Nov. 22, '62. Nine companies of the regiment left camp between 8 and 9
p.m., and embarking on the gunboats Mahaska and Putnam and the tugboat
May Queen, proceeded down the York River and up the Chesapeake Bay.
They entered the Mob Jack Bay about 8.30 a.m. on the 23d, and proceeded
up the East River, where they landed in Matthews County, Va., at 11.30
a.m. The force was divided and sent to different plantations, where
they destroyed large quantities of salt and salt works, or salt
kettles. The male portion of the community were taken and held as
prisoners while we remained. The writer was in the detachment commanded
by Captain Libby of Company A, and went to the plantation of Sands
Smith. We shall never forget the warlike picture of little Pete Neddo
of Company A breaking the big kettles with a sledge hammer, or the poor
old negro woman, whose son had run away a few months previous and had
accompanied us as one of the guides of the expedition, at sight of the
boy. She threw herself on her knees and with hands upraised, exclaimed
"Is this Jesus Christ! Is it God Almighty!" Nor could we refrain from
expressing the wish that this "cruel war" was over when we made
prisoners of the old gentleman and the young men who had come to his
house to spend the pleasant Sunday afternoon in the society of his
lovely daughters. We returned to the gunboats soon after dark.
At 9 a.m. on the 24th, as we were about getting under way for our
return, a farmer came in with a flag of truce, who said a supply train
was passing at a short distance and could be easily captured. The force
on the Putnam, consisting of Companies A, C and D, was landed, and
under command of Captain S. H. Merrill of Company I, ordered to
reconnoitre for one hour. We advanced about three miles, which brought
us in sight of Matthews Court House, where there appeared to be a small
force. After commencing our retreat we found we were pursued by a body
of cavalry. Lieutenant F. M. Johnson and Corporal J. F. Keene of
Company D, who allowed themselves to be separated from the command,
were taken prisoners. We immediately returned to Yorktown, where we
arrived about sundown.
No field officer of the Eleventh accompanied this expedition, it being
under the command of Major Cunningham of the Fifty-second Pennsylvania
Volunteers.