Camp Before Yorktown, April 10, 1862.
Dear Mother: —
I have been through some danger safely since I wrote you Sunday. Monday morning
our regiment, with the Nineteenth Massachusetts, went out on a reconnoissance
towards Yorktown. We marched three or four miles through the woods and mud,
when we came to a rebel entrenchment on the opposite side of a swamp, which
they had made by damming a stream.
The engineer who went with the General reconnoitered it,
covered by our skirmishers. We exchanged perhaps a hundred shots with them, without
doing any damage to any one, and, the engineer having accomplished his object,
we left, and kept to the left; about two miles. We came to another battery on
the same stream. Here they opened on us with shell from a thirty-two-pounder.
Three men of the Nineteenth were wounded. One died that night. We got under the
cover of some woods and covered the engineer while he reconnoitered. It looked
pretty squally when they opened on us with shell, as we had no artillery with
us. We withdrew about dark, having effected the object of the reconnoissance.
We had to march home in the dark, through the woods, in mud up to our knees. It
had rained hard all day.
I had the fortune to wear my rubber coat, so that I wasn't
much wet above my waist. I walked, and wore my shoes. We were pretty tired when
we got back. The Colonel and I had a tent to sleep in, but the men had nothing
to do but lie down in the mud and let it rain. Most of them stood up round the
fires all night to keep warm. I managed to get two dozen bottles of whiskey
from the sutler, which he had brought for officers, and distributed it so that
each man got a small drink of hot whiskey and water. I stayed out till eleven
o'clock in the rain doing it. I then came in, took off my stockings and pants,
which were wet through, rubbed my feet dry, and lay down and slept soundly
enough. I woke all right in the morning. It was still raining, and is today,
the third day. I hope it will stop soon. This has delayed the advance very
much, as it is impossible to move artillery.
John Putnam is going back to Fort Monroe; he can't stand
this, it is too rough for him. Riddle, the same.
Two or three of the officers are sick, but I am as well as
ever. Arthur is a little unwell to-day, but you needn't tell his mother,
because he will be all right tomorrow, and she would be only worried. General
Sumner arrived to-day with the rest of his corps. I haven't seen General
McClellan since he passed on the road. He is here. Colonel Lee is at the fort.
He will not join us at present, he thinks.
Love to all.
W.
SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William
Francis Bartlett, p. 37-8
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