By late Baltimore papers we learned of the great riot in New York; that
Chief of Police Kennedy had been killed; that the militia, called out
in defence of the city, had been disarmed by the mob; that the office
of the _Tribune_ had been torn down; besides a great many other things
to match. This created somewhat of a stir in camp as may be imagined.
It was not pleasant to think of our firesides and our property and
those of our fellow-citizens exposed to the mercies of mob law, and we,
to whom the city was accustomed to look for protection against such
violence, unable to defend them. Under purely patriotic impulses we had
rushed to the rescue of an invaded sister state to do the little we
could toward destroying the great enemy of our country; and now to be
assailed by this dastardly fire in the rear made us turn with even a
sharper vengeance against the insurgents at home than we felt towards
the armed hosts which confronted us. Nor had home-sickness anything to
do with this feeling. It is true, the idea which was involved, of going
home, modified secondarily the tone of our spirits and made us
jubilant, without, however, diluting our eagerness to be seen marching
up Broadway with firm step to the rescue of our own dishonored
metropolis. During the remainder of the afternoon this news was the
staple of our talk, and we chafed to be off at once. Some of the
regiments appeared to be in possession of specially gladdening news;
for they filled the camp with cheering and hilarious singing. This
spirit was contagious, and a remarkably buoyant feeling quickly
overspread the whole encampment. But
"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley;"
and like sensible men we put not our trust in princes. Accordingly the
opportunity of getting a fresh supply of delicacies being presented,
we availed ourselves of it precisely as if we understood that we were
to resume pursuit of the enemy on the morrow. Boonsboro' was only some
four miles distant, and men were detailed to go thither, and get what
they could, though the supply of store goods was extremely
problematical since the rebels, with maws more insatiable than ours,
had occupied the place but a few days previously, and must have
lovingly visited the shops. Commissions were given for the purchase of
all sorts of things--things to eat, things to drink, things to wear,
things to cook in.
Toward evening the chaplain held a prayer-meeting under a spreading
tree. These meetings which had been so acceptable to us while we lay at
Fort Washington were now grown almost totally into disuse. During the
severities of the campaign it would have been a forlorn task to meet
together either at the close or the beginning of the day for even the
solemn services of religion. Our strength was always near the point of
exhaustion, and it was doubtless the feeling of all who thought about
it that we were serving our Maker better by husbanding all our physical
powers for use against the armed enemies of law and order, of
republican government and personal liberty, of society and religion,
than we should be by spending in public prayer, singing and exhortation
the precious hours that would otherwise be given to rest. In silence of
the heart with brief and often painful ejaculations, and in the
nakedness of truth, which no public ceremony can so much as imitate,
did worship go up to heaven from every devout heart among us, during
those days and nights of suffering. The sharpness of our tribulation
was our best chaplain, pointing to us the way and helping our feeble
wills to walk in it. We needed then no other.
Under the inspiration of the morrow's hope there was a great
demonstration of joy in camp. Throughout the evening the air was filled
with cadences of happy song and with uproarious shouting; and all felt,
as we stretched ourselves in our tents for sleep that the morning would
bring us assurances that we were homeward bound.
_Wednesday, 15th._--Morning dawned through a dripping atmosphere as
usual. We piled together the half burnt fagots, and rejoiced with the
leaping flames in the expectancy of receiving immediate marching
orders. We cooked coffee and soup, the partaking of which was not
observed to result injuriously, strange as it may seem, and dried our
tents, blankets, overcoats, etc. But no marching orders came. Nobody
knew what was going to be done. We were packed and all ready for the
final word, but that final word seemed fatefully to linger. It was a
period of anxious suspense. We were yet a part of the Army of the
Potomac, and in the very midst of it. General Meade's head-quarters
were near. The enemy we supposed were still at bay in the mountains
this side the river. It was evident that now was the auspicious moment
to strike at him with all the might of the Grand Army. At that moment
Madam Rumor whispered that Lee had eluded us and slipped across the
Potomac! If this were true the golden opportunity was again lost, and
the campaign at an end. Perhaps the wish was father to the thought, but
we could not believe we were to be marched off into Virginia in
pursuit. And yet if it were intended to send us home what meant this
delay, during which the cool hours were fast slipping by. The camp grew
moody. Some threw themselves upon the ground in drowsy unrest; some sat
down against the shocks of wheat with which the field was strewn and
read the newspapers drearily, or with affected indifference went
napping; some wandered off to the stream, but quickly returned under an
irrepressible nervous anxiety. At length a feeling not unlike disgust
seemed taking possession of us, when shortly before eight o'clock word
came! It swept through the camp like an electric current. "Fall in!"
shouted the orderly. "Fall in!" shouted back the men. "Fall in! Fall
in!" echoed from every quarter. We jumped into our harness, quickly got
into line, and at eight o'clock were on the road with our faces toward
Frederick, this time homeward bound in sober verity.
With this change in our affairs our relations to the Army of the
Potomac terminated, and we were turned over to our own militia officers
by the following order:
Head-Quarters, First Division, }
Department of the Susquehanna. }
Special Order No.-- July 15th, 1863.
Brigadier-General John Ewen will take command of all the New York
troops in this Division, and proceed with them to Frederick,
Maryland, at which point transportation will be furnished them to
New York City. In parting with them the General Commanding must
express his admiration of the courage and fortitude with which they
have stood the toils and privations of their late marches.