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 13
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" Saturday, June 21st. General orders number 19 were read to the regiment. "June 25th. We expect to be roused at two o'clock to-morrow morning for a march. Our camp is a scene of bustling, stirring activity to-night. The reflec- tion on the trees of the grove from a fire in a neighboring street is beautiful. Tattoo beats earlier than usual, and reveillé at two o'clock A. M."
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, D. C., June 24, IS62.
ORDERED, That all applications for passes and permits for persons or prop- erty within the lines of the United States forces shall hereafter be made to Brigadier-General Wadsworth, Military Governor of the District of Columbia, and be subject to such terms and conditions as he may prescribe.
Signed, EDWIN M. STANTON. Secretary of State.
HEADQUARTERS RESERVE ARMY CORPS,
General Orders No. 1. WASHINGTON, June 24, IS62.
1. Pursuant to instructions from the War Department, the undersigned hereby assumes the command of all the forces in and about the City of Wash- ington, except such as may be required by Brigadier-General Wadsworth, for purposes set forth in the instructions referred to.
2. Such of these troops as are north of the Potomac will hold themselves in readiness to move at a moment's warning.
Signed,
L. D. STURGIS, Brig .- Gen. U. S. Vols.
NOTE. Brig .- Gen. James S. Wadsworth, a most worthy and intrepid officer, was mortally wounded and fell into the hands of the enemy, in the battle of the Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1So4.
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
HEADQUARTERS TENTH REGIMENT R. I VOLS., CAMP FRIEZE, June 20, 1862.
General Orders No. 19.
For the better enforcement of that discipline so essential to the health, com- fort, and soldierly bearing of the members of this regiment, the following orders and extracts from the Army Regulations are hereby promulgated :
. I. Captains will cause the men of their companies to be numbered in a regu- lar series, including the non-commissioned officers, and divided into squads, each to be put under the charge of a non-commissioned officer.
II. The utmost attention will be paid by commanders of companies, to the cleanliness 'of the men, as to their person, clothing, arms, accoutrements and equipments, also their quarters or tents. Every man will be required to bathe the whole body at least twice a week. The hair to be kept short, and beard neatly trimmed.
III. The knapsack of each man will be placed at the head of his bed, around the outer circle of the tent, packed and ready to be slung. The overcoat neatly folded inside out, and placed on the knapsack. Boots well cleaned.
IV. Dirty clothes will be kept in an appropriate part of the knapsack. No article of any kind will be put under the bedding. .
V. Cooking and mess utensils will be cleansed immediately after using, and neatly arranged in their proper places.
VI. Non-commissioned officers in command of squads, will be held more immediately responsible that their men observe what is prescribed above. That" they wash their hands and faces daily ; that they brush or comb their heads: that those who are to go ou duty put their arms, accoutrements, dress, etc., in the best order, and that such as have permission to pass the chain of sentinels, are in the dress that may be ordered.
VII. When belts are given to a soldier, the captain will see that they are properly fitted to the body, and it is forbidden to cut any without his sanction.
VIII. Cartridge boxes and bayonet scabbards will be polished with blacking.
IX. Arms shall not be kept loaded in the tents, or when men are off duty, except by special orders.
X. Company officers must visit the kitchen daily, and inspect the kettles, and at all times carefully attend to the messing and economy of their respective
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2 THE TENTH REGIMENT
commands. Soup must be boiled at least five hours, and vegetables always cooked sufficiently to be perfectly soft and digestible. These duties are of the utmost importance and must not be neglected.
XI. Courtesy among military men is indispensable to discipline. Respect to superiors will not be confined to obedience on duty, but will be extended to all occasions. It is always the duty of the inferior to accost or offer first the customary salutation, and of the superior to return such complimentary notice.
XII. When a soldier without arms. or side arms only, meets an officer, he is to raise his hand to the right side of the visor of the cap, palm to the front, elbow raised as high as the shoulder, looking at the same time in a respectful and soldier-like manner to the officer, who will return the compliment thus offered.
XIII. A non-commissioned officer or soldier being seated, and without par- ticular occupation, will rise on the approach of an officer, and make the custom- ary salutation. If standing, he will turn towards the officer for the same pur- pose. If the parties remain in the same place or on the same ground, such compliments need not be repeated.
XIV. All non-commissioned officers and privates visiting officers' quarters will stand at "Attention," and remain uncovered.
By order of
JOHN F. TOBEY, Adjutant.
ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel Commanding.
General Orders No. IS.
HEADQUARTERS STURGIS'S BRIGADE, WASHINGTON, June 20, IS62.
I. All commands in this brigade, excepting the Fifty-ninth Regiment New York Volunteers, will be held in immediate readiness for marching orders.
II. The commanding officer of each command will notify the brigade quar- termaster, Lieut. Nelson Plato, of the number of wagons requisite for the moving of his command.
By order of Brigadier-General STURGIS, HENRY R. MIGHELS, Capt. and A. A. G.
RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
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PARTING SKETCH OF CAMP FRIEZE. By HENRY T. CHACE, Company D, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers.
Service Ground, Tenth Regiment.
Tents.
ants'
Captains' and Lieuten-
and Major.
Street.
Hospital Tents.
COMPANY K, Captain Low.
COMPANY. G, Captain Greene.
COMPANY H, Capt. Duckworth.
COMPANY E, Captain Cady.
..
COMPANY I, Captain Hale.
COMPANY A, Captain Taber.
COMPANY C, Captain Vose. 1
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COMPANY F, Captain Harris.
A
COMPANY D, Capt. Smith.
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E
Orderly Starkey's Mess.
Sergeant Tobey's Mess.
Sergeant Dorrance's Mess.
(Athenaum.)
Sergeant Brown's Mess.
Corporal Gould's Mess.
Mathewson's Mess.
N
- S
.
W
NINTH REGIMENT.
COMPANY B, Captain Dyer.
1
Colonel, Lieut .- Colonel
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
"We are about to start for Cloud's Mills, near Alexandria," wrote one of the men. "Already our noble battery has thundered off, and we shall soon follow them, leaving our familiar avenues, our evergreen bowers and shady resorts for chatting and smoking, to the spiders and wood-ticks, the tree toads and fire flies, whose domain we have invaded. We may find in some respects a better, but surely not a more picturesque camping ground."
Canteen.
HEADQUARTERS TENTH REGIMENT R. I. VOLS., CAMP FRIEZE, June 25, 1862.
General Orders No. 21.
I. The regiment will move from its present camp to-morrow morning.
II. Knapsacks must be packed and marked, and canteens and haversacks filled, and all provisions and articles on hand in the cook-tent and not imme- diately required, packed in the wagons by evening.
III. Reveille will sound at two o'clock A. M., to-morrow. Company cooks will prepare breakfast and hot coffee, and serve them out at that time.
IV. The regiment must then be ready to strike tents and march.
By order of
JOHN F. TOBEY, Adjutant.
ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel Commanding.
Packing knapsacks meant compressing all our housekeeping into a space so that it could be carried on our backs. Now we had so many things on hand-good to eat and to wear-that it became very hard to decide which to take and which to leave.
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
"June 26th. As per orders," wrote the author, "we broke up our old camp shortly after midnight this morning. At two o'clock came the rattling ' rap-a-tap-tap' of the reveillé. It was a grand sight, as the beautiful grove with its stately oaks and tented avenues was suddenly illuminated with blazing bonfires, as if by magic. The long rows of glistening bayonets shone up and down the camp, the Knapsack. sparks filled the air and shot upward to the sky; which with the falling tents, the men hurrying to and fro, with shouts and laughter, and the army wagons rumbling off, full of stores and baggage, produced a scene of rare enchantment. After roll-call we were ordered to pack knapsacks and be ready to march at daylight. It is astonishing how heavy a knapsack gets on the march, even if there isn't much in it. The knapsack opens like a carpet bag, with a great pocket in one side, and a loose flap with straps on the other. It is strapped to the back by a novel arrangement of straps and buckles. Some stuffed everything into their knapsacks regardless of the weight. One of them contained the following articles : 'Two pairs of drawers, a pair of thick boots, four pairs of stockings, four flannel shirts, a blue blouse, a looking-glass, a brush and comb, a razor, razor strop and brush, a box of blacking and a blacking brush, a can of preserves, a bottle of pain-killer, and cough mixture, a small bag of sugar, a piece of chalk, several towels, a Bible, besides postage stamps and writing
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
materials. On top of the knapsack was stuffed a double woolen blanket and a rubber one.' Fortunately, there was extra wagon- room, and the men were allowed to pile in their knapsacks, instead of strapping them on their backs."
" We left Camp Frieze," wrote H. T. Chace, "at six o'clock in the morning, with three rousing cheers and a Narragansett ! The regiment stepped off at a lively gait in the fresh morning air. We carry muskets, haver- Haversack. sacks for rations (mine was supplied with lemons) ; canteens (mine was filled with tea), and cartridge boxes, with ten and twenty rounds of ammunition. Our rations were served last evening and consist of beef and hard-tack."
Says Lieutenant Phillips : "Our route of march lay through Washington, where General Scott's fine residence was pointed out. As we approached Willard's Hotel Colonel Bliss requested us to strike up ' John Brown ;' a thousand voices responded, the ladies thronged the balconies, and, recognizing the colonel, they waved their best wishes, as we went marching on." Between nine and ten the regiment passed over Long Bridge, making the old wooden structure shake with its measured tread. Tramp, tramp, tramp, how many thousands crossed this 'bridge of sighs ' never to return ! The day was oppressively hot, as we tramped on, past rifle-pits, fortifications and earthworks. We hadn't been in 'ole Virginia' an hour before we realized that there wasn't so much fun in it after all. We marched, and marched, and marched till
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
we reached Alexandria. Af- ter a further tramp of several miles, we finally halted about two o'clock P. M., on a vast, elevated plain, under the guns of Fort Ward, near Fairfax Seminary. A man who lives here told me that we marched twelve miles this side of Long Bridge, or twenty miles in all."
Captain Hale, Company I. wrote, "That the length of the march had been variously estimated, according to the Cooling Off. length of limb and strength of muscle of those who participated, ranging from eighteen miles (about the actual distance), to thirty or forty ; while Corporal Stump declares that he must have traveled at least a hundred and fifty miles! Somebody asked him on the road what regiment it was, and he promptly responded,' ' the One Hundred and Tenth Rhode Island !'" An old soldier wrote home after such a tramp, "I'm all right except the dog- gorned blisters on my feet, and I hope these few lines will find you enjoying the same blessings !" Surely, the monks who used to put peas in their shoes, as a penance, did not suffer more than some of us did on that march. I recall the celerity with which I kicked off my "whangs," and getting a refreshing drink of cold water from the well at Fort Ward, I dropped on the ground and dropped off to sleep in the twinkling of an eye.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
We were somewhat rudely awakened to. ward sunset by the or- ders to "pitch tents," which we soon accom- plished to the satisfac- tion of the officers. Hard-tack and coffee - MAKING COFFEE. were then served for supper, and didn't they go good, particularly the hot coffee from the old iron kettles ;
" The old coffee kettles, the iron bound kettles, The old coffee kettles that hung on a pole."
"The Ninety-ninth Pennsylvania Regiment," wrote H. T. Chace, "came into camp to-night too late to pitch tents till morn- ing. Some of them came over to our tent, tired out and hungry. Fortunately our canteens had just been filled, and they speedily emptied them " What hospitality ever equaled that of comrades in the days when " we drank from the same canteen !" How we all slept that night ! "Phat a blessing," said Pat, "that noight niver comes in till late in the day, when yer all toired out, and couldn't march no more, anyhow, at all, at all, not even if it was mornin !" The morning dawned at length and found us a good deal refreshed, but somewhat stiff and sore. It proved to be another scorching day, "with a sky of brass, an earth of ashes, and the air of a furnace." Captain Hale wrote home: "To dis- tinguish it from our last camp, 'Camp Frieze,' we designated it 'Camp Scorch,' although no special order was issued to that effect.
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Camp Scorch, allas Camp Misery, allas Camp Desolation.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
I should judge from appearances that this particular portion of the sacred soil has undergone the effect of the last great con- flagration. I was about to say, prematurely, but more properly, in advance of the rest of the world. Barren desolation marks it as far as the eye can reach, and Corporal Stump, after scouring the plain with a critical eye, remarked, 'that the most nimble of grasshoppers could not cross it unless he carried three days' rations on his back.' The country has been even stripped of its fences and hedges to remove every cover for the enemy, and everything has a grim, ravaged look." Our camp became generally known as "Camp Misery," while the members of the Ninth Regiment, which arrived the following day, Saturday, preferred to call it "Camp Desolation," a very appropriate name.
"Our present camp," says H. T. Chace, "is in one respect, at least, superior to the old one, viz. : in the evenness of the tem- perature. The nights are not so cold or damp as at Tennallytown. We have more company around us, also. It is evident that a large number of troops are being concentrated on this great plain at ' Seminary Hill.' Between ten thousand and twenty thou- sand are already here. This famous camping-ground, over two hundred acres in area, recently witnessed the stately march of the grand army of the Potomac, on its departure for the Peninsula. We hear that the various regiments and batteries assembling here are to be consolidated into a division. Every hill top is crowned with the inevitable fort ; near us are forts Ward, Worth, Blenker, and Ellsworth. Fort Ward is a large earthwork mounting several thirty-two pounders, and rifled field pieces. It commands the roads to Fairfax Court-House, and Leesburg."
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
"Seminary Hill takes its name from a group of handsome brick buildings partly hidden in a grove on its southeastern slope, known as Fairfax Seminary. Here Messrs. Bancroft, Wheeler, and Hoffman studied. In yonder grove they have many times walked. We are now fairly entered on a sol- dier's life, and expect a rough time. Break- fast, this morning, consisted of hard-bread and coffee, without sugar or milk. I was on guard from 'five to seven o'clock,' and had a pleasant time enjoying the view. Be- fore me was Fort Ward; off to the left oblique Munson's Hill; to the right oblique was Washington and the Capitol, while the unfinished Washington Monument loomed up, plainly visible."
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Washington Monument.
"As we marched through Washington, down Fourteenth Street, we passed near the monument, which was on our right hand." At that time it was but partially built, and was but little more than a staring mass of marble blocks, covered with mighty der- ricks and scaffolding. It was also surrounded by the government cattle yards and slaughter-houses, and presented anything but an inviting appearance. Corp. Nathan H. Baker, of Company B, tells a good story of being detailed with a squad of men from Camp Frieze, to get a supply of beef for the regiment, at the monu- ment stock yards. After performing this duty, Baker accom- panied by Nelson W. Aldrich, of Company D, made a visit to the
In
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
Capitol, and as Congress had not assembled for the day, they pro- ceeded to the desk of Representative George H. Browne, of Rhode Island, and decked it with some spring flowers. They then retired to the gallery to await the result. Soon Colonel Browne entered the chamber, noticed the floral decoration of his desk, and was well pleased with this mark of attention and respect. The next year Colonel Browne buckled on his sword and rendered good service in his country's defence. A few more years passed, peace and union were restored, and Nelson W. Aldrich, the young volunteer of the Tenth, became a representative of the House from his native state.
The Washington Monument is a granite shaft faced with white marble, six hundred feet high, fifty-five feet square at the base, and thirty feet square at the top. Under the auspices of the Washington National Monument Society, the construction of the monument was begun in 1848, on the very spot selected by Washington himself for a memorial of the American Revolution. Funds amounting to nearly $250,000 were contributed by the people of the United States of all ages and from all quarters of the Union, and the construction continued until 1856, when it reached a height of over one hundred and fifty-six feet. The financial embarrassments of the time led to the discontinuance of the work, and it was not until 1877 when, by act of Congress, its completion was authorized, and it was finally dedicated, in the presence of President Arthur and his cabinet, on the 22d of Feb- ruary, ISS5. The address of the occasion was written by Robert C. Winthrop, who in 1848 had delivered an oration on the laying of the corner-stone.
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
THE ARMY MULE.
[Siceet Bye and Bye. ]
"You may sing of your beans and hard-tack, Of bad water you drank from the pool : Of tin cup, tin canteen, haversack, But you must not forget the old mule !
The Army Mule.
Chorus : Good old mule, army mule,
Both your ears were so graceful and long ; You were true to our flag, So we'll praise you in story and song !"
"Shortly after crossing Long Bridge," wrote Chace, "on the Virginia side, we noticed a large drove of mules, herded to- gether by the road-side. They numbered upwards of two thou- sand." The motive power of an army wagon usually consisted of six of these long-eared creatures, although horses were substituted when available. It requires special training to be a good mule driver. Mules are stubborn things,-when you will, they won't ; and when you won't they will! After being kicked by a mule, with both fore and hind feet, a young volunteer mule-driver was glad to withdraw in disgust. I heard of a Virginia mule which lived in a coal mine nine years after the war, without seeing daylight. The old fellow was hoisted up the other day, and his first act was to kick a boy sky-high. Nine years in a coal mine won't make a mule anything but a mule.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
June 27. H. T. Chace, says, "At ten o'clock we fell in for drill which ended in our marching two miles to Hurd's Run, and all bathing, which was truly refreshing. When on the march some of the men are provided with filters, an ingenious device for straining the water and relieving it from the presence of insects and im- purities. On the way we passed sev- eral farms, one located on a rising knoll with large trees affording a pleasant Water Filter. shade. Near by, at the top, were the ruins of an old mansion-house, while at the entrance by the road- side two gate-posts still stood like grim sentinels. A fine meadow extended to the right and left, with a crop of rotting. ungathered grass, presenting a sad picture of war's desolation. To have been obliged to leave such a home must have been painful indeed ; but trees, fences, and houses, are all swept away. Briggs and I were detailed, before dinner, to go to Fort Ward, for bricks, to repair the cooks' fireplaces, many of which were left here by the regiments preceding us. We obtained a good supply by boldly venturing under the guns of the fort, where we found a great many lying scattered about on the ground. It was an inspiriting sight to see the various batteries drilling and hurrying from point to point, in quick response to the bugle-calls, with an occasional race, by way of diversion. All these things enliven us, and add the spice of variety to a soldier's life. 7
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الستارة أوبلد
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
" Foraging appears to be re- duced to a science here. Even in pitching tents we had to look out for our axes and mallets. If we happened to lay them down for a moment, just to turn round, we were very likely to find them missing. The contrabands, also, are great foragers, and the chick- ens and the ducks have to suffer accordingly." .
Old Decatur, an aged African, was recently found late at night in the vicinity of a neighbor's hen-yard, when he was thus inter- viewed by the proprietor :
"It's pretty damp, Decatur, for a person with rheumatism to be prowling around here at this time of the night."
" Mebbe so, massa, but it's de doctor's advice."
" What, do you mean to tell me that the doctor advises you to be out here nights ?"
"No sar, not 'zactly dat way, sar-but he says, 'Catur, you mus' hab' chicken brof, whedder or no !'"
" Our bill of fare at dinner to-day, was as follows," says Chace : 1
"* Soup-chicken, mock-turtle, oyster. * Roast - beef, lamb, turkey. Fried-bacon, hard bread. Entrées-olives, sardines, pickled shrimps. * Dessert-nuts, raisins, figs. Drinks-water."
NOTE .- The items marked * were unfortunately overlooked by the cook, and we were con- sequently reduced to fried bacon, hard bread, and water.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
"Corp. Nathan H. Baker went out on a little foraging expedition yes- terday afternoon," wrote the author in a letter home, June 27th, "and calling me out, on his return, dis- Tempting Game. played a single, solitary chicken. It was safely landed in the High School tent, where it was secretly stowed away, and in due time Corp. William P. Vaughan under- took to construct a chicken stew for the whole mess, consisting of seventeen hungry recruits. He said he could do it, and had never failed us on good coffee, but it proved to be 'fowl play' in this instance. He proceeded to fill one of our large iron mess buckets with water, prepared and placed the chicken therein. He then used up about all our stock of pepper and salt for seasoning, and after so many minutes by the watch, and a pretended tasting, he said 'fall in for chicken stew.' So we all fell in, and each had his share, as he found, unduly seasoned ; for he immediately passed his cup along to the next victim, with a wry face. There was plenty of stew for all, and a good supply left for the college boys. Our cook says, 'next time draw a little less water and more chicken !'"
"This afternoon," resumed Mr. Chace, "Cady and I are on guard. We are on the second relief, two hours on, and then four hours off. As we were on, the Ninth Rhode Island came march- ing into camp. They left Camp Frieze at five o'clock this morning, June 28th, reaching here about twelve, traveling by a shorter route than we did. The weather is very warm, and for some time the men came straggling into camp, tired out. The survey- ors are now laying out the quarters of the Ninth, adjoining ours."
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
"Judging from the variety we have thus far had," wrote Chace, of Company D, "a soldier's life is about the spiciest of any." It is well illustrated by the following excellent poem by Prof. W. Whitman Bailey, another high private of Company D, Tenth Rhode Island Volunteers :
A DAY IN CAMP.
" Faintly sounds the 'reveille,' and now it louder thrums ; · We hear the music of the fife, the tapping of the drums, And mutter ' you must louder beat before this private comes !' What! calling to 'police ' the camp, is that our duty, too? To sweep and dust with mop and broom, like common ' biddies' do ; And not a taste of coffee yet? This work is somewhat new!
: There's ' peas upon a trencher,' the breakfast call, they say, Our cup and pan we haste to seize, and gladly speed away, To take our meagre little third of 'rations' for the day.
'Guard-mounting' after breakfast comes, parade turned inside out, Just watch the major of the drums how he doth strut about; The greatest man upon our side, of this there is no doubt.
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