Camp E. Of Capitol, Washington, D. C.
May 16, '63.
Started precisely
at 12 M. Tuesday (427 men and officers, 437 horses), reached boat at 5 P. M. (start
earlier and feed on pier): boat too small for so many horses, delay in loading,
finally started from wharf at ½ A. M. Wednesday — reached Jersey City at 9 A.
M. — terrible confusion watering and loading horses, did not leave by train
till 5 P. M.: lost ten men here: had to handle all our own baggage here, as
also the night before at Stonington. Reached Camden (opposite Philadelphia) at
1 A. M., Thursday; waited two hours while R. R. men handled baggage and
transshipped horses, crossed to Philadelphia by ferry, got an excellent
breakfast at the Volunteer Relief Rooms;1 left by train at 6 A. M., arrangements
excellent. Reached Baltimore at 3 P. M., horses and baggage dragged through
city without transshipment; gave men coffee and dinner at Union Relief Rooms
(164 Eutaw St., close to Depot). Left Baltimore at 5 P. M. and, after much
delay, arrived in Washington at 2 A. M. Friday — breakfast ready for men at
barracks near Depot; immediately-after, commenced unloading horses and traps,
and at 9 A. M. had horses fed and watered and on picket lines (saddles, &c,
by them and company and Quartermaster property in wagons); at 12 M. started for
camp, which I selected, and before 6 P. M. officers and men were all in tents,
and horses all at permanent lines, — total loss 11 deserters and 1 dead
horse,—gain 6 horses! On the whole I recommend this route highly.
I had a very strong
guard detailed (70 men and officers) and kept it on duty for the trip — every
door (to cars and yards) was guarded before the command entered.
_______________
* Captain
Henry S. Russell, of the Second Massachusetts Infantry, had been detailed to
help in preparing for the field the Second Cavalry, of which he was to be
second in command. He had been left behind to secure and forward recruits to
the regiment. I copy the following from Mr. John M. Forbes's Reminiscences: “Harry
had distinguished himself in the Second Infantry, under Gordon, as a good
soldier, reaching the rank of captain, and then had suffered himself to be
captured at the battle of Cedar Mountain, under Banks, where he stood by his mortally
wounded friend James Savage, and passed some months in prison. . . . He left the Second Massachusetts
Cavalry, where he was lieutenant-colonel, to recruit the Fifth (coloured)
Cavalry, as colonel. This regiment got its first impetus from a telegram which
I received one day, when on a visit to Washington, from Governor Andrew,
directing me to see Secretary Stanton, and apply for leave to recruit a
regiment of coloured cavalry. It was a time when recruiting was beginning to
flag, and, taking the message in my pocket, I soon got access to the Secretary,
with whom I was always on good terms, and within five minutes of showing the
message leave was given to go ahead; and Harry gave up his easier place of
lieutenant-colonel in a splendid white regiment to build up the Fifth
Massachusetts Cavalry (coloured), which, however, was destined to do most of
its work unmounted.” Colonel Russell was wounded, but survived the war. A man
of courage and decision, and with a natural dignity and military habit in
dealing with men, he was singularly kind and modest. He served the city of
Boston to much purpose and with honourable fidelity, first as Commissioner of
Police, and later of the Fire Department, for many years.
1
The bounteous hospitality extended to all regiments and soldiers passing
through this city, by the Philadelphia Volunteer Relief Association during the
war, is held in grateful remembrance.
SOURCE: Edward Waldo Emerson, Life and Letters of
Charles Russell Lowell, p. 239-40, 416-7
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