CAMP BELOW
FREDERICKSBURG, June 11, 1862.
Day before yesterday, General McCall received orders for his
division to join General McClellan, to go by water down the Rappahannock and up
the York River to the White House. Soon after the arrival of the transports at
a point on the river some six miles below Fredericksburg was announced to him,
and he immediately sent Reynolds and myself, with our commands, down here to
embark. Reynolds has gone with all his command, and nearly all of mine has
gone. I should myself have been off, but just as I was preparing to leave,
General McCall made his appearance with his staff, and took up all the room
that was left, and compelled me to remain here with my staff, separated from my
command, to await either additional transportation or the return of those that
had gone. I cannot tell now when I shall get away. All the vessels that were sent
at first are gone; if others are being sent, I shall be off on the first that
comes. But if it is not intended to send any more, and I have to await the
return of those gone, it will be several days, perhaps a week, before I can
rejoin my command. In the meantime, McClellan's pressure for troops may require
him to send my brigade to the front, under the command of the next in rank. It
is impossible for me to tell you how much I have been worried by this. Perhaps
a vessel may come up some time to-day, and matters turn out better than I
expect.
I think now it will not be long before our division will be
in the presence of the enemy; being fresh troops, we will of course be sent to
the front to relieve those who have been so long exposed. I understand very
large reinforcements have been ordered to McClellan at last, in response to his
urgent and repeated calls for them. It is rumored that the whole of McDowell's
corps, except Shields (who remains with Banks), has been ordered, and some of
the captains of the steamers recently here said that our twenty thousand men had
reached him before they left, showing the Administration have at last come to
their senses, brought thereto, doubtless, by a fear that a large part of
Beauregard's army is coming from Corinth to Richmond.
I suppose you have noted in the papers that Colonel Kane has
been made a prisoner, also Captain Taylor, of the same regiment, who is a very
clever gentleman. I expected Kane, who has been thirsting for fame, would get
himself in some such scrape, and therefore am not greatly surprised at its
occurrence.
P. S. — June 11, 5 P. M.
I am glad to say several fine transports have arrived, and I
expect to be off early to-morrow morning. As this has relieved me greatly, I
have opened my letter to announce it.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 272-3
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