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 9
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" While musing thus, a mild-appearing individual approached me and said, 'I'm sorry that you are unable to obtain a state- room. I am traveling alone to my home in Baltimore, and you are welcome to the upper berth of my room if you'll accept it.'
" If I had been on my way home with the boys of the 'Tenth' at the end of our campaign, I might have replied, thank you, my friend, but we've got used to it, and prefer to sleep on the floor, but reflecting that I was several years older than I was then, and much heavier than when I was much lighter, I gladly accepted the kind offer of a soft bed from the Baltimore gentleman, and retired early, the suggestion occurring to me, at the last moment, as I was composing myself to rest, that perhaps it was a trifle risky being locked up for the night in a small stateroom with an entire stranger.
" Soon all was quiet on the steamer. The lights burned low in the saloon, and all were apparently asleep, when suddenly, about
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the hour of midnight, I was aroused from my slumbers by a terrific yell from the Baltimore gentleman in the lower berth. A moment later he was on his feet, shouting ' Murder ! thieves ! robbers !' and tearing about like a madman." Mrs. Partington said : "Some people are more courageous than others, and some ain't ! But for my part," she added, " I think it requires a good deal of courage to wake up in the middle of the night and find a strange man standing horizontally by your bedside ! " "As soon as I could speak I called out, what's the matter with you ? but received no soothing reply, and the startling conviction forced itself upon me that I was locked up with a lunatic. Suddenly, in his frenzy, the Baltimore man turned and started for the stateroom window. Here was my opportunity. With a bound I leaped from the upper berth to the floor, unlocked the door and rushed out into the saloon with the Baltimore man in hot pursuit. A crowd had already gathered, and he was quickly secured. Anxious faces, some in night-caps, might be seen peering out of their stateroom doors. Meanwhile the cause of the alarm attempted to explain that it was only one of his periodical spells of nightmare, although he guessed it must have been an unusually bad spell ; no one need be alarmed on his account, as he was entirely harmless at such times. With this assurance quiet was at length restored."
Thursday night, May 29th, the Tenth Regiment slept in the barracks in Washington. "Early the next morning," wrote James F. Field, of Company B, "we packed our knap- sacks, and at eleven o'clock started on the march, halting for some time at the Capitol for orders. The day was excessively warm, and as we moved on, the dust was so thick that we could
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scarcely see the left of the line from our position on the right. I was much disappointed in the general appearance of the city, as we saw it from Pennsylvania avenue, the main thoroughfare. The public buildings were all on a grand scale, such as the Capitol, White House, Patent Office (where the First Rhode Island Regiment was stationed a year ago), the Post-Office Build- ing, and the Postmaster-General's residence, but the private resi- dences were not so attractive. When we reached the White House, we loaded our knapsacks, at the suggestion of Governor Sprague, into the baggage wagons of the Sixty-third Indiana Regiment, which were following us, which proved a great relief. We were further allowed to carry 'arms at will' and take our own 'step.' Thus we marched on, through Georgetown and beyond, six miles or more, till we came to the village of Tennally- town near our present camp."
"After the hot, two hours' march," resumed Lieutenant Phillips, "the regiment halted, the right resting near the village hotel. Suddenly the black clouds which had been gathering, were rent with vivid flashes of lightning, and poured down their fierce vials of wrath upon us, the invaders of 'Maryland, my Maryland,' till we were soaked through and through. The officers had gone into the hotel to pay their respects to Gen. Samuel P. Sturgis, to whose brigade we had been assigned.
"The rain poured; some of the men broke ranks, and tried shelter under the veranda. General Robbins stalked across the street with measured dignity, and, whilst the rain formed rivulets down his back exclaimed : 'For God's sake, sergeant, keep the men in line, this is General Sturgis's headquarters !'
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The men had great respect for General Sturgis, know- ing that he was a regular, the second in command to General Lyon, at Wilson's Creek, and with his raw troops from Kansas had fought with great valor. Not a man was hazardous enough to leave the line after this. Corbin, on the extreme right, one of the tall men, slim and straight, and too thin it was de- clared for even a shadow, as well as others of 'old Brown,'amused themselves A Wet Day in Camp. by emptying the water out of their shoes. In the meantime Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw had seized a building at the junction of the roads, in spite of protests and threats, and prepared a hasty cup of coffee for the command. Upon the orders of Gen- eral Robbins, Company B was ordered to pass in single file by the open windows, receive a cup of coffee, and go into the woods upon the left and unload the wagons. It was a heavy task, but soon accomplished. The camp fixings, including the knapsacks, were sorted and distributed to company quarters. As there was neither saw, hammer, or chisel, we had to break open the cases with uplifted boulders, and with jackknives only we whittled,
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THE TENTH REGIMENT.
fitted and wedged the handles of the picks in their places. As the darkness settled down, the conical peaks of the Sibley tents popped up like mushrooms, and considering that very few of the men had ever helped pitch a tent or ever stood under one, the work was marvellous. A member of Company B was commanded to take a detail and pitch the general's headquarters near the burying ground fence. This was a wall tent, soaked with water, and nearly as large as the meeting house near by. The soil com- posed of gravel and boulders, was almost impenetrable to the pick, but the work was accomplished, dark as it was, to the satisfaction of all concerned. Upon returning to quarters, we were unable to find knapsack, blanket or haversack. Every inch of the tent was occupied by men drenched to the skin ; some were counting the blisters upon their hands, and others trying to improvise a cup of coffee. Poor McGlaulin was doing his best to build a fire from the green wood chopped after we came into camp. The sergeant sought refuge in the windowless church, and slept upon the wet floor without pillow or blanket. At length, the morning dawned, and the sun, as if to welcome us, touched up the walls of our canvas city with golden hues, while the birds, never happier, warbled their morning songs from the tree-tops above us. Some of the first orders were to open the quartermaster's stores and mount guard. The camp was further laid out by measure, and rightly named Camp Frieze, in honor of the Quartermaster-Gen- eral of Rhode Island. It occupies the northwesterly slope of the hill, on which the village of Tennallytown clings with feeble grasp. The regular routine of military drill now began, and was strictly enforced from that day."
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CAMP FRIEZE, TENTH RHODE ISLAND VOLUNTEERS, JUNE, 1862.
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General Orders, No. I.
HEADQUARTERS, COLLEGE VILLA, TENNALLYTOWN, D. C., May 31, 1862.
Ist. The commanding officers of each regiment, battery, battalion or detach- ment assigned to the command of Brigadier-General Sturgis, will make consoli- dated morning reports daily to the commanding general at headquarters, Col- lege Villa, Tennallytown, D. C.
2d. The adjutant of each command, assigned as above, will report in person to the commanding general, every day at II o'clock A. M.
By order of Brigadier-General STURGIS.
HENRY R. MIGHELS, Captain and A. A. G.
Circular :
HEADQUARTERS, TENTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS, June 3, 1862.
For the present water will be obtained from the spring for the use of the camp. It has been freely tested by companies encamped here previously, and is reported perfectly good.
ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel Commanding.
Circular :
HEADQUARTERS, TENTH R. I. VOLUNTEERS, June 3, 1862.
Divine service will be held at six o'clock this evening, at which the officers, non-commissioned officers and privates, are invited to be present. Such of the men of the several companies who desire to attend will assemble at a quarter before six upon their respective company parades, and be conducted under the charge of a non-commissioned officer to the grove in front of the camp.
ZENAS R. BLISS, Colonel Commanding.
. B. F. THURSTON,
Lieutenant and Adjutant.
HEADQUARTERS, COLLEGE VILLA, June 6, 1862.
COL. ZENAS R. BLISS,
Commanding Tenth R. I. Vols.
SIR: You will please detail ten men of your command for picket duty to- night, said ten men to be accompanied by a non-commissioned officer.
This arrangement to be observed until further orders.
By order of Brigadier-General STURGIS.
HENRY R. MIGHELS, Captain and A. A. G.
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Meanwhile the alarm for the safety of the capital had slowly subsided. Stone- wall Jackson, after accomplishing his mis- sion of alarming Washington, and saving Richmond, by preventing the junction of McDowell and Mcclellan, rapidly re- treated down the Valley, burning the bridges after him, and successfully eluded the combined pursuit of Fremont, Banks, and McDowell, with 60,000 men.
2. Thomas
Taking advantage of the confusion which had been created, the Confederate army defending Richmond under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, made a furious and successful attack upon the left wing of General McClellan's army, May 31st, at Fair Oaks, but the day following, June Ist, it turned into disaster and rout, which sent them back to Richmond in a panic. General Johnston was severely wounded, and General Lee assumed the chief command.
After Fair Oaks there was a pause of several weeks in active operations in front of Richmond. Rain storms of great severity, and Virginia mud, rendered further advance almost impossible. All was quiet also on the Potomac, among the troops around the capital, and the regular routine of camp-life continued at Camp Frieze, with its daily drills and details for guard and picket duty.
May 29th, a second detachment for the regiment was sent for- ward under command of Colonel Bliss, and arrived at camp on Saturday evening, June Ist. The regiment was assigned to the brigade of General Sturgis, and was mustered into the service of the United States, by Adjutant-General Thomas, June 9th.
السـ
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
Capt. William M. Hale, Company I, wrote : "Camp Frieze, Tennallytown, D. C., June 3d. The country is safe again. The gallant Tenth is on the tented field, or rather a side hill covered with beautiful oaks, so that perhaps it can hardly be called a field. At any rate here we are in Tennallytown, and if you know where that is, your knowledge of geography is more extensive than mine was a week ago, for I must confess that in the whole course of my travels, the name of this ancient borough had never before greeted my ears. And in fact I find that even the residents here are uncertain as to the precise locality. The postmaster says it is in 'the District.' The oldest inhabitants say it is in Maryland, and the younger inhabitants don't care a copper where it is.
"As to the personnel of the town, little requires to be said. A few barns and hungry looking houses straggle along a lean and hungry looking street. A tavern and blacksmith's shop confront each other, and are flanked by the post-office. In the rear of the latter and at the entrance of our camp, stands the village church, never, from appearances, a very notable structure, but now, alas ! sadly dilapidated, and converted to other uses than originally in- tended. I am not honored with the acquaintance of the worthy parson who formerly ministered to the wants of the little flock that gathered within its walls, but I can vouch that his ministra- tions were not more acceptable to them than are those of his suc- cessor, our worthy quartermaster, to the more numerous flock over whom he is called to preside.
"Do you know what a ration is? If not, Private Stiness, of Com- pany I (since promoted to corporal), can tell you, for I saw him receive one. It consisted of four bones, gross weight two and
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a quarter pounds, and some meat, gross weight the same, minus the two. The bones formerly constituted what are technically called the 'chuck ribs' of some quadruped, genus, species and sex unknown. The corporal has carried those bones in his haver- sack ever since. He says he started with the intention of leaving his 'bones' on the battlefield if necessary, and he is looking for a field that he thinks capable of holding them. He is the feature of the company, stands five feet eleven, in army socks, and girths a little less, and is known among the comrades as the ‘little giant.' His first pair of army drawers reached to his chin. This he considers very economical, as it saves the necessity of shirts, and enables him to cut up those useful articles into pocket hand- kerchiefs. When he shoulders arms, he looks like a pumpkin with a bean-pole attachment, and, at charge bayonets, a private is detailed to hold up the muzzle, in which position they resemble a miniature battering ram with the point sharpened."
H. T. Chase, of Company D, wrote June 3d : "They gave us rations of salt meat and pork in Washington which would almost motion to us when to come to dinner. We have eaten so much salt pork of late that we are inclined to speak in grunts, prick up our ears, and perform other animal demonstrations." Another man said he had some hard-tack that was marked "B. C." "Still I find no fault," wrote Chase. "These things have now changed for the better. I am well and good natured, but I never had so tough an experience in the same time in my life. This afternoon I saw a man sitting on a stump getting his hair cut. So I took my turn and went through the same operation. Charge, five cents. The barber belongs to one of the companies. He
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said he left a wife and two little children at home, but would not let his wife bring the children down to the cars, 'For,' said he, as the tears started, 'I could not stand it.' Saw a southern woman to-day give her little girl a penny. On my asking her what she would do with it, the mother replied, ' Oh, she will get shet of it!'"
Lieutenant DeWolf, of Company D, June 3d, wrote : "The elevation of our camp is considerable, for it appears to be down hill for three miles in every direction, the air is deliciously pure, * water good and plentiful. To the north and west a line of gray mist marks the valley of the Potomac, whose rapid stream is con- fined at present to its summer bed, a deep, rocky channel of 150 feet, on the east side of which a bottom 500 yards, strewn with huge boulders, marks the width of the winter torrents. The point nearest to us is Chain Bridge, three miles distant, whose approaches are strictly guarded. Just above, in the eddies of the rapids, your correspondent, with a couple of friends, dove and splashed and dabbled, the other day, attaining to that beatific con- dition so rare with a soldier, perfect cleanliness.
" It was Sunday. Shadows from the dense Virginia forests overhung the stream. We had no Sabbath services, no chaplain then, but if the duty of godliness met no outward recognition, the very next injunction of the apostle was most scrupulously ob- served.
"A few words will tell how we got here. One night in the Washington barracks satisfied us all. We fell in with alacrity to march anywhere. The day was warm, so that the order to pile knapsacks and overcoats into the wagons was a great relief. On passing through the city, many friends from Providence waved
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their hats from sidewalk and windows, while those of us who were here last year recognized more than one familiar face among the Washingtonians. Governor Sprague accompanied us, and Messrs." Anthony, Browne and Sheffield of our Congressional delegation, have been constant in their attentions to our regiments. As we passed along the question was heard on every side, ' What regi- ments are those ?'
""' Ninth and Tenth Rhode Island ?'
""' When were you enlisted ?'
" ' Monday morning, and started Tuesday afternoon,' - of course we could not help adding -' 800 more are on the way.'
"' Good Lord!' ejaculated one by-stander, ' how many men have you got in Rhode Island? I thought you was played out long ago.'
" The Secretary of War is reported to have said that at the rate the 'emergency men' were coming in, he should soon have 500,- 000, and he believed 100,000 of them would be from Rhode Island.
" The march of six miles to this place, commencing with dust and ending with mud and a hard rain, was rather severe upon a few of the men; but the next morning found them as well as ever.
" Company D were fortunate enough to obtain dry quarters in a house. The next day was occupied in laying out the camp and pitching the tents. The Tenth Regiment occupies the side next the road, the Ninth west of them, and the battery just north of the latter. The men are provided with tents of the Sibley pattern, intended for fifteen each, but made to hold twenty-two the first night. The men sleep in a circle, heads outward, and at night,
T
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when every man is in his place, the resemblance of the group to a huge wheel, with the pile of muddy feet in the centre for a hub, every man a spoke, and the continuous line of knapsacks around the outside for the felloe, is decidedly striking. The officers have wall tents facing the streets upon which their several companies reside.
" But, oh, the first guard mounting and posting of sentinels! In after time you shall hear our youthful sergeants and corporals telling their grandchildren, with a quiet laugh, of their blunders and perplexities on that rainy, dismal night. But at length the guards are posted. My beat is along a narrow lane skirting a little churchyard. The edifice itself, shabby and windowless, is filled with commissary stores. Its rafters echo anything but the voice of prayer. Up and down I pace in the dreary rain, shielding the lock of my musket as well as I can in my rubber capote. A figure approaches, dimly visible in the shadows.
"' Halt ! Who goes there ?'
" 'A friend, with the countersign.'
" 'Advance, friend, and give the countersign.'
"The talisman is whispered at the point of my bayonet, and the figure passes on. Now and then I hear a challenge at some distant point. The reply is not satisfactory, and the call is passed from guard to guard.
"' Corporal of the guard-post 17 !'
"The sleepy officer stumbles through the mud to post 17, and the case is soon settled.
"In the silence I resume my beat. Over the low paling, in a grass grown corner of the enclosure, half a dozen headstones,
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yellow and streaked with rain, are visible. Round about the resting place where
' The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep,'
has been heard the bustle of great camps, the tread of armies for more than a year, yet they slumber on. Their march is over. They have passed beyond the camps of life, and long ago heard the challenge of the. other world sentinels. Had they the coun- tersign ?
"As I pace my lonely round, I hear a bustle in the guard tent. " ' Third relief, turn out. Turn out !'
" Presently they come, the challenge is exchanged. I am off duty for four hours, and fling myself to sleep upon the wet straw of the guard-tent, wedged in among twenty-two men, reeking with rain and perspiration, and do sleep soundly,-so good night."
Corp. George T. Baker, of Company B, says : "The members of the Tenth Rhode Island were indeed in a sorry plight the first night in camp. They were without shelter in a dreary rainstorm, and darkness came on before the tents arrived in camp, when all hands, although wet and tired, went to work with a will, putting them up. Company E, Capt. Hopkins B. Cady, were detailed for picket duty about a mile in advance of our position. At a late hour, after the camp was still, Capt. Elisha Dyer, of Company B, made a visit to each tent to inquire after the welfare of his men. Stopping at the High School headquarters, he asked, 'Can I do anything for you, men ?' 'Nothing, thank you, captain,' was the courteous reply, when some joker bent on mischief, added, ' We wouldn't mind having a candle, captain !' This proved too much
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THE TENTH REGIMENT
for even the gravity of the captain, and he exclaimed, 'God bless you, men, do you think you're in a hotel ?'"
Capt. A. Crawford Greene, Company G, wrote, June 5th : "Our regiments have had no time to perfect themselves in drill, neither have we received our necessary quartermaster stores. We are sadly in need of clothing, as many of our men wore the poorest garments they had, expecting to exchange them for the govern- ment uniform. The rations served have also been short of the allowance, but on the whole we are getting along well, and the mass of the men are contented. The health of the regiment is good, and with our present rations we may safely say that it will continue. (At present they consist of salt junk, bread, and coffee without milk.) The story of the poisoning of one of the men of Company G, in Baltimore, is entirely incorrect. We did not know but that we might have some trouble in that city, and dis- tributed ten rounds of ball-cartridges, but we had no occasion to use them ; on the contrary we were served with a good collation by the Baltimore Union Soldiers' Relief Association. One of the pickets of the New York Sixty-ninth Regiment, which is en- camped near us, was shot while on duty, Friday evening last. The scoundrel who committed the deed was arrested and sent to Washington on Saturday. He was a desperate looking fellow, and made his boast that he had shot six Union soldiers before. May he meet the retribution he so justly deserves.
"The tented fields loom up on almost every side. Quite a large number of forts also surround us. The almost hourly belching forth of their numerous weapons of destruction give ample assurance that they are well manned and ready for action.
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The sharp crack of the picket's rifle enlivens the monotony of camp-life. We shall now commence the regular routine of drill, which will keep us fully employed. At present a large num- ber of the secessionists have left the neighborhood, and re- treated to a safer locality further down in Dixie. The houses are generally left in charge of one or two slaves. The country is very rich and fertile, but owing to the cold dry spring vegetation is rather backward. . The stock of grass is very heavy, the farmers tell us the yield being larger by far than last year. Quartermaster Cook is occupying the meeting-house of the town for our stores, to the disappointment of those who have been in the habit of appropriating it for religious purposes. We learn, however, that it is to be cleared out and that our beloved chaplain, Rev. Mr. Clapp, is to occupy it for religious services on the coming Sabbath. So far as our knowledge extends, there are a large number of Christian people in our regiments, and by the services held here nightly, we think they are determined to im- prove the opportunity for showing it, and when we return home we hope to be better men than when we came out."
James F. Field, wrote Sunday, June Ist : "Friday night, the 30th, was our first in camp after the march from Washington. It was dark and rainy, and I slept on the ground in an old build- ing, which looked as though it had been formerly a school-house or a church. The next day, Saturday, we had the job of pulling down our tents and putting them up again. The company tents are now in parallel rows, all facing one way with the officers' tents at the head of the rows. Just as our work was about completed a bat- tery of ten guns came thundering along from Washington, bound
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for Harper's Ferry (threatened by Stonewall Jackson). It is about forty-five miles southwest of here. They reported that they left the second detachment of the Ninth and Tenth Regiments at the White House, and that they would be here in about an hour. This caused quite a thrill of joy in the camp. As soon as we were relieved, quite a number of us started up the road to meet them. Soon the line appeared in sight, and as they came up I was surprised to find several acquaintances, among them five from the High School. It had just commenced raining, and we welcomed them with a great deal of pleasure into our own tent, while we put up others for them. One of the second detachment (William A. Spicer), joined our 'mess,' which was very agreeable to him and to us. He brought with him two or three papers, and one-half of Thursday's Evening Press which were eagerly read.
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