November 30, 1862.
I have nothing very new or interesting to write to-day,
except about an expedition we made into Virginia last week, which you may like
to hear about.
Last Monday night, about nine o'clock, Captain Cogswell took
seventy-five men of the regiment and marched quietly up the river about two
miles. Captain Robeson and Lieutenant Grafton went with him; hardly any one
else knew anything about the expedition. Captain C. had a guide who was thoroughly
familiar with the country on the other side of the river. They crossed in three
boats, having to make several trips, and proceeded at once to Shepherdstown and
posted guards at the principal entrances to the town. Then with the main body,
they surrounded two houses pointed out to them by the guide as the headquarters
of the rebel scouts. At the door of one of these houses were five cavalry
horses ready saddled and bridled; these were immediately taken; a party under
Lieutenant Grafton then burst in the door and rushed into the lower rooms; four
men were immediately secured; the fifth seized his arms and rushed out a side
door. Captain Cogswell, on the outside, saw him and called out for him to
surrender; this order was repeated several times, but no attention was paid to
it. Captain C. then called to the men to fire on him; two shots were fired; the
second hit him and he fell; almost before any one reached him, he was dead. He
proved to be Captain Burke, a captain of scouts. He belonged to Stuart's
command, and was on that General's staff; he was quite a famous character in
this neighborhood, almost as much thought of by the people here as Ashby was by
the inhabitants of Warrenton and the Shenandoah Valley.
After taking one more prisoner and a few arms, the party
returned safely to this side of the river, arriving in camp between three and
four o'clock, A. M. Tuesday noon, an order came for a similar party to go again
to Shepherdstown for the purpose of paroling some rebel officers and men
supposed to be secreted in the houses there, and to make a further search for
papers and arms. This time, I had the good fortune to be detailed for the
service, and had command of the infantry, the whole party consisting of
seventy-five infantry and about twenty cavalry, Captain Cogswell commanding the
whole expedition. We forded the Potomac just below our camp. The water was
terribly cold, and between two and three feet deep; the bottom was rough and
the stream fast. The river here is about three hundred yards wide; you may be
sure there was very little fun fording it. We kept quietly along the Virginia
side of the river for a mile, then made a quick turn up the bank and came
suddenly on Shepherdstown; the cavalry dashed into the town first and gave
chase to a few scouts that were there; but the latter escaped.
When we came up, the people, men, women and children, were
all on the streets; they seemed to be in a state of great alarm. We made a
rapid search through the principal houses and public buildings, finding quite a
number of papers and taking and paroling three commissioned officers and twenty
privates. Among the arms that were taken was one very good English
double-barrelled gun, which I have kept and shall try to have some sport with,
as quail are very numerous in this vicinity and I have made friends with the
owner of a very nice setter.
We recrossed the river safely and the men were allowed a
good strong whiskey ration to make up for their wetting. They enjoy these
expeditions as much as anybody.
The people over there are in a great rage at the death of
Burke and swear to be revenged on our regiment. The man who killed him belongs
to my company; he is a new recruit, but a very smart one.
Thanksgiving passed off with us very pleasantly. My wine
came all right and was very nice. We had a union dinner of all the officers of
the regiment. The dinner was very good indeed, plenty of nice poultry, plum
pudding, champagne, etc. We couldn't help remembering last year's dinner and
the great change in officers since then, but there was very little sadness
manifested and we had a very pleasant time. Charley Horton came up from
Harper's Ferry and all General Gordon's staff were also with us. My company had
a fine dinner I bought for them out of company fund; ten turkeys, six geese and
twenty-four chickens and a barrel of cider; they had, besides, as much plum
pudding as they could eat.
The chances for furlough have sunk to the lowest point; I
don't think now there is hardly a chance for one. Captain Bangs is going to try
the experiment of sending an application on to Burnside, but I don't believe it
will be noticed. I am, of course, allowed the first chance, but I prefer to
wait for about two weeks. General Gordon, you know, has been sent home quite
sick; this hurts my chance considerably.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 108-11
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