Camp Holmes, Annapolis, Md., April 2, ’64.
Dear Father, —We are in the midst of a heavy snowstorm, which seems more like November in New England than April in the “Sunny South.” Since we have been here we have only had three sunny days, a great disadvantage to us, as we want all the pleasant weather possible to drill our men.
I am detailed on court-martial, which will take up most of my time for some weeks to come. We shall have ten or twelve cases from our own regiment to be tried.
I have been riding around in the camps of some of the regiments here, and am glad to say that our men and officers look more like true soldiers than any that I have seen. They are more uniform in their dress, more respectful, and better disciplined by far, than the men of any other regiment here. Our camp is the neatest and most comfortable one that I have seen. We have cook-houses and cooking-stoves for every company, and most of our men have floors for their tents. Altogether I am very well satisfied with the regiment, and think that it will be one of the best in the corps.
In regard to shooting that man Casey, I was perfectly justified in so doing. He was formerly in the 12th Massachusetts, where he was utterly unmanageable. The lieutenant colonel of that regiment once drew a pistol on him, and told him he would shoot him if he did not keep quiet. Casey damned him and told him that he dared not shoot him, and he did not. This I heard since my trouble with him. When I had the trouble with him, he was tied up, and while in that position he kicked an officer. I told him I should shoot him if he did any such thing again. He at once kicked an officer who was passing by. I immediately drew my pistol and shot at him twice. He has often threatened my life, which of course I paid no attention to, as I knew he would never dare attempt it. I called him up a few days after shooting him, and told him that I meant to have killed him when I fired at him, but that if he would promise to let rum alone, I would release him from the guard-house. I might have had him tried by court-martial and shot, but I thought I would give him another chance. I have no doubt now but that the fellow will make a good soldier. He and other men in the regiment know that I will enforce discipline at all hazards. and that if I say that I shall shoot them, it will be done. I am firm and strict with all but always endeavor to be just and to discriminate between the totally bad and those temporarily led away) I find that I can govern men with strictness and yet be liked, although popularity is a thing that I never have and never shall seek for, with my men. If an officer does his duty, it comes of itself. The good men in the regiment feel very sorry that I did not kill Casey, as they consider him a disgrace to the regiment. On the whole I am glad that I did not, as the results produced by the shooting are just as good as if I had killed him.
I am rather discouraged at the poor condition of the portion of the Ninth Corps that I have seen. If the remainder is at all like what is here, I hope we shall soon leave it. . . .
I think that General Grant is going to concentrate all his forces on Richmond this spring and take it by overwhelming it. I dare say that he will concentrate between 150, and 200,000 men. I think that two columns will move against the city. One will probably go up James River, and I dare say that we shall form part of that force. If we only get Virginia from the rebels, we shall get North Carolina and East Tennessee, and then our lines will be shortened wonderfully. It is absolutely necessary to get some great advantage over the Confederates this spring, and with Grant at the head of our armies, I feel confident that we shall succeed in doing so. . . .
I forgot to say to you that the liquor dealer that I carried off from Philadelphia was a big rascal. Several of the citizens and policemen thanked me for taking him off, and begged me to keep him, saying that he enticed soldiers to desert, got them drunk, etc. I do not anticipate any trouble from the matter. I merely took him and delivered him over to the nearest provost marshal. I don’t think he complained much about having his head shaved. He was probably afraid of being laughed at if he did so.
