War diary and letters of Stephen Minot Weld

Headquarters 56th Mass. Vols.,
Near Petersburg, Va., June 26, ’64.

Dear Father, — . . . We are still “in statu quo,” neither side doing much beyond a little shelling, and picket firing.

I saw Frank last evening at the division hospital. He seems very well and in good spirits.

What is to be our next move no one knows. I hear that a charge is to be made to-morrow along the whole line. I doubt this very much, as I don’t think that we can afford to lose the men that would necessarily be sacrificed in such an attempt. If unsuccessful, it would be disastrous in the extreme to us, so I hope that we shan’t risk it. We shall have our hands full, in my opinion, to hold our own here, which we shall have to do, in order to save Hunter and Sherman. If we cut off Petersburg from Richmond and keep it so, we ought to wait until we can get reinforcements from Hunter or Sherman. By waiting here, and threatening Richmond, we can prevent Lee from reinforcing Johnston, and let Sherman use him up. Our losses have been fearful since the beginning of this campaign. Since crossing the James River alone, we have lost 14,000 men.

I wish that they would abolish the $300 commutation, and have a draft, which will bring men, and a decent class of men. We need them now very much indeed.

We are now in the second line of intrenchments, and were it not for the fearfully hot weather, should be comparatively comfortable. The weather is fearful, and at noon it is almost dangerous to put one’s head out into the sun.

I don’t know what to do about a major. I need some one here to help me, and to take charge of the regiment in case anything happens to me. . . . The one that I wish to nominate, Captain Z. B. Adams, is wounded and a prisoner. . . .

Sunday, June 26.— Received letter from Father enclosing $10 and postage-stamps. Also a letter from Hannah, G. White, and General Cowdin. Nothing new today. Weather very warm indeed, with no breeze. Quite sharp skirmishing during the night.

Saturday, June 25.— The six companies of the regiment were moved into the rear line with the rest of the regiment. Had the first rest to-day that I have enjoyed for a long time. Weather fearfully warm. Went by division headquarters, and from there I went with Colonel Thomas to the 4th Division hospital, where I saw Frank.[1] On the way back, quite a heavy fire was opened on our picket line. Got back to the regiment on double-quick, and found that the enemy had been firing at a working party. Were routed out again during the night by firing on our right. Smith shelled Petersburg with 30-pounders this evening.

[1] My cousin and classmate, Dr. Francis M. Weld.

Headquarters 56th Mass. Vols.,
Near Petersburg, Va., June 24, ’64.

Dear Father, — We are still in our old position in the front line of rifle-pits. Our brigade was relieved last night, and put in the second line, but as there were not enough men in the brigade relieving us to fill up the space we occupied, six companies of my regiment had to remain. We are about as safe here as in the second line, unless the enemy attack us, which I don’t think he will do in our front. We have a thick skirt of woods in our front, which hides us from the rebel sharpshooters.

You will probably find James at home by the time this reaches you. He is pretty well frightened, and has not been of much use to me lately on that account. I think on the whole it was best for him to go home. He asked me to let him go, and I made no objection. He paid his own way home, as I had no money with me. Will you please settle with him up to the 22d day of June?

I wish you would send me, every few days, a five- or ten-dollar note in your letters, and charge the same to me. I have four months’ pay due me, but until I get it shall be dependent on what I receive from you.

I also wish that you would buy me a knife and send it on to me, as I need one very much.

The weather here is excessively hot. We had a man die of sun-stroke yesterday. We have had no rain for several weeks, to amount to anything.

Please send word to Mrs. Jones that I saw her son this morning. He is an aide on General Turner’s staff, and is in good health and spirits.

I am perfectly well, as I have been throughout the whole campaign.

The left of our army is swinging round to the rear of Petersburg. They have captured the Petersburg and Roanoke R. R., which is of great importance to the rebels. I hope we shall gradually close in on them, so that they will have to abandon their line here.

The smell around here from the dead bodies is anything but pleasant. Towards evening it becomes disgusting. Please give my love to Hannah and all the rest.

Friday, June 24. — It was reported that Smith was to attack, so all the line was notified to be in readiness to repulse any attack from the enemy, in case Smith was unsuccessful. No attack occurred, however. Day very warm. Night unusually quiet, there being but very little firing along the line. Nothing new happened.

Thursday, June 23.— Lost three men on picket. Enemy again opened on us on the picket line. The rebels had a mortar in position, with which they shelled our batteries. Our brigade was relieved and put in the second line, but six companies of our regiment had to remain in the front line.

Wednesday, June 22. — Day warm. Second and Fifth Corps moved to the left. In the evening there was quite heavy cannonading on our left and right. Heard that Second Corps lost four guns and 1300 prisoners. Had quite a brisk skirmish on the left of our picket line.

Headquarters 56th Mass. Vols., June 21, 1864.

Dear Father, — We moved out to the front last evening, relieving General Barlow’s division of the Second Corps. The idea is, I believe, to have the Second Corps moved to the left, to prevent a flank movement by the rebels.

There is one thing that I have noticed throughout this campaign. The newspapers have been giving a false and incorrect report of the state of the army and of our battles. They have claimed great victories, where we have been repulsed, and have not stated our losses correctly. It is perhaps necessary to have such reports go abroad in order to prevent our people from being discouraged, but I don’t like to see them.

The only time that Grant has got ahead of Lee, was in crossing the James River, and attacking Petersburg. He did out-manœuvre him there, most certainly, but did not follow up his advantage. The feeling here in the army is that we have been absolutely butchered, that our lives have been periled to no purpose, and wasted. In the Second Corps the feeling is so strong that the men say they will not charge any more works. The cause of the whole trouble, in my opinion, is owing to the carelessness of those high in command, such as corps commanders and higher officers still, who have time and again recklessly and wickedly placed us in slaughter-pens. I can tell you, Father, it is discouraging to see one’s men and officers cut down and butchered time and again, and all for nothing.

I don’t wish you to think from all this that I am croaking. I feel that we shall take Richmond in time, but hope that some consideration and some regard for life will be shown in doing so. We can’t afford to make many more such bloody attacks as we have been doing. The enemy will outnumber us if we do so. We shall have to settle down to a siege of Petersburg and take the place in that way. We have our lines so near the city that it will not be a difficult matter to burn and shell the whole concern out, if necessary.

I have 180 men left for duty in my regiment, and this is a fair-sized regiment.

We are quite fortunate in our position here. We are in woods, with the enemy’s line about 300 yards in our front. The woods screen us from them, so that we can walk around with comparative safety, but on our left the line is outside the woods, and woe betide any man who shows his head. The whistling of innumerable bullets around him warns him of the dangerous proximity of the enemy. The camp that we left yesterday was in the middle of a dusty field, where all the dead on both sides, killed during the charge of the 17th, were buried. The effluvia got to be unbearable finally, and we were all glad enough to change to any position, no matter where.

Can you do anything to help recruit this regiment? If you have a chance, I wish you would put some good men in it, as we need them very much.

My health has been remarkably good during the whole campaign. We have been remarkably fortunate in regard to weather, having had pleasant and dry weather almost all the time.

Tuesday, June 21. — Remained in the rifle-pits. Our regiment is in a better position than any other on the line. We are troubled very little by sharpshooters. Did not lose a man to-day.