Introduction
March, 1864 was a busy time, and a time of great
changes in the Army of the Potomac.
General Meade, commanding the Army, focused on
consolidating his forces into 3 solid corps instead of 5 thin
ones. The two smallest corps, the 1st & 3rd would be
dissolved and their men placed in either the 2nd, 5th or 6th Corps. The
men in camp had heard these rumors, but the idea seemed to be
stalled. While in Washington addressing this plan, the general
found to his great surprise, a cabal of his political enemies, trying
to force his removal from command of the army. Generals
Daniel Sickles, and Abner Doubleday among others, without General
Meade’s knowledge, were giving testimony to a Congressional Committee
that Meade didn’t want to fight the battle of
Gettysburg. On top of this, Meade did not know if his new
boss, General Grant, when he eventually took command, would keep
him on, or have him replaced.
The commander of the Army of the Potomac was not
to be envied.
Brigadier-General Daniel Sickles,
Brigadier-General Albion Howe & Benjamin F. Wade, Chairman of the
Committee on the Conduct of the War. Sickles & Howe
testified to the committee that General Meade did not want to fight the
battle at Gettysburg, and in fact wished to retreat. Benjamin
Wade immediately went to President Lincoln to suggest General Meade be
relieved of command of the Army of the Potomac. Mr. Wade lied to
General Meade two days later and said they were not investigating him,
but merely writing their chronicle of the war. More of this will
be addressed on the next website page; March, 1864, Part 2.
In Washington, on March 8, General Grant arrived to meet
President Lincoln for the first time, and to accept his
Lieutenant-General’s commission. Charles N. Richards, formerly a
private soldier in the 13th MA Vols. happened to be in the room that
night. On the 10th, Grant, in his new position as
Chief of all the Armies, took a train to Brandy Station to meet
General Meade. Accounts say it was a cordial visit. But
heavy rain prevented them from seeing anything in camp, so they both
returned to Washington the next day, in order to dine with the
President. Grant’s inspection of the Army would come later in
April.
Meanwhile at Mitchell’s Station the 1st Brigade of Gen.
John C. Robinson’s 2nd Division, continued doing outpost duty along the
Rapidan river, in conjunction with the patrolling cavalry pickets of
General Wesley Merritt’s Division. Confederate deserters
continued to cross the river into Union lines.
Occasionally the 2nd brigade came down on the trains
from Culpeper to relieve them with picket duty for a while, and
then the 1st Brigade schedule was filled up with military drills.
For the entirety of the winter, it was either picket duty, guard
duty, or military drill, for the soldiers of the 13th MA.
WHATS ON THIS PAGE
The narrative on this page begins with commentary at
Army Headquarters concerning General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick’s cavalry
raid to Richmond, which was already under way. Kilpatrick’s
objective was to take the city of Richmond by stealth, and free Union
prisoners incarcerated at Belle Isle and Libby Prisons. The
excursion was supposed to be a secret, but that wasn’t really the
case. Another section follows up with commentary upon the end of
the raid. The actual raid itself will be reported on another page
of this website.
At the regimental level, the good news is, ––the pithy
comments from the diary of 13th MA Private Calvin H. Conant are
back.
In early July this year, (2024) I traveled to Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, and visited the archives at the US Army Heritage
& Education Center, where the small pocket-sized 1864 diary
resides. I spent the morning of July 1st photographing the pages
of his diary. The bad news is my camera failed and the photos
from January through March were blurry, and often times illegible. I
was on a tight travel schedule that day, so I made the mistake of not
checking my photos before leaving Carlisle. To compound that error, his
handwriting is difficult to decipher.
Fortunately his diary entries for these months repeat in
patterns. This makes guessing at the blurry words a bit
easier. And, with the help of photoshop, I was remarkably able to
retrieve much more of the entries than I would have otherwise thought
possible. Because of the blurry photos I'm posting the
first diary entries here, for the month of March. Calvin’s
company G was detailed for guard duty at headquarters during the entire
winter.
To fill out the stories from the picket line, there are
entries from the 13th MA regimental history, entries from Sam Webster’s
diary, letters from Warren Freeman and George Henry Hill, and stories
from the magazine Bivouac, authored by different men from the 13th.
Ladies were still present in camp and Mary Ellen
Pierce’s journal entries continue to chronicle her 7 week stay with
husband Elliot. One of the highlights on this page is the “catty”
letter she wrote her sister, about a wild time the officers had one
night, drinking and partying til 1 in the morning. On a previous night
two of the Yeager sisters were present, and a Boston officer was paying
them considerable attention. The prize winning
quote from the letter is, “they are far inferior to New England
girls…” Read the rest for yourself.
Mary Ellen’s high time is followed up by an interesting
section titled “When President Lincoln Met General Grant.” The
historic occasion is described in newspaper accounts and by eye
witnesses. An interesting aside in the midst of this, is a brief
biography of 13th MA soldier Charles N. Richards. He was badly
wounded in the face at Antietam. Charles had a very interesting
post-war career outlined here.
On March 10, an alarm was raised in camp. It was
reported Rebel Cavalry made a dash upon the lookout station at
Garnett’s Peak. The story was repeated in the regimental
history. But it appears from all evidence to be just a “camp
story” that gained legs. Nothing serous really happened, which
shows you can’t always trust every story that made it into the
regimental history. Charles Wainwright gives a long discourse on
recruiting efforts then taking place. On October 17, 1863
President Lincoln put out a call “for 300,000 volunteers for the
various companies and regiments in the field from their respective
states.” On February 1st, 1864, “the President ordered a draft
for 500,000 men to be made on the first of March if the quotas are not
filled before that time.”* Also in this journal entry, Col.
Wainwright snickers at the raising of the 20th U.S.
Colored Troops in New York. The aristocrat Wainwright, is
doubtful…
A great section follows about “boxes from home.”
Charles Davis writes an homily to all those who supported soldiers in
the field with clothing and other comforts from home. Fittingly, Warren
Freeman receives not one, but two boxes from school-mates, who wrote a
delightful letter to him about their efforts. The denouement of
this section comes from an article found in the pages of Bivouac
Magazine, 1885. Some sneaky boys in the 13th, believe it or not,
tried to smuggle contraband whiskey into camp, not once but twice !!
The stories and letters for the month of March continued
at length, so I divided the stories for the month in two. This
page ends with “Baseball” & “Farewell.” A noteworthy game of
ball between the 104th NY and the 13th MA was memorialized in the
regimental history and given here. It is followed by an article
about another game of ball between some New York Infantry and Cavalry
at Brandy Station. These show the popularity of the new sport in
its infancy.
All women were ordered out of camp on March 10.
This page ends with Mary Ellen parting from her husband, on the morning
train to Washington, March 14.
There is much more to come for March 1864, in part 2.
*Wainwright Journal entry February 5, 1864;
Diary of Battle, (p. 318); edited by Alan Nevins.
PICTURE CREDITS: All Images are from
the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DIGITAL COLLECTIONS with the following
exceptions: 13th MA personnel David H. Bradlee, N. W. Batchelder,
S. C. Whitney, J. A. Howe, O.C. Livermore, E. C. Pierce and Ezra Trull,
are from, U.S. Army
Heritage Education Center, Carlilsle, PA, MASS MOLLUS Collection;
Portrait of William R. Warner in Winter Camp, from the Westboro
Historical Society; Portrait of Colonel Samuel H. Leonard, 13th
MA, from Digital Commonwealth at:
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org; Portrait of Lt. Col.
Theodore Lyman is from the Internet Archive from , 'Meade's
Headquarters, 1863-1865, Boston, 1922; Portraits of
David Whiston & Mary Ellen Pierce,
courtesy of the MA Historical Society; Photo of Charles
Wainwright's diagram map & Sam Webster's sketch of his winter
hut, are from the Huntington Library, San Marino, CA,
photographed by the author; Picture of Dr. Reuben A. Long's home,
"Wellington" is from the Culpeper Public Library, Local History Room,
(1933 WPA Study of historic homes in Culpeper Coutny). General
Grant's portrait is from The Photographic History of the Civil
War in 10 Volumes, by Francis Trevelyan Miller, 1911; /Portrait
of Charles N. Richards, is from, "Charles N. Richards and his
Puritan Forebears, printed privately by Sexton Richards, 1971, sent to
the author by Mr. Tom Richards, Descendant; Graphic card of Pres.
Lincoln meeting Gen. Grant was found at Card Cow (cardcow.com);
Confederate Cavalry photo by Buddy Secor (ninjapix) used with
permission; Portrait of Charles Barber, from is book, "The CW
Letters of Charles Barber Private 104 NY Vol. Inf." ed. by Raymond G.
Barber & Gary E. Swinson 1991; (rec'd from Fredericksburg Nat'l.
Battlefield Park); Photo of the Rixey House, Culpeper from
Culpeper History Museum, courtesy of John Christiansen; The
Charles Reed sketches on this page can be found at the
Library of Congress under “Charles Wellington Reed Papers.”;
Images from Harper’s Weekly
including “2oth U.S Colored Troops” (March 19, 1864) is from
sonofthesouth.net ; Images from Frank Leslie's Illustrated
History of the Civil War; accessed digitally on the Internet Archive at
[https://archive.org/details/importantevents00franrich];
ALL IMAGES HAVE BEEN
EDITED IN PHOTOSHOP.
Return to Table of Contents
Prologue:
Headquarters, Army of the Potomac,
March 1 & 2; Kilpatrick's Raid Begun
A brief look at some of
the commentary
going on at Army Headquarters, regarding General Hugh Judson
Kilpatrick's Raid to Richmond.
Letter of Theodore Lyman, Aid to Gen'l.
Meade
The following is from, Meade's
headquarters, 1863-1865 : letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the
Wilderness to Appomattox, Boston, 1922. (p. 76-78).
Headquarters
Army of the Potomac
March 1, 1864
… For some days General Humphreys has been a mass of
mystery, with his mouth pursed up, and doing much writing by himself,
all to the great amusement of the bystanders, who had heard, even in
Washington, that some expedition or raid was on the tapis, and even
pointed out various details thereof. However, their ideas, after
all, were vague; but they should not have known anything.
Que voulez-vous? A secret expedition with us
is got up like a picnic, with everybody blabbing and yelping. One
is driven to think that not even the prospect of immediate execution
will stop Americans from streaming on in their loose, talking,
devil-may-care ways. Kilpatrick is sent for by the President; oh,
ah! everybody knows it at once: He is a cavalry officer; it
must be a raid. All Willard’s chatters of it. Everybody
devotes his entire energies to pumping the President and
Kill-cavalry! (General Andrew A. Humphreys, pictured.)
Some confidential friend finds out a part, tells another
confidential friend, swearing him to secrecy, etc., etc. So there
was Eleusinian* Humphreys writing mysteriously, and speaking to
nobody, while the whole camp was sending expeditions to the four
corners of the compass!
On Saturday, at early morn, Uncle John Sedgwick suddenly
picked up his little traps and marched with his Corps through Culpeper
and out towards Madison Court House, away on our right flank. The
next, the quiet Sabbath, was broken by the whole of Birney’s division,
of the 3d Corps, marching also through Culpeper, with the bands playing
and much parade. We could only phancy the feeling of J. Reb
contemplating this threatening of his left flank for his signal station
on Clark’s Mountain.** Then the flaxen Custer at the head of
cavalry passed through, and wended his way in that same
direction. All this, you see, was on our right. That night
Kilpatrick, at the head of a large body of cavalry, crossed at Ely’s
Ford, on our extreme left, and drew a straight bead on
Richmond! At two oclock that night he was at Spotsylvania C. H.,
and this is our last news of him. He sent back word that he
would attack Richmond at seven this morning.
The idea is to liberate the prisoners, catch all the
rebel M. C.’s that are lying round loose, and make tracks to our
nearest lines. I conceive the chances are pretty hazardous,
although the plan was matured with much detail and the start was all
that could be asked…
NOTES
**Eleusinian mysteries: the annual rites performed by the ancient
Greeks at the village of Eleusis near Athens in honor of Demeter and
Persephone.
*See photo of Clark's Mountain below, with Calvin Conant diary entry.
Major-General John Sedgwick, commanding
6th Army Corps, Major-General David Birney, commander 3rd Army
Corps, Brigadier-General George A. Custer, commander 3rd Cavalry
division.
Letter of
General Meade to his wife, March
2, 1864
The following is from, The Life and Letters of
George Gordon Meade,
Major-General United States Army by George Meade, New York,
1913.
Headquarters
Army of the Potomac, March 2,
1864.
We have all been in a state of excitement about our
recent cavalry
raids. On the 28th, I moved the Sixth Corps and part of the Third to
Madison Court House, threatening the enemy’s left flank. At the
same time Custer, with fifteen hundred cavalry and two pieces of
artillery, was sent to Charlottesville to try and cut the Gordonsville
and Lynchburg Railroad near that place, where there is an important
bridge over the Ravenna River. Custer got within two miles of the
bridge, but found it too strongly guarded. He, however,
skirmished with the enemy, destroyed and captured a great deal of
property, took fifty prisoners, and on his return cut his way through a
large cavalry force, commanded by Jeb. Stuart, that had been sent to
cut him off, thus being quite successful.
In the meantime, while the enemy’s attention was fully
occupied with Custer and they were under the impression I was moving in
that direction, Kilpatrick, with four thousand cavalry and six guns, at
night crossed the Rapidan on our left and pushed straight for
Richmond. He fortunately captured the picket on the Rapidan, thus
preventing early intelligence of his movement being communicated.
He left Sunday night, and the last we have heard of him was Monday
afternoon, when he was within thirty miles of Richmond. Of course
you can imagine our anxiety to know his fate. If he finds
Richmond no better guarded than our information says it is, he will
have a great chance of getting in and liberating all the prisoners,
which is the great object of the movement. God grant he may, for
their sakes and his.
I suppose you have seen by the papers that I have been
confirmed as a brigadier general in the regular army.
Return to Table of Contents
Outpost
Duty, Mitchell's Station, March 1 - 4:
Mississippi
Deserters
The narrative from the 39th MA nicely
opens the month of March, 1864.
The following is from, “The Thirty-ninth Regiment
Massachusetts Volunteers, 1862-1865;” by Alfred S. Roe, 1914.
March started off rainy and cold with usual rumors as to
immediate orders for some sort of a move, but duty on the
picket line
continued just the same, and not a few remarked on the discomforts of
those who had gone out to Madison Court House and were compelled to
bivouac in the snow, into which the rain had changed.
For the 2d
day of the month, the return of the Sixth Corps and its cavalry
accompaniment was chronicled along with the fact that nothing had been
heard from Kilpatrick.
Even in wartimes, it did not always rain
and the 3rd, being “a splendid day,” some of the men climbed up the
sides of Cedar or Slaughter Mountain for the view, and to look up
traces of the fierce encounter, August 9, 1862, when the Second and
Third Corps,* Generals Banks and McDowell respectively, all under
General John Pope, were beaten by “Stonewall” Jackson and his
men. Having encamped so long under the shadow of the eminence,
the trip was particularly enjoyable and there was no difficulty in
locating many of the prominent features of the bloody day which served
as a prelude to the still bloodier battle of Second Bull Run.
*NOTE: This is the 2nd & 3rd
Corps of
Major-General John Pope's Army of Virginia.
Following the end of General Pope's disastrous Summer Campaign of 1862,
his army would be incorporated into the Army of the Potomac.
Pope's 2nd Corps under Major-General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks would
become the 12th Corps, commanded by Major-General Joseph K. Mansfield,
and General Irvin McDowell's 3rd Corps, under Pope, would become the
1st Army Corps, commanded by Major-General Joseph Hooker, during the
Maryland Campaign of September, 1862.
View from the Shelf of Cedar Mountain
View towards the Cedar Mountain
Battlefield from the northern most spur of Cedar Mountain. The
picture is taken on a prominent spur of the mountain, about 1/2 way
between the valley floor and Rev. Phillip Slaughter's home.
Parts of Joseph Latimer's & Nathaniel Terry's batteries were
positioned here. Some of the Union batteries positions are
indicated. Three regiments of Gen. Samuel W. Crawford's brigade
swept across the weak left flank of Stonewall Jackson's line at "The
Point." The farm buildings in the foreground mark where the
Brandt farm once stood. The Union line followed the axis of
Mitchell's Road, with Clermont Best' battery on the Union right,
and Freeman McGilvery's Battery anchoring the left of the Union
battle line.
*NOTE: This is the 2nd & 3rd
Corps of
Major-General John Pope's Army of Virginia.
Following the end of General Pope's disastrous Summer Campaign of 1862,
his army would be incorporated into the Army of the Potomac.
Pope's 2nd Corps under Major-General Nathaniel Prentiss Banks would
become the 12th Corps, commanded by Major-General Joseph K. Mansfield,
and General Irvin McDowell's 3rd Corps, under Pope, would become the
1st Army Corps, commanded by Major-General Joseph Hooker, during the
Maryland Campaign of September, 1862.
The Diary of
Calvin H. Conant, Company G,
13th Mass. Vols.
Calvin's entry of May 3rd, (just before the Overland
Campaign kicked off) he said “the men of Co G are to be relieved from
thier duty at Head Quarters to day and will do duty in Company after
this; we have had the job 4 months.” Thus, he reveals that
Company G of the 13th MA Vols, was detached as 1st Brigade Headquarters
Guard for the months of January, February, March & April, in fact,
the entire time the Brigade was on outpost duty at Mitchell's
Station. As such he and others of the company were orderly's
for the officers on post. Occasionally he mentions getting the mail, or
taking in the Stacks of Arms during bad weather. Whiskey
was more plentiful at headquarters, and Calvin enjoyed the chance of
getting some whenever the opportunity
availed itself.
Calvin never left headquarters to go on picket.
His entries always begin with weather conditions, and then
a statement as to whether he was on duty or off duty.
I would
like to add that his spelling is very erratic, and for ease of reading
and interpretation, I am going to attempt to clean it up. Some
examples of his ideosyncratic hand; he writes "plesent" for
"pleasant", "of" for "off", "loots" for "lots", "Reg" for
"Regiment", "Co" for "Company", and "Brig" for "Brigade."
Going forward, I will make it a goal to continue to decipher
those entries currently illegible at least until the time when I can
return to Carlisle.
Clark's Mountain: Confederate
Look-out Post
Clark's Mountain, on the south side of
the Rapidan River was a Confederate Lookout Station. The highest
peak for miles around, it still dominates the Culpeper Valley.
View looking south about a mile north of Mitchell's Station.
From The Diary of Calvin Conant:
March 1, 1864.
Still raining to
day I am off guard the Regiment to Inline
Pickett some? brig? drlll? cold in the
afternoon
Wednesday, March 2, 1864.
Clear Cold day it
Cleared up and froze quite hard last
night I am off duty read a letter from
home We
can see the Rebs signilisin very plain from Clarks Mountain*
Thursday, March 3, 1864.
Pleasant day I am on duty
to day Company & Brigade drill
Friday, March 4, 1864.
Pleasant day I
am off duty Company and Brigade
drill tried to make me come out but the
Colonel said I wasnt up I am not well
MISSISSIPPI DESERTERS CROSS
THE PICKET LINE
The
following passages document the desertion of a number of Mississippi
conscripts from the Rebel Army in early March. The first mention
comes from the regimental history of the 9th NY Vol. Infantry,
[Baxter's 2nd Brigade] which
sent a detachment down from their camp at Culpeper, to help out with
the picket duty. The second
story by Clarence Bell, 13th MA, comes from the Bivouac magazine, in
1885.
The following is from, “History of
the Ninth Regiment N.Y.S.M.––N.G.S.N.Y.
(Eighty-third N.Y. Volunteers.) 1845-1888”, by George A.
Hussey, Edited
by William Todd, 1889.
The 3rd of March found a detail from the regiment, with
other portions of the brigade, on picket at Mitchell’s Station. A
large number of deserters from the Forty-eighth Mississippi regiment
came in during the first week of the month, and if their stories were
to be believed, a very general feeling of discontent pervaded the whole
Confederate Army. That such was not the case, however, was amply
proven by the manner in which Lee’s army fought during the year.
THE
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER (Excerpt.)
Bivouac, A Military Magazine, June 1885
by Clarence Bell (13th MA Vols.)
In the Federal army, whenever there was a location long
enough to admit of it, full rations in variety were issued, accompanied
by soft bread.
During the winter and early spring of 1864, we were
quartered at
Mitchell’s Station, near the Rapidan, and as the Confederacy, even
then, betrayed symptoms of approaching collapse, there were numerous
desertions to our lines.
One morning two conscripts from a Mississippi regiment
came in, and
before being forwarded to headquarters, were regaled with a hearty
breakfast of beefsteak, coffee and soft bread. They ate with
remarkably good appetites, and the quantity was unstinted.
When at last they sat back from the table in satiety,
one of them
turned to me with a glow of generosity spreading over his pleasant
face, and drew from his haversack two small loaves of cornbread that
looked as if they might have been mixed with swamp water gathered after
dark, and baked in the ashes. These were presented to me.
Somewhat startled at the gift, I courteously declined
the “dingbats,”
and suggested that although his breakfast was safely hoisted in, there
might be some doubts as to when the bell would ring for dinner.
He dumped them back into the haversack that looked as if it had been in
constant service since the firing on Sumter, while I concluded to stick
to the soft bread diet for a spell longer.
The fact was apparent,
however, that the contents of this man’s haversack was a fair sample of
the supplies issued to the Confederate troops after several months in
winter quarters, with lines of communication in good order, and
Richmond but a few hours ride distant by rails.
The chronology for the month of March continues
with the 39th MA narrative:
Thirty-Ninth Mass., by Alfred Roe, cont'd.
A two hours’ brigade drill on the
4th, under
Colonel Leonard,
took all available men to the extensive plains across Cedar Run.
As an illustration of the degree to which neatness was carried, it
should be stated that from their respective company funds pay was given
to men, detailed for the purpose, who should do the company washing,
hence no excuse for uncleanliness would avail thereafter.
Alloway Farm
Pictured are the level fields of Alloway
Farm,
adjacent to the hill-side winter encampment of the First Brigade.
This land is bordered on the south side by
Cedar Run as mentioned in Alfred's Roe's account. According to
Historian Roe, Colonel Leonard conducted Brigade Drill here on March
4th. A graphic black & white illustration by Frederick Ray
has been colorized and superimposed over the photo of Alloway.
Woburn Townsman; March 6, 1864
Letter from Alpha, 39th MA Vols.
The 39th MA was camped close by the
13th. The following letter was originally
transcribed and posted on the now defunct website, Letters of the Civil
War, operated by Tom Hayes of Massachusetts. The site can still be
accessed on the Internet
Archive, Wayback Machine.
Camp at
Mitchell’s Station, Va.,
March 6th, 1864.
Dear Townsman: –– On the occasion of the late movement
across the
Rapidan, by the cavalry, supported by the 6th Corps, we were ordered to
pack up and be ready to start with three days’ rations at a moments
notice. Therefore all was bustle and confusion, but ere we had
exhausted the order, it was changed, and finally it ended in being
under arms, “more scared than hurt.” At night we were treated to
a Brigade dress parade, at the conclusion of which we were resolved
into a committee of the whole, in the shape of a prayer meeting, the
men all being together, and too good an opportunity to be lost.
At any rate we had the pleasure of hearing the stentorian voice of our
Chaplain, which, when heard make a note of.
On Monday we were mustered in for two months pay, up to
the 1st of
March, before which we showed our marching qualities by passing in
review before our new Surgeon, Thorndike, formerly of the 34th Mass.,
and Lieut. Meade, of the Div. Staff.
On Tuesday night, rather unexpectedly, Gage’s lost box
arrived, after a
quick passage of a week, and the contents duly distributed. As
has been said before, “they are a fixed institution.”
On Thursday, our pickets were relieved by the 2d Brigade
[Baxter's] of our
Division, who have been stationed at Culpepper, and came up on the cars
for three days picket, which will enable us to have battalion and
brigade drills, from which, much to our sorrow, we have been
exempted. This will give us nine days off duty, instead of four,
as has been the case heretofore all winter.
Last Friday we were
“put through” a Brigade drill under Col. Leonard, acting Brigadier, and
which is, probably, a precurser of more of the same sort. By a
late order, we are to drill two hours, company’s in the forenoon, and
battalion every afternoon, which will not give us as much time as
heretofore.
There has been a few changes among the officers of our
regiment.
Sergeant Major E. W. Mills has been promoted 2d Lieut. Co. K, vice Lt.
L. F. Wyman, transferred into A. Private Edward Crockett, of Co.
C, was appointed in his place. Corp. Chas. K. Conn, has been
detached from the regiment as Clerk at Div. Headquarters. We are
all reluctant to lose him, but rejoice in his good luck and wish him
every success. Private Julius F. Ramsdell, has been detached from
Co. K, as Clerk at Regimental Headquarters.
Alpha
Acknowledgement. –
The following note acknowledging the
receipt of a
box containing caps, towels, and mittens, for the National Rangers, has
been received from Lieut. L. R. Tidd.
(Woburn Townsman; March 18,
1864;
pg. 2, col. 4.)
Return to Table of Contents.
Kilpatrick's
Raid Ended
Lt.-Col. Theodore Lyman, Aid to General
Meade, was no fan of General Kilpatrick. Lyman writes in a March
5th
letter to his wife about the failure of the raid. He also wrote
about the failed expedition in his private notebooks, published, 2007.
The following is from, Meade's Army, The Private
Notebooks of Lt. Col. Theodore Lyman, Kent State University Press,
2007.
March 4, Friday. Scouts that came in last night
report they cut the wire from Lee's army on Sunday night at 11.
That the next day Dahlgren* came in to Frederickshall, destroyed the
rail &c and passed within 500 yards of the Rebel Reserve Artillery
without destroying it, or discovering it (!) That he saw large
fires towards Hanover Junction &c. Later there came a
telegraph from Kilpatrick at Williamsburg (!) saying he had failed in
the Grand Object of the expedition, but had driven the enemy through
their fortifications to the suburbs; destroyed railroads, mills
&c; and lost––less than 150 men!!
Confound the vaporing braggart! He proposed and
got up the expedition, & insisted on it with the President; told
Pleasonton he would succeed or die; and now runs down to Butler's lines
with a loss of 4 men in each 100! After letting those wretched
prisoners hear the hopeful sound of his guns. He should be
relieved from his command and degraded to his favorite
company––newspaper reporters!
*Colonel Ulric Dahlgren accompanied
Kilpatrick on his raid. Dahlgren was killed in an ambush.
Letter of Theordore Lyman to his wife,
March 5, 1864
[excerpt.]
The following is from, Meade's headquarters,
1863-1865 : letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to
Appomattox, Boston, 1922. (p. 76-78).
Pa Meade is at Washington but I hope to have him
back to-morrow. Behold my prophecy in regard to Kill-cavalry’s
raid fulfilled. I have heard many persons very indignant with
him. They said he went to the President and pressed his plan;
told Pleasonton* he would not come back alive if he didn’t
succeed; that
he is a frothy braggart, without brains and not over-stocked with
desire to fall on the field; and that he gets all his reputation by
newspapers and political influence.
These charges are not new and
I fancy Kill has rather dished himself. It is painful to think of
those poor prisoners hearing the sound of his guns and hoping a rescue
was at hand! Now all that cavalry must be carried back in
steamers, like a parcel of old women going to market! Bah! Pour
moi, I say nothing, as I never criticize superior officers; but I
have mine own opinions, quite strong. However, these raids and
the like do not much affect the War one way or the other. Nor
does such a thing as the Florida reverse. Things have narrowed
down now to two or three great centres and upon large operations there
depends the result.
It is a favorite remark of General Meade,
that “there is but one way to put down this rebellion, namely, to
destroy the military power of the Rebels.” Their great armies
must be overwhelmed, and there will end their hopes…
*NOTES: General Alfred Pleasonton,
Chief of Cavalry.
General Meade in Washington
As Lyman stated, General Meade had gone
to Washington, in his own words, “on business connected with the
reorganization of the army.” He was surprised on his arrival, “to
find the whole town talking of certain grave charges of Generals
Sickles and Doubleday, that had been made against me in their testimony
before the Committee on the Conduct of the War. On Saturday I was
summoned before the committee.” General Meade had unexpectedly
discovered a cabal existed to have him removed from the command of the
Army of
the Potomac. Consequently his only comment on the Kilpatrick raid
occured at the very end of his March 6 letter to his wife. After
he had
returned to the army, and written her about all the intrigue in
Washington, he added, “You have doubtless seen
that Kilpatrick's raid was an utter failure. I did not expect much from
it. Poor Dahlgren I am sorry for.” Colonel Ulrich Dalghren
had attached himself to Kilpatrick's endeavor, and was killed on the
expedition. More on the cabal against General Meade is posted on
the next page, of this website, March, Part II
Boston Herald;
Massachusetts Officers
Still at Libby Prison
David Whiston, when he was a sergeant at
Williamsport, and Lt. Samuel E. Cary, 13th Mass. Vols. Image of
Whiston from the Massachusetts Historical Society.
The following appeared in the newspaper
based on information dated February 28. It is interesting that
the day this was issued, a daring expedition to free the
Union prisoners in Richmond, was just then ending in failure.
Lieutenants Sam Cary and David Whiston
are the two 13th MA officers listed as being still incarcerated at
Libby Prison. Captain Morton Tower had only recently
successfully
escaped in the breakout of February 9th, after 7 months
imprisonment. I recently acquired a photo of David Whiston which
I
am happy to add to the website here.
BOSTON HERALD, MARCH 4, 1864.
Military.
Capt. Fred. Barton, Co. I, 10th Mass.
Regiment, who had been paroled by the rebels, gives the following list
of Massachusetts officers left in Libby prison on February 28:––
Capt. W. F. Matins, 1st Heavy
Artillery; Chas. D. Davis, Lieut. James I. Higginson, Lieut. L. M.
Duchesney, 1st Cavalry; Lieut. John C. Norcross, 2d Cavalry; Capt.
Charles S. Kendall, 1st Infantry, hostage; Capt. Ralph O. Ives, 10th
Infantry, hostage; Capt. Frank R. Josselyn, Lieut. Jacob Remic, 11th
Infantry; Lieut. J. B. Sampson, Lieut. Harry Russell, 12th Infantry;
Lieut. David Whinston, Lieut. Samuel E. Cary, 13th Infantry; Lieut.
Geo. Josselyn, 15th Infantry; Lieut. Col. J. F. Fellows, Capt. J. B.
Hill, Adjutant H. A. Cheever, (at Goldsborough), Lieut. B. N. Mann,
17th Infantry; Major Cushing Edmunds, 32d Infantry.
Colonel
Charles Wainwright comments on the
Kilpatrick Raid, March 6, 1864.
Indtroductory Comments
Colonel Wainwright , Chief of the First
Corps Artillery, departed camp February 5th, on a long leave of
absence. At home in New York state, he visited
Governor Horatio Seymour, hoping to get from him some of the new 800
unassigned
recruits at the Governor's disposal. But the Governor's
stipulations
were disagreeable to the Colonel. “He would only give them to me
on condition of my taking a certain number of civilians with them as
officers, which I would not do.” While on leave, Wainwright saw
old friends at home, and
visited the city of Albany which was all a-bustle with soldiers on
furlough and recruiting officers and agents trying to raise men to meet
the new state quotas recently called for by the Government. (
President Lincoln issued a call for 300,000 volunteers, October 17,
1863, for various companies and regiments in the field from
their respective states.” )* While at Albany, Wainwright
observed “The
agents have booths in the park, and offices everywhere; from all that
one sees in the newspapers and hears everywhere the greater part of
them must be the biggest sort of rascals. Not content with the
fee they are entitled to, they try to cheat the recruit out of a large
part of his bounty, and often succeed in pocketing from a half to
three-quarters of it. The provost-marshals are but little better
as a general thing, conniving at if not taking part in the
rascality.” By February 26, Wainwright wrote that he was anxious
to get back to camp and look after his command.
He arrived back in Culpeper on
the afternoon of February 29. “When I reached here I found the
whole army under orders to be ready to move at short notice; from which
state we were relieved today.” [March 3rd]. It was all on account of
Kipatrick's raid. He commented, “Kilpatrick attempts something
rash. He has just lost his wife and only child, and they say he
is gloomy and desperate; just in the state to try something wild.”
*NOTE: Quoted from Alan Nevins,
editor of Wainwright's memoirs, ( p. 381).
In addition to his comments on
Kilpatrick, Wainwright talks of many other
things.
He mentions Generals Sickles' and Doubleday's backstabbing of Gen'l.
Meade, towards the end of this long entry, ––and characterizes them as,
“A
Pretty Team ! Rascality and Stupidity.” His characterizatoin of
them is more accurate than his portrayal of President Lincoln, “one of
the smallestof men, ever harping on trifles.”*
*Journal entry March 13, 1864.
From, “A Diary of Battle, The
Personal Journals
of Colonel Charles S.
Wainwright, 1861-1865”; Edited by Allan Nevins; 1962.
March 6, Sunday. Kilpatrick
has reached Yorktown,
but Jefferson Davis still sits
enthroned in Richmond, and our prisoners still suffer on Belle Isle.
The whole thing has been a failure; resulting, so far as we yet know,
in nothing but the burning of one or two railroad bridges, and the
pretty thorough using up of most of the 3,000 horses. That is, if
Dahlgren gets in safely: he was detached with 500 men and sent to
cross the James above Richmond, but has not since been heard of.#1
These raids have never amounted to anything on either
side beyond a
scare, and proving that once in within the enemy’s line a good body of
cavalry can travel either country with perfect freedom for a long
time. When Jeb Stuart first went round McClellan’s army at the
Peninsula it was something new, and as it was not known how easily such
feats could be performed, he deserved some considerable credit for
it:
the moral effect, too, amounted to something then. Now it is
known
that any sharp fellow acquainted with the roads could make the circuit
of either army with 100 men, but he would cause very little scare and
do very little harm. General Sherman has been trying a raid too
out
West, but on a very much larger scale; still, he does not seem to
have
accomplished any more than Kilpatrick. These raids make a big
noise in
the papers, and so glorify their commander; who is generally a man of
that kind who court newspaper renown.
I understand that the army has been quite gay during my
absence.
The Third Corps ball was followed by one in the Second, to which many
ladies from Washington came down; Barry brought his two
daughters, who
stopped with Mrs. Webb. I must go over and call on Madame some
day
soon.
General Rice, commanding our First Division, has had a
bevy
of
girls at his headquarters, a private theatre and what not.#2
Heard says he was over there once or twice, and tells a good story of
his mother when giving her name to a shop girl in Baltimore being asked
if she was any relation to Dr. Heard of the First Corps, who the shop
girl said she knew very well, having met him during her visit to
General Rice, in the army. Imagine Mamma’s disgust, she having
just
social standing enough to feel such a thing.#3
(Junior Medical Director, 1st A.C., J. Theodore
Heard,
pictured. Formerly of 13th MA Vols.)
I am still busy with regimental matters; the Adj’t
Gen’ls office I
find require a monthly return of recruits from me including reenlisted
men: these I have got to get in. When such returns are called for I
wish that mine was an infantry regiment so that I had all the companies
together: but I do much better this year as the army lies pretty
compactly, & orderlies can pass directly between the Batt’s here
& myself. Some recruits are beginning to arrive; 11 came for
“L”
Co today. As most of those secured by my own party are mustered
for
the regiment at large, I have ordered the companies to which they may
arrive to take them up as unassigned recruits & notify me of their
arrival. Have applied to Genl Hunt#4 about getting them down
here. ––
I
got a queer letter from Lt Crego, of “D” Co. today, which has
“Riled”
me a good deal. I tried to do all I could for him last spring, &
thought I was conferring a favor by assigning him to “D”; but it
seems
he does not like it, & has been doing all he can to spite Winslow,#5
without rendering himself liable to dismissal. I wrote to him on
my
return offering to transfer him to either “K” or “I” Co: this letter
was his reply. In it he says: “If I cannot serve the interests of
the
reg’t in “A” Co; then I am of no service to you or the Reg’t.” It
was
downright impertinence, but not bad enough to break him & I do not
care to prefer charges which would only bring a reprimand. I have
therefore accepted his idea that he is no service to the regiment &
have recommended him to resign.
(Brigadier-General Henry J. Hunt, Chief of Artillery,
Army of the Potomac, pictured.)
Returns from enough officers have come in to enable me
nearly to
complete my Register. There are some items which I do not
know how to
fill up; & though I have written to Washington twice on the subject
have red’d no answer: they all hinge on what constitutes a
volunteer’s
“original entry into the service:” his first muster as an officer
or
his enlistment as a private. –– On the 1st /of January there were 46
officers in the reg’t, 5 Field; 11 Captains; 16 First Lieuts; & 14
second Lts. Of these 3 Captains, & 3 first Lts hold the rank
with which they originally entered it, the rest have all been
promoted; 6 of the 1st Lts & all the 2d Lts originally
entered as enlisted men; making 20 promotions from the ranks.
45 Officers have left the regiment, as follows; 2 killed
in battle / Bailey & Van Valkenburg / 3 discharged on account of
wounds; 2 on account of disease incurred in line of duty; & 2
have died of disease in the service. 3 have been dismissed; 3
discharged on reccommendation of an Executive board; 4 have been
mustered out as supernumeraries; 5 to accept promotion out of the
reg’t; & 19 have resigned. ––It will be hard work to fill up
the column “Action in which each officer was engaged;” some claiming
only those in which they were actually engaged; others every thing they
saw, smelled or heard. Bates, Wilson & Barry I can easily
fill up for they have not been under fire once. Eight of those
now in the reg’t have been wounded in battle.
We are existing without cook or waiter; that is
all. Now my groom
says he wants to leave. I am getting desperate, and shall turn
pig,
like the rest of mankind.
General Newton still has his wife with
him. Stewart and Reynolds have brought theirs down,
too; the latter
is exceedingly pretty and ladylike in appearance.#6
The New York Times says that General Meade
has been
summoned to Washington to answer
charges brought against him before the Committee on the Conduct of the
War about Gettysburg, by Sickles and Doubleday. A pretty team!
––Rascality and Stupidity. I wonder which hatches the most
monstrous
chicken.
The weather continues fine; so that my batteries are
having a
good spell of drilling. Reynolds’s park and stables look
beautifully
now that he has the all finished and his carriages painted up.
His men
are great on baseball and have a lovely ground for it in front of the
stables. Here too he exercises his horses every day that he
cannot
have a battery drill.
(I find I have got neighbors during my absence: Gen’l
Newton finding
that there were no infantry on this side the Rail road, got frightened,
& moved the M’ld brigade over: Fortunately they are not near enough
to give me any trouble. )
On the diagram above, “a” represents
Wainwright's headquarters; “B – G” represent his different batteries.
NOTES: (Most of these notes
are written by Alan
Nevins who edited Wainwright's published journals.)
#1.
Ulric Dahlgren, son of admiral and ordnance inventor John A. Dahlgren,
had lost a leg while on Meades staff at Gettysburg, but haad retruned
to service. He commanded part of Kilpatrik's brigade on its raid
to Richmond. He was ambushed after his force lost its way.
#2. William F.
Barry had advised McClellan to organize an overwhelming force of guns
––he held an important staff position in the War Dept. since September
1862. / James Clay Rice, a Massachusetts man and Yale graduate who was
practicing law in New York when the war began, struggled up from 1st
lieutenant in the 39th NY to beome division commander. He was a daring
officer.
#3. Surgeon J.T.Heard was from a wealthy
brewing
family. He returned to the states from Europe when the war broke
out and originally enlisted as Ass't. Surgeon in the 13th MA
Vols. He was Junior Corps Medical Officer at this time.
#4. General Henry Hunt, Chief of Artillery, Army
of the
Potomac.
#5. Captain George B. Winslow, of the 1st NY Light
Artillery.
#6. Captain Gilbert H. Reynolds, 1st NY Batteries E & L; Lt. James
Stewart, 4th US Artillery Battery B.
Return to Table of Contents
Ladies
in Camp
Mary Ellen Pierce's visit to her husband
Elliot, of the 13th MA continues. Elliot was soon to be promoted
to Major of the regiment, but at the time, he was a captain in the
Ambulance Corps. I've been fortunate in identifying most of the
officers and people she mentioned in her journal, with the exception of
Lieutenant Babcock. She introduces a new person in Captain Dow
March 3rd. This is probably Captain Edwin C. Dow of the 1st
Connecticut Heavy Artillery, which was assigned to the Army of the
Potomac at this time period. Another person she meets is Nurse
Helen Gilson of Massachusetts. A brief biography of Nurse Gilson
follows the diary entry.
The Journal of Mary Ellen Baker Pierce [7 January
- 4 April] is found in the On-Line Collections of the Massachusetts
Historical Society. It is part of the Thayer Family Papers
Collection.
Tuesday March 1st
Rode out towards Brandy with
Elliot. spend the eve at Capt Hulses,
played Eucre Capt & I beat Elliot & Bab. [Lt. Babcock]
Thursday March 3
Elliot & I rode to 1st
Brigade 3d Div. visited several Regts
met Maj Hall Capt Dow Col [blank] [Major Hall is
probably Thomas M. Hall, 121st PA, 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, 1st
Corps. He had just been promoted Lt.-Col. He was soon
discharged due to sickness and he died in November. See February
page for his picture and biography.]
Friday March 4th
Capt Hulse, Elliot & I rode
Hospital in 3d Corps, Called on Miss Gilson [Nurse Helen Gilson]
Very pleasant
lady. rode to Captain's [Charles F. Hulse, 121 PA] on our
return,
got some ale.
Saturday 5th
Elliot, George & I rode to
the 1st Brigade [at Mitchell's Station] in company with Capt
McClure & Lt Clark had an entertainment in eve of nigger
dancing. [George is Col. Leonard or Elliot's servant. She
calls all the other people she meets by their formal pre-fix. She
mentions George again on March 9th. Captain Charles McClure,
Division Commissary].
Sunday 6th
Elliot rode up to C [Culpeper]
and reviewed his train. came back
in P. M.
Nurse Helen Gilson
From, “Angel of Light: Helen L. Gilson, Army
Nurse.” Civil War History 43, no 1 (March 1997): 17-37.
Helen Gilson ( 1836 –– 1868) of Boston joined the war
effort as a nurse in the spring of 1862. Formerly a school
teacher and governess, Gilson was passionate about the war and wanted
to support the troops directly in the field. She applied for her
nursing diploma in 1861 but was turned down by Dorethea Dix,
superintendent of army nurses, because she was too young.
Undeterred, Gilson volunteered under her uncle, Francis B. Fay, who
primarily cared for the Army of the Potomac. During her time in
the war, Gilson was instrumental in renovating the dilapidated hospital
for the “colored troops” of the Army of the Potomac at City Point in
Petersburg, Virginia. Gilson cared for all soldiers, no matter
their race, and as a result was known as an “angel of mercy.” As
Robert McAllister wrote in a letter home, [Nurse Gilson’s] whole time
and thoughts are devoted to the sick and wounded soldiers …She is truly
a benevolent lady.
Gilson contracted malaria during the war and never fully
recovered. She died on April 2, 1868, in childbirth due to her
weakened state. She was photographed on January 18, 1865, in the
Boston studio of James Wallace Black and John G. Case, the largest in
the city at the time.
Chelsea Telegraph &
Pioneer, March 5, 1864.
The following letter was originally
transcribed and posted on Tom Hayes' now defunct website, Letters
of the Civil
War.
NURSE –– MISS
GILSON
A Recollection of Gettysburg.
A few days after the dreadful battle
of Gettysburg,
when more than twenty thousand badly wounded men filled the inns, the
private homes, the farm houses, the barns, the sheds, the extemporized
canvas hospitals, which made that fair region a spectacle of boundless
misery, I went out to the field-hospitals of the third corps,
four
miles from town, where twenty-four hundred men lay in their tents, a
vast camp of mutilated humanity. Who can ever describe, or would ever ?
to describe if he could, the various and horrible forms of injury
represented in the persons of the victims of that glorious and decisive
fight! But amid all their sufferings, an air of triumph animated the
pale faces of those ranks of heroes, even on their dying beds. No
murmurs mingled with the sighs of their exhaustion or the groans of
their anguish.
One woman, young and fair, but grave
and earnest,
clothed in purity and mercy, ––the only woman in the whole vast
camp––moved in and out of the hospital tents, speaking some tender
word,
giving some cordial, holding the hand of a dying boy, or receiving the
last words of a husband for his widowed wife. I can never forget how,
amid scenes which, under ordinary circumstances, no woman could have
appeared in without gross indecorum, she who pity and purity of this
angel of mercy made her presence seem as fit as though she had indeed
dropped out of heaven. The men themselves sick or well, all seemed awed
and purified by such a resident among them.
Separated from the main camp by a
shallow stream,
running through a deep ravine, was a hospital where, with perhaps fifty
of our own men, more than two hundred wounded rebels had been placed.
Under sudden and violent rains, this shallow stream had in a few hours
swollen to such a torrent as actually to sweep away, beyond recovery,
several wounded men who lay, thoughtless of any new peril, sleeping on
its banks. For three days the flood kept at an unfordable height, and
the wretched hospital of the rebels were cut off from medicine and
supplies by the impossibility of reaching it. A brave young lieutenant
repeatedly swam the torrent with a bag of medicines and small comforts,
the only communication that was had meanwhile.
Accompanied by the young woman above
named, I found
my way, at the earliest moment possible, to this unwillingly neglected
scene. The Place was a barn and stable. Every foot of it was occupied
by a wretched sufferer, clad in ragged gray or the rebel uniform. Those
above in the barn might also be said to be in heaven, as compared to
those below in the stable, who might with equal truth be said to be in
hell. For upon heaps of dung, reeking with rain, and tormented with
vermin, the wounds still undressed, and many longing for amputation, as
the happy long for food or drink, lay fair and noble youth, with
evidences of gentle breathing in their fine-cat features, and hunger,
despair, and death in their bright and hallow eyes. The surgeon had at
length got to work among them, and limbs just cut off (one I recollect,
with the heavy shoe and stocking still upon it,) lay in dreadful
carelessness, in full view, about the place.
Having exhausted the little store
with comforts we
had brought with us, one of the sufferers said to Miss G., “Ma'am,
can't you sing us a little hymn.” "O yes, I'll sing you a song
that
will do for either side;” and there, in the midst of that band of
neglected sufferers, she stood, and with a look of heavenly pity and
earnestness, her eyes raised to God, sung,––“When this cruel war is
over," in a clear, pleading voice, that made me remove my hat, and long
to cast myself upon my knees! Sighs and groans ceased; and while
the
song when on pain seemed charmed away. The moment it stopped one poor
fellow, who had lost his right arm, raised his left and said, “O ma'am,
I wish I had my other arm back, if it was only to clap my hands for
your song.”
In that barn a noble matron from
Philadelphia was
doing her utmost for those two hundred wounded prisoners. She had been
with them all this time, using such scanty means as she could muster to
alleviate their misery. I returned to Gettysburg and went out to those
poor wretches that night a heavy wagon load of supplies, food,
medicines and clothing –– Rev. Dr. Bellows.
(Chelsea Telegraph and
Pioneer March 5, 1864. pg. 1 col 4.)
Return to Table of Contents
March 5 -
9;
“I
Desert” & “Mary Ellen's Big Night”
Calvin Conant's diary, continued:
(Calvin's Company G is posted at
Brigade
Headquarters as Headquarters Guard.)
Saturday March 5, 1864.
Pleasant day I
am on duty Company drill this fore noon and fatigue party
this afternoon to clean up camp Brigade
Surgeon was over is back at camp
Wm Briggs got
his box to night loots of good things
now*
*NOTE: Brigade Surgeon Allston W. Whitney,
(13th MA) had been incarcerated at Libby Prison between June,
1863, & January 1864. He had recently returned to the front.
He makes a joke about his release in his toast to Colonel Tilden, who
had escaped from Libby in the breakout on February 9th, as
mentioned in the article at the end of the next page. WILLIAM R.
BRIGGS; age, 21; born, Woburn, Mass.; shoemaker; mustered in as priv.,
Co. G, July 16, '61; mustered out, Aug. I, '64; wounded, July 3. '63.
Letter of Colonel Leonard to MA Asst.
Adjt. Gen'l. William
Rogers, March 5, 1864.
Some of the letters found in the 13th MA
Executive Correspondence collection of the Massachusetts State Archives
shed light on the business of running an organization like the 13th
Volunteers. In this case, Col. Leonard is trying to get his next
round of officer promotions approved, yet protocols [red tape?] still
need to be followed. Major Rogers of the Massachusetts Adjutant
General's office, with whom Col. Leonard corresponded regarding
regimental promotions, wanted Col. Leonard's Brigade Commander to
approve his recommendations for promotion in the 13th Regiment.
But Col. Leonard was the Brigade Commander.
This item from: Executive
Correspondence; 13th Regiment;
MA State Archives; Colonel Leonard to Major William
Rogers.
Head Quarters 1st
Brigade
2d division 1st Army Corps
March 5th 1864.
Major William Rogers
Ass’t Adjt Gen’l
Sir
Your letter
of the 1st inst came to hand yesterday. In answer I will say,
when in Boston in January last, I called at the Adjutant Gen’ls Office
and upon looking at the Roster kept by Major Brown I found that the
official order had been received by him, of the discharge of Capt J G
Hovey. I thought it all right, and upon my return here I
sent forward the recommendations.
In regard to the approvals of the Brigade Commander I
will state, that I am temporarily in command and of course
could not litteraly carry out the instructions. I will however
obtain the approval of the division Commander if desired.
I am respectfully Your Obtd
Serv’t
S H Leonard Col
13th Mass Vols comd’g brig’de
Pictured below are Adjutant David H.
Bradlee,
Lieutenant-Colonel N. Walter Batchelder, & Lieutenant S. C.
Whitney, all of the 13th Mass. They are all mentioned in Sam
Webster's Journal entry of March 6th.
From the Diary of
Samuel
D. Webster, Company D:
Excerpts of this
diary (HM 48531) are used with permission from The Huntington Library,
San Marino, CA.
Sunday, March 6th, 1864
Wind north and fire smoky ––
always is when wind is North. Inspected by Adj’t Bradley, ––now
Brigade
Provost Marshal. Said our “Shebang” was the neatest he’d
seen. Have a floor in it, now, –– some one’s door, it was.
Mr. Wm. Hooper, of Martinsburg is in camp –– visits
Lt. Colonel Batchelder. Whitney, of D, is Sergeant of Guard at
Brigade headquarters. Col. Leonard commanding.
Pictured is Sam's cabin, he christened, “The
Winter Palace.”
Monday, March 7th 1864.
A Jersey Dutchman, trying to
desert, came
into our lines last night. He had passed the Corps piquets, near
Culpeper, and the camp guard of the Cavalry on the hill back of us, and
naturally thought in crossing Cedar Run he was crossing the
Rapidan.
He said, when stopped by our Camp Guard, (we lie on the south side of
Cedar Run), that he “belonged wit the Shersy brigade, unt vas runs avay
from camp, and desert,” and wouldn’t be convinced of his error until he
saw the Brigade Flag.
13th Mass. Historian Charles E. Davis,
Jr., retells Sam's story.
The following is from, “Three Years in the Army,”
by
Charles E. Davis, Jr; Estes & Lauriat, Boston, 1894.
An odd incident
occurred on the
7th, [March] while our regiment was on picket,
that afforded us considerable amusement. A Dutchman belonging to
a New
Jersey brigade, becoming dissatisfied with fighting for Uncle Sam,
concluded to transfer his valuable services to the enemy, and
accordingly started for the rebel lines On his way, he passed
through
the picket lines of the corps and the cavalry line without being
stopped. Imagining that he had passed the outpost lines of the
Union
army, and that our line was the rebel picket line, he boldly advanced
and announced to us that he “Belonged mit the Shersey brigade, but was
run away from camp and desert.” Though we informed him of his
error,
he was not convinced until he was shown the brigade flag, and then he
was too well convinced for his own comfort. He was a man of
intelligence, as was shown by the remark he made in speaking of
himself, “I’m a tam fool.”
“Be sure you are right, then go
ahead,” was
the sound advice of David Crocket.
The story of the Jersey deserter was told in Bivouac
almost exactly as Sam Webster tells it above. According to that
story this happened the following day:
This snippet is from, Bivouac, A Military
Magazine, 1885.
The day following [the Jersey man incident] a
darkey came into our
lines. He carried a leather bag as if it were quite heavy.
The two men who accompanied him back to the provost marshal, on
returning, reported that he had quite an amount of gold in the bag,
which he said he had dug up from where his master had hidden it.
Mitchell's
Station, March 7 - 9;
“Mary
Ellen's Big
Night”
In a letter to her sister Mary Ellen
describes the wild time she had with the boys one evening at Brigade
Headquarters.
Mary Ellen's Journal, continued:
Monday 7th.
Stormy in morning. pleasant
in
P.M. 14th Brooklyn Musical
company came down to the Brigade gave an entertainment in 16th Maine
Chapel. After which serenaded Col. Leonard and were invited
into
the house to supper. Mrs. Leonard & I took supper afterwards.
Pictured left to right; Captain Jacob A.
Howe, Captain Oliver C. Livermore, Captain Elliot C. Pierce, Mrs. Lucy
Leonard, and Mary Ellen Pierce.
Tuesday 8th.
Pleasant. Capt. Howe [Jacob
A. Howe, 13th MA] Capt
Livermore, [Oliver C. Livermore, 13th MA] & Elliot, Mrs. L. [Lucy
Leonard] & I took a long ride through the woods.
Two Yager girls spent evening with us –– played
cards.
Dr. Reuben A. Long House, known as
"Wellington"
Dr. Long's abandoned home, known
as Wellington, was 1st Brigade Headquarters at Mitchell's
Station. The building was torn down in 1958. The party of
March
8, that Mary Ellen writes home about took place here
Letter from Mary Ellen Pierce to sister
Julia Ashford Baker, March 9, 1864
The following is from the Thayer Family Papers
Collection at the Massachusetts
Historical Society: Letter from Mary Ellen Baker
Pierce to Julia Ashford Baker, 9 March 1864.
Dear Julia
I am back to Culpeper, again
after an absence of 4 days. We came up from the Brigade in the
cars this morning, it rained all Monday night and Tuesday
forenoon So the traveling is very bad, and Elliot thought it best
to let George bring up the horses. It seemed very funny to be
sleeping in a tent on a bed of hay and listen to the rain pattering on
the roof above, it seemed as though it couldn’t help wetting through,
but I slept as dry as if I were in my own room at home.
Elliot
& I had a tent to ourselves with a nice little stove in it, a
table, chair &c. I enjoy staying there very much wish Elliot
could have his quarters there. it is pleasant,
because they are all together and have jolly times, & I like Mrs.
Leonard very much, she enters into all the fun and seems as young as I
do. I rather expected to find her a sober sort of a person, but
she isn’t at all.
there is a house close by their tents about
half demolished but they manage to make it comfortable so that they
take their meals there, and they are very lively ones too. Monday
evening we had two secesh females to spend the evening with
us, the Yager sisters, who live not far away from Hd
Quarters.
Capt. Porter Ass’t Adjt-Gen., is paying attentions to
one of them, whether he has any serious motives I don’t know but should
hardly think it possible. they are far
inferior to New
England girls in intellect appearance &c., as indeed are all the
females I have met here, and the Capt. is a person of very fine
education and quite accomplished, plays the Piano beautifully, is a
widower Lawyerer.
Last evening the musical Society from the 14
Brooklyn Zouaves came down to Serenade Col. Leonard, they are the same
company who have established the Academy of Music here in town and give
entertainments nearly every evening to crowded houses. They sent word
beforehand that they would come, so that the Chapel of the 16th Maine
Regt. was engaged for them to give an entertainment in, and all the
Officer’s Ladies in the Brigade invited, it was
really very
good indeed.
After our return to Hd. Qtrs. they stood out
in front of the Col’s tent, and gave a serenade, were then invited into
the house to supper, where they made themselves merry till about one
o’clock, then were packed off into one of the other rooms to sleep, and
Mrs. L. & I went in & had a cup of coffee Some mince pie
& cheese, which didn’t affect my dreams at all, for three nights I
have been up till one o’clock and past, and I reckon I’ll sleep pretty
soundly to-night.
We are very dissipated here in the Army, the
Officers & men mean to have a good time as long as they can, and
they don’t blame them, they see hardships enough.
The
weather is lovely to day. I am sitting in my room with the window
open and the birds are singing beautifully. I suppose by
the time
I get home you will be just commencing to have such weather as we have
had all the time I have been here. haven’t I got rid of
the cold weather nicely. I think Mother would like living
here. Elliot sends love
with much love ––your sister Mary.
[written up the side]
Ask Mother what Regt her nephew is in and if his name is
Wallace
Holmes. There is only one Maine Regt in this Corps and that is
the 16th. I believe that is not the one.
Wednesday 9th
Elliot & I returned to
Culpeper, in cars, on account of mud. George brought up the
horses order came to-night for all ladies to
leave the Army. Lt. Babcock & Capt. Hulse spent eve with us,
and played cribbage.
Capt Charles Hunt Porter, 39th MA,
& Lt. Charles F. Hulse, 121 PA.
View of Culpeper, 1863. The Old
Court-House was torn down and its replacement built in a new location,
on the other side of A.P. Hill's boyhood home. The other 3
buildings still stand, but the steeple of the Baptist Church was
removed and its facade has been greatly altered. Same for the Hill
home. Mary Ellen's lodgings at the Rixey home were down the road
(modern day Main street) between the Hill home and the courthouse
moving to the right, a couple of blocks.
Return to Table of Contents
When
President Lincoln Met General Grant
The following is from, “History of
the Ninth Regiment N.Y.S.M.––N.G.S.N.Y.
(Eighty-third N.Y. Volunteers.) 1845-1888”, by George A.
Hussey, Edited
by William Todd, 1889. (p. 315 - 316).
At this time the army was better supplied with rations
than ever before. Such vegetables as potatoes, carrots and
turnips
were served; the trains bringing the supply from Alexandria
daily. The Government was evidently preparing the soldier with a good
“stomach for a fight.”
Another measure and one fraught with weal to the cause,
was the promotion of Major-General Ulysses S. Grant to a
Lieutenant-Generalcy, and his assignment to the command of all the
Union armies in the field, a bill having been passed by Congress on the
29th [February] for that special purpose. By his
successful operations in the West, General Grant had made himself the
most prominent soldier in the Union Army, and as a general’s abilities
are measured by the victories he obtains, the taciturn, undemonstrative
Grant, stood at the head. Therefore the country demanded, and Congress
and the President voiced that demand, that a general should be placed
at the head of all the armies, who would take the field in person, and
continue to win victories until the rebellion was crushed and the Union
re-established.
General Grant had been summoned to Washington, in order
that the President might personally present him with his new
commission, and invest him with the higher command. He arrived on
the 9th and the interesting ceremony was performed in the White House.
Willard's Hotel, Washington, D.C., where
General Grant stayed.
General Meade's Volunteer Aid, Lt.-Col.
Theodore Lyman, was traveling home on furlough, and happened to be in
Willard's Dining Room, when General Grant unexpectedly entered.
The Thomas Nast illustration below
depicts the Gentlemen's parlor at Willard's
Hotel, during Inauguration Week, February, 1861. It may give a
visual cue of the scene in the dining room when General Grant entered.
The following is from, Meade's
Army, The Private
Notebooks of Lt. Col. Theodore Lyman, Kent State University Press,
2007.
March 7, Gen. Meade having given me leave,
prepared to go home tomorrow ––Gloria!
March 8, Tuesday
After breakfast, took the 9.45
train to Washington. Found there Lt. Col. Kingsbury en
route for the same.
Rain, quite hard.
There is a truss bridge for the R. R. now over the Rappahannock;
also a
new pier bridge (parallel to the long bridge, over the Potomac) nearly
done. Got at about 2.30 to the station, whence to Willard’s for a
warm bath, shave and dinner. While taking diner, Gen. Grant came
in, with his little boy; and was immediately bored by being
cheered,
and then shaken by the hand by the Hoi polloi.
He is rather under middle height, of a spare, strong
build; light brown hair, and short light brown beard. His eyes of
a clear blue; forehead high; nose aquiline; jaw
squarely set, but not
sensual. His face has three expressions; deep thought; extreme
determination; and great simplicity and calmness. “Biggy”
Lawrence* was there,
deaf and clammy, as usual.
Took the 7.30 train for New
York. No sleeping car, great crowd, and the night made hideous by
re-enlisting soldiers, who, like jack ashore, were rather too full of
whisky. The most, to do them justice, were quite respectable
&
sober; but it is indeed shameful to hear them swear––a mere trick and
in good part the fault of their officers.
*Timothy Bigelow Lawrence (Harvard, 1846).
Boston Evening
Transcript March 9, 1864
Gen. Grant in Washington.
March 8th Lieut. Gen. Grant, accompanied by
his son and Gen. Rawlings
and Col. Comstock of his staff, arrived here this evening. While
quietly taking his dinner at his hotel a gentleman rose and announced
to the 400 or 500 guests who were at the tables, that they had among
them the hero of Vicksburg, whereupon the diners all rose to their feet
and enthusiastically welcomed the hero with shouts and waving
handkerchiefs.
At about 10 o’clock tonight, Gen. Grant, accompanied by
several military friends, visited the White House, the President at the
time holding his public reception. He came in unannounced, and
was evidently embarrassed.
The President, being made aware of his presence,
approached and shook him by the hand. The meeting was mutually
cordial. The Secretary of State accompanied the General to the
East room, and on entering the entire crowded assembly gave repeated
cheers and there was a general wish to shake him by the hand.
No reception could have been more cordial. The
Secretary of War was sent for, and other prominent officers soon after
reached the White House.
Arrangements were made to serenade General Grant, but he
had not returned to his hotel at 12 ½ o’clock.
Dining Room of Willard's Hotel
Another Account
Boston
Evening
Transcript, March 10, 1864.
Gen. Grant in Washington.
At five o’clock this
afternoon, an officer, leading a child by the hand, quietly and
modestly entered the dining room at Willards, and took a place at the
table. A gentleman from New Orleans and his daughters recognized
him, rose from their seats and shook hands with him cordially. In
a flash, as by electric communication, the news that General Grant was
in the room spread through the immense hotel, and hundreds of guests,
Senators, representatives, Supreme Court Judges, women, officers,
lawyers, and all the customary household of Willard’s, sprang from
their seats and cheered in the most tremendous manner, and crowded
around the blushing and confused object of this sudden ovation, and
overwhelmed him with their admiring interest.
When his meal was
concluded and he left the room, it was but a fall into another scene of
enthusiastic love that waited him from a great crowd in the lower
hall. His retreat from this superior force up the staircase and
to his room was characterized by most unsoldierly blushing.
The
reception of Gen. Grant at the President’s levee in the evening, was
more furious than any scene that ever transpired in the East
Room. He was literally lifted up for a while, and in obedience to
a demand and to a necessity, so great was the desire to have a fair
look at him, he was obliged to mount a sofa, under the auspices of
Secretary Seward, who preceded him to that elevation. There has
never
been such a coat-tearing, button-bursting jam in the White House, as
this soldier has occasioned. The cheering and waving of
handkerchiefs as in the customary fury of Americans over popular
favorites. Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribune, 8th.
Francis B. Carpenter Painting; When
Lincoln Met Grant
Charles
Nehemia Richards, 13th MA
When Lincoln Met Grant; Charles N.
Richards, Veteran of Company B,
13th MA Vols. was present in the room.
A Veteran of the 13th Mass. Vols. was present in the
room when President Lincoln met General Grant for the first time.
Charles N. Richards, formerly of Company B, enlisted in the company at
age 19 with his mother’s reluctant consent. (His father Lysander,
had died in 1852.) At the time Charles had been working at
his Uncle’s tannery in Bleeker, N.Y., since age 11, as partial support
for his widowed mother and the rest of the family; four sisters
and a
younger brother. (Charles’ older brother Lysander, also worked to
support the family as postmaster of Quincy, MA.)
He followed the
fortunes of the regiment until severely wounded at the Battle of
Antietam, September 17, 1862. A bullet tour through his nose and
cheek and upper jaw and carried away with it most of his teeth and part
of his face. Charles would say, “He lost his head at Bull Run and
his cheek and jaw at Antietam.”
His Company B comrade, Levi L. Dorr wrote of Charlie,
“He
was one of us thirteen of Company B who were wounded at Antietam,
nearly all but him hit in the legs. Charlie caught it plumb in
the nose and spit the bullet out very soon; I think he has it
now. We were fortunate in having only buck and ball come our
way. Well, Chalrlie was a sight the next morning, his face
looking like the full moon with ears. His other features were
less recognizable than that glorious orb. He struck the train for
Washington that day, where the Chief of Police was his cousin.”**
Charles was hospitalized for several
months at the old Pension Office building in Washington. Skillful
surgery reduced the eventual damage to a life-long dependence on a
single nostril and the loss of most of his teeth. He received his
honorable discharge November 26, 1862.
The young soldier had some powerful family friends
including Senator Charles Sumner whose influence helped in gaining
Charles Richards an appointment to the stationary office of the United
States Senate. The appointment dated May 1, 1864, and he served
as “keeper of stationary” for 44 years until his death in office
on
October 20, 1918. He knew personally every president from Lincoln
to Wilson, as well as John Quincy Adams and enjoyed the close and
intimate camaraderie of more United States senators than any man who
has ever lived.”
One of the stories related by Charles, …was that on
March 8, 1864 he was at the evening reception in the Red Room of the
White House where Lincoln and Grant met for the first time. The
occasion was the presentation to Grant of a commission as lieutenant
general and field commander of the Union Army. Standing close to
the president were his secretary, John Hay, Generals Sickles and
Oglesby, Secretary of State Seward and Secretary of War Stanton.
Charles was about to shake hands with him when word came that General
Grant had arrived. As Grant entered the room Lincoln
advanced several steps to greet the great soldier and extending his
hand said:
“General Grant, I am glad to greet you. I believe
this is the first time we have met.”
General Grant, who seemed impressed with the importance
of the occasion, with bowed head modestly replied:
“You are right, Mr. President, this is the first time we
have met.” In his diary for that day Charles wrote, “Scarcely
ever saw a man as unassuming. After a while Mrs. Lincoln
promenaded with Gen. Grant.”
SOURCE: Charles N. Richards and His
Puritan Forebears; privately printed, Minneapolis, MN 1971. (p. 32).
**Levi L. Dorr, August 31, 1915
letter to
Charles H. Bingham, found in 13th Regiment Ciruclar #29,
November, 1916.
Boston Evening Transcript, March 10, 1864
Ceremony of General Grant’s
Commission as Lieutenant General. Washington, 9th.
President Lincoln this afternoon formally presented to Major General
Grant his commission as Lieutenant General. The ceremony took place in
the Cabinet Chamber, in the presence of the entire Cabinet; Gen.
Halleck, Representative Lovejoy, and others. Gen. Grant having
entered the room, the President arose and addressed him thus:
General Grant: The nation’s approbation of
what you have done and its reliance upon you for what remains to do in
the existing great struggle are now presented with this commission,
constituting you Lieutenant General of the Army of the United
States. With this high honor devolves upon you a corresponding
responsibility. As the country herein trusts you, so under God it
will sustain you. I scarcely need to add, that with what I here speak
for the nation goes my own hearty personal concurrence.
To which Gen. Grant replied as follows
Mr. President: I accept this commission with
gratitude for the high honor conferred. With the aid of the noble
armies that have fought on so many fields for our common country, it
will be my earnest endeavor not to disappoint your expectations.
I feel the full weight of the responsibilities now devolving on me, and
I know that if they are met it will be due to those armies, and above
all to the favor of that Providence which leads both nations and men.
The President then introduced the General to all
the
members of the Cabinet, after which the company was seated, and a
half-hour spent in social conversation.
Boston Evening Transcript, March 11, 1864.
Gen. Grant. Washington,
10th.
Since his arrival,
Gen. Grant has given much attention to military matters, spending
considerable time at headquarters in this city and with the President
and Secretary of War. It is evident that he is earnestly engaged
in becoming acquainted with all the affaires pertaining to this high
position. It is not supposed that he will locate himself in
Washington, while his friends assert that he will remain in the
field. There is, as yet, however, no official determination
on the subject.
Woburn
Townsman, March 18, 1864
The following letter was originally
transcribed and posted on Tom Hayes' now defunct website, Letters
of the Civil
War.
Woburn Townsmen, March 18,
1864.
Washington, D. C., March 15, 1864.
Dear Editor: – We were but just recovering from the
daring raid of the
dashing Killpatrick when the Hero of Vicksburg unostentatiously came
among us. There was a rush at the President’s Levee on Tuesday
evening last to see him. Major and Brigadier Generals were of no
account on the occasion, but they seemed as full of homage and
congratulation as the humblest citizen. You could feel the
floor of
the brilliant East Room spring with the swaying throng. The
ladies suffered the crush of crinoline smilingly and felt repaid for
broken hoops (whose limits inexorable fashion is so fast curtailing)
and crumpled silks, when they had touched the hand that wields the
sword so victoriously, and bears’ with so much modesty “his blushing
honors thick upon him.” The President seemed as glad as any one
to see
him. The two together were a picture worth beholding; the
statesman and the hero of the age! President Lincoln wore his
usual transparent honest countenance, and Gen. Grant his service worn
uniform. They went through with the protracted ceremony of
shaking hands with the crowd with far less pretentious and pompous
deportment than many of those who sought their acquaintance.
Gen. Grant is a smaller man that I was prepared to
see. He looks
not more than five feet eight inches high, has a well knit frame, brown
hair and whiskers, both cropped close, and a manner very modest, and
even bordering upon embarrassment. There is no prominent look
about him that would enable one to select him from a crowd, and one
wonders where all the secret springs of his success are concealed, that
they show so little. At times the ----- was so great that he was
crowded upon the ----, but all were in the best of humor, from
congressmen to clerks. At the close of the levee, three rousing
cheers were given for “Unconditional Surrender,” and three more for
some one whose name I did not hear, and then three more spontaneous,
tremendous ones for President Lincoln, which seemed as if they would
tottle down the White House, and leave it as ruined as did the British
in 1814.
Gen. Grant in company with Gen. Halleck, inspected the
defences of
Washington, and visited that great military pendelum, the army
of the
Potomac, in a rain storm. Rumor is rife in connecting his name
with its re-organization, and declares that he is to superintend in
person its first Spring operation. If he would retain his laurels
he must keep at least 5 west of Washington. He lingered but four
days in the court martial breeding atmosphere. His sudden
departure was a disappointment not only to many who had “set their
hearts on seeing him,” but to the manager of one of the theatres who
had secured plethoric houses on two succeeding nights by advertising
that he would occupy one of the boxes, and was obliged to apologize to
his audiences. But neither apologies nor decorated walls, the
presence of the President and a part of his cabinet, nor the fine
rendering of Hamlet by Booth seemed to atone for the
disappointment. But “the chief who in triumph advances” was away
preparing himself for the part he is to act in the tragic theatre of
war the coming season.
A recent order relieves Maj. Gen. Halleck from duty as
General-in-chief
of the Army, at his own request, and assigns Gen. Grant to the command
of the armies of the United States. The headquarters of the army
will be in Washington, and with Gen Grant in the field. Gen.
Halleck is assigned to duty here, as chief of staff of the army, though
it is expected that he will perform nearly the same duties as
heretofore.
Some one seems determined to have General Meade
court-martialed, though
no one seems to know what for. Six months ago every one was
lauding him to the skies: fault-finders and jealous generals have
since made themselves heard. Rome once spared a Manline, who was
about to be executed in sight of the capitol he had saved, and
afterwards dashed him to pieces on the Tarpeian rock. Scotland
deserted her idol hero when in peril; and she soon had nothing left to
venerate but his memory. Our government, becoming dissatisfied
with a man, does not rob him of life, but of labor and the chances of
greatness. The unfortunate general who makes a single blunder
has, afterwards, a large salary, and nothing to do but spend it, and
writes an account of his campaigns, or have his wife writes “story of
his guard.”
Washington is having a very large and successful fair,
for the benefit
chiefly of the soldiers from this District. It is held in the
north hall of the Patent Office, which is not yet completed, but the
defects are concealed by evergreens and decorations. Twenty or
thirty rebel flags hang over the entrance, while cannons, muskets,
swords, shells, and other trophies of Gettysburg, Chattanooga, and
numerous well fought fields, are exhibited in various parts of the
hall. It is crowded nightly, and raffling is very brisk.
Most of the contributions are from the northern states. The “New
England Kitchen” attracts a great many visitors. Masons and Odd
Fellows, whose orders are very flourishing in these parts, have
attended in bodies, wearing their regalia. The colored people
were “allowed to attend” yesterday, and their sable band “discoursed
most eloquent music.” The fair had a “cloud of witnesses.”
The political cauldron has almost ceased to bubble since
Sec. Chase has
withdrawn his name, and anticipations as to the bitterness of the
presidential campaign have been much allayed by it. There seems
but little doubt that the “second term system” will be served by the
Baltimore convention in June, and the usage of the last thirty years
reversed. So mote it be!
J. F. G.
(Woburn Townsman; March 18, 1864; pg. 2, col. 3.) br
[Digital Transcription by James Burton.]
Boston Evening Transcript
General Grant traveled by train to
Brandy
Station to meet General Meade, March 10th.
Boston Evening
Transcript March 11, 1864.
Gen. Grant with the Army of the
Potomac. Headquarters Army
of the Potomac, 10th Gen. Grant and staff arrived here this
afternoon at 8 o’’clock. Gen Meade being slightly in-disposed,
Generals Humphrey and Ingalls met him at Brandy Station, whence he
proceeded to Headquarters in a carriage. On their arrival in
camp, the band of the 111th Pennsylvania regiment struck up “Hail to
the Chief,” with other patriotic airs.
It was raining very fast at the time, which prevented
such
demonstrations as would otherwise have been made. The Lieut.
General dined with Gen. Meade, and the evening was spent in social
converse. It is understood that the visit of Gen. Grant will be
extended to three or four days.
It was raining heavily March 10th, the day Generals
Grant and Meade met at Meade's Headquarters at Brandy Station
(pictured).
Because of the rain Grant could not tour the camps and decided to come
back another time and return to Washington the next day. General
Meade accompanied him They were both invited to dine with the
president on Saturday March 12th, and General Meade wasted to testify
to the Committee on the Conduct of the War which was secretly building
a case to have him removed from command of the Army of the
Potomac. According to General Meade, the two generals got along
very cordially. We will hear more about this on the next page.
Return to Table of
Contents
The
Mysterious Alarm On March 10
Introductory Essay
All in all, the report that 150 Rebel
Cavalry crossed the Rapidan River and attacked the Signal Station at
Garnett's Peak, and was repulsed, leaving two dead, seems to be nothing
more than a camp story that got out of hand. But that is what
Charles Barber (104th NY), wrote in a letter home, and Sam Webster
recorded the incident, (without details) in his diary, and Charles
Davis, repeated it in the 13th MA
Regimental History. Calvin Conant on duty at Brigade Headquarters
reported some, “considerable firing at the picket last night and the
brigade was ordered under arms in the morning for a couple
hours.”
That much is true. The 39th MA history makes no mention of it in
their daily journal of the regiment. And, Major Abner
Small, Adjutant of the 16th
Maine, reported that his regiment lay under arms at 5 A.M., March
10. When he wrote his memoirs, Adjutant Small said, “before
daylight, something excited our picket line, and our regiment was
turned out; but nothing happened.”
Photo by Buddy Secor.
In a letter of Charles Barber, 104th NY, dated
March 10, there is further mention of a skirmish on the picket
line: “our picket line was attacked at 2
oclock
last night by 150 rebel cavalry the rebs lost 2 killed and
several
wounded our side did not loose a man our whole brigade was
called out
into line and the rebs fell back.” Was he a witness or just
repeating the report he heard?
Below are all the mentions of the incident I could find
in my various sources from the 1st Brigade.
The correspondence
printed in the Official Records, between General Merritt and Army
Headquarters follows. It seems to confirm Abner Small's conclusion that
nothing happened. Camp story anyone?
Perhaps it was the following incident which caused the
alarm, as described in a letter from James Ross
in the 2nd Brigade, (Henry Baxter's Brigade). James was a
purposeful observer, and wrote about everything, yet he does not
mention an altercation with the enemy at the Signal Station. On
the 10th of March he was in camp at Culpeper. But he wrote that
every 10 days or so, a squad
from his regiment (9th NY Milita, Baxter's Brigade), went down to the
Signal Station for picket
duty. In a letter dated March 16, after a friend of his had
returned from the picket post, he wrote: T“here
was a great row a squadron charged where they supposed the enemy was,
and when they were returning the infantry mistaking them in the dark
gave them a volley and killed a horse and with this the affair
ended" Is that what really happened?
Diary of Calvin Conant, continued:
Tuesday, March 8, 1864.
Wet rainy day I am off
guard very dull in Camp most all of our boys are on
Pickett line Company [Company G]
received of Capt [William] Cary, all old Members,
four dollars all Recruits two
dollars Subs got nothing this was
company money[?]
Wednesday, March 9, 1864.
Plesant day I am on duty our boys
that were on Picket this wer relieved by the Second brigades they are
on the half of the Picket duty in future
Thursday, March 10, 1864.
Lousey day rained some (
this morning the Brigade was ordered under arms at 6 o clock this
morning considable firing heard at the picket line last
night I was on duty this morning and had to stack all
arms when the order came in they was dismissed at 9
o’clock
Sam Webster's account of the disturbance was repeated
in the regimental history, but it seems to be a mistaken account of
whatever really did happen.
Diary of Sam
Webster:
Thursday March 10th, 1864.
Regiment out
under arms. Rebel cavalry made a dash at our signal station out
on
“Bald Pate” (the further side of Cedar Mtn) but were repulsed.
Very
rainy.
Bald Pate, or Garnett's Peak, the
southern-most knoll of Cedar Mountain. The Fort surrounding the
Signal
Station stood at the crest where the clump of trees stands today.
Letter of Charles Barber; March 10, 1864
Charles regiment, the 104th New York,
was in the same brigade as the 13th MA. He expands upon the story
and gives further details, but it would seem these are just
exaggerations as the story spread over camp.
Mitchel Station Va
March 10th 1864
My Dear wife and children I am well I
rec yours March 4th last night I did not send any money by
Geo Thomas to get candy I was calculating to pay him when he gets
back here
our picket line was attacked at 2 oclock last night by a
150 rebel cavalry the rebs lost 2 killed and several
wounded our side did not loose a man our whole
brigade was called out into line and the rebs fell back.
I am sorry you feel so bad but I hope the time is near
at hand when I can be with you and relieve you of a great share of your
troubles but for the present let us be patient and hope and keep
on in the path of duty and a God of justice will surely reward us and
perhaps allow us a long life of domestic happiness surrounded by happy
honest intelligent children and then we may have the pleaseing
satisfaction of knowing that we have not lived in vain and our children
will love and bless us in our old age and we shall be loved honored and
respected by all true patriots of our country and our children will be
respected when we shall be sleeping the sleep that knows no
wakeing.
I know of no better way to get along in this world than
to do our whole duty under all circumstances and hope for
justice I do not allow myself to speak a vulgar or profane
word nor have not since I enlisted but I hear the most vulgar talk and
such horrid oaths and see so much iniquity of all kinds among both
officers and soldiers that I am afraid its moral influence will do more
to injure our cause than the whole rebel army can do
the north must be willing to do morally right in every
thing as well as the south before the war can end; I do not
think the war can end this year and perhaps not in two years
justice calls for its dues and is stern and uncompromiseing and peace
will come when justice is fully satisfied and I hope not before;
there is a great work before our nation both for the army and navy and
statesmen and congress and people –– both men and women.
The following
correspondence in the
Official
Records doesn't mention any attempt by the enemy to take the Signal
Station at Garnett's Peak on March 10th, let alone any men
killed. In fact it states there was
very little action along the river, aside from a brief parley under a
flag of truce,
Alfred Gibbs to Headquarters, Cavalry
Reserve Brigade, March 11, 6 p.m.
Headquarters
Cavalry Reserve Brigade,
March 11, 1864––6 p.m.
Capt. George B. Sanford,
Actg. Asst. Adjit. Gen., First Cav. Div., Culpeper, Va.:
Captain Lockwood, Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, brigade
officer of the day, brought me this morning a note written in pencil,
by Capt. Sam Culbertson, First New York Dragoons, in charge of cavalry
pickets on the left of the railroad, containing the following:
I have to report that a flag
of truce, borne by Colonel Terrill, commanding Thirteenth Virginia
Infantry, came to the river near Cedar Run this noon, with a request
from Lieutenant-General Ewell, C.S. Army, that our pickets be withdrawn
beyond musket-range, to prevent conversation.
The enemy have been very desirous of obtaining
information from our pickets ever since General Kilpatrick went
out. Major Crittenden, whose wife is in Culpeper, has three times
attempted to communicate with her, as far as I can ascertain
unsuccessfully.
Respectfully,
ALFRED GIBBS,
Colonel, Commanding Brigade.
Colonel Alfred Gibbs, and Genereal
Wesley Merritt.
General Wesley Merritt to Cavalry
Headquarters, March 12, 1864
Headquarters First Cavalry Division,
Culpeper, Va., March 12, 1864.
Col. C. Ross Smith,
Chief of Staff:
A communication, under flag of truce, was received by
Colonel Gibbs, commanding Reserve Brigade, asking that our picket along
the Rapidan River be removed beyond musket-shot. The message came
from General Ewell (rebel). No answer returned. The message
was brought by Colonel Terrill, commanding Thirteenth Virginia
Infantry. Has the major-general commanding any order in this
matter?
W. MERRITT,
Brigadier-General.
A.A. Humphreys, Headquarters Chief of
Staff to Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, Chief of Cavalry
Headquarters
Army of the Potomac,
March 12, 1864––8 p.m.
Major-General Pleasonton,
Commanding Cavalry Corps:
The major-general commanding desired to know whether the
pickets along the Rapidan have been advanced closer to the river
recently; whether there has been any picket firing recently, and
whether the enemy can drive our pickets from the river without
crossing; whether the present position of the picket-line along the
river is essential to watching and giving timely notice of the
movements of the enemy, or is unneccessarily advanced, and by being so
threatens the enemy, and for that reason is subject to attack.
A. A. HUMPHREYS,
Major-General and Chief of Staff.
General A. A. Humphreys, General Meade's
Chief of Staff & General Alfred Pleasonton, Commanding Cavalry
Corps
General Pleasonton's Response
Hdqrs.
Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac,
March 12, 1864.
Major-General Humphreys,
Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac:
General:
I have the honor to reply to your inquiries as follows: The
pickets along the Rapidan have not been advanced. There was some
picket firing night before last, merely a few shots. Some of the
pickets are in musket-range, and could be driven back without the enemy
crossing. If the picket is drawn back he cannot watch the
crossing, but I think could give timely information of the movements of
the enemy. I do not think the line is unnecessarily advanced or
that it threatens an attack from the enemy. There appears to be
one post that has a commanding position that draws the fire of the
enemy; the other posts do not draw the enemy’s fire.
A. Pleasonton,
Major-General, Commanding.
In the end, I would have to agree with
Major Abner R.
Small of the 16th Maine, who in his personal memoirs titled, The
Road to Richmond, (p. 125) wrote:
“Early March brought us talk
of
General Grant, though not the man himself. March 10th , before
daylight, something excited our picket line, and our regiment was
turned out; but nothing happened. A rainstorm began, which
lasted nine days.”
The
Journal of Charles Wainwright, March
10, 1864
From, “A Diary of Battle, The Personal Journals
of Colonel Charles S.
Wainwright, 1861-1865”; Edited by Allan Nevins; 1962.
March 10 Thursday.
Today we have a real pouring
rain, such an one as we have not had before for a long
while I trust that now the time for active operations
approaches we are not going to make up for the long spell of fine
weather we have enjoyed by an equally long one of bad. Starting
before daylight and marching halfway through the night, to say nothing
of fighting, is bad enough under every advantage: but when you
add cold rains and mud thereto, it becomes almost intolerable. I
do not, however, expect an early opening of the campaign on our part,
for so far as I can learn, we have not now over 60,000 men present in
this army.
A large number of re-enlisted men, including many of
my own, have only just received their veteran furlough, and
consequently will not be back before the middle of April. Of
those who
went off in January a number have been very late in getting back,
and some have not returned at all. The regiments that went home as
organizations are returning; I do not hear of any of them having been
able to fill up to the maximum. Colonel Bragg of the Sixth
Wisconsin told me he was about 600 strong.
The newspapers say that we have from 200,00 to 250,000
more men in service now than at the same time last year. Where
are they? I am sure that I cannot imagine, unless they are in the
heavy artillery regiments around Washington and in the depots.
Why don’t they send the men to the army? Surely there can be no
good reason for keeping them more than ten days or a fortnight at the
depots. If they would only remember how necessary drill is to
these new men, and how much their health depends on their learning how
to take care of themselves in camp, before they start on active
service; as well as their efficiency there, on their acquiring now some
knowledge of what they have to do. Squads of a hundred
recruits,
or so, arrive every few days for this corps; but they ought to
average
a thousand a week to give the regiments here their proportion of the
men said to have been raised. Some of them are terribly
hard-looking chaps; regular “bounty-jumpers”; who never
intended
to
come into the field. Others are of a superior class and mean to
do their best.
I met a most amusing incident with one of these last,
belonging to the Fourteenth Brooklyn, the other day, as I was walking
through the streets of Culpeper. He had been placed as a sentinel
there only three days after arriving, and of course without having
received any instruction. I had just passed him when he called
out “Halt Halt! I say, you there, halt!” Turning around, I
said to him pretty sharply: “Is that the way you speak to an
officer?” His reply, “That’s just it; you be an officer, be’nt
you?” showed me at once how green the fellow was, so I quickly
informed him that I was. “Well,” says he, “they told me I was to
salute all officers when they went by, and I want you to show me
how.” The man was so honest and simple in his desire to do
what was right that I really pitied him. But as I could hardly be
expected to give him his first lesson in the manual of arms then and
there, I advised him to apply to the first sergeant of his company so
soon as he was relieved.
(Illustration of a 14th Brooklyn soldier, pictured.)
I have Major Fitzhugh’s report up to the end of February
complete, by which it appears that the recruiting party had secured 274
men up to that date; 31 were reported to him as mustered between
then and the 6th inst. He had been down to Elmira, but does not
seem to have got any accurate information there; the men, they told
him, had been forwarded to Fort Schuyler. He says that he has
official information of 404 men mustered into the regiment, and
estimates that by the 20th of March 650 men will be enlisted for it
altogether, but he fears large losses from desertion.
The
question has been up in New York as to allowing soldiers from the
state to vote, and has been decided in the affirmative. Mr.
Lincoln telegraphed the news down himself! I suppose he
thought
to make himself popular by so doing, and perhaps he will; but for
myself I think it would be more becoming the dignity of the President
to
telegraph his thanks after a victory than such small news. I am
sorry
the thing has been so decided, as it will open a door for political
discussion and influence which may be very damaging to
discipline. A soldier’s business is to obey; he forms a part of
the executive, not of the legislative force in the country.
Most amusing stories are told of the number of
re-enlisted men who have been married while on their thirty-five day
furlough. In some companies a third and even a half have been
spliced while away. Some four or five hundred dollars cash in
hand set the girls wild after the men, so that it was hard work to get
clear of them. The most steady got married; the others let the
women have it without marrying.
My copy of the Herald the
last week has been like a daily edition of Punch to me.
Each
number has had some very clever articles on the negro regiment which
the Union League in New York have been getting up; and each night
as I
read them I have roared with laughter. The hits on ex-Governor
King,* “the pink of propriety” and “flower of aristocracy,” were
capital. As it has been decided to employ niggers as soldiers, do
it
by all means; but why make more fuss over them than if they were
white? No regiment leaving New York since the spring of 1861 has
had half such an ovation. Really respectable ladies presented the
colours, and threw bouquets to great buck niggers. William saw
the regiment marching down Broadway, and says that had they been white
men under the same length of drill, they would have been thought to
march badly; being black, the Times and Tribune
say
they
surpassed the Seventh.** For my part, I wish all the negroes in
the
country were safely back in Africa.* note.
Pictured, Harper's Weekly, March 19,
1864. The illustration shows Presentation of Colors to the 20th
U.S.C.T. in Union Square on March 5, 1864.
It is now certain that Grant is to have the new post of
lieutenant-general, just created by act of Congress. This marks
him officially as our major-general “most distinguished for
courage,
skill, and ability.” I trust that he may prove himself so, and
not only that, but equal in all respects to the greatest generals of
history. But it is hard for those who knew him when formerly in
the
army to believe that he is a great man; then he was only distinguished
for the mediocrity of his mind, his great good nature, and his
insatiable love of whiskey. He will doubtless now be placed
in supreme control of all the armies; and as the radicals must see that
they have nothing more to gain by prolonging the war, we shall probably
have matters pushed with great energy the coming campaign.
Street scene in Culpeper, 1862.
We are all agog now with regard to consolidation;
the
order carrying it out was expected today for certain. The division
generals and all staff officers are shaking in their shoes for fear
that they will be dropped from their present high estate. It is
certain that this and the Third Corps will be sunk, but whether they
will be absorbed bodily or broken into fragments is not known. My
good friend Dr Heard will certainly lose his position as he is junior
corps medical director in the army. I shall be sorry to be
separated from him, but there is not another member of the corps staff
who could not easily be improved upon. For myself, it is a mere
choice of commanders. At present I lean toward Hancock and the
Second Corps, though when the time comes I shall probably leave it to
chance to decide for me. I intended riding up to see Hunt about
it today, but the rain has prevented.
My Court Martial has finished business & will be
adjourned tomorrow; one of the cases has to go up to gen'l Meade
for approval, & the question of my power to call such court will
then be decided. ––Lt. Matthewson has made an application for a
Captaincy in the Adj't Gen'ls Dept. ––
Congress has again extended the time for paying the
extra bounties to the first of April. All ladies are ordered home out
of camp: the first step towards activity.
NOTES: Alan Nevins' Notes,
from Diary of Battle: *John A. King, who had been
elected governor of New York on the Republican ticket in 1856, was a
lifelong opponent of the expansion of slavery, and while in
Congress had assailed the Fugitive Slave Act in bitter terms He
was a son of Rufus King, a member of the Constitutional Convention of
1787, and minister to Great Britain. *The Twentieth United
States, a regiment organized against the opposition of Governor Horatio
Seymour, but with the strong support of the Union League Club and such
citizens as William Cullen Bryant and Peter Cooper, acquitted itself
well, and was followed by two more regiments of colored New Yorkers.
**The Seventh was an exclusive New York Militia
group
with many members from New York's social elite. ––B.F.
Return to Top of Page
Boxes
From Home
Charles Davis decided to place his
homily to boxes from home in this section of the regimental
history. It dovetails nicely with some letters of Sergeant Warren
Freeman, Company A. A more humorous discourse follows, from the
pages of Bivouac Magazine, about trying to smuggle some contraband into
camp.
The following is from, “Three Years in the Army,”
by
Charles E. Davis, Jr; Estes & Lauriat, Boston, 1894.
The winter did not pass without our receiving boxes from
home; those remembrances, prepared by mothers and sisters, were
filled with choice eatables, and frequently contained things to
wear. These evidences of thoughtfulness of friends at home were
very cheering, and as each little mess shared their contents they
brought pleasure to many. There were others, besides our
immediate friends, who were working for the soldier.
Young ladies were busy knitting stockings and mittens
and making
comfortable articles of wearing apparel, which were sent out as fast as
collected. These were all highly appreciated. We were not
always aware who these kind friends were, though now and then a name
would be found tucked away in some corner and when discovered,
often started a pleasant correspondence which was not the least of the
pleasures that grew out of their anxiety for the welfare of the
soldiers.
This noble work was carried on during the war with an
unremitting labor, and a devotion that should never be forgotten while
a solder is alive to express his appreciation of the practical good
that it did. Nor were the women our only friends.
There
were men in Boston, as well as in other parts of the State, who were
untiring in their efforts in behalf of the soldiers. They not
only contributed time and labor, but gave large sums of money to help
along the work that was being done by the women. It was a
disinterested work for which they got nothing not even a “thank you”
from the men whose interest they had so much at heart. Soldiers
were too far away without suitable opportunities for expressing the
appreciation they felt at this patriotic service that was being carried
on in their absence. The names of some of these men became known
through our correspondence with friends, and are cherished among the
recollections of that exciting period.
It is difficult to estimate how much good was done by
these earnest patriotic men and women to give encouragement to
soldiers, or how much they did to keep alive patriotism in
others. Soldiers should never forget, that without the aid of
these people at home, the war could not have been successfully carried
on.
Letter of
Warren H. Freeman, Co. A; March
8, 1864
From “Letters from Two Brothers Serving in the
War for the Union,” Printed for Private Circulation,
Cambridge, 1871.
TO. SERGEANT WARREN
H. FREEMAN,
THIRTEENTH REGIMENT MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEERS, MITCHELL’S STATION,
VIRGINIA.
West
Cambridge, March 8, 1864.
Dear Warren, –– Old
friends and school-mates have
unanimously decided
to show their appreciation of your patriotic and self-sacrificing
spirit –– and it was decided that a soldier’s box would, perhaps, be
the most acceptable manifestation of our feelings.
We wish you could see us here assembled at your father’s
house, with
smiling faces and cheerful contributions, for it is a pleasure that we
all readily enjoy with our whole hearts.
Your father kindly provided us with a box, but it was
not large enough;
and we reluctantly came to the conclusion, that, on account of its
incapacity, our contributions must be divided and a part sent now,
while the remainder was reserved for a few days. Doubtless you
will enjoy it more, and it will of course make no material difference
to us.
Your good mother was, indeed, very efficient in
packing;
in fact, we
really don’t know what we should have done without her. She was
indispensable, as she always is.
We should, any of us, be very happy to be favored with a
letter, but we
are fully aware of the many inconveniences you are subject to when you
attempt to write.
Hoping you will kindly accept, and heartily enjoy our
testimonial of
good-will, we all remain,
Your affectionate friends and school-mates.
Sue A. Dodge,
Simeon Barker,
M. Addie
Blanchard, Sam A.
Lewis,
Julia A. Cutter,
Addison
Hill, Jr.
Sarah E.
Dexter,
Joseph H.
Eaton,
Helen
M. Hill,
John Schwamb,
Annette E.
Hill,
Jacob Schwamb,
Jr.
Almina L. Hill,
Horace Lewis,
Julia Frances Freeman,
Ira
Russell,
Lizzie
D. Schouler.
Letter of Warren Freeman. March 11; On
Picket 3 Days
Mitchell’s
Staton, Va., March 11, 1864.
Dear Father and Mother, ––
I received your letter
of the 1st
inst. in due season, acquainting me with the very sudden and sorrowful
news of Uncle Charles’s death. This was entirely unexpected to
me, as I supposed he was quite out of danger. I was not surprised
to hear of Uncle Brooks’s death, as I supposed when I saw him in
September that he would not live through the winter. It is hard,
indeed, to divine whose turn will come next. It is very strange,
as well as painful, to see how little is thought of death in the army;
it is rarely alluded to.
I remember one of our boys, ––he was
in the same mess with me; he used to speak about some statistics
of other wars, how many pounds of lead and iron it took to kill a man,
and how few were killed in proportion to the number engaged, and what a
good chance there was to get off whole, ––his name was Henry Holden,
and he was the first man killed in my company at Bull Run.*
I went on picket last Sunday and was gone three
days; it
rained one day
and I got some wet, but on the whole the weather has been pleasant for
the season.
I was very much surprised yesterday afternoon, when one
of the boys
told me there was a box up near the sutler’s for me. The team
that brings up the bread also brings up boxes from the station, when
there are any there. I did not believe him, for I have recently
been favored in that way, and I intimated to you that I should not
expect another box at all; but I could not resist the temptation
to test the truth of his story, and on going to the place designated, I
found sure enough, there was a box with my name on it.
On opening
the box, my wonder was doubly increased by finding whom it was from,
for the names on the packages and slips of paper soon explained the
mystery. My old school-mates had met together, and, with many
good
wishes for my health and safe return home, had devised this
surprise
for me; and, still more, this box would not contain all the
contributions, but another box would soon follow with the
balance.
Well, now I think I am surely in luck, and you must
thank them all for me, for these nice things. I would like to
write my thanks to them, but do not know how to put them in proper
shape, so you must do the thing for me. I must at lest thank Miss
Annette E. Hill or her beautiful present; I had seen the book
extensively advertised, and the author being a resident of West
Cambridge, increased my desire to read it. But I little thought it
would
come to me in this way. Several of the boys in our mess have read
it and like it much. Before we break camp, I shall send it home,
with a few other things. I have kept the book perfectly clean
thus far, but may not to the end, as the boys are after it, and they do
not have clean hands at all times. I am sorry Lizzie and Susie
did
not write in accordance with their good intentions in that line.
I received another letter from you last night;
also, by the
same mail, one
from Cousin Augusta; but I can do no more at this time than thank the
writers for them. It is now late at night, and the mail leaves
early in the morning, so I must close, with kind wishes to all.
From your affectionate son,
Warren.
*HENRY A. HOLDEN ; age, 19; born, Quincy,
Mass.; clerk; mustered in as priv., Co. A, July 16, '61 killed, Aug.
30, '62.
SPICED RUM AND
BUTTERED SLING
From Bivouac, A Military Magazine, February 1885, p.
56.
In the winter of 1864 the brigade to which my regiment
was attached was doing outpost duty at Mitchell’s Station, Va., seven
or eight miles in advance of the main body of the army, which was in
quarters in and around Culpeper Court House and Brandy
Station. We were guarding the crossing of the Orange and
Alexandria railroad over the Rapidan river, and had much duty to
perform, having both an outlying picket line near the river and an
inlying picket nearer camp. Our communications with friends
at home were much interrupted, as only occasional trains came out to
bring our supplies and those needed by a cavalry force camped
about a half mile in our rear.
Supplies, especially in the case
of boxes and packages for individuals, had to be reshipped at Culpeper,
and orders were strictly enforced forbidding packages bearing the
semblance of those containing liquor from coming through. We never knew
what became of many such packages which we were advised by mail had
been sent to us, but suspected the provost-guard in the rear had
appropriated them to their own use. We therefore set our wits to
work to thwart them if we could.
We sent directions home to have a box
made of the ordinary size and appearance of those coming to soldiers
from loving friends at home, and to have another strong tin one
enclosed which would hold about five gallons of liquid. In due
time the
box arrived, filled with “Old Medford.” We had such a jubilee
that night that the memories of “buttered sling” and “spiced rum” are
still vivid in my mind.
A former member of our regiment, who had
been promoted to a captaincy in another Massachusetts regiment in the
brigade was invited over to participate in the festivities.
[This would be Captain Ezra J. Trull in the 39th MA, pictured––BF]
In
the small hours of the morning we concluded to accompany him back to
his command, –– for obvious reasons, ––and upon arriving at his camp
he insisted upon turning out his company for a roll-call. And
such a roll-call! Only eight or ten men appeared, but they took
it upon themselves to answer for those who did not appear. But
the captain did not stop here. He proceeded to call the names of
the members of the company to which he had belonged in our regiment,
many of whom could not have answered unless they had risen from the
dead. He then ordered his men to their tents and we returned to
camp.
In a few days we were as dry as ever, and the box
was
returned with the request that it be filled again and sent back to
us. The return of that box was anxiously looked for, and all
sorts of plans were made for a “time.” Our best friends in the
brigade were invited to be with us on its arrival, and preparations
were made for other concoctions than the “buttered sling” and “spiced
rum” of the previous occasion. We even made preparations with a
cautious friend at Culpeper to notify us by a special messenger as soon
as it arrived there. After a long time, as it seemed to us, word
came that it was on its way between Culpeper and our camp, and we
gathered to welcome it.
When it was actually in the camp of our
regiment it appealed to our olfactory nerves with great effect, and we
therefore began to fear that something had happened to it. A
closer examination proved this to be only too true, for the box having
been broken partly open and nailed together again several times, it had
got rather shaky, and to ensure its safe delivery, some careful soul
during its passage out had driven several nails into the cover, –– no
doubt with the kindest intentions, –– and one of the nails had entered
the tin inclosure and the precious contents had trickled out drop
by drop till the box and wagon it came in smelt like a
distillery. Upon opening it only a half pint remained.
We
sipped a little all around, mournfully reflecting upon the
transitoriness of earthly expectations. The man who had endeavored to
do a good deed by strengthening the box was strongly condemned, and
army transportation was the especial theme of our maledictions, while
our invited friends maliciously soothed us with inquiries in regard to
the box.
Return to Table of Contents
Baseball
& Farewell
The game of baseball is mentioned at
least 4 times in the various soldiers' papers from the 13th Mass. Vols.
which I have come across, and it is mentioned at least twice in the
regimental history. A game of ball between the officers and
enlisted men was played on Thanksgiving day at Williamsport in
1861. At another time the right wing played the left wing of the
regiment. I think that was also at Williamsport in the first winter of
the war. It was played during the Mine Run Campaign in November,
1863, to relieve tension built up after waiting all night for an
expected frontal charge against strong enemy fortifications, ––that was
fortunately cancelled. And, it is mentioned here, in March, 1864,
in a game between the men of the 13th MA & 104th New York.
Apparently the men of the 13th MA were good ball players and it was a
blow out. Why not? They were very competitive at everything
else.
I found another mention of the game
being played in the 2nd Corps in April, 1864, and added it here for
additional interest.
The diary of Calvin Conant, continued:
Friday, March 11, 1864.
Rainy day I am on duty about 3
oclock [cannot decipher this line it looks like rod a fella
depart - Col & Mrs Leonard did leave this day]
Shower
poured down in large streams acompanied by very heavey thunder and some
sharp lightninng Reg on Inline Picket to day
plenty of
Cider at head quarters to day Col Leonard, goes
Home with his
wife on leave of absence
Saturday, March 12, 1864.
Cleared of quite pleasant
We clean up our tent and open the same to dry Big
time with some
of them? at football & privates? reading the famous?
names of Shoulder Straps
In contrast to the baseball mentioned by
Charles
Davis, Calvin Conant witnessed a football game, which Sam Webster says
he particpated playing.
Diary of Sam
Webster:
Saturday, March 12, 1864.
Had a very lively game of
football and got very sore about the legs and back and will
be stiff in the morning.
Baseball
The following is from, “Three Years in the Army,”
by
Charles E. Davis, Jr; Estes & Lauriat, Boston, 1894.
On the 12th of March we had a game of base-ball with
some members of the One Hundred and Fourth New York Regiment. As
opportunities for indulging our love for this pastime were not very
frequent, we got a deal of pleasure out of it.
The score was as follows:
One Hundred and
Fourth New York, |
20 |
Thirteenth Mass., |
62 |
Let the young people of to-day (1893) ponder on that
score as they recall sitting all the afternoon to see professional
clubs play without making a point on either side. While modesty
forbids commending our own playing, there is no reason why we should
refrain from bestowing praise on the One Hundred and Fourth New York,
though it is evident enough that they must have played a fine game to
have won even twenty points.
More baseball...
The following is from an unknown newspaper in the
108th N.Y. Vols. files of the New York State Military Museum.
The 108th New York Volunteers vs. The 8th
New York Cavalry
Base Ball in the Army––The
108th
N.Y. Vols. vs. The 8th N.Y. Cav.
The following will interest any friends of either of the
above named Regiments. The writer is a well known advocate of
“sich things” when he is at home. It wolud be a gratification to
us to hear from him oftener:
Headquarters 108th N. Y. Vols,
3d Brigade, 2d Division, 2d Army Corps,
April 26th, 1864.
Editors Evening Express:
By way of reminding
our Rochester friends that the regiments known as the 8th Cavalry and
108th N. Y. Vols., continue to flourish, I send you the score of a
match game of “National Base Ball,” played by “nines” selected from the
above named organizations, this afternoon, on the parade ground of the
108th. The fortunes of war have brought the encampments of these
Regiments quite near each other, and I believe we are mutually pleased
in consequence. Our elder brothers of the 8th are noble
boys, and we always delight to meet them everywhere and anywhere. The
score indicates a closely contested game, as you will see;
indeed, many spectators pronounced the playing excellent; at any rate,
the sport was hugely enjoyed by all interested. It is to be hoped
that we may display as much skill in our match with Lee this summer,
and I predict we shall. All are well in both commands, and
ready to “git” at a moment’s notice. The following is––
THE SCORE.
108th N.Y. Vols. |
H. |
L. |
R. |
8th N.Y. Cav. |
H. |
L. |
R. |
C. B. Dickson, c. |
|
2 |
4 |
Bliss, c. |
|
2
|
3 |
P. C. Kavanaugh, p. |
|
2 |
|
Moore, p. |
|
3
|
3< |
A. T. Wells, s s. |
|
4 |
1 |
E. B. Parsons, s s. |
|
3
|
2 |
H. Edwards, 1st b. |
|
2
|
3
|
Playford, 1st b. |
|
3 |
2 |
S. Porter, 2d b. |
|
3 |
2
|
Clayford, 2d b. |
|
4 |
1 |
T. E. Parsons, 3d b. |
|
2 |
1
|
Bannister, 3d b. |
|
2 |
1 |
S. P. Howard, r f. |
|
3
|
1
|
Bloss, r f.
|
|
3 |
3 |
T. Haley, c f. |
|
4 |
1 |
Carr, c f. |
|
4
|
0 |
J. McMannis, l f.
|
|
5 |
0 |
Malbern, l f. |
|
3 |
1
|
|
|
|
–– |
|
|
|
–– |
Total |
|
|
16 |
Total |
|
|
14 |
Innings |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
108th N.Y. |
1 |
0 |
5 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
8th Cav. |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
Home Runs, Kavanaugh and Dickson,
108th N.Y. Vols.
Scorer
8th N.Y. Cav.––Sergt. M. Reid
" 108th N.Y. Vols. ––Sergt. F. M. Thrasher.
Umpire––Col.
Chas. J. Powers, 108th N. Y. Vols.
You see we can play ball some, if not more.––
Everything is lovely with us. We are all ready for
a move which must be near at hand. The 8th are about a mile from
us, in comfortable camps. Col. Benjamin is in command; all are in
superb condition. The “little” 108th are as tough and wiry as
ever––hard to beat. I hurry this off by the evening mail, wishing
to be kindly remembered to mutual friends, and remaining,
Yours,
sincerely, Adjutant.
Farewell, ––The end
of Mary Ellen Pierce's
7 week visit to Culpeper
As mentioned in Charles
Wainwright's journal entry of March 10, all ladies were ordered to
leave camp for home. Mary Ellen departed from her lodgings
at Rixey house in town, on
March 12th. March 13th was her last night in camp.
The Rixey House, Downtown
Culpeper. The House no longer stands.
Mary Ellen Pierce's Journal, continued:
Thursday 10th
Colonel, Mrs. Leonard &
Johnny [John Smith Leonard, b. July 26, 1852; 12 years old at this
time.]
came up from the front to-day ––
dined with us –– Capt Livermore called.
Friday 11th
Stormy –– Mrs. Leonard left this
morning for home. Col. accompanying
her to Washington ––Capt Hulse also left on “leave”
Saturday 12th
Left Mrs. Rixie’s to-night
removed to Capt Hulse’s quarters to remain the rest of my stay.
played cribbage in eve.
Sunday 13th
pleasant –– muddy walked up to
the Park to see Elliot ––review his train. Last night in Culpeper
Monday 14th (14th?)
Left Culpeper at half past 8.
Post Script:
When Mary Ellen left for home,
Elliot
Pierce entered into his diary, March 14, that his wife had visited him
for 7 weeks, and that he would surely miss her. He called her his
true wife, who made his burden
light.
Good Bye
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