Captain William Francis Bartlett to Harriett Plummer Bartlett, September 25, 1861

Headquarters Twentieth Regiment Mass. Volunteers,

Camp Benton, Edwards' Ferry, Md.

September 24, 1861.

Dear Mother :—

September 25, 9 A. M. I had just sat down to write a long letter last eve. (my first opportunity for a week), when an orderly from General Lander brought me written orders to take command of a detachment for service down at the river. So I had to stop just where I was. I was disappointed, because I had made up my mind to seize this my first spare eve., and do nothing else but write.

I received five letters to-day from home, dated the 21st, 20th, 18th, 17th, and 16th, respectively. They have been lying in Washington. Also a Boston paper, 17th. There are so many questions in each one, that it would be useless to try and answer them separately, so I will continue my story from where I left off.

I was in command of a battalion of three companies and a section of the Third R. I. Battery, in an advance position on the banks of the Potomac. I also had with me a detachment of thirty sharpshooters under Captain Saunders. I was recalled with my command Saturday night, and marched home in a drenching rain six miles.

The last night I was there I suspected an attack. I doubled the guards, set an extra picket of sharpshooters on the shore of the river, and made every man in the command sleep on his gun with all his equipments on. I was up all night, round the camp and down at the river. We could see the lights of the pickets just across the river. About midnight, one of the boats on this side got loose and floated off. I had to strip and swim after it. It was a cold bath at that time of night. I did not take any cold. I am beyond that now. We saw nothing of the enemy. I lay down under a tree about 4 A. M. and slept an hour or two.

They are erecting a battery on the other side of the river here, a fortified camp. Sunday I had a little time to sleep, having been without it for so long.

Sunday night I was going to have a good sleep, when at half-past six orders came to march for the river, information having been received that the rebels had crossed in force a little way up. I was put in command of a battalion of three companies, and ordered to march to the ferry, and thence up the tow path of the canal about four miles. I marched them at single file, open order. I marched ahead with a few sharpshooters. We bivouacked on the path, where we halted. It was very wet before morning. We returned to camp by daylight, without having a skirmish. That night, Monday, I got some sleep. As I said before, I expected to write all last night, Tuesday. But at seven, orders came to fall in. I received command of half the regiment, all that was sent, five companies. I took Lieutenant Abbott as aide-de-camp. We marched quick time to the ferry. Then I sent Captain Tremlett up the tow path four miles with two companies, and retained three with me. I formed my detachment into a hollow square, stacked the guns, posted a guard, and let the men lie down where they were. I slept on the floor of a deserted double-roomed house which I made headquarters. I went to sleep, having a sentinel posted near me to wake me on the least alarm. I slept by intervals till four A. M., when I got the captains to get their companies under arms. I left before sunrise, and got back to camp at reveille. Reported at headquarters, and then lay down for a nap. I then thought that I ought to write, and have put off sleeping until night, when ten to one I may be sent off again on some midnight expedition. Yesterday I acted colonel, and received the dress parade. This is the first time I have ever had it. It would have looked queer at Readville to see me taking dress parade and have all the officers march up and salute me; but it comes more natural after having these captains under my command so many times. We shall have a mail carrier soon, so that we may get our letters more punctually. I am afraid my trunk is going to weigh too much according to the new orders. If it does, I shall have to send it home and get another one, a kind of camp trunk, price $8.00; then you can send me anything you wish, if it doesn't take up room, or is anything to eat. We live on hard bread and salt meat, and coffee or tea. But I don't care for anything else. I suppose I could buy pies and such things if I wanted. I drill the men now almost altogether as skirmishers.

SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William Francis Bartlett, p. 13-5