October 20.
I never knew till today that "John Brown," the only son of Uncle York, was the first negro soldier who fell in this war. He was shot in a skirmish on St. Simon's Island, Aug. 8, 1862. A singular coincidence of names. No wonder our soldiers think him the hero of the John Brown hymn.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 394
October 21.
Yesterday some contrabands from the "main" reported that they overheard a rebel Colonel say that the Chaplain they had taken prisoner was "the sauciest damned Yankee they had ever seen." No one doubts that he referred to our Chaplain.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 394
October 25.
Below I copy verbatim a document that came from one of our best blacks, a man so earnest and brave that he can be depended upon in the hardest places. He is now on picket in a dangerous spot, but you will see that he . . . has dreams of socialistic depth that might interest a Fourier. "Officers notice in the 1st. S. C. regiment. I am hereby notified to all whom it may concern that I have been teazed by my sentiments about a society, and for such reasons I execute my sentiment. By that reason I so likely find that my option adhere my sentiment to an agricultural society for this reason, our African race must have a society. If the society are carried on by Fidelity because for so reason fidelities is the keeper of societies and society is the keeper of the Profits and Profits execute from Toils. I give my suggest here that all who toils on agriculture will have without any difficulty. And also I am fully testified that I have closed an agriculture society of which will be seen as follows. I have great option of this agricultural society.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
1 |
Gabriel Capers |
Place. |
22 |
257 |
$220. cts. |
|
2 |
Oliver Tripp |
|
27 |
221½ |
270.00 |
|
3 |
Lawrence Tripp |
|
22 |
221½ |
220.00 |
|
4 |
Sarah Perry |
|
20 |
330 |
200.00 |
July 29, 1863 it was formed. No 1 is the number. No. 2. is the man who did own the place. No 3 is the place. No 4 is the number of members. No. 5 is the number of acres. No 6 is the money already collected in the society. I am also hoping that this society will bring forward all those that are the means of ruin. All who in favor of this society will say by a ticket, Serg't. William Brown, Co A, 1st S. C. Vols"
CAMP SHAW, BEAUFORT, S. C., October 29, 1863.
It is a pretty severe official joke that General [Quincy A.] Gilmore is just now playing off on those who have obtained surgeon's certificates stating that change of climate is necessary "to prevent permanent disability" or to "save life." Since the 19th ins't all such have been sent to Convalescent Camp at Augustine, Fla. instead of North. The almost impossibility of getting out of the Department in any other way than on a surgeon's certificate has led to abuses that are best remedied by this change of programme. It seems hard that those who really need to go North should have to suffer for the exaggerated complaints of the unworthy. Capt. Rogers has been sick in hospital nearly a month and Surgeon Hayden has sent a certificate to Headquarters before my return. Yesterday I saw him off to St. Augustine. Fortunately he is convalescent and can meet the disappointment better than he could two weeks ago. I have now in our regimental hospital an old man who had been more than a year in the regiment and who has never asked for leave of absence and who has never before been away from his company. His name is Thursday Young, gray headed and fighting like a tiger.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 395
November 1.
I overheard a rough compliment for our guard this morning. A couple of white soldiers were taking a lot of Government horses along the road where our guards are instructed to examine passes. As they approached, one said to the other, "I shouldn't think they'd bother us when we have all these horses." "Humph!" said the other, "they'd stop a feller here if the horses all went to hell."
My practice of taking one at his word was justified at a late hour last night in the case of a delinquent who got into the guard-house. He was suddenly attacked with excruciating tooth-ache and insisted upon being brought to me for relief. Instead of the expected anodyne and exemption from the guard-house he was relieved of his tooth and sent back.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 396
November 3.
The guns at Charleston have kept up a great booming all through the day; more constant and frequent than since those memorable days of July. General Gilmore could destroy the city any day, but I hope he will not do it.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 396
BEAUFORT, S. C. November 24.
Today our companies E and K have proved themselves worthy, in a skirmish over the river, of all the praises that have been showered upon them. The facts which I am not strong enough to write out, will appear in the Northern journals. Fancy the rebel cavalry sending their pack of blood-hounds in advance and our men receiving them on their bayonets and then repulsing the cavalry with buck and ball. Two of our men drowned, several wounded.
A cheerful letter from our Chaplain, dated Columbia Jail, S.
C. October 23rd. He was treated the same as other officers, and we infer that
our colored soldiers were not subjected to any peculiar hardships. Of course he
was not permitted to criticize. We will give him a big reception if ever he
comes back to the regiment.1
1 "In spite of an agreement at Washington to the contrary, our chaplain was held as prisoner of war, the only spiritual adviser in uniform, so far as I know, who had that honor."
—Higginson, Army Life in a Black Regiment, 231.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 396
November 28.
My decision to resign my commission was a little depressing, and may have had some influence in bringing on the attack of vertigo, but once decided upon and another surgeon found to take my place it has given me no more trouble. When a surgeon has not enough physical vigor to meet the ordinary exigencies of a regiment in the field, it is clearly his duty to resign, regardless of personal attachments or his own choice. After five months of struggle for strength to endure work in this climate, I take this step. To have sustained the relation of surgeon to the 1st S. C. Vols. and to have found in these brave freedmen, the noble, soldierly qualities which history will celebrate, and, above all, to have found such an unlooked for wealth of intellect, music and religion, is not this experience running over with compensation? As I think of it I am ashamed of any regrets at leaving and filled only with gratitude that I have been permitted to help this race begin to assert its rights to freedom. .
Since our skirmish with the rebels the other day they have condescended to ask a flag of truce with the Major of our regiment who was in command at the picket. The regiment returned to camp today. This is peculiarly gratifying since it indicates that they are compelled to respect the bravery of negro soldiers. They evidently mourn over the loss of their dogs a good deal more than over the loss of an equal or greater number of officers and soldiers. Uncle York says he "sposes ebery dog's wuth mo'n ten mens to de revels."
Capt. Rogers prepared the skin and bones of one of the dogs and took it North to be set up. His good boy "Si" for whom he risked his life at the Ferry, last summer, was followed by some of this same pack of hounds while escaping from bondage. He has gone to New York with the Captain.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 396-7
December 2, 1863.
Today is the anniversary of the date of my commission of surgeon, and today I have tendered its resignation on surgeon's certificate of disability. If it gets perfectly red-taped by the first of the year I shall be glad.
April 16.
Up to three days ago, good old John Quincy was getting on nicely, but lockjaw came upon him and today he was buried. He never murmured at his fate, but his religious conversation made everybody about him cheerful. I very much regretted the impossibility of having him under my immediate care.
Our men keep remarkably well out here, this kind of life exactly suits them.
April 17.
Last night our Colonel forgot the importance of his present position and visited the wreck of the George Washington. He saw how the remaining gun was situated, and gratified his love of adventure without being fired upon. It is a shame that no gunboat had yet been sent to protect the men who might have taken off those guns. The rumor comes to us from town tonight that the troops are ordered back to Charleston and that reinforcements are to meet them there from the North. We shall be left here on picket a while longer, and for this last I am thankful. General Hunter has been consulted about the picket shooting, and writes to General Saxton to "give them back as good as they send."
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 389
April 19.
Yesterday the rebels at the Ferry made arrangements for Col. Higginson to meet General [W. S.] Walker this morning under a flag of truce. The request was that the Colonel in command here should send over a boat to bring the General across. But the Colonel concluded to go over to them at the hour appointed. I would have gone with him but for my lameness, a wrench to the knee from the Quartermaster's poor horse falling upon it. The Colonel was met by the General's staff with an official letter, but when informed what regiment he represented, they replied that their orders were to hold no official Communication with officers of such regiments. The Colonel learned that General Walker is the W. S. Walker of the regular army, who was under my care in Worcester in the autumn of 1852, and who subsequently in 1856, at the head of a company of dragoons, was sent by Gov. Geary to meet the Colonel on the plains of Kansas while he was at the head of an armed emigrant train. The meeting then was one of mutual surprise, and instead of arrests being made and the train stopped, they went together to the Governor, and the affair took a less stringent turn than had threatened. Yesterday the Colonel took especial pains to send him word that his old acquaintance, T. W. H. would have been happy to send his compliments, had he been treated with due respect, and that his old medical friend, Dr. R. was also here.
In the absence of the Chaplain today, Thomas Long of Co. G held the divine service. His prayers were so deep and simple and touching that we all found our sight somewhat dimmed by tears. In the course of his sermon he said; "If each one of us was praying men, it appears to me that we could fight as well with prayers as with bullets, for the Lord has said that if we have faith, even as a grain of mustard seed cut into four parts, you could say unto that sycamore tree, arise, and it will come up."
April 21.
I have today conversed with the extraordinary colored man, Peter Burns, who brought off one hundred and thirty-two persons with him from the main land, and who has, for a long time, been employed by General Hunter and. by General Saxton for a scout. He is a dark mulatto with face and form resembling John Brown. To hear his quaint expressions and Cromwellian talk is worth a journey from New England here. Too sleepy to repeat any of them to-night.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 390
April 25.
This style of warfare which leads one in charming ways while serving the soldiers is for the moment more attractive even than shot and shell. Yet I feel a longing for the battle-fields that lie between me and my home. Nothing less terrible can decide for freedom, and the sooner we are on the bloody field the sooner will come the day of jubilee. Heaven only knows how much more time and how much more human life is to be squandered by incompetent, egotistic officers in high places. When I think of the gradual melting away of the best army the world has ever seen, simply because slavery has poisoned the religious earnestness of those in power, I find it hard to shake off the conviction that retributive justice will yet grind this proud nation to dust. . . .
April 27.
Two or three months ago I wrote you of a fearful monomania among our line officers, called "Muster and Pay Rolls." The fighting in Florida cured them of the disease, but recently the old enemy has shown himself in another form. One can scarcely stir without seeing anxious faces and hearing the anxious inquiry in stifled notes; "Has he come? When will he come?" "Oh he will come and he will be loaded with greenbacks, we shall again be fed and clothed." I regret to say that this form of the disease extends to the field and staff, and while I fancy myself beyond the reach of the epidemic, I do sometimes see floating ghosts of greenbacks which promise much in the future. This evening it had been thundering a long time, before I discovered it was not cannonading, so completely have the elements become demoralized by the war.
Dr. Minor found an enormous alligator in a cypress swamp, this morning, and I joined him for a skirmish through the woods to find the old fellow. We penetrated to the centre of a low cypress growth and then found ourselves in the most impressive sanctuary I ever saw. A circular, open space of about 300 feet in diameter, in the centre of which were two stagnant pools of about twenty feet in diameter. There was not a stump nor a knee in this open space, but all around were the tall, solemn cypresses, completely draped in the long, gray moss. The ground was made dry and soft, like wool, by a kind of moss. The great reptile had gone into one of the pools and roiled the water so we could not see him, but with a pole, I succeeded in making him strike with his tail. We had no opportunity to use our Ballards [rifles], and galloped home through the woods with resolves to try again another day. Within a couple of months that swamp will hold enough malarious poison in it to protect the occupants from human intrusion.
After Mr. Bennett and his assistants had finished paying the men today we took a ride over to Barnwell's. The "Barnwell oak" measures 126 feet in the broadest diameter in the spread of its branches, at least such was my pacing. This is not only the largest live oak but the broadest spread of branches I have ever seen. They start from the body very near the ground.
April 30.
Tomorrow I am to be blessed by taking into my employment, York Brown. The old man has been nurse in the hospital during the last two months, but he prefers to avail himself of General Saxton's voluntary offer and take his discharge papers. He has been all his life a "gentleman's waiter" and "knows how to take keer of a hoss." Think of my having this religious old white-headed man, whom I reverence, constantly near me. . . .
Today, Dr. Minor, the Chaplain and I went up to the pools in the cypress swamp, but the great reptile drew his head under as we approached. The Chaplain was so religiously impressed by the sanctuary that he declared it would be sacrilegious for us to shoot the alligator; that God would never again permit us to be thrilled by the beauty of natural scenery. We knew it before and thanked the Chaplain for his sermon, and hereafter shall try to practice forbearance. It will be safer, however, for us to leave our Ballards at home.
Colonel Montgomery's regiment is nearly full, mostly drafted men from these islands. They are stationed at Pigeon Point, nearer Beaufort.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 391
May 5.
As I was riding out to see Capt. James' men at Rose's this morning I was drawn aside by an immense chattering of birds down by the river. Not less than five hundred, possibly a thousand, bobolinks, the first I have seen this year, had congregated in the low tree-tops, and were eagerly discussing some important question. I could not believe my eyes, so approached nearer and nearer till all were silent, and then, to clear my doubts, one of the congregation did his best in that bird song so full of liquid melody. Again the business of the convention was resumed and I left them to decide the question whether to go Northward today or wait some finer opportunity.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 391-2
May 10.
Capt. Rogers performed a deed on the 8th ins't for which he will always rejoice. The causeway at the Ferry extends out into the river within about 150 yards of the one on the opposite shore. There is no spot on the river so thoroughly picketed by both parties, yet he went across at noon in a little "dug-out" and brought over two men who beckoned from the rebel causeway. They were fugitive slaves, who had walked a hundred miles from the interior and had not been discovered by the rebels. They are intelligent fellows and take on liberty as if naturally fitted for it. There was no occasion to suppose that these men were not sent down there to decoy one to destruction, and I regard the crossing in the face of an enemy, who, according to all rules of war, should have been hidden behind the bushes, as an exceedingly daring thing to do. Had I been present, as was the Colonel, I should have protested against it. As usual I find myself the most cautious man in the regiment. Now that it is done I am profoundly thankful but there was not more than one chance in two hundred for him to escape death or capture.
The rebels told us at picket that Gen. Hooker was "driving everything before him" but I confess to a "heap" of incredulity which I hope will vanish before official dispatches.
May 15.
We get reports from rebel sources that Hooker has got into Richmond, that Stonewall Jackson was killed and Lee taken prisoner. Were all this true you might expect some of us home within a few months, but it is too good to believe.
SOURCE: Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Volume 43, October, 1909—June, 1910: February 1910. p. 392
May 22.
After all it seems the doubters are justified; Hooker is on the wrong side of the Rappahannock. But you will be glad to know that here we are so peaceful there is no danger of my telling you great stories of forced marches and hard fights. Today we have endured the trials of a picnic, over in the oak grove at Barnwell's. It is rare that we exert ourselves so much, but Mrs. Lander gave the order with so much grace that General Saxton and our Colonel and his staff entered the lists manfully, and I have rarely seen better dancing and eating.
Three fugitives came from the main land this morning. They watched from the other shore our pickets when they discharged their guns and withdrew from a certain post, and then came across in a little “dug-out” which the rebels had buried at some former salt works;—an old man and his two sons. He thinks he can run off a good many He will have the opportunity to try more.
