Camp Near Conrad's Ferry, Md.,
October 24, 1861.
My last letter left off rather abruptly, and as a series of
exciting events has taken place since then, I will try and detail them nearly
as they occurred. I left off just as Captain Curtis got back from Banks'
headquarters with the good news that we were to join our regiment and march at
once towards the river.* We didn't stop to strike tents or pack the wagons, but
left a small squad of weak men to do it. We packed our trunks and other traps
and piled them up together in our tent. At half past eight P. M., the regiment
marched by so quietly that one would not have known that there were more than
ten men on the road; no drum or any other music. At nine, our company was ready
and started. Before we were off, we could see, by the camp fires, that the
whole division had marching orders. Going at quickest time, we caught the
regiment at a halt; the night was cloudy, but the moon made it quite light. At twelve
thirty we got to Poolsville, distance ten miles; here we began to hear rumors
of the fight; men on guard told us that the Fifteenth Massachusetts and several
other regiments had been cut to pieces in crossing the river near Conrad's
Ferry; one said the Fifteenth had lost seven hundred men; we disbelieved them
almost entirely.
As we got nearer to the river, the stories began to get more
probable, and when within two or three miles of it, to confirm them, we met
numbers of wounded who said that the Twentieth and Fifteenth Massachusetts and
the California and Tammany regiments were in the fight and were all more or
less cut up. At about five A. M., we reached the river, distance twenty-one
miles from the camp, a splendid march, made with very few halts, the men all
carrying their knapsacks.
Here, as daylight came on, we began to hear the terrible
truth; the houses all about us were filled with dead and wounded, and down the
river about a mile, there was a temporary hospital with over a hundred men in
it. Of course, my first inquiries were for my friends in the Twentieth; I could
hear nothing definite. Shortly afterwards, Captain Curtis received a message
from Lieutenant Willie Putnam, a splendid young fellow, saying he would like to
see him. From the Major, Captain C. and others, I learned, when they came back,
the following: That Colonel Lee and Major and Doctor Revere were prisoners and
probably carried to Leesburgh; that Lieutenant W. Putnam was mortally wounded
by a shot through the body; Captain C. saw him and said he conversed as calmly
about the events of the battle as if he had been a spectator instead of an
actor; he said the wound was quite painful, but by his face you would not have
known it. (He died this morning.) Captain John Putnam had his arm taken off
close to the shoulder by a round shot; he was brought across the river and is
in the hospital. Captain Crowninshield had just swam across the river; he had
fought splendidly, others say, all through the battle, had been unable to
retreat with the rest, and had hid over night. He was unhurt. Poor young Holmes
was badly shot through the body and arm; he and Lieutenant Lowell saw Charley
Peirson, the Adjutant, fall, and ran up to attempt to bring him off; as they
lifted him from the ground, they were all three shot down, Lowell through the
leg. Holmes is likely to recover, Lowell is doing well, Peirson is a prisoner.
George Perry is missing. Harry Sturgis, Harry Tremlett and Charley Whittier,
got off safely. All of these that I have mentioned were down at Fort
Independence in the Guards, and Putnam, Peirson and Tremlett were in the same
mess with me. Captain Schmidt, I believe, is badly shot through the body. I am
not certain about it.
My understanding of the affair is this: — Brigadier-General
Baker was ordered by Brigadier-General Stone to take a certain number of
regiments and cross the river at Conrad's Ferry, while he, Stone, was crossing
at Edward's Ferry, five miles below, with his force. The troops were all landed
on an island first, I believe; their only means of conveyance was one flat
boat. Four companies of the Fifteenth crossed first, and, without waiting for
reinforcements, foolishly moved forward towards Leesburgh, of course stirring
up the enemy's pickets and alarming the country.
Parts of the Twentieth, Fifteenth, California and New York
regiments now followed, making the whole force over the river about fifteen or
eighteen hundred men and two guns. The fight, at first, was skirmishing almost
entirely, the enemy being out of sight in the woods; their firing was very
heavy, and it was evident, from the first, that they had numbers of
sharpshooters lodged in the trees and everywhere else, to pick off the
officers. Those who were there say that the Massachusetts men fought
splendidly, making no confusion, and falling back perfectly orderly to the
river, which they were fairly driven into, numbers drowning, others swimming to
the island and Maryland shore. Of course, the great mistake of the whole affair
was trying to cross an unfordable river with an insufficient force, unsupported
by artillery and with no means of retreat; any one of these things would almost
be sure to cause defeat. It is almost fortunate that General Baker was killed,
as he would have been constantly reproached by everybody and could have hardly
kept his commission. How much General Stone was to blame, no one can yet say;
his orders to Baker were to cross in a discreet manner.
About the detail of the loss of the Fifteenth, I cannot say,
as I know no one in it. The Colonel of it told Mr. Quint last night that he had
lost near half of his regiment and twelve of his commissioned officers. The
Lieutenant-Colonel lost his leg. To go back to our regiment. We were left along
between the canal and the river. Early in the morning, it commenced to rain,
pouring, and continued till night; we had nothing but mud to stand in and were
wet and uncomfortable. At about ten A. M., I was detailed by Colonel Gordon to
take a dozen good men and get a small flat boat there was up the river, and cross
with it to the island to bring off a number of our men who were beckoning for
aid from there. We got the boat and crossed successfully. The men were from
different regiments and had hidden over night; they were very glad of the
chance to get back into a friendly State. Not a Secesher made his appearance.
The current was strong but the water was not very deep.
Towards night, our regiment moved a little ways back into
the woods, where we pitched tents, built fires, got dry, and changed stockings,
besides getting something to eat for a change. Next morning, we changed camp,
moving back about two miles to get out of reach of the enemy's shells. Five of
our companies were out on picket the whole of the night before, in all the
rain, without fires. On arriving in camp, our company was put on guard. Just
before supper time, I saw a mounted officer ride fast into camp and go up to a
group where Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews was standing, and whisper something to
him. Two minutes afterwards, I received an order to have the “general” beaten,
which is the signal for every man to be at his quarters and strike tents; twenty
minutes afterwards, the “assembly” was beaten, the line formed and immediately
put in motion towards Edward's Ferry. Although the regiment was jaded, it moved
off in fine shape, every one thinking we were sure of a fight. Getting near the
river, we were surprised to see the camp of a large army about their usual
duties, no signs of a movement. We marched straight to the river and halted for
orders. The first I heard was, “Countermarch by file right, march!” The Colonel
came by and said to Captain Curtis, “Where do you suppose we are going?” “I
don't know.” “Back to camp!” An attack on the other side had been expected and
the order had been sent to us to come on. The alarm blew over, our orders were
countermanded, but by some miserable mistake, were not transmitted. We had
marched six miles for nothing. We started back at ten and got into camp at
twelve.
Our dead on the other side of the river were treated
shamefully; every pocket was slit down and rifled and every button and shoe
taken off. Probably our company goes on picket to-night at the island; if it
does not, I shall go over to the Twentieth. Just heard that Captain Schmidt got
four balls in his leg and side. He only feels afraid he will not be able to
fight them in the next battle. He is doing well. You had better direct to
General Banks' division via Washington.
_______________
* Company B had been on detached service as Provost guard
for about ten days.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 25-9
