Headquarters First Brigade, First Division,
Ninth Army Corps.
Before Petersburg, Va., July 23, 1864. Evening.
My Dear Mother,
— This is the first day since I left Washington that I have been able to write
at all. Perhaps you will have thought that you ought to hear from me before
this reaches you; but I have taken the first opportunity and have not forgotten
your injunctions. I left Washington Tuesday P. M., reached here Wednesday P. M.
Came from Fortress Monroe on despatch boat with General Ingalls, Chief
Quartermaster of Army, with whom I dined at City Point, where his headquarters
are. By chance found the Chaplain at the Point, and sent for my horses. Ned and
Billy were both looking finely. After dinner started for the front. Got as far
as my Quartermaster's camp, and as it began to rain, I stayed there all night
with him. I slept very well my first night on the ground. In the morning a
black snake over six feet long was killed within a few feet of my bed. After
breakfast, rode on up to Division Hospital, where I found Dr. White, and several
old letters, among them the Nut's of June 6, which I found time to read to-day.
Afterwards went to Burnside's Headquarters to report for duty. He was not in. I
dined with some of the staff; saw the General later. He was glad to see me. I
am assigned, as I supposed, to the command of the First Brigade, First
Division. General Ledlie commands the Division. There are now six Massachusetts
regiments and one Pennsylvania in the brigade, not numbering more than 1,300
men altogether, present for duty. If the regiments were filled up it would be
one of the largest and best brigades in the Army, being all Massachusetts
troops. I am trying to get C. B. Amory, of Jamaica Plains, formerly of the
Twenty-fourth Regiment, who has been appointed Assistant Adjutant-general,
transferred to this brigade. I shall use for the present the staff that is here
. . . . the surgeon, a Dr. Ingalls, of Boston, Fifty-ninth Regiment, who is
very much of a gentleman. I slept last night and the night before at Division
Headquarters with Adjutant-general Mills, Fifty-sixth. He was hoping that I
would take the Division, but it seems Ledlie has withdrawn his resignation. The
brigade is in two lines of breastworks, one hundred yards apart, in the front
of the enemy's works and within two hundred yards in some places. Brigade
Headquarters are two hundred and fifty yards in rear of the second line.
Division Headquarters two hundred yards in rear of brigade; so you see all are
in easy musket range of the enemy. We are in pine woods, the trees not very
thick. The Headquarters have to be protected by a stockade of logs against
bullets, which are constantly coming through here. Four officers of the Fifty-seventh
have been hit since I got here, one killed, three very badly wounded, in the
second line. Our stockade does not protect us against shells, which fall in
front and rear of us, but have not hit the Headquarters yet. Some fall way in
the rear of Division Headquarters, and some near Corps Headquarters, which are
about one fourth of a mile in rear of Division. We have a stockade to protect
the horses, too, but one of the orderlies' horses and one of General Ledlie's
were killed the other day. A bullet goes whizzing over my tent every few
minutes as I write, and goes thud into one of the trees near, with a sound that
makes you think what a headache that would have given you if your head had been
where the tree was. The bullets patter like rain at times against the outside
of this stockade of logs, the inside of which my elbow touches as I write. It
is a continual rattle of musketry, sometimes swelling into a roar along the
line, and varied with the artillery and mortars. So you see we are liable at any
moment to be struck, even while reading a paper or eating dinner. A bullet went
through Dr. Anderson's table as he was eating breakfast this morning. You must
be prepared to hear the worst of me at any time. God grant it may not come, for
your sake, and for the sake of all I love and who love me at home. But you must
be prepared for it. It is wearing to body and mind, this being
constantly under fire. People at the North who are enjoying themselves and
thinking of nothing but making money, little appreciate what this brave army is
enduring every day and hour for them, and how much more cheerful and hopeful
they are than people at home. I wish some of the patriotic (?) ones at home who
are making speeches (and money), would just come out here and spend a week,
even back here at my Headquarters. They would not care to go down to the lines
where the men are day and night fighting for their security and safety. I came
over here this morning and assumed command. Tomorrow I must go down and examine
the lines, which is of course dangerous; but trust I shall get back safely. I
shan't go there any oftener than is necessary, but it is my duty to visit them
occasionally. To give you an idea of the firing that is going on constantly, I
will count the shots in the next minute. It is more quiet than usual to-night. Eighty-one,
and one heavy mortar shell, which burst in the air between here and second
line, but sounded as if it were in the next tent. “There!” at that moment a
bullet went whizzing through between mine and the one next, just above the
stockade (which is a little higher than your head when sitting), and struck
down somewhere between here and Division Headquarters, near where the horses
are. So you see this letter is written literally under fire. I am feeling very
well, my leg is better in the saddle than it was before. I have got my valise,
etc., and shall be quite comfortable in a day or two (under the circumstances),
if I am spared so long. I intend to have this stockade built higher to-morrow,
so as to afford more protection from bullets. If the rebs knew just where our
Headquarters are, they would shell us out from here in three minutes; but
fortunately they don't, and can only guess. They guess inconveniently near at
times. As I may not have time to write, you can let Frank Palfrey and Ben see
this letter, if you see them, and if the Nut chooses to copy it she can, and
send it to Aunt.
There goes another bullet. Frank Palfrey will readily
understand and appreciate our position here. I hope I shall hear from you soon.
The mail comes regularly every night. I will write as often as I can. Have
other letters to write to-night, so will finish this. There is one pleasant
thing to relieve the wear of this, — I have a good band here at Headquarters,
and it plays at intervals through the day and evening, protected by a stockade.
The rebs have the benefit of it as much as I do, but I can't help it. They
favor us with a band sometimes. Tell the Nut and Miss Barnett that they just
played “When Johnny comes Marching Home,” and “Faust.” “Thud;” there go two
ugly bullets into a tree near by, one of them, George thinks, went through the
upper part of the tent. How should you like to lie down and go to sleep with
this going on all night? I expect to sleep soundly. I have for two nights. With
much love to all,
Ever your
affectionate son,
W. F. B.
Zip prrrrrr goes the last bullet you will hear, for I close
this now. That one went over to Division Headquarters. Here's another before I
could get my pen off the paper. Good-night.
SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William
Francis Bartlett, p. 110-5
