Brigadier-General William F. Bartlett to Colonel Francis W. Palfrey, June 26, 1865

Headquarters First Division, Ninth Corps,

Near Washington, June 26, 1865.

Why shouldn't I send you a few lines this rainy afternoon, to tell you where I am and what doing? I was very sorry not to see you before I came away, but you had gone out of town. I got my orders Friday afternoon, and left two P. M. Saturday, — rather a short time in which to break up a seven months' camp. I was not able to see any one, of course; but good-by now was a much less serious matter, and more easily omitted, than it was seven months ago. I hope you and your wife are out of town by this time, enjoying fresh air and exercise.

I am rather pleasantly situated. I am commanding the First Division of the Corps. My headquarters are in a lovely oak grove, a few (2½) miles out from Georgetown, on the Tenallytown Road, the old Rockville Pike which we knew of old. I am just a little off the road, in tents. I prefer sleeping in a tent, although there is a very good house near by at my service.

The temperature out here under these trees is a very different thing from the fiendish heat of that wretched town that consists of the President's house and the Capitol. I was there a week before I came out here, and it nearly killed me.

My Division lies up the road towards Tenallytown — three brigades, well situated for water, slope, and air. One brigade is commanded by a brigadier, the other two by colonels. I found the command in rather a slack state of discipline. No attention paid to guard-duty or drill. It is natural that men should feel, now that the war for which they enlisted is over, that there is no further need of discipline, and that the strict performance of guard-duty any longer is needless. (I only name guard-duty as one of the points by which you judge of a regiment's “breeding” and efficiency.) In this they are rather encouraged by a certain class of officers, — you well know what I mean if I say the Le Barnes school, — and this feeling of expectancy and uncertainty about getting mustered out is prejudicial to discipline.

I had all the regimental and brigade commanders here the other night, and gave them a lecture of an hour and a half. You would have smiled to see me laying down the law, surrounded by about twenty of these old birds. I fancy it woke them up, for I have been pleased to see a marked change for the better already.

It seems funny to be here on this old road, in command of a Division, where I marched up under your baton not many months ago on foot. I intend to ride up to Poolesville as soon as the weather is a little cooler, if we remain here, and going over to Ball's Bluff and Leesburg. I wish you would come out and go too.

Charlie Whittier and Macy were over to see me the other day. Whit is the same fair boy as ever. I suppose the Army of the Potomac will be dissolved soon; an order will soon be out mustering out “veterans,” which will reduce it very much.

Miss Jennie Turnbull proposes to convert me from my dislike to Washington, so that I shall never want to go away from here after a little while. I should like to “give odds” on it.

Dear Frank, this isn't a very satisfactory letter. There are many things that I have to talk with you about.

Remember me to all yours. Let me have a line from you when you have a spare half hour, and believe me,

Always yours,

Frank.

SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William Francis Bartlett, p. 150-2

Journal of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, February 19, 1862

Wednesday, February 19, 1862.

The committee met pursuant to adjournment; all the members present.

Mr. Odell said he felt constrained to again call the attention of the committee to the importance of immediate action in relation to the blockade of the Potomac. He referred to representations which had been made to him by some of the leading merchants of New York city as to the importance of raising the blockade of the Potomac at once, they representing that it would have a far more beneficial effect upon our relations with foreign nations than many victories gained elsewhere.

Mr. Odell concluded by offering the following resolution, which was agreed to unanimously:

Resolved, That a sub-committee, to consist of the chairman and Mr. Johnson, be hereby appointed, with instructions to wait upon the Secretary of War at once, for the purpose of enjoining upon his consideration the necessity of immediately raising the blockade of the Potomac, inasmuch as it has come to the knowledge of this committee that that is the most significant and important thing to be done in view of our relations with foreign nations.

The committee then took a recess, to enable the sub-committee to perform the duty assigned to them.

Subsequently, the committee resumed its session, and, at the request of the chairman,

Mr. Johnson reported as follows:

That the sub-committee, as instructed, had waited upon the Secretary of War, and the chairman made known to him the object of their visit, viz: the importance and necessity of at once wiping out that disgrace to the nation —  the blockade of the Potomac and the siege of our capital. The chairman also laid before the Secretary the substance of the statements made by Mr. Odell to the committee in reference to the importance attached to this step by the merchants of the country, and also the feelings of American citizens abroad, as shown in letters which Mr. Covode had received and read to this committee.

To which the Secretary replied that the committee could not feel more keenly upon this subject than he did; that he did not go to his bed at night without his cheek burning with shame at this disgrace upon the nation; that the subject had received his earnest consideration since he had been in the War Department, but as yet he had not been able to accomplish his wishes in that respect, as he was not the head and could not control the matter. The Secretary said that General McClellan was then in the building, and he would bring him into the room.

Whereupon the Secretary left the room and shortly returned with General McClellan, to whom he stated the object of our visit.

At the request of the Secretary, the chairman then repeated to General McClellan what he had already stated to the Secretary in reference to the necessity of raising the blockade of the Potomac, the rebuilding the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, &c.

General McClellan stated that the subject had been considered by him, that he had just then been seeing what could be done, and in a short time expected to be able to inform us what steps could be taken. When asked how soon something would be done, he replied that it was not a question of weeks but of days, and proceeded to state what had been done. The inference from what he said was, that some steps were now being taken, and the delay simply depended upon procuring the necessary means. He said he could not give his consent to take men over on the other side of the river without having their rear protected, and having all precautions taken to secure their retreat, if necessary; that he designed first throwing a temporary bridge across the Potomac over which to cross his troops, and immediately proceeding to erect a permanent bridge.

To which the chairman promptly replied that with 150,000 of the most effective troops in the world upon the other side of the Potomac there was no need of a bridge; they could beat any force the enemy could bring against them, and if any of them came back, let them come back in their coffins. To which General McClellan made no reply.

Mr. Johnson stated that the interview with the Secretary had been a very satisfactory one; that the Secretary listened attentively to all that the chairman said, and although the chairman sometimes made his statements to General McClellan in pretty strong and emphatic language, the Secretary indorsed every sentiment he uttered. The Secretary feels as strongly upon this subject as this committee does.

The chairman laid before the committee a communication from the War Department, in response to a call of this committee, enclosing the original orders from General Stone to Colonel Baker, as taken from the dead body of Colonel Baker upon the field of the battle of Ball's Bluff. Adjourned to 11 a. m. to-morrow.

SOURCE: United States Congress, Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War (1863), p. 85-4

LEESBURG, Va., March 11 [1862]

Col. Geary made a personal reconnoisance yesterday as far as Carter’s Mill.  The enemy have completely fallen back.  Their path was blackened with the ruins of hay and grain stacks.

Col. Geary and officers went to Ball’s Bluff and buried whatever bodies they found there.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Thursday Morning, March 13, 1862, p. 2