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 16
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29 Airenuts" That Cin 1
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Drawn for No George Baker, by W.E Cushing
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Light Hollery
N. 1 Captains Tent 2×8 Greats Tents 1. Quartermaster Sorgiani 5 Privales' Till
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
" While Companies B and K were encamped at Fort Pennsylvania," wrote Corp. Joseph E. Handy, of Company K, "my friend and comrade, Carlo Mauran, says, 'Corporal, I have found a hen-house, with hens in it. Will you go with me to-night, and visit the hen-roost?' I told him I would go with him, so after dark we started out, through the brush. 'This is somethin' like huntin' squirrels, ain't it,' said Carlo, as we groped our way along, but at length we arrived at the coop. I went in, while Carlo stood guard outside. It was a dark night, and darker still inside the hen-roost, so I felt round all over the place, but couldn't find anything. Then I stooped down, and felt along on the ground, and Light after "Taps!" found a large hen hovering a brood of chickens. The hen is a kind mother, but still she sits on her children ! I took the hen and passed her out to Carlo, who retired a short dis- tance, wrung her neck and plucked her feathers. We then re- turned to our tent, and, after dressing the fowl, we got one of the cook's mess kettles, and began cutting it up to cook, when 'taps' were sounded ; but we kept on, just the same, peeling our pota- toes, and then seasoning the stew. Soon Capt. Frank Low came along in front of the tent. 'Put out that light,' he said. Carlo replied, 'Corporal Handy is sick !' 'All right,' said the captain, ' be as quiet as possible.' 'Yes, sir,' said Carlo. When all was done and ready to cook, we put out the light. (A bayonet stuck in the ground, holding a candle in the socket, provided us with a convenient and portable light.) In the morning we turned the
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
chicken over to the company cook, George A. Whelden, and he made us a first-class chicken stew. I then took a portion of it up to Captain Low, steaming hot, for his breakfast. He scanned it carefully, looked at me, and said, 'So this accounts for your sick- ness last night, doesn't it?' I smiled audibly in the affirmative. ' Well,' said the captain, 'whenever you happen to be taken sick again for chicken stew, let me know, and I will let you keep your light burning as long as you wish !'"
This story from Company K is almost as good as that of a sol- dier in a Pennsylvania regiment, encamped near some country village, like Tennallytown, who trained his cat so that she would go regularly to a neighboring grocery and steal mackerel for him out of a tub). She didn't lie about it, though.
"Dr. Briggs, United States Medical Inspector, paid us an official visit yesterday, examining closely, our tents, and the grounds, to see if everything was kept neat and clean. He seemed apparently well-pleased and satisfied, for he said that everything was O K around here.
"A few days ago one of the teamers of Company C, Captain Vose, had his horse run away, and by some means got entangled in the reins, and fell from his horse. One of the wheels passed over his head, bruising it badly; the other passed over his shoulder, breaking his collar bone. At first, his life was despaired of, but by the skill of Dr. Wilcox, he is getting better."
"Our new rifles have arrived, and the remainder of the clothing due us. We have built quite a dam across a small stream near our camp, which affords a nice place for bathing (with the water up to our knees), which is a great luxury." 32
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
" Fort Alexander, July 23d. In arranging our new camp," wrote Captain Hale, "some generalship was required in selecting the best location, both on sanitary and cautionary grounds. If we were quartered inside the fort, we should be less exposed to marauding parties of the enemy who could only get at us after passing the abattis, ditch, and parapet. But if we were compelled to run at last, we should have no where to run to except to run away, and that is sometimes considered discreditable in good sol- diers. Besides, a close inspection of the barracks showed that marauding parties already held possession of them, and that they made up in numbers what they lacked in size.
"On the other hand if we had pitched our camps outside the fort and were compelled to evacuate it, we could run into the fort, and if finally compelled to run from there, we should become so accustomed to running as to do it with perfect ease and consider- able rapidity, and thus secure a double base of retreat.
" So we chose for our quarters a beautiful grassy slope, over- looking the broad Potomac, fringed with wild flowers, and com- manding a fine view of the hills and vales of Virginia. Here we set up our tents, and our tin-ware, and thanked God that we had found such comfortable quarters after all our weary wanderings.
. But human happiness is liable to sudden reverses, and ours did not differ from the common lot of man, for we were scarcely settled in our new quarters, when we discovered that they had previously been selected as a place of meeting of an immense entomological convention, with delegates from every part of the world of bugs. The convention holds uninterrupted session of twenty-four hours' duration, the importance of their business being
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such as to admit no intermission. In the discharge of their duties, they enter our noses, skirmish about our ears, and commit forays upon our unprotected eyes. Having discovered that shirts and drawers are not the natural covering of man, they penetrate their recesses, and institute minute examinations, and no doubt make elaborate reports upon the formation and texture of the human skin. Many of them, like other distinguished savants, fall mar- tyrs to the cause of truth, especially when they turn their atten- tion to the nature and quality of our food, in which branch of inquiry they are as zealous as the best of our human conventions.
"Occasionally, I take the liberty to interfere with their pro- ceedings, by covering such parts of the anatomy as are particularly open to their inspection. I am not versed in the fly dialect but am fully satisfied that on such occasions they make use of very profane language. For I can hear a confused buzzing, that sounds like ' Here he is, confound him, if we could only get at him,' 'He's playing 'possum, blast his eyes,' etc., etc., when the crowd retire in disgust to visit my fat lieutenant, who presents a much broader and deeper field of inquiry than I do.
"At dusk, they are relieved by the moths, crickets, and wood- ticks, and other insects, nameless and innumerable. The crickets remind one of the female orators at an anti-slavery meeting, by making a noise entirely disproportionate to their size.
"Since the settlement here of Companies E and I, we have been practising at heavy artillery and rifle drill. I suppose the two are combined to compensate for each other and establish a general average. We handle the heavy guns in the morning to settle our breakfasts, and the rifles in the afternoon to give us an
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appetite for supper. Both proceedings are eminently effectual. In regard to the big guns, the amount of sponging and ramming, heaving, pointing and firing that we have accomplished, ought to be sufficient to quell a moderate size rebellion, if done in earnest."
Colonel Shaw says : "The exceeding kindness of Col. J. A. Haskin, Inspector of Fortifications, in instructing our officers and men in their new duties should be honorably mentioned. I have seen him leave his desk and go to the door to show a private sol- dier his way of doing it."
" Perhaps the most instructive, if not agreeable feature of camp life at Fort Alexander, is displayed in the administration of the culinary department. The 'Army Regulations,' allow a cook, but unfortunately they don't furnish one, so that each ' mess' is obliged to look out for its own. We found ours in a sable gentleman of the African persuasion, who came to us on a broiling July day, with an oleaginous smile. We had been living for some time, 'at loose ends,' and thought him a valuable acqui- sition. He was said to be highly recommended, but I have never been able to ascertain who said it. He could cook anything from an egg to an elephant ; either with or without fire or water. We have not had a chance to try him on the elephant, but he has certainly failed on the egg. There is a pleasurable excitement and delightful uncertainty in our relations with the cook. It is like Tom Pinch and his sister in their first efforts at housekeep- ing. You never know whether your beef-steak pudding will turn out a pudding or something else. In our case, it frequently doesn't 'turn out' at all. Judging from the results accomplished, I should say that our cook followed some simple receipts not laid
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down in the ordinary cook-book. The following are quoted for the benefit of the uninitiated :
"Eggs are liable to be soft, unless boiled from five to fifteen minutes. (If the cook is busy, they may remain a while longer.)
"Fried eggs should be done black on the under side, to give them a relish.
"Salt cod-fish is freshened by being soaked in water. All aqueous exposures are therefore to be avoided.
"Corn-bread, hoe-cake, johnny-cake, and corn dodgers, are made of meal and water, carefully dried by a slow fire. Any sud- den heat is liable to brown them, and is therefore to be avoided.
"Army beef is made tender by long boiling, and is thereby made eatable. But, as it is not designed to be eaten, it should be only half cooked.
"It is the chief duty of the cook to look out for number one, and to see that volunteers do not become enervated by delicate viands. He will therefore devour all tit-bits and choice morsels, to keep them out of the way of temptation.
"Our cook is great at foraging. Foraging is procuring neces- sary subsistence by buying when you can't steal it, or stealing when you can't buy it,-or stealing, per se, whether you can buy it or not. The last is the favorite mode in this section. Starting off after an early breakfast, the cook is gone for the best part of the day, foraging. The result of a day's active exertion may be summed up in a pair of meagre chickens and a lank cod-fish. The chickens are put into a coop to fatten, but after being care- fully and bountifully fed, there is just enough of them to flavor a stew. By some singular casualties they are generally minus
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
legs or wings, or both, when served by our cook, who is never able to account for the deficiency. I am happy to say, however, that no such misfortune befalls the cod-fish, which always come to the table, complete in all its parts. One specimen of our cook's biscuits will suffice. We tried one, and then had the balance piled up like cannon balls. If not used as projectiles against the enemy, they will be distributed among the various cooking schools of the country, carefully labelled, 'Not to be eaten on pain of death.' Early applicants can secure choice specimens by paying freight and charges. N. B .- Two postage stamps enclosed, will entitle the sender to the best specimens, with the cook thrown in.
" We are still practising artillery drill, rifle drill, battalion drill, company drill, and squad drill, and if we don't succeed in coming home thoroughly drilled, we shall certainly be partially bored."
Battery Vermont, July 20th, Corp. B. F. Pabodie, wrote : "All our visitors concur in saying that Company H has the most in- viting spot of any occupied by the regiment. Our little battery of three 32-pounders, is situated on the south side of the roads leading to the Potomac, and about half a mile from it. It is built partially on the site of an old stone house. From the appearance of the ruins, the growth of shrubbery, and the remains of a large stone barn below it, it must have been a country seat of no mean pretensions. On the opposite side of the road, stands our quarters, consisting of one frame, and two log-houses. A yard in front, is nicely shaded by two rows of locust trees. This is a part of the aqueduct property, and belongs to the government. The reservoir from which the supply of water from Washington and George- town is taken, lies near us at the foot of the hill."
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Fortunately a fine sketch of " Headquarters, Company H," is still preserved, engraved by Sergt. Charles. P. Gay, on the bottom of his mess-pan. It is evident that BATTERY VERMONT, Head Qvaters of AH,10 R.I.VOLS. his hand was as steady as at the JEny GMAS.P. A. target shoot of the Burnside Zouaves in Au- gust, 1861, when A Memorable Mess-Pan. he bore off the first prize, a silver cup, which was presented to him by Governor Sprague. He has a good record as a soldier, serving not only in the Tenth, but afterwards as a lieutenant in the Fourteenth Rhode Island Heavy Artillery.
Resuming, Corporal Pabodie wrote: "The work of enlarging Battery Vermont has been commenced. Details of men from each company, amounting to forty, have been at work for several days, and when the addition is finished, and another 32-pounder mounted, the battery will present quite a formidable appearance. Our diet at present consists mainly of blackberries and milk."
Sergeant Gay tells the following story of their milk supply :
ה
الحب
العدالة
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
" Job Armstrong was one of the advance guards of Company H who first took possession of Battery Ver- mont. He was also a great milk forager, and had a won- derful faculty in deluding the cows of the neighborhood into the belief that he was one of their own calves. A cow would stand placidly, chewing her cud, while Job Milking the Cow. with a persuasive 'So bossy,' would milk with all his might. One day after he and another comrade had filled pails and canteens, and drank the milk foam- ing fresh from the cow, they hurried back to camp, and concealed a large pan of milk under Job's bunk. Soon the farmer's wife arrived and complained to Captain Duckworth, that some of his men had milked her cows. Nobody knew anything about it, and Job, who had overheard everything, declared with much warmth, that he didn't believe there was a man in Company H mean enough to do such a thing, but he'd make it his business to go through every tent, and if he found anybody with milk in his possession he would report him. Thus assured, the woman de- parted. A few minutes later Job called me to the orderly's quar- ters, and there under the bunk was a large pan full of milk. 'Now,' says Job, 'I want you to help me get rid of it, among the boys ; they'll find it just bully with their blackberries."
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
Let us visit the room occupied by Orderly-Sergeant Winchester and his mess. "They have fitted it up in imitation of a steamboat cabin, with bunks arranged one above the other, several tiers high. One night, recently, a private was allowed to occupy the upper berth, and as he slept he dreamed that he was peacefully reposing in his own cot at home, where he heard voices appealing to him :
' Stay, stay with us,-rest, thou art weary and worn !
And fain was their war-broken soldier to stay :- '
But just at that moment he started up and rolled out of the top berth, and struck the floor with a sound that aroused the other sleepers with the impression that a bomb-shell had been dropped in their midst, or that Stonewall Jackson was upon them. The poor disappointed private felt hurt in more respects than one, and murmured something about 'being at home,' and 'seeing stars.' After a vigorous rubbing of his sore places, he climbed back into his perch, and turned over against the wall. The next day he was able to report for service, and went through the usual drill, but evidently with a good deal of difficulty.
"There is an interesting member of the orderly's mess who goes by the name of Richard Swiveller, Esq. He it is who soothes the orderly's troubled nerves (when disturbed after the day's arduous labors), with the musical notes of the flute.
" The extreme hot weather, the numerous drills, and the work at Battery Vermont begins to affect the troops unfavorably. The health of the regiment is not as good. Hospital accommodations have been largely increased, but the sicknesses do not appear to be alarming ; they are generally slow fevers.
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
"Since we have become settled here, many letters and delicacies from home, have continued to pour in upon us. We have received from the Burnside Zouaves two dry goods packing boxes, and one pickle-keg full of things good to eat and to wear. The ex- Home Messages. press charges are enormous, but the disposition here appears to be to charge soldiers fifty per cent. more than anybody else. Captain Duckworth is a soldierly and efficient officer, and under his direction we have made quite an advance in company and also artillery drill. The other night one of our sentinels fired at what was supposed to be an approaching rebel, but which proved, on investigation, to be an innocent weed on the parapet, which nodded and bowed to the guard, as it was swayed by the night wind. Governor Sprague made us a flying visit yesterday. Secre- tary of War Stanton and family, are spending the summer near by, on the banks of the Potomac. Blackberries are in great quan- tity on the surrounding hills, while fish and eels in the canal and reservoir afford us an opportunity of varying our otherwise rather monotonous life. There is a nice fruit orchard right across the road where we can get our pie apples for nothing. Next door, the farmer never locks up his kindling wood. In fact, it's a very good neighborhood. One of our number, a mason by trade, has built a brick oven, in which we have already had baked beans and brown bread, and bread and hasty puddings."
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RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS.
" Fort De Russy the headquarters of Company D," says Lieuten- ant DeWolf, "is situated two miles east of Tennallytown, upon. a high knoll in the midst of farms cultivated with more than usual care. With a short amount of labor, guided by engineering talent of a high order, our camp was first laid out upon an adja-
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Fort De Russy, from the West.
cent knoll, tents pitched, floors leveled, trenches dug, everything in apple-pie order, when a one-armed gentleman of critical aspect, known as Colonel Haskin, of the Engineers, come round, and told us to move nearer the fort. Now it seemed to us that in case of attack we could get there at least as soon as the enemy could, but the colonel didn't think so, and somehow the minority rule prevailed. We now occupy a narrow terrace just under the walls, very strong, very stumpy, and rather buggy. Before many
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
hours, however, the stones had been removed, the stumps trans- formed to seats and writing desks, and the bugs-well, the bugs, the spiders, the lizards, et id omne genus, still roam through their accustomed haunts, the ants build catacombs beneath our beds, the mosquitoes hum playfully about our ears, the wood-ticks
COOL
LEK
Sibley Tent-Company D.
climb up the tent walls, and by the light of our solitary candle, gaze curiously upon our little group, selecting the most promising victim." The best remedy we found for getting rid of bugs was the liberal use of Pennyroyal, one of the old lady's three P's for getting rid of all her troubles, as narrated on page 168.
July 7th, H. T. Chace wrote : "Some of the boys call our tent the 'Smithsonian Institute,' on account of the variety of bugs and insects it contains. In reference to the proposed trip to
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Washington, one said there was no use to spend any time at the 'Smithsonian ' there, as we have all the specimens of ants, flies, bugs, and lizards, in our own quarters. 'That's so,' was the reply, ' We not only have ten-ants, here, but a thousand ants.' Sergeant Mathewson has a pretty terrier, black and tan, named ' Lutitia' called for short 'Titia,' a good and playful creature. Speaking of the army and navy at breakfast this A. M., one of the mess broke in with the sage remark, 'There are many strong arms in the navy, and many strong knaves in the army.'
Guard House-Fort De Russy.
" We shall soon commence heavy artillery drill. I am now in the guard-house in the fort, being on duty till nine o'clock to-morrow morning. The house is built of logs, and twelve by eighteen feet in size. Cady and I were on guard duty last night. When our turn came to be off, I placed my cartridge-box on the floor, and, throwing my cape over my head, and folding part of it on the box for a pillow fell asleep without other covering. Cady had no overcoat, so he took my blanket, and placing his cap on a piece of an inch and a half plank for a pillow, and throwing himself on the hard floor was soon asleep."
التى جود لــ
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
" We are to have no bell ringing or gun firing, here to-day,"
, wrote Chace, " but still realize it is the Fourth of July. Six of us were on guard in the fort, and at 2.30 this morning, we drew lots to see which three should be relieved for all day. I was one of the three relieved, and we will have to-morrow to ourselves just the same. For breakfast we had each two slices of bread, beefsteak, and coffee, from 'J. B. Chace's.' Adjutant Tobey
Entrance to Fort De Russy.
was in our camp to-day. We all like him. He is a pleasant officer and appears to understand his business. We have cele- brated in our mess to-day, on soup, peas, fish, coffee, custard with cake and lemonade, and have ordered three pecks of peaches and three dozen eggs for our mess for the glorious Fourth! Some milk will also be brought in. We have been gladdened to-day, by the return of George Briggs. He will soon be all right. Armington is also better. He is one of the quiet, uncomplaining, obliging fellows, that it is hard to do without. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
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"July 8th. Our little mess-darkey was telling one of his friends what a glorious dinner was given him on 'the Fourth,' ' ham, an' peas, an' custard, an' cake, an' cocoa, an'-,' when the other interrupted n him, 'You talks like a fool, you does. Folks would know you never had a good dinner befo' ! Oh ! ! ! (long.) You just ought ter be where I used to live on P'nsiva- Elevated Contraband on Pennsylvania Avenue. nia Av'nu' ! We could look right ober de heads of de white folks, we could, and frow ham and chick'n away, ev'ry night !'"
" Thursday, July Ioth. Before 'tattoo' last night we had one of those pleasant hours which relieve so much the monotony of camp·life. A guitar accompaniment, and an improvised choir did the business. They treated us with 'Let me kiss him for his mother,' ' Way down in my old cabin home,' 'The old folks at home,' 'Larboard Watch,' and several college songs, all very finely rendered. From another post, a writer says, 'Notwith- standing the hardships of a soldier's life, we do not lack for amuse- ments. Two evenings we have been entertained by a negro fiddler, with dancing by both negro men and women.'"
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
"Fred Armington, George Briggs, Sam Brown, and John Cady, are on guard to-day, from our mess. Privates N. W. Aldrich and George W. Adams are detailed from the company, to report for duty to the adjutant, at Fort Pennsylvania. Howard Sturgis has just gone over with the mail. It is very warm here. The perspiration runs when one is standing still. According to general On Guard. orders, the regiment will have battalion drill three times per week, in a field near Tennallytown. The drill is to commence at nine A. M., and continue for two hours. The companies which are located at Forts Alexander, Franklin and Ripley will have a hot march of over three miles. Have just had a visit from three of my a(u)nts; did not receive them very graciously, but expelled them in a hurry as soon as made aware of their presence. Never saw flies and things so tormenting as at this post. Yesterday afternoon Company D marched to Fort Pennsylvania to receive the new Enfield rifles. We went in single file over a narrow foot-path through the woods, with the trees often meeting overhead. We not only received our weapons, with straps and tompions, but also mess-pans, spoons, knives and forks. We shall really begin to live like civilized nations. This noon we had blackberries, which are now plenty here, served in our new tin mess-pans. All our men are better, and Mason has returned, greatly to our satisfaction. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw now quarters with company D. The men gave him a hearty wel- come when he arrived at Fort De Russy."
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الملح
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" Wednesday, July 16th. We are progressing rapidly with the heavy artillery drill," wrote Chace. "This A. M. I acted both as gunner and as chief of the piece. There is one chief, one gunner, and four cannoneers to each gun. The cannoneers load, the gunner tends vent (that there may be no premature discharges), inserts the friction-primer, and sights the gun, and the chief then sees that it is correctly done. To-day we went over the names of the different parts of the gun-carriage." An amusing incident is re.
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