PREPARATIONS FOR ACTIVE SERVICE.
1861.--First Advance.--"Contrabands," their Hopes and Treatment.--Union
Ranks Filling Up.--Promotion.--Foraging and its Obstacles.--Scouting
and its Aim.--Senator Harris visits the Command.--Ball's Bluff.
--Recruiting Service.--Interesting Incidents.--Camp Palmer.--
"Contrabands" at Work.--Drilling near Arlington Heights.--Colonel
George D. Bayard.--Fight at Drainesville.
October 15, 1861.--The Harris Light broke camp at eight o'clock, A. M.,
and marched proudly through Washington, crossed the famous Long
Bridge over the Potomac, and moved forward to Munson's Hill, in full
view of our infantry outposts, where we established a new camp, calling
it "Advance." For the first time our horses remained saddled through the
night, and the men slept on their arms. To us this was a new and
exciting phase of life.
Since our retreat from Bull Run, the Rebel army has made itself
formidable on this line, and though no active movements have been
attempted on Washington, we are, nevertheless, apprehensive of such a
measure on their part. Hence our picket lines are doubly strong and
vigilant, while every means is resorted to to ascertain the position,
strength, and intention of our wily foe.
Frequently "contrabands" feel their way through the enemy's pickets
under cover of the night, and through the tangled brushwood which
abounds, and reach our lines safely. From them we gain much valuable
information of the state of things in "Dixie." Some of them, we learn,
were employed by Rebel leaders in constructing forts and earthworks, and
in various ways were made to contribute muscle to the Southern
Confederacy. They have strange and exciting stories to tell us, and yet
it seems as though they might be of great service to us, if we saw fit
to employ them, as guides in our movements. Their heart is with us in
this conflict. They hail us as friends, and entertain wild notions about
a jubilee of liberty, for which they are ever praying and singing, and
look upon us as their deliverers. How they have formed such opinions is
somewhat difficult to conjecture, especially when we consider the
anomalous treatment they have received from our hands. The authorities
have seemed to be puzzled with regard to them; and there are cases where
they have even been returned to their former owners. And yet there seems
to be an instinctive prophecy in their natures, which leads them to look
to Northmen for freedom. Their presence in our camps becomes a sort of
inspiration to most of us, and we only wish that their prayers may be
answered, and that every chain of servitude may be broken. This
sentiment at times breaks out in such as the following poetic strain:
"In the beauty of the lily Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make them free."
And as slavery was the cause, and not, as some say, the pretext, of the
war, if the Union arms succeed, this "irrepressible conflict" and
villanous wrong must come to an end.
Our confidence in the ultimate success of our arms is daily increasing.
Since the first of August our ranks have been wonderfully swelled; and
now regiment after regiment, battery after battery, is pouring in from
the North, filling the camps of instruction, and manning the
fortifications around Washington. Meanwhile, earthworks are being
constructed on all the high hills and commanding positions; strong
abatis are made of the forest-trees, and every thing done that can give
the city an air of security, and the country round about the appearance
of a bristling porcupine. Should this influx of troops continue, we
shall be compelled to advance our lines for very room on which to
station them. We have some intimations that our advance to this point
to-day is preparatory to such a movement.
The day following our advance I was promoted to the rank of corporal, on
the recommendation of Captain Buel, my appointment to date from the
fifteenth. On the sixteenth our lines were advanced to Vienna, a station
on the Leesburg Railroad, and on the seventeenth as far as Fairfax Court
House, the Confederates falling back toward Centreville and Manassas
without offering the least resistance.
FORAGING AND SCOUTING.
We are spending our time mostly in foraging, scouting, and patrolling.
In consequence of imperfect transportation, the cavalry especially is
compelled to seek its own forage, with which, however, the country
abounds. Corn is found in "right smart heaps," as the natives say,
either in the fields or barns, and hayricks dot the country on every
side. But there is a certain degree of scrupulousness on the part of
some of our commanders with regard to appropriating the produce of the
"sacred soil" to our own use, which greatly embarrasses our foraging
expeditions, and exasperates not a little those of us who are needy of
the things we are at times ordered not to take. It is no uncommon thing
to find one of our men stationed as safeguard over the property of a
most bitter Rebel--property which, in our judgment, ought to be
confiscated to the use of the Union, or utterly destroyed. We do not
believe in handling Rebels with kid gloves, and especially when we know
that the very men whom we protect are constantly giving information to
the enemy of all our movements, and using their property whenever they
can to aid and comfort the cause of treason. We are too forcibly
reminded of the fable we used to read in our schoolboy days, of the
Farmer and the Viper. We are only warming into new life and strength
this virus of Rebellion, to have it recoil upon ourselves. We hope our
authorities will soon discover their error, and change their tactics.
Our scouting is on a limited scale, though it affords considerable
exercise and excitement. Thereby we are learning the topography of the
country, and making small maps of the same. We are traversing the
forests, through the wood-roads and by-paths which run in every
direction; strolling by the streams and ravines, and gaining all the
information which can be of use to us in future manoeuvrings. We
scout in small squads over the entire area occupied by our forces, and
often beyond; and, now and then, more frequently in the night, we patrol
between our picket posts, to ascertain that all is well at the points
most exposed to danger. The principal object of scouting is to learn the
strength and position of the enemy, while the object of patrolling is to
learn our own.
_October 20._--To-day the regiment was honored by a visit from its
patron, Senator Ira Harris. After witnessing a mounted drill and parade,
which pleased him much, he presented us a beautiful stand of colors,
accompanied by an appropriate and eloquent address. He made especial
reference to the object of the organization, the hopes of its friends,
and their earnest prayers for its future usefulness and success. He
dwelt enthusiastically upon the work before us. At the close of the
speech the command responded with a rousing round of cheers, expressive
of their thankfulness for the banner and of their determination to keep
it, to stand by it, and to defend it even with their lives. The occasion
was one to be remembered.
BALL'S BLUFF.
Another great pall of sadness has fallen upon our soldiers. The papers
bring intelligence of our terrible disaster at Ball's Bluff, and the
promising Colonel E. D. Baker has fallen, while gallantly leading his
noble Californians. Discussions as to the cause or causes of that fatal
advance and bloody retreat are going on throughout our camps. It does
seem to many as though gross incompetency or treachery must have
influenced the authorities having immediate oversight of the affair, and
that our fallen braves have been needlessly immolated upon their
country's altar.
"Big Bethel, Bull Run, and Ball's Bluff,
Oh, alliteration of blunders!
Of blunders more than enough,
In a time full of blunders and wonders."
But the boys are enthusiastic over the bravery of our nineteen hundred,
who fought against a force more than twice their number, with all the
advantage of position and knowledge of the country. All our battles have
proven that our men can fight, and, though Providence seems to have been
against us thus far, for reasons most inscrutable, we will not waver in
our determination to dare or die in the contest. Our chief difficulties
are not in the rank and file of the army, but in the general management
of the forces, and we trust that ere long right men will be found to
take the places of incompetent ones.
RECRUITING SERVICE.
_October 28._--To-day I was detailed by Colonel Davies to proceed to New
York with Lieutenant Morton, on recruiting service. We went on to
Newburgh, near the lieutenant's native home, where we spent a few days
together, but on the first of November I was ordered to Troy, to act
independently. I spent several weeks in this peculiar work, and with
good success.
Though recruiting offices could be found on all the principal streets
of our cities and villages, yet a good business was done by them all,
such was the enthusiasm which prevailed among the people. War-meetings
were frequently held, and addressed by our best orators. The press, with
few exceptions, poured forth its eloquent appeals to the strong-bodied
men of the country to range themselves on the side of right against
wrong. Violence would be done to truth did we not mention, also, that
the pulpits of the land were potent helpers in this work, by their
religious patriotism and persistent efforts to keep the great issue
distinctly before the people. Thus the mind and heart of the North were
kept alive to the great problem of the nation's existence, and men were
rallying to our standard. It was no uncommon thing to receive
applications to enter our lists from young men or boys too young and
slender to be admitted, who left our offices in tears of disappointment,
unless we could find for them a position as drummers and buglers.
A single instance of enlistment under my observation might be mentioned,
as it gives a specimen of the manner in which our work went on. Having
taken passage on the cars one day from one point of my labors to
another, I fell in with a young man who was on his way to college, where
he expected to be matriculated the following day. His valise was full of
books and other students' requisites, and his heart full of literary
ambition. Attracted to me by my uniform, he soon learned my business,
and, after a few moments of pensiveness, to my surprise, he told me to
inscribe his name among my recruits. Then turning to a friend on board
the car, he said, "Take this trunk to my home, and tell my mother I have
enlisted in a cavalry regiment."
_December 4._--To-day I returned from recruiting service, bringing with
me our enlisted men who had not been sent previously to the regiment. I
found the Harris Light occupying Camp Palmer, on Arlington Heights, the
confiscated property of the Rebel General Robert E. Lee. On arriving in
camp I found that the papers from Washington contained a letter of
Secretary Seward, directing General McClellan not to return to their
former owners contrabands in our lines. This order, when fully
understood by our colored friends, will undoubtedly increase their exit
"from Egypt," as many of them style their escape from bondage. The
government will probably adopt measures to give these fugitives
systematic assistance and labor, that they may be of use to us. Already
I find that a goodly number of our officers have adopted them for cooks
and hostlers, in which positions they certainly excel; and there is no
good reason why we may not employ them as teamsters on our trains and
helpers in our trenches. They are generally very powerful, and show
signs of great endurance. Nor do we find them unwilling to labor, as we
have been so often told they were. However, we do not wonder much that
they have acquired the "reputation" of being lazy, for what but a thing
or an animal could take pleasure in unrequited toil? Now they have a
personal interest, and take a peculiar delight in what they do for us.
Their great willingness and ability to work for Uncle Sam or any of his
boys, would indicate that they will become eminently useful in the
service of their country.
From Camp Palmer the regiment had gone out to drill for some time; and
here we continued through the month, generally occupying the large plain
which lies between the Arlington House and the Potomac, and in full view
of Washington. On this field Kilpatrick, Davies, Duffie, and others,
began to develop their soldierly qualities, infusing them into their
commands, and imparting that knowledge of cavalry tactics which would
prepare us for the stern duties of war. We have recently been greatly
encouraged by the movements of Colonel George Dashiel Bayard, of the
First Pennsylvania Cavalry, who, on the 27th of November, while on a
scout on the road to Leesburg, Loudon county, met a band of the Chivalry
near Drainesville, with whom he had a spirited skirmish. The whole
affair would indicate that Colonel Bayard is destined to be no mean
cavalry leader. Cavalry regiments from most of the loyal States have
been organized, and are now in camps of instruction. Occasionally they
go out scouting, picketing, etc., and are thus preparing for the coming
campaigns.
_December 20._--To-day a brigade of Pennsylvanians, including two
squadrons of Colonel Bayard's cavalry regiment, the whole force under
command of General E. O. C. Ord, while foraging in the vicinity of
Drainesville, were attacked by a Rebel force nearly equal in numbers,
with General J. E. B. Stuart commanding in person. A lively contest
followed, in which the Rebels were thoroughly beaten and driven from the
field, losing, according to their own accounts, about two hundred and
fifty in killed, wounded, and captured. They left twenty-five dead
horses on the field, with the debris of two caissons, disabled and
exploded by the well-directed fire of Easton's battery, which
accompanied the expedition. The Rebels, who had undoubtedly come out for
the purpose of forage as well as ourselves, having a long wagon train,
retreated toward Fairfax Court House, with their wagons laden with their
wounded. Our loss includes only nine killed and sixty wounded.
Unimportant as this victory might seem, it caused an immense rejoicing
in the Union ranks. It was a fitting answer to the calumny heaped upon
us from both North and South, that our soldiers could not fight, and
were no match for their boastful enemy.