that it was
dangerous for him to stay with us ; so Saturday morning I
sent him off to a parole camp, with all the good advice I could
think of and five dollars in money. He will write to me of
his whereabouts, and I shall endeavor to get him a furlough.
We are still lying here, in a miserable state of uncertainty
about our future movements ; no officers' tents, nothing, in
fact, to make us comfortable.

Letters 115
It has been very cold for the last two or three days and
nights. You would be amused to see us, sitting around a fire
trying to eat our breakfast or dinner before it freezes hard ;
dippers of water soon become iced, and yesterday we enjoyed
the luxury of frozen buttered toast and frozen sardines. In
washing, our hair becomes a solid mass before it can be
brushed or combed. We have one comfort, that is, that we
sleep warm at night. »¦ ur* 00^*" t&^
Faibfax Station, January 2, 1863.
Last Saturday night we suddenly received orders to march
at a moment's notice, but we remained undisturbed that night.
Sunday morning, about eight o'clock, we started off; our
whole corps was posted in the Dumfries road, our brigade
guarding the Wolfrun Shoals on the Occoquan. This was all
done on account of a large rebel cavalry force coming up on
our left flank ; we were sent out to endeavor to intercept
them, but they didn't come our way ; they went around north
of Fairfax Court House, having a slight skirmish there. In
fantry will never catch cavalry in this country, and I hope
they will give up attempting it before long.
We bivouacked that night near the Occoquan, and marched
back to camp next afternoon. There was some very pretty
manoeuvring, on the telegraph wires, between the two parties
on Sunday. The rebels cut the wires at Burke's Station, and
telegraphed to the commander of the post at Fairfax Station
to " burn all stores, wagons, etc., and abandon the post." The
officer in command suspected something wrong, and tele
graphed back, "I have plenty of force to hold the place,

116 Letters

more infantry and a battery of artillery will be here in an
hour." The truth was, there was only one small regiment of
infantry, the Third Wisconsin, and two pieces of artillery,
and no chance of any more for a considerable time. This un
doubtedly saved the station. A message was intercepted
from the Quartermaster-General at Washington about a lot
of mules. Stuart telegraphed back : " That last lot you sent
me were not good ; be more careful in future," and signed his
own name to it. This raid accomplished nothing in our
vicinity, and could be repeated any number of times ; they
know every road in the country, and every house contains a
friend and spy to them. We could do the same thing in
Massachusetts, though I hope we shall never have the oppor
tunity. There is considerable fear felt in some quarters that
this cavalry is to be followed up by a large force. Isn't it
shameful that, at this late day, anybody should be trembling
for the safety of Washington ? But so it is ! I don't know
but what it would be better for the whole country if Wash
ington was taken and burned. What we need is to feel
that we are fighting for our lives and liberties ; that is the
way the rebels feel : they think that if they don't win, they
will lose every liberty. Our people seem to be in an indif
ferent state, not caring much about it either way ; they would
like to see the South conquered, if it could be done by any
moderate means ; but when it comes to every man and woman
making some great sacrifice, they don't think it worth while,
and would rather have a disgraceful peace than a continuance
of the war. They don't seem to see that in case of such a
peace, to be a native of the North would be sufficient to dis
grace a man, and that we should always be considered a
whipped nation. Abroad, a Northern man would be despised,

Letters 117

and rightly. I feel much stronger about the war than I ever
have before, and certainly hope that I shall never live to
acknowledge such a nation as the Southern Confederacy.
fEr* Jr* <3*
Fairfax Station, January 6, 1863.
We have at last moved into a new camp, and are situated
very comfortably ; the men have good log houses with their
shelter tents pitched on top, four men to each house ; the
camp is laid out with great regularity and is a very creditable
place altogether; the officers have A tents (seven feet by
seven feet) pitched on log walls, averaging a tent to two
officers. We have been at work about ten days on this camp
and are as well off now as we were at Sharpsburgh ; no one
knows, of course, whether we shall enjoy these good quarters,
but we hope to do so, through the coming wet weather. The
weather for the last three weeks has been remarkable, not a
single storm and no severely cold days.
We had a division review on Saturday, and another one on
Sunday. The first day, I was Officer of the Day and did not
attend, but I went Sunday ; it was before General Slocum ;
Captain Russell was in command, Mudge being sick. The
review was a very fine one, about the best I ever saw.
General Slocum told our brigade commander that our regi
ment was by far the best in his corps and the best he had ever
seen in the service. The men did look finely ; their clothes,
of course, are old and worn, but their rifles, belts, and brasses
shone right out. What a pride one could feel in an army, if
every regiment in the service could be depended upon as ours

118 Letters
can for any kind of work. I haven't any doubt but with good
officers we could have the best army in the world.
Rumor says that Burnside will ask to be relieved before
many days. Who will be our next commander, no one
knows ; Lord save us from Hooker, at all events !
i£r* w* w^
Camp neab Faibfax Station,
January 10, 1863.
Our rainy season has begun at last, I think ; to-day it has
poured. Everything looks muddy and damp enough. If it
continues for a week as it did last winter at this time, mark
my words, there will be no more campaigning in Virginia this
winter. We are well settled now in a comfortable camp, with
a strong probability of staying here for a while.
I agree in part with what you say about the administra
tion, but I don't fear an armed interference in six months or
six years. 1 feel certain that England will do nothing but
stand aloof and badger both the North and South, and it
cannot be policy for France to quarrel with us, it seems to
me. As for what foreign nations may think of the corruption
of the Government, I don't care ; I've made up my mind that
there never was a government in time of war, European or
any other on the face of the earth, that wasn't as corrupt as
corruption itself; all history shows it. If Napier in his
" Peninsular War " is good authority, there never were more
dishonesty, knavery, and bribery in a government than there
were in England's at that time. That war was managed, at
first, till Wellington took hold of it, very much as ours has
been; generals were interfered with as ours have been, and

Letters 119
newpapers' stories and home criticisms were believed by the
people sooner than official dispatches.
From the first of March to the first of June, I predict that
there will be the liveliest fighting we have ever seen in this
country, and with good fortune, we may end the whole war
and have a happy and honorable peace. If we had any other
than a conquered peace, I should never feel that I had done
with my uniform, but should always expect war and fighting.
If the South got its confederacy, I fully believe the States
would be fighting among themselves in less than five years ;
it is the strong military government and their feeling about
slavery that is binding them together so now; their strong
feeling about States' rights is what they will break on. I
think the weakest points in our own government are these
very States' rights, which allow State Governors to interfere
and dictate to the Central Government.*
t£F* c5^ t2r*
Camp neab Staffoed C. H.,
February 8, 1863.
What do you think of the First Massachusetts Black In
fantry? I suppose there is no doubt but that the regiment
will be raised ; one of our captains f has had the offer of the
colonelcy, and he has accepted it. As a military measure, I
entirely believe in it, and I hope it will be entirely successful.
It is ridiculous for persons to try and laugh this thing down ;
* A ten-days' leave of absence was granted about this time and the
writer went home accompanied by Captain Shaw.
f Captain Robert G. Shaw.

120 Letters
there is no reason in the world why black troops raised in
this country shouldn't be as good as those used by the Eng
lish and French. I always argue that any men who have
understanding enough to obey orders implicitly, where they
are led by brave officers, can make good soldiers. I think
negroes could be more easily disciplined than most white
men. The understanding, of course, is that all the commis
sioned officers shall be white. If I had anything to do with
such a regiment, I should not want to raise much of it in the
North, but get enough men there to form a skeleton, and then
go South and fill up with contrabands.
You will probably hear before long who the Captain is,
that I have referred to ; he doesn't want it mentioned at
present. No one pretends to have an idea about our next cam
paign here in Virginia. I hope and trust that we shall all
find ourselves with our right on the James River by the mid
dle of next month, and that the Ninth Corps led off in that
direction to-day, but these are only my hopes ; I have nothing
to ground them on. i2r* w^ tS^
Camp neab Staffobd C. H., Va.,
February 12, 1863.
Tuesday I rode over with Major Mudge to the First Mas
sachusetts Cavalry ; we found our friends there well and glad
to see us. Lieut.-Col. Curtis has been laid up with a lame
leg from a horse's kick, but was nearly right again. The
same morning, Captain Shaw went off to go to work on
his new command, the First Massachusetts Blacks. He has
a hard piece of work before him, but I hope he will be

Letters 121
entirely successful. The greatest doubts in my mind are
whether the Northern negroes will enlist ; I don't put much
faith in them myself. (3* <5^ t3^
Camp near Staffobd C. H., Va.,
February 14, 1863.
I have been appointed Provost Marshal of the corps,
and shift my- quarters to-morrow to General Slocum's head
quarters. I am to have my company and another one from
my regiment, and a company of cavalry for my guard. The
duties I don't imagine to be very heavy, except in the office.
I am allowed a horse and a wall-tent to myself. I rather like
the idea of a change for a little while at any rate ; if we begin
active movements again, I shall try and get back to the regi
ment. I like General Slocum very well, from what I have
seen of him, and he has some very good men on his staff. I
shall probably see a good deal of them.
qgr* <^^ f&*
Headquabtebs Twelfth Aemy Coeps,
March 14, 1863.
The other day, at Acquia Creek Landing, a soldier at
tempted to desert by putting off in a boat ; a sergeant of a
guard stationed there saw him and ordered him back ; deserter
didn't come ; sergeant of the guard fired over his head and
repeated his order ; deserter laughed at him ; sergeant fired
again, hit deserter in a vital spot and he died shortly after
ward. Some of the officers about there kicked up a row, and
I believe put the sergeant in arrest. The affair came to

122 . Letters
General Hooker's ears ; he ordered the sergeant's release and
personally wrote to him a very complimentary letter and
promised him speedy promotion. These things take wonder
fully well.
I am fully disposed to give General Hooker credit for
every good thing he does; I believe him to be an active,
hard-working man, and that he appreciates the very high
position that he holds. I most earnestly hope that he will
meet with every success in the coming campaign. I believe
that the army was never in better condition in health and
morale than it is now, very different from what it was a
month ago. The signs of the times are encouraging; there
doesn't seem to be so strong a desire on the part of the Gov
ernment to interfere with army movements. Just let the draft
be started and enforced, then we're ready for hard knocks.
t£r* 9£r* t£r*
Headquabtees Twelfth Aemy Coeps,
March 23, 1863.
I bought me a horse in a very unpremeditated way this
afternoon. I was out riding and met a surgeon whom I know ;
he told me that he was going home for good, that he must
sell his horse ; I liked the animal's appearance very much, so
asked permission to try him. After a short trial I made up
my mind that if he would pass muster before our Chief
Quartermaster, a great horse man, I would buy him. Colonel
Hopkins, Quartermaster, advised me strongly to do so, and
pronounced him sound and a very good beast ; so after some
haggling, I called him mine to the tune of one hundred and
twenty-five dollars, saddle and bridle thrown in. I believe

Letters 123
I have a very good horse; he's a powerful, great, black
fellow, very spirited, and will be handsome with a little care.
He was taken from the rebels at the first Bull Run, and is
said to have belonged to the Black Horse Cavalry. I've been
thinking of buying for some time ; it is not very satisfactory
riding government horses ; it is very hard to get a very good
one, and I hate to ride an ordinary beast.
1&* Ifir* 9^^
Headquaetees Twelfth Army Corps,
April 5, 1863.
Again everything has the appearance of winter. Last
night a furious storm of wind, snow and hail set in, and con
tinued till near noon to-day. It will melt very fast, of course,
but the roads, which before were nearly dry, will go back to
their former state of mud. I got caught in the storm last
night ; I had been over to the cavalry with Tom Robeson ;
when we came back, the wind, hail and dust were directly in
our faces and were perfectly blinding ; the wind blew such a
gale that the horses could hardly breast up against it.
. I wouldn't have believed, two months ago, that popular
feeling would be so unanimously for war. They have at last
waked up to the fact that we've got to fight these rebels till
we crush them, let it take one year or ten, and that there is
no peace now but in dishonor and eternal disgrace. Who
would have thought when the war broke out, that such
sentiments could have been publicly uttered in Baltimore
and Washington, as have been spoken at the late Union
meeting there !

124 Letters
Headquaetees Twelfth Aemy Cobps,
April 6, 1863.
I wish you could have seen the great military display
there was near here yesterday. You probably have seen by
the papers that President Abe is paying a visit to the army ;
he came down in the great snow-storm Saturday night. Well,
yesterday was appointed for a grand review of all the cavalry
and horse artillery in the army. All the Major-Generals and
many of the Brigadiers with their staffs were invited to be
present. Our cortege left these headquarters about half-
past ten. We made a pretty good show by ourselves ; there
were five general officers, namely; Major-General Slocum,
Brigadier-Generals Williams, Ruger, Knipe and Jackson, with
their staffs and escorts, all in full fig. We rode about seven
miles to the reviewing ground and got there just as the
President, General Hooker and their large retinue arrived ;
the artillery fired the salute and the review commenced.
In the centre opposite the troops, looking sick and worn
out, dressed in a plain black suit with the tallest of stove-pipe
hats, was the President, seated on a fine horse with rich
trimmings. On his right and left were Generals Hooker and
Stoneman, and clustering around on all sides were Major
and Brigadier-Generals too numerous to mention.
You know the story of a man who threw a bootjack out of
a hotel window in Washington, last winter, and hit six briga
diers and a dog, and said, " It wasn't a good night for briga
diers, either." Yesterday was a good day for them. Who
would have thought, five years ago, that such a sight as this
would ever be possible in democratic, republican America. I
doubt if any country has ever seen so large a collection of

Letters 125
officers of high rank; there could not have been less than
a thousand officers of all grades in the cavalcade, and now-a-
days most every one dresses well ; so you can imagine that
such a crowd, well mounted on handsome horses with rich
housings, was a gallant and gay sight. The cavalry was in
two lines, each about two miles long ; there were nearly ten
thousand of them. I never have seen anything like such a
number of horsemen together before. Generally they looked
very well ; the best regiments in appearance were the First
and Second United States and the First Massachusetts and
the First Rhode Island. There were four batteries of horse
artillery, and the last one went by "flying." You know the
term, "horse artillery," is given to those batteries where all
the gunners are mounted ; this enables them to keep up with
the cavalry. Igr* tfir*1 j^*'
Headquaetees Twelfth Abmy Coeps,
April 12, 1863.
This last has been a week of excitement to all of us in the
army. I wrote about the great cavalry review on Monday ;
the following Wednesday we went over to tbe grand review
of the Second, Third, Fifth and Sixth Corps. You have
undoubtedly read in the papers better accounts of it than I
can write, so I won't go into detail. It was a magnificent
sight, I can tell you ; there was the same brilliant cavalcade
as I described at the cavalry review, — if anything, larger.
The troops looked finely, better than I ever expected to see
in our army. You can get some idea of the number of troops
reviewed when I tell you that, for nearly two hours, they were
passing steadily in solid column. From where we stood, we

126 Letters
could see this moving mass for at least half a mile ; it was a
thrilling sight and one never to be forgotten. I felt proud of
our Massachusetts regiments, for, as a rule, they were the
best that passed, and most every one had a record that no one
need be ashamed of.
Friday, the President, General Hooker, and train, came
over to Stafford and reviewed our Corps and the Eleventh ;
this was another brilliant pageant. I believe we fully kept
up the credit of the army. The old Second shone out, of
course, "Excelsior," and was noticed and spoken of by a
great many. After the show, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, General
Hooker, and several other generals and officers with their
staffs, came to our headquarters and we gave them a very
good entertainment, cold meats, etc., etc.
After such an opportunity of seeing our army as I've had
this last week, I cannot help comparing its present condition
with that of the first army we saw, Patterson's ; the last
named a miserable mob of undisciplined, dirty men, but the
Army of the Potomac a collection of as fine troops, I firmly
believe, as there are in the world. I believe the day will
come when it will be a proud thing for any one to say he
belonged to it. t0& l3^ Vr*
Pbovost Mabshal's Office,
Twelfth Aemy Cobps,
April 14, 1863.
Our army is beginning to move; yesterday, the cavalry
started with a small infantry support. We are under orders
and shall move probably to-morrow or next day. All extra
clothing of the soldiers has been turned in, and all avail-

Letters 127
able room in knapsacks and haversacks has been filled with
rations. My idea is something of this kind: that we are
going up the Rappahannock at least as far as where the
bridge on the Culpepper road was burned; that we shall
cross there, then move forward a little ; then that our right
will be swung round, when the rebels will be obliged to
abandon their fortifications and fight us on a fair field. If we
win a victory, it will be a glorious one ; at all events, we are
going to give the enemy a harder fight than they have ever
had before. I have been busy to-day making arrangements
for a move. I think that I shall be able when the battle
comes, to volunteer my services as aide to General Slocum ; I
hope so. It would give me a good chance to see the fight from
various parts of the field ; I feel sure he will make this corps
do more than it has done yet. I have permission to send
back my three companies when the regiment goes into action,
so the Second will be able to give a good account of itself.
fSr*1 fS^1 t£r*
Staffobd C. H., May 7, 1863.
I am going to give you, without any introduction, a
history of this last campaign against Richmond by the army
under the great Joe Hooker. I believe I have seen it aDd
judged it fairly.
On Monday, April 27th, our corps broke camp early in
the morning and marched to Hartwood Church, ten miles ;
there it went into camp for the night. The Eleventh and
Fifth Corps also came up there and camped in our vicinity ;
next morning, we all moved and camped that night near
Kelly's Ford. A pontoon bridge was thrown across and the

128 Letters
Eleventh was over before daylight Wednesday; the other
corps followed rapidly and the advance began towards the
Rapidan. The Eleventh and Twelfth marched on the road
to Germana Ford, the Fifth on the road to Ely's Ford ; all
three of the corps were under command of General Slocum. I
was detailed, the morning of the advance, as Aide to General
Slocum, and another officer was made Acting Provost Marshal.
All the companies of the Second Massachusetts were sent to
the Regiment. We skirmished all the way to Germana Ford ;
there we met quite a determined resistance ; our cavalry was
drawn in and the Second Massachusetts and the Third Wis
consin sent forward to clear the way ; they drove everything
before them and, by their heavy fire, forced the rebels at the
Ford to surrender (about one hundred officers and men). We
lost in this skirmish about a dozen killed and wounded.
General Slocum now determined to cross the Rapidan,
though there was no bridge and the ford was almost impassa
ble. He sent the First and Third Brigade, (First Division,
Twelfth. Corps), through the water although it was more than
waist deep, also five batteries of artillery, which took position
on the other side of the river. A bridge was theu con
structed, and before daylight Thursday morning, the remain
der of the Twelfth and Eleventh Corps were across the river.
By eight o'clock, A. M., we were moving again. The rebels
kept attacking us on our flank with cavalry and artillery, and
any less bold officer than General Slocum would have halted
his column and delayed the march ; but he kept along stead
ily, detaching a small force at intervals to repel the enemy.
I had the pleasure of superintending, at one of these skir
mishes, having in charge the Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania
Regiment ; we drove the rebels before us for nearly a mile,

Letters 129
almost capturing their artillery, taking a large number of
prisoners. At about noon, we arrived at Chancellorsville,
and found the Fifth Corps already there. We had a small
cavalry skirmish, in which Colonel Mc Vicars was killed with
about a dozen of his men, but besides that, nothing of impor
tance occurred that day ; the troops were formed in line of
battle, but were not attacked. Up to this time you see every
thing had gone well and success seemed certain.
Towards night, General Hooker arrived with his staff, and
we heard of the crossing at the U. S. Ford of the Second,
Third and First Corps. All the headquarters were in the
vicinity of the Chancellor House, a large, fine brick mansion.
General Hooker took supper with General Slocum ; he didn't
seem to be able to express his gratification at the success of
General Slocum in bringing the three corps up so rapidly.
Then, in the most extravagant, vehement terms, he went on
to say how he had got the rebels, how he was going to crush
them, annihilate them, etc.
The next morning at ten, the Fifth and Twelfth Corps
advanced in order of battle on two parallel roads ; we soon
met the enemy and skirmished for about two miles, when
they appeared in considerable force and the battle began.
We were in a splendid position and were driving the enemy
when an order came to General Slocum to retire his com
mand to its former position. No one could believe that the
order was genuine, but almost immediately, another of Gen
eral Hooker's staff brought the same order again. Now, per
haps, you don't know that to retire an army in the face of an
enemy when you are engaged, is one of the most difficult opera
tions in war ; this we had to do. I carried the order to General
Geary to retire his division in echelon by brigades, and stayed

130 Letters
with him till the movement was nearly completed. It was a
delicate job ; each brigade would successively bear the brunt
of the enemy's attack. Before the last brigades of the Fifth
and Twelfth Corps were in position, the enemy made a furi
ous attack on the Chancellor House ; luckily, we had con
siderable artillery concentrated there and they were driven
back. The next attack was on our corps, but the enemy
were severely repulsed. This about ended the fighting on
Friday ; we lost, I suppose, about five hundred men.
During the night, the men were kept at work digging
trenches and throwing up breastworks of logs. Our head
quarters were at Fairview, an open piece of ground rising
into quite a crest in the centre. Skirmishing began at day
light next morning and continued without much result to
either side, till afternoon, when the enemy began to move,
in large force, towards our right, opposite General Howard,
Eleventh Corps. This corps was in a fine position in in
trenchments, with almost open country in front of them, the
right resting on Hunting creek. At about four P. M., the
Third Corps, General Sickles, was moved out to the right
of the Twelfth and advanced towards Fredericksburgh. The
order then came to General Slocum that the enemy were in
full retreat, and to advance his whole line to capture all
he could of prisoners, wagons, etc. Our right, General
Williams' Division, advanced without much trouble, driving
the enemy before it, but the Second Division had hardly
got out of the trenches before it was attacked with great
determination, yet it steadily retained its position. At
about five P. M., a tremendous and unceasing musketry fire
began in the direction of the Eleventh Corps. As it was
necessary to know what was going on there in order to reg-

Letters 131
ulate the movements of the Twelfth Corps, General Slocum
and the rest of us rode for our lives towards this new scene
of action. What was our surprise when we found, that in
stead of a fight, it was a complete Bull Run rout. Men,
horses, mules, rebel prisoners, wagons, guns, etc., etc., were
coming down the road in terrible confusion, behind them an
unceasing roar of musketry. We rode until we got into a
mighty hot fire, and found that no one was attempting to
make a stand, but every one running for his life. Then Gen
eral Slocum dispatched me to General Hooker to explain the
state of affairs, and three other staff officers to find General
Williams and order him back to his trenches with all haste.
I found General Hooker sitting alone on his horse in front
of the Chancellor House, and delivered my message ; he merely
said, " Very good, sir." 1 rode back and found the Eleventh
Corps still surging up the road and still this terrible roar
behind them. Up to this time, the rebels had received no
check, but now troops began to march out on the plank road
and form across it, and Captain Best, Chief of Artillery of
our corps, had on his own responsibility gathered together
all the batteries he could get hold of, had put them in
position (forty-six guns in all) on Fairview, and had begun
firing at the rate of about one hundred guns a minute,
into the rebels. This, in my opinion, saved our army from
destruction. After delivering my message to General Hooker,
I went back and tried to find General Slocum, but it was now
after eight o'clock and I was unsuccessful in my search, so I
took hold and tried to rally some of the cowardly Dutchmen.
With the help of one cavalry orderly, I succeeded in forming
a good many of them on the left of the new line, but an un
usually heavy volley coming, they broke and ran like sheep.

132 Letters
After this little episode, I again searched after the General.
Towards ten, I found the rest of the staff, and soon after,
we came across the General. At about eleven, the fighting
stopped, but we were all hard at work getting the men of our
corps into position. You see, while our First Division was ad
vancing, the rebels had routed the Teutons and were now
occupying our trenches. The Second and Third Brigades got
into their former position, but the First made out only to cut
through the rebels, losing a large part of its men and taking
a position considerably in the rear of its former one. Gen
eral Sickles fought his way through with the exception of one
division and one battery, which were left out in front of our
lines that night. The artillery men were hard at work all
night, throwing up traverses to protect their guns, and about
two in the morning we all lay down on the ground and slept
until about four, when daylight began to appear. Our right
was now formed by the Third, Fifth and First Corps, about
five hundred yards in the rear of our first position. The
rebels began the attack, as soon as there was light enough,
from the left of our First Division to about the right of the
Third Corps. General Birney's Division of the Third Corps
was out in front of General Williams; his men behaved
badly, and after a slight resistance, fell back into our lines,
losing a battery.
The rebels now charged down our First Division, but were
met with such a deadly fire that they were almost annihi
lated. Their second line was then sent in, but met the same
fate, and their third and last line advanced. Our men now had
fired more than forty rounds of cartridges and were getting
exhausted. General Slocum sent almost every one of his
staff officers to General Hooker, stating his position and beg-

Letters 133
ging for support ; Hooker's answer, was, " I can't make men
or ammunition for General Slocum." Meantime, Sickles'
Corps was holding its own on the right of ours, but it was
rapidly getting into the same condition as the Twelfth. The
rebels were driven back every time they advanced, and we
were taking large numbers of prisoners and colors. All this
time while our infantry was fighting so gallantly in front, our
battery of forty-six guns was firing incessantly. The rebels
had used no artillery till they captured the battery from Bir-
ney, when they turned that on us, making terrible destruction
in General Geary's line. General Meade, Fifth Corps, now
went to Hooker and entreated that he might be allowed to
throw his corps on the rebel flank, but General Hooker said,
"No, he was wanted in his own position." On his own
responsibility, General Meade sent out one brigade, which
passed out in rear of the enemy's right, recaptured a battery,
three hundred of our men who were prisoners, and four hun
dred of the rebels, and took them safely back to their corps.
It was now after seven o'clock. Our men had fired their
sixty rounds of cartridges and were still holding their posi
tion; everything that brave men could do, these men had
done, but now nothing was left but to order them to fall back
and give up their position to the enemy. This was done in
good order and they marched off under a heavy fire to the rear
of our batteries. The rebels, seeing us retreating, rushed
forward their artillery and began a fearful fire. I found I
could be useful to Captain Best, commanding our artillery, so
I stayed with him. I never before saw anything so fine as the
attack on that battery ; the air was full of missiles, solid shot,
shells, and musket balls. I saw one solid shot kill three
horses and a man, another took a leg off one of the captains

134 Letters
of the batteries. Lieutenant Crosby of the Fourth Artillery
was shot through the heart with a musket ball; he was a
particular friend of Bob Shaw and myself ; he lived just long
enough to say to Captain Best, " Tell father I die happy."
The rebels came up to the attack in solid masses and got
within three hundred yards, but they were slaughtered by the
hundreds by the case-shot and canister, and were driven back
to the woods. Still not an infantry man was sent to the
support of the guns. More than half the horses were killed
or wounded; one caisson had blown up, another had been
knocked to pieces ; in ten minutes more, the guns would have
been isolated. They, too, therefore, were ordered to retire,
which they did without losing a gun. You see, now, our
centre was broken, everything was being retired to our second
line, the rebel artillery was in position, their line of battle
steadily advancing across our old ground. This fire of the
batteries was concentrated on the Chancellor House, Hooker's
original headquarters, and it was torn almost to pieces by
solid shot and was finally set on fire by a shell.
The army was now put in position in the second line ; the
centre was on a rising piece of ground and protected by a
battery of forty or fifty guns. The Fifth Corps was on the
right and was the last to fall back out of the woods and it
was closely followed by the rebel masses, but these were met
by such a tremendous artillery fire that they were actually
rolled back into the woods. Our corps was ordered to sup
port first the Third, afterwards the Second and Eleventh.
Towards night the enemy made another desperate assault on
our centre, but they were again repulsed. Our corps was now
ordered to the extreme left to form behind the Eleventh.
I believe that General Slocum remonstrated with General

Letters 135
Hooker so firmly that he finally got permission to put the
Twelfth Corps on the extreme left and to have only one divi
sion of the Eleventh in the trenches on his right.
You can easily see that, if the enemy once forced our
right or left, our communications would at once be cut and
all possibility of retreat prevented. Late that night, we lay
down close beside the Rappahannock. By three o'clock next
morning, we were awakened by a heavy artillery fire and
shells bursting over us. Our guns replied and kept at it for
about an hour, when the enemy's batteries were silenced.
We now mounted our horses and rode along the lines to look
at our position ; we found that it was a very strong one and
capable of being made very much more so.
We found that the sharpshooters were getting altogether
too attentive to our party, so we moved back to our line and
had hardly turned away, when a sergeant was shot dead
almost on the spot where the general had been standing. All
that day, our men were hard at work throwing up breast
works, cutting abattis, etc. No attack was made on us, but
throughout that day and night, we heard Sedgwick fighting in
the direction of Fredericksburgh.
Tuesday morning, I knew by appearances that a retreat
was to be effected, as a large part of the artillery, all the am
bulances, etc., were removed across the river, although the men
were kept at work making line after line of trenches and
breastworks. Just before dark, the order of retreat came,
the Fifth and Twelfth Corps being the last to cross. About
four o'clock that afternoon it began to rain in torrents. There
were originally three pontoon bridges, but before most of the
crossing had been effected, the river became so swollen that
one of the bridges had to be taken up to piece out the other

136 Letters
two ; this caused a great delay. At about twelve, I was sent
down to the ford to examine into the condition of things ; it
was a terrible night, the wind blowing a gale and the rain
pouring, the road for a mile full of artillery. I found, at the
bridge, that not a thing was moving, and learned from General
Patrick that the order for retreat had been suspended and
everything was to move back to its former position. This
order came, remember, when half of the artillery was on the
north side of the Rappahannock, the soldiers without a ration
and the supply trains ten miles the other side of the river. I
ran my horse back to headquarters and made my report ; the
telegraph was down between U. S. Ford and Falmouth, where
Greneral Hooker was. General Slocum wrote a dispatch, say
ing, that unless the movement was continued, our army would
have to be surrendered within twenty-four hours ; this was
sent by an orderly who was ordered to kill his horse carrying
it. Then to prepare for the worst, General Slocum sent one
of his aides and myself back to the Ford to get our artillery
ready to move back into position, that our corps might,
at least, be ready to make a desperate fight in the morn
ing ; but at about two-thirty A. M., the messenger returned
from General Hooker with orders for the movement to
continue. At about five, one of our divisions began to cross. The two
or three succeeding hours were the most anxious I ever passed
in my life. A large part of our army was massed on the
south side of the river, only two bridges for the whole of it to
cross, the river full to the edge of its banks ; a very little extra
strain would have carried away the upper bridge, and this
would have swept away the, lower one and all retreat would
have been cut off. The rebel artillery began to fire on our

Letters 137
troops and bridges, but was silenced by our guns; we had
sixty in position on the north side.
It soon became evident that the enemy were not in force
in our vicinity, but for all that, it was one of the happiest
moments of my life when I saw the last of our corps over the
bridge. We all started then for Stafford C. H., where our
corps was ordered to its old camp. We arrived at our old
headquarters at about two P. M., and found, to our joy, that
our wagons had arrived and tents were being pitched. It was
not until after we were in comfortable quarters that the
terrible fatigue of the last ten days began to tell on us.
Since we had left Stafford, we had been without wagons or
blankets, with nothing to eat except pork and hard bread, and
half the time not even that, and we had averaged each day at
least twelve or sixteen hours in the saddle. The moment we
touched a seat, we sunk into the most profound sleep and
stayed in this condition for several hours. It may seem
strange to you that I speak of being happy to get back into
our old quarters, but you must remember that we had been
through danger and hardship for ten days and had met with
constant disappointment and were now safe back again where
we were going to have sleep, rest, and food.
Now, let us see what this campaign shows. It seems to
me that the plan was a very good one, with the exception
of separating Sedgwick with thirty thousand men from the
army, and that it was carried out with great success till
General Hooker arrived at Chancellorsville. The next thing
shown is that the commander of our army gained his position
by merely brag and blow, and that when the time came to
show himself, he was found without the qualities necessary
for a general. If another battle had been fought on Monday,

138 Letters
it would have been by the combined corps commanders, and
the battle would have been won.
I doubt if, ever in the history of this war, another chance
will be given us to fight the enemy with such odds in our
favor as we had last Sunday, and that chance has been worse
than lost to us. I don't believe any men ever fought better
than our Twelfth Corps, especially the First Division ; for
two hours, they held their ground without any support,
against the repeated assaults of the enemy ; they fired their
sixty rounds of cartridges and held their line with empty
muskets till ordered to fall back. The old Second, of course,
did splendidly, and lost heavily, twenty-two killed, one hun
dred and four wounded, ten missing; my company had five
killed and eleven wounded. Lieutenant Fitzgerald was
killed, Coggswell, Grafton, Perkins, and Powers, wounded.
George Thompson had a narrow escape ; a grape shot tore
one leg of his trousers and his coat almost off and grazed his
leg. Our colors got thirty new holes in them and the staff
(the third one), was smashed to pieces.*
You cannot imagine the amount of admiration I have for
General Slocum, for the gallant way in which he conducted
himself throughout the campaign, and his skillful manage
ment of his command ; then besides all that, we have been so
together, that he has seemed almost like my old friends in the
regiment. I have written in this letter a pretty full account of the
operations as I have seen them, and I don't believe any one
has had a better chance, for during the fighting, I was at
* Actual loss: 31 killed and mortally wounded, 91 wounded, 7
prisoners. Total loss, 129.

Letters 139
different times at every part of our lines, and in commu
nication with General Hooker and other generals.
Our staff casualties were as follows : — Lieutenant Tracy,
badly wounded in right arm, his horse shot in four places ;
one of our orderlies shot and two more horses. I feel thank
ful to have come out unharmed from so much danger. Tracy
was carrying an order to General Williams, when he was hit ;
somehow, he got outside our lines and was ordered to sur
render ; he said he thought he wouldn't, turned his horse and
ran for it, while the rebels put two volleys after him.
I telegraphed, last Monday, that I was all right ; I hope
you received the message. jt jt jt
Headquaetees Twelfth Coeps,
June 12, 1863.
The picked regiments of the different corps were sent off
with the cavalry Saturday evening on an expedition; of
course, this took in the Third Wisconsin and the Second
Massachusetts. I see by the papers that there has been a
fight and that our regiments have lost several men each.
tff* JF* <3^
Near Leesbueg, June 22, 1863.
I wrote a short note yesterday to let you know my where
abouts and relieve any anxiety you might feel for me ; to-day
I'll try to give you a few particulars of our movements.*
* The writer had been promoted to be Major of his regiment but had
not yet received his commission.

140 Letters
Friday, the 12th, I left headquarters, ease and luxury.
The regiment was still away with the cavalry. However, the
camp was standing and about . sixty men and two or three
officers were there who had been left behind for various
reasons, so I had a small command.
That night, orders came to march at daylight. We moved
back about three miles towards Acquia Creek, stayed there
through the day, and at night started forward again and
marched till eight the following morning, halting this side of
Dumfries. Sunday, we rested all day while the train of our
corps and the Sixth passed by. Monday, we started at three
in the morning and marched twenty-three miles under a burn
ing sun to Fairfax C. H., getting into camp about ten P. M.
This was a really terrible march ; the day was very hot and
a great part of the time we were marching side by side with
a column of wagons, which raised a dust that was almost
choking. Next morning, Tuesday, about eight, the Second
Massachusetts and Third Wisconsin made their appearance
from their cavalry excursion ; they marched into camp covered
with dust and dirt, but looking soldierly as ever. All the
regiments of the corps that were near by turned out to have
a look at them and give them very hearty greetings, for the
two old regiments are now pretty well known in the corps.
I had a very pleasant time hearing the accounts of the
fight at Beverly Ford ; all seemed to think that if they had
to fight cavalry only till the end of the war, they would
have a very jolly time. Whenever our infantry skirmishers
made their appearance, the cavalry left in a hurry, showing a
great respect for our Enfields.
A company of the Second and one of the Third Wisconsin,
made an attack on about two hundred of the enemy's cavalry

Letters 141
who were dismounted and lying behind a stone wall firing
their carbines ; our men, not numbering more than forty in
all, fired one volley, then made a rush, capturing over twenty
and finding, at least, as many killed by their shots. Wednes
day morning, we marched again to near Drainsville. Thurs
day, we marched again, reaching Leesburg towards night.
All of the corps, except our regiment and the Third Wis
consin with a battery of artillery, remained east of the town ;
we kept on a mile farther and occupied a fort and strong
position on one of the Katoctin Hills.
We are still in this same position, how long to remain, no
one here knows. Our army lies stretched away for a number
of miles towards Thoroughfare Gap, the Eleventh Corps
occupying an important position on our right, its flank touch
ing the Potomac.
We can only surmise whether Lee will attack us here or
not ; he is moving somewhere in our front but not very near.
We have at last had a severe rain storm and the weather is
more comfortable. It hailed for about an hour very severely ;
the hailstones were, at least, as large as rifle bullets ; I was
riding at the time and could hardly force my horse against
the storm ; he would rear and kick, and didn't seem to under
stand at all what was going on.
The battle that I spoke of yesterday proves to have been
quite a success for us ; we drove the rebels three miles and
captured three guns and some prisoners. Our wagon camp is
on the field where Ball's Bluff was fought. I am in command
of the regiment now, Major Mudge being on Court Martial.
I don't see anything of my commission yet.
«3* «3* «5*

142 Letters
Battlefield neab Gettysbubg, July 4, 1863.
I have again passed safely through a terrible battle of
three days. The regiment has lost terribly; two officers
killed, Major Mudge and Lieutenant Stone, Captains Robeson
and Fox mortally wounded, six other officers wounded, ninety-
five men wounded, thirty killed.*
The battle isn't over, but I hope we've seen the worst
of it. iIF* t2** v^
Neab Williamspoet, July 13, 1863.
We are now in line of battle fortifying our position. The
enemy is in front ; I don't think Meade is at all anxious to
make the attack, for we don't believe as the papers do, that
we have a demoralized army to fight, but one nearly as
strong as we are, in a good position for defence ; still I think
there will be a fight before they get over the river.
The first chance I have, I will write you an account of our
part of the battle of Gettysburg. It was a fierce fight ; we
made one charge which was the bravest thing I ever saw. It
was in this that Colonel Mudge and most of the officers and
men were hit. There are only four of the old officers left in
the field and line of this regiment now, Coggswell, myself,
Francis and Brown ; of twelve officers who have been killed,
eleven came out with the regiment.
I received a very handsome letter from General Andrews
yesterday in which he offered me the colonelcy of a colored
* Actual loss: 45 killed and mortally wounded, 90 wounded, 5
prisoners. Total loss, 140.

Letters 143
regiment. He is to have the organization and command of a
Corps d'Afrique consisting of twenty regiments of infantry,
one regiment of cavalry and four batteries. Under the cir
cumstances I shall refuse, but I consider it a great honor,
coming from him. j* j* j»
Pleasant Valley, July 17, 1863.
As usual it is raining to-day, for I think it has rained al
most every day for three weeks, more or less, so I am going
to write to you some account of our last campaign.
I believe my last letter describing our progress was from
Leesburg. From there, by a succession of long marches, we
went to Littleton ; here we had a little excitement caused by
a cavalry skirmish just in front of us, but we were not called
on to do anything. The first of July, we moved towards
Gettysburg to a small place called " Two Taverns ; " there we
began to hear cannonading in our front, and in the afternoon,
we were ordered forward to support the force which was en
gaged. We were put into position but did nothing that after
noon and lay on our arms that night. We heard, that night,
of the death of General Reynolds. Next morning, we changed
position again. It was a fine place in a beautiful, open wood.
About three o'clock in the afternoon, the battle began on the
left ; the musketry became fearful ; it was a terribly anxious
time with us, more so, I think, than if we were actually en
gaged. Every eye was turned in the direction of the firing,
fearful lest at any moment we might see our troops coming
back through the woods. Happily, we saw no such sight, but
we did see, with pleasure, the old Fifth Corps going up to
support the gallant troops who were fighting.

144 Letters
About half-past six our turn came ; we, too, were ordered
from the right to the left ; only one brigade of our corps was
left in the breastwork we had constructed. We arrived on
the battle-ground, but before we got there the enemy had
been repulsed severely, so back we started to our old position.
It was now between eight and nine o'clock, clear and moon
light. While we had been away, Mr. Johnny Reb had come
with a strong force and got our breastworks ; the brigade left
behind had had a severe fight and had partially driven the
enemy out, but darkness came on, and the fight stopped. Our
brigade was ordered to advance cautiously, and get into the
breastwork. We crept quietly along ; not a word was spoken
nor an unnecessary noise made. All the regiments had got
into their former positions without trouble except the Second.
We were just marching out of the woods into a little open
meadow in the clear moonlight, when our skirmishers brought
in a rebel prisoner ; this showed our proximity to the enemy,
so we changed our front and made preparation to fight for our
position. The skirmishers were reinforced and again advanced. In
five minutes we had captured a captain and twenty-two other
prisoners ; still not a shot was fired. These men appeared to
be stragglers who had lost their command. We began to
think that, after all, perhaps there was no force in front of
us ; so the regiment was again ordered to advance. Colonel
Mudge put me in charge of the line of skirmishers ; the
meadow was narrow, and we soon entered the woods again,
where it was quite dark. We crawled along cautiously and
quietly, till we began to hear a confused sound of talking in
front of us ; we now halted. Not daring to do anything more
without being certain what troops they were (for we knew

Letters 145
our Second Division was trying to work down towards us), I
ordered two men to go forward and ask them. They walked
up to within a few paces of the line ; one of them said,
"Boys, what regiment do you belong to?" The reply was,
"Twenty-third." "Twenty-third what?" "Twenty-third
Virginia." Then some one cried out, " Why, they are
Yanks," and seized one of my men ; the other bolted back
to me and escaped. *» I sent word back to Colonel Mudge
what I had discovered, and he withdrew the regiment beyond
the meadow.
The behavior of the rebels puzzled me ; I couldn't make
out what they were up to ; they were certainly there within
talking distance, but they seemed in confusion as if they
didn't know their ground and showed no inclination to fire
or advance upon us. I now resolved on a bold stroke. The
men were ordered to advance with some noise; almost in
stantly the challenge rang out from the rebel lines, "Who
comes there ? " Captain Fox had received his instructions
and called out in answer, " Surrender ! Come into our lines."
The impudence of this request must have struck the rebel
commander, for his answer was, in a loud voice, " Battalion,
ready, aim, fire ! " A heavy volley was fired, but luckily the
ground where we were was low and the men scattered at
intervals, so that not much damage was done, only three men
being wounded.
They followed this up by a rush, and we ran for it;
they followed only a short distance, but I made up my
mind that we had had enough skylarking for one night, and
returned therefore with all the men to the regiment, bringing
three more rebel prisoners. It was now between twelve and
one i we lay down with arms in our hands, to get a little rest.

146 Letters
At the first streak of daylight, we were waked up by heavy
musketry firing in the direction of our second division, the
enemy being in force between our two divisions.
Captain Robeson with his company were out as skirmishers
in front of our line ; they became engaged as soon as it was
light enough to see anything. At about half-past five, Colo
nel Colgrove gave the order to Colonel Mudge to advance
his regiment and charge the woods opposite us. Colonel
Mudge gave the order, " Forward ; " the men jumped over
the breastworks and rushed forward with a splendid cheer.
We had to cross the little meadow I have spoken of ; here was
where we suffered so heavily ; the enemy was in the woods
and we in the open. We reached the opposite woods and
commenced firing at the shortest range I have ever seen two
lines engaged at. We fought the rebs before us for about
ten minutes ; then I learned that Colonel Mudge had been hit
and that I was in command; I was on the left at the time.
I went up to the right to see how things were getting along
there ; I found, to my surprise, that the regiment that had
advanced with us was not on our right and the enemy were
working round that way trying to get in our rear. I ordered
a change of position to the rear, throwing our right back a
little, which put the rebels in as bad a place as they thought
to put us and we drove them back again. We stayed here
till all our ammunition was expended, when we were ordered
back by Colonel Colgrove.
It was a sad thing calling the rolls and looking at the
vacant places of so many officers ; our only consolation was
that they had done their duty nobly in as brave an action as
ever a regiment went into. Five color bearers were shot
down, one after another, three were killed, two badly

Letters 147
wounded, but the tattered flag never touched the ground.
The third man who seized it jumped on to a rock in advance
of the regiment and waved it triumphantly in the air, but the
brave action cost him his life ; he fell dead beside the others. •
[During the interval between the next letter and the preceding one,
the writer was on detached service engaged in bringing conscripts from
Long Island, Boston Harbor, to the Army of the Potomac]
jt jt jt
Washington, October 2, 1863.
I arrived here this morning. The Twelfth and Eleventh
Corps have gone to Nashville under command of General
Hooker, probably to relieve some troops which have gone
forward to Chattanooga. General Slocum's resignation was
not accepted and he has gone in command of the corps.
I shall probably leave here at six thirty, P. M., and travel
all night. JF* JF* Jf*
Wabteace, Tenn., October 15, 1863.
You see where I am at once, but before telling you how it
came about I will go back a little. My last letter was from
Nashville, dated the 8th. The next day, Friday, the railroad
was reopened. I took a train about two, P. M., and started to
find my regiment. At Murfreesboro, where we arrived about
five, I came across General Williams and staff, who told me
that the Second was at Christiana, about ten miles further on.
lt was after dark before we got there, but the regiment was
near at hand, and I soon found myself in camp again, much to

148 Letters

the surprise of the Colonel and other officers, who welcomed
me with open arms. That night, I returned to first princi
ples, hard bread and coffee out of a tin cup, sleeping under a
shelter tent with no covering but my rubber cloak. We were
roused up before daylight in the morning, to start on a long
march towards Tullahoma. I started on foot, but one of
General Ruger's aides soon after furnished me with an ancient
Government animal which had been turned away as unfit for
service and was caparisoned with a saddle and bridle of the
country, in a very lamentable state of decay ; however, this
was better than walking, so I mounted him, not without
serious misgivings that I should suddenly be lowered to the
ground by reason of his knees giving way under him. This
did occur once when I urged him to a trot, but I stuck man
fully to my seat and made him rise with me.
Colonel Cogswell's charger was also of the Rosinante pat
tern, and being white showed his " points " to a still greater
advantage. Thus mounted, you can imagine we did not make
a very imposing appearance. We marched till eight P. M.,
accomplishing about twenty-four miles, and camped in a corn
field. We were off again before daylight the next morning,
and marched fifteen miles to within four miles of Deckard,
camping on the banks of the Elk Run, over which there is an
important railroad bridge. For the present, this bridge is to be
guarded by our regiment, the Third Wisconsin, One Hundred
and Seventh New York, First Tennessee Black Regiment, a bat
tery and a few other detachments. Our camp was right along
side of the " darks." Their Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel
came over to see us and proved to be very pleasant gentlemen ;
they were profuse in their offers of hospitality. This is one
very noticeable characteristic of western officers ; no matter

Letters 149
how rough they are, or how much they blow for their army,
etc., they are perfectly liberal in their ideas and are as hospi
table as men can be, offering us horses, rations or anything
else we want. They brag a great deal of the fighting and
marching of the Army of the Cumberland, and pretend to
think that the Army of the Potomac has done very little of
either, but the western regiments in our corps give these
gentlemen very emphatic information as to our fights and
losses, and they seldom have as good stories to tell in return.
They acknowledge to have been very severely handled both
at Stone River and Chickamauga, although at the former place,
the enemy retreated and we claimed a victory.
To go back to the black regiment. The night of our
arrival, we all went over to see dress parade. We were told
beforehand by Colonel Thompson (formerly of General Rose-
crans' staff) that his men had not been in camp quite a month
and had not yet been drilled on account of the heavy amount
of picket duty, so we went prepared to excuse a great deal.
I was very agreeably surprised by the whole appearance of
the regiment ; the men had a soldierly bearing, marched well,
and stood in line better than nine-tenths of the white regi
ments I have seen. I didn't have an opportunity, myself,
but the Colonel and Major both visited their picket line, and
said that they never saw sentinels do their duty better. These
men are nearly all of the blackest description, and very
ignorant. All our privates went over to see their parade. I would
not want any severer critics. During the whole ceremony I
saw no sneering or attempt to laugh, and after it was all
over and the companies were marching off, our men applauded
by a very hearty clapping. I looked upon this as a very

150 Letters
strong indication of what the general feeling would be among
our troops.
Monday morning, I received a telegram ordering me to
report at corps headquarters at Wartrace. I was very much
surprised at receiving it, as General Slocum had given me no
intimation of it at Nashville. I felt sorry to leave the regi
ment so soon again ; but, of course, there were some reasons
that made me glad to get to, headquarters. I received that
night the written order appointing me Provost Marshal and
acting Assistant Adjutant General of the Twelfth Corps.
JF* JF* iff*
Warteace, Tenn., October 23, 1863.
We had just got comfortably settled down at this place
when, yesterday, orders came to General Slocum to concen
trate his corps as soon as possible at Bridgeport. The move
ment has commenced, and we shall probably break camp
bo-morrow. The change in commanders has, of course, been
an important topic with us for the last few days. A man
takes a great responsibility on his shoulders now, when he
accepts the command of an army. We are fortunate in hav
ing as good a man as Thomas for the successor of Rosecrans.
There is a great chance to speculate on the coming campaign.
We have rumors that two corps are moving east on the
Memphis and Charleston R. R. This force, with the Twelfth
and Eleventh Corps and Burnside's army, if concentrated at
Chattanooga, would undoubtedly be large enough to give
battle to Bragg, with a more than even chance of success.
But the risk of having communication cut off is very great if
our corps is entirely removed from the railroad ; it leaves

Letters 151
about one hundred and twenty miles of road almost without a
guard, and there is a succession of high trestle-work bridges
all the way from Nashville to Bridgeport. At this present
moment there is a band of some eight hundred guerrilla cav
alry within twenty-five miles of this place, lying in wait for
any opportunities they may have to destroy property. A
strong force of cavalry could, within three days of our de
parture, stop this road- from running for weeks. Still, I sup
pose that we have the chance of fighting Bragg before he can
take advantage of this. Our worst enemy now is the weather.
It has rained almost every day for the last ten days, and is
very cold and disagreeable ; the roads, of course, are fearfully
muddy; they are quite equal to Virginia roads. I have
great confidence in General Thomas. General Slocum knew
him well before the war, and has the highest kind of opinion
of him ; he says he is as high-minded, noble, and kind-hearted
a man as ever lived ; that he has always opposed all kinds of
humbug, and has never allowed any newspaper reporters
about his corps, for which reason he hasn't enjoyed the bril
liant reputation of a certain stripe of officers. He has really
fine qualities, and I hope will be allowed to keep command.
t^* i&* *ff*
Wabteace, Tenn., October 28, 1863.
When I wrote you last, I thought we were off immediately
for the front, but the following day brought a great many
changes of orders, the final ones being that General Slocum,
with one division, should remain on the railroad, and that the
other division should concentrate at Bridgeport, to march
from there to Chattanooga.

152 Letters
Although we are very pleasantly situated here and are
living very comfortably, I should very much prefer to be with
the main army at the front. Rumor says that Buell is to be
Grant's chief of staff. I hope this may be so ; I don't think
that he has ever been justly appreciated. Old officers of the
regular army say that Buell is the abler man of the two. Of
course, now that Rosecrans is down, every cur has to have his
snarl and bite at him. The Washington Chronicle has in
dulged in one of its characteristic articles about him. In
some degree, I think he has brought it upon himself ; he was
before the public a great deal in the newspapers while he was
in command of the Army of the Cumberland, and very often
made public speeches and wrote public letters.
There is no use for a general to try and get popularity by
anything except his acts ; newspaper talk does very well for
a time, but it does not last or produce any impression on sen
sible men. Every one knows, nowadays, that he can get a
puff by entertaining a correspondent well, and that the latter
will flatter his vanity by praising his military ability. The
men who stand best to-day with the army have hardly ever
had their names in print except in public documents, like
Sedgwick, Sykes, Hancock and their class.
JF1 ' JF* t2&
notes feom a jouenal.
When we first came to this place, General Slocum received
a telegram from headquarters which said that if we needed
any scouting or important secret service done, We had better
use a certain John Douglas, who was very faithful and
efficient. The General told me he wanted me to take charge

Letters 153
of everything in the scouting department, and that I had
better see Douglas as soon as possible. At this point, it is
very necessary to depend on scouts and citizens, as our force
is very small and we are entirely without cavalry, so I sent
for Douglas and he came to see me the next morning.
I was very much struck by his appearance; he was the
first man who came up at all to my idea of what a scout should
be like. He is a man about fifty years old, I should think,
medium size and a little bent over, but with a very tough,
hard looking frame ; his striking features, though, are his
eyes ; they are jet black and piercing in their expression, with
a restless, eager look, as if he was always expecting to see the
rifle of an enemy sticking out from behind a tree or bush ; his
eyebrows are also black, but his hair has turned gray with
age. His walk was very peculiar, and was exactly like that
described of Leather-stocking in the " Deerslayer," a sort of
gait which, without seeming to be much exertion, was equal
to what we call a dog trot. He made me think of all the
old backwoods heroes I had ever read of, from Daniel Boone
down. I found that he had papers from Rosecrans, Burnside,
Dupont and several others, all testifying to his marked ability
and energy, and his entire knowledge of every part of Ten
nessee and northern Georgia, and Alabama. I talked with
him some time and found that he was very intelligent and
well informed.
A few days after my first interview with Douglas, I
received a telegram from Murfreesboro stating that they had
certain information thatr a band of six or eight hundred
guerrillas were in the neighborhood of McMinnville. I
sent for Douglas and told him I wanted to know the truth of

154 Letters
the story. He didn't stay five minutes after I had told him
the rumor ; this was about seven o'clock in the evening. The
next afternoon, about three o'clock, he made his appearance
and said the story was true ; since he left me, he had ridden
nearly seventy miles to within three or four miles of the
guerrilla camp. The next day we were told by some citizens
that this cavalry was supported by infantry, and that it was
the advance of a portion of Bragg's army. We didn't believe
this at all ; still I was anxious to find out just what the force
was. I sent Douglas out again, telling him to find out every
particular before he came back. He was gone two days, and
on his return, he said he had spent several hours inside the
enemy's camp ; his information proved that we had nothing
at all to fear from them except depredations. I asked him
how he got inside their lines; he said that the picket he
passed was a very green-looking countryman ; that when he
approached, he was ordered to halt ; he rode up to the picket
and said he was a bearer of dispatches to the commanding
officer. " Who is the commanding officer ? " said the sentinel.
" That is nothing to do with your instructions, and you will
get into difficulty if you don't let me pass." The sentinel
passed him, and he went inside and talked with the men and
officers and saw the commanders. There was nothing remark
able in this, but a man discovered as a spy by these guerrillas
would be hung or have his throat cut five minutes after he
was caught.
• The pay Douglas gets as chief of scouts of this vicinity is
only three dollars per day, very small compensation for the
risk. He has told me a number of stories of the sufferings of
East Tennesseeans ; they are equal to any of Brownlow's ; he
says there is no exaggeration in the latter's statements.

Letters 155
He told me of one young lady who lived with her
mother near Knoxville, whose brothers and father were
strong Unionists. They had hidden away among the moun
tains. He described her as a very refined, well educated
young woman. One day, a party of guerrillas came to her
house and took her and her mother out in the woods and
tied them to a tree ; they then asked them to tell where
their men relations were hidden ; they refused to tell them ;
these brutes gave them each a terrible whipping, but they
still refused to give them any information. These chivalric
gentlemen then put nooses round their necks, untied them and
threatened them with instant hanging if they didn't tell what
they required. The young girl told them they might be able
to torture her more than she could bear, but before she would
say one word that would compromise her father or brothers,
she would bite off her tongue and spit it in their rebel faces.
They raised them off the ground three times, nearly
killing them. Afterwards, this same girl became a spy for
our cavalry and led them on several successful expeditions.
Douglas was on one of them, and said that during a fight that
occurred, she insisted on staying under the heaviest of the
fire. She used sometimes to go inside the rebel lines and act
as nurse in one of the rebel hospitals ; after she had got all
the information that she could, she would return inside our
lines and tell what she had found out.
Yesterday there was very near being a terrible accident on
the railroad, about fifty miles from here, in amongst the
mountains. Some infernal guerrillas put a species of torpedo
underneath a rail, just before the passenger train from Nash
ville was due. Fortunately a locomotive came along just
before it and set the machine off ; the explosion was tremen-

156 Letters
dous ; the engine and tender were blown to pieces ; railroad
ties and rails were blown as high as the tops of trees; the
engineer was thrown twenty or thirty feet and severely in
jured. If it had not been for this locomotive, probably hun
dreds of men would have been killed and wounded, as the
cars go crowded with officers and soldiers. The perpetrator
of this outrage, of course, could not be discovered, but a man
living near by seemed to be implicated, and his house and
barn were burnt.
They are very summary in dealing with guerrillas in this
country when they catch them. There is one despatch from
General Crook to Rosecrans on record to this effect : that he
(Crook) fell in with a party of guerrillas, twenty in number ;
that in the fight, twelve of them were killed and the rest
were taken prisoners. He regrets to state that on the march
to camp, the eight were so unfortunate as to fall off a log and
break their necks. iff* »ff* Jr*
Tullahoma, Tenn., November 22, 1863.
We have been moving about so much lately that I have
omitted to write my usual quota of letters. A little more
than a week ago, General Slocum received orders to remove
his headquarters to Murfreesboro ; we arrived there about a
week ago Friday, and established ourselves in Rosecrans' old
headquarters, the residence of a rebel congressman. Before
the war, it must have been a very elegant house, and even as
we found it, stripped as it was of all furniture, it seemed
quite magnificent to us after living in tents. My room had
been the front drawing room and was still decorated by a

Letters 157
white marble mantlepiece and bronze chandelier. Every
room in the house had a fine, open fireplace in it. •
We lived here very comfortably till last Monday, when
General Slocum was ordered to Tullahoma on account of a
new disposition of troops along the road. We left Murfrees
boro Wednesday mprning ; that same morning Colonel Rogers
started home on a sick leave, so that I became acting Assist
ant Adjutant General' of the corps for the time being. The
day was a perfect one, and both ourselves and horses felt
in fine spirits for a march. Our intention was to ride to
Shelbyville that day, about twenty miles. We passed through
some of the finest farming country in middle Tennessee, and
had a fine chance to see and enjoy it. Much of the land had
been used for raising cotton, and occasionally we would meet
a wagon-load of this valuable article on its way to Nashville.
I don't know when I've enjoyed a ride so much as I did the
one that day. We arrived in Shelbyville about sunset. This
town is the second in size in Tennessee, and has been a very
pretty place, almost like a Northern one ; it has been the
stronghold of the Unionists of the State. During Wheeler's
raid the place was entered by the rebels, and every store
and many of the houses were stripped of every article of
value. A gentleman named Ramsay invited the General and
myself to stop at his house ; we accepted the invitation and
were treated with great hospitality. Our host was one of
the leading Union men of the county, and we have since
learned that it was in a great measure owing to him that the
neighborhood had been kept so loyal. The county voted
against secession by a very large majority. We left Shelby
ville about eleven o'clock the next morning. Our ride that

158 Letters
day was through a much wilder country than we had passed
through on the day preceding ; much of the road was nothing
more than a cart-path through the woods, but this was very
favorable for horseback riding, and we got along pretty fast.
General Slocum came near meeting with a severe accident
that afternoon. We were galloping along quite fast when
his horse, a large, heavy animal, struck a bad place in the
road and fell forward upon his knees ; before he could be re
covered he rolled over on his side, pinning the General's leg
to the ground. We all sprang from our horses, and, after
some little struggling on the part of the horse, the General was
extricated from his dangerous position. We all thought his
leg was broken, for he looked deadly pale, but he relieved our
anxiety by saying that he was all right, and after lying down
a few minutes, he mounted his other horse and we rode on
again. Tullahoma was reached about six P. M., after a ride
of twenty-three or four miles. 1&r* Jf^ Jr^
Tullahoma, Tenn., November 28, 1863.
We are in the midst of exciting news from the front, yet
we have had no particulars. It is evident, however, that we
have taken several thousand prisoners and a large quantity
of artillery.* Since the fight at Wauhatchie, there has been no slurring
of the Army of the Potomac men. That little affair was a
great thing for us. By our own and rebel accounts, there
* The battles of Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain.

Letters 159
is no doubt that our men fought most gallantly there against
superior numbers of their old antagonists.
Every train that comes from the South brings a load of
prisoners or wounded men, and rumors that fighting is still
going on at the front. It seems to me, now, for the first time
since the war began, that the rebellion is nearly crushed.
They have not met with any very decisive success for nearly
six months, and are now contracted into the smallest territory
they have ever occupied.
Atlanta is our important point now ; get that, and we
have again cut the Confederacy in two, and in a vital place.
What a glorious thing it would be if we could wind up this
rebellion before our original three years are out ! It would
exceed all my expectations to do this.
Thanksgiving Day was a very pleasant one, warm and
bright as May. I took an escort of half a dozen cavalry and
rode down to the regiment, which is about ten miles from
here. I found them camped very comfortably just outside
strong earthworks built to command the railroad bridge over
the Elk river. Colonel Coggswell is in command of the post
and has a battery in addition to his regiment. He has made
himself very strong, and could defend the place against a
large force.
I took a very quiet dinner with the field and staff. Of
course we could not help thinking of our other Thanksgiving
Days in the regiment, and it brought up many sad memories.
At our first dinner at Seneca, Maryland, all our old officers
were present; last year there had been many changes, but
there were still left a goodly number of the old stock, and
we were knit closer together by our losses. This year I
couldn't help a feeling of desolation as I remembered that, of

160 Letters
all my friends in the regiment, very few were left. How
little I thought, when we left Camp Andrews, that we should
have such a sad experience !
In looking over his trunks for a photograph, Colonel
Coggswell found a letter that had come for me while I was
in Massachusetts ; he gave it to me, and I found the ad
dress was in Bob Shaw's writing. You can imagine how
glad I was to get it. I always thought it a little strange
that he had not answered my last letter. I opened it the
first chance I got. It was mostly a description of his
movements to Darien and other places ; but at the close
he spoke in a very feeling way of our friendship and in
timacy, and of his happiness since his marriage. It was
written on the 3rd of July ; in it he asked to be remembered
to Robeson, Mudge, and Tom Fox ; little did he think that,
at the moment he wrote, one of them was lying dead on the
field of battle, and the other two suffering with mortal
wounds. The men of the regiment had a very pleasant day ; they
had plenty of geese and turkeys for dinner, and in the even
ing the brigade band came down from Tullahoma, and gave
them some music. I am glad that our men have each been
able to keep this day somewhat as if they had been at home.
I stayed next morning, and saw guard mounting done as it
is done nowhere else, and then rode back here again.
Jr* Jr* tff*
Tullahoma, Tenn., December 24, 1863.
In my last letter, I spoke of having something important
to write in a day or two ; I referred to the very matter that
you speak of in your letter, the re-enlistment of the old regi-

Letters 161
ment. I have always been very earnest about it, but little
was done in the matter till quite lately. Last Saturday
night, General Ruger came over to headquarters and told us
that the Third Wisconsin was busy re-enlisting and meant to
get home during the holidays.
The next morning, I wrote as stirring a letter as I could
to Colonel Coggswell ; it had the effect to bring him to head
quarters that same afternoon. We consulted together for
some time ; I found that he was very enthusiastic and quite
sanguine about the success of the movement, and that he
spoke the sentiments of nearly all the officers of the regiment.
The next day the colonel made a speech to the men and a
good start was made, nearly one hundred putting their names
down. On Tuesday, I went over to the camp ; I found that
some companies had done nobly, having already more than
filled their quota (that is, more than three-quarters) ; others
were hanging back. My old company hadn't made much of a
start. I made them a little speech at "tattoo," and per
suaded some half-a-dozen to face the music again. So far,
we have got about a hundred and fifty names, that is, a little
more than half the requisite number.
Colonel Coggswell writes me to-night that everything is
going on well, so that I've strong hopes of ultimate success,
but I shall not give way to any excitement about it at
present. The spirit with which the line officers have gone into this
thing is most noble. There's that young Crowninshield, with
three bullet holes in his body, who is the most active of any
of them, and has secured a great part of his company. One
thing is sure — the bounty money is having very little to do
with this re-enlistment ; I don't think one man in ten thinks

162 Letters
of it as a consideration ; the going home is what moves them.
These old fellows who have been knocking about, and have
been shot at for the last three years, may not have much care
for money now, but they all show that they have not forgotten
their homes and families. I tell you, if they do go in again,
it will show what splendid stuff they are made of, and the
regiment should gain more honor and credit for this than for
any other act in its history.
You can easily imagine that it takes some inducement a
good deal stronger than money to get soldiers in the ranks to
exchange comfortable homes and firesides for the hard knocks
and dangers of a campaign.
It is rather exciting to think of marching through Boston
with our drum corps and old flag riddled with bullet holes.*
jt Jt j»
Tullahoma, Tenn., March 24, 1864.
As I was sitting here writing this evening, a despatch
for the General came into the office, which has brightened
me up amazingly and put quite a new aspect upon the face of
affairs. It was, in effect, that as soon as certain blockhouses
were completed along the road, they would be occupied by
small garrisons ; the rest of the corps, with the exception of
garrisons at Nashville and Murfreesboro, would go under
General Slocum to the front. Isn't this glorious news ? Of
course, we can't tell yet whether we are going to the actual
front of the army, yet it is certain we are going to have a
chance. * A sufficient number of the regiment re-enlisted to secure a fur
lough, and it returned to Boston in a body with all of its officers.

Letters 163
Tullahoma, Tenn.,
April 10, 1864.
The Twelfth Corps has officially ceased to exist, and Gen
eral Slocum has issued his farewell order, a copy of which I
enclose.* Last Thursday the officers of our regiment, accompanied
by those stationed at this post, brought the band over and
paid their respects to the General. Colonel Coggswell made
a very good speech ; General Slocum tried to "reply, but was
so affected he could hardly speak, the tears running down his
cheeks, but he finally managed to get through, and invited
the officers to come in and spend the evening with him.
There was plenty inside to eat and drink, and with the play
ing of the band and singing by a choir of officers of our regi
ment, a very pleasant evening was spent. The General was
very much pleased with the whole affair, and will carry with
him some very pleasant associations connected with our
regiment. I think I was mistaken, when writing my last letter, about
the extent of the command at Vicksburg. From what I have
heard since, I judge that it is quite an important district,
though it may not be considered as important a command
as a corps.
Well, the old institutions are broken up, and we must
bear it as philosophically as possible.
j* j» j*

* The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were consolidated into the Twen
tieth Corps, under command of General Hooker.

164 Letters
Foub miles S. W. Ringgold, Ga.,
May 6, 1864.
An opportunity offers to write and send a letter, and I
avail myself of it.
We left Tullahoma on the 28th of April, and, after a
series of hard marches, arrived here last night, having come
about a hundred miles. If I had time, I would write partic
ulars of this trip, as it was, in some respects, a very interest
ing one. m
We are now in position about five miles from Tunnel Hill,
our corps forming the right flank of the army. In front of
and extending along our line is Taylor's Ridge, where we
picket. Sherman is evidently concentrating a very large
force here. The troops from Knoxville are at Ringgold, and
McPherson is moving Logan's Corps somewhere off on our
right. We all have perfect confidence that, if we can get at
these beggars over there, we can give them an awful thrash
ing ; but the question is, will they wait for our attack ? I
believe, though, it is Sherman's plan to follow them up very
rapidly, as transportation for everything except rations is re
duced to the minimum. J- * J*
Cassville, Ga., May 20, 1864.
I take this, my first opportunity since the fight of the
15th, to let you know that I am alive and well. I will tell
you briefly what we have done since my last letter was writ
ten from near Ringgold.

Letters 165
May 7th, we marched about seven miles to Trickam P. 0.,
taking up our position in line opposite Buzzard's Roost, which
the enemy held in force. On the 8th and 9th we lay quietly
in bivouac.
About seven A. M., on the 10th, we were moved off by a
circuitous route to the southwest, passing through Snake
Creek Gap in the afternoon, and camping at its outlet in the
rear of McPherson's force. During May 12th the whole
army, with the exception of the Fourth Corps and Stoneman's
cavalry, concentrated in our vicinity. On the 13th every
thing moved forward towards Resaca, going into position
near the enemy, and endeavors were made to bring on a gen
eral engagement ; nothing more than skirmishing resulted,
however. On the 14th, fighting began early and lasted through
out the day ; late in the afternoon we moved to the extreme
left, where Howard (who had come down from Dalton)
had been heavily engaged and worsted. We double-quicked
into line, and opened on the rebels as they were advancing
with a yell to take a battery from which they had driven our
men ; our fire checked them, then drove them back, and we
advanced with a cheer, regaining all the lost ground. By the
time we had done this, it was eight o'clock and bright moon
light, so our line was halted and strengthened during the
night by a strong line of works. Early next morning, our
regiment was selected to make a reconnoisance in our front
to discover the position of the enemy. This was a very deli
cate manoeuvre, but was capitally executed by Colonel Coggs
well with the loss of only two men ; the regiment behaved
perfectly, not firing a shot, though under quite a disagreeable
fire from skirmishers.

166 Letters
We developed the enemy's line and then returned, having
done exactly what we were ordered to do. Soon after our
return, our whole corps (now about twenty-two thousand
strong), was massed for a tremendous attack on the enemy's
right. At one P. M., we moved rapidly forward and became
at once engaged ; our regiment* was in the front line, sup
ported on the left by the Twenty-seventh Indiana and on the
right by the Third Wisconsin. We advanced about a half
mile and then were stopped by a line of breastworks. Our
skirmishers crawled to within a hundred yards of them, and
our line formed close in the rear. We were hardly settled
in position when the enemy massed quite a body of troops in
our immediate front and advanced to the attack, with the
evident intention of turning our left, which had become some
what exposed ; our regiment and the Twenty-seventh Indiana
marched forward and met them with a cheer half way, and
poured a terrible fire into their ranks, following it up with
the " Virginia " style of shooting. The enemy seemed per
fectly astonished, and fired wild and high ; in less than half
an hour, we had fairly whipped, with our two regiments, a
rebel brigade of five regiments, killing and capturing large
numbers of them ; our right and left did equally well. Night
came on and the fighting ceased. The next morning, on ad
vancing, we found no enemy. Since then, by a series of
marches, we have reached this place. Yesterday, we came
up with the enemy and had a very lively skirmish ; they left
during the night. To-day we have been resting. The news
from Virginia is grand, but the details terrible. So far, our
losses in the regiment have been about thirty killed and
wounded, no officers hurt. This is written in haste and with
very little idea when it can be mailed.

Letters 167
May 22, 1864.
I open my letter again as an opportunity now offers of
sending it quite direct. To-day the term of service of the
old men of the regiment expires, and they start for Chatta
nooga to be mustered out ; the Colonel and several other
officers go with them to sign the necessary papers. Colonel
Coggswell has just received an order to go to Massachusetts
to expedite the forwarding of recruits to the regiment ; he
will give you the latest intelligence about me. You see by
this, that for the present, I shall have command of the vet
erans, — not many of them, but men who can fight their
weight, and a little more, anywhere..
To-morrow, in the words of Sherman's general order, we
start on another " grand forward movement," with rations and
forage for twenty days. Atlanta is evidently our destination ;
whether we shall reach it or not remains to be seen. One
thing we are certain of — Johnston cannot stop us with his
army ; we can whip that wherever we can get at it. I wish
the Army of the Potomac had no greater obstacle. We are
now in a decidedly warm climate ; the weather averages as
warm as ours in July and August ; what it will be when
these months come, .we can only imagine. I am, as usual,
enjoying perfectly good health, and shall stand this campaign
as I have all my others.
It is very painful to read the losses of friends in Virginia,
— Stevenson, Abbott, and others. Here, outside of our own
divisions, we know scarcely any one.
J. jt jt

168 Letters Kingston, Ga., May 31, 1864.
My last letter was written from Cassville, and sent by
Colonel Coggswell. On the 23rd the whole army made a
movement forward, and successfully crossed the Etowah River
by various bridges, camping on the south bank. The next
day the Altoona mountains were reached and crossed, no
great opposition being made except by cavalry. On the 25th
the army moved, by several roads, towards Dallas, and skir
mishing began. Suddenly an order came to halt, face about,
recross the creek, and move to the left to support Geary. As
I was crossing the bridge, an order came to me saying that
the Second Massachusetts had been especially detailed by
General Hooker to remain on that road and hold the bridge
on which we had crossed.
About five P. M., I heard our division " go in " about
three miles on my left with a tremendous crash of musketry
ahd artillery ; the fighting seemed to last an hour, then sud
denly stopped. The next morning I heard about our divi
sion's fight.
As soon as they arrived on the ground, they were formed
in three lines, and made an impetuous attack on the enemy
for nearly a mile into a strong line of works. Then Sherman
found that he had the whole of Johnston's army in his front ;
he therefore immediately began concentrating his army, which
was accomplished during the day of the 26th. McPherson,
driving the enemy out of Dallas, formed in front of that
place. His army constituted the right wing, Thomas the
centre, and Schofield the left. Our division suffered severely
in the fight, losing about a thousand killed and wounded, one-
half being out of our brigade.

Letters 169
On the 29th I reported at headquarters. I found the
division in reserve, a large part of it escorting trains to
the rear. ^p* iff* iff*
Neab Ackwobth's Station,
June 9, 1864.
My last was from Kingston ; that place we left on the 4th,
being part of a force to guard twelve hundred wagons to
the front. Four days of hard work, night and day, carried
us over the Altoona mountains to this place, where we joined
the brigade.
We now occupy a very strong position, with the enemy
in our immediate front. Their pickets and ours are on per
fectly good terms : the men off duty meet each other between
the lines, exchange papers, and barter sugar and coffee for
tobacco. We shall probably make another grand movement in
a day or two, which will carry us somewhere near Atlanta.
The loss in our corps so far has been about four thousand
killed and wounded, — a heavier loss, I think, than any other
corps has sustained in this army. We were about twenty-five
thousand strong at the beginning of this campaign. Life is
cheap this year almost everywhere in the army.
We don't indulge ourselves now in any irregularities of
diet, but stick consistently to our pork and hard-tack moist
ened with coffee. Most of us probably eat about a third as
much in weight as if we were at home doing nothing. Still,
I have never felt in better health in my life, and feel strong
and fit for work, notwithstanding the hot sun.
We are so far from home (that is, this army) that I don't
think the newspapers pay much attention to what we are

170 Letters
about, and seem to be conveying the idea that Johnston has
only a small force, and is constantly reducing it to help Lee
out of his scrape. I don't know how large an army is in our
front, but I do know that wherever we bulge out, we find
rebels who fire bullets fully as injurious to the health as any
I have ever seen used. As yet we have had no great battles,
but there has been a great deal of sharp fighting. I think
Sherman means to get nearer Atlanta, and then have the
grand smash-up. J- j» jft June 12, 1864.
I have another opportunity to write you a few lines. We
have moved about a mile to the left and made a slight ad
vance, and taken up a new position.
I would rather go into a pitched battle than be situated as
we are now. Within five hundred yards of us is a rebel bat
tery posted on a hill, which completely enfilades our line.
We have thrown up heavy traverses, which I hope will pro
tect the men, and I shall select a good tree for myself if
there is any vigorous shelling. A little while ago they tossed
a shell which killed one man and wounded another in the
regiment on my left. This kind of a thing you expect in a
battle, but when you are lying peaceably in camp it is rather
disgusting. How many more weeks this style of thing is going to last
I can't tell, but I am sure that the majority of this corps is
hoping for a general battle to end it.

Letters 171
Neab Maeietta, Ga., June 24, 1864.
My letter of the 19th brought our operations up to that
date, and closed just as we were about to start on a fresh
move. An advance of a few hundred yards brought us to
their works, — a line so strong that if decently well held, I
don't think it could be carried by assault by the best infantry
in the world. We pushed on by the flank about a mile, then
struck the enemy. All this movement was in a pouring rain
(from the 1st to the 21st, inclusive, eighteen of the days were
rainy), which finally came in such torrents that we were
obliged to halt for two or three hours before making our
dispositions. The enemy was found entrenched on a ridge in our front.
We began, just before night, to throw up a slight line of
works to protect us from sharpshooters. I had the extreme
right of the division. One of our men, First Sergeant Lord,
of Company K, was mortally wounded while constructing
breastworks ; he was a splendid fellow, and had been recom
mended for a commission.
At five o'clock on the 20th, our division was relieved by
Wood's Division, Fourth Corps. We moved gradually along
the line to the right, connecting at night with the left of the
Twenty-third Corps ; this gained us a position pretty well on
the enemy's left flank. On the 21st our line was slightly
changed ; on the 22d, our corps swung forward on its left in
a north-easterly direction, the Twenty-third Corps following
our movement, except that its right was well refused. The
object of the movement was to take possession of the Powder
Spring road, an important highway leading from Marietta.
By stretching out our division into a single line, and connect-

172 Letters
ing some parts of it with a line of skirmishers, its right just
reached this road, and connected with the left of the Twenty-
third Corps.
Before the troops were all in line, word was sent in from
the skirmishers that the enemy was massing for an attack on
our centre and left. We were just ready and nothing to
spare, when Hood's Corps came out of the woods in our
front (to my left, the length of about two regiments), and
advanced, with their usual yell, in four lines. The division
opened upon them with musketry and artillery, and before
their first line had gotten within fifty yards, they were all
broken and repulsed ; their loss was very heavy, as they were
in entirely open ground. I think three or four hundred will
cover our division's loss. I had only two men wounded.
Towards the close of the attack our situation was very criti
cal ; our ammunition was nearly exhausted, and not a single
support was near. If there had only been one line behind us,
we could have advanced at once and taken large numbers of
prisoners. As soon as support did arrive, we advanced our
skirmish line, but the enemy had gone, leaving their dead and
hundreds of small-arms on the ground. I enclose you a frag
ment of the Fifty-third Virginia's flag, which was captured
by the Fifth Connecticut.
I think our division has a right to brag a little on this
fight, for if a single regiment had misbehaved, our line would
have been broken. We are still in the same position as on
the 21st, but there is a constant movement of troops to our
right, threatening, you see, all their lines of communications
and retreat. They still hold Kenesaw Mountain, which is
due north from here. If they can only be forced to attack
us, I think we can use them up completely. On the 21st, we

Letters 173
took prisoners from three divisions, comprising the whole
of Hood's Corps, which forms at least one quarter of their
entire army.
I will give the Western army credit for their superior use
of artillery. Wherever infantry goes, the batteries follow
right in line, and in this way guns can be used continually at
very short range, producing, of course, deadly effect. At
Gettysburg, every colonel in our brigade besought the chief
of artillery to put some guns in position in our line, but we
were told that it couldn't be done, as the gunners would be
picked off by sharpshooters. Here they have to take the
same chances as an infantry man.
Neab Vining's Station, Ga.,
July 9, 1864.
The 2d of July, Saturday, I was Field Officer of the day,
and had charge of the brigade picket. That night I received
notice that the enemy were expected to leave very soon, and
to watch them closely. I went out to the picket line, intend
ing to stay there till morning ; the night was pretty dark, and
though only about three hundred yards of open field lay be
tween our line and the rebels', yet nothing could be seen at
that distance. Occasionally, shots were fired. At one in
the morning I ordered three men and a corporal, whom I
knew to be cool, brave men, to crawl up within a few yards
of the nearest rebel picket post, if possible, and see if they
were still there. In about an hour they returned, and reported
that they had been near enough to hear the enemy talking,
and had been fired upon twice ; however, from general appear-

174 Letters
ances, I made up my mind that they were going, and so
reported. At a little before daylight, the whole picket line was or
dered forward. We advanced and got into the enemy's works
without opposition, taking quite a number of prisoners. These
works were the most formidable I have yet seen, — more of
the nature of permanent fortifications than ordinary field
works. The breastworks were of the strongest kind ; then
about ten yards in front was a chevaux de frise of a double
row of pointed rails, and in front of this, an almost impen
etrable abattis about one hundred yards wide.
I got into Marietta among the first with my skirmishers.
I found it to be a beautiful place, though now almost deserted
by its inhabitants. We drove out the rear guard of cavalry
and artillery ; among them could be seen numbers of citizens,
men and women, running off like fools, leaving their property
to be destroyed. For the first time in the South, I saw here
pretty, neat country places, like those of Jamaica Plain and
Brookline, with green lawns and hedges, and ornamental
shrubs and trees about them ; the houses appeared to be
well furnished, but I suppose before this, the riff-raff of the
army has rifled them of all worth taking. The Military Acad
emy was a fine building, with gymnasium, etc., about it;
it has been converted into a hospital. By sunrise the
whole army was moving and on the heels of Johnston. We
were right on him when he got into another of his lines of
works. My skirmishers took about fifty prisoners ; judging
from that, the army must have taken at least one or two
thousand. July 4th, nothing occurred except a few changes of posi
tion. On the morning of the 5th, the enemy were gone from

Letters 175
our front; we followed them up, and found them in their
next line, about three miles off.
From one part of our line I had a distant view of Atlanta,
the spires and towers rising in plain sight above the everlast
ing forests, which seemed to extend without a break, except
ing an occasional corn-field, from Tullahoma to this place.
We are now in front of the rebel position, their two flanks
resting on the Chattahoochie, as do ours. We are told that
we shall be here a few days, so I suppose there can be no
obstacle to the enemy crossing the river whenever they want
to do so. In my limited sphere of observation, I can give you
for facts only what I see ; the causes are all beyond me, as I
know nothing of any movements beyond our own corps.
J- J- *
Neab Vining's Station, Ga.,
July 15, 1864.
We are now enjoying a short respite from our exertions,
which is very welcome after the campaign's hard work. By
a series of movements and operations we have pushed the
enemy south of the Chattahoochie, they now picketing their
side of the river and we ours. It is difficult to tell anything
about the result of this campaign, since, from appearances,
the rebels are preparing to evacuate Atlanta with no more
of a struggle than they made at Marietta, so that the fall of
the former place is already calculated on as the result of the
next move forward. The trouble is that we cannot get at
Johnston and his army ; he is too weak to meet us in a fair
fight ; his game, therefore, is to have a succession of lines of
Avorks prepared for him in his rear by citizens and negroes,

176 Letters
which cannot be taken by direct assaults, but out of which,
with our superior numbers, we can finally turn him. Whether
we can follow an enemy of this kind farther than Atlanta, is
a question in my mind, for we have already had to guard a
railroad for over two hundred and fifty miles through a
country swarming with guerrillas and roving cavalry. John
ston will undoubtedly retreat towards Macon, which will
virtually abandon to us the whole of Alabama and Western
Georgia, and cause the fall of Mobile.
There is an amount of cunning in this, continual retreating
of Johnston which is not generally allowed him. To be sure,
he gives up a great deal of valuable territory, but he keeps
his army intact and finally removes it out of our reach, leav
ing us an immense distance from our base, subject to raids
on our line of communication and consequent stoppage of
supplies ; and supposing him at Macon, he is nearer to
Lee, and can sooner transmit and receive reinforcements.
This is the unfavorable side ; but, on the other hand, the
constant retreats of Johnston have, to a certain extent, de
moralized the troops belonging in Kentucky, Tennessee,
Northern Georgia and Alabama, so that on each occasion of
their falling back, hundreds of deserters are brought into our
lines ; they all say that half the army would do the same if
it dared, but they are told fearful stories of our treatment of
prisoners and are also closely watched, and, when caught, shot
without mercy. The case has occurred, repeatedly, of desert
ers lying all day in ditches and behind stumps, between our
picket lines, afraid to stir from fear of being shot by their own
men ; as soon as night would come, they would come in.
Without a single exception, I have seen these men always
kindly and hospitably received by our soldiers ; it is always,

Letters 177
" How are you, Johnny ? we're glad to see you ; sit down and
have some coffee, and tell us the news."
The amicable feeling existing between the men of the
two armies when not actually fighting is very curious, and
between the best troops on each side the understanding seems
the most perfect. It is a proverbial expression, now, with
the rebels, that Hooker's men are the toughest to fight,
but the best to picket against. We have one rule now in our
division, which entirely prevents all picket firing except in
case of an advance of the enemy. Last Sunday I was Field
Officer of the day and had charge of the brigade picket ; one
portion of my line relieved a part of the Fourteenth Corps.
When I first posted my men, it was necessary to crawl from
one post to another and keep entirely out of sight, for before
we came there had been a continual popping. In a short
time it was discovered who had arrived, and all firing upon
us ceased. The next morning, in broad daylight, I pushed
my line down to the bank of the river without receiving a
single shot, and afterwards rode along where the day before
it would have been sure death or a disabling wound. We
never yet have been the victims of any treachery, but, on the
contrary, have received warnings in time to look out for our
selves. They will call out, "Look out, Yanks, we've been
ordered to fire," and plenty of time will be given to get
behind our works. When we fight, we fight to crush the
rebellion and break the power of the rebel armies,, not against
these men as individuals ; there is no enmity felt, yet no one
can complain of a want of earnestness or desire on our part
for Yictory.
No news which has come to us for a long time has been
received with such pleasure as that of the sinking of the Ala-

178 Letters
bama by the Kearsarge. It is a great naval triumph for us,
not over rebels merely, but over a Johnny Bull ship manned
by English sailors, armed by English guns, fired by English
gunners. It was an affair with England all through, and only
needed, at the wind-up, to have that fair-minded, non-inter
fering Englishman carry off Captain Semmes, who had already
surrendered, under a recognized British flag. Perhaps we
cannot do anything now to help ourselves, but the time will
come when we will make that mean, bullying English nation
repent of her action towards us in this war; I hope I may
live to see the day and help to wipe off these old scores. How
long could she hold a foot square of territory on this conti
nent against the immense armies we could raise, and what
harm could she do us ? We may not have as good a navy
to-day, but we would have, and our coast would swarm with
privateers. War is a terrible thing, but a man should feel as jealous
of the honor of his country and flag as he would of his own,
and should resent an insult to the one as readily as he would
to the other. tff* Jr* tff*
Neab Vining Station, Ga.,
July 16, 1864.
The President, in his wisdom or his weakness, has stopped
all capital punishment in the army. The greatest penalty for
the crime of desertion now is confinement during the war at
the Dry Tortugas ; that may be for a longer or shorter period
than the term of their enlistment, but during the whole .time
the deserters are not under fire, their hard labor is probably
less than that which troops iu the field have to perform, and

Letters 179
the chance of escape is always before them. Is it humanity
for a man virtually to pardon all these deserters, who have
committed one of the greatest military crimes, when, by so
doing, the life of every soldier who does his duty and goes into
battle is endangered to a greater extent ? I do not say that
shooting deserters would stop all desertion, but I believe that
with such a penalty before them, only the most reckless would
attempt it. These men who desert are of no value to society,
and no one would regret them if they were justly shot.
This war is now in its fourth year ; no one doubts that it
has got to go on in some shape or other, either well or poorly
managed, till it is brought to a definite conclusion ; that end
may be in one year and it may be in five years, but should not
there be some regard to economy in its conduct ? Should it
be possible for ten out of every fifteen thousand men, raised
at an expense of four or five hundred dollars apiece, to escape
their term of service due the Government ? Why, at every
little scare, are we raising hundred-day men and telling them,
as a strong inducement to serve, that they will be exempt
from any drafts during that period ? A man cannot become
a soldier in a hundred days ; he can't learn in that time how
to take care of his health and rations. The shorter the term
of service the greater will be the proportion of deaths. No
man in this war can look ahead for, one hundred days and
calculate on any great and decided success within that time.
The chances are that at the end of that term, the occasion
for men will be as great as at the beginning.
These calls for men for short terms are farces which have
been repeated too often. They are made as concessions to a
people who would as cheerfully stand a practical order for
men. In the case of these bounty-jumpers, substitutes, and

180 Letters

all other unreliable men, there should be an order obliging
them to deposit their bounties in some bank, payable only by
small instalments, or at the end of their term of service. A
man furnishing a substitute should be held responsible for
him during the whole three years. I am willing and have
made up my mind to serve through this war, no matter how
long it lasts, with pay or without pay ; and I do want to see
a little more practical earnestness in the conduct of affairs,
and not so much shirking of responsibility.
jr* tff* tff*
In the Tbenches,
One and a half miles fbom Atlanta,
July 25, 1864.
Considerable has been accomplished since my last. On
the 17th, I was on picket on the north bank of the Chatta
hoochie ; late in the afternoon I was ordered to withdraw my
line, as the army was moving to cross the river a few miles
above. As my sentinels left, over the river bank, the rebels
called out, " Have you got marching orders, Yanks ? We are
off at six." I joined the brigade about ten that night, cross
ing on pontoons.
The next day, we marched to Peach Tree, Creek, about
four and a half miles from Atlanta, our second division secur
ing a crossing. On the 20th, all of Thomas's army was over
and in position fronting Atlanta. McPherson and Schofield,
with the Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Twenty-third
Corps, by a flank movement, had crossed the Charleston Rail
road and pushed up quite near Atlanta; about noon, our
pickets and theirs connected. We were busily at work

Letters 181
strengthening our position, when, without a word of prepara
tion, the rebels in heavy force burst upon our picket line.
Our brigade was in the second line. The first line advanced
and breasted the shock in fine style. The fighting was quite
severe till dark, when the enemy were repulsed and retired
to their works. Our corps lost sixteen hundred killed and
wounded, and buried five hundred and eighty-one rebels in
front of its line. The loss in the regiment was trifling, —
Captain Sawyer severely wounded and three men not severely.
Skirmishing continued throughout the 21st.
On the 22d the enemy retreated to their main line of works
around Atlanta ; we are now encircling them closely. The
Macon Railroad is still in possession of the rebels, but it is the
only one left to them. Operations now bear the character of
a siege ; there is constant cannonading going on from each
side night and day, and consequently we have to stay in the
trenches all the time. A few minutes ago a shell burst in
the Third Wisconsin on our left, severely wounding three
officers who were together in a tent. Just above us is a
twenty-pound Parrott battery, which has fired, with hardly an
intermission, for forty-eight hours ; every shell is supposed to
drop in the city. Since we have been here, there have been
three or four assaults on our line, but they have all been re
pulsed without difficulty. We are now strong enough to
resist anything.
I was told the following story, which was brought in by a
citizen who lives in the outskirts of the city, in a fine house
in plain sight of our line. He says that a few days before
our arrival here, Davis, Johnston, Bragg, and other officers
met at his house for consultation. After considerable talk,
Davis expressed himself very much dissatisfied with Johnston

182 Letters

for his constant retreats. Johnston said he had done what,
in his opinion, was for the best ; that he had brought off his
army intact, but that he had not felt strong enough, at any
time, to offer or accept battles ; in conclusion, he said that if
the President thought there was any officer who could man
age his army better than he could, he would at once tender
his resignation. Upon this, Johnston was relieved and the
command offered to Hardee; he declined the honor, saying
that he had perfect confidence in Johnston, and if, in his
(Johnston's) opinion, Atlanta couldn't be held, he was bound
to agree with him. The army was then offered to Hood, who
jumped at it and said he would have Sherman on his way
north in twenty-four hours. Hood believes in fighting, and
has probably lost ten thousand men since he assumed com
mand ; but, as yet, we continue to look towards the Gulf.
JF* tff* JF*
Neab Atlanta, July 31, 1864.
The evening of the 29th, I went on duty as Field Officer
of the day of this brigade. After posting my picket and
seeing that all was right, I lay down to take a little sleep.
I must now explain our position. The right of our bri
gade rests on the Chattanooga Railroad and connects with
the left of the Fourteenth Corps ; the picket line was about
one hundred and fifty yards in advance of the line of works.
The rebel rifle pits extended along a crest about two hundred
and fifty yards in front of their works, which consist of strong
redoubts connected by a heavy line of breastworks ; at a point
about in front of the centre of my picket, the ridge rose into
a prominent mound. It was swept by the guns of two forts

Letters 183
and several batteries, and appeared to be untenable even
if taken. About naif-past two A. M., on the 30th, I received an order
to advance and take the rifle pits in my front, if possible, and
then hold the position. I was told that the pickets on my
right and left would advance with me and protect my flanks.
My picket consisted of one hundred and sixty-one men and
five officers. At a given signal, just at dawn, the whole line
rose up and moved out of their little works ; for fifty yards
not a shot was fired, then the enemy discovered us and opened
their fire. I gave the order, "Double-quick," and in a mo
ment we were upon them ; in less than two minutes we had
captured seventy-two prisoners, including four captains and
three lieutenants. I caught one fellow by the collar as he
was making off ; he seemed almost frightened to death. Says
he, " Don't kill me, — I surrender, I surrender." I told him
that I wouldn't kill him, but he must tell me truly if there
was anything between the pits >and the works. He said no,
but that there were lots of men and guns in the works. On
my left, the picket had come up well, refusing its left so as to
connect with our old line. On my right, as I soon learned,
the Fourteenth Corps picket, seeing that we were being pep
pered a good deal, thought they would stay where they were,
so I had to bend my right away round to cover my flank.
The mound was now ours ; the question was, could we hold
it? The instant that we were fully in possession, I set to
work fortifying. The men were in high spirits, knowing that
they had done a big thing, and I felt confident that they
would fight well. In a very few minutes we had rails piled
along our whole front, and bayonets and various other articles
were in requisition for entrenching tools.

184 Letters
As soon as the rebels were fully aware of our proximity,
and just as it was becoming fairly daylight, they opened on
us along our front with musketry and artillery, throwing
enough bullets, cannister and shell for a whole corps instead
of an insignificant picket detail.
Work, of course, was now suspended. Our greatest an
noyance was the fort, which mounted heavy guns, and these
were so near that they seemed almost to blaze in our faces
and were doing a great deal of damage. I ordered part of the
men to fire into the embrasures. In less than five minutes,
heavy doors were swung across the openings, and the fort
closed up business for the day ; the other batteries were out
of sight, and kept up their fire. After about an hour of this
kind of work, I found that I had lost a good many men, and
the others were much exhausted. I sent off an orderly with
the report that I must have reinforcements, if I was ex
pected to hold my position. Word came back that I should
have more men, and that General Thomas said that the posi
tion must be held. Shortly after, three companies reported
to me, and about six A. M., the old " Second " came up.
All the men who could be spared from their muskets were
kept at work digging, so that every minute we were becoming
stronger, and the danger was growing less ; still the artillery
fire was terrible. At ten o'clock, Colonel Coggswell sent in
word that his men could stand it no longer ; they had fired
over a hundred rounds of cartridges apiece ; they were per
fectly exhausted and must be relieved. The Thirteenth New
Jersey came out and the Second went in ; this regiment was
under command of a captain, so that it came under my con
trol. At eleven the fire began to decrease, and from then till
two P. M., as the rebels found we were to hold on, it con-

Letters 185
tinued to subside. A little after two, an officer was sent out
to relieve me. My loss was forty-nine killed and wounded,
at least half having been hit by solid shot and shell.
I had a whole chapter of wonderful escapes. One shell
burst within ten feet of me, throwing me flat by its concus
sion and covering me with dirt. As I was trying to eat a
little breakfast, a rifle bullet struck the board on which was
my plate, and sent things flying ; but it seemed that my time
to be hit had not come.
Our regiment lost three killed and seven wounded.
George Thompson was slightly wounded by a piece of shell,
nothing serious. The recruits behaved well, without ex
ception. The best news we have is that General Slocum is coming
back to this corps. Jr* JF* Jr*
Neab Atlanta, August 8, 1864.
We have not yet quite reached our goal, though the prize
seems almost within our grasp; movements are constantly
being made to invest the city more closely, and we must soon
take it. The rebels are making a very obstinate defence, and
have works which can never be taken by assault. Several
attempts, thus far futile, have been made to cut the Macon
Railroad; when we succeed in that, the enemy must leave.
The length and severity of this campaign is beginning to tell
on almost everybody. You can judge somewhat how it is ;
for three months, officers and men have been on active duty,
and, during that whole time, they have lived on the never-
changing diet of pork, hard bread and coffee, with occasional

186 Letters
fresh beef ; every one looks thin and worn down ; large num
bers of sick are sent to the rear every day.
Hardly a day passes without one or more casualties ; one
day last week we had three men wounded in camp, two by
bullets, one mortal, and one by shell. I was standing in front
of my tent watching their shells burst, when I saw one come
through a tree in front, strike the ground and ricochet. I
knew by its direction that it must come into camp, and fol
lowed it with my eyes. It was a twenty-pounder with a dis
agreeable whiz and end-over-end motion and it went into a
squad of three men, breaking the thigh of one of them. He
bore it very quietly, had the bone set, and was taken off to the
field hospital on a stretcher. JF* Jr* JF*
Neab Railroad Bridge, Chattahoochie, August 30, 1864.
We have changed our base, as you may perceive. On the
night of the 25th, we learned that our corps was to go back
to the river and hold a strong " tHe du pont" covering the
bridges and ferries, while the remainder of the army made a
grand movement towards the right to get position on the
Macon Railroad. Our move was executed very well, all the
caissons and wagons going to the rear on the night of the
25th, the troops remaining in position during the next day
and moving back at night.
Our division holds a very strong line, covering the rail
road bridge and two important wooden ones for wagons. We
have made ourselves very strong here, with good earthworks
and timber slashed into an impenetrable abattis for five hun-

Letters 187
dred yards in our front, and are now ready for any part of the
rebel army that sees fit to attack us. Hood will probably
have all he wants on his hands, to look after Sherman and
his communications. The 27th was a bright day in our cal
endar. On that day, General Slocum returned and took
command ; he rode along our position, and was received with
the greatest enthusiasm by the whole line. I had a chance
to shake hands with him and say a few words. He is looking
finely. I set him down now as one of the very best generals
in the whole army, and I think time will prove him so. He
is, in every way, a good soldier, and what is better, a true
man, devoid of humbug and " rich in saving common sense."
Professional bummers and loafers must make themselves
scarce now, and men who do their duty will be recognized
once more. JF* JF* JF*
Atlanta, Ga., September 6, 1864.
I take my first opportunity to write you a few words.
Our corps came in here on the 2d and took possession.
Colonel Coggswell was put in command of the post by Gen
eral Slocum, with two regiments besides his own for guard.
I was appointed Provost Marshal of the city, and have been
overrun with business ever since. I have an office in the
City Hall and quarters in an elegant house near by. Our
corps and the Fourteenth are to occupy the defences of the
city, General Slocum commanding. You can imagine my
hands are full of work, being " Mayor " and answerer of all
questions to the citizens of a good-sized city, besides having
to look after cotton, tobacco, and other valuable stores, and
arrest all marauders. However, I have got the thing in run-

188 Letters
ning order now, and, with my two assistants and their clerks,
shall get along very well.
We shall be here a month or two, probably. Sherman and
Thomas will make their headquarters here in a few days.
JF* JF* JF*
Atlanta, Ga., September 11, 1864.
To-day being Sunday, my office is closed, and I have a
little time to tell you of some of the events of the last
ten days.
September 2d, about eleven o'clock, we received the glo
rious news that Atlanta had been surrendered to a recon-
noitering party from our Third Division. Our First Brigade
was immediately sent forward to occupy the place, and about
four P. M., the whole corps followed. We entered the city
about dark, with bands playing, etc. Our regiment went into
camp in the City Hall Park, having been detailed as the pro
vost guard. The next morning, we took possession of the
City Hall. I took the court-room for my office ; the other
rooms were taken for headquarters, guard-rooms, etc. My
private room was with the Colonel, in one of the finest houses
of the city, opposite our camp, — Brussells carpet, elegant
beds and other furniture. The family were very glad to have
us occupy the house for their own protection ; they are very
fine people, and I think have very little sympathy with the
South. Our first few days were terribly hard ones, but now that
the army is settled in position and we have reduced things to
a system, we are getting along very well ; I doubt if to-day
there are many cities in the North, of the same size, which

Letters 189
are quieter or cleaner than this one. Atlanta is a very pretty
place, and less Southern in its appearance than any I have
seen. It is quite a new town, and its buildings are generally
in good condition ; there are, on the principal streets, some
fine warehouses, banks and public buildings ; the depots are
the best I ever saw for railroad accommodations. There are
large numbers of elegant residences, showing evidence of a
refined population ; in a good many cases they are deserted.
Our shells destroyed a great deal of property, but I am sorry
now that a single one was thrown into the city, for I don't
think they hastened the surrender by a day. They did not
harm the rebel army, the only casualties being twenty harm
less old men, women and children, and two soldiers. There
are differences of opinion about this kind of warfare, but I
don't like it. General Sherman is going to make this a
strictly military point, and has ordered all citizens, North or
South, to remove within a limited time ; the present popula
tion is ten or twelve thousand, so you see it is no small
undertaking. This measure, although it seems almost inhuman, I be
lieve to be an actual military necessity; it is simply one of the
horrors of war. We shall send people North who have always
lived in a state of luxurious independence, but who will arrive
there without a dollar of our money ; their only property being
their household furniture, etc. The gentleman who owns this
house, a Mr. Solomon, is a fine old man ; he is seventy-two
years old and in poor health. It is a most pitiable sight to
see him walking about his house and grounds, bent over with
age and suffering, and to think that he must leave his home
where he has lived so long. Fortunately, he has a son-in-law
in Nashville, who is well off and will take care of him ; but,

190 Letters
as he says, it is pretty hard for a man of his years, who has
been independent all his life, to. have to depend on charity
now. He had a son, a classmate of General Howard's, who
died in the United States service about five years ago.
This is only one of hundreds of cases, but thinking or feel
ing about them is useless. I shall do what I can to get them
off comfortably. There is a sort of armistice here for ten
days. Trains of the two armies will meet at a fixed point and
transfer their passengers and goods.
Sherman says that we shall wait here till about the end of
October, when the corn crop will be ripe, and then go down
and gather it. He is the most original character and greatest
genius there is in the country, in my opinion.
Jr* JF* iff*
Atlanta, Ga., September 13, 1864.
The families are fast moving South ; a large wagon train
goes out each day, conveying them to General Hood's lines.
The family in whose house our rooms are, is going North ; ' I
wish they were going to stay, so that we might continue to
enjoy the nice beds and furniture. However, we shall have
our balcony left, on which we spend our evenings. It is quite
a place of resort for the staff officers and others in town
who call on us, especially as our brigade band, or the Thirty-
third Massachusetts', plays in front of the house almost every
night. I enclose some pieces of a rebel flag which was
captured here and presented to me ; they will answer as a
memento of our entrance into the city. General Sherman
told an officer of our corps that the reason he left the Twen
tieth Corps behind was because he knew he was going to

Letters 191
take Atlanta by this last movement, and he wanted the corps
which had done the hardest fighting and the hardest work of
the campaign to have the honor of entering the city first ; I
believe this is honest, for there is very little humbug about
General Sherman. iff* iff* tff*
Atlanta, Ga., September 18, 1864.
Yours of the 9th was received to-day. Since my last let
ter, I have kept pretty busy with the affairs of the post, but
nothing new or startling has occurred in my line of duty.
Our corps, with the Fourth and the Fourteenth, occupy the
works near the city. Howard with the Fifteenth, Sixteenth
and Seventeenth, is at East Point, and Schofield with the
grand Army of the Ohio, is at Decatur. Troops are in com
fortable quarters and leaves of absence and furloughs are
being liberally granted. There is just now a ten days' truce
for sending families South and the exchange of prisoners.
Before the Chicago Convention, I told you my opinion
of McClellan. I am willing to acknowledge that I have
changed it greatly since his letter of acceptance. His letter,
as you say, was patriotic, and would have suited me if it had
refused the nomination ; but when he closed by saying that
he thought his views expressed those of the Convention, he
changed, in my opinion, from being an honest, straightfor
ward soldier, into a politician seeking office.
He knew, as well as we know, that a large part of the
Convention was for peace and not for war carried on in any
way, and as an honest man he had no business to say what he
did. It has always been the boast of the Democratic party

192 Letters
that whoever their candidate might be, he had to carry out
the principles of the men who elected him. The peace men
must have shown their hands plainly, and whatever McClel
lan may say now to disown their support, they will have a
baneful influence upon him, if he is elected.
Colonel Coggswell is commanding this post in a manner
which reflects great credit upon him ; he stands high with
Generals Thomas and Slocum; even Sherman has compli
mented him, and spoken of the appearance of our regiment.
He is, I think, one of the best practical soldiers I know ; his
chances for promotion are very good ; I hope, for the sake of
the service, his and my own, that he may get it.
It is altogether a good thing for us that we are here in
the city ; as I said before, it is all owing to General Slocum.
His firm and just rule is felt already throughout the corps ;
men who have shirked, and, to use an expressive word,
"bummed" all through the campaign, are getting snubbed
now, while those who have done their duty quietly and faith
fully are being noticed.
Sherman is an entirely different style of man. He is a
genius and a remarkable one, and is undoubtedly the longest
headed, most persistent man, not even excepting Grant, there
is in this country, but he is too great a man to be able to go
into details. He cares nothing, apparently, for the discipline
and military appearance of his troops, or at any rate, leaves
that for his subordinates to see to ; he cares nothing, either,
for doing things through regular channels, but will give his
orders helter-skelter, any how ; this, of course, is an eccen
tricity of genius, but it is a very troublesome one at times.
Jr* Jr* tff*

Letters 193
Atlanta, Ga., September 25, 1864.
It would surprise you, or any one else outside of the army,
to see what an important military post Atlanta has already
become ; the storehouses in the vicinity of the depots are
piled full of commissary, quartermaster and ordnance stores,
and, even now, we are thirty days ahead on rations; the
tracks are crowded with cars and engines, and to all appear
ances, there is as much going on in the centre of the city as
in the busiest parts of New York or Boston. Most of the
families have moved out, though a number still remain, prob
ably with the intention of staying until they are actually
forced from the city. The family from our house left on
Tuesday, for Nashville ; I felt quite sorry to have them go ;
they made very pleasant society for us, and it seemed very
much like home, living with them. We are now in entire
possession of their house, and are living in state and style.
The house is a new and very fine one, built of brick with
stone trimmings, every part of it finished in good shape.
Isn't a soldier's life a queer one ? One month ago, we
were lying on the ground in a shelter tent, with notliing but
pork and hard bread to eat ; now we are in an elegant house,
take our dinner at half-past five, and feel disposed to growl
if we don't have a good soup and roast meat with dessert;
after that, we smoke good cigars on the piazza and have a
band play for us.
What a splendid victory was that of Sheridan's ! I have
never spoken of Dr. Heath's death ; he is a great loss to us
every way, — the best surgeon we ever had, and a pleasant,
genial companion. JF* iff* iff*

194 Letters
Atlanta, Ga., October 16, 1864.
On the 2d, Sherman started with most of the army in
pursuit of Hood, leaving General Slocum with the Twentieth
Corps and about twelve hundred other troops, to take care of
Atlanta. Hood's movement is a desperate one, but we are
not anxious as to the result of it ; we have rations to stand it
longer than he can ; forage is the only question, and that we
are getting in considerable quantities from the country. If
the enemy had obtained possession of Altoona Pass, we should
probably have been obliged to evacuate.
Our latest news is that Sherman is at Resaca and Hood on
the road near Dalton. We have received a few glorious des
patches from Grant, and are most anxious to hear the result
of his last movement. This post has been and is being most
effectually fortified. The old rebel works bear no comparison
to ours ; with our corps, we could easily stand a siege by
Hood's whole army.
The present campaign out here affords ample chance for
speculation. I have not yet seen a man rash enough to try
to explain Hood's intentions, or how he feeds his army. One
thing is certain : if Sherman gets a fair chance at him so far
away from his base, with no line of communications to fall
back upon, he will smash him. We shall know very little of
the political campaign this year, but we shall probably sur
vive that.
Poor Dr. Heath ! He was one of the best men I ever
knew, — a pleasant, genial, kind-hearted companion, and as
good a surgeon as I have ever seen in the army ; his loss has
been felt throughout the whole division. He fairly wore
himself out in the service ; this whole summer he has been

Letters 195
surgeon of our division hospital and principal operator, in
which position he worked himself to death. I hope we may
get a good man in Heath's place. Crowninshield and Stor-
row will probably arrive here by the first through train.
JF* JF* JF*
Atlanta, Ga., October 26, 1864.
Yesterday, Captain Crowninshield and Mr. Storrow ar
rived, after a long journey of thirty days. I think Storrow
will prove a gpod officer ; I like his looks very much.
We are still occupying our mansion, quietly living on the
fat of the land. Every other day, a forage train of seven or
eight hundred wagons goes out about twenty miles into the
country, and comes back the third or fourth day loaded with
corn, sweet potatoes, flour, chickens, etc. Yesterday, our small
mess wagon brought in two barrels of flour, two or three sacks
of sweet potatoes, a dozen chickens and ducks, a jar of honey,
a keg of sorghum, and several other small articles ; so you
see that we are not likely to starve for some time to come.
General Sherman says that, as the Georgians have seen fit
to get in our rear and break our railroad, we must live on
Georgia. Of course, very heavy guards have to go with these
trains, for the country is full of cavalry ; thus far, however,
they have all returned safely.
We keep a cow in our back garden, and have cream in
our coffee and new butter every day ; we also keep ducks and
pigeons. In the city there are concerts or negro minstrel
entertainments every night ; the concerts by the Thirty-third
Massachusetts Band are very good indeed.
yF* iff* iff)

196 Letters
Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 3, 1864.
I am now going to let you into some of our mighty secrets,
which, probably, when you receive this, will be no secrets
at all. We are going to abandon Atlanta, first utterly destroying
every railroad building, store, and everything else that can
be of any use to the rebels. The railroad from here as far
north as Resaca will be entirely destroyed. Then, cutting
loose from everything and everybody, Sherman is going to
launch his army into Georgia.
We shall probably march in two or three columns to
Savannah, destroying all railroads and government property
at Macon and Augusta, and taking up all rails on our line of
march. Isn't the idea of this campaign perfectly fascinating ?
We shall have only to " bust " through Joe Brown's militia
and the cavalry, to take any of these inland cities. Of course,
the taking of Savannah is only the preface to taking Charles
ton. Colonel Coggswell, with five regiments, has been ordered
to prepare this place for destruction ; he has given me the
charge of about half of it. I have just submitted my proposi
tion how to do it.
The proposed movement is the most perfectly concealed
I have ever known one to be ; scarcely an officer on the staff
or anywhere else knows our destination or intention. There
are all kinds of rumors "which are told as facts, but they only
more effectually conceal the real campaign. We shall be lost
to the world for a month or six weeks; then shall . suddenly
emerge at some seaport, covered with dirt and glory. I like
the idea of a water-base amazingly ; no tearing up railroads in
our rear, no firing into trains, and no running off the track.

Letters 197
General Thomas will be left, with fifty thousand or sixty
thousand men, to guard the line of the Tennessee. I sup
pose Hood will bother him considerably, but that is none of
our business. If Hood chases us, we can whip him as we
have done before, and we have the best of him in the way of
supplies, as we shall eat up ahead of him. I feel perfectly
confident of success, no matter what course the rebels take.
General Slocum will have command of the two largest and
best corps in the army, and will show himself the able man
he is. Sherman will have a chance to compare him with his
other army commanders. •?* &* d*
Abgyle Island, Ga.,
December 18, 1864.
An opportunity offers to send a few lines home. We are
now on an island in the Savannah river, very near the Caro
lina shore, our principal duty being to guard a rice mill which
is threshing out rice for the army. A gunboat and shore
battery have tried to drive us off, but we still hold our own.
To-day we shall probably receive rations from the fleet ; for
the last week, the army has been living entirely on rice and
some fresh beef. No operations as yet are going on against
the doomed Savannah. I imagine that Sherman is waiting
for a force to come through from Port Royal and connect
with our left, so as to invest the city thoroughly, and cut off
all retreat for the enemy. As soon as we get settled any
where, I will write an account of our last campaign, though I
can't do it justice in any letter. Such a variety of experi
ences as we have passed through during the last forty days,
I never dreamed of.

198 Letters
We had a 'very jolly Thanksgiving, although we marched
that day from Milledgeville to Hebron, fifteen miles. Tur
keys and sweet potatoes, honey and various other luxuries,
were served at our table at eight P. M., and we drank to the
memory of the day in some old apple-jack of the country.
Jr* JF* JF*
Neab Savannah, Ga.,
December 24,1864.
Our campaign has been successfully ended, and we are
again in camp preparing for a few weeks' rest and comfort.
Since my note to E  , we have had the hardest time of the
whole campaign since leaving Atlanta. On' the 15th, about
two P. M., our regiment was ordered to the river ; on arriving
there, we were shipped on flat boats and crossed to Argyle
Island, with considerable difficulty, getting aground once, and
being shelled at long range by a rebel gunboat. We camped
that night with the Third Wisconsin on a rice plantation.
The object of our move was to protect a rice mill which was
threshing out rice for the army, and to prepare a crossing into
South Carolina. The remainder of our brigade crossed to
the island on the 16th. That same morning, our threshing
operations were suddenly brought to a standstill by a rebel
battery, which opened on us from the South Carolina shore ;
this caused the most amusing skedaddle of about a hundred
negro operatives, men, women and children, that I ever saw.
We got two guns into position and silenced the rebs. On
the 19th, after several delays, our regiment, the Third Wis
consin, and the Thirteenth New Jersey, started at daylight,
and, under cover of a heavy fog, crossed to the South Carolina

Letters 199
side, effecting a landing without loss. We advanced at once,
driving in about a brigade of rebel cavalry. After having
secured all the desirable positions, we entrenched ourselves,
and received the support of the remainder of our brigade and
two guns. The enemy were much annoyed by our move
ment, and in the afternoon made quite a decided attack,
charging in one place almost up to the works.
Our position was a peculiar one. With our five regiments,
we held a line about two and a half miles long. The whole
country is a rice swamp, divided into regular squares by dykes
and ditches, with occasional mounds raised a few feet above
the water level. On a series of these mounds our regiments
were placed, connected along the dykes by a thin line of
skirmishers. Our ground being perfectly open and level for
miles, we could see everyrmanoeuvre of the enemy.
On the 20th, the enemy pressed as close to our lines as
they dared, showing a very superior force to our own, and in
the afternoon opened a battery in our front, and fired from a
gunboat in our rear, in a manner which was by no means com
fortable. Early in the morning of the 21st, news came of the
surrender of Savannah, and orders for our immediate crossing
into Georgia. Most of our regiments and the two guns were
transferred to Argyle Island, when the enemy began to ad
vance rapidly into our old position ; they were easily checked,
but with them in our front and a gale blowing on the river,
it became a very difficult and dangerous operation to cross.
However, by ten P. M., that night, the last man was on the
island, though he had to swim the river.
Now I must go back to about Lour P. M., that same day,
when our regiment attempted to cross to the Georgia §hore.
Arrived at the landing, no boats capable of carrying anybody

200 Letters
were to be found. Captain Grafton and I took a light " dug
out " and went across to send some over. Two " flats " were
found and sent back, and the regiment put on them. The
largest of the two, containing the majority of the men, had,
with great difficulty, struggled against the wind and tide and
nearly reached the shore, when an irresistible gust struck it,
turning it round and round, and sending the poor boat up the
river towards South Carolina with great speed. Grafton and
I pursued them in our light boat, and found them about seven
P. M., hard and fast on the lee shore of Hutchison Island,
whence, after a deal of work, they were ferried back, a few at
a time, to Argyle Island.
Such a row back against the wind as we had is easier
imagined than described ; however, at twelve at night, we
were safe on Georgia soil with a "fraction of the regiment.
The next day was spent mainly in ferrying the brigade over.
Towards night we started for camp, and reached it after a
hard march of nine miles. This expedition cost us a few
very good men wounded, but no officers.
I haven't as yet heard any estimate of the guns, stores,
etc., captured, but I understand that everything was left be
hind. The city has been well protected since our occupation ;
the citizens seem very well contented that it has changed
hands, and show themselves freely on the streets. We are
camped about two miles from the city; the river is not a
stone's throw from my tent. We are collecting quite a fleet
of light boats, so that we shall have plenty of opportunity for
rowing. Our next move will probably be to take Charleston.
iff* JF* iff*

Letters 201
Neab Savannah, January 2, 1865.
Without going much into detail, I will give you a general
idea of our last campaign as we saw it. The minor experi
ences I shall leave till I come home some time, to amuse you
with. The 15th of November, the whole corps left Atlanta at
seven A. M. ; previous to that time all heavy buildings had
been battered down with rails, tracks torn up, etc., so that
everything was ready for the torch. The Fourteenth Corps
and our post command was not to move until the 16th. As
soon as the city was pretty clear of trains the fires were set.
It is impossible for you to imagine, or for me to describe, the
magnificent spectacle which this city in flames presented,
especially after dark. We sat up on top of our house for
hours watching it. For miles around, the country was as
light as day. The business portion of Atlanta, embracing per
haps twenty acres, covered with large storehouses and public
buildings, situated in the highest part of the city, was all on
fire at one time, the flames shooting up for hundreds of feet
into the air. In one of the depots was a quantity of old rebel
shells and other ammunition ; the constant explosion of these
heightened the effect. Coming from the sublime to the ridic
ulous, in the midst of this grand display the Thirty-third Mass
achusetts band went up and serenaded General Sherman ; it
was like fiddling over the burning of Rome ! While the con
flagration was going on, we kept large patrols out to protect
the dwellings and other private property of the few citizens
remaining in the city ; this was effectually done.
On the morning of the 16th, nothing was left of Atlanta
except its churches, the City Hall and private dwellings. You

202 Letters

could hardly find a vestige of the splendid railroad depots,
warehouses, etc. It was melancholy, but it was war prose
cuted in deadly earnest. The last of the Fourteenth Corps
did not get off till about half-past four P. M. We followed
after, being the last United States troops to leave Atlanta.
That night we marched eleven miles, going into camp four
miles beyond Decatur.
From this time until the 22d, we marched as rear guard
of the Fourteenth Corps, crossing the Yellow, Alcofauhachee
and Little Rivers, passing through Conyers, Covington and
Shadyvale, and arriving at Eatonton Factory on the 21st.
Here we left the Fourteenth Corps and followed the track
of the Twentieth, which was on the road leading from Madi
son through Eatonton to Milledgeville.
On the 22d, we passed through Eatonton, and came up
with the rear of the Twentieth Corps at Little River, which
we crossed on pontoons.
On the 23d, we marched into Milledgeville, joining our
division across the Oconee River. The capital of Georgia is
a very one-horse place, with a few good public buildings in
cluding the Capitol, which is quite handsome. Here, for the
first time since leaving Atlanta, we got into camp before
dark, and therefore had a little rest, which was much needed.
We had averaged getting up at half-past four A. M., and into
camp at eight P. M., which, with an intermediate march of
fifteen miles, made a pretty good day's work. Two hours
are none too many to allow for getting supper and pitching
shelters. At six A. M., on the 24th, we were off again ; it being
Thanksgiving day, our excellent cook had provided us with
a cold roast turkey for lunch at our noon halt,, and at night,

Letters 203
after getting into camp near Hebron, he served us with tur
keys and chickens, sweet potatoes and honey, in a style which
did honor to his New England bringing up.
The 25th, we crossed Buffalo Creek, after some delay, the
bridge having been destroyed by Wheeler's cavalry, which
skirmished with our advance.
On the 26th, Wheeler had the impudence to try and stop
our corps. Our brigade, being in advance, was deployed
against him. We drove them on almost a double-quick march
for six miles into the town of Sandersviile ; the Fourteenth
Corps' advance, coming in from the north, struck their flank
and they scattered, leaving their killed and wounded in the
streets. Our whole loss was not more than six. That night
we struck the railroad at Tennill ; we destroyed several miles
of it before going into camp.
The 27th, we marched to Davisboro, a pretty little place,
rich in sweet potatoes and forage for our animals.
The 28th and 29th, our division destroyed the railroad
from Davisboro to Ogeechee River. The army way of " re
pairing " railroads is this : the regiments of a brigade are
scattered along for a mile, arms are stacked, and the men
"fall in" on one side of the track. At a given signal, they
take hold of the rail, tie, or whatever is in front of them ; the
order, " Heave," is then given, which means lift, and lift to
gether ; at this, the whole length of railroad begins to move,
and the movement is kept up until the whole thing goes over
with a smash. The ties are then collected and piled up ;
across each pile three or four rails are laid ; the whole is then
set on fire ; the heat makes the rails red hot in the middle,
and their own weight then bends them almost double. In
many cases each rail was twisted besides being bent.

204 Letters
November 30th, we crossed the Ogeechee.
December 1st and 2d, we were rear guard ; the roads were
bad, and we didn't get into camp before eleven or twelve P. M.
December 3rd, we halted within a quarter of a mile of the
pen where our prisoners were kept, near Millen. I rode over
and looked at it. No description I have ever seen was bad
enough for the reality. Situated in the centre of a moist,
dismal swamp, without a tree inside the stockade for shelter :
you can imagine what the place must have been in this
climate in August. There wasn't a sign of a tent in the
whole enclosure ; nothing but holes dug in the ground and
built up with sod, for our men to live in. Eight bodies, un
buried, were found in these huts ; they were of men probably
too sick to be moved, who were left to die alone and uncared
for. Every one who visited this place came away with a
feeling of hardness toward the Southern Confederacy he had
never felt before.
The marches of the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th brought us to
Springfield, twenty-seven miles from Savannah. The country
is generally poor and swampy, the roads bad. On the 8th,
the corps trains were left in the rear, guarded by the Third
Division, the First and Second going along unencumbered.
We had to cut our way through the trees which were felled
across the road by the rebels.
On the 9th, we encountered a redoubt on the road, fifteen
miles from Savannah ; this was soon carried with a small loss,
our brigade flanking the position.
On the 10th, the army formed line of battle for the first
time since leaving Atlanta, six miles from Savannah, fronting
the rebel works. The rest of the story you know. Altogether,
tbe campaign was brilliant and successful ; in many respects

Letters 205
it was a fatiguing one, but to make up for the hard work the
men generally had an abundant supply of sweet potatoes,
fresh beef and pork. Since the 10th, and up to the present
time, rations for men and officers have been very short, but
they are now improving.
We are threatened with another campaign immediately ;
I imagine it will be a move towards Columbia, threatening
Augusta and Charleston.
There was no mistake made in the amount of force left
with Thomas, as the result has shown. The rebellion has
one front only now, — that is in Virginia, and we are going
to break that in before next summer.
Savannah is a very pretty, old-fashioned city, regularly laid
out, with handsome houses, etc. The officers on duty here
are having fine times, even better than ours at Atlanta. Sher
man reviewed the whole army, a corps at a time, last week.
Considering the ragged and barefooted state of the men, they
looked well. JF* iff* iff*
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Neab Savannah, January 8, 1865.
We are liable to move very soon ; rations are coming up
pretty fast, and clothing has been issued to most of the army.
Everyone anticipates hard fighting before we strike another
base ; it seems most probable that Lee will come out of Rich
mond and give us a fight before he will allow us to take up
a position immediately threatening his communications.
iff* JF' JF*

206 Letters
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Savannah, Ga., January 15, 1865.
Our latest and most important item of news is Colonel
Coggswell's promotion to the position of Brevet Brigadier.
I think it is a well deserved promotion ; he has always com
manded his regiment well, and I feel confident he will do
himself credit with a brigade ; at any rate, I am glad to con
tinue to serve under him, for he is to have this brigade. This
promotion, of course, puts me permanently in command of
the regiment, although at present the Colonelcy will not be
vacated; but I believe it will be long before the regiment
will have men enough to muster me. It is rather discourag
ing to sign a morning report showing an aggregate present
of only two hundred and fifty men, and for duty only one
hundred and ninety. I have applied to the War Department
for the detail of an officer for recruiting, but with our past
experience as a guide, there is very little to hope for, even
if that is granted.
Sherman's last general order to his army was a capital
one ; it told every man what this campaign had accomplished,
and was written in his piquant style. Sherman is giving
great attention to the careful shipment of the cotton seized
here; every bale is weighed and numbered, and marked
U. S. ; there is the usual number of agents, etc., trying to
get their hands on it, but I think there is a fair chance that
this lot will go straight to the Government.
We should have started on the march before this if we
had not had to wait for supplies ; as yet, there is no accumula
tion of rations here, but they are expected daily.
If you can help me in any way towards getting recruits,
please do so.

Letters 207
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Savannah, Ga., January 16th, 1865.
This afternoon, orders came quite unexpectedly for us to
be ready to move to-morrow morning at seven o'clock. Our
corps, I believe, crosses the river and marches up to Sister's
Ferry, where the Fourteenth joins us from the south side ;
after that, it is a mere speculation where we may go. I am
inclined to believe that the railroads towards Columbia will
receive our attention, so that communication between Rich
mond, Charleston and Augusta may be cut off.
General Coggswell has been assigned to duty according to
his rank, by the President, and takes command of the Third
Brigade, Third Division, of this corps, — not our brigade, as I
expected. He published a very good order, taking leave of
the regiment, and left, taking with him, I believe, the good
wishes of all.
To-day I sent a request to the War Department for six
hundred conscripts ; whether it will effect anything or not,
remains to be seen. I think they ought to be willing to fill
up the oldest regiment in the volunteer service of the
country. Every one anticipates hard fighting on this campaign, and
I don't think we shall be disappointed ; if we are successful,
Richmond is on its last legs. Jr* tff* tff*
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Pubysbubg, S. C, January 25, 1865.
On the 17th, we broke camp, and after some delay crossed
the Savannah River (i. e., our division), and marched about

208 Letters
eight miles into South Carolina, camping at night in the old
camps of the Third Division. The next day we marched at
twelve, noon, and accomplished seven miles more. The 19th,
we started at nine A. M., marched through Hardeeville, and
camped at Purysburg, on the river. The march was over a
very bad road, overflowing in some places to a depth of two
feet. About noon, the rain began to fall in torrents, and it
became evident, even then, that forward movements would be
suspended for a time. Late in the afternoon the gunboat
Pontiac came up the river, convoying the transport R. E. Lee
(late rebel), loaded with rations.
The 20th, 21st, 22d and 23d, it rained almost incessantly,
flooding the whole country about us, so that it was possible
almost to row a boat over the road we had marched, back to
Savannah. The corduroying was washed away, and the pon
toon bridge broken ; part of our train was cut off and had to
return to Savannah. Of course all movement was stopped, and
we set to work to make ourselves as comfortable as possible.
By a system of very extensive ditchings, I managed to get
the camp on comparatively dry ground. We had quite easy
communication with our base by the river, so that supplies
were received without difficulty.
Yesterday I rode back to Hardeeville and called on Gen
eral Coggswell. I found him very pleasantly situated. He
has a good staff. I believe that, if he has time and oppor
tunity, he will have the best brigade in this army ; his faculty
for commanding is very great, and he is interested in his
work. I am very much in hopes that my application for con
scripts will do some good. I put it pretty strong, and I
think got a good endorsement from General Slocum, and I

Letters 209
hope from Sherman. The fact that we have never yet re
ceived a single drafted man under any call, ought to go a
great ways ; the oldness of the organization, its small num
bers, and its being the only veteran Massachusetts regiment
in Sherman's army, ought to do the rest. I am glad to see
that the Provost Marshal General has ordered that no re
cruits be received for any but infantry commands. With all
these things in my favor I shall expect to receive, at the end
of this campaign, at least eight hundred good men, all of the
best moral character and warranted not to desert for at least
three days after assignment.
What a delightful proof of Butler's unfitness for command
was General Terry's gallant and successful assault of Fort
Fisher. Grant's letter transmitting the official reports was
one of the best snubs I ever read.
JF* JF* tff*
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Robeetsvtlle, S. C, January 31, 1865.
Since my last letter we have pushed farther into this mis
erable, rebellious State of South Carolina. We came very
slowly, as we had to cut our way for the first ten miles
through continuous rebel obstructions ; but after that dis
tance, the enemy evidently began to think it was no use try
ing to stop us, and the fallen trees became fewer and further
apart. As we marched on from Purysburg, we gradually
got out of the swamps and into rich plantations showing
signs of the wealth of their old owners. Just think of single
fields comprising at least one thousand acres. In the centre
or in some part of each one of these great fields, would stand

210 Letters
the universal cotton press and cotton gin. The planters'
houses were rather better than the average through Georgia,
but none of them were what we should call more than second
or third class houses in the North ; generally they stand half
a mile or a mile back from the road, at the end of a perfectly
straight, narrow avenue, in fact, nothing more than a cart
path. The most of them are surrounded by magnificent old live
oaks and cypress trees, draped all over with the gray Spanish
moss which gives to the deserted mansions a very sombre,
funereal appearance. In rear of the houses are the rows of
negro quarters, and the various outbuildings required on
large plantations. So far, on this march, I have seen only
one white male inhabitant and very few negroes. Every
place is deserted ; the valuables and most of the provisions
are carried off ; but I went into one house where there were
rooms full of fine furniture, a fine piano, marble-topped tables,
etc. ; there was a valuable library in one room, of four or five
thousand volumes. I saw a . well bound copy of Motley's
Dutch Republic, and a good set of Carlyle's works. This
property is, of course, so much stuff strewn along the way
side. Unless there happens to be a halt near by, no one is
allowed to leave the column to take anything ; but stragglers,
wagon-train men, and the various odds and ends that always
accompany an army on the march, pick up whatever they want
or think they want, and scatter about and destroy the rest,
and by the time the last of a column five or six miles long
gets by, the house is entirely gutted ; in nine cases out of ten,
before night all that is left to show where the rich, aristo
cratic, chivalrous, slave-holding South Carolinian lived, is a
heap of smoldering ashes,

Letters 211
On principle, of course, such a system of loose destruction
is all wrong and demoralizing ; but, as I said before, it is never
done openly by the soldiers, for every decent officer will take
care that none of his men leave the ranks on a march. But
there is no precedent which requires guards to be placed over
abandoned property in an enemy's country. Sooner or later,
of course, as we advanced and occupied all of the country, it
would be taken, and I would rather see it burned than to have
it seized and sent North by any of the sharks who follow in
the rear of a conquering army. Pity for these inhabitants, I
have none. In the first place, they are rebels, and I am al
most prepared to agree with Sherman that a rebel has no
rights, not even the right to live except by our permission.
They have rebelled against a Government they never once
felt ; they lived down here like so many lords and princes ;
each planter was at the head of a little aristocracy in which
hardly a law touched him. This didn't content these people ;
' they wanted " their rights," and now they are getting them.
After long deliberation, they plunged into a war in order to
gratify their aristocratic aspirations for a Government of their
own, and to indulge in their insane hatred for us Yankee
mud-sills. The days of the rebellion are coming to an end
very fast ; even its lying press cannot keep up its courage
much longer. For a year they have met with a series of re
verses sufficient to break the spirit of the proudest nation,
and this next spring will see a combination of movements
which must destroy their only remaining bulwark, Lee's army,
and then the bubble will burst ; and I believe that we shall
find that Jeff Davis and other leading Confederates will be
abused and hated by men of their own section of country
more than they will by the Northerners.

212 Letters

No, I might pity individual cases brought before me, but
I believe that this terrible example is needed in this country,
as a warning to those men in all time to come who may cher
ish rebellious thoughts ; I believe it is necessary in order to
show the strength of this Government and thoroughly to
subdue these people. I would rather campaign it until I am
fifty years old than to make any terms with rebels while they
bear arms. We can conquer a peace, and it is our duty
to do it.
This little, deserted town of Robertville we reached two
days ago ; our whole left wing is close by. We shall fill up
again with supplies, and in about two days strike into the
country. Barn-well, Branchville, Augusta, Columbia, and
Charleston are all threatened. I hope the rebels know as
little as we do which one is in the most immediate danger of
a visit. Wheeler's cavalry is all around us, but as yet no
infantry. A regiment of his command tried to stop our com
ing into this town. The Third Wisconsin, without firing a
shot, charged them, broke them all to pieces, and lost only
three men. JF* JF* JF*
Camp neab Fayettevtlle, N. C,
March 12, 1865.
An hour ago, we were all astounded by the announcement
that a mail would leave headquarters at four P. M. If you
had quietly stepped Up to my shelter and asked me to come
and take a comfortable Sunday dinner at home, I should have
hardly been more astonished. It seems that there is a steam
tug up from Wilmington, and that we have captured two'
steamers at this city. I write now only to say that I am

Letters 213
perfectly well, and have been in but one skirmish since
leaving Savannah. When I have time, I will give you a
history of this campaign ; all I will say of it now is that it
has been a hard one. We have had a great many severe
storms ; the roads have been awful, and the obstacles in the
shape of rivers, streams, and swamps, most numerous; but
we have conquered them as we have everything else.
When I tell you that since the eighth day of February I
have not drawn from the commissariat a single government
ration, you can understand how entirely we have lived on the
country. There have been times of great anxiety, when it
seemed as if the country could yield nothing, but we have
always had great herds of cattle to fall back on, so that there
was never much danger of suffering. This has been no picnic
excursion, I can assure you, and I am not sorry we are near-
ing a base. Another Sunday will, I hope, see us in Golds-
borough. I hope to get some express matter soon, as I am
in sad condition in the way of clothing.
We have marched from Cheraw since last Tuesday morn
ing, about seventy miles.
[The writer was wounded at the battle of Averysboro, March 16, and
went to Massachusetts, where he remamed about sixty days.]
JF* JF* iff*
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Neab Alexandbia, May 23, 1865.
I have been sorely exercised for the last few days on ac
count of learning, when I joined my command, that I had
' been mustered out of service by order of the War Depart
ment, on account of being absent from the effects of wounds

214 Letters

received in action. * Yesterday, through the kindness of
General Slocum, I obtained an interview with General Towns-
end, Adjutant General, and presented to him an application
for the rescinding of the order ; it had received pretty heavy
endorsements from all my superiors, and was at once granted.
The veteran regiments are probably to be retained, for the
present at any rate ; they will be filled up to the maximum
by consolidation.
Everybody is scrubbing up for the review to-morrow, which
will be a great affair. I am sorry you are not coming on. I
am getting along very well with my wound.
^e* <p ^
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
Neab Washington, D. C, May 26, 1865.
We are now settled in what we suppose will be our per
manent camp for quite a long time. It is a lovely place about
four miles from Washington, and very near Bladensburg.
The regiments are scattered so that each has plenty of
room. Day before yesterday was the grand review. We
started from our camp between five and six A. M., reached
Capitol Hill about eleven, and soon after started down the
avenue. I had as prominent a place for the regiment as I
could ask for, on the right of the brigade. The regiment
looked finely, and was cheered and applauded by name sev-
* Immediately after the surrender of Lee's and Johnston's army,
the War Department issued a General Order honorably discharging
every officer then absent from his command on account of wounds or
sickness.

Letters 215

eral times. The day was a very fatiguing one, but one which
will never be forgotten by any of us. After passing the re
viewing officers, we marched about six miles to our present
camp ; it is a very pleasant exchange from the Virginia side
of the Potomac. l&* iff^ t&^
Headquaetees Second Mass. Inf'y,
June 10, 1865.
Our old corps, division and brigade, have been broken up,
and yesterday we marched out of our beautiful camp and
away from every old association. The Third Wisconsin
cheered us and we cheered them, but a good many of us felt
more like blubbering. Our division is composed of the vet
eran regiments of the Twentieth Corps belonging in the East
ern States. Jr* JF* iff*
Washington, D. C, June 18, 1865.
Since my last letter we have made one more change, and
the regiment now forms part of the garrison of Washington.
That we have been detailed for provost duty in this city
shows that though we are now among strangers, we are not
altogether unknown.
We are camped quite near the Capitol, in a not very aris
tocratic neighborhood. We have considerable guard and
patrol duty to do, now that so many troops are passing
through on their way home. JF* JP* iff*

216 Letters
Washington, D. C, July 8, 1865.
I suppose you have seen the announcement before this
that we are to be mustered out of the service at once. We
shall probably be home in a week or ten days ; how long we
shall be delayed there, I can't tell.
You may not hear from me again till I get home.
iff* iff^ iff^
[The regiment was mustered out of the service at Readville-, Mass.,
July 26, 1865. The total losses of the regiment in killed and wounded
during its entire term of service were : 14 officers and 176 enlisted men
killed or mortally wounded, and 26 officers and 410 enlisted men
wounded, not mortally. Total casualties in action, 626. Died of dis
ease, 84 ; drowned, 4.]

APPENDIX.

THE "VETERAN" FURLOUGH.

The regiment received its orders to go home for its thirty days'
furlough January 9, 1864, those who had not re-enlisted remaining in
camp at Tullahoma, Tenn. Movements by rail were slow in tliose days,
owing to insufficient transportation, and it was not until the even
ing of January 18th that the regiment reached Boston. There was a
great throng at the Boston and Albany station awaiting it, but no formal
reception was given that evening. The men were marched to barracks
on Beach Street, and quartered there for the night; the officers were en
tertained by Mr. E. B. Mudge at the United States Hotel, and many of
them went to their homes for the night.
The next day, January 20th, was a fine, bright, winter day, not too
cold for comfort. At about 9 A. M., the regiment filed out of the Beach
Street barracks, and, under the escort of the Boston Cadets, began its
march. It was an ovation from the start. The men had spent much of
their time the preceding night in polishing their brasses and belts, and
brushing up their well worn uniforms. Their rifles and bayonets were
burnished to the last degree, and would have passed the inspection of
the most rigid West point martinet. It is difficult to say too much in
praise of the appearance of the command on this occasion. The men
were veterans in the truest sense, and theif whole appearance indicated
it. Their march was the easy swing of the old soldier, but in perfect
time and alignment, with every face set squarely to the front. Their
faces, bronzed by exposure to the sun and the weather, had the expres
sion of hardihood which only comes to men accustomed to meet dan
gers and privation. The officers were all young men, hardly one who
marched that day being more than twenty-five years old, yet from the

218 Appendix

military point of view they were entitled to be called veterans. Colonel
Coggswell, who commanded the regiment, was then in his twenty-fifth
year; Captain Crowninshield, who had been three times wounded, was
in his twenty-first year and was the youngest captain, but several other
officers of this rank were only a year or two older.
The march was first through the West End of Boston, passing
through Arlington Street to Beacon Street, — the reception proper
really beginning on the latter street. The sidewalks were filled with a
cheering multitude, and every window and balcony were crowded with
friends, who gave the most enthusiastic greeting to the regiment as it
passed. It was a stirring march, to fine martial music, and no one who
marched with the regiment that day will ever forget this thrilling epi
sode of his military life.
From Beacon Street the march proceeded through the business
streets, where the principal stores had been closed by common consent.
On State Street was another ovation from "the solid men of Boston,"
who filled the street and cheered most enthusiastically as the column
marched by. When Faneuil Hall was reached the men filed in, and
every inch of available room was immediately filled by the crowds
which followed. The galleries were occupied by ladies and many of
the immediate friends of the officers and men. The hall was hand
somely decorated by flags and streamers, with the State arms and shield
on each side of the clock.
The officers and color guard with their shot-riddled battle flag were
on the platform, where Governor Andrew and his staff, Mayor Lincoln,
General Burnside, and other distinguished men were assembled. Mayor
Lincoln presided on the occasion, and after prayer by the Eev. Dr.
Lothrop, a collation was served to the men. Mayor Lincoln then made
an address of welcome, which he closed by introducing "His Excellency
the Governor, who, in behalf of our honored Commonwealth, will for
mally tender you that welcome which your merits and patriotic services
deserve." Governor Andrew followed with an eloquent address,' in which he
recounted the services of the regiment and followed its career through
its various campaigns. He referred by name to many of those who had
fallen in battle, and told the story of the color bearers who fell one after
another at Gettysburg, but who never let the flag touch the ground, in
a manner which thrilled every one who heard him. In conclusion he
said: "Now, Mr. Commander and soldiers of the Second, I have not
attempted by words to declare how deep is the gratitude of the Massa
chusetts heart towards the living, — how sacred our remembrance for
the memory of the dead. Brave and true men lean not on the speech,
rely not on the assurance of the lips. Soldiers, you know that from the
bottom of her heart Massachusetts admires, reveres and loves you all."

Appendix 219

Colonel Coggswell made a modest, well-spoken reply to Governor
Andrew's speech of welcome, and was followed by General Burnside,
who happened to be present in Boston at that time, and who made a few
remarks suitable to the occasion.
After the exercises at Faneuil Hall were concluded, the regiment
marched to Coolidge Block, Court Street, where the arms and equip
ments were deposited, and the men received their thirty days' furlough.
The officers scattered to their homes to enjoy this brief season of
rest, although an active effort was made to secure recruits to take back
into the field. This effort entirely failed, mainly owing to the unfortu
nate policy, then in effect, of creating and filling up new military organ
izations, rather than placing every recruit in the old regiments or other
organized commands.
On Monday, February 22, the regiment assembled at Beach Street
barracks, and the next day, at half -past four P. M., left Boston for Ten
nessee. An entire week was spent on the return trip, and the regiment
finally reached its camp at Tullahoma on a dark, rainy morning, where
it rejoined the comrades who had been left behind.

THE BATTLE OF AYERYSBORO.

Mabch 15, 1865, the day preceding this battle, was cloudy and rainy,
the brigade marching about ten miles on a plank road, getting into camp
after dark. The camp was in an ancient grave-yard, very damp and
disagreeable. Our men had just started fires and were preparing their
frugal supper, when a mounted orderly clattered up to my shelter
tent with orders for the regiment to be ready to march at once. Our
brigade was soon in motion through the pitchy darkness, over the most
execrable of mud roads. We marched only about five miles, but it was
nearly twelve o'clock when we filed off the road into a pine thicket, and
lay down on the wet ground for the remainder of the night. During
the night march we learned that Kilpatrick's cavalry had encountered
a force of the enemy, and that we had been ordered up to relieve one
of his brigades. This force was General Hardee's command, which had
been halted in a strong position for the purpose of holding Sherman's
advance, to give time for Johnson to concentrate his army at some point
beyond. About seven A. M., I received orders to form the regiment on
the left of the brigade, throw out skirmishers and engage the enemy,
and was told that my left would be supported by cavalry. The ground
in our front, over which we advanced during the day, was a pine swamp,
the water in some places being a foot or more in depth.

220 Appendix

As soon as the regiment had taken its position, I ordered Captain
J. I. Grafton, who commanded the left flank company, to take his com
pany and the one next on his right, and deploy them in front of the
regiment. The skirmishers were at once engaged, and we came under
a well-directed, scattering fire. Captain Grafton was just placing his
men in position when he was wounded in the leg and started to the
rear, but when within a few yards of the place where I was standing
he turned again to the front, and almost immediately was struck by a
bullet in the neck. Even with this mortal wound he staggered several
paces to the rear, when he fell, and died a few moments afterwards.
Captain Grafton was a gallant soldier, and a gentleman in every sense
of the word. He joined the regiment as junior second lieutenant in
November, 1861. He was severely wounded at Cedar Mountain, and
again at Chancellorsville. The latter wound was in one of his legs,
which caused a lameness from which he never fully recovered, but in
spite of pain and discomfort he maintained his place at the head of his
company at all times, and with his fine bearing was an example of a
gallant soldier. It seemed hard that he should meet his death after
passing through the great campaigns of the war, and when the regiment
was in action for the last time ; but so it was, and we had to mourn the
death of one more brave and true comrade.
The skirmishers of our brigade steadily pushed back those of the
enemy, and after our ammunition was exhausted, we were relieved by
General Coggswell's brigade of the Third Division, the remainder of the
Twentieth Corps having now come up to the front and taken the place
of the cavalry. Coggswell continued to press the enemy with his bri
gade, and advanced for about a mile until he encountered a line of
breastworks into which the enemy had retreated. In the meantime our
brigade, the Third of the First Division, had been transferred to the
right, and late in the afternoon we were ordered forward again. Our
last advance carried us close to the enemy's works, and we became
hotly engaged. The action lasted until dark, when the firing subsided,
and during the night the enemy retreated from our front.
The regiment carried into this action only 141 officers and men : the
companies were mere skeletons. Captain Grafton, with two companies,
had but twenty men under his command when he was killed. The
casualties in the action were Captain Grafton and seven enlisted men
killed or mortally wounded ; Lieutenant-Colonel Morse and fourteen en
listed men wounded. Lieutenant Samuel Storrow, who had joined the
regiment at Atlanta and had made the " March to the Sea," was detailed
as aide on General Coggswell's staff when the latter was placed in com
mand of a brigade at Savannah. Averysboro was his first real battle,
and he went into it full of zeal and courage. While carrying an order
he was struck by a bullet, and although the wound did not seem serious

Appendix 221

he could not rally from its effect, and died a few hours after. He was a
fine, spirited young fellow, and his loss was greatly felt by those who
had been associated with him during his short term of service.
The battle of Averysboro was a comparatively small affair, but the
fighting was spirited, and the inarch of Sherman's array was but little
delayed by Hardee's efforts.
The battle of Bentonville followed on March 19, but the Second
Massachusetts Regiment was not actively engaged.

THE FINAL ORDER.

Headquarters Second Mass. Infantry,
Washington, D. C, July 12, 1885.

General Orders, No.

To the Officers and Men of the Second Massachusetts In
fantry : —
The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding takes this, his last, oppor
tunity to tender to you his congratulations, that, after more than four
years of hard service, you are enabled again to go to your homes, and
resume your peaceful avocations.
A brief review of your history in this regiment cannot fail now to
interest you.
At the very outbreak of the late rebellion, the Second Massachusetts
Infantry was organized. Its first year of service was not an eventful
one, and it became famous only for its good discipline and appearance.
In the campaign of 1862 it had a more distinguished part to act.
On the night of May 24, your regiment, by its steadiness and bravery,
beat back greatly superior forces of the enemy, and saved Banks' little
army from total destruction. All of honor that can be associated with
the disastrous retreat of the next day certainly belongs to you. Next
came Cedar Mountain ; there, with the same determined bravery, this
regiment faced and fought three times its numbers ; and, in twenty
minutes, lost more than one-third of its enlisted men, and more than
one-half its officers. Antietam, Chancellorsville, Beverly Ford, Gettys
burg, and the great campaigns of the West, with their numerous battles
and skirmishes, followed in quick succession ; and the war ended, leav
ing with you a most brilliant and satisfactory record, — a record of
courage, gallantry, and tenacity in battle, of unflinching steadiness in
defeat, of good discipline in camp, and of respect and prompt obedience

222 Appendix

to all superiors ; this is the record which you can take to your homes,
and it is known and acknowledged throughout the length and breadth
of your State.
The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding does most sincerely congratu
late you who are now left in this command, on having passed safely
through this great struggle, which has terminated so gloriously. He
feels sure that no one of you will ever regret your part in this war. „ As
long as you live, and whatever your future in life may be, you will think
of your soldier's career with the greatest pride and satisfaction ; its
hardships and sufferings, its dangers and glories, have made you all
nobler, better, and more self-reliant men.
It will not be with pleasure alone, that you recall the events of the
past four years. With sadness you will bring to mind the appearance of
this regiment as it marched out of Camp Andrew, July 8, 1861 ; and
will think how many of the noblest and best officers and men then com
prising it now fill soldiers' graves. You will cherish the memories of
these gallant men ; and though you lament their loss, you will remem
ber that they died in battle, bravely doing their duty, fighting for their
country and right ; and you will thank God, when you look about you,
and see peace restored to this entire country, that the sacrifice of their
lives has not been in vain.
The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding thanks you for your adher-
ance to your duties, and your fidelity to him, since he has had the honor
to command you. He assures you, that, in taking leave of this old
organization, he feels more pain than pleasure ; he has been with it
since its first existence, has shared, its dangers, privations, and glories ;
and now that it has devolved upon him to write these words of farewell
he does so with unfeigned regret.
In conclusion, he hopes that the lessons taught by this war will
exert a beneficial influence on your future lives, and that you may be
come good citizens and worthy members of society.
C. F. MOESE,
(Official.) Lieut.-Col., Commanding Second Mass. Infantry.

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