30th. Thede returned in the morning. I felt rather ill from a hard cold.
September 2011
Monday, 30th—I left home early this morning for Tipton, where at 10 o’clock about one hundred of us, with a band, left Tipton in farm wagons for Wilton, which place we reached at 4 o’clock, all covered with mud. At 5 o’clock we took the train for Davenport and arrived there at 8 o’clock. We formed in double line at the station and marched through town past the Burtis Hotel, on up to Camp McClellan, where we went into the barracks. As we passed the hotel every other man was handed a good wool blanket.
Company B of the Eleventh Iowa had supper prepared for us, consisting of boiled potatoes, fried bacon, boiled beef, baker’s bread and coffee. On the way down from Wilton, Governor Kirkwood passed through the train and shook each man by the hand.
30 h.—During the past week I have been much shocked by the growing tendency to drunkenness amongst the officers of the army. I do not doubt but that if the soldiers could procure spirituous liquors, they would follow the example set them by their much loved officers.
I have been somwhat amused for a few days by the antics of an officer of high rank, who has been shut up by sickness in his tent, and under my supervision. He entered the army about the time I did, and had for some time been a much esteemed member in good standing of the Good Templars. He had been from camp a few days—I think to Washington—and returned sick. He had been with me but a short time when his vivid imagination began to convert the stains on his tent into “all manner of artistic beauties— figures of beasts and men, and of women walking on the walls of his tent, feet upwards.” Fie, fie! Colonel; if I did not know that you were a Good Templar and a married man, I should think such fancies were unbecoming. ‘Tis a good thing to be a Templar and a married man, but still ” All is not gold that glitters.”
MONDAY 30
We have been all day hard at work getting ready to leave our residence on L St. I have rented a house on 9th St next door to Comodore Smith, No. 346, having 9 rooms and back buildings, rent $200.00 pr year. House in tolerable repair and convenient, shall move in tomorrow. The House belongs to the old “Douty Estate” and is one belonging to “Douty Row” betwen Mass Ave and L St, West. Weather is delightful.
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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.
Monday, 30th.—Through carelessness, or some other cause, five barrels of salt were left where they were captured, near where the enemy had been camping. Lieutenant M. V. Wilson was ordered to take twenty-five of Allison’s. Company and a wagon and go back after the salt, while the rest of the command moved on toward Barboursville. We regarded this as rather a hazardous trip, though we went back to, and loaded in, four barrels of the salt (thinking five would be too much for our team) without any incident worthy of note; but we had not gone far with our salt before bang! bang! bang! went several guns back about where our rear guard was. This caused considerable excitement in our little squad, though one of the rear guard soon came dashing up, and reported that it was only bush-whackers that had fired on them, and that some of the balls cut very close, but no one was hurt. So we felt better then, and moved on to Barboursville without any more trouble. Here we found two companies of our battalion (B and C), but the other two (A and D) had gone on back to Camp Buckner, on Cumberland river. We found Rains’ Regiment and the balance of our company (E) encamped two miles from Barboursville on the road leading back to Camp Buckner.
Colonel Cummings went with his detachment to the Salt Works, loaded in all the salt there, 200 bushels, and returned without coming in contact with the enemy. He receipted for the salt, as directed by General Zollicoffer. The Salt Works belonged to Union men, yet Zollicoffer expected to have it paid for at the price of salt at the works—forty cents per bushel.
Camp Corcoran, Arlington Heights, Va.,
Monday, Sept. 30, 1861.
Dear Sister L. :—
My soldiering now is not play, it is work. The last time I wrote you we were in Camp Casey, above Washington. Last Saturday afternoon we received orders to strike tents and be ready to march. We were ready in half an hour, and at sunset we started, no one knew where. We went down through the city, past the Capitol, and across the Long Bridge, and set our feet on the sacred soil of the “Mother of Presidents.” After marching about eight miles, we halted on a piece of rough ground, evidently a pasture, stacked our guns and lay down to rest. We were hungry, but we had nothing to eat. D., H. and I had each a blanket. We spread one down and the other to cover us and tried to sleep, but it was so cold we could not sleep much. The dew wetted our blankets both through, and H. was almost sick, so we had rather a sorry night. I rose about 4 o’clock and stood by the guard fire till reveille, drying our blankets. Half an hour after sunrise we marched about half a mile to our present camp. We pitched our tents and had our dinner of bread and raw pork at noon. I could not eat raw pork and dry bread at home, but a fast of twenty-four hours, a ten-mile march, and a bivouac at night sharpens the appetite wonderfully. At night we got things arranged, and had a good supper. Our rations are of the best quality, except our salt beef, which is not sweet.
Now for our camp. We are on Arlington Heights, about four miles southwest of the Capitol. The Heights are ranges of hills running parallel with the river and overlooking the city. Fort Corcoran is about twenty rods from our camp, and another fort on the other side. As far as I can see in every direction, the white tents of our enemy dot every hilltop. The rebel camps are within two miles of us, their pickets and ours shooting each other every night.
Our whole regiment has been changed from light infantry to a rifle regiment. We are to have the short Minie rifle with sword bayonet. Our drill is changed entirely, but I am learning it very fast. The whole regiment is doing its best with the hope of soon meeting the enemy. We are drilling with old altered flintlocks.
As I came out of my tent yesterday morning, what was my astonishment to see the Reverend Mr. Reed of Pittsburgh standing before me in uniform. I looked at him and could hardly recognize him, but there was no mistake. He is the chaplain of Governor Black’s regiment, twelve hundred strong. He said his regiment had gone to make a reconnoissance beyond Munson’s Hill—that great fortification was taken without firing a gun, and a lot of wooden guns ingeniously painted showed how they were armed.
Regiments are moving every night, and though we are ignorant of what is to be done, the universal impression is that a great battle is on the tapis.
2 P. M. We have orders to be in readiness to march at a moment’s notice. Forty rounds of cartridges are distributed. Lowe’s balloon is in our camp. I would write more but must stop for want of time.
Address O. W. N., care Captain T. M. Austin, McLane’s Regiment, Camp Corcoran, Washington, D. C.
Norfolk, September 30, 1861.
You think I’m doing pretty well in the number of my letters, don’t you? I can afford to for you are the only correspondent I have. You musn’t be surprised if you don’t get letters from me so regularly after this, for if we start back in the country, as I expect we will, to intercept Price’s retreat if Fremont whips him, we may be away from mails and such like for some time. If anything happens to me you will hear it just as quick as the news can be taken to you.
Since my last we have had some more fun here. Our company was out a few miles the other day to capture an old cuss we thought was peddling news from our camp down to Columbus. He had skedaddled though before we got to his house. We gobbled up all the loose plunder we could find lying around, it wasn’t much, and marched back. We had a mighty good time on picket a few nights ago. It was confounded cold, bushwhackers or no bushwackers we concluded to have a fire. A couple of the boys volunteered to go back to camp for kettles and coffee, and we found lots of nice roasting ears in the field we were camped in, and a kind of pumpkin that ate very well after a little roast before the fire. Then there were splendid pawpaws, lots of nuts of all kinds which a little fire made ripe, and we sat and cooked and ale all night. I can eat, if necessary, 36 hours without intermission except for an occasional drink, and I drink nearly a half gallon of coffee per day.
Last night the Pekin company in our regiment were on picket and at 3 this morning they were attacked. Ten of them held their ground against 150 half-mounted and half-foot and finally made them scoot. It was a devilish brave thing. The Rebels left one dead and one so badly wounded that he’ll die to-night, and carried off two others dead and four badly wounded. A lot more were scratched. But one of our men was wounded, and that a flesh wound in the arm, that will hardly take him off duty. The firing roused us here in the camp and we thought from the noise that the longed fight had come at last for certain. I tell you it was funny when the long roll (we would not get out of bed without the long roll for a thousand cannons these cold nights) to see the boys scramble for shoes and accoutrements. There was some profanity. I have just been to see a poor devil that has blown half of his head off this afternoon to get rid of his troubles. A soldier. Don’t know what he suicided for. We are messed off now, 15 in a tent, each tent’s inmates cooking and eating by themselves.
SEPTEMBER 30TH.—A pretty general jail delivery is now taking place. Gen. Winder, acting I suppose, of course, under the instructions of the Secretary of War—and Mr. Benjamin is now Secretary indeed—is discharging from the prisons the disloyal prisoners sent hither during the last month by Gens. Johnston, Floyd, and Wise. Not only liberating them, but giving them transportation to their homes, mostly within the enemy’s lines. Surely if the enemy reciprocates such magnanimous courtesy, the war will be merely child’s play, and we shall be spared the usual horrors of civil war. We shall see how the Yankees will appreciate this kindness.
September 30.—Early this morning Colonel Geary marched from Point of Rocks to Berlin, Md., with three companies of infantry and two pieces of artillery. Immediately upon his arrival there he opened upon the rebel works with shell, and in a half hour dislodged the rebels effectually from every position they occupied.— Baltimore American.
29th. Went over to see Thede. Attended Mr. White’s church —Thede the Cathedral. Took tea at Byron’s. Heard Mr. Van Meter again in the evening.
