Army life in Virginia. Letters from the Twelfth Vermont regiment and personal experiences of volunteer service in the war for the union, 1862-63.

Preface

The letters collected in this little volume are taken from the columns of the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press, to which paper they were written by its then junior editor.

Describing scenes in army life, sketched currente calamo as they passed before the eye of the writer, with no attempt at writing history and containing little of "blood and thunder," it is not supposed that they will have much interest for the general reader ; nor would they be now reprinted except in compliance with repeated requests from a number of my army comrades who have expressed a desire to preserve in permanent form what happened to be almost the only record published at the time (though but a fragmentary and imperfect one) of the service of the regiment to which they belonged. It was a service at best comparatively uneventful, and it is now, after over thirty years of peace, passing into oblivion for most of those who were not directly connected with it. For those who shared it, however, these letters seem still to have interest, and such as they are they are submitted in their present shape without further apology.

G. G. B.

Burlington, October, 1895.

Contents

PAGES.

Letters I to IV— Rendezvous at Brattleboro ; Equipment and Inspection ; Drill and Reviews; Off for Washington 1 to 19

Letters V to IX — In Camp at the Capital ; Reviews and Battalion Drill ; A Washington Dust Storm ; Organization of the Second Vermont Brigade - 19 to 43

II. Equipment and Inspection

Camp Lincoln, Brattleboro, Sept. 30, 1862.

Dear Free Press :

Maj . Austine is expected here on Friday morning next, to muster in the Twelfth, which he will do on that day, provided the overcoats and other equipments shall have arrived. It is the intention of Adjutant-General Washburn not to let the regiment pass out of his hands until it is fully equipped throughout. The quality of the articles thus far furnished us by Quartermaster General Davis, is a guaranty that our fit-out will be of the best. With our arms we are especially pleased. They are the Springfield rifle of 1862 — the best arm in the world, light, strong, well-balanced. The overcoats, belts, cartridge boxes and knapsacks remain to be furnished. I understand that they are on the way from New York.

It has been found impossible to procure "A" tents, and the regiment will be supplied on its arrival at Washington with the little "shelter tents," so-called, which are packed and carried on the shoulders of the men on the march.

The physical inspection of our company took place yesterday, conducted by Brigade Surgeon Phelps. The men, as you probably know, undergo the examination in pur is naturalibtis , in squads of about twenty at a time, and are required to march, kick, throw about their arms, etc., in a way which, under the sharp eye of Dr. Phelps, soon

ARMY LIFE IN VIRGINIA. I

discloses any stiffness or disability. In conjunction with the very close individual inspection instituted at the time of enlistment it makes a pretty thorough piece of work. There was found to be but one of our company with regard to whom there was any doubt as to his physical fitness for a soldier's duties — and he will probably pass. About a baker's dozen of the whole regiment have been inspected out — showing a remarkably high average of health and condition. In fact Dr. Phelps remarked in my hearing that he had never inspected a regiment in which he found so few who must be thrown out.

Yours, B.

III. Knapsack Drill and Review

Camp Lincoln, Brattleboro, Oct. 4, i86_>.

An order was read at dress parade Thursday night, announcing the appointment of Col. E. H. Stoughton, of the Fourth Vermont, to the position of Commandant of this Post, and his assumption of the duties of the station. He has estab-

ARMY LIFE IN VIRGINIA.

lished his headquarters just outside the grounds, and it is understood will proceed actively with the work of disciplining these five regiments.

The overcoats, knapsacks, belts, cartridge boxes and haversacks were distributed yesterday morning, completing our equipment. The articles seem to be very good, with the exception, perhaps, of the knapsacks and haversacks, which might be better without injury to the service or to the feelings of the troops. They are, however,

1 suppose, the best that could be procured. The whole form an amount of harness which strikes the unsophisticated recruit with a slight feeling of dismay. Is it possible, he says to himself, that all this pile of traps is only my share, and is all to be carried on my devoted shoulders ? Why have they made them all so heavy ? What earthly reason now, for cutting these straps out of such an almighty thick side of harness leather, and making them so broad, too ? However, we took them all, and were, I trust, duly thankful for the same.

Yesterdaj' afternoon was rendered memorable by our first knapsack drill. The orders were for a review of the regiment, fully equipped, with knapsacks packed. The overcoat was accord-

ARMY LIFE IN VIRGINIA. V

ingly folded and placed within the knapsack; the change of underclothing, socks, etc., ditto; and the woolen blanket rolled tightly within the rubber blanket and then strapped on the top. The whole concern, with the straps, weighs on an average about thirty-five pounds, and there goes science, let me tell you, to the production of a skillfully packed knapsack.

The review was considered, I am told, quite a fine affair by the numerous array of spectators. Let me endeavor to give you an inside view of the affair, as it seemed to one in the ranks. We of the rank and file did not think it so fine. At two o'clock, then, each private hoisted on to his shoulders his knapsack, packed as above, slung around him his haversack and canteen, buckled on his cartridge-box and shoulder-belt, and musket in hand, took his place in the ranks. The sun has come out hot. About fifteen minutes of waiting takes place before moving into line, in the course of which the luckless volunteer becomes distinctly conscious of a weight on his back. He straightens up manfully, however, and endeavors, when the order comes, to step out with his customary light step. But that, he finds, is not quite so easy. He is logy. He weighed 145 pounds half an hour ago, now he weighs 190. That knapsack gives an undue momentum to his about-face, and bumps uncomfortably against his neighbor's as he faces from file to front. But we are in line now. The captain, astonished at the unwonted clumsiness of his men, labors hard, but with only moderate success, to "dress" them into a straight line, and there we stand, arms at shoulder. There is drumming and fifing and stepping into place of officers; but 3^011 notice little of what is going on. Your attention is mainly directed to a spot between your shoulder blades, which feels peculiarly. In short it aches. The sensation gradually spreads through your back and shoulders, and is complicated with a sense of suffocation from the pressure of the straps across the chest.

The perspiration bursts from every pore. You hear a groan from your comrade on the left, and are comforted to know that you have company in your misery; but it is a poor consolation. Your knapsack is evidently growiyig both in size and weight. It felt heavy before; now it weighs on you like a thousand of brick. You cease to wonder at the breadth and thickness of the straps which support it, — any thing less strong would snap with the tension of such a weight. You haven't been in the habit thus far, of considering it a desirable thing to be detailed for guard duty ; but you now find yourself looking off at the sentries pacing to and fro with only their muskets to carry, and you wish you were on guard to-day. And now you are conscious of a sharp pain in the hollow of your right arm, from holding your musket at the shoulder for three-quarters of an hour. Why can't they let us order arms for five minutes ? But instead comes the order to wheel into platoons, and around the grounds we are marched for a weary hour. We don't march good. We don't "right dress" and "left dress" good, we don't "wheel" good, and we don't feel good; but somehow or other we get through with it — though a few of the weaker or ailing ones drop out of the ranks — and we are still alive when marched to quarters and allowed to break ranks. It feels better now that it is done aching; but there are some of us who express the deliberate opinion, that with all the need of drill and toughening for our work, two hours of knapsack drill on a hot afternoon, was a pretty steep dose for raw recruits, the very first time. We shall all learn to like it in time, doubtless ; but like olives, tobacco and some other luxuries, one must get accustomed to it to really enjoy it.

At the close of dress parade yesterday afternoon, we were drawn up in hollow square, and a presentation of a handsome sword to Col. Blunt, by the commissioned officers of the regiment, took place. The presentation speech was made by Chaplain Brastow, and was, I am told (we could not hear it) a very appropriate one. Col. Blunt responded in fitting terms. The sword is a beautiful one, of Ames' make, with two scabbards, one for field service, and the other richly gilt and chased. After this, a presentation of a pair of shoulder straps to Major Kingsley, by the Rutland Light Guard, his former company, took place.

We are to be mustered into the U. S. service, reviewed by the Governor, and inspected in full marching equipment by Adjt. Gen. Washburn to-day. It will be a busy and hard day.

There is a camp rumor that the regiment is to go to New Orleans.

October 5, 1862.

The review by Gov. Holbrook and inspection 3-esterday, was not as tedious as we expected.

One man of our company fainted and two or three fell out before it was over; but most of the men agreed that it was on the whole an easier job than that of the day before. For one, my knapsack was sensibly less mountainous in size and weight, and my gun felt less like a six-pounder howitzer. I presume both will continue to decrease in ponderosity, as our muscles become habituated to the new pull on them.

The regiment was mustered by companies into the U. S. service, in the afternoon, by Maj. Austine, who declared, after he had administered the oath of allegiance, that he felt proud of us. One man of the Bradford company declined to take the oath, but thought better of it shortly and begged the privilege of taking it, which w T as granted. Another man, of the Rutland company, also declined to take the oath, and stood to his refusal. What makes his case more singular is that he served in the First regiment, throughout its term of service, and was a good soldier.

Yours, B.

14 ARMY L1F-E IN VIRGINIA.

IV. Off for Washington

Washington, Oct. 10, 1862.

Dear Free Press :

The camp of the Twelfth, at Brattleboro, presented a busy appearance last Tuesday morning. The thousand operations preparator}- to breaking up of camp were in active progress. The quarters were full of friends of the soldiers, many of them ladies who were seated here and there and plying busy fingers in taking the last stitches for their brothers and friends, before bidding them a final good bye. The men were generally in good spirits, and anxious to be off. By eleven o'clock every knapsack was packed and the regiment in line, and at half-past eleven — the time set, to a minute — it marched from Camp Lincoln .

The day was a very hot one, and the sun blazed down with midsummer power. The Thirteenth, Col. Randall, escorted the Twelfth to the railroad station. Col. Stoughton, commanding the post, took the head of the column , and in order to show the regiment to some of his Brattleboro friends, took it by a circuitous route through the streets to the station. The inarch of two miles in the hot sun was a pretty hard one for the boys; but in the little party of stragglers, perhaps twenty in* all, who fell .out on the way and brought up the rear, there was not a man of the Howard Guard. Through some misunderstanding or neglect on the part of the railroad companies, though the day and hour of our departure had been set for nearly a week, no cars were in readiness, and we had to wait until the}' were brought from below. The regiment was accordingly marched half a mile down the river to a shaded meadow and allowed to lie off for the remainder of the day. A barrel of good things, sent from Burlington by Mr. Beach, supplied our company with all they could eat and some to spare to the rest, and the afternoon passed comfortably away. At six o'clock, a train of empty cars arrived, and the work of embarkation commenced at seven. The cars were too few in number, however, and some freight cars had to be rigged with seats manufactured on- the spot. I believe our officers considered themselves fortunate in not having to wait until cars and all were manufactured for the occasion. It was ten o'clock before we were fairly under way. Before this, our kind friends who had come to Brattleboro to see us off, had taken their leave, and the actual departure was as quiet as that of any train of thirty loaded cars could be.

The delay in getting away was a fortunate thing for the men. Had they been packed into the cars as they came heated from the march, and compelled to ride all the remainder of that hot day, they would have suffered. As it was, they lay around in the shade during the afternoon and took the rail in the cool moonlight. The night was a splendid one, and the ride down the beautiful valley of the Connecticut, which seemed doubly beautiful in the liquid moon-light, was a notable one for every man who had a particle of sentiment in his soul.

At Springfield, Mass., where we arrived about one o'clock, we were received with a salute of fifty guns. On the supposition that we should arrive about supper time, preparations had also been made to supply refreshment to the troops ; but the delay upset the kind arrangement. We made little stop there or any where, but swept on down the river. We reached New Haven at 5 o'clock, A. M., spent an hour in changing the men and the baggage from the cars to the "large and splendid" steamer Continental, and were off for New York. The boat barely touched at Peck Slip, and then went on to Jersey City, where we debarked about noon. Col. Howe* had provided soup and bread, which was served promptly, and we were off again by rail for Washington.

I can give little time and space to the thousand times told story of the passage of a regiment from New York to Washington. We had the customary wavings of handkerchiefs and flags, all along the way, and the usual — and it is all the more praise-worthy because it is usual — substantial welcome, in the shape of hot coffee, good bread and butter, and other substantiate, served by the kind hands of the ladies and gentlemen of the Union Relief Association, in Philadelphia. Up to our arrival at Baltimore we made steady and reasonably rapid progress, reaching there at six o'clock Thursday morning. Then came a march of a mile and a half across the city, and six hours of tedious standing with stacked arms, near the Washington depot, varied by breakfast at the Relief Rooms. Then we were stowed away in freight cars and started out of the city. The train took 600 other troops besides our regiment, and numbered thirty -four heavily loaded cars, the

* The State Agent of Vermont at New York.

men covering the tops of the cars as well as filling them inside. We made slow progress, waiting three or four hours at Annapolis Junction, and reached Washington at 9 o'clock Thursday night. Supper was given us in the not sweet or savory halls of the "Soldiers' Rest," near the Capitol, and in the huge white-washed barns attached thereto, the boys finally laid themselves down to sleep as best they might, on the hard floors, many preferring to take their blankets and sleep on the ground outside. To-day we are to go into camp somewhere about Washington.

The behavior of the regiment throughout the whole journey, elicited expressions of surprise and praise from the railroad and steamboat men and the citizens of every place at which we stopped. One of the managers of the Relief Association at Philadelphia said to me : "We have a good many regiments through here — thirteen this week, and -on an average two regiments a day, now-a-days — and I think I have never seen a regiment of a thousand such wiiversally well-behaved, orderly and gentlemanly men."

I must close this hurried letter. Our company is all here to a man, and all are well.

Yours, B.

V. In Camp at the Capitol

Camp on E. Capitol Hill, Washington, Oct. 12, 1862.

The Twelfth left its temporary quarters at the Soldiers' Rest, on Friday at 11 o'clock, and moved to our present camp, something over a mile to the east of the Capitol. It is upon the wide, high, level plain called Capitol Hill. To the south of us, but hidden from our sight, runs the Eastern Branch of the Potomac, and across it are the Virginia heights, with four or five forts crowning the more prominent elevations. The ground on which we are encamped has but two or three trees in a square mile, and having been the site of numerous camps, is not overstocked with grass. Some of the men looked a little blank as they saw the bare, cheerless surface of Virginia clay on which they were to pitch their tents, and some blanker yet when they took in the length and breadth of the little strips of canvas which were to be our only shelter from sun and storm. The "shelter tent" is a couple of strips of light cotton duck, about five feet long and four feet wide, which button together at the top or ridgepole of the concern, is pitched by straining it over the muzzles of a couple of muskets set upright, and so forms a little shelter, with both ends open, under which two men ma)' huddle and sleep at night. A short man can be fairly covered by it ; a man of ordinary height must draw up his feet or let them stick outside. We got our little tents pitched by dark, and officers and men were by that time hungry enough to enjoy their supper of three hard army biscuit apiece, — there was no fuel to cook anything with, and our cooked rations had spoiled on the journey — and tired enough to drop off quickly to sleep, with but their blanket between them and the ground. Most of us, however, were waked at midnight by the rain driving into our little tabernacles. My bedfellow turned out and hung rubber blankets so as to keep out the most of it from us, and we dropped to sleep again, to sleep soundly till morning. These are mere trifles of a soldier's every-day life ; but they are what many of your readers, who wish to know just how their boys are living while away, want to know about, and sol put them on paper.

Next day our colonel and quartermaster got the strings of red tape which hang around the various departments of supply, thoroughly pulled, and by two o'clock a train of a dozen army wagons came filing into camp with fuel, rations of good bread, beef, pork and potatoes, forage, and, last but not least, A tents. These were quickly made to take the place of the little shelters, and were viewed with intense satisfaction by the men. They are not the biggest things in the world — are in fact the simplest form of tent proper, wedge shaped and holding six men apiece lying closely side by side; but they are tents, and can be closed against the weather. When we take the field, we must take the others again.

We shall now begin the work of active drill, and will soon, I trust, be in fighting order.

We have already been visited by man}' of our friends of other regiments — by Quartermaster Dewey, Capt. Erhardt, Sergeant Morse and others of the First Vt. Cavalry, whose camp is across the river; by several from the Eleventh Vt., which is in camp about four miles away; by Lieut. Carey, of the 13th Mass., which fine regiment, once of 1 100 men, has now 700 in hospital, sick and wounded, and is reduced by losses (in battle mainly) to 191 effective men; by Lieut. "Willie" Root, of the 226. Conn., which was in camp close by us yesterday, but to-day has struck tents and moved away to Chain Bridge; and by others, whose brown and hearty faces it was pleasant to see.

We begin to realize that we are a part of the big arm}- of the Republic — and that a single regiment is but a little part of it. Camps surround us on ever}- side. Six thousand men, they say, came into Washington the day we did, and some come every day. They come, encamp, and disappear, the rest know not whither. Our thousand is but one of a hundred thousand, and its best blood, — which will be given as freely as water, if need be — will be but a drop in the red tide which the demon of rebellion causes to flow.

What can be done for any regiment our colonel will do for this. The men already feel attached to him — and the sentiment will strengthen, I think, as they know more of him. He will be well seconded by his field and staff ; and if the Twelfth does no service it will not be the fault of its officers, as I believe. We are to be temporarily brigaded, in our present camp, with the 25th and 27th New Jersey.

Yours, B.

ARMY UFE IN VIRGINIA. 23

VI

Camp Casey, East Capitol Hill, Washington, Oct. 14, 1862.

The health of the Twelfth is on the whole good. Some twenty-five members of the regiment are suffering from minor ailments, brought on in most cases by exposure on guard duty or sleeping in damp clothes; but with a spell of fair weather — thus far it has been rather cool, damp and variable — they will soon be on duty again. There has been but one case of a dangerous character, which terminated fatally last night.

We are giving strict attention nowadays to company and battalion drill, and shall soon be able to make a presentable appearance.

The Thirteenth regiment, Col. Randall, arrived yesterday afternoon, after a comfortable passage from Brattleboro, and has gone into camp to-day about half a mile west of us. It is to be brigaded with us and the 25th and 27th New Jersey, under command of Col. Derrom of the 25th New Jersey. We are for the present attached to Gen. Casey's Division of the Reserved Army Corps for the Defence of Washington, and it is the general impression among the men that we may remain here for some weeks.

Of Col. Derrom I know nothing except that I am told he is a German by birth, and an old soldier. In his first order of duties for the regiment, "Evening prayer at 8 P. M." has a place, week days, and he omits the inspections on Sunday which in man}- brigades make Sunday the most laborious day of the week. Our Sunday order, at present, is as follows : "Church call, morning, at 10.30 A. M. Divine service (voluntary) 11 A. M. Church call, afternoon, 3.30 P. M. Divine service, (positive) 4 P. M. All drills and parades except church and dress parade are omitted on Sunday . ' '

Our chaplain returned to us to-day after an absence of four days, having been under rebel rule at Chambersburg in the meanwhile. He left us at Baltimore to accompany a Vermont lady on her way to her brother, an officer in the Third Vt. who was lying at the point of death at Hagerstown; and was returning by the way of Chambersburg when the rebels* occupied the town. He thinks there were about 1500 of them. They were well mounted, and well clothed as far

*Uuder Gen. J. E. B. Stuart.

as their captured US. clothing went — the men under strict discipline and perfect control of the officers, who conducted themselves for the most part in a very gentlemanly way. Private persons and property were strictly respected. They left in a great hurry, amounting almost to a panic.

The chaplain being with us, the order for evening prayer was observed this evening. The regiment was massed in the dim twilight, and Mr. Brastow offered an earnest and appropriate prayer.

An order read at dress parade to-night, directs the captains to hold their companies in readiness to march at a moment's notice. Forty rounds of ammunition apiece have been distributed to-day.

I find soldiering no lazy business, thus far, and have literally no time to write a longer letter to-day. Yours, B.

VII. Reviews and Battalion Drill

Camp Casey, East Capitol Hill, Washington, Oct. 18, 1862.

Reviews have been the order of the day with us for three or four days past. On Wednesday, the four regiments temporarily composing this brigade, viz. the 12th and 13th Vermont, and the 25th and 27th New Jersey, were reviewed by Colonel Derrom, colonel commanding. The men were ordered out in "full marching order," which means with knapsacks packed, haversacks and canteens slung, forty rounds of ammunition in the cartridge box, and arms and equipments all complete. We were in harness about two hours and a half ; but the day was cool and it did not come hard on us. The good appearance and behavior of the troops brought out the following general order :

"Headquarters Second Brigade, ) Casey's Division, Camp Casey, Capitol Hill, ) Washington, Oct. 16, 1862.

GENERAL ORDER NO. 5.

The colonel commanding this brigade, takes pleasure in giving credit to the several regiments of this brigade, for their smart appearance and general good order on review yesterday. The States they represent, as well as our common country, may be proud of them. The material is excellent, indeed cannot be surpassed, and it rests now with the officers of the brigade, whether this material shall be properly moulded or not. To do this, requires much devotion to duty, and a strict attention to the rules and regulations of the United States army, which will be their pride ; and it is hoped the officers will be examples of neatness, good order and military efficiency to the men.

A true soldier is the most courteous of men — obedient, firm, systematic, temperate and orderly, trusting in God at all times and in all places. Soldiers ! aim each to be this perfect soldier. By order of

A. Derrom, Colonel Commanding."

Next day the brigade was reviewed by General Casey. This time I was not in the ranks but detailed on special duty, and so had an opportunity to see the display. To the four regiments above named was added the 14th Massachusetts battery of light artillery, six pieces. As I looked down the long line of bayonets, half a mile or more in length, it looked to me like an array of 10,000 men, and I began to have some conception how grand a display a parade of fifty or sixty thousand men must be. Of course I watched closely the marching and appearance of the different regiments, and was proud to find the 1 2th Vermont, though the newest regiment on the ground the 13th Vermont excepted, second to no other present. This I am sure was not

2S ARMY LIFE IX VIRGINIA.

partiality on my part. I tried certainly to be perfectly fair in my judgment, and if I found that we were inferior in drill to the New Jersey regiments, as we might naturally be expected to be, having been in camp days to their weeks, I meant to own it. But it was not so. Our officers were the most spirited in appearance, our men the quickest into line, the most uniform in marching, the most elastic in their step, the promptest in the simple evolutions ordered. And this was also the opinion of far better judges than myself, General Casey having freely expressed his surprise at such proficiency in so new a regiment, and having transmitted to Col. Blunt a written expression of his gratification with our appearance, which was read to us, with the added thanks of the colonel, at dress parade next evening. While we were out on review, the Inspector of Camps, of Gen. Casey's division, inspected the camps and put a new feather in our cap, by declaring that he was glad at last to find in that of the Twelfth, a camp to which he might point other regiments, as an example of order and neatness.