Harper's Ferry, Monday Morning, July 22, 1861.
War is a game, but you must hold a few cards to play it! Our
column, which marched so proudly out of Martinsburg, is now melting away. The
time of the regiments expires, and they go. This cripples our movement. Since I
wrote you, Colonel Gordon has been in command here. The order under which he
came stated, “You will organize the department for a military depot. Your
regiment is selected because the general commanding wishes the town ‘placed,
from the commencement, in a proper condition of military order and discipline.’
Once so, it can be easily retained.”
I have been very busy organizing the thing, under the
Colonel. Just after I last wrote you, I established and posted the town guard,
selecting for the guard-house the engine-house within the Arsenal enclosure,
which was held by John Brown, and which is one of the few buildings left amid
the general wreck. Then arrests were to be made of suspected men, pickets and
outposts to be established, &c.
We started a regular post-office, selecting as postmaster a
sergeant of Captain Savage's company, who was formerly postmaster of his native
town.
Treason and conspiracy are all about us. We had quite a
scene at our flag-raising the day after our arrival. The tall flagstaff on the
Arsenal grounds had borne the secession rag for weeks. We wished to put our
banner there. After several attempts to adjust the halliards, which failed,
Sergeant Hill, of Company B, volunteered to climb the tree pole to its top and
fasten the rope. This he did, amid the cheers, &c., of the people and
soldiers I hope to hear to-day of the fall of Manassas, and then all will be
well I am very well and very happy. To be well is a great blessing, for the
water and fatigue combined take down a great many stronger men.
SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and
Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 54-5
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