Friday, August 5th.
We really expect now to go to Washington, and it is a subject of general rejoicing for almost any change will be welcome. The enemy is reported to have sprung three mines in front of the Ninth Corps to-day, but all the explosions occurred some distance outside of our works and an attack made at the same time proved a failure.
5th. Friday. Brigade marched at sunrise. Relieved by 2nd Div. Reached City Point before noon. 18th P. V. embarked for Washington. 2nd Ohio went to Landing. On board and anchored off the Point. Took a bath before leaving wharf. While hastily looking for Col. P. for detail to load oats, I accidentally walked off into the river. Had my revolver on and coat and pants in my arms. Soon found a board nailed upon a pile and hung on till helped out. Lost my hat. God is kind. I owe him gratitude for saving me. (This was the beginning of Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley campaign in which the 2nd Ohio was prominent.)
City Point, Va., August 5th, 1864.
I see by the newspapers there is great excitement in the North over the rumor that the Rebels are about to attack Washington with an army of seventy-five thousand; also a conspiracy, embracing a half million men, is already organized in the North; and, worse than all else, the loyal people of the North are “disheartened;” to all of which I reply, “May God speed the right.”
The Seventeenth was not in the fight last Saturday. I hear that General Meade is held responsible for last Saturday’s failure, and is to be superseded by General Hooker; that he—Meade—thought it a favorable opportunity to “crush” a rival instead of the rebellion.
It seems the people at home think Grant’s position here a critical one. It is well to look matters squarely in the face; to know the worst, and prepare to meet it. I believe Grant’s position here to be impregnable. The Richmond papers say: “He has involved himself in a labyrinth of fortifications from which it would be almost impossible to extricate himself if undisturbed.”
Certainly, then, they cannot drive him out. Then, his base of supplies is as nearly safe as it is possible to make it, his communication being by water and under the protection of gunboats. But, can he take Petersburg with his present force? No, not by direct assault, and I think the “golden opportunity” to exhibit his “genius for strategy” passed with last Saturday’s failure. Lee will now be more than ever on the alert. Flank movements are also “played out,” and the idea of “sieging” has become ridiculous. What, then is to be done? Simply to hold his own until re-enforced by the new levy. This he can do and spare part of his forces to operate in other places, if necessary. But, while we are waiting, the opposing forces are not idle. No ant hill was ever more busy than they. Marching and countermarching, mining and countermining. This week General Wilcox discovered the Rebels were mining one of his forts.
The next night the guns were all removed and logs were put in their places. Another fort was built at a safe distance in the rear, and the old one was abandoned, without exciting suspicion. When they are ready, they will spring the trap they have so skillfully set for themselves.
Friday, August 5. — Reached Charlotte early in the morning, where we drew one day’s rations. I got hold of a raw onion here, and had a good meal on that, a hard-tack, and some wormy bacon. It tasted good, for I was hungry. Started again for Columbia, one hundred miles distant. We passed through sorghum, cotton and corn-fields, — many of the latter, few of the two former. Reached Columbia at 7 P.M., and were immediately surrounded by friends of the South Carolina regiment that was blown up in the mine, anxious to learn about their friends and relatives. Were marched to the jail, and from what I could see of the town should think it a very pretty one. Passed Wade Hampton’s house. There were beautiful shade trees planted along the street we were marched through. Was quartered on the lower floor in a room with several others.
Friday, 5th—It rained nearly all day. The troops here are receiving their pay today, some for one and others for two months. Since May 1st the Government has been paying the privates $16.00 per month, which is an increase of $3.00. But money here in Rome is of no particular benefit to a soldier, for there is nothing in town to buy, the only business men being the sutlers who are attached to the regiments in the front. All is quiet at this place.
August 5, 1864.
After the fight of the 28th July, we advanced on the 30th, 31st and April 1st, when we came to a strong line of Rebel rifle pits, densely populated, and their main works about 400 yards behind the pits.
On the 2d details from each brigade in the corps were ordered to drive the Rebels out of said pits. It was done, our division capturing 78 prisoners. The Rebels tried to retake them, but failed, of course, leaving with our boys, among other dead, a colonel and a major. Only one company (K), of our regiment was in the fight; it had two men wounded. I was on picket there the next day; ’twas a lively place, but I lost no men. Some of the men fired over 100 rounds. The 23d and 14th Corps have swung around on our right, the object being to throw our line across the Macon railroad. We have heard that Stoneman was captured with 400 men at Macon. Kilpatrick started on a raid yesterday. Stoneman burned a Rebel wagon train of 600 wagons, and sabered the mules. Cruel, but right. The 14th Corps yesterday gobbled 700 prisoners. There are a few Rebel riflemen who keep the bullets whistling around us here; they killed a Company E man 20 yards to the right on the 4th. Health of the regiment never better, and that is the best index of the morale.
August 5th. Early this morning had a good swim, after which I lay down under a large tree near the river. Had a good nap and rest. Then wrote a few letters. Very late in the afternoon orders came to fall in and form line. We marched into a large open field and formed three sides of a square, when orders came that a deserter from the 34th Ohio Regiment was to be executed at sunset. After waiting a while we heard the band playing a dirge. Soon the whole party came in sight, six armed men in front of the deserter and six in the rear. At his side walked a Chaplain. Behind all came an ambulance with a coffin. When all was ready the deserter sat on the coffin, blindfolded. Orders came to fire. I saw him fall over on the coffin. Don’t wish to witness anything more like that. Besides being a deserter, it was reported that he was a spy, having enlisted in the rebel service. All I know about it is the talk about our camp and other regiments.
Etowah Bridge, Friday, Aug. 5. A pleasant day. On guard, third relief. After waiting all day, paymaster came about 4 P. M. and in a few minutes our greenbacks were counted out for the months of May and July, sixteen dollars per month for the first time.
H.Q. Cav’y Escort, A. of P.
Before Petersburg, August 5, 1864
Physically, since I last wrote, I’m glad to say I have picked up amazingly. I have at last shaken off my jaundice and have recovered a white man’s looks, my appetite is amazing and I am building up. In fact I have weathered my danger and do not look for any further trouble. Ward Frothingham too has been sent home. His regiment was smashed all to pieces in the assault the other day. The Colonel, Gould, had a thigh shattered, the Lieutenant Colonel killed, and so on. As for Ward, it was the hardest kind of work helping him, for he could n’t help himself. Finally however he was sent down to City Point and there gave Dalton my note, and Dalton had him shipped to New York before he could make up his mind as to whether he wanted to go there or not. So he’s safe and at home.
Here since I last wrote, too, Burnside has exploded his mine and we have again just failed to take Petersburg. The papers, I see, are full of that mishap and every one is blaming every one, just as though it did any good to cry and quarrel over spilled milk. I did not see the mine exploded, though most of my officers did and they describe it as a most beautiful and striking spectacle — an immense column of debris, mixed with smoke and flame, shooting up in the form of a wheat sheaf some hundred and fifty feet, and then instantly followed by the roar of artillery. At first, and until ten o’clock, rumors came in very favorably — we had carried this and that and were advancing. At about ten I rode out to see what was going on. The fight then was pretty much over. I rode up to the parallels and dismounted and went towards the front. The heat was intense and they were bringing in the wounded, mostly blacks, in great numbers. Very little firing was going on, though occasionally shot went zipping by. Very speedily I began to be suspicious of our success. Our soldiers did n’t look or act to my mind like men who had won a victory. There was none of that elation and excitement among the wounded, none of that communicative spirit among the uninjured which always marks a success. I was very soon satisfied of this and so, after walking myself into a tremendous heat and seeing nothing but a train of wounded men, I concluded that I did n’t like the sound of bullets and so came home.
My suspicions proved correct. As you know we had been repulsed. How was it? In the papers you’ll see all kinds of stories and all descriptions of reasons, but here all seem to have settled down to certain results on which all agree, and certain others on which all quarrel. It is agreed that the thing was a perfect success, except that it did not succeed; and the only reason it did not succeed was that our troops behaved shamefully. They advanced to the crater made by the explosion and rushed into it for cover and nothing could get them out of it. These points being agreed on then begins the bickering. All who dislike black troops shoulder the blame onto them — not that I can find with any show of cause. They seem to have behaved just as well and as badly as the rest and to have suffered more severely. This Division, too, never had really been under fire before, and it was a rough breaking in for green troops of any color. The 9th Corps and Burnside came in for a good share of hard sayings, and, in fact, all round is heard moaning and wrath, and a scape-goat is wanted.
Meanwhile, as I see it, one person alone has any right to complain and that person is Grant. I should think his heart would break. He had out-generaled Lee so, he so thoroughly deserved success, and then to fail because his soldiers would n’t fight! It was too bad. All the movements I mentioned in my last turned out to be mere feints and as such completely successful. Deceived by Grant’s movement towards Malvern Hill, Lee had massed all his troops in that vicinity, so that when the mine exploded, the rebels had but three Divisions in front of the whole Army of the Potomac. Grant ordered a rapid countermarch of his cavalry from Malvern Hill to the extreme left, to outflank and attack the enemy at daylight, simultaneously with the assault in front. The cavalry did not reach here until the assault had failed. The march was difficult, but it was possible and it was not accomplished. Whose fault was this? Then came the assault, which was no assault, and once more Lee, completely outgeneraled, surprised and nearly lost, was saved by the bad behavior of our troops as in June, and on the same ground and under the same circumstances, he was almost miraculously saved by the stubborn bravery of his own. I find but one satisfaction in the whole thing. Here now, as before in June, whether he got it or no, Grant deserved success, and, where this is the case, in spite of fortune, he must ultimately win it. Twice Lee has been saved in spite of himself. Let him look to it, for men are not always lucky.
If you are curious to know where I myself place the blame, I must freely say on Burnside, and add, that in my own opinion I don’t know anything about it. For the whole thing, Burnside’s motions and activities deserve great credit. While others were lying idle, he was actively stirring round to see what he could do. The mine was his idea and his work, and he carried it through; no one but himself had any faith in it. So far all was to his credit. Then came the assault. Grant did his part of the work and deceived Lee. Burnside organized his storming column and, apparently, he could n’t have organized it worse. They say the leading brigade was chosen by lot. If so, what greater blunder could have been committed? At any rate a white brigade was put in to lead which could not have been depended on to follow. This being so, the result was what might have been expected. In such a case everything depended on the storming party; for, if they would lead, the column would follow. Volunteers might have been called for, a picked regiment might have been designated; but, no, Burnside sent in a motley crowd of white and black, heavy artillery and dismounted cavalry, and they would n’t come up to the scratch. So endeth the second lesson before Petersburg.
As to the future, expect no light from me. I do not expect that anything will be done here for six weeks to come. Grant must hold his own, defend Washington and see what Sherman can accomplish, before he really attempts anything heavy here. The news from Sherman is so good, and Hood seems so completely to be playing our game that I think the rebel strength in that region bids fair to be used up. Lee can hold us in check, but, unless we blunder egregiously, he cannot replenish his ranks, and by autumn Grant can resume operations with deadly effect from this base. This I fear is the best view which can be taken of the present attitude of affairs. We have been so unfortunate here and our military lights about Washington — Hunter, Wallace, Halleck, Sigel and the rest — have made such a mess of our affairs in their region, that I don’t see but what the army here must, for the present, be reduced to one purely of observation. . . .
As to my new regiment, I see myself gazetted but have as yet received no commission or official announcement. Meanwhile I am maturing my plans for the regiment and shall develop them in a somewhat stately paper distinguished by unusual ability even for me and addressed to Governor Andrew, the which I shall tackle as soon as I have disposed of you. For the rest, I wait here and kill time. There is nothing more for me to do here. This squadron is as contented, as well disciplined and in as good order as I know how to put it, and accordingly I must move or stand still. . . .
by John Beauchamp Jones
AUGUST 5TH.—Hot and dry. I hope there will be a rain-cloud this evening.
No war news, except a letter from Gen. Lee, indicating that Gen. Morgan is probably on a raid in Northwest Virginia and inPennsylvania. Morgan proposed going intoGeorgia (rear ofSherman), but the Secretary indorsed that perhaps the matter had as well be left to Gen. Lee. The President quietly indorsed that he “concurred in the conclusion that all the movements of troops inVirginia had best be left to the discretion of Gen Lee.”
Gen. Hood telegraphs that no important change has occurred in front ofAtlanta. There was some skirmishing yesterday, and shell thrown intoAtlanta.
My daughter Anne, after ten months’ residence in the country, returned to-day (with Miss Randolph, of Loudon Co.) in perfect health. She brought apples, eggs, a watermelon, cucumbers, etc.
Mr. Davies sold my reel (German silver) to-day for $75, or about $3.20 in gold—enough to buy a cord of wood. I parted with it reluctantly, as I hope to catch fish yet.
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