War diary and letters of Stephen Minot Weld

May 26.— Remained in camp all day. The expedition from the Neck returned this noon. Captain Clapp, Captain Strang, and Lieutenant Perkins were here this evening. The weather was moderately cool to-day. Captains Batchelder and Jay were here to lunch.

May 25. This morning there was a great change in the weather in comparison with yesterday. The air was chilly and we had a slight rain. It was cloudy most of the day. In the afternoon I went over to see Whittier, but found that he had started for home, quite sick with a fever. I went to the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, and found them in their new position near General Sedgwick. I went from there to the Engineer Brigade, and settled my accounts with Clapp and Strang. We received the news of the fall of Vicksburg’[1] in today’s paper. Had a letter from Father, and one from Hannah, enclosing her photograph.

[1] The news proved to be incorrect.

June 25. — Received orders early this morning to be ready to move, and at about 8 o’clock we started for Young’s Ford, three miles below Edward’s Ferry. When near the ferry we found that the ford was too deep for infantry, so we moved for the ferry itself, where they have a pontoon bridge across. We met Birney’s corps just before turning off from the pike to the ferry. Here General Reynolds took command of the First, Third, and Eleventh Corps. We reached the river just where Goose Creek runs in, and crossed the creek on a pontoon bridge, and then the Potomac on another. I found Captain Reese and Captain Turnbull here, and after a little while we went up to their tents on the hill, which rises from the river. A new bridge was soon finished here, so that we had two going. The view from here was very fine, and the troops crossing made a very beautiful scene. Up to this time we had had a very dusty march of eight miles, but about 3 P.M. it began to rain, and soon settled into a drizzle which lasted all night. Our headquarters were established about a mile and a half from Poolesville, Maryland. General Reynolds rode into the town and saw General French. I heard that the 2d Massachusetts Cavalry were near here, and on looking for them, found them. I saw Colonel Lowell[1] and Major Forbes,[2] both looking very well.

[1] Col. Charles Russell Lowell, killed later at Cedar Creek.

[2] William H. Forbes.

May 24.— To-day has seemed to me more like Sunday than any other Sunday that I have spent in the army. I heard some men singing a psalm tune early this morning, which made me think of home, etc. Such thoughts, however, are too agreeable to be indulged in out here. I rode over to the Engineer Brigade in the morning, and from there went to Falmouth. Saw Perkins at the Engineer Brigade quarters, and found that he was going off to his regiment. Buzzby[1] was in Washington. The day was misty, and mizzly, and disagreeable. James came back from Washington with our mess things.

[1] General Benham, I believe.

May 23. — Rode along our picket line this morning, beginning near Mrs. Gray’s, and going from there to the extreme left. Saw nothing new. Day sultry and warm.

May 22. — Captain Wadsworth went down the Peninsula this morning. Day warm and sun shining. Lieutenant Smith of the t2th Infantry was here this afternoon.

May 21. — Started James for Washington to get me some mess things. Egbert and I began our mess to-day. Went over to General Barnes’s in the afternoon, and saw the presentation of a sword, etc. The affair passed off very successfully. The lieutenant colonel of the 118th Pennsylvania made the presentation speech, and General Barnes answered, reading from manuscript. General Meade, General Benham, and all the officers of the brigade were there. The good things of this life were there in abundance. All kinds of punches, champagne, etc., were freely circulated. The grounds were beautifully decorated with flags and banners. Over the entrance were two American flags, with two white flags with the coat-of-arms of Massachusetts intertwined. I got back to camp about 10 o’clock, having stopped on the way at General Sedgwick’s. Weather warm and pleasant.

May 20, 1863. – General Reynolds had an order issued this morning announcing me as acting aide. I rode over to the Engineer Brigade in the afternoon, and from there to the Fifth Corps, to witness the presentation of a horse, etc., to General Barnes, but found that the affair was postponed till to-morrow. Day warm and pleasant.

May 19. — Left General Benham this morning at about 10 o’clock, and came over to General Reynolds. Saw Lieutenant Egbert, 12th Infantry, and made arrangements for tenting and messing with him. Am with Major Riddle’s mess until our mess gets started. Day warm and pleasant. Saw General Sedgwick in the morning, and told him that I had left General Benham. He told me that I was right in doing what I did on the night of laying the bridges. Saw Charles W[hittier], who was sick.

[A few words of explanation will perhaps be proper, in regard to General Benham and my relations with him while on his staff. General Benham, I believe, graduated first in his class at West Point. He was certainly very high in his class. He was a man of a great deal of brain, but with an inordinate amount of vanity, and exceedingly nervous and irritable. On the evening that we were to lay the bridges, orders had been given to every one to speak in a whisper. Officers were to give their orders in a whisper, and every effort was being made to take the enemy by surprise, with no knowledge of what was intended. General Benham had a canteen, in which he said that he had put two glasses of sherry and had then filled it with water. This was the explanation which he gave us afterwards. At all events, his conduct that evening was most peculiar. He rode down to the bank of the river where the troops were lying on the ground, and rode through them, yelling and screaming and making an awful row. Adjutant-General Channing Clapp and I did not know what to do. General Benham quarrelled with all the general officers and put several of them under arrest, which he had no authority or power to do, and finally, when it got towards daylight, he tumbled off his horse and cut his face very badly. He left the blood to dry on. He finally said, “Come with me, Weld,” and off he started to General Reynolds’s headquarters. He rushed up to the general, who was standing by his horse with his staff, “Hurrah, Josh![1] Hurrah for here and Buena Vista!”

Altogether it was the most embarrassing and unpleasant and disagreeable experience I had ever had in the army. What to do I did not know, neither did Clapp. We tried to keep things as straight as we could, and to have the orders that had been given from headquarters carried out. It finally resulted in my sending in my resignation from his staff. The general first called all his staff together and said he had heard reports that he was intoxicated, and wanted to know what we thought. Every one of us said he was afraid that he had been. He said: “That is impossible. I had but two glasses of sherry in a canteen full of water. It was utterly impossible.” Anyway, the affair was so disagreeable and made everything so uncomfortable, that I decided to leave, and I reported to General Reynolds, and both he and Sedgwick, as I have said in my diary, told me that I had behaved properly and as I ought to have done.]

[1] A nickname of Gen. Reynolds.