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

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Commencement of the battle of Hanover Ct. House. 1_45 PM.

Title inscribed below image: Commencement of the battle of Hanover Ct. House. 1:45 PM.

May 27, 1862 – drawn by Alfred R. Waud.

  • Inscribed above image in black ink, left to right: Cavalry. The Rebel Army. Bensons Horse Artillery. Johnsons infantry.
  • Published in: Harper’s Weekly, June 21, 1862, p. 397, inscribed in Harper’s “From sketches by an officer who was present.”

drawing on brown paper : pencil and Chinese white ; 21.1 x 36.2 cm.

Part of Morgan collection of Civil War drawings.  Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA

Record page for this image: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2004660266/

Harper’s Weekly Image:

From Harper's Weekly June 21, 1862 - The Army of the Potomac—Commencement of the Battle of Hanover Court House,

Camp on Corinth Road, Miss., May 27, 1862.

Why don’t you write me just a word, if no more? I’m almost uneasy. Not a line from home for a month. We hear that smallpox is raging in Canton, and—I want you to write. They say there is some smallpox in the center and right of the army, but think ’tis like the milk sickness of our Egypt, “a little further on.” There’s enough sickness of other kinds, so we have no room for grumbling if we can’t have that disease. The hospitals at Hamburg make almost a city. I think there can be no more sorrowful sight, real or imaginary, than that camp of the sick.

I don’t know the number of patients, somewhere in thousands, all packed in tents as closely as they can lie, and with not one-tenth the care a sick horse would get at home. I suppose the surgeons, stewards and nurses have feelings like men when they first enter the hospitals, but familarity with disease and suffering seem to make them careless and indifferent to a degree that surprises me, and I can’t but look upon it as criminal. I suppose nearly half the bad cases are typhoid fever. Yellow fever, cholera and smallpox have never been known here to the citizens. They all say this is a very healthy country, and I believe it. Our boys are suffering from the change of climate and water, and as much as anything, the sudden change in temperature. Our regiment is improving in health now rapidly. We have gained about 40 for duty within a week. We had about 250 sick last week. The 17th has some 300. I found a batch of live secesh women last Sunday. I rode up to a fine looking house to get a glass of milk (I suppose I drink more milk than any six calves in Fulton) and found eight or ten ladies at dinner, accepted a rather cool invitation to dine wid’ ’em, and did justice to their peas and fodder generally, and was much amused. Think there was more spice to that dinner than I ever before saw. One black-eyed vixen opened the ball with “I don’t see how you can hold your head up and look people in the face, engaged in the cause you are.” I told her I thought she had a free way of ‘spressing her opinion. “Yes,” says she, “I can’t use a gun but I can tongue lash you, and will every chance.” Then they all joined in, but I found that eating was my best “holt,” so they had it their own way. When I’d finished my dinner, told them “a la Buell,” that I thought their house would make, an excellent hospital, and that we’d probably bring out 80 or a 100 patients the next day for them to take care of. Scared them like the devil, all but one, and they all knew so much better places for the sick. This odd one said she had a way of “putting arsenic in some people’s feed, and she’d do it, too.” Told her we’d give her a commish as chief taster, and put her through a course of quinine, asafœtida and sich. Said she’d like to see us dare to try it, she would. They were too much for me, but I’ll never pass that place without calling. I’d give my shirt to have had Ame Babcock there. Those are the first outspoken female seceshers I have yet seen.

Deserters say that the Rebels have positively no forage or provisions in Corinth. That the Memphis and Mobile railways can barely bring enough daily, scraped from the whole length of the lines to feed the army. It is reported here that Sherman took possession of the Memphis road west of Corinth yesterday and has fortified his position. Pope got two or three men killed yesterday. There was about 5,000 of the enemy camped in the woods one and one-half miles in front of his posish, and he drove them back until they were reinforced and made him scoot again. I was out with a scout Sunday and started again last night at dark (Monday) and was out until 9 this a.m. The cause was some small bands raising the d____l on our left. We didn’t catch them. We were over to the Tennessee, Sunday, where we could see the sacred soil of Alabama. I like Alabama better than any other Southern State. She’s never done the “blowing” the others have and people here say that she’s nearer loyal than any other Southern state. They’re raising loyal companies here now. There are two full in Savannah.

General Jeff C. Davis’ division passed here to-day to join Pope’s corps. Davis stopped with us and made quite a visit. General Ash of this division goes forward to-morrow. The 21st and 38th Illinois from Stules division went out yesterday. Eleven regiments in all added to Pope’s command in two days; except the last two they were all at Pea Ridge and some at Wilson’s Creek. A splendid lot of men but not drilled equal to many regiments of the “Army Miss.”

I don’t honestly believe that we have with all our reinforcements 100,000 men here; but don’t believe the Rebels have 75,000; of course I mean effective men that can be called on the field to fight. We have just received orders to move to front to-morrow.

May 27th. Rained hard until noon; the river is rising, and the low grounds are all under water. On the 25th, the fourth corps marched forward to Seven Pines, on the main turnpike road, and is intrenching. The third corps crossed the river, and is in support of the fourth. Hooker’s division has gone to the White Oak Swamp bridge, and Kearny’s to Savage Station, on the York river railroad; this leaves Franklin. Sumner and Porter north of the river, with most of the cavalry. General headquarters are established at Gaines’ Mill and all is ready now for the great battle, as soon as the roads dry up. We hear to-night that McDowell’s army is not coming to join us, on account of the serious turn in affairs in the valley, which if true, is unfortunate for us; but we must have enough men in this fine army to win, if properly led. Courage Messieurs! who’s afraid!

Eliza Woolsey Howland to her husband, Joe.

Floating Hospital,

Off White House, May 27.

Still not a word from you for a fortnight now. I am beginning to be very hungry, — not anxious, only hungry, for letters. I only hear in indirect ways that our division was near the Chickahominy a day or two ago and was ordered to march into Richmond the next morning; and again yesterday that the whole army was to move in light marching order, leaving wagons and tents behind the Chickahominy. I dream about it all, and wonder, but know nothing. . . . We moved to the Knickerbocker from the Small and found a great state of confusion consequent upon having the Elm City emptied into it. . . . The event of this evening is the return of the old Daniel Webster, which we all look upon as a sort of home. … Dr. Grymes always invites us over “home” when he arrives in it, and we had a very nice dinner with him to-day. He rose as we came in and said, “I give you welcome where you have a right.” Mrs. Trotter returned in the Webster and Mrs. Baylies, Mrs. Bradford and Miss Mary Hamilton came down from New York this time. The two latter are to stay, and be replaced on the return trip by some of our force who want to go home. The Webster brought us more bundles and stores from home and lots of letters and papers.

May 27.—We are all packed up, and intend leaving this morning. Mrs. Glassburn and nearly all the ladies are going to Brookhaven. I intend going to Okolona, and there remain until I learn in which direction the army will move.

We have seen many sad sights and much suffering since we came to this place; still, I shall ever look back on these two months with sincere gratification, and feel that I have lived for something.

The surgeons, one and all, have proved themselves kind and attentive to the brave men whom they have had under their care. The hospital is in perfect order, ready for the reception of patients. I visited Corinth Hospital this morning; they were not thinking of leaving, and had quite a number of wounded men. There I met Mrs. Palmer of Mobile, who had a son in the Twenty-first Alabama Regiment. She had visited the camp the day before with refreshments for the soldiers. She informed me that there were numbers of sick yet in camp, and if we left, she could not conceive how they could be moved.

May 27th, 1862.—They have gone. It is bad enough to give up the sisters but it is even worse to let the children go. Mother says I love them too well. But she loves them as well as I do if the truth was known. The girls have promised to write us every day, that is, if the writing paper holds out; nearly everything is scarce and hard to get. At last I am growing taller, and pretty soon my dresses will all be too short. Mother is having a piece of checked homespun woven and she is going to make me some dresses for next winter from that; the dresses she made me last fall for the trip to Raleigh are getting too small as well as too short. A growing girl in these days doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance.

May 27.—The schooner Andromeda, from Sabine Pass, was captured off Mariel, Cuba, this day.—A portion of Gen. Fitz-John Porter’s corps engaged and defeated the rebels at Hanover Court-House, on the Pamunkey River. Five hundred rebels were made prisoners and a hundred dead were left on the field.—(Doc. 16.)

—Six men of the First Missouri cavalry, under command of Lieut. Pruette, in advance of a foraging party on the northern road from Searcy, Arkansas, were fired upon by about forty rebels, concealed in the adjoining bush, mortally wounding two or three of their number. The foraging party coming up, succeeded in killing four of the rebels and taking some prisoners.—St. Louis Democrat.

— The steamer Gordon, (Nassau,) whilst attempting to run the blockade of Wilmington, N. C, was captured by the gunboats State of Georgia and Victoria. — The bombardment of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi was resumed after nearly a week of quiet on the part of the Union troops.—Baltimore American, June 3.

—A fight took place near Corinth, Miss., between a force of Union troops under the command of Col. Purcell of the Tenth Iowa regiment and a brigade of rebel infantry, resulting in the defeat of the rebels with considerable loss.

—The Speaker of the House of Representatives at Washington laid before the House a message from the President, referring to the history of the commencement of hostilities, and his exercise of the broad powers of the Constitution to preserve the capital of the country during the absence of Congress. Incidentally with this, he referred to the arrangements with Gov. Morgan, Alexander Cummings and others, with a view to speedy and efficient protective measures. By these means he believed the Government was prevented from overthrow. He had no knowledge that even a dollar was lost or wasted. The President quoted the House resolution censuring Mr. Cameron, and said that not only himself, but all the heads of departments, were responsible with Mr. Cameron for whatever error, wrong or fault had been committed.—(Doc. 47.)

—In New-York City the military excitement, occasioned by the calling out of the State Militia, continued, and the greatest bustle prevailed at the different armories —recruits applying to be admitted as members of the regiments, officers despatching the necessary business connected with their departure, and orders hourly arriving containing the instructions from headquarters.

—The schooner Lucy C. Holmes was captured by the United States gunboat Santiago de Cuba, on the coast of Georgia, having run the blockade of Charleston, S. C, the night previous.

—General Mcclellan sent the following despatch to the War Department:

I find some of the newspapers publish letters from their correspondents with this army, giving important information concerning our movements, position of troops, etc., in positive violation of your orders. As it is impossible for me to ascertain with certainty who these anonymous writers are, I beg to suggest that another order be published, holding the editors responsible for its infraction.

—The Sixty-first regiment of Ohio volunteers, left Columbus for Washington. — The Norfolk (Va.) Day Book, which was allowed to continue its issue by Gen. Viele, after the occupation of Norfolk, on condition that it should be respectful in its tone, was to-day suppressed in consequence of a communication in yesterday’s paper signed “Enquirer,” which in severe language assails those Union citizens who have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States. A meeting was held last night, in which the course of the paper was discussed, and a committee having waited upon Gen. Viele and stated their request that the paper should be stopped, he acquiesced, and the order was issued this morning.

—Governor Curtis of Pennsylvania issued a general order countermanding the order for enlisting three months’ volunteers, the emergency which seemed to require them having passed. He congratulated the people on the fact, and commended the alacrity shown in every part of the State in volunteering for the defence of the National capital.

—The gunboats Stepping-Stones and Cœur de Lion made a reconnoissance a short distance up the Appomattox River. When about a mile up the river, they were attacked by a party of rebels who were lurking among the houses. The gunboats returned the fire; and, after cannonading for about half an hour, completely riddling the houses, they returned to City Point, on the James River.—Baltimore American.