I stayed at home all day and gave out work to twelve women.
Fifteen have been here today. More anecdotes of Bull Run. Arthur Dexter (the
husband of one of the Curtis cousins) is captain of a Rhode Island Company and
in marching had hurt his foot very badly; in fact, so badly that he could not
bear a boot, so he went into action with one boot and one slipper and leaning
on a cane, which he did not throw away until the charging began. That's the
right spirit. Mr. Dana came here this evening and told us of a man who was
going down to Manassas to reconnoitre as the men came back. He said they came
on pell-mell, well frightened and disordered, by hundreds, with no pretence at
command or obedience, so that it was melancholy to see, when suddenly turning a
corner they came upon a whole company, marching quietly up, ranks close and
eyes to the front, with the Captain marching in front. The sight was really
sublime, in the midst of the flight, and he called out “What company?” but the
only words he heard were, “Steady, my men,” and the brave fellows passed on
without his being able to identify them. Yesterday, someone told me the
following: In the battle the Captain of one of the companies ran away, the
First Lieutenant fell and the Second was wounded, of course leaving the men
without officers, when the First Sergeant stepped out of the ranks and saying a
few words to the men, led them on! Where we fail is in the commissioned
officers. The men are splendid.
SOURCE: William Rhinelander Stewart, The
Philanthropic Work of Josephine Shaw Lowell, p. 13-4
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