Headquarters Army Of Potomac
March 2, 1865
It was raw
yesterday, or chilly rather, without being cold, and to-day we are favored by a
persistent northeast rain, such as we had a month later than this at Culpeper.
The season, I should fancy, is earlier here than at Culpeper — very likely by
two weeks or more. Indeed last night the toads were whistling in the bog-holes,
as they do with us in the last of April; and Rosie had, on his mantel, a bud of
narcissus, or some such flower, he had found in a swamp. You would not give us
much credit for a chance to move, could you see the country; the ground
everywhere saturated and rotten, and giving precarious tenure even to single
horses, or waggons. I did not believe very earnestly that we should soon move,
when I left, but only wanted to be within all chances. I do really doubt
whether anything will be done before the 1st of April. I think the state of the
country will hardly permit it to either party. When Sherman gets, say, in the
latitude of Weldon, if he does so without check, he must, I think, strike the
perfection of the mud zone; and must stick for a while; besides which he must
establish a regular base, and, if he contemplates hard or protracted fighting,
he must have a protected line for supplies. All these things take time, and
take season also. Of course, it is not Lee's policy to let go his hold
hereabout, till the very last moment. He has gone south in person, to gather up
all possible forces and put them in the best order for resistance he can. The
impression here seems to be, that the combined forces against Sherman are not
very strong in the sum total, and are, of course, not so good in quality as
Lee's own men. Then again, his very army, it is within bounds to say, never was
so low in morale as now. During the twenty-eight days of February nearly 900
men deserted to the lines of this army alone, and a proportional number to
those of the Army of the James. The remarkable point, also, is that these are old
men — nearly all of them — and not the raw conscripts. In one day there
came over 134 men, including also their non-commissioned officers, bringing
their arms with them. Among the deserters have been four commissioned officers.
During the time I have been with the army, I recall only two or three
instances, besides these. Of course many more desert to the rear than to
the enemy; so that I doubt not that Lee's losses from this cause during
February were something between a large brigade and a small division. General
Meade, after reviewing Lee's position and prospects, said: “I do not see what
he is to do!” — which is a very strong speech for the cautious General. Well,
as I have always said, he has the remaining chance, should everything work precisely
to favor him, of falling with fury and with all available troops, on a part of
Sherman's army, or even on the whole of it, and dealing a stunning blow,
whereby his evil day would be postponed; but how it could be averted seems to
me inconceivable, save by a sort of miracle. If I am not mistaken, the forces
now opposed to the Rebels in the east are at least as two to one. And again
they have almost everything against them excepting the important advantage of
interior lines.
Meantime all is
very quiet with us. Last night I certainly heard not over half-a-dozen
musket-shots, whereas in the autumn we had a real skirmish fire all the night
through, not to speak of intermittent shelling. As I told you, Duane was on
hand to welcome me. He looks very well and is better as to his eyes. Then Rosie
— had he not, in my honor, caused constructed a new and very high hedge, or
shelter, of pine branches, topped off with a tuft of cedar, and a triumphal
arch of the same over the doorway! Within the tent were further improvements;
andirons to wit (weak as to their legs, and frequently tumbling over on their
sides at critical moments). Then a large Swedish flag, with the Union over my
bed — a gift from some Scandinavian marines who visited the Headquarters, and
upon whom Rosie quite ran himself aground in the matter of oysters, at the
saloon over the way. Then, too, the middle tent-pole has been removed and the
interior of the tent supported by a framework, a part of which takes the form
of a shelf, running round the sides and very handy for any small articles. I
must also give credit to that idiotic Frenchman, who waited at table, for
having ingeniously burned down our mess tent, during my absence, whereby we now
have a much improved hospital tent, very pleasant, and we have got rid of the
idiot and have a quite intelligent nig, who actually keeps the spoons clean.
SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s
Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness
to Appomattox, p. 304-7
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