Following the American Civil War Sesquicentennial with day by day writings of the time, currently 1863.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

29th.—After much anxiety, more authentic information from the “Valley” received this morning. We gave them a good fight, but the field was left in the enemy’s hand. Poor, noble Winchester, to what degradation is she brought! Our dear W. B. C. was shot through the hip; the wound painful, but not mortal; he was carried to Staunton, and his mother has gone to him. The rest of our own peculiar “boys” are safe, but many lives were lost. It is thought that a great crisis is at hand. The Peninsula is the place appointed by rumour for a great battle. The croakers dread much from their numbers; my trust is in One who can save by many or by few.

March 29 — Only one gun went on picket to-day. March 30 — This morning we went to Maurertown, which is some three or four miles below Woodstock. From the lower end of the little hamlet we fired three shell into a bushy woods that looked like a good cover for game, as Yankee finders, but our shell failed to stir up anything of the Yankee kind. We came back to camp soon after we fired the three shots.

Camp near New Market Bridge, March 29, 1862.

Dear Father, — I suppose you have not heard anything about our moving here from the newspapers. All of them are forbidden to publish any news whatever of our movements. Day before yesterday a reconnoissance was made towards Big Bethel. I wrote Hannah a day or two ago that we were all going to advance. It turned out that it was to be a reconnoissance only. They saw a few of the enemy and killed one. We advanced beyond Big Bethel to within 6 miles of Yorktown. I had to stay here in camp to see that things went straight. I did not lose much, however. The rebels had been working on the fortifications at B. Bethel the very morning our troops advanced, but when they reached there, the rebels had run off with their cannon. They had captured two of our men, outside of our picket lines, where they were expressly forbidden to go, in the morning, and so had notice of our advance. Our pickets have orders to shoot any man they see outside the lines, whether on our side or not. This will have a good effect on stragglers.

I wish I could send you home some of the holly trees I have seen down here. They grow in great abundance and of all sizes from a small bush up to a large-sized tree. They look very prettily with their dark green leaves and red berries. I have decorated my tent with a branch. The apricots down here are in full blossom, and the weather is warm and delightful, everything showing that spring is here.

We shall probably advance in a day or two, very likely to-morrow. General McClellan will be here to-morrow, and his coming will be the signal for our advance. I heard General Porter tell one of the commodores at Fortress Monroe that we should have 130,000 men and 300 pieces of artillery with us on our advance. The commodore said that the rebels were making great preparations to meet us, and would give us a severe battle between West Point and Richmond. W. P. is on the York River, I think. I do not know why we did not land at the Pocosin [Poquoson ?] River. I think it was the plan to do so. I have received no letters from home for a week, but expect them now daily.

I enclose a hyacinth root dug up right behind the place we are now encamped. Please give it to Hannah. I broke off the leaves so as to keep the life in the bulb. . . .

There are 24 correspondents of newspapers at Fort Monroe. They will be kept in the rear, as far as is possible, and will not learn much about movements planned, but not yet executed. If there is any battle government will let it be known instantly, so you need not be afraid of any fight being concealed. . . .

Saturday March 29th 1862

We have had quite a snow storm today and the streets are again wet and muddy. No particular news from any of the armies. The Bombardment of Island No 10 continues. I presume it is merely to keep a large force of the rebels Gun Boats &c away from other points New Orleans perhaps while our troops attack them. Bought a Draft this morning for 730, less 1/4 pr ct at discount and sent to Doct Davids wife, Lyons, as requested. The 98th is now encamped near Alexandria. “Bud” rode down there today and saw them. The 27th are at their old camp near the Seminary. Twenty thousand men passed over the River yesterday and last night, but soldiers and officers seem to be about as thick on the Ave as ever. Congress is draging along the Tax Bill, and discussing the everlasting Negro. When will that question end?

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The three diary manuscript volumes, Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865, are available online at The Library of Congress.

29th.—We are in camp again, about two miles from Newport News. Nothing doing, and this gives me an opportunity to realize the condition of my hospital. Up to the time of our leaving Camp Griffin in the early part of this month, we had not in all our moves, lost to the amount of a candle. Now, with only two moves since, we are here to-day, in the face of the enemy, expecting a battle, without a tent, an ambulance, a litter, a blanket, or a comfort for the wounded —not even a reliable nurse at my command. Well, I suppose all this is a small matter, so long as the commanders who brought it about are comfortable. They can be taken care of, and why need they trouble themselves about the men?

Saturday, 29th—A large detail from the brigade was sent to cut and clear away some timber between Jones’ Field and a small field just to the south, so as to throw the two fields together, making it possible for the First Division to form a continuous line to be reviewed by the commanding general of the army, General Grant. Companies A, B and C received Belgian rifles today for their old muskets.

March 29th. Had a good bath in the creek, and washed my clothes—new experience. Very warm and sultry.

Saturday, March 29. — Raining like fun again, Two fine days in ten. I dispatched Dr. Clendenin that Dr. Webb had been ordered to Wheeling for examination and asked him if they were aware he had already been examined. He replied: “Yes, and I have remonstrated; rather than submit, he ought to resign.” The doctor will leave me his resignation, go to Wheeling, and if he finds the examination insisted on, will resign by telegraphing me to that effect.

March 29th. Nothing of importance is occurring now-a-days to mark one day from another. Yesterday, Capt. Bell, with the gunboats Kennebeck, Wissahickon and Winona, ascended the river to the forts, when Fort Jackson opened fire on them, and after firing about one hundred rounds at us our vessels hauled off. They discovered the position of the defenses, also a chain stretched across the river just below Forts Jackson and St. Philip, on eight schooners anchored between the forts. Our squadron is still gradually collecting. Capt. Porter’s mortar fleet is already here, but our large ships are not all over the bar.

In the Woods before Great Bethel,

Saturday, March 29, 1862.

Dear Sister L.:—

I had to stop right there and report to the general with my bugle, to teach me new calls. We have received no mail since we left Alexandria and none has been sent further than the Fortress. I don’t know when you will get this, but I will write and perhaps they will send it some time or other. My last stamp got wet and spoiled, but D. gave me a stamped envelope, one of the last he had, so I am all right yet. He is just one of the best fellows that ever lived.

On Thursday General Porter’s division made a reconnoissance two miles beyond Great Bethel. Our brigade with a battery took the lead. It is ten miles from here to the fortifications. The road is perfectly level and sandy all the way. The two regiments of Berdan’s sharpshooters are in our division now and a company of them went with us as skirmishers. A spy had reported the rebels two thousand strong at the forts. These are a line of earthworks in the edge of a pine woods. In front of these is a large level field or two or three hundred acres, and in front of the field an extensive swamp full of wet holes, thickets, briars and vines. The road leads through the middle of this swamp to the field. Here was the place where so many of our brave boys fell last spring. We halted as we came up to the swamp. The colonel came along and told us to watch the colors and stick to them, that Great Bethel would be ours before night. We then commenced to move. The artillery took the road, the Seventeenth and Twelfth New York the swamp on the right, and the Forty-fourth and Eighty-third the left. We had just entered and were forcing our way through when we heard the crack of rifles in the woods ahead. The word was passed along to hurry up. I thought the ball had opened at last. You ought to have seen us go through those thickets then. Pell-mell we went, over bogs and through vines and places I never would have thought a man could get through under ordinary circumstances. As we came out to the field the firing ceased. We formed in line of battle instantly and moved toward the works. I expected to see a line of fire run along their breastworks, but not a sound came from them and not a man could we see. We came up to the front and our color guard leaped the ditch and planted the flag of the Eighty-third on the fortifications so long disgraced by the rebel rag. Great Bethel was ours and not a man hurt. They had pickets there who exchanged shots with our skirmishers as they came in sight and then retreated. We then turned to the left and went about two miles to another fortification. They had a dam here to fill a ditch in front of the works, and below the dam a bridge. As our skirmishers came out of the woods they saw three men tearing up the planks on this bridge. They fired and shot two of them. Some others ran out of the woods and carried them off, so we don’t know whether they were killed or not. The main body of rebels had left in the morning. They have gone to Yorktown. We have orders to have three days’ cooked rations on hand, so I think we shall be after them soon. When we came back we burned all the log barracks and brush houses at the forts. All the houses here are burned and the whole country is a desert. It is one of the most beautiful sections, naturally, I have ever seen. The soil is very rich and the surface perfectly level. The corn fields have only one stalk in a place, showing that it must grow very large.

We have been resting since Thursday night. We don’t drill as much as we did at Hall’s Hill.