STEAMER BALTIMORE, May
11, 1862.
MY DARLING NETTIE: I believe I closed my letter to you with
an account of the bombardment. That was thought to have shown the inability of
an attempt to land at Sewell's Point while the Merrimac lay watching it; it at
once became a question, what should now be done? Three plans only seemed
feasible: to send all the troops that could be spared around to Burnside, and
let him come on Norfolk from behind — that is, from the south; to send them up
James River to aid McClellan; or to seek another landing place out of reach of
the Merrimac. I offered to take the Miami, if a tug of less draught, and
capable, therefore, of getting nearer shore, could accompany me, and make an
examination, in company with an officer, of the coast east of the Point. Colonel
Cram offered to go, and General Wool said he would accompany us. We started
accordingly, and being arrived opposite a point which I mark 'A' on the poor
draft I send you, sent a boat's crew on shore to find the depths of water. We
had already approached within some five hundred yards in the Miami, and the tug
had approached within perhaps one hundred, of the shore. The boats went very
near the shore, and then pulled off, somewhat to my surprise. But when they
returned to the boat, the mystery was explained. They had seen an enemy's
picket, and a soldier standing up and beckoning to his companions to lie close,
and they had inferred the existence of an ambush, and had pulled off to avoid
being fired upon. When the officer of the boat and Colonel Cram came on board,
they could still see the picket on horseback, and pointed his position out to
me; but I, being near-sighted, could not see. It was plain enough that there
was no use in landing men to be fired upon and overcome by a superior force,
and so the order was given to get under way to return to Fortress Monroe. We had,
indeed, accomplished our main purpose, having found the water sufficiently deep
to admit of landing without any serious difficulty. But just as we were going
away, a white flag was seen waving over the sand-bank on shore, and the General
ordered it to be answered at once, which was done by fastening a bed-sheet to
the flag-line, and running it up. When this was done several colored people
appeared on shore — all women and children. Fearing the flag and the appearance
of the colored people might be a cover, intended to get our people within
rifle-shot, I directed two boats to go ashore, with full crews well armed. They
went, and pretty soon I saw Colonel Cram talking with the people on shore,
while some of the men were walking about on the beach. Presently one boat
pulled off toward the ship, and when she had come quite near I observed the
colored people going up the sand-bank, and Colonel Cram preparing to return
with the other boat. It occurred to me that the poor people must have desired
to go to Fortress Monroe, and might have been refused. So I determined to go
ashore myself, and jumping into the returned boat was quickly on the beach. The
Colonel reported his examination entirely satisfactory, and I found from the
colored people (one of whom, however, turned out to be a white woman, living
near by) that none of them wanted to leave, and we all returned to the ship.
These women were the soldiers who had alarmed our folks.
We had made an important discovery — a good and convenient
landing place, some five or six miles from Fortress Monroe, capable of
receiving any number of troops, and communicating with Norfolk by quite
passable roads, with a distance by one route of eight or nine, and by another
of twelve or thirteen, miles.
When I got back to Fortress Monroe I found the President had
been listening to a pilot and studying a chart, and had become impressed with a
conviction that there was a nearer landing, and wished to go and see about it
on the spot. So we started again and soon reached the shore, taking with us a
large boat and some twenty armed soldiers from the Rip Raps. The President and
Mr. Stanton were on the tug and I on the Miami. The tug was, of course, nearest
shore, and as soon as she found the water too shoal for her to go farther
safely, the Rip Raps boat was manned and sent in. Meantime, I had the Miami got
ready for action, and directed the captain to go ashore with two boats and all
the men they could take, fully armed. Before this could be done, however, the
other boat had pulled off shore, and several horsemen, who appeared to be
soldiers of the enemy, were seen on the beach. I sent to the President to ask
if we should fire on them, and he replied negatively. We had again found a good
landing, which at the time I supposed to be between two and three miles nearer
Fortress Monroe, but which proved to be only one-half or three-quarters of a
mile nearer.
Returning to Fortress Monroe, it was agreed that an advance
should at once be made on Norfolk from one of these landings. General Wool
preferred the one he had visited, and it was selected. It was now night, but
the preparations proceeded with great activity. Four regiments were sent off
and orders given for others to follow. Colonel Cram went down to make a bridge
of boats to the landing, and General Wool asked me to accompany him the next
morning.
Next morning (yesterday) I was up early, and we got off as
soon as possible. As soon as we reached the place, I took the tug which brought
us down, and went up the shore to where the President's boat had attempted to
land the evening before. I found the distance to be only three-quarters of a
mile, and returned to the Miami, where I had left the General. He had gone
ashore, and I at once followed. On shore I found General Viele, with an orderly
behind. He asked if I would like a horse, and I said yes. He thereupon directed
his orderly to dismount, and I mounted. I then proposed to ride up to where the
pickets had been seen the night before. He complied. We found a shed where the
pickets had staid, and fresh horse tracks in many places, showing that the
enemy had only withdrawn a few hours. Meantime, Mr. Stanton had come down, and
on my return to General Wool, asked me to go with the expedition, and I finally
determined to do so.
Accordingly, I asked General W. for a squad of dragoons and
for permission to ride on with General Viele ahead of him. He granted both
requests. After going about five miles, General V. and myself came up with the
rear of the advance (which had preceded us three or four hours), and soon heard
firing of artillery in front. We soon heard that the bridge which we expected
to cross was burnt, that the enemy's artillery was posted on the other side,
and that Generals Mansfield and Weber were returning.
About one-half or three-quarters of a mile from the burning
bridge, we met them, and of course turned back. Returning, we met General Wool,
who determined to leave a guard on that route and take another to Norfolk.
There was now a good deal of confusion, to remedy which and
provide for contingencies General Wool sent General M. to Newport News to bring
forward his brigade, and brigaded the troops with him, assigning General Viele
to the command of one and General Weber to the command of the other. The
cavalry and Major Dodge were in advance, General Wool and staff next, then a
body of sharpshooting skirmishers, then the main body of Viele's brigade, and
then Weber's. We stopped everybody from whom we could obtain information, and
it was not long before we were informed that the intrenched camp, where we
expected the rebels would fight, if anywhere, had just been evacuated, and that
the barracks were fired. This pleasant intelligence was soon confirmed by the
arrival of one of Dodge's dragoons, who told us that the cavalry were already
within it.
We kept on, and were soon within the work — a very strong
one, defended by many heavy guns, of which twenty-one still remained in
position. The troops, as they entered, gave cheer after cheer, and were
immediately formed into line for the farther march, now only two miles to
Norfolk. General Wool now invited General Viele, General Weber, and Major Dodge
to ride with us in front, and so we proceeded until we met a deputation of the
city authorities, who surrendered the city in form. General Wool and myself
entered one carriage with two of the deputation, and General Viele another,
with others, and so we drove into town and to the City Hall, where the General
completed his arrangements for taking possession of the city. These completed,
and General Viele being left in charge as military governor, General Wool and
myself set out on our return to Ocean View, our landing-place, in the carriage
which had brought us to the City Hall; which carriage, by the way, was that
used by the rebel General Huger, and he had, perhaps, been riding in it that
very morning.
It was sundown when we left Norfolk — about ten when we
reached Ocean View — and near twelve when we reached Fortress Monroe. The
President had been greatly alarmed for our safety by the report of General M.,
as he went by to Newport News; and you can imagine his delight when we told him
Norfolk was ours. He fairly hugged General Wool.
For my part, I was very tired, and glad to get to bed.
This morning, as the President had determined to leave for
Washington at seven, I rose at six, and just before seven came into the parlor,
where Commodore Goldsborough astonished and gratified us that the rebels had
set fire to the Merrimac, and had blown her up.1 It was determined that, before
leaving, we would go up in the Baltimore, which was to convey us to Washington,
to the point where the suicide had been performed, and above the obstructions
in the channel, if possible, so as to be sure of the access to Norfolk by
water, which had been defended by the exploded ship. This was done; but the
voyage was longer than we anticipated, taking us up the wharves of Norfolk,
where, in the Elizabeth River, were already lying the Monitor, the Stevens, the
Susquehanna, and one or two other vessels. General Wool and Commodore
Goldsborough had come up with us on the Baltimore; and, as soon as they were
transferred to the Susquehanna, our prow was turned down stream, and touching for
a moment at the Fortress, we kept on our way toward Washington, where we hope
to be at breakfast to-morrow.
So has ended a brilliant week's campaign of the President;
for I think it quite certain that if he had not come down, Norfolk would still
have been in possession of the enemy, and the Merrimac as grim and defiant, and
as much a terror as ever. The whole coast is now virtually ours. There is no
port which the Monitor and Stevens can not enter and take.
It was sad and pleasant to see the Union flag once more
waving over Norfolk, and the shipping in the harbor, and to think of the
destruction accomplished there a little more than a year ago.
I went to Norfolk last night by land with the army; this
morning, by water, with the navy. My campaign, too, is over.
SORUCE: Robert B. Warden, An Account of the Private Life and Public Services of Salmon Portland
Chase, p. 428-32
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