March 28th. This morning at four o’clock all hands were called; five A. M., got ship under way; five-thirty A. M., opened fire upon the batteries at Warrenton again; the enemy fired very few shots. Our loss is two very slightly wounded; the vessel sustained no injury except being hulled once, and the chain cable attached to lower yard arms cut in one place. Weather very fine; lay all day at anchor below Warrenton.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Camp White, March 28, 1863.
Dearest: — I received yours last night. It is a week this morning since you left. We have had rain every day, and in tents in the mud it is disagreeable enough. The men still keep well. We have plenty of rumors of forces coming in here. It does look as if some of the posts below here might be attacked.
You went away at just the right time as it has turned out. A few weeks hence it will be good weather again and you would enjoy it if we are not too much annoyed with the rumors or movements of the enemy.
Nothing new to talk about. General Cox is quite certainly not confirmed, ditto his staff officers, Bascom, Conine, and Christie. It is now a question whether they revert to their former rank or go out of service. At any rate, we are probably not to be under them. At present we are supposed to report to General Schenck at Baltimore. We like General Schenck but he is too distant and we prefer on that account to be restored to the Department of the Ohio under General Burnside.
We have had two bitterly cold nights the last week; with all my clothes and overcoat on I could not keep warm enough to sleep well. But it is healthy!
Love to all the boys, to Grandma and “a smart chance” for your own dear self.
Same as before, yours lovingly,
R.
Mrs. Hayes.
Saturday, 28.— Rain all night. Yesterday, a clear, cold morning; a white frost; cloudy and hazy all day; rain at night.
P. M. Rode with Dr. Webb, Lieutenant McKinley, and a dragoon out on road to Coal Forks as far as Davis Creek, thence down the creek to the Guyandotte Pike (river road), thence home. Crossed the creek seven times; water deep and bottom miry.
Today a fight between four hundred Jenkins’ or Floyd’s men and two hundred and seventy-five Thirteenth Virginia [men] at Hurricane Bridge. Rebels repulsed. Our loss three killed and six wounded, one mortally. Floyd’s men coming into Logan, Boone, Wayne, Cabell, and Putnam [Counties], reporting Floyd dismissed and his troops disbanded. The troops from being state troops refuse to go into Confederate service but seem willing to fight the Yankees on their own hook.
MARCH 28, 1863.—Guerrilla attack on Steamer Sam. Gaty.
Report of Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis, U. S. Army.
Headquarters,
Saint Louis, Mo., April 3, 1863—8 p. m.
A band of guerrillas took steamer Sam. Gaty, and murdered several soldiers and 9 contrabands. General Loan telegraphs that Colonel King, in pursuit, had two fights yesterday with guerrillas, totally routing them, mortally wounding their chief.
SAML. R. CURTIS, Major-General.
Maj. Gen. H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief.
28th. Tended Rowena, my saddle mare, and got rations from the Post Commissary. About noon Bob came. Glad to be relieved. Letters from Lucy R., Ella Clark and Sarah Felton. All very good and quite acceptable. In the evening went to class. After it, beat Capt. N. three games of chess. Boiled eggs. Sleeked up the commissary for Sunday and chopped wood. Unusual.
On the Coldwater, Saturday, March 28. Met six boats from below. Report General Quinby’s headquarters 190 miles at the mouth of Tallahatchie. Boats badly seamed.
March 28th.—A letter from ——. She tells me that W. B. N. and E. C. both passed through the fierce fight at Kelly’s Ford uninjured. How can we be grateful enough for all our mercies? Letters also from B., by underground railroad. That sweet child and her whole family surrounded and roughly treated by the Yankees; and so it will be as long as Millroy is allowed to be the scourge of the Valley.
Saturday, 28th [March]. Mr. Randolph here, and we all talked about Farragut and the Hartford for about two hours. He will have it that we have both. Nowadays there seem to be but two classes of individuals, those that believe everything and those who believe nothing. I have fallen into a state of general infidelity. My head is dazed with talk and rumors. Mr. Randolph has his spy story. A Confederate officer is in, in Federal uniform; he says that Farragut never passed all the batteries at Port Hudson, but being crippled by passing the first, was forced to surrender. He was then sent as a prisoner to Jackson and thence to Richmond. The Hartford still floating the Federal stars and stripes, then proceeded on her way to Vicksburg, and as we had captured the signals, she lies there to entice other Federal vessels from the other fleet to run the Vicksburg batteries to come to her assistance; should they do so, they will fall into our hands, as did the Queen of the West and others. The officer says, too, that the Indianola is safe. The Federals here say that she sank and rose no more. He says, too, that the Confederates are coming soon to the defence of this poor city. Mr. Randolph believes in this officer, and says he has good reason to do so. We told him of our general infidelity which, for our better spirit’s sake, he tried to combat.
The Era reports Farragut safe at the mouth of the famous canal, waiting for coal barges to pass down to him; it gives a threatening letter of his to the Mayor of Natchez, said threats to be carried out should the guerrillas fire on him. (The Era distinguishes these irregulars as “Gorillas”). The capture of this famous rear-admiral is a great deal to us Confederates. He is a brave fellow, and his loss would give our enemies quite a blow, and the more of that stamp they lose the better. It seems a silly thing to me that he should place himself in such a dangerous position—parted from his fleet and hemmed in by batteries, deadly in their effectiveness. If we do not catch him, we should. In spite of the bravado and inflation of the Era, a very sensible fear of the Admiral’s position appears. Banks is safe here in the city, and all his military show towards Port Hudson has come to naught. He says that he has done all that he wished to do—which was to march in great array out of Baton Rouge and then make a hasty retreat thereto without striking a blow at our strong point. The Federals, I believe, have changed their tactics; finding that the “gorilla” is strong, they very sublimely sit themselves down until he starves to death. It is amusing to hear how dreadfully we need everything (from their papers). Our people are suffering from the want of many accustomed luxuries, but the blessings of freedom and peace, I pray God, may so entice them from the future that they may continue to bear a bold front toward a ruthless and home-desolating foe. Mr. Randolph tells us that if the Confederates do not come in for fifty days, quite a large sum of money will be saved to him; but, said he, “I would rather have them in to-morrow, and lose it.” He comes of the blood of old John Randolph; if he had taken the oath, he says, his mother and his brothers in the army would have disowned him. “When the oath-taking was going on last summer, he was so disheartened by the sight that he came up from town one day, just to be cheered by the sight of those he knew would never take it. He brought us one of the ballads which flood the city. It represents the reception of old John Brown into a place which shall be nameless in these decorous pages. He brought something better, however—Doctor Palmer’s letter to Mr. Perkins on the subject of the oath-taking in this city. It is a fine thing, this letter, but I think, much too severe, and would have come with much better grace from one who had remained here and suffered the various influences of temptation which surrounded our poor people here under Butler’s brutal reign.
Headquarters Engineer Brigade,
Near Falmouth, March 28, 1863.
Dear Father, — Do you know of any good engineers in Boston, who would like commissions in this brigade? I wish you would write me, and let me know, as General Benham wants to find some good engineers to commission. I told him that I would write you, and see whether you knew of any such.
I received your letter inclosing George’s recommendations, and sent them over instantly to Captain Abbott of the 20th, a friend of mine and a classmate.[1] He is a son of Judge Abbott. I could not deliver them personally, as my duties kept me closely confined in camp. I sent a very strong letter of recommendation with them, and told Abbott that I would consider it a personal favor if he would recommend George. I also told him that I would be over at his camp to-morrow and see him about it. He sent back word that he would make it all right when I came over. I also asked him to show the recommendations to Major Macy, who is in command. I shall go over tomorrow and see him personally. Even if I could not get George a place there, I feel quite sure I could get him one in this brigade. You need not say anything about it, as I do not wish to raise any false hopes. You can let George know that I am doing my best for him.
I hear that Longfellow’s son ran away, and enlisted as a private in the 1st Massachusetts Battery, and that Senator Sumner sent for the captain of the battery, and told him that he would get L. a commission in the regular army if he (the captain) thought him fit for it.
General Benham is trying to collect the brigade together, and soon we shall have most of the companies near headquarters, together with a band. At present the brigade is very much scattered, some being at Harper’s Ferry, some at Washington, and the rest scattered throughout the army.
I am still acting adjutant-general, and do not know how soon I shall be relieved.
The general is going to appoint an inspector-general on his staff. If I can find a good fellow, I shall get him on the staff. The new aide, whom I got, is a very nice fellow. His name is Perkins.
Yesterday was a delightful day, but to-day we have one of those everlasting rains. It has cleared up again to-night.
General Birney’s division had races yesterday. There were some 10,000 spectators present. As usual, there were some accidents, men being thrown and breaking their legs.
The army is in good spirits, and very good discipline. As soon as we can move, we shall do so. . . .
[1] Henry L. Abbott, of the 10th Massachusetts, who showed great military ability. He was killed later in the war.
March 28. Day cloudy and rainy. Saw Colonel Schriver in the evening, in regard to the appointment of an inspector-general. He said we were en titled to one. Went over to General Sedgwick’s in the evening.
