Saturday, 26th—We drilled with our new arms this morning for the first time. Some of the men are awfully awkward in shouldering arms and using the ramrod and returning it to its place. It is also quite amusing to hear some of the officers give orders when we are going through the manual of arms.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Camp Leslie, Hall’s Hill,
Fairfax County, Va., Oct. 26, 1861.
Friend P—s.:—
To-day has been a great day with us. General McClellan and staff reviewed General Porter’s Division, of which we form a part. Five brigades were reviewed. We are attached to General Butterfield’s Brigade. Our regiment was very highly complimented by the General, as one of the best, if not the best, on the field. We had a sham battle, an exciting time.
My health is still good. I feel the effects of severe drill some. It is as much as I can stand, but, while many are getting sick, I am all right yet. One poor fellow in our regiment died last night. The first one that has died since we left home.
Many seem to think that this war is soon to close. I am fully satisfied, however, that it cannot be ended without the emancipation proclamation, and I think that will be made next winter. I am in for thorough work while we’re at it, but I shudder for the results of the continuance of the war.
To-morrow we do guard duty. It is tiresome work. No sleep nights. Almost every time some fun occurs to relieve the monotony. An Irishman challenged a party the other night with, “Halt! Who goes there?” Ans.—”Grand rounds.” “Och, to the divil wid yez grand rounds; I thought it was the relafe guard.”
SATURDAY 26
A dark cloudy day but no rain. Was down to the post office. Called at the office of Fenwick & Lawrence Pat Agts. Have spent most of the day at home reading the news &c. Wood being $8.00 pr cord I cannot afford to hire it sawed so I saw it myself. The boys carry it in & split the kindlings. There is no war news afloat today. Heavy firing has been heard nearly all day, practicing at the Camps, I presume. Julia saw Sec’y Smith at the Presidents today, introduced by Maj Watt.
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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.
October 26th.—More reviews. To-day rather a pretty sight—12 regiments, 16 guns, and a few squads of men with swords and pistols on horseback, called cavalry, comprising Fitz-John Porter’s division. McClellan seemed to my eyes crest-fallen and moody to-day. Bright eyes looked on him; he is getting up something like a staff, among which are the young French princes, under the tutelage of their uncle, the Prince of Joinville. Whilst McClellan is reviewing, our Romans in Washington are shivering; for the blockade of the Potomac by the Confederate batteries stops the fuel boats. Little care these enthusiastic young American patriots in crinoline, who have come to see McClellan and the soldiers, what a cord of wood costs. The lower orders are very angry about it however. The nuisance and disorder arising from soldiers, drunk and sober, riding full gallop down the streets, and as fast as they can round the corners, has been stopped, by placing mounted sentries at the principal points in all the thoroughfares. The “officers” were worse than the men; the papers this week contain the account of two accidents, in one of which a colonel, in another a major, was killed by falls from horseback, in furious riding in the city.
Forgetting all about this fact, and spurring home pretty fast along an unfrequented road, leading from the ferry at Georgetown into the city, I was nearly spitted by a “dragoon,” who rode at me from under cover of a house, and shouted “stop ” just as his sabre was within a foot of my head. Fortunately his horse, being aware that if it ran against mine it might be injured, shied, and over went dragoon, sabre and all, and off went his horse, but as the trooper was able to run after it, I presume he was not the worse; and I went on my way rejoicing.
McClellan has fallen very much in my opinion since the Leesburg disaster. He went to the spot, and with a little—nay, the least—promptitude and ability could have turned the check into a successful advance, in the blaze of which the earlier repulse would have been forgotten. It is whispered that General Stone, who ordered the movement, is guilty of treason—a common crime of unlucky generals—at all events he is to be displaced, and will be put under surveillance. The orders he gave are certainly very strange.
The official right to fib, I presume, is very much the same all over the world, but still there is more dash about it in the States, I think, than elsewhere. “Blockade of the Potomac!” exclaims an official of the Navy Department. “What are you talking of? The Department has just heard that a few Confederates have been practising with a few light field-pieces from the banks, and has issued orders to prevent it in future.” “Defeat at Leesburg!” cries little K_____, of McClellan’s staff, “nothing of the kind. We drove the Confederates at all points, retained our position on the right bank, and only left it when we pleased, having whipped the enemy so severely they never showed since.” “Any news, Mr. Cash, in the Treasury to-day?” “Nothing, sir, except that Mr. Chase is highly pleased with everything; he’s only afraid of having too much money, and being troubled with his balances.” “The State Department all right, Mr. Protocol?” “My dear sir! delightful! with everybody, best terms. Mr. Seward and the Count are managing delightfully; most friendly assurances; Guatemala particularly; yes, and France too. Yes, I may say France too; not the smallest difficulty at Honduras; altogether, with the assurances of support we are getting, the Minister thinks the whole-affair will be settled in thirty days; no joking, I assure you; thirty days this time positively. Say for exactness on or about December 5th.” The canvas-backs are coming in, and I am off for a day or two to escape reviews and abuse, and to see something of the famous wild-fowl shooting on the Chesapeake.
OCTOBER 26TH.—Immense amounts of patriotic contributions, in clothing and provisions, are daily registered.
October 26. — At Mill Creek, five miles from Romney, Gen. Kelley’s force came upon the rebel’s outposts, which they drove in, and advanced to the Indian Mound Cemetery, to the west of the town, where the rebels made a stand and opened fire with a twelve-pound rifled gun, placed in a very commanding position in the cemetery, and with a mountain howitzer from the high grounds on the east bank of the river, which point commanded our approach for a distance of over a mile. At the east end of the bridge the enemy had also thrown up intrenchments, from which they kept up a constant fire of musketry upon the head of the column. One twelve-pounder and two six-pounders responded to the artillery on Kelley’s post until the General was enabled to fully comprehend the enemy’s position, when he soon gave the command to charge upon their batteries and intrenchments. The cavalry under the lead of Capts. Keys and McGhee, dashed across the river, (which was fordable at this point,) while the infantry, under Cols. Mason and De Puy, Lieut.-Col. Kelley, and Major Swearingen, rushed over the bridge to encounter the foe, at the very muzzles of his guns. No sooner did the rebels perceive this movement, than they immediately abandoned their positions, and commenced a precipitate retreat, rushing “pell-mell” through the town, and directing their flight toward Winchester.
General Kelley captured some four hundred or five hundred prisoners, among whom was Colonel E. M. Armstrong, late a member of the Richmond Convention, two hundred horses, three wagon loads of new rifles, three cannon, a large quantity of corn, tents, and, in fact, every thing they had. The loss on the Federal aide was but one man killed and five wounded. When about one and a half miles from Springfield the rear of Col. Johns’ column (ordered to make the feint from the north) was attacked from the heights by the enemy, severely wounding two men and detaining the column about an hour. The march was then resumed through Springfield, and on arriving within half a mile of the bridge crossing the south branch of the Potomac, Col. Johns discovered the enemy on the opposite bank, when a brisk firing commenced. An attempt to force the passage of the bridge was ineffectual, the rebels having destroyed a portion of it. Captain Shaw marched his company upon the bridge with a view to carry the position, but lost one killed and six wounded. At this time, hearing nothing further of the firing at Romney, and concluding that Gen. Kelley had carried the place, and that the object desired had been accomplished, Col. Johns withdrew his force to Oldtown, Md., after a march of twenty-five miles.—(Doc. 107.)
—A large meeting was held at Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland, by the Union men. Speeches were made by Henry Winter Davis, Edwin U. Webster, Alexander Evans, S. S. Maditt, Esq., and others. There were several hundred ladies on the ground, and the display was grand.—N. Y. Tribune, October 30.
—Parson Brownlow has been forced to suspend the publication of his paper, the Knoxville (Tenn.) Whig. He gives his readers a farewell address, in which he says that he will neither give a bend to keep the peace, nor will he take an oath to support the Jeff. Davis Confederacy, and he informs the authorities that he is ready to go to jail. He has been indicted by the Grand Jury for treason, because, as he says, he has refused to publish garbled accounts of skirmishes in Kentucky, and other articles, the insertion of which in his sheet was insisted upon by the rebels.—(Doc. 108.)
—A wagon train was established between Baltimore, Md., and Washington, D. C. Fifty wagons were employed in the service. This was rendered necessary by the closing of the Potomac and the great amount of freight thus thrown upon the railroad.—Baltimore American, October 26.
—Generals Fremont and Sigel arrived at Springfield, Missouri, and were received with a display of National flags and every demonstration of joy.—National Intelligencer, Nov. 1.
—The Charleston Mercury, of this date, declares that the Northern army “has broken its ranks forever;” that “no trumpet will call them to battle again;” and that “however new forces may be mustered, and new generals commissioned, the decree of Manassas cannot be reversed;” that therefore Southern “independence is assured,” and it accordingly gives some space to the consideration of what the relations of the new Government “with the world are to be.” It describes the late prosperous and happy condition of the United States, and its present condition, and fears that Europe will not understand the South when it looks upon it as the active agent in the destruction of so much good. (Doc. 110.)
—Three companies of the Ninth Illinois regiment went to Saratoga, Ky., on the Cumberland River, and attacked a body of rebels, whom they routed, killing thirteen, taking twenty-four prisoners, and capturing fifty-two horses. They had two wounded on their side. These affairs, though not important in their results, in one sense, do nevertheless show in a clear light the spirit and bravery of the National troops, and add new proof to the evidence already gathered that the rebels are sure to be defeated in a fair fight with equal numbers, or with numbers not greatly inferior to theirs.— (Doc. 111.)
—This day a scouting party of thirty men of the Eighth Illinois regiment, under the command of their colonel, Johnson, left for Fort Holt, near Cairo, Ill., and proceeded several miles in the direction of Columbus, Ky. An advance guard was sent out to keep their way clear. They returned to their command and reported to Col. Johnson that a large force of the enemy’s cavalry was advancing upon them; whereupon Col. Johnson ordered his men to a turn in the road, and directed them to lie in ambush for the enemy, who, upon coming up, were confronted by Col. Johnson and ordered to surrender, to which they replied by opening a fire upon him, which he escaped. At this moment the men of his command fired a volley into the midst of the rebels, from the brush, killing their captain and lieutenant, and several others, which so astounded and surprised the rebels that they broke and ran in a promiscuous retreat, leaving their lieutenant dead in the road.—Louisville Journal, November 1.
