August 13, 1864
. . . I rode over
to make some enquiry about Colonel Weld, of Loring, at Burnside's Headquarters.
As I drew near, I heard the sound as of minstrelsy and playing on the psaltry
and upon the harp; to wit, a brass band, tooting away at a great rate. This was
an unaccustomed noise, for Burnside is commonly not musical, and I was
speculating on the subject when, on entering the circle of tents, I beheld a
collection of Generals — not only Burnside, but also Potter, Willcox, and
Ferrero. Speaking of this last, did you hear what the negro straggler remarked,
when arrested by the Provost-Guard near City Point, on the day of the assault,
and asked what he was doing there. “Well, saar, I will displain myself. You
see, fus’ I was subjoined to Ginral Burnside; an' den I was disseminated to
Ginral Pharo. We wus advancing up towards der front, an' I, as it might be,
loitered a little. Presently I see some of our boys a-runnin’ back. ‘Ho, ho,’
sez I, ‘run is your word, is it?’ So I jes separates myself from my gun and I
re-tires to dis spot.”
Well, there was “Ginral
Pharo” taking a drink, and an appearance was about as of packing. Whereat I
presently discovered, through the joyous Captain Pell (who asked me tauntingly
if he could “do anything for me at Newport”), that Burnside and his Staff were
all going on a thirty-day leave, which will extend itself, I fancy,
indefinitely, so far as this army goes. On my return I found two fat civilians
and a lean one. Fat number one was Mr. Otto, Assistant Secretary of the
Interior; Fat number two, a Professor Matile, a Swiss of Neufchatel, and friend
of Agassiz (you perhaps remember the delicious wine of that place). The lean
was Mr. Falls, what I should call Mr. Otto's “striker,” that being the name of
an officer's servant or hanger-on. Mr. Falls was very chatty and interrogative,
following every sentence by “Is it not?” So that finally I felt obliged always
to reply, “No, it isn't.” I scared him very much by tales of the immense
distances that missiles flew, rather implying that he might look for a pretty
brisk shower of them, about the time he got fairly asleep. Professor Matile was
bright enough to be one of those who engaged in the brilliant scheme of
Pourtales Steiger to seize the chateau of Neufchatel on behalf of the King of
Prussia. Consequently he since has retired to this country and has now a
position as examiner at the Patent Office. Mr. Otto was really encouraging to look
at. He did not chew tobacco, or talk politics, or use bad grammar; but was well
educated and spake French and German. General Butler, having a luminous idea to
get above the Howlett house batteries by cutting a ship canal across Dutch Gap,
has called for volunteers, at an increased rate of pay. Whereupon the Rebel
rams come down and shell the extra-pay volunteers, with their big guns; and we
hear the distant booming very distinctly. I think when Butler gets his canal
cleverly through, he will find fresh batteries, ready to rake it, and plenty
more above it, on the river. The Richmond papers make merry, and say it will
increase their commerce.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 211
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