Headquarters Porter’s Division, 3d Army Corps,
Camp Winfield Scott, April 21, 1862.
DEAR FATHER, — By orders from headquarters the name of this camp has changed to Camp Winfield Scott. Ever since we landed at Fort Monroe our camps have been called by number in regular order. Our first camp at Hampton was No. 1, etc. This camp, properly No. 5, has been called as above, and McClellan means to honor the camp and the general whose name we have adopted for it, by winning a splendid victory.
Guns are being taken by the camp this evening to be mounted on our earthworks. It will still take some few days to get everything in readiness. The roads are in a terrible state from the rain, and hence additional labor is entailed on the men and horses, and necessitates still further delay. New sites for batteries are constantly being selected by General Porter, and when we do get ready, the rebels will have to “keep their eyes peeled.” We can see them mounting additional guns every day, and strengthening their works. In the end I suppose it will result in giving us a few more cannon to add to the list of prizes taken.
Last night, for the first time I believe since we have been here, I was not waked up by any firing. The enemy kept themselves quietly within their works.
The men in this division have a great deal of fatigue duty to perform, such as mounting guns, making roads through the woods and digging earthworks. It is really fatigue duty, especially in this storm. They seem to stand it very well, however.
There is nothing especially new going on. . . .
Some of our men crept up so close to the rebel pickets last night that their relief guard passed within ten feet of them. They also heard some of their conversation. One man crept along the bank of the river until he heard the sound of oars. He waited until the boat touched the shore, when an officer jumped out and was met by another officer who came out of the bushes, and spoke to the first one, about crossing by the mill with some horses. The wind blew so that he could hear no more of their conversation. I don’t know what the conversation referred to.
General Porter is General McClellan’s favorite general, and McClellan often calls for him to go out and reconnoitre, etc., with him. The night I carried those dispatches to McClellan, he said, “My God ! if I can’t depend on Fitz John’s division, I don’t know what I can depend on.” He showed very plainly how highly he thought of General Porter and his division by his conversation. He was very pleasant to me indeed. I saw Captain Mason 1 on his staff the other day. He is from Boston, you know. . . .
