Headquarters 5th Prov. Army Corps,
Camp near New Bridge, June 4, 1862.
Dear Father, — Here we are still and here we shall probably stay for a few days, until the rain has exhausted itself, and the banks of the Chickahominy have peeped above the surrounding waters. I begin to think we shall have to get an ark built if the rain continues. Every night regularly we have terrible thunder-storms, which last the whole night, and at morning it clears up again. This has happened for four successive nights, and last night it culminated in an easterly storm, which bids fair to last some time. My tent resembles Fortress Monroe in one respect. It has a deep ditch of water all around it, which has lately been pretty full. In one respect this rain is peculiarly unfortunate. It delays our advance to Richmond, where we should have been two days ago, were it not for this dirty little stream of a Chickahominy which the rain swells up so as to make it impassable. The roads to the river are streams of mud and water which no corduroying can remedy, and which dry weather and the sun can alone make passable. In some places the roads to the bridges are covered with water four or five feet deep, with a nice mud bottom. All we can do is to wait patiently. The general says that it seems almost as if Providence connived at the escape of the rebels, for we should have bagged a good lot of them if we could have crossed the other day.
General McClellan has issued an address which I send to you, and which I want to be kept. It has the true ring to it, and was greeted by many and loud cheers from the soldiers, to whom it was read yesterday on dress-parade.
The roads here are in a shocking condition. I went out yesterday in a light wagon, foraging, and rode some twelve miles. In many places the horses were up to their bellies in mud, and at times down we would go in the quicksand or in some deceptive hole, covered with water. I got, however, some fresh butter, chickens, strawberries, cherries, onions, lettuce, and eggs. We manage to get on very well in the eating line.
That Stanton is a bitter old rascal. He suppressed some dispatches of the Associated Press agent containing an account of the battle of Hanover C. House, and only allowed a meagre telegram to appear. It was meant as a hit at General McClellan and General Porter, who have some personal enemies in Washington. I think that General McClellan has shown his greatness in the way he has borne all his ill-treatment. Not a word of complaint has he uttered. Stanton has prolonged the war by his meddling and interference, and has shown himself a bitter and unfair man. He has prevented McClellan from receiving reinforcements, and delayed him in every way possible. . . .
