USA > Massachusetts > Record of the service of the Forty-fourth Massachusetts volunteer militia in North Carolina, August 1862 to May 1863 > Part 4
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themselves, an 1 conferred the responsibility of keeping good order upon the corporals.
" Captain James Richardson's company give their barrack a beautiful, almost Oriental appearance at evening by the introduction of numerous Chinese lanterns. In every barrack the fine arts are still cultivated in the Mattering and ornamentation of the bunks. One is labelled 'Squirrel's Nest ; ' another, 'Penguin's Nest ; ' another, 'Sleeping Beauties ; ' another, ' Damon and Pythias ; ' another, 'Siamese Twins.' Some graduates of 'Tufts College, who occupy a bunk together, inform the world in good classical phrase that it is sweet to die for your country. They may well say that, if living in the barracks at Readville be dying for your country. ' Corporal' cannot but look with amazement upon these classical young patriots elevated upon their bunks and devouring home dainties over this conspicuous motto, -' Dulce et decorum est pro Patria mori !' . . .
" The quarters of Company G, Captain Hunt, are tastefully ornamented with evergreen, and are much admired by visitors ; but it is on all hands conceded that the barrack of Company D, thanks to the oversight of our admirable Corporal Waterman, is most noticeable for its complete order and neatness. It is whispered that we are to have a piano, if we remain here much longer, and then, with such singers among us as Charley Ewer, from the Warren Street choir, we reckon upon very good times in the musical line.
"Yesterday was a great day with the men of the Forty-fourth. We were mustered into the service of the United States by companies. The event was hailed with cheering and general rejoicing ; and then the uniforms provided by Uncle Sam were opened for inspection. Many members of the regiment had already provided themselves with garments of superior quality, made to measure ; and those who had not taken this precaution regretted it the more when they came to see the half-cotton, shoddy, slouchy stuff sent to them through the State authorities. Colonel Lee, who has a natural abhorrence of shams in all shapes, advised his men not to draw such uniforms, and promised to assist them in procuring garments made to measure. The men gladly acted upon the suggestion of the Colonel, and will clothe themselves, not less as a matter of neatness and taste than of economy.
" Last evening the barrack of Company F, Captain Storrow, was the centre of much attraction. The parents of the artists Cobb were present, and the delighted spectators of a country breakdown and other festive demonstrations. Mrs. Cobb delivered a little impromptu poem, and MIr. Cobb made a very stirring address, both of which were vociferously applauded. The Cobb brothers sang and played exquisitely, and the occa- sion was one of touching interest. .
"We have been provided with muskets for guard duty only, and of course have much work to perform in the manual of arms drill before we
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shall be fit to take the field. In the facings we have made commendable progress, and have been highly complimented by Colonel Lee in this respect.
" Since the Forty-fourth went into barracks they have been favored with the services of the Boston Brass Band, under the lead of Mr. Flagg. It is said the expense is to be defrayed by an assessment upon the regiment. Considering that the mass of the regiment have had no voice in the selec- tion of a band, a number of persons are inclined to consider this a little 'rough.' What 'Corporal' and many others wish to suggest in this con- nection is, that a few of our rich friends in Boston unite to defray the expense of a good band, which shall accompany us to the seat of war. It is thought they would be pleased to confer this substantial benefit upon the regiment, and thus acknowledge the important assistance rendered by the Fourth Battalion of Infantry in raising the quota of Boston. Failing in this, a set of instruments would be gratefully acknowledged, and an ex- cellent band would then be recruited from the regiment."
In his letter of September 20, he says: -
. . We reasonably expect that a week of furloughs will be succeeded by work. Some of our little captains are threatening us hard. More drill and less guard duty will not be unacceptable to the poor fellows whose duty as sentinels for the past week has only been relieved by the relaxation of police guard work or scavenger service. Bootless has been the plea, 'I was on guard yesterday, and police guard the day before.' The orderly knew it: There was no help for it. It costs hard work, but we have the cleanest camp in Christendom, if we may believe visitors. Captain Mclaughlin, our mustering-in officer, was profuse in his commendations of the Forty-fourth. It was, he said, the most orderly and the cleanest regiment he ever mustered in. The company rolls were the neatest which had ever come under his inspection, and the number of ab- sentees (one sick and one unavoidably absent) the smallest in his experi- ence. We do not wish to be always elevating our horn, but we must record history."
One compliment attributed to Captain Mclaughlin, " Cor- poral" neglects to mention. He is reported to have said that although he had been detailed as mustering officer since the out- break of the war, he never before had mustered in a whole regi- ment on the same day. A rather critical examination of the "Record of the Massachusetts Volunteers," issued by authority of the State, seems to prove this statement, except so far as it might refer to a few of the three months' regiments, to be correct.
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" Since my last letter there have been added to the list of decorated barracks those of Company B, Captain Griswold, and Company A, Captain Richardson. Company D has introduced Chinese lanterns, small flags, and the arms of the New England Guards, neatly painted by one of our numerous artists, to wit, Fred. Sayer, the lingual prodigy and pet of his corps. . ..
" A large proportion of the regiment is now uniformed in neatly fitting suits, having no relationship to the contractor's shoddy which was attempted to be foisted upon us. Our appearance at the dress-parades is creditable. and every pleasant afternoon crowds of spectators honor us with their presence. The number of pretty girls that adorn these occasions, coming
as they do laden with offerings of fruit and flowers for their favorites, is by no means the least interesting feature of the afternoon displays. The angels even besiege us in our barracks, and although we are delighted to see them, they seem sometimes to forget that we have no retiring rooms, and that we must perforce make our toilets in our bunks, or not make them at all. "Corporal ' wants it distinctly understood that he don't care anything about this, personally. He speaks for the modest man of his company. . . .
" Your correspondent could expatiate by the half column of the social fascinations of this life in barracks ; of the genial friendships formed ; of
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the glorious hearts discovered ; of the roaring wit brought out by this free- and-easy companionship ; of the freedom from conventional restraints and the care of every-day pursuits. Do not, dear reader, think us too jolly and comfortable for soldiers, but rather thank Heaven for the sunny side and recompense of military life, which, perhaps, after all, has very feebly offset the shadows through which lies the pathway of him who takes up arms in defence of liberty, imperilled as it is to-day."
The crowds of visitors which thronged our camp attested our popularity. If our friends enjoyed coming to Readville, it is equally certain that we enjoyed receiving them. Many a suscep- tible young soldier lost his heart during those delightful moon- light promenades, and an interesting chapter might be written on this subject, could the number of matrimonial engagements which resulted from these mild flirtations be correctly ascertained. J. J. Wyeth, in his sketch of Company E, says, under date of September 12: -
. As this was probably the young ladies' last visit before our start for the South, we demanded and received our last good-by kisses; but when they saw the same boys falling in the second time, and some of them strangers, they scattered like a drove of sheep over the fences and far away to the station. I think that was the last effort the company made (as an organization) to kiss them all a good-by."
For some time previous to the formation of our regiment a pleasant little coterie of young ladies and gentlemen had existed in Cambridge, and there were but few evenings when they did not meet at a party, the theatre, or some similar entertainment. Most of the gentlemen enlisted in our regiment. The young ladies were so incensed at those who did not, that they resolved unanimously not to attend a party or a place of amusement dur- ing the absence of the Forty-fourthi, and this resolution was most faithfully kept. Will not all our young lady friends agree that these Cambridge girls displayed as much self-sacrifice as if they had "donned the blue" and "shouldered the musket," even if the service were not quite so perilous?
In " Corporal's" letter of September 27 he again refers to the unwelcome practice of early rising: -
" . . . The most unmusical of sounds is the reveille at five o'clock A. M. Even the freshness and magnificence of those star-gemmed mornings
3
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scarcely compensate us for this ghostly hour of turning out. But now we are threatened with calls among the small hours for the purpose of prepar- ing us for surprises in the enemy's country. We would gladly excuse our officers from this laborious work in our behalf. In fact, we shall not be less grateful to them if they do not carry the plan into execution. Besides, midnight movements like these might excite the suspicion of our ubi- quitous provost guard, and result in getting the whole regiment into limbo. We could not even visit our neighbors of the other regiments, last Sunday, without falling into the hands of those merciless Philistines, who go about the country like roaring lions seeking whom they may devour."
He also speaks of our double-quick marches and of the new sanitary discipline which our surgeon had introduced : -
"Companies E and D have been making double-quick marches to Ded- ham Village by the three-mile route. An uninterrupted run of three miles is something incredible to the uninitiated. 'Corporal' and five others confess, with proper self-abasement, that the last mile was rather too much for them, especially as your correspondent was tortured by a pair of new boots. We fell out. . . . A little while before dinner a small, 'awkward squad' (the six men mentioned) might have been seen descending the railroad embankment near Camp Meigs, and then proceeding by the right and left flanks until it safely passed the lines. The main party had not arrived, and we confidently reported them in the hands of the provost. On the contrary, as we learned upon their arrival. they had been detained by a number of beautiful Samaritans habitant along the road, who came out laden with smiles and kind words. Several fellows came back to camp with hearts and pedal extremities equally damaged.
"Our rifles have been distributed at last, and we have commenced drilling with great industry. . ..
" On Thursday we had a grand cleaning out of barracks. Everything was removed from them, and exposed to the air and sunshine. Most of the regiment being absent on escort duty, the task devolved upon a few. It was a work of vandalism. Cherished shelves, pictures, flags, and flowers came down at one fell swoop. The personal effects of absentees were tumbled down and bestowed in promiscuous piles into the bunks, and then carried outside. They comprised a heterogeneous collection of valuables, like pats of butter, soap, packs of cards and Testaments, tooth- brushes and cutlery, spare clothing and baskets, haversacks, havelocks, night-caps and smoking-caps, pipes, tobacco and matches, now and then a bottle, and one umbrella. Having the example before them of the army in Flanders, the absentees of the Forty-fourth swore when they came back and witnessed the ' improvements' which had been made while they were away.
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ORGANIZATION, AND CAMP AT READVILLE.
" We have occasional evening entertainments here in the shape of ground-and-lofty tumbling (en costume) and sparring matches. Between our hours of drill, camp duties, reception of visitors, music, letter-writing, etc., there is no possibility of time dragging upon our hands. Now visitors are restricted to the hours between half-past four and half-past eight P. M. . . .
" Our Surgeon, Dr. Ware, of Boston, is drawing a tight rein over the regiment. His experience upon the Peninsula has given him notions of sanitary discipline which some think too severe for soldiers in barracks at home. He has stripped our quarters of everything but prime necessaries, and we are reduced to a very bald condition indeed. We shall probably see the wisdom of this severity more clearly by and by. At present a majority of the boys don't see it at all. Thursday night we tried the experiment of sleeping without straw in our bunks. It didn't work, and now we propose to provide ourselves with canvas bags to keep the straw in place, and thus avoid the continual nuisance of straw litter inside and our. ยท
"On Thursday detachments from six companies of our regiment acted as escort at the funeral of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight. Consider- ing the short time of our practice in the manual of arms, the regiment was awarded the credit of great proficiency, particularly in the firing of volleys. Colonel Stevenson paid the regiment the highest compliment."
The marches we took proved of great benefit in toughening us for active service, and the comparatively small percentage of straggling shown by our regiment when actually in the field demonstrated conclusively the wisdom of our colonel in adopting this plan. The sanitary regulations introduced, although griev- ous to bear at the time, we afterwards acknowledged to be wise and beneficial.
" Corporal's " letter of October 4 gives an account of two of these marches : -
"The past week Colonel Lee has wisely varied our drill by taking the regiment on marches through portions of the country surrounding Camp Meigs. Our first of these marches, after escort duty at the funeral of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Dwight, was through that portion of Milton of which we have such delightful glimpses from camp. We were forced to breathe dust freely, but through the clouds which rose wherever the regi- ment moved we caught refreshing views of stately homesteads, blushing orchards, and autumn-tinted landscapes. . . . Since the march to Milton we have surprised the good people of Mill Village and round about Ded- ham Court-House by a sudden appearance in their midst. For the
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gratification of our many friends who are anxiously watching the progress of this regiment, I have to report that our marching extorted great praise from Colonel Lee, who, by the way, is quite as prompt to give us a sound blowing-up as he is to compliment. In point of fact, he does neither by halves. His outspoken frankness and generosity are creating him hosts of warm friends in the regiment. . .
"We received marching orders last Thursday,' and are going to New Berne, N. C., as soon as a transport vessel can be got in readiness. At New Berne it is expected we shall be brigaded under General (now Colonel) Stevenson. This will be gratifying to the regiment. . . .
" Our indefatigable surgeon is organizing and training a corps of assist- ants who are to lend their aid to the wounded upon the fiekl of battle. The training consists of binding up imaginary wounds, pointing out the position of arteries, showing how to handle fractured limbs, placing men upon litters, and showing how to carry them with the least possible dis- turbance of the wounded parts."
In the same letter he mentions the fact that Mr. Steffen, for- merly instructor of the Massachusetts Rifle Club, was delivering a series of military lessons to our commissioned officers.
In his letter of October II he makes mention of a march over Brush Hill Turnpike : -
. On Thursday we were treated to a magnificent march over Brush Hill, - our first brush. . . . Our march; which included a distance of fourteen miles, was, considering the state of the atmosphere, the severest of our experience ; but it was cheered by the smiles and waving handkerchiefs of beautiful women in windows, gateways, balconies, and groves, and by their more substantial favors in the shape of apples, pears, and cool water. The few men who fell out of the ranks from faintness and exhaustion were of the reputed tougher sort, - men of outdoor life and pursuits. Your professional men and clerks, clean-limbed and elastic, are the men to endure hardships, all the talk to the contrary notwithstanding. This, I believe, was the observation of the . Little Corporal.'
" Among the late testimonials in the Forty-fourth deserving of mention is the presentation of a knife, fork, and spoon, in a neat case, to each of the recruits from Framingham by their friends in that town . .
" Your correspondent, and the other members of Company D, are indebted to Corporal Gardner for the introduction of a company dog, - Romeo, a promising fellow, whose laughing countenance and waving tail and general intelligence have already won him a host of friends. Several
1 Special Order 1007, dated Oct. 2. 1862.
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of the boys are industriously laboring to reconcile him to the society of a cat which has come to our barrack.
" Mr. Burrage, of the firm of J. M. Beebe & Co., has presented to each member of Company C, Captain Lombard, one of Short's patent box knapsacks. If they can be manufactured in season to supply us before our departure South, the other members of the regiment will probably supply themselves with this knapsack at their own expense, which will amount to $2.50 per man. This knapsack is so adjusted to the shoulders as to be carried with much greater ease than the Government article."
Unfortunately, an order promulgated from headquarters sent " Romeo " out of camp and " Juliet," in despair, followed the ex- ample of her illustrious namesake; at least it was so supposed, as pussy died very suddenly the day following Romeo's depart- ure. One of the members of Company D was accused of mur- dering her, tried by court-martial, and convicted; but the evidence against the alleged culprit was far from couclusive.
After the muskets were given out to the guard, the officers took great pains to teach the men the duties of a sentry. Fre- quently they were so much interested that they induced the sentinel to loan them his musket while they practically demon- strated how it should be handled. Many of our boys will recall the consternation they felt when they realized that they had been disarmed and their gun was in the hands of the enemy. Some of them found it difficult to remember the formula for challenge and answer, or for calling the corporal of the guard as prescribed in the Army Regulations, and the cry of " Corporal of the Guard, Post Nagle," was one familiar to us all.
In the last weckly letter from "Corporal" previous to the departure of the regiment, dated October 18, he speaks of the similarity in some respects between the life of a soldier and that of a convict, and refers to several donations which had been made to many of the companies : -
"The close resemblance between the life of a soldier in barrack and that of a State Prison convict, regarded in certain outward aspects, affords mingled amusement and disgust. We go for our rations in single file, and with tin mugs and plates. The intercourse between officers and subor- dinates is scarcely less reserved. and the punishment for small offences scarcely less severe with the soldier than with the prisoner. On inspec- tion days we stand up like well-burnished automata, and are as sensitive to
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praise or censure regarding the condition of our quarters, guns, etc., as so many children. At our meals and in our banks we are stared at by visit- ors just as I remember to have stared at the happy family of . Hon Gideon Haynes' at Charlestown on various occasions When impelled by ' sanitary reasons,' our keen-eyed surgeons pass through the barracks to see that nothing contraband nestles in the bunks, that the blankets and overcoats are accurately folded, and that only a certain amount of cloth- ing and baggage per man is retained : we stand ahow" alid gaze at them just as your readers will remember they were gaard ar by the inmates of the House of Correction which they visited not long ago. . . .
" More princely donations have been made to some of the companies of the Forty-fourth Regiment. To Company E. Captain Richardson, William Cumston, Esq. (father of Lieutenant Cumston), of the finn of Hallett & Cumston, has presented a check for five hundred dollars.
" To the same company donations amounting to three hundred dollars, for the purchase of the improved knapsack, have been made by the follow- ing gentlemen : J. M. Beebe & Co. : F. Skinner & Co. ; Alexander Beal ; C. W. Cartwright ; W. P. Sargent ; J. R. Tibbets ; Rend. Gardner, & Co. ; Wilkinson. Stetson, & Co. ; J. C. Converse & Co. ; S. A. F. King & Co. ; Horatio Harris ; Gorham Rogers.
"To Company H, Captain Smith, C. F. Hovey & Co. have presented a full set of the patent knapsacks. Company K, Capain Reynolds, have been favored in the same way by a number of friends of that company. . . . Company F, Captain Storrow, have received the present of a set of patent knapsacks. The generous donor is too modest to let his name be known, but it is surmised that a young corporal of Company F knows all about it.
" The wife of Colonel Lee has kindly remembered each soldier of the regiment by the gift of a little testimonial card, upon one side of which is printed the Old Hundredth Psalm, and upon the other the name of the recipient written in a neat hand. .
" We have had a good share of dismal weather the past week, and have not been allowed the consolation of smoking in the barracks; but the boys have managed to keep the blue devils at bay with mock parades and shows of great effectiveness. One day the camp was electrified by the appearance of an exceedingly well got-up elephant, not unprovided with a tail, and waving a trunk of twisted shoddy. Another day we were visited by citizens of Brobdingang, ten feet high in their stockings."
The expenses of our regiment while recruiting and in camp were about $6,200, of which nearly $3,000 was paid for music. This amount came from the regimental fund, of which William Gray, Jr., was treasurer, - a fund raised by contribution, the city
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giving $3,000 1 and the rest being donated by individuals. Most of the companies were presented with Short's knapsacks by their friends, and those companies which were not so fortunate were supplied at the expense of the regimental fund. The corre- spondence with the state officials and the War Department arising from the endeavor to have this style of knapsack supplied by the Government is rather unique and decidedly interesting. The let- ter from " Corporal " last referred to concludes by saying : --
" We now expect to remain at Readville till the close of the war, except in case Readville is invaded by the enemy, when we shall make a masterly retreat to Mill Village."
Alas for the claims of " Corporal" as a prophet! Three days after this letter was printed we had orders to pack, and on the fourth day, Thursday, October 23, we bade good-by to our bar- racks and the friends who had been so much interested in our progress.
1 August 18 it was ordered, "That the committee . . . be authorized to pay out of said appropriation, to each of the four regiments . . . such a sum as they may deem expedient, for a regimental fund."
CHAPTER III.
VOYAGE TO NEW BERNE.
ADAM RUMOR, who at Read- ville had no better reputation for veracity than the "intel- ligent contraband," had so many times announced our departure for this or that dangerous point at the South, that when the order finally formulated into the fact that we must go, we could hardly realize it until we found ourselves, early in the morning of October 22, under the weight of knapsacks, idly waiting in line to be escorted to the station. Standing there, now hitching up one strap, then unbuckling another that had not got accustomed to its place upon us, with our backs well piled with many things soon to be thrown away, we looked across the fields, where in awkward squads we had strayed to the larger camp, that was alive with the bustle and noise of a recruiting headquarters ; thence beyond the meadows to the beautiful Blue Hills, covered by the many-tinted colors of autumn; and the query must have come to all, How many of this one thousand will be present at the return to answer "Here"? There was no voice to that thought as up and down the lines came nothing but the cheerful voices of the men, bantering one another, bidding their old quarters, even to the familiar boards upon which they had lain, good-by, with almost tearful fondness.
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