Our camp here was
made without consulting the Surgeons. It was laid out without order, and the
tents are so close together that teams cannot pass through to remove its rubbish,
its offal, and its filth. My Colonel, too, has interfered much with my sanitary
orders, particularly those in reference to ventilation. The result is the
largest sick list we have had, I have succeeded, however, in getting consent to
move the camp to other ground, high and dry, where I am now engaged in ditching
the streets, and staking out the ground preparatory to a move, where I hope we
shall be able to reduce the list of sick. I believe I omitted in the proper
place the record of the first death in our regiment. It occurred on the 3d of
this month. The poor fellow died of Nostalgia (home-sickness), raving to the
last breath about wife and children. It seems strange that such an affection of
the mind should kill strong, healthy men; but deaths from this cause are very
frequent in the army; the sufferer, towards the last showing evidences of
broken down nervous system, accompanied by most of the symptoms of typhoid
fever.
A little incident
to-day. A reconnoitering party went out this morning towards Vienna and Flint
Hill. At noon, a courier came in with a report that they were fighting. I was
ordered to take an ambulance and join my regiment "in the direction of
Vienna" immediately. On starting, I met with Surgeon Thompson, of the 43d
N. York Vols., told him I was going in search of an adventure, and invited him
to go with me. He accepted. We reached our outer lines "in the direction
of Vienna," but had not found my regiment. To Surgeon T.'s question,
"What now!" I replied that my orders were to "go till I found my
regiment." "But are you going to cross the lines into the enemy's
country?" My orders are unconditional; will you go with me further?"
"Certainly," said the Doctor. Shortly after leaving head-quarters, we
met the 1st Regt. Regular Cavalry, who told us they had left one man badly
wounded between Flint Hill and Vienna. This man we determined to rescue, if
possible. We found him in a house in Vienna. I had now obeyed my order, though
I had not found my regiment, and I determined to take this man back with me, though
the enemy were all around us. One ball had passed between his ear and skull, a
second had passed through the leg, a third had entered the back, just below the
shoulder blade, but had made no exit. He was suffering severely from pain and
difficult respiration. He could not ride in an ambulance, so Doctor T.
volunteered to return to our lines for litter-bearers and an escort, whilst I
should remain with our newly made friend. I confess that as I caught the last
glimpse of the Doctor's fine black horse dashing over the hill, there was at
the ends of my fingers and toes a sensation very much akin to the "oozing
out of courage." I was alone in the enemy's country. But there was no
other way now, so I dressed the wounds, and waited his return, with what
patience I could. He soon returned. We started the man in the direction of our
lines, under an escort of eight men.
We mounted our
horses, and paying but little attention, got some mile ahead of our escort,
when suddenly, eight horsemen, well mounted and armed, came bearing down on us,
evidently intending to surround us. They were about a quarter of a mile off
when first discovered. "We are in for a trip to Richmond," said
Doctor T. "Is it not safer," replied I, "to fight than to be taken
prisoners by these fellows?" "I'm in," said the Doctor. We drew
our revolvers and waited, one of us, I am certain, in considerable trepidation.
By this time they were in hailing distance. We called them to halt, when, to
our mutual disgust, we found that we were friends—they were cheated of the
capture of two very fine looking rebel officers," and we of a short road
to "that borne whence no traveller returns.” A little after dark we
reached camp with our man. In civil life, it will hardly be credited that the
commanding officer of this regiment, when he found his man so badly wounded,
ordered him to be taken from his horse and left, whilst the horse was to be
taken away; yet the man states that such is the fact, and that he saved himself
from such a fate by drawing his revolver and threatening to shoot the first man
who should approach him for that purpose. After the regiment left him, he
managed to sit on his horse till he reached Vienna, about three miles from
where he was shot.
Since last date, we
have had an opportunity of learning something of the military qualities of our
brigade officers. We have not been before on ground where we could have our
brigade drills; but here we have them.
General Smith, who
commands the Division, is a stout, short man, rather under size, from Vermont,
I think. He is taciturn, but exceedingly courteous and gentlemanly, and firm
and decided. Of his mental calibre, we have not yet had an opportunity to
judge. It is a strange paradox of human nature, that whilst we acknowledge that
a vast majority of our mentally big men are quiet and reserved, yet when we
meet a stranger, if he says little, we fall at once into the opinion that he
knows little. How this is with General Smith, I do not know. I am much disposed
to construe his quiet and courteous manner favorably; but I confess that
whispers from the grove have rather prejudiced me against him.
Brigadier General
Winfield Scott Hancock is the very antipode of General Smith. He is fully as
long as his name, with title perfixed, and as for quiet and courtesy—Oh, fie! I
saw him come on to the field one morning this week, to brigade drill. He was
perfectly sober. He is one of those paradoxes who believe that one man, at
least, is to be known by his much talking. He became excited, or wished to
appear so, at some little mistake in the maneuvering of his Brigade, and the
volleys of oaths that rolled and thundered down the line, startled the men with
suspicion that they were under command of some Quarter Master lately made
General, who mistook the men for mules, and their officers for drivers. He must
be a facetious chap, that General, to wish to excite such suspicions. I think
he hails from Pennsylvania, but nobody seems to know much about him, except
from his statement that he has been seventeen years in the service, and knows
all about it." Wherever he has been, he has certainly acquired a perfect
intimacy with the whole gamut of profanity.
SOURCE: Alfred L.
Castleman, The Army of the Potomac. Behind the Scenes. A Diary of
Unwritten History; From the Organization of the Army, by General George B.
McClellan, to the close of the Campaign in Virginia about the First Day
January, 1863, p. 44-7