Saturday, April 23. — General sounded at 4 A.M. Left camp at 8.15 A.M. and marched to within one mile of Patuxent River, about 14 miles, where we encamped. As usual with a new regiment, the men overloaded themselves and for the first five miles the ground was strewn with blankets, knapsacks and clothing. The day was excessively warm, and notwithstanding all our efforts, the men straggled a good deal. Captain —— left his company without leave, probably on account of Captain Putnam’s place in line.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
23rd. Went to the White House and went through the East Room and two or three reception rooms. Eight very large mirrors in the East room, velvet and gilt papering, heavy brussels carpet, elegant sofas. Reception room surpasses anything I ever saw. Waited at Soldier’s Rest from 9 till 1 P. M. for Major Seward. Then got teams for baggage. Went to depot to have boats ready. Weather as mild and warm as in June. Streets very, very dusty. Willard’s and Metropolitan fine hotels. Passed Treasury Building. Moved at 4 P. M. to Camp Stoneman, via Giesboro Point by boat. Drew tents.
Saturday, April 23rd.
When the mail for the Company was distributed today, Sergeant Theben received a package containing two pairs of heavy woolen socks, and until I explained the situation, his gratitude to the unknown donor was unbounded. I had forgotten to inform him that at Stevensburg I had written home for the articles, and inasmuch as only enlisted men were permitted to receive such things through the mail, I had, without any regard for the postal rules, directed that they be sent to me via Theben, and hence the contretemps. Previous to leaving Fort Marcy, and following the advice of a relative who had been out for two years with Duryea’s Zouaves, I had supplied myself with woolen under and over shirts, but had neglected the socks, but with our experience at Stevensburg I made haste to complete the woolen outfit.
Yellow Bluff, Fla.,
April 23, 1864.
Dear Sister L.:—
The change of place indicated in my date is an accomplished fact. We came down here last Sunday. Yellow Bluff is on the north bank of the St. Johns about seven miles from the mouth. We have a fort here, a stockade and some rifle pits.
Our regiment garrisons the post and there are no other troops here. Having no other commander we have things all our own way. Captain Dickey is provost marshal of the post and I am commanding the company. Companies K and B are at post headquarters and do post guard duty and river patrolling.
Our court-martial, after a six-weeks’ session, was disbanded the day before I came down here, and on arriving I was sent on picket. Imagine a slashing of five hundred acres with an impassable swamp on each side, woods in front and the camp in the rear, and you have my field of operations. After posting my line, I selected a log in the center for my headquarters and awaited developments. They came. Development No. 1, a commotion among the darkies on the hill, the discharge of a musket, and beating the ground with clubs, ending in the reception at picket headquarters of a black snake seven and one-half feet long and thick as my wrist. No. 2, similar to No. 1, except the musket and the kind of snake; No. 2 being a brown cottonmouth five feet long. No. 3, 11:30 p. m., a bellow that beats all the bulls of Bashan, shakes the ground and huddles the darkies in heaps. Boys think it is a bear, but I conclude it is an alligator. No. 4, a buggy containing a woman, five children, a trunk and a box of tobacco, and drawn by a Florida pony arrives at the line. The woman wants to “Come over to you-all.” She is admitted and sent in to headquarters. No. 5, Lieutenant Young relieves me and I return to camp.
Well, as I told you, Company K is provost guard and river patrol. About all the duty I have is to patrol the river one night in three. The steamers Maple Leaf and General Hunter have been blown up by torpedoes, and our business is to prevent the rebels from putting down any more of them between here and St. Johns Bluff, six miles below. We have four boats’ crews beside the guard in the two companies. I come on to-night and I will give you an outline of the night’s work. About dark I shall leave the wharf with a crew of seven men and run down the river among the islands and past the mouths of creeks and bayous to St. Johns Bluff, keeping a bright lookout for any strange boat. I shall get out on shore, build up a fire and wait an hour for my oarsmen to rest, then come back again, reaching camp about midnight. Then I shall take a new crew and do the same thing over again, getting back at sunrise.
To-morrow night Lieutenant Griffin will go with his company, next night Lieutenant Thompson, and next I go again. After breakfast I shall take a snooze, then get up and play a few games of chess with the adjutant or somebody else, or perhaps go fishing. Fish are abundant here, and strange fish some of them are, too. Catfish just like our bullheads, weigh thirty pounds. Sheephead, shaped like a pumpkin seed with teeth exactly like a sheep’s, and lips too, for that matter. Garfish with a bill like a duck’s only hard and full of sharp teeth, and eight or ten inches long. Sea trout—Thompson caught one the other day that weighed twenty-six pounds, delicious eating. When one of them bites, it is a fair question which is caught, the fish or the man. Sea crabs and oysters are plenty, too. Don’t you think we can live?
The regiment is camped rather scattering. Two companies are in the fort, two at the stockade, and two here, two in reserve and two down at St. Johns Bluff. There are three or four houses here. One is used for headquarters, one as hospital, one commissary. Lieutenant Thompson and I have a tent with a fly in front and a floor under the whole. Captain Dickey has a tent for himself and one for his office. The men to-day are putting up “A” tents and discarding the shelter tents. Altogether we intend to be comfortable while we stay here.
The white troops are all gone or are going north and we are to stay and hold the river to prevent smuggling. Next time I will give you some description of the country and river scenery..
I am collecting some beautiful shells and curiosities to send you if I ever get in reach of an express.
I’ve got three little alligators a foot and a half long in a tub. I keep them for playthings.
Saturday, 23d—Company E reported for duty this morning, and in addition ten recruits. Our regiment has more than one hundred recruits. We signed the pay rolls this forenoon, and were expecting to receive our pay, one month’s, but as Company B has not yet arrived in camp, the paymaster withheld the pay. I swapped watches with Henry Clark, trading my cylinder escapement watch for his American lever watch, and gave $10.00 to boot. The boys still keep straggling into camp, and all who have reported are in high spirits and glad to return after their thirty-day furlough.
Huntsville, Saturday, April 23. Worked hard all the forenoon hauling the refuse from picket rope, but not to enrich the corn field as of old. Drew twenty-five good new horses direct from Nashville, nearly enough now. The weather was most disagreeable. Warm and sultry wind all day, driving the dust in blinding clouds, finding its way through the many cracks of my bachelor’s hall, settling in thick layers of clean dust upon bed, desk and everything, the dust filling my eyes, etc. Awful!
April 23—Went to Moulton’s Ford, met Stonewall Brigade on our way, and had some lively talk with them, all in fun, of course. Stayed on picket until 30th, then we were relieved at 11 in the morning, and reached camp at 2.
April 23, Saturday. We have met with some disaster in North Carolina. Am apprehensive the army has been a little delinquent.
General Butler has telegraphed to Fox, who is an old boyhood associate and acquaintance, to come down to Hampton Roads. Wants help. Asks F. to induce the President to go down, but he declines, — wisely, I think. Troops are getting in at Fortress Monroe, and the indications in this vicinity warn us that the strength is being gathered for a conflict.
Sumner called on me to-day. Had just come from Chase; spoke of the finances and currency. I told him I was a hard-money man and could not unlearn old ideas, and had no time to study new theories. He laughed and said that things in these days must conflict with my old opinions. It is evident that our statesmen do not realize the importance nor condition of the money and currency question.
April 23.—This morning a party of rebels attacked the National pickets at Nickajack Trace, and after compelling them to surrender, committed the most flagrant outrages upon them. A correspondent at Chattanooga, Tenn., gives the following particulars of the affair: “Sixty-four men, detailed from the Ninety-second Illinois, Lieutenant-Colonel D. F. Sheets, commanding, were doing picket-duty near Lyle’s farm, under command of Lieutenant Horace C. Scoville, company K. Eighteen of the men were placed in reserve near the farm, the rest were distributed at seven different posts.
“The supposition is, that a regiment of rebel infantry crossed Taylor’s Ridge during the night, about five miles from Ringgold, and formed a line, extending from the base of the ridge to the Alabama road. This line faced south, being in the rear of our pickets. Another regiment crossed the ridge higher up the valley, and faced west. A body of cavalry (probably two companies) came on our pickets from the south, and a smaller body advanced from the direction of Leet’s farm. Thus were our men nearly surrounded by the wily enemy, before the attack commenced, and the assault was made simultaneously upon all the posts. The enemy’s cavalry first assailed our videttes, who retired, fighting desperately, until reenforced from the reserve, when the rebels were temporarily repulsed. Advancing again in still larger numbers, they forced our men to fall back. But the latter soon found their retreat cut off by the infantry which had formed in their rear, and barricaded the road. Such was the disposition of the rebel force, that the reserve at Lyle’s house, now reduced to nine men, were cut off from the remainder. Consequently, there was nothing left for our brave fellows but to surrender, or cut their way out, each man fighting for himself. They resolved to attempt the latter. Some desperate hand-to-hand contests ensued, and some chivalric daring was displayed, which the historian will never record. Of the sixty-four men, thirty-four escaped death or capture; and with heroic determination not to return to camp until relieved, they reoccupied the ground from which they had been driven, although they knew not at what moment the enemy might return to the attack, and kill or capture the remainder of them. Of that heroic band not a man came to camp without orders. Five were killed, four mortally wounded, three severely wounded, and eighteen missing. Lieutenant Scoville was wounded and captured. The rebel loss in killed and wounded must at least have equalled our own, and we took one prisoner.
“The men speak in high terms of Lieutenant Scoville’s conduct until he was wounded; and I am informed that Colonel Sheets speaks highly of Sergeant Strock, of company C, and Sergeant Hine, of company E, who saved most of their men, and commanded the party who reoccupied the field.
“From the statements of wounded soldiers, and of citizens living near the roads along which the enemy retired, I gather the following facts, and offer no comment.
“A citizen saw a rebel officer shoot down one of our men, after he had surrendered and marched some distance with his captors. The only excuse for the vile outrage was, that the poor fellow could not keep up with the fiends who had taken him prisoner. After the officer had shot the man, the citizen heard one of the rebel scoundrels say: ‘That’s right, Cap, give it to him again!’
“William Chattannach, or Chattnach, a private in company B, after surrendering, was marched off with several others upon the double-quick, until totally unable to go further. A rebel lieutenant then came up to him, and shot him twice, the first time inflicting a slight, the second a mortal wound. He then left him, supposing he had killed him. Shortly after, two rebels came up to him and robbed him of his pocketbook and boots. One of them said, ‘Let’s scalp the Yankee!’ but did not execute the proposition. This statement was taken from poor Chattannach’s dying lips.
“Reginald O’Connor, company B, was shot for the same reason, after being captured.
“George A. Springer and John Craddock, company E; George Marie, company F; and William Reynolds, company I, all make similar statements with regard to themselves.
“William Hills, company K, was found dead a mile from the post where he had stood on picket during the night. A lady living near where he was posted, declared, that she saw him pursued by some rebel cavalrymen. On being overtaken, he at once handed over his gun to one of the savages, who immediately fired the contents of the same into Hill’s body, killing him instantly.
“In the case of O’Connor, three soldiers who saw the murder, declare, upon oath, that it was also committed by a rebel officer.
“Such are some of the details of this stupendous crime, whoso atrocity is perhaps unsurpassed even by the bloody murders recently committed by these rebel miscreants in West-Tennessee and Kentucky.
“The following list of killed and wounded is nearly complete. Killed: Garner McKeel, company E; William Hills, company K ; John Douns, company B; William Gifford, company H.
“Wounded: Reginald O’Connor, company B. fatally; William Chattannach, company B, fatally; G. A. Springer, company E, fatally; John Craddock, company E, severely, not dangerously; George Marie, company F, fatally; D. W. Butler, company A, dangerously; James Rhoades and William Reynolds, company I, both fatally.
“Of these killed and wounded, two had not surrendered when shot; seven were either killed or wounded (all but one mortally) after they had surrendered to the enemy as prisoners of war; the circumstances connected with the shooting of the other three have not been definitely ascertained. Of the facts connected with these horrid outrages, there is no room to doubt. They are taken mostly from the affidavits of dying men—the surest testimony in the world.”
by John Beauchamp Jones
APRIL 23D.—A bright day, with southern breezes.
It is rumored and believed that Gen. Lee’s army is in motion. If this be so, we shall soon hear of a “fight, or a foot race.” And how can Grant run away, when Mr. Chase, the Federal Secretary of the Treasury, openly proclaims ruin to the finances unless they speedily achieve success in the field? I think he must fight; and I am sure he will be beaten, for Lee’s strength is probably underestimated.
We are also looking to hear more news from North Carolina; and Newbern will probably be stormed next, since storming is now the order of the day.
