Charles Francis Adams, Jr., to brother, John Quincy Adams
Camp of 1st Mass. Cav.
near St. James College, Md.
July 12, 1863
One more line to be forwarded to London to tell you I am still safe, well and sound. Once more we are with the cavalry and in the front and under the command of the damndest fool I ever saw or read of, one ——. For two days we have been skirmishing gently with trifling casualties, but I think our share of the fighting for this bout is pretty much over and now the infantry will walk in for a few field days of slaughter and then “tomorrow to new fields and pastures new” over in Virginia. Of course you know well enough that your newspapers tell you nothing but lies and that “the cavalry” as depicted by them is all a figment of the poet’s brain. If you don’t I tell you so now and know it in future. We have done our work decently, but Pleasonton is, next to Hooker, the greatest humbug of the war, and Kilpatrick is a brave injudicious boy, much given to blowing and who will surely come to grief. The army has done nobly and is in fine condition, but as to Lee’s being routed, he has lots of fight left and this war is not over yet, and there will still be many shrewd blows. Though not elated I am confident and most happy in that novel sensation. All is going well and day, I believe, breaks at last. . . .
I tell you the Army of the Potomac is a magnificent army, but what shall we say of the great State of Pennsylvania? They left that army to fight it out, and win or lose with Lee, without the aid of a man or a musket, and before the battle devoted their energies to running away, or buying immunity for their precious goods by giving aid and comfort to the enemy and, after the battle, turned to with all their souls to make money out of their defenders by selling soldiers bread at twenty-five cents a loaf and milk at fifteen cents a canteen — in one case charging a hospital $19.00 for forty loaves of bread. Facts, John, facts. They are a great people! .. .
