Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

“Pause and reflect upon the tenor and consequences of their acts…”—Woolsey family; From the journal of Eliza Woolsey Howland.

November 15, 2011

The American Civil War,Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

The battle of Ball’s Bluff near Poolesville had taken place while we were on “leave of absence” at home, and on our return to Washington, Major Potter, U. S. paymaster, and his wife, starting on an expedition to pay the troops up the Potomac, invited Chaplain Hopkins and ourselves to join the party, which we did with great delight, though it involved a three days’ journey in our own carriage—a formidable thing at that time. It gave us an opportunity of visiting the scene of the desperate fight at the Bluff and the encampments at Poolesville and Darnestown and of taking supplies to these distant hospitals.

From Eliza’s journal.

. . . “The officers told us the whole story of the battle and described terrible scenes to us of cold, suffering and death by drowning which we hope to forget…

While standing on the dreadful bank where our poor wounded were dragged up (and from which we plainly saw the rebel pickets across the river gathering in a little group), we understood fully and bitterly the wicked incompetency of whoever is responsible for this blunder…

Bright and early next morning we left for Darnestown on the return drive. There Captain Best, of Battery F, 4th Regular Artillery, was our host, and a most kind and attentive one, he and the other officers turning out of their tents for us and treating us like queens. Frank Crosby turned up there as Senior 1st Lieutenant, a position, Captain Best told us quietly, he worked fourteen years for in the regular service. Our tent was the salon and round our little fire that evening gathered Captain Best, General Hamilton of Wisconsin, Major Crane, Lieutenant Hazzard of Battery A, R. I. Artillery, Colonel Stiles of the 9th N. Y., Captain Perkins, Lieutenants Muhlenberg and Crosby, Dr. Wier of the Battery and others. They all came laden with refreshments from the sutler’s, and all seemed to enjoy the fun. . . Next day we called at Fort Muggins, lunched with the General, dined with Lieutenant Hazzard of Battery A, and left for Washington. We were stopped on the way for lack of countersign and marched to Tenallytown between files of soldiers! but managed to establish our innocence, and finally reached the Ebbitt house at 8 P. M.

At Darnestown we received the first official confirmation of the success of the great expedition and the capture of Port Royal. Captain Rodgers of the navy was selected by the Commodore as the first man to go on shore and run up the Stars and Stripes; and Dr. Bacon, who was one of the party, was sent inland with General T. W. Sherman’s proclamation, issued on his own responsibility, to the citizens of South Carolina, exhorting them to “pause and reflect upon the tenor and consequences of their acts,” etc. So deserted was the whole neighborhood of all but slaves that they had to go twelve miles to find a white man to hand the proclamation to, and he took it with oaths and under protest.”

The results are good, as far as they go.—Woolsey family letters; Abby Howland Woolsey to G. & E.

November 14, 2011

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

8 Brevoort Pl., Thursday.

The details of the landing of the fleet at Port Royal fill all minds and mouths. I hope Georgy will have, from “our own correspondent” with the expedition, a full account of the landing of the 7th Connecticut, which seems to have been the first on shore. The sight of those vessels rounding to and sailing past, with sails spread, and the bands playing, and the men crying, instead of cheering, for joy! must all have been wonderful. The poor blacks coming down to the shore, with their little bundles in their hands, is the most touching of all. Every one asks me what I think now of the state of the country, and I say—the results of the expedition are good, as far as they go. We must have something more than a Hatteras fizzle this time.

Flags are shown from all the private houses today. Our’s is out again, and I dare say Broadway will be quite a sight.

The first regiment ashore in South Carolina.–Woolsey family letters; Francis Bacon to Georgeanna Woolsey.

November 13, 2011

The American Civil War,Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Tybee Island.

The 7th was the first regiment ashore in South Carolina. It made the first reconnoissance in force; a detachment of five companies occupied Braddock’s Point and its batteries, and was the first to reconnoitre Daufuskie and neighboring islands. The greater part of the regiment now holds this position, with a fragmentary German one. If you have ever wondered how I could be accessory to Sherman’s proclamation in any way, let me suggest in the faintest possible whisper that I improved the occasion to issue on my own account a considerable number of small proclamations “to the loyal people of South Carolina of various shades of black and yellow scattered over the country from Beaufort to Port Royal Ferry.”

Post image for Eliza Howland quotes General Blenker, “I will fight de enemy better as I shpeak your noble language.” and that she thinks Blenker kissed McClellan!—Woolsey family letters; Eliza to husband, Joseph Howland.

Eliza Howland quotes General Blenker, “I will fight de enemy better as I shpeak your noble language.” and that she thinks Blenker kissed McClellan!—Woolsey family letters; Eliza to husband, Joseph Howland.

November 11, 2011

The American Civil War,Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Ebbitt House, Washington, Nov. 11

It is very late, but I scribble a line before going to bed to say we got over safely from camp, stopping on the way for Mr. Hopkins, who is going to Poolesville with us to-morrow. We got in at six o’clock and since then we have been in a blaze of glory, for there has been a splendid torchlight procession in honor of McClellan, with rockets and blue lights and all sorts of fine things. Of course we followed it with Chaplain Hopkins, bringing up at Mrs. Hodge’s in H street, next door to McClellan’s own house, where the procession halted and called out Seward and Lincoln and Cameron and McClellan himself, and there were several little speeches, the best of which was General Blenker’s, who said: “Citizens and soldiers, when I shtand on de battle field with your thousands volunteers I will fight de enemy better as I shpeak your noble language.” Then on tiptoe he patted McClellan on the back and I think kissed him! Seward’s speech was highly vague and promiscuous.

We came home at midnight, just now, with our patriotic noses smutty from the torches.

At 9 this morning we start for Poolesville and have the prospect of a fine day.

Back to hospital work.

November 3, 2011

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Joe went back to the army at the end of his week’s furlough, G. and E. staying in New York a fortnight longer with Mother. On returning to Washington they found that General Scott had just resigned from the head of the army, Nov. 1, ‘61, and General McClellan had been appointed commander-in-chief. They began work again at once. E. writes home the next day:—

“We have been up to Columbian College Hospital and have helped Miss Dix cover a lot of books; were most affectionately welcomed by her on the field of our old conflict. Joe is in a new camp near Leesburg Pike and very comfortable. We took a lot of things to the Alexandria Hospital and to Slocum’s brigade, including a number of bright prints Mother and Hatty sent on.”

“Oh, to have a Division-commissary’s head in a lemon-squeezer!” — Woolsey family letters, Francis Bacon to Georgeanna Woolsey..

October 27, 2011

The American Civil War,Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Hampton Roads, Oct. 27th.

We still loiter here in a seeming imbecile way, waiting now for weather and now for nobody knows what. Meanwhile patience and strength are ebbing in twelve thousand men. The condition of some of the regiments on shipboard is said to be very bad. Ours is fortunate in its ship, and they say is in better order than any other. A villain of a division-commissary, supplied fifteen days’ rations of pork and no beef, for the entire expedition! Finding this out just as we were leaving Annapolis, I felt that we could never stand it, and we have behaved so cantankerously about it, that we have secured beef enough, fresh and salt, to greatly mitigate the Sahara of pork, for this regiment. God help the others! Oh to have a Division-commissary’s head in a lemon-squeezer!

This embarkation business. . . .

October 18, 2011

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Francis Bacon to Georgeanna Muirson Howland (his future wife).

Camp Walton, Annapolis, Oct. 18th, ‘61.

Pardon a wretched notelet, written on camp stationery with the very dregs of the day’s ration of nervous energy. Everybody is both tired and busy to-night with this embarkation business. . . .

You will readily believe they are sober enough, these long, undulating files of honest brown faces, as they pour down upon the wharves, but there are good, rousing cheers, too, as the tenders swing out into the stream and go scuttling away to the great motionless ships in the roads.

I notice with surprise, and with some apprehension as well, that the 6th and 7th Connecticut, green as I have thought them, are farther advanced in the military art than any other troops I have seen here. This is not brag, you will please consider, it is very reluctant conviction. But still, as for me, turning more sadly than ever before from the loyal North, I feel an exultation in helping to strike, as we are hoping, the heaviest blow at the great crime that it has yet felt.

Your basket is such a miracle of packing that I have hesitated to thoroughly ransack it, fearing that the attempt to restore its contents to their normal condition might reduce me to a state of hopeless idiocy, like a Chinese puzzle, or a book on political economy.

Moritz delicately hinted at French rolls as being the only things that could not defy the ravages of time, and so, one terribly stormy evening, being the second after the arrival of the basket, Chaplain Wayland, my brother the Captain and I, having our rival teapots all in a row, each singing over her own spirit-lamp, I removed the stratum of rolls and disposed of them to the immense satisfaction of the tea-party. This gave me a glimpse of the blue and gold Tennyson lying lapped among the balmy bolognas. Ever since, I have been longing for the golden moment to come when I could sit, or, more properly, lie down to my own individual, personal, particular, blue and gold Tennyson. This may probably be when every soul in the regiment except myself is helplessly, hopelessly seasick, and nobody can “come a botherin’ me.”

Delightful to hear her account of things…

October 17, 2011

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Mother to Eliza Woolsey Howland at Fishkill.

New York, Thursday, Oct. 17th.

My dear Eliza: I must write a line to you this afternoon, not only to congratulate you and dear Joe upon being together again in your own pleasant home but to tell you how charmed I am at the prospect of seeing you here. We began to pack up immediately on the receipt of our last letter from Washington and came down from Lenox as soon as possible, reaching home yesterday in time for a six o’clock dinner. I wrote to old William we were coming and he had everything very nice and clean. . . . Mary received our letter last night, telling her we should be in town, so that this morning the first thing, Georgy—who had gone right out to Mary —and Carry rushed in upon us, and right glad were we to see Georgy again, and to find her looking so well; not entirely grey-headed and wrinkled with age from the cares and anxieties of her Washington campaign, as we expected! but really looking better and certainly fatter, than when she left home. It is delightful to hear her account of things, and it will be very charming when you are here with us too, to join in the pow-wows. We are all eager listeners to Washington doings, and I cannot bear to be out of the room a minute while Georgy is talking. . . .

Do give my kind remembrance to Thomson and his wife; I have a great respect for him. I hope you will come to us as soon as you can. We shall be all ready for you, except the “nicknacks,” and I don’t mean to take any of them out. I found William had opened Joe’s likeness, and set it out, as a delicate little attention to the family! Hatty waits to take my note.

Ever affectionately yours,

Mother.

Provided with nearly everything we want.

October 17, 2011

Woolsey family letters during the War for the Union

Rev. Edward Walker to Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey.

Hdqrs. 4th Reg. C. V., Camp Ingalls.

Dear Miss Woolsey: Your kind note is just received.

A week ago our hospital was in wretched condition, but, thanks to the Sanitary Commission! we are at present provided with nearly everything we want. If anything is needed, it is a few more sheets, as we have some fever patients who require frequent change of bedclothes. The surgeon suggests that more pillows are needed and that a little Indian meal for gruel would be very acceptable.

There are 51 in the regimental hospital today—2 dangerously ill, and 30 on the sick list in the camp. . . . Should we find ourselves really in need of further aid from the Sanitary Commission I will let you know promptly, either by a note or by calling on you when I come in town.

Yours gratefully,

Edward Ashley Walker.

Chaplain 4th C. V.