Headquarters 56th Mass. Vols.,
Near Petersburg, Va., July 8, 1864.
Dear Father, — I spend every morning now at division headquarters, where the court-martial, of which I am President, meets. We usually have a session of three hours every day. We are still in the front line of rifle-pits, but are to be relieved, I think, to-night. We have to keep very close to our works here, as the enemy have a rifle-pit on our right, which completely enfilades our line. We have to have traverses every 20 feet to cover the men. The men are protected from a front fire by a deep ditch, deep enough to cover them completely when standing up. I will give you a profile view of it.
When the men have to fire, they get up on the ” banquette ” which exposes them only as far as their head and the upper part of the body is concerned. When loading they step back into the ditch, so that they are completely covered, when not actually firing. The officers’ quarters are just in rear of the ditch, where they have to dig holes and put up logs to cover themselves. A traverse runs at right angles with the rifle-pit from the “interior slope,” and protects the men from a flank fire. They are usually made of logs and dirt thrown up so as to form an embankment. A traverse naturally divides the rifle-pits into different sections, and in order to connect these different sections I have had a deep and narrow ditch dug parallel with the rifle-pit. From each section another narrow ditch runs out and connects with the one parallel to the pit. The men can now travel round in comparative safety. Before I came here, it was very dangerous indeed to go from one section to another.
It is pretty well decided, I think, that anything that is done here in front of Petersburg, will have to be done by our corps. We are nearer the enemy’s works than any other corps except the Eighteenth, and they cannot advance any nearer the city, as the position in their front is commanded by the enemy’s batteries on the other side of the Appomattox. In front of our division we can certainly do nothing. If we attempt to charge, we shall be cut to pieces. Our only hope lies in General Potter’s front. He is mining under a battery of the enemy, and as soon as the mine is completed, 10,000 pounds of powder are to be placed in it. As soon as it is exploded, the negro division is to charge. Our brigade is to be the next in order, followed by a brigade from Willcox’s division, and then Potter’s division.
I see by the papers that Ewell has gone up to Pennsylvania. I hope that his raid will have the effect to increase volunteering. We need more men here very much indeed.
General Franklin is at City Point, I hear. His corps is on the way to join us from New Orleans, and is expected here in about six days.
I received the knife which you sent me, and am very much obliged to you for sending it. It is just the sort of a knife that I wished for.
I asked Hannah to buy me a small wooden inkstand to carry in my pocket, and a gutta-percha penholder. Please have them sent to me by mail as soon as convenient.
Captain Lamb joined us this morning. He is from the 2d Heavy Artillery, and is a gentleman and a very nice fellow. I nominated him to be captain. He was formerly second lieutenant in Frankle’s regiment. He is a brother of Miss Rose Lamb, who lives on Somerset St., Boston.
I have nominated Captain Adams of my regiment to be major. As he is wounded and a prisoner, I don’t expect to see him for some time. Still, he is a brave officer and a gentleman, and I did not think it would be right to skip him.
I almost wish that the enemy would go up into Penn., and transfer the seat of war there. I think that it would have a beneficial effect on our people, and would make them realize the necessity of crushing the enemy in this campaign.
I wish you would ask Alice to write me. I have heard nothing from her for a long time. I had quite a pleasant letter from Hannah this morning, dated July 3. . . .
The enemy have not shelled us much in our present position. They have shelled the troops on both sides of us, but have let us alone so far. I don’t know how long they will continue to leave us free from bombs and such things.
The Sanitary Commission is doing a great deal of good in distributing fresh vegetables among the troops. It has saved them from a great deal of sickness. The dry weather, too, has been a godsend to our men. I don’t know what we should do if we had much rain. The men would die off like sheep, as they have to be in the trenches all the time. Fever would thin our ranks fearfully in case we had rainy weather of long continuance.
Love to all the family.
