USA > Rhode Island > History of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments Rhode Island Volunteers, and the Tenth Rhode Island Battery, in the Union Army in 1862 > Part 10
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"June 6th. Dr. George D. Wilcox has been appointed surgeon, and Dr. Albert G. Sprague, assistant-surgeon. Rev. A. H. Clapp, of the Beneficent Church, our chaplain, is settled down in camp and is to be also the postmaster of the regiment. It is said that there are seven or eight thousand troops around here. Among them are the Sixty-third Indiana, the Fifty-ninth New York and Seventy-first New York, the Eleventh and Seventeenth Regulars, the Ninth Rhode Island Volunteers, the Tenth Rhode Island Battery, and a Pennsylvania regiment. A few rods from here is Fort Pennsylvania, mounting a dozen heavy guns. It is manned by a portion of the Fifty-ninth New York Volunteers. There are several other large forts and batteries near by which guard the approaches to the capital from the upper Potomac.
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149
RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
"June 8th. Our duties for each day are as follows : We are obliged to get up and form in line at half past four in the morning for 'reveille' or roll-call. After that each 'mess' has a 'squad drill' for an hour, and then breakfast at half past six. Drill from ten to half past eleven. Dinner at one o'clock, preceded by an- other roll-call. From three to five 'company drill,' roll call at six, and supper at 6.30. Another roll-call at nine, 'tattoo ' and 'taps' at 9.30, when all lights must be out, and all noise cease.
"Yesterday I was on guard from nine o'clock A. M., until nine o'clock this morning. My beat was in front of the colonel's, adjutant's, and quartermaster's tents of the Ninth Regiment Rhode Island Volunteers (the Ninth and Tenth are in the same camp). In the day time I did not have much to do, simply pre- venting persons not belonging to the tents from going into them. At night, by mistake, the countersign was given to me, which should not have been done as it is only intended for the outside guards. I had orders not to let any one pass between the tents across my beat, or in or out of the tent without the countersign. Some of the officers were not provided with the password as they had never been obliged to use it. Scarcely had I passed a few times, back and forth, when the quartermaster approached his tent. I stopped him, saying, 'Halt !' ' Who comes there ?' He answered 'the quartermaster.' ' Advance quartermaster, and give the countersign!' He said that he was the quartermaster, but had not the countersign. I called for the corporal of the guard, who allowed him go to his tent. I also halted the col- onel, who gave me the countersign. To-day I ought to have slept, but I took the time for writing letters home."
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
Home correspondence was now com- menced with an alacrity which nearly " snowed under" the village post-office. Corp. C. F. Pabodie, of Company H, U.S.M. wrote a few days later : " We have our letters directed to us at Washington now, instead of at Tennallytown as at first. It appears that the village post- master had been in the habit of receiv- ing only one or two letters per day, previous to our arrival, and when he begun to get upwards of a thousand, he didn't know ' what on 'airth to do with them.' They say he has been in the hospital ever since.
"A detachment of the Seventeenth Regulars are now encamped near us. They are illy provided with camp utensils, knapsacks, overcoats, etc., and it is reported, help themselves to anything they can lay their hands on. I lost my overcoat while helping to pitch tents, but have held on to my knapsack. We get used to the fatigue here. My knapsack keeps growing lighter every day. We have had not much else but rain since we have been here. When it is pleasant it is quite warm.
" Monday, June 2d, we (Company H), were informed that we were detailed for guard duty for the next twenty-four hours. At 9.30 A. M., we were marched out and went through the ceremony of guard mounting and taking our position at the guard tent. Guard mounting is done in the following way : The new guard being drawn up in double line, are divided into three portions gen- erally. The first detachment are kept in line, the rest are allowed
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
to hang around the guard tent until wanted. The first detach- ment then marches off under charge of the corporal, who puts the men in the places occupied by the old guard, who fall in behind. Thus they go round the lines. There are many minuta required by the tactics which would take too long to describe. The cor- poral of the guard, after posting his men, has to remain at the guard tent till they are relieved, for whenever any disturbance happens in the lines, the guard, if he cannot decide nor quiet it himself, calls out the number of his post and calls for the corporal of the guard, who must proceed to the post and see what is the matter.
" During the day, the guards are on two hours and off four. hours. When there are enough the same arrangement is carried out again at night. But there were not enough of us, as the guard has to be doubled at night, so our men were on two hours and off two hours, the three detachments we had during the day, being divided into two. During the day the guard had orders to allow no one to pass in or out except commissioned officers, men with passes, men for water, and civilians. At night a counter- sign was given them, and no one was allowed to pass except with that countersign. The orders were to pass all men to the guard house, who attempted to come in without the word. Towards morning I had just started away from the guard house accom- panying the men who were to relieve my guard then on duty, when the cry was passed along the lines for the corporal of the guard, post 16. I hurried to the post designated, which was down at the extremity of the camp in a swamp, and found the affair as follows : Number 15, was a small, very stupid Irishman,
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
who had got off his beat into number 16's beat, and, being chal- lenged, had forgotten the countersign. Number 16 held him at the point of the bayonet, and threatened to run him through if he stirred. When I reached them, number 15 was shaking with fear, and when I inquired what was the matter, could hardly ejacu- late that he had forgotten the countersign. This round was the hardest one I made during the night. It was so dark I could not see the length of my musket ahead, except when it lightened, and could only find the old guard by calling out so they could hear us and challenge us. Once I ran against a stump about three feet high, and tumbled over, musket and all. We were glad to be relieved at ten the next morning. The day after being on guard we were relieved from all duty, so we had the whole day to rest in."
" Chain Bridge," wrote Lieut. C. F. Phillips, " barricaded and guarded by a German regiment, is about two miles to the left of our camp. The position of the Tenth Rhode Island Battery, recently arrived, is at the foot of the slope of our camp. They have for neighbors an artillery company of the regular army. Our guard tent is for the most part orderly except in one in- stance, when the man with iron jaws persisted in chewing up several tent pins into fragments, which had been improvised as a ' gag' to keep him quiet.
" Picket duty, The first detail from Company B for picket duty was made two or three nights ago, in the midst of a furious thunder storm. The squad was accompanied by Captain Dyer, and marched perhaps two miles down the Fredericktown road, and halted in front of a wheelwright shop. Captain Dyer went to
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
the adjoining house for the key of the shop and knocked. Instantly the lights inside were extinguished, but as the knocking grew louder a head appeared at an upper window. 'What do you want?' 'The key of your wagon shop and a light.' 'Well, you won't get them,' and down went the window with a bang. 'Take forcible possession of the shop,' shouted Captain Dyer, and the key and light were instantly forthcoming, just in time to save the door, and the men, wet to the skin, found a shelter. The wheel- wright shop from that hour became the headquarters of the picket guard, and the picket line was established about half a mile beyond." 1
An amusing capture was made during the night by Captain Dyer's men, which is thus described in the author's personal narrative :
" Last night a fellow was brought in from our picket line who had stayed out too late, courting one of the fair F. F. V.'s. He was decked out in light vest and pants, and came galloping along on horseback, when Fiske, one of our mess, jumped into the mid- dle of the road, with bayonet at the charge, and yelled, ' Who goes there ?' The rider jumped back in his stirrups and pulled up, badly frightened, exclaiming, 'It's m.m-me!' 'Advance me and give the countersign !' 'Twas no go, he had to give it up. ' Then you're my prisoner,' says Fiske, and he had to go into camp with us for the rest of the night, and was turned over to the officer of the guard. Colonel Robbins told one of the guard ' to keep his eye on that fellow who had been out to see his gal !' 'Twas pretty rough, I'll admit, but I guess he'll keep better hours in future."
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
Bathing and swimming at Chain Bridge, on the Poto- mac, and in Rock Creek, near by, were luxuries which we greatly enjoyed during our month's stay at Camp Frieze, and they did much, no doubt, towards promoting the health of the regiment. " On the first Sunday after- noon, the chaplain not hav- ing yet arrived, a company of us obtained permission for a tramp to Rock Creek. We Cleaning Up. kept well together, as the neighborhood was considered unfriendly. We took our canteens along, which served a novel and useful purpose. The banks were lined with soldiers enjoying the cleansing and reviving influences of the water."
"Last Saturday," wrote James F. Field, "nine of us crossed the Potomac into Virginia. We obtained a pass from Captain Dyer, endorsed by Colonel Bliss, which allowed us to go over the river into Virginia, if we behaved ourselves, which we did ac- cordingly. The principal road to the Potomac was so narrow in some places as to allow but one carriage to pass along. What they do when two carriages meet I do not know. We tramped about five miles in going, not knowing exactly the way, but in returning to camp we traveled only two miles. We went across the
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
Potomac on Chain Bridge, which is made of wood, with seven heavy stone abutments. It was formerly held by chains, which probably gave it the name of Chain Bridge. There was a guard of artil- lery stationed on this side of the bridge to prevent any one from going across without a pass. Commanding the bridge and on a level with it was an earthen breastwork, pierced for three guns, which could sweep the bridge if necessary. On a high bluff right above this is another earthwork, with three or four heavy guns, which command the opposite shore. Near the centre of the bridge are two large, heavy gates, which completely divide the bridge. The gates are plated with iron, with slits for skirmish- ers and pickets to fire through, which were dented in several places by bullet and rifle-balls fired by secession pickets. The river at that time was only about forty or fifty feet wide, it being the dry season. It is of a muddy color, about the same as the color of the soil. We walked about a quarter of a mile into Vir- ginia, and bathed ourselves thoroughly in a stream which flowed into the Potomac. Close to the bank were the remains of some bowers or huts, which, probably, the secession pickets had made for their quarters, as there were remains of fire-places near them. The day was the warmest that we have yet had, the thermometer being at camp that noon, 104º. On our way back we stopped at ' Fort Gaines.' It mounted four 32-pound barbette guns. It is garrisoned by a company of the Fifty-ninth New York Volun- teers. The earthwork was about ten or twelve feet thick, with a ditch about as wide and six or eight feet deep, on the outside of which were large trees, laid lengthwise, to hinder infantry from going through them to the fort."
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
N CAMP, near Tennallytown, D. C., June 10th. LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR.
"To-day is a rainy one in camp, and the boys are either asleep, writing letters, or taking it easy. By General Orders No. I, issued yester- day, our camp will hereafter be known as Camp Frieze, and the strictest discipline and good order will be observed. According to the order there will be eleven calls sounded each day, as follows : Reveille, at 4.30 o'clock A. M. ; Police call, Breakfast, 6.30 A. M .; Sick call at 7 A. M. ; Adjutant's call at 8.45 A. M. ; Guard-mounting at 9 A. M. ; Orderly call at 12 M. ; Roast Beef, Dinner, at I P. M .; Supper, 6.30 P. M. ; Retreat at sunset (when the companies form under arms) ; Tattoo at 9 P. M. ; Taps 9.30 P. M. There are four roll calls each day, and as many drills. Divine service will be held every Sunday at II A. M. (For full order, see pages 77, 78 and 79.)
Our tents are arranged in parallel rows, with streets or ave- nues between. Company A, Captain Taber, has Atwood avenue, named in honor of Mrs. Alice Atwood, who made and presented the men with a hundred pin-cushions, filled with pins. Company B, Captain Dyer, has Dyer avenue ; Company C, Captain Vose, Broadway ; Company D, Captain Dunham, Benefit street, and so on. The college boys of Brown, in the tent adjoining ours, call their quarters 'Hope College.' Per order of the High School boys I have printed the sign 'Whang Hotel,' on a board, and hung it up over our tent opening. ' Whang' is a broad 'slang '
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
expression for our broader army shoes, seventeen pairs of which lie mixed up round the centre-pole every night. The names of the proprietors are as follows: Sergt. Charles L. Stafford, Corporals William P. Vaughan, George T. Baker, John B. Kelly, Nathan H. Baker, and high privates Edwin B. Fiske, John A. Reynolds, Frank Frost, James F. Field, F. F. Tingley, Charles B. Greene, Charles T. Greene, Horace K. Blanchard, George H. Sparhawk, William A. Spicer, David Hunt, and Jesse M. Bush. William Grant and Ira Wilbur are in Company E, Captain Cady.
" Many of the tents in the other companies have pet names, such as ' Uncle Tom's Cabin,' 'Hawkins's Happy Family,' ' Blue Point House,' 'Mess of Cabbage, Company F,' 'Chateau de Salt Junk,' and 'The Rhubarb Mess' of Company G. So you see there is considerable 'spice' mixed with army life. There is indeed some 'fun,' although a great deal more of the reverse character. Every morning we have to be up and in the ranks at half past four, which you must know is hard for some of us. So also are the military drills in the hot sun morning and afternoon, We sleep on the hard ground with only a thin layer of straw and a rubber blanket to keep off the dampness. Yet we sleep well, with our knapsacks under our heads, and one blanket apiece for a covering.
"Fiske, of our 'mess,' told Captain Dyer that it was pretty ' tough' for him to come down to such hard fare, as for two or three weeks before enlisting he'd been out 'visiting' among ' his folks,' and never had such high living in his life. Another said that he was going to write home, that he'd never object any more to 'corned beef and cabbage' once a week.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT.
"Our rations have thus far consisted of salt meat and pork, 'hard tack' or hard crackers, and black, strong A coffee. They have been of such a uniformly bad quality 1 ? . 4 + since we arrived in Washing- ton, that some of us have been + out to a neighboring farm- house, to get a good square HARD TACK. meal for twenty-five cents ! And didn't it go good ? One trouble is that there is no variety to our bill of fare, it is the same old horse day after day." As I now look back upon the situation, it reminds me of the story of a boarder in a small country tavern, who came down into the dining room one morning, and casting a sweeping glance over the table, jammed down into his chair, and muttered under his breath, "Liver again, of course. We've had liver every morning for two weeks." " What's the matter," asked the landlady, "aren't you feeling well this morning ?" "No, ma'am," he replied, shortly, " I am suffering with liver complaint."
But thanks to the efficiency of our new quartermaster, James H. Armington, our rations greatly improved after this time. He was second lieutenant of Company D, and by General Orders No. 11, June 7th, was promoted to first lieutenant Company C, and detailed as quartermaster. He proceeded to Washington, and pressed our claims upon the Commissary Department with such persistency that he was ordered to report under arrest.
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
The return of the genial quartermaster to camp, and his report at headquarters, with the order of arrest signed by General Wadsworth, caused a considerable sensation. Colonel Bliss laughed heartily, and thought it was a good joke on Armington, but sustained him by issuing General Orders No. 15, relieving him from arrest. He proved a very capable and faithful quarter- master, and our 'rations' steadily improved, but at the best
"Ther warn't overly much pie et, endurin' ' the army.'"
. Captain Duckworth, of Company H, furnishes the following for publication :
BROOKLYN, N. Y., July 12, ISS7. MAJ. CHRISTOPHER DUCKWORTH,
Pawtucket, R. I.
MY DEAR MAJOR : My friend Stiness has this day forwarded me the copy of General Orders No. 15, issued at headquarters of the Tenth Rhode Island Vol- unteers, June 16, 1S62. Permit me to thank you, not only for the preservation of this old document, but for your kindness in sending it to me.
How much it reminds me of the particular instance which caused the ordering of my arrest; and of the good fellow, and brave soldier, who was with me on the occasion, Adjt. John F. Tobey, and who has now "passed to his rest." Full well, too, do I remember the martinet who ordered me to "report under arrest," and the hearty laugh with which his explanation for ordering me under arrest was received, when he was waited upon by Colonel Bliss and Adjutant Tobey. I remember also, that this same officer was to have been nominated by Hon. John P. Hale, for a brigadier-general, but that after he (Hale) had visited our camp, in company with Governor Anthony, the said officer was not nomi- nated, and did not receive that honor, while his brother officers who were asso- ciated with him were nominated and confirmed as brigadier-generals.
I should be very much pleased to meet you, and I hope that whenever you visit your brother here, you will not forget to call on me. With kind regards 1 am
Very truly yours, JAMES HI. ARMINGTON.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
" Yesterday we were mustered into the service of the United States by Adjt .- Gen. Lorenzo Thomas, United States Army. ID There was no 'special service at Washing- ton' in the agreement. The general said there was but one oath for a Union soldier to take, and that was the unconditional one, to Army Cap. serve in any place where he was ordered We all concluded therefore to 'take it straight.' After the oath, which we repeated slowly after General Thomas, he called out, 'Now, three cheers for your flag, men !' which were heartily given." Much importance isattached by professional soldiers to this outward demonstration of respect for our country's flag, and certainly every Union soldier and sailor will respond to the sentiment
" Off with your cap as the flag goes by ! And let the heart have its say, You're man enough for a tear in your eye, That you will not wipe away."
"Adjutant-General Thomas had a very difficult place to fill. Secretary of War, Simon Cameron, relied on him greatly in the management of military affairs, so suddenly and so vastly brought into the most prominent of all functions of the government. It was at that time thought important that as much éclat as possible should be given to the arrival of the volunteer regiments which came to re-enforce the army, and the adjutant-general was called upon to make addresses, present flags, and attend to the muster- ing exercises, etc., at the various camps around the capital." (See portrait, page 139.)
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
HEADQUARTERS TENTH REGIMENT R. I. VOLS ,
CAMP NEAR TENNALLYTOWN, D. C., June 7, 1862. Special Orders No. 4.
The Tenth Battery of Rhode Island Light Artillery, commanded by Capt. Edwin C. Gallup, is hereby attached to this regiment, and will be designated as Company " L."
By order of ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel Commanding.
BENJAMIN F. THURSTON,
Lieutenant and Adjutant.
NOTE. Maj. Charles H. Merriman, Capt. Charles HI. Dunham, Company D, and Adjt. Ben . jamin F. Thurston, went out with the regiment, and served with it until June 9th, but resigned and returned home before the officers' commissions were issued.
The blanks in the regimental staff were filled, and the officers mustered in as follows, June 9, 1862 :
ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel ;
JOHN F. TOBEY, Adjutant :
JAMES SHAW, JR., Lieutenant-Colonel ; JAMES H. ARMINGTON, Quartermaster;
JACOB BABBITT, Major : EDWARD K. GLEZEN, Sergeant-Major;
GEORGE D. WILCOX, Surgeon ; LYSANDER FLAGG, Quartermaster-Ser-
ALBERT G. SPRAGUE, Assistant-Sur- geant ;
geon ; JAMES O. SWAN, Commissary-Sergeant;
A. HUNTINGTON CLAPP, Chaplain ; CHARLES G. KING, Hospital Steward.
HEADQUARTERS, CAMP FRIEZE, June 10, 1862,
Captains of companies will furnish this office requisitions for such clothing as is necessary for the men, also requisition for arms for each member of the com- pany, and such equipments as are required, in addition to those on hand, to complete the equipment of the men.
By order of
ZENAS R. BLISS,
. Joux F. TOBEY, Lieutenant and Adjutant. 21
Colonel Commanding.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
Our uniforms were a bad fit. They did not take our measure and make them to order. The government appeared to cut out clothes not according to the shape of the boy, but to what he was expected to grow to. Then our altitude ranged from four feet six to six feet four. Private Maguire said he was four foot ten or ten foot four, he disremembered which. " We have received our blue overcoats, but mine is a very loose fit. We had to take them just as they came, but can 'swap' with some other fellow. Beside the overcoat, each of us received a woolen blanket, a rubber blanket, some coarse shirts and drawers, two pairs socks Dressed Up. or 'foot-gear,' cap, one pair 'pontoons' or army shoes, one knapsack, one haversack, and one blue blouse. Many of us are disappointed in the non-arrival of the promised invoice of government trousers from Washington. The old ones we brought from home are getting pretty dilapidated. The wear and tear of camp-life, with the rain, and slippery mud which so quickly follows here, have done their work, and its getting a little un- pleasant and embarrassing to appear in line." "To realize what this southern mud is," wrote one of the privates, "spread several inches of tar all over your back-yard, and then try to walk through it ; and when you have succeeded in getting it well baked on to your 'pontoons' try to make them presentable for dress parade." " If you decide to send anything, don't forget to put in some blacking and a brush, for we haven't half enough to go round."
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
"June roth. I was handed your letter while washing the mess- pans and cups. Two are detailed for this duty each day. How do we like the job? Well, we don't like it. I never realized before how much easier it is to eat a good dinner than to 'pick up' and wash the dishes afterwards. One of the boys says when he en- lists again he's going to have it all put down in black and white, just what he's got to do, and helping the cook wash the dishes and cleaning up the camp won't be in it.
" We have little real cause for complaint. We have good offi- cers, well-known to you all at home, who treat the men with the kindest consideration. Captain Dyer is a model commander, and our company has the right of the line, he being the senior captain. He gave us quite a lively exercise the other morning, in military movements. One of the hardest things for us is to get up early enough in the morning. Reveille is sounded at half past four, when we form in line for roll-call, generally in a very drowsy- headed condition. The captain thought he'd wake us up and
warm us up too. So he started us off on the 'double-quick,' a very pretty movement when well executed by a wide awake, well disciplined company on a level road, but our boys made a very pretty mess of it, half asleep, on a down-hill and dusty road. We hadn't gone far when unfortunate number one lost the step, stumbled and fell. 'Left ! left ! left !' shouted Captain Dyer sharply, stamp- ing his left foot on the ground, to give force to the word, 'Get the step there, men!' But 'getting the step' was an easier thing for the tongue to say than for some awkward feet to do. Grace- ful John Reynolds, of our mess, now lost the step, and, while attempting to leap over the back of his file leader, was rolled over
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