Thursday, December 11, 2014

Colonel Charles Russell Lowell to Josephine Shaw, May 15, 1863

Camp East Of Capitol, May 15, 1863.

I date this May 15, 1863, — ought it to be 1864? — it seems to me a month since “this morning and at least a year since Tuesday noon. The other part of my date carries me back a year, — for “Camp East of Capitol” was the familiar name of the barracks where my military young idea was taught to shoot.

I wish you could look in at tea now, and see what a pretty scene our camp presents. You would be sitting on the grass at the edge of a very pretty orchard, in which (behind you) Ruksh and Nig are quietly feeding, — in front the ground slopes gently off and at fifty yards' distance commence the company lines, — from here you look down into these so entirely that not a man can swear or a horse switch his tail in anger without our knowing it. The tents are in three rows, the two companies of a squadron being on a line, the horses of each squadron to the right of the tents, — stable duty is just over and the men are swarming about before getting supper. I may have forgotten how a camp-fire smokes, or it may be I am partial to the fires of my own camp (you know my weakness); certainly these camp-fires look uncommonly blue — and picturesque, — even Will's1 fellows have contrived to get up a jolly blue smoke.
_______________


1 Major William H. Forbes commanded a Massachusetts battalion, Major D. W. C. Thompson the California Battalion, which had only landed in New York on April 14 and had, consequently, been but a month in camp at Readville. This was of less importance, as the Californians were all good riders, and had probably had some elementary instruction in military duties and drill before sailing. The First Battalion, under Major Caspar Crowninshield, already serving in the Peninsula, contained the "California Hundred," under Captain J. Sewall Reed, and several Massachusetts companies. These components of the regiment became thoroughly welded by the active service in the Valley, but at first the state line was sharply drawn by the soldiers. Lieutenant S. W. Backus, in his reminiscences of the regiment, wrote: —

“While we were comparatively recruits, marching past other troops, whenever the question was asked, ‘What regiment is that?’ the answer would come from one part of the line ‘California Hundred,’ from another  ‘California Battalion,’ and from still another, ‘Second Massachusetts Cavalry.’ No wonder the questioners were often puzzled to know who we really were. We soon, however, overcame this folly, and to say we belonged to the Second Massachusetts Cavalry was honour enough in our minds.”  But the Lieutenant adds, with amusing recurrence to the first thought: —

"We, however, indulged ourselves in the thought that the Californians really did constitute the regiment, and with this idea we felt satisfied that we would not completely lose our identity."

SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of Charles Russell Lowell, p. 237-8

No comments: