Josiah G. Abbott to Brigadier-General Benjamin F. Butler, April 30, 1861

42 Court St., BosTON, 30th of April, 1861

Gen. B. F. BUTLER

MY DEAR GEN: God bless you for what you have done; let what has been done only be kept up. I want to say to you everybody here are overflowing in their praises of you & your troops. We think old Massachusetts is yet the head of the column, and your name had the enviable fortune of leading that column. You should understand the feeling here — you can get it if you have time from the papers. The blood is up as it never was before, and you tell those people who rule at Washington that the people are up to the occasion. We only hope they will be. We are here trying to organize a scheme by which our troops now forming may be sent into camp for sixty days & made soldiers of. I wish you would help it along if you can find time in the intervals of building railroads & repairing engines. The country is bristling all over with military companies, but they ought to have the discipline of the camp. Lowell has four more companies organized, full. That son of mine, who I was in hopes would be with you, has recruited one. I have another boy in Fort Independence with the N. E. Guards, & another in the company of the eldest. The people at Lowell are taking every means to take care of the families of those with you, and also provide for the wants of your soldiers while away. I want you to understand we will take care of your interests while you are absent. Your family are well. Mrs. Abbott & Mrs. Butler meet quite frequently in the committee rooms for supplies, so that I hear from the latter lady almost every day.

If you can find a place for that boy of mine about your staff I would like it. He is spoiling to be where there is action, & I’ll go bail you wouldn’t be ashamed of him where hard work & dare-devil qualities were required. Excuse my writing this. I thought even as you are you might like to hear a little gossip from home.

Most truly & sincerely,

J. G. ABBOTT

SOURCE: Jessie Ames Marshall, Editor, Private and Official Correspondence of Gen. Benjamin F. Butler During the Period of the Civil War, Volume 1: April 1860 – June 1862, p. 58-9

Major Henry L. Abbott to Colonel William F. Bartlett, February 3, 1864

Near Stevensburg, Va., February 3, 1864.

My Dear Frank: — I have just heard through letters from home and by Slocum Milton of your new misfortune, though nobody can tell me how serious the paralysis is, and of your pluck and cheerfulness in standing it. Why, dear old fellow, you don't know how much we all sympathize with you, and how much we admire your resolution in bearing your sufferings. I trust the evil is not so serious as reports make it, but I know at the best it must be bad enough. It is your duty now to think only of your own case and how to alleviate it, and not fret about military matters. You have done and suffered enough, not for one man but for a hundred, and you ought to think of nothing but your own health. You know, of course, Frank, and it must be some compensation for your trials, you have won a name for capacity and gallantry and heroism, as great as any man of your age in the whole army. God knows you have deserved it, and I don't believe he will allow it to be your only reward outside of yourself. You will weather it all, so that you can enjoy as much physical comfort as of old, in the possession of your laurels. For Heaven's sake, don't be rash again in the smallest particular. I was afraid when I saw you at home this last time, you were over-tasking your strength, and you are well enough aware that it is your tendency to think too little of that body of yours, which, with all its losses, is thought very well of by your friends, if you disregard it yourself.

Of course I don't expect you to answer this; I have only written because I couldn't help expressing my sympathy in your unparalleled sufferings and fortitude. With my kind regards to your family, I am,

Your affectionate friend,

H. L. Abbott.

Nat and all the rest of the old fellows send their warmest love.

SOURCE: Francis Winthrop Palfrey, Memoir of William Francis Bartlett, p. 93-4

Major Henry L. Abbott to Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cushing Paine, July 28, 1863 (Extract)

Near Warrenton Junction, Va., July 28, '63.

There is one thing I can bear testimony to, and that is, your son's wonderful talent in making himself one of the most accomplished officers 1 know in the army, in two months' time. Col. Hall, our brig, commander, tells me that it was not wonderful to him after knowing his brother at West Point. His memory and application were so great that in a month's time he knew the whole book of Tactics and Regulations, and commanded a division on battalion and brigade drill as well as any old officer, besides doing all his guard and police duty, with an exactness, a vigor, an enthusiasm that the comdg. of. in vain tried to stimulate in some of the older officers, sparing neither himself nor his men. When Lt. Paine was Officer of the Guard, his influence was felt by the remotest sentinel on the outskirts of the town. His intelligence and discipline and indomitable resolution, were so fully recognized by Col. Macy that he often spoke of promoting him over nearly all the other 2d Lts., in fact over all with the exception of Summerhayes.

Besides Lt. Summerhayes who saw him as I have described, he was seen by Lt. Perkins during the action; his face, according to both, actually glowing with pleasure, as it used to in Falmouth when he had the best of an argument. I saw him immediately the battle was over, and had the body taken to a small barn in the rear. He was lying flat on his back, close to the clump of trees within fifteen feet of the rail fence where the rebels were forced to halt. His face though very white, was absolutely calm and natural. He was shot through one of his arms and the breast on the same side, which, nobody can remember, whether by a case bullet or by a musket bullet, I can't say, but certainly not by a fragment. One foot was bent clear out from the leg at the ankle, and the ankle was apparently broken by a fragment of a shell.

SOURCE: Sarah Cushing Paine, Compiler and Charles Henry Pope, Editor, Paine Ancestry: The Family of Robert Treat Paine, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, p. 325-6

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

Major Henry L. Abbott to Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cushing Paine, July 13, 1863 (Extract)

Near, Williamsport, Md., July 13, '63.

As an officer, he was generally considered fitter to command a company than one half of the old officers. The loss of your son and Ropes, considered merely as officers, is irreparable.

You have the full consolation of knowing that Sumner has kept up the glory of the name he bears, since no man could be more brave, capable and faithful in camp, or more devotedly courageous in the field.

SOURCE: Sarah Cushing Paine, Compiler and Charles Henry Pope, Editor, Paine Ancestry: The Family of Robert Treat Paine, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, p. 325