CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA.,
April 17, 1863.
I regret to see you are in bad spirits and take so much to
heart our apparent reverses. The affair at Charleston was pretty much as I
expected, except I did think the ironclads would be able to pass Sumter and get
at the town. I did not expect this would give us the place, or that they could
reduce the batteries. They never have yet reduced any batteries of consequence,
except those at Port Royal and Fort Donelson, but they have proved their
capacity to run by them and stand being shot at, which I think they did in an
eminent degree at Charleston. I see some of the papers are disposed to
criticise and find fault with duPont, but I have just read a vigorous defense
of him in the New York Tribune, so he is all right. You must not be so
low-spirited. War is a game of ups and downs, and we must have our reverses
mixed up with our successes. Look out for "Fighting Joe's" army, for
the grand reaction in our favor. A big rain storm we had on the 14th has kept
us quiet for awhile, but Joe says we are to do great things when we start.
The great lady in the camp is the Princess Slam Slam, who is
quite a pretty young woman. The Prince Slam Slam has a regiment in Sigel's
corps.
SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George
Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 366
