War diary and letters of Stephen Minot Weld

June 20. — It rained very heavily last night, flooding part of our tent. This morning at 8.40 I started for General Howard’s on the Church road, near Goose Creek, and distant about seven miles from here. I found the general out riding, and after seeing Captain Babcock, the signal officer, in regard to connecting with us, I went on with the general to our headquarters. Many of General Howard’s staff have been chased by guerillas lately. This afternoon guerillas appeared between here and Herndon Station, probably capturing our guide. The weather has been cloudy all day, with occasional showers. Colonel Dana told me to-day that the number of our wagons was 370 odd. Received three letters from home to-day, and one from Jarves. Am officer of the day to-night.

Tuesday, July 19.— We had a rain-storm to-day, which lasted through the night, making us all very uncomfortable. Enemy were pretty quiet through the day. Raish arrived last night. Saw him to-day, and went with him to see General Burnside.

June 19.— I had a good sleep last night, and enjoyed it very much. We left our camp at Herndon Station this morning at 8 o’clock, and followed Doubleday’s division, which preceded us yesterday, to Guilford’s Station, some three miles. Our corps was camped on Broad Run. In the afternoon I went out with General Paul to establish the picket line. The road was beautiful, being wooded on both sides, with oak groves. We left a real Union family at Herndon, a family from Pennsylvania. This evening we received orders to move on to Goose Creek, but the orders were countermanded. I was sent to General Doubleday to countermand them. Our signal officers sent up a rocket this evening, to the great alarm of our cook, George, who had never seen anything of the kind before. We had a very heavy shower this evening, which I got caught in, much to my disgust, as it is the only time I have ever been out without my rubber coat.

June 18 .—Major Riddle started for headquarters yesterday, and did not return to camp until this afternoon. We were all afraid that the guerillas might have gobbled him, as there is a report that Major Stirling was taken last night while on his way to General Pleasonton at Aldie. I was going to start for our headquarters at the same time, and with Major Stirling, but on account of General Butterfield asking me to dinner, I waited fifteen minutes. It rained in the afternoon and during the night, being the first rain we have had for some time. All the crops through the country where we have been, are suffering terribly on account of the drought. The general was going to send me to headquarters again this afternoon, but just as I was starting an orderly came from there, which saved me the trouble. I drew a government horse to-day for temporary use, until my mare’s back gets well.

[A day or two after writing this entry I found that two staff officers belonging to different corps headquarters, who had lunched with me at headquarters of the Army of the Potomac on the i8th, had got into trouble. One started a little after lunch, and wanted me to go along with him. I said no, I thought I would wait a few minutes and have a smoke. In about fifteen or twenty minutes I started. The other aide wanted me to wait and go with him in half an hour. I said no, I thought I had better go ahead; so I started. Before starting I was cautioned by General Butterfield to be very careful, as Mosby’s guerillas were all around the army; and as soon as I got to our outposts I was to demand an escort and carry them with me to camp. Accordingly I started, as nearly as I can remember, about 5 o’clock in the afternoon. I rode until pretty nearly dark, when I met our outpost. I gave my orders to the colonel for an escort, and he gave me a lieutenant and, I think, five or six men. By the time we were pretty well started on our way, darkness had set in. The lieutenant enlivened our way by telling me of numerous skirmishes and encounters they had had with Mosby within a few days. We passed one house, and he said that one of Mosby’s lieutenants lived there, who captured one of our sergeants the other day. A little farther on, he said, “We had a fight with Mosby here the other day. He tried to surprise us.”

I was in a state of nervous tension that one can hardly realize. I had one hand on my horse’s reins, and with the other I grasped my pistol, ready to shoot in case we were attacked. As we rode along, we could hear the katydids singing, and occasionally an owl hooting, or some of the numerous midnight noises that one always hears on a summer’s night. The lieutenant said to me: “The hooting of the owl is one of the favorite calls of Mosby’s men.” Then I would get a little more stirred up, if possible, and a little more nervous. Finally, though, we got through all right, after one of the most exciting rides I ever had in my life. In the morning our head teamster was up in a cherry tree about two hundred yards from headquarters, when Mosby came along right in our camp, made him a prisoner, and took him off. It happened, as I afterwards learned and as I have said, that both aides, the one who left after me and the one who left before me, were captured by Mosby, while I got through safely.]

Headquarters 1st Army Corps,
Camp at Centreville, June 16, 1863.

Dear Father, Last week we received orders to move up the river and support the Fifth and Third Corps which were guarding the fords. Accordingly we started at daylight last Friday on our way, and marched until four in the afternoon, camping at Deep Run, in exactly the same spot that General Porter encamped last August when on his way to join Pope. While on the march, and just before reaching Berea Church, I met an orderly coming from the headquarters of the Fifth Corps, with my commission as a captain. I was quite glad to get it, I assure you. At Berea Church we halted for an hour, and just before starting, a deserter from an Indiana regiment of General Wadsworth’s division, was shot to death by musketry, he having been found guilty by a court-martial. I did not see the affair, as I had no desire to do so. The distance marched the first day was about 23 miles. The second day we pushed on to Bealeton Station, about 20 miles. On the way we passed another camp where General Porter stayed. About nine o’clock in the evening of our arrival at Bealeton, I was sent hack to General Barnes, some 12 or 15 miles from us. As guerillas were round about, it was rather unpleasant, but I saw nothing of them. Here at Bealeton we received orders to march to Centreville and take up our position there. General Reynolds then had command of five corps, General Hooker, with the three remaining corps, taking the route by Dumfries. From Bealeton our corps moved to Manassas Junction, over twenty miles. Our headquarters were at Catlett’s Station. Yesterday we arrived here at Centreville, soon to be on the march again, I imagine, for Pennsylvania, or the Valley of the Shenandoah. I hear that the enemy have whipped Milroy, and I suppose that I refused. After I had got my orders, General Butterfield asked me if I had had any dinner. I told him I had not, and he sent me to Major Lawrence, who provided me with a very nice dinner. I started back at 6 P.M., and reached camp at Herndon’s Station at 11.30, having a guide and a pass provided me by Colonel Gray, of the 4th Michigan, who were on picket near Fairfax Court House. The guide had strange stories to tell about the guerilla Mosby. In all I travelled about 6o miles to-day, and was pretty well used up, as the day was extremely warm and sultry. Found camp at Herndon Station.

[In connection with Mosby, an interesting story was told of Major Fraser. He was out scouting after Mosby, and as they were passing a house close by the road, a sergeant, with the troops with him, saw a man in a gray uniform standing at the window of the house. The sergeant drew his pistol and fired. He instantly went into the house, and there was a Confederate on the floor with his cloak drawn over his face. He said, “I am mortally wounded, please leave me alone.” They pulled up his waistcoat and saw a hole right through his abdomen, where he had been shot, and they left him, supposing he was dying. Five minutes after, they found it was Mosby. They turned around and went back, but he had been taken away by his friends. It turned out that the bullet had only penetrated the outer skin, followed around, and come out at the back, so that Mr. Mosby got well and tormented us as usual. Had Fraser captured him, he would have got a brigadier general’s commission.]

June 16. — Spent the day in camp, and had a chance to rest myself and my horse. Captain Babcock is in the Eleventh Corps now, and has his tent close to us. We heard to-day of the rebel raid into Pennsylvania.[1] The weather warm. General Hooker arrived at Fairfax Station to-day, and General Reynolds now commands only his own corps.

[1] The raid which culminated in the campaign and battle of Gettysburg. Lee’s northern movement began early in June, and by the 26th the whole Army of Northern Virginia had crossed the Potomac.

June 15. — We started at daylight, and rode at a gallop to Bristoe’s Station. Here we found General Meade. From here we proceeded to Manassas Junction, where we halted for some time, and where General Reynolds ordered the Third and Fifth Corps to be put in position. General Reynolds now commands five corps, the First, Third, Fifth and Eleventh, and the Cavalry Corps. From Manassas Junction we came to Centreville, and had our headquarters placed near General Howard’s. The weather was very hot.

June 14. — Started at daylight, and went to General Birney’s headquarters. Waited here for some time, and then went to Bealeton Station. By 12 o’clock our whole corps was in motion for Manassas Junction. Rode down to Rappahannock Station, to General Pleasonton’s headquarters. In the afternoon rode down to Bristoe Station, and gave General Doubleday an order to move on to Manassas Junction. Started from here at 6.45, and delivered the order at 7.45.

June 13. —We started on our march again at daybreak, and went to Bealeton Station on the Orange and Alexandria Road, a distance of 15 miles. General Reynolds has now the command of three corps, the Third, First, and Eleventh. Day warm, and the evening threatening showers. The chaplain of the 4th Michigan was shot in three places near Deep Run last Monday. Day before yesterday, General Birney’s advance guard was fired on by guerillas, while on the road to Bealeton. I was sent at 6.40 P.M. to General Birney, with an order for him to prepare to move, as the army was to start that evening for I delivered the order to General Reynolds at General B.’s headquarters, at 6.45. On the way up I met Major Stirling, Captain Dahlgren, and Lieutenant Bates, all from General Hooker’s headquarters. I started at 9.30 for General Barnes’s headquarters at Grove Church, with a dispatch for General Meade, which I delivered at 11 P.M., reaching camp at 2.34 A.M.