Major Wilder Dwight: March 31, 1862

Camp Near Strasboro, Virginia, March 31, 1862.

I was glad to hear, from your letter of the 23d, that you have been doing something, and leading others to do, for the wounded and suffering from Pea Ridge. You will never appreciate, except feebly and by conjecture, the relief and soothing of which you may be the happy cause. If, on Monday evening last, you had gone with me into the courthouse at Winchester, and seen the wounded and dying lying upon the bare floor, “heads and points,” as the surgeon expressed it, the victims at once of hunger and cold and wounds, you would know what could be done with the heart to do and the things to do with.

Of those people who make a luxury of good works, and are, so to speak, epicures in benevolence, I know not how they could get so much for their money as by coming upon one of these recent battle-fields.

I rejoice in Howard's safety more than I can bring myself to do in my own. While you are thinking of the bodily security of your sons, there is one of them who is jaded and depressed by the inglorious military drudgery to which “the best regiment in the service” is hopelessly condemned.

I have just returned from twenty-four hours’ picket duty in a cold rain-storm. The enemy's line of pickets is about a mile from our own. Ashby brought up his cannon, and threw a few shells at our outposts. They whistled through the air and fell near us, but were only bravado and insolence. When we go on he will run faster than we can follow. Meantime, the large movements and the decisive actions of the Potomac campaign are probably taking place, and we are stupidly trailing after an evanescent and puny, but resolute, foe. Bah! One of our companies is in Centreville, I suppose; one at Snicker's Ferry; the rest here, drying themselves in the sun after twenty-four hours' hard, wet, useless work, unrecognized and unknown. Whenever the division wants a commissary, or an acting assistant-adjutant, or what not, he is detailed from us. We have not a single full brigadier in the whole corps d’armée. Five brigades all commanded by colonels, — unorganized and undisciplined, except a few regiments.

Do you wonder that I get down in the mouth? It will soon be a year that we have been in service, with nothing to show for it but the effects of the hardest possible work.

You see I am in no mood for letter-writing. I write because there is a mail going. I shall not write again till I feel better. You need not feel concerned at not hearing from me. I almost feel as if I would not take up a pen again till I could speak of something else than the inglorious details of our present life. Love to all at home.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Amelia Dwight, Editor, Life and Letters of Wilder Dwight: Lieut.-Col. Second Mass. Inf. Vols., p. 223-4

Lieutenant-Colonel Theodore Lyman to Elizabeth Russell Lyman, May 25, 1864

May 25, 1864

Burnside's Corps, hitherto a sort of fifth wheel, was today incorporated in the A. of P., and so put under Meade.  . . . The enemy, with consummate skill, had run their line like a V,¹ with the point on the river, so that our army would be cut in two, if we attacked, and either wing subject to defeat; while the enemy, all the time, covered Hanover Junction. At 7.30, I was sent to General Warren, to stay during the day, as long as anything of interest was going on, and send orderlies back to report. I found the General among the pines, about halfway up his line. In front a heavy skirmish was going on, we trying to push on our skirmish line and they resisting obstinately. Presently we rode down to where Griffin was, near the spot where the common road crosses the Gordonsville rail. Griffin always goes sitting in unpleasant places. There was a sharpshooter or two who, though we were hid by the small trees, would occasionally send a bullet through, as much as to say: “I know you are there — I'll hit you presently.” Appleton was shot through the arm near here, while placing a battery in position. Then we rode to the extreme right, near to the picket reserve of the 22d Massachusetts. Warren, who is always very kind to me, told all the others to stay behind, but let me come. We rode under the crests, and along woods a little, and were not shot at; and went as far as a log barn, where we stopped carefully on the off side, and talked to the picket officer. When we left, we cantered gracefully and came off all right. Then to General Wright at E. Anderson's house; a nice safe place, and the family still there; likewise iced water, very pleasant this hot weather. After which, once more for a few minutes to Griffin, passing on the road one of his aides, on a stretcher, exceeding pale, for he had just been hit in the artery of the arm and lost a deal of blood before it could be stopped. Also there came a cheery soldier, shot through the leg, who said: “Never mind, I hit five or six of them first.” Finally we rode the whole length of Warren's and Crittenden's lines, seeing Weld on the way. . . .

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¹ "Lee, concentrating his troops, interposed them between the two wings of the Union Army, which were widely separated, and could reinforce neither the other without passing over the river twice.  ‘Grant,’ wrote Nicolay and Hay, ‘was completely checkmated.’” — Rhodes, IV, 444.

SOURCE: George R. Agassiz, Editor, Meade’s Headquarters, 1863-1865: Letters of Colonel Theodore Lyman from the Wilderness to Appomattox, p. 127-8

From Banks’ Column

STRASBURG, March 31. – About 2,000 rebel soldiers made their appearance two miles beyond our pickets to-day.  Our nearest regiment drew up in line of battle awaiting their attack upon us yesterday.  They threw several shell into the camp of the Massachusetts 22d regiment. – The rebels were subsequently driven away by the appearance of our advance.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4

From North Carolina

BALTIMORE, March 30. – The rebels burnt the bridge on the railroad between Newbern and Beaufort, North Carolina, but it was in progress of repair and the road would soon be in operation between the two places.  So far as our informants know, all of who came from Newbern, it had not been burned.  There was not much destruction of property at the latter place, and a large majority of the citizens remained quietly in their homes on the approach of the Federal forces.  Perfect order reigned at Newbern and a number of citizens had returned to the place.  Gen. Foster is military Governor of the city.  The rebels were believed to be in strong force towards Kingston, thirty five miles on the road to Goldsboro, and their scouts frequently appeared in the vicinity of Newbern.

The expedition to Washington was successful; it consisted of about one thousand men with an escort of gunboats.  Two companies of the Massachusetts 22nd regiment landed and took the place.  The stars and stripes were nailed to a tree before the court house and left there.  The citizens received the invaders without any apparent excitement or apprehension – some few expressing Union sentiments, whilst the mass had nothing to say either way.  After holding the place one day and gaining all the information they could, the expedition returned to Newbern.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 5, 1862, p. 4

STRASBURG, March 31 [1862].

About 2,000 rebel soldiers made their appearance two miles beyond are pickets to-day.  Our nearest regiments drew up in line of battle, awaiting their attack, but declining to go beyond our lines.  The rebels made no attack upon us yesterday, but there several shells into the camp of the Massachusetts 22d.  The rebels were subsequently driven away by the appearance of our advance.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Wednesday Morning, April 2, 1862, p. 1

From Burnside’s Expedition

BALTIMORE, March 30.

The rebels burnt the bridge on the railroad between Newberne and Beaufort, but it was in progress of repair, and the road would soon be in operation between the two places.  So far as our informants knew all of whom came by Newberne and had not been at Beaufort, there was no destruction of property at the later place, and a large majority of the citizens remained at their homes on the approach of the Federal forces.  Perfect order reigned at Newberne, and a number of the citizens had returned to the place.  Gen. Foster was military governor of the city.

The rebels were believed to be in strong force towards Kingston, 35 miles on the road to Goldsboro, and their scouts frequently appeared in the vicinity of Newberne.

The expedition to Washington was successful.  It consisted of about 1,000 men, with an escort of gunboats.

Two companies of the Massachusetts 22d landed and took the place.  The stars and stripes were nailed to a tree before the Court House and left there.  The citizens received the invaders without any apparent excitement or apprehension – some few expressing Union sentiments, whilst the mass had nothing to say either way.  After holding the place one day and gaining all the information they could the expedition returned to Newberne.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, April 1, 1862, p. 2