Who Are These Guys ?

      My friend Eileen, who runs a great site on the  26th Pa. Vols. just sent me a picture of Walter E. Swan 13th Mass, Co. A.    On back of the image it says, Walter S. Swan,  40th  N.J. Cavalry.  Walter S. Swan was a soldier in that unit.  Is this Walter E. or Walter S ?  The name faintly written in light pencil at the top looks to me like Walter E. Swan.  Also the frock coat uniform is probably more typical of an infantryman than a cavalryman; the color of the trim, blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry,  is hard to discern.  The photo was take in Boston.  I think someone erred when they added the N.J. Cavalry designation, and this is Walter E. Swan of the 13th Mass.

     Here is Swan's record from the roster:
WALTER E. SWAN ; age, 18; born, Charlestown, Mass.; clerk; mustered in as priv., Co. A, Aug. 4, '62; mustered out, Nov. 24, '62; residence, Boston, Mass.

     Walter E. Swan was Secretary of the 13th Massachusetts Regiment Association in its later years, 1918 - 1922.  In Circular #32, Sept. 1919, Swan wrote an account of George H. Maynard, the only member of the 13th Mass. who received a Medal of Honor.  Swan wrote the following personal experience in Circular 33; Sept., 1920:

     "It was my lot after being wounded, to be sent with hundreds of others from the Bull Run battle field, first to Washington, where I spent a couple of days at the Carver hospital, and then to Philadelphia.  When we arrived at the latter city we were conveyed to the different hospitals in ambulances belonging to the Fire department which in those days were very handsome being painted in an elaborate manner.  I happened to be taken to a hospital at the corner of Fifth and Buttonwood Streets a large six-story building formerly Dunlap’s carriage factory.  This hospital accommodated some four hundred patients and was filled to the maximum.  Each ward had from sixty to seventy single cots so near together that one could reach out on either side and touch his neighbor’s cot.  The nurses were all men and while they were not always over careful in handling wounded patients, still they took fairly good care of them.  As I had the use of my legs and was in good health I spent very little time in the hospital excepting nights.  I would get a pass each day after having my wound dressed, which allowed me to be out until 8 o’clock p.m.  As I was only a kid of eighteen years (?) and very boyish looking, with my right arm in a sling, I seemed to attract a great deal of attention from the many kind ladies whom I would meet on the streets and I was flooded with invitations every day to visit their homes.  I therefore made many delightful acquaintances and spent many happy hours with some of the best families in that city.  My Yankee manner of talking always seemed to please them, and likewise some of their peculiar accents and expressions in conversation were very pleasing to me.  I received my discharge on the 24th of November, 1862, and reached my home in Dorchester, Mass., on a Thanksgiving morning.  In March, 1864, I again enlisted as a recruit in the Eleventh Mass. Battery, but was rejected at the Long Island rendezvous in Boston Harbor on account of my former wound.  Perhaps it was all for the best as I might have got it worse a second time, though I was mightily disappointed when rejected."
Walter E. Swan

Another Photo

      Here is a well known image of the regiment, that I have seen reproduced many times in periodicals.  It appeared in Francis Trevelyan Miller’s 10 Volume “Photographic History of the Civil War,” in 1911. I have never seen the men identified.  “Soldiers of the 13th Mass in Camp” is usually the caption to this photo, sometimes Williamsport is added.  Second Lieutenant Charles B. Fox of Company K, is identified, seated at right,  but who are the others pictured?  The subject index attached to this image at the on-line Carlisle Massachusetts MOLLUS database, lists the following names: Charles B. Fox, John G. Hovey, and I. Hall Stimpson.   Fox, (company K) and Hovey (company B) were officers, Stimpson was a corporal in Co. C.  Here is Fox’s record from the roster:

CHARLES BARNARD FOX; age, 28; born, Newburyport, Mass.; freight agent; mustered in as 2d lieut., Co. K, July 16, '61; mustered out as 1st lieut., Dec., '62; promoted to 1st lieut., Aug. 16, '62; appointed 1st lieut., 2d Mass. Cavalry, Dec. 1, '62; maj., 55th Mass., June 1, '63; lieut.-col., Dec. I, '63; brev. col., U.S. Vols., March 13, '65; residence, Boston.


John G. Hovey
 As I said, the name John G. Hovey is attached to the index for this page of photos at the Carlisle website.  First Lieutenant John G. Hovey of Company B, was promoted captain of Co. E in January of 1862, around the time this photo was taken.  (The photographer was active in the regiment from November, '61 - Feb. '62.)   The man seated, left, in the photo could be Hovey but I'm not sure.  The fellow in the Carlisle photo seems to have more of an upturned nose, while Hovey's is down-turned.   There is a hint of a shoulder strap on his uniform and I don’t see any corporal stripes on his sleeve (which would be Stimpson) but its hard to say all around. There are other photos attached to this record at Carlisle, so the reference to Hovey could mean something else.   His record from the roster:

JOHN G. HOVEY ; age, 33; mustered in as 1st lieut., Co. B, July 16, '61; resigned as capt., Jan. 7, '64; promoted to capt., Jan. 31, '62; residence, Philadelphia, Pa.

Here are a couple of photographs of Hovey with which to compare to the seated man at left.

   First Lieutenant John G. Hovey, of Company ‘B’, switched companies and replaced Charles R. M. Pratt as Captain of Company ‘E’.  John Noyes wrote of Hovey:  “He is a very gentlemanly officer and I am afraid is to be appointed Captain of Co. E.”  Noyes was sorry to lose a good officer to another company.

     Hovey’s appointment did not go over well with the Roxbury boys in Company E.  Joseph Colburn, the 1st Lieutenant of Company E, tendered his letter of resignation to Col. Leonard when Hovey's promotion was announced.  Col. Leonard must have made Colburn reconsider because Colburn did not resign, and continued to serve as 1st Lieutenant of Company ‘E’ under Captain John G. Hovey.

     I don’t have any images of Isaac Hall Stimpson. But he may be the gentleman in the tent -barely visible (behind the seated gentleman on the left).  Here is Stimpson's record:

ISAAC HALL STIMPSON; age, 22; born, Hillsboro', Ill.; clerk; mustered in as corp., Co. C, July 16, '61; died of wounds, Oct. 8, '62.

 Chandler Robbins
   Who might that bushy haired man holding the plate be?  I just happen to have a similar image from the archives of the Westborough Historical Society.  All the images at the Historical Society are labeled.  This image is from the book “On the Beaten Path” by Kristine Nilson Allen; published by the Westborough Civic Club and Westborough Historical Society  in 1984.

     That’s private Chandler Robbins of company K, center,  holding the plates & standing next to - Lt. Fox (again!) and First Lt. William B. Bacon.(both of Co. K).  The pose and the clothes match, and so does that bushy beard!  I think its a pretty good bet that Robbins is the man standing on the left in that photo from Carlisle.  His record from the roster:

CHANDLER ROBBINS ; age, 41; born, Plymouth, Mass.; wheelwright; mustered in as priv., Co. K, July 16, '61; mustered out, Aug. 1, '64; detailed as hospital steward; taken prisoner at Fitzhugh Hospital, opposite Fredericksburg; died, April 11, 80.

     I have two other images of Robbins, an interesting fellow, but the two images couldn’t be more diverse  In one, he is a clean-shaven civilian, in the other, a dapper soldier, with bushy beard, posing in his Scottish cap with his rifle by his side.


     I happen to have part of Robbin's lengthy obituary, which is interesting because he was an original "forty-niner" in California's gold rush!

WESTBORO CHRONOTYPE, (date unknown -Robbins died April 11, 1880.)

      Another of Westboro’s well-known and beloved citizens has been removed by death.  Chandler Robbins, the veteran undertaker, died on Sunday evening last, from cancer of the liver, after an illness of several weeks.  Mr. R. was born in Plymouth in 1819, where he learned the trade of a wheelwright, and removed to Westboro about forty years ago. He was one of the “forty-niners,” going out to California via the Straits of Magellan, on the first ship fitted at Boston for the then new gold regions.  He was connected with Fremont surveying party there, which was led by the famous path-finder Kit Carson. In the two years of his absence he had a varied experience, which included surveying, mining and exploring, and a few hours captivity among the Indians.  On his return trip, via the Isthmus, the train which carried the proceeds of his labors was robbed, leaving Mr. R. little but his experience.  His descriptions of what he saw in South America and California furnished many interesting stories for friends at home.

At the breaking out of the rebellion in 1861 Mr. Robbins was among the first who responded to the call of country.  He enlisted in Co. K, 13th Mass. Vols., and was detailed at once for hospital service. The skill and care he devoted to his labors among ht sick and wounded, both on the field, amid shot and shell, and in the hospital and camp, preserved valuable lives that otherwise would have been lost to country and friends.  Three times he was taken prisoner, being twice paroled on the field and once after a short confinement in Libby Prison.  His work brought him in contact with high officials, many whom owe much to the careful nursing he gave them, and they will learn with regret of the death of their old comrade, to whose efficiency and zeal they have testified in flattering terms.

     During Mr. R.’s early years in Westboro he worked at sleigh-making, and was afterward auctioneer and commission merchant for a short period.  After the war closed he established a furniture store here, and engaged in the business to some extent to the time of his last sickness, in connection with upholstering and repairing. 

(Some of the article is missing).

     Mr. R. was of a pleasant, genial nature, and a man of strict integrity of character who was always ready to give what assistance he could to his fellow men and do a neighborly act.  Consequently he had many friends and few, if any, enemies.

     In 1842 he married Miss Frances M. Mellen of Westboro, who survives him.  Five children were the fruits of their union, only two of whom are now living - Arthur W., of this village, and John B., of Stonington, Conn..

The article continues describing the funeral service followed by several resolutions passed by his comrades in Co. K, 13th regiment that attended his funeral.

Summation
     To conclude this lengthy photographic discussion, I think the men in the camp photo from Carlisle are, Chandler Robbins, priv. Co. K;  John G. Hovey, (?), 1st-lieut. Co. B, (later Capt. Co. E); possibly Isaac Hall Stimpson, Co. C,  behind him, and 2nd-lieut. Charles B. Fox, Co. K.

Letters of the Civil War

     In a brief e-mail exchange a couple weeks ago, Greg Taylor mentioned to me his appreciation of soldier’s letters home during the Civil War.  Greg runs a couple of websites that feature his ancestors war time letters.  http://letters1862-1864.blogspot.com/   and   http://taylorletters.blogspot.com/

     Like me, he felt this was a great source for real history, unfiltered by the passage of time, and presented as events occurred.  This got me thinking about a great site that once existed on the internet. 

     Between the years 1994 and 2006, there existed a website called “Letters of the Civil War.”  The site featured letter transcriptions and war news culled from the local area newspapers around Boston. The city of Boston itself had several papers at the time; the Boston Transcript, the Courier, the Herald, the Traveller and more. The papers would often publish soldier correspondents’ letters from the war front.  The Boston Public Library maintains microfilm copies of most, if not all of these newspapers. "Letters of the Civil War" was largely the effort of one person, Tom Hayes the creator, and he would transcribe and post these letters on the internet, indexed by year, month and date and subject.  With 4 companies raised in Boston there were naturally a lot of letters from the 13^th Mass posted here.  Then sadly, one day the site disappeared.

     I had downloaded about 30 letters from the 13^th Mass before the site vanished.  I often lamented the demise of such a great resource.  I know others familiar with the site have missed it too.  It inspired me to seek out and transcribe copies of the Westboro Transcript from the town library in Westboro, Mass. on  a rare visit to the east coast in 2005.  I’ve posted many of these transcriptions, with those I downloaded from Letters of the Civil War, at my website.  But I always wished I could go back in time and visit Tom’s site again.

The Web Archive

     In February, while seeking materials for my recent Roundtable presentation, I was repeatedly bounced over to a website called the web archive 'wayback machine.'   http://www.archive.org/   It proposed to be an archive of the early days of the internet.  I bookmarked the site and planned to return at a later date.  I wondered if I could dig up any trace of Letters of the Civil War there.  Two weeks ago I returned and did a search.  To my amazement, the search was successful !

How the site works

     Years ago, software from the web archive would periodically scan the internet and cache html pages it found.  A search for letterscivilwar.com brought up several archives of the site saved between the years 2002 and 2006.  The archive cannot save java script run on servers which sometimes worked the navigation of a site, and this presents in-operable links on some of the archived web pages.    I was able to open the ‘home page’ and link to the ‘index’ page from a 2002 archive of Letters of the Civil War.  From the index page I could access several of the individual transcribed letters (html pages) that had been posted on the original website.  But in 2002,  there was a smaller selection of letters to view.   The links from a 2006 archive of the web site were broken, so I could not access the index page (which linked to all the individual letter transcriptions).   But I figured out a way to get there. 

 Here’s how.  (It’s a little tricky).   The web archive lists all the dates its software archived the site “Letters of the Civil War.”     I opened the 2002 index page and changed the date in the address window to a cache date from 2005; (the archive date is actually part of the page address that appears in your browser window).  Presto Chango! suddenly many more of the letter links were live and working!  There is a caveat however, and that is the pages are very slow to load.

     Suddenly I was back in time, navigating through this wonderful old database of Civil War letters.   I started going through each month of the war and downloading all the 13^th Mass letters I could find!  I had thought the thirty or so that I downloaded years ago pretty much covered the material.  I was wrong.  I downloaded over 80 more letters, all relating to the 13^th Mass. 

A Couple of Letter Excerpts

     Early in the war, the correspondents wrote frequently to their hometown papers.  Great interest in the soldiers’ fortunes was exhibited at the homefront.   The letters tapered off as the war dragged on and people tired of its dismal tidings.  But these early letters provide an almost daily chronicle of the regiments activities.  Arguments were even carried on within the pages of the newspapers.  The following excerpts illustrate the seething rivalry that developed between the 4 Boston Companies (the ‘4^th Battalion’) and the rest of the regiment early on in the war.  The subject of the argument is a favorite topic from the annals of the 13^th Mass.; “Who Took Martinsburg ?”

ROXBURY CITY GAZETTE, March 27, 1862

Letter from Winchester, Va.

March 12, 1862

“…I suppose you have seen a letter written to the Traveller, dated at Martinsburg, at the time of our occupying that place; since seeing and reading that letter the query has been who took Martinsburg?  Answer Co. A.  Is this so, or is it not?  Co. A. was thrown out as advance guard to reconnoiter, when the Regt. was within a few miles of M. to give the alarm to us, or to take care of what few of the enemy they might find.  They took different roads, and were to meet at the rear of the town; the balance of the Regt. passed into M. and being very tired, after halting, laid themselves down on the doorsteps and other places most convenient.  All at once firing was heard, causing all hands to spring to their feet.  The communication states that two Rebel Officers were seen approaching, who, on being challenged by a portion of the advance (Co. A.) turned and tried to escape.  They were fired upon, but got away.  These two Rebel Officers turned out to be Officers attached to one of our own Batteries, stationed in town; the other part of the advance coming up at that moment, discharged their pieces at the first named portion of their own Company; fortunately their aim was too high, the balls passing over their heads.  The two Union Officers who were fired at, immediately turned one of their guns so as to command the street, to repel the attack from the supposed enemy.  You will perceive at once the mistake on both sides.  The two Officers took our Boys for Rebels, and vice versa; ’twas all a mistake; instead of sending a letter full of triumph home, they should have been thankful no harm came from what was a very natural mistake.

The letter referred to, was a letter too much on the bombast order; did no harm, merely causing a feeling of disgust, originating the question of–“who took Martinsburg?”

From some unaccountable reason, the so called 4th Battalion has always seemed to feel themselves superior to the balance of the six Companies composing this Regt.  Their superiority has not, and never will be admitted.  In what respect are they our superiors?  Do they possess more general intelligence?  Are their moral characters cast in a purer mould?  Have they, at any time, excelled in point of military discipline or drill?  Have they even in a physical point, attained a higher standard?  If the assertion is made, I deny it.  Like some proud old Aristocrat, to whom even a slight contact with the so called Plebian, causes a feeling of horror, they cling to the proud, the high, the lofty position, attained by them, at a certain time in the past, while playing Sojer in the good old City of Boston.  Should any skirmish occur, and any Company of the 4th Battalion be very near, you will hear of brave deeds–daring exposure–samples of tall fighting, &c., &c.  If one of the other Companies are near, they are never seen; all the hard fighting is done by the invincible four Boston companies.  One would suppose, from the perfect shower of adulation, which greets them, that they were the descendants of a long line of warriors, the might of whose power had fallen upon this particular branch of the 13th Mass.  Several great battles have been faught by this noble and valiant portion of our Regt.  One of which (at Antetim)* must have caused the spirits of an Alexander or a Cesar a pang of jealousy.  Four rifles, aimed with deadly intent, were discharged into their midst, causing the spirit of these heroes no small amount of confusion.  No guns were discharged by them (as I understand) at the enemy, on account perhaps of serious scruples in regard to the taking of human life.  If we are wrong in our statement, impartial history will see the wrong righted.  Many other fearful engagements might be mentioned, but for fear of engendering a spirit of pride in the hearts of these noble Union soldiers, we forbear.

The Response   
      This is a pretty scathing indictment from a member of Company E raised in Roxbury, and it  caught the attention of the ‘4^th Battalion.’  The following letter appeared in the paper a month later as a response:

ROXBURY CITY GAZETTE

Manassas, April 13, 1862

Editor of the Gazette–Dear Sir:

            Being a constant reader of your paper, I happened to notice a letter from the Mass. 13th dated March 12, and signed “Roxbury.”

            Now, I have not the slightest idea who this “Roxbury” is, but should suppose from the tenor of his letter that he belongs to Co. E.  I think he is rather hard on the 4th Battalion, and especially Co. A, of that corps.

            He speaks of the affair at Martinsburg, and seems to think that Co. A believed they had made heroes of themselves on that occasion.  His account is not very complimentary to Co. A, and as a member of the company, allow me to make an explanation.

            As he says, when we were within a few miles of Martinsburg, A was detailed to go round to the rear, and cut off any rebels who might attempt to make their escape.  Accordingly, we proceeded under the guidance of a loyal citizen of Virginia, across the fields to the rear of the town.  When we arrived there, our captain drew up the first platoon in two ranks, on the Tuscaroras road (a road leading up into the mountains), and sent the second platoon, under command of Lt. Judson, round to the Winchester turnpike.  The signal was then given that we were ready, and we soon heard the regiment advancing into the town.  I being in the second platoon, knew very well all that transpired.  We (the second platoon) marched down the street with our arms loaded and bayonets fixed.

            When we got half-way down the street, and had halted to ascertain how near the centre of the town we were, the clatter of the horse’s hoofs attracted our attention.  The noise came a cross street on our left, and we supposed that some of the rebels we expected to meet were endeavoring to make their escape.  We could distinguish only two men.  Our lieut. stepped forward and challenged them; instead of answering the challenge, they (supposing that we were rebels) wheeled their horses and started up the street to a gallop; at this one of our boys fired without orders, the ball taking effect in the neck of one of the horses, and brought him to the ground.  His rider jumped from his back, and started on foot to alarm the regiment.  Just then our Lieut. Colonel, who had heard the firing, came down and ordered us to rejoin our regiment.

            The two horsemen proved to be a Lieut. of Artillery and his bugler, who were looking round to find forage for their horses, and who did not know that we were there.  All this trouble would have been avoided had he answered the challenge instead of running.

            This is a correct account of the affair at Martinsburg.

            The “letter full of triumph,” was undoubtedly written by a member of Co. A, but who the writer was we cannot find out:  suffice it to say that it was considered by all as an absurd and ridiculous epistle, and the writer has probably heard many unpleasant remarks with regard to it.  The general supposition seems to be that he is an officer, but it is impossible to say whether this supposition is correct or not.  The query– “Who took Martinsburg?” originated, it is true in Co. A, but it was only used to express their indignation of the manner in which things were transacted on that night, and not, as “Roxbury” supposed, in a boastful spirit.

            My object in answering the letter of R. was merely to place before the people of Roxbury, some of whom have relatives in Co. A, a true account of the affair at Martinsburg.

            Hoping that you will give this a place in the columns of your paper, I remain

                        Yours very respectfully,

                                   A Member of the 2nd Platoon.

     Such is the kind of detail that can be discovered from mining local newspapers for Civil War history.  I’ve always been more interested in the personal experiences of the soldiers than anything else.  After rediscovering this buried treasure I felt compelled to try and contact the sites creator, to inform him that a shadow of his excellent work still exists.  As a site owner myself, I appreciate the time, effort and expense that go into building a website.

A Talk with Tom
     I was fortunate in tracking Tom down and we had a pleasant phone conversation two weeks ago.  I told him how much I admired his site and gave him the web address of the archive so he could check it out.  Tom told me a little about his work.  All the papers came from the Boston Public Library collection.  He had a couple fellows offer to help him transcribe the letters, one guy doing as much as Tom could send him.  Of the several papers in the Boston area he thought the Herald was one of the greats.  The Chelsea Telegraph and Pioneer was the paper he spent the most time with.  He discovered the unflagging efforts of Mayor Fay of that city to support the soldiers in the field. Mayor Fay made constant trips to visit the troops, raised money and supplies for the men in the field and those in the hospitals, and otherwise did everything he could to support the boys from his community who went to war.   One of the interesting details lost to history was the name of the soldier who raised the American Flag over the Confederate Capitol when Richmond fell.  It turned out it was a Chelsea boy, and Mayor Fay, who was visiting the troops at the time reported it to the paper back home.

     The website disappeared for various reasons, partly because of time constraints and other commitments,  but the material still exists; perhaps over 2,000 letters, and Tom thinks one day, though it might not be until he retires, it will return.

The Archive
    For now, if you want to check it out, follow the link below which will take you to the index page laid out like a calendar.  Click on a month, and another page will load listing all the letters available to read for that particular month.  There are letters for several Massachusetts regiments; some from Connecticut, and other war items of interest too.  WARNING:  This page will take a LONG TIME to load, but it’s worth it.  (If you get a message saying the java script won't load, just cancel the action.)

http://web.archive.org/web/20050207091448/www.letterscivilwar.com/civilwar1860.html

*This refers to a skirmish at Antietam Creek in August, 1861, when Companies A and B were picketing the Potomac;  not the major battle that came a year later.

Could McDowell Have Moved Faster ?

     It is interesting to read soldiers' letters to get a feel for what was happening as history unfolded.  It is especially interesting if the writer has a keen eye for observation and detail.

Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign;

Late May, 1862

          One of the criticisms of the Union forces trying to cut off Stonewall Jackson during his 1862 Valley Campaign, was that they moved too slow.  John B. Noyes, a private in Co. B, 13^th Mass. Vols, [Hartsuff’s Brigade] participated in the march and he agrees McDowell moved too slowly. 

     Here is the setup:

     General McClellan’s 100,000 troops are closing in around Richmond, the Confederate Capital. General McDowell is close by at Falmouth, with 50,000 troops about to join them.  In an attempt to draw off some of the pressure around Richmond, General Lee sends General Richard Ewell’s troops to the Shenandoah Valley to join forces with Stonewall Jackson and create a disturbance there.  Lee hoped the disturbance would draw away some of McDowell's forces to the valley.  The ploy worked.

     General Nathaniel Banks, greatly reduced army was holding the Valley for the Union.  His forces were outnumbered by the Confederates two to one.  When Jackson and Ewell surprised a small outpost at Front Royal, Va. on May 22, Banks’ small army was spread thin.  Jacksons’ force swept down on the small garrison at Front Royal and captured 700 of the 1,000 men posted there.

     Banks was taken off guard.  Positioned 10 miles west of Front Royal at Strasburg, he was loath to retreat, but had little choice.  Jackson could advance to Winchester and surround him.  By early morning the next day Banks was racing back to his supply base at Winchester 20 miles north.  His army made a gallant stand from a strong position on two hills southwest of the town on May 25th, but the 15,000 Confederates eventually broke the lines of the 6,000 Federals.  The defeat turned into a Union route, but a masterly retreat nonetheless.  Banks’ army didn’t rest until they crossed the Potomac River into Maryland 35 miles north.  The sometimes dis-organized Jackson, couldn’t pursue because he could not locate his Confederate Cavalry, who like the tired and hungry infantry had stopped to pillage the Union supplies left behind by ‘Commissary Banks.’

     The next day Jackson deployed his army to threaten points north, particularly the Union Garrison at Harper’s Ferry.  President Lincoln and the Washington authorities were panicked.   Lincoln ordered General McDowell in the East, and General Fremont in the West to join forces in the Valley in hopes of capturing Jackson with a ‘pincers’ movement.  McDowell complied with the President’s order, but, understanding the Confederate motives, he told the President, in a telegram March 24:

“I obeyed your order immediately, for it was positive and urgent, and perhaps as a subordinate, there I ought to stop; but I trust I may be allowed to say something in relation to the subject, especially in view of your remark, that everything now depends upon the celerity and vigor of my movements.  I beg to say that cooperation between General Fremont and myself to cut Jackson and Ewell there is not to be counted upon, even if it is not a practical impossibility.  Next, I am entirely beyond helping distance of General Banks; no celerity or vigor will avail so far as he is concerned.  Next, that by a glance at the map, it will be seen that the line of retreat of the enemy's forces up the valley is shorter than mine to go against him.  It will take a week or ten days for the force to get to the valley by the route which will give it food and forage, and by that time the enemy will  have retired.  I shall gain nothing for you there, and shall lose much for you here.  It is, therefore, not only on personal grounds that I have a heavy heart in the matter, but that I feel it throws us all back, and from Richmond north we shall have all our large masses paralyzed, and shall have to repeat what we have just accomplished.  I have ordered General Shields to commence the movement by to-morrow morning.  A second division will follow in the afternoon.  Did I understand you aright, that you wished that I personally should accompany this expedition?  I hope to see Governor Chase to-night and express myself more fully to him.

Very respectfully,

Irvin McDowell.”

     McDowell sent two divisions under General Shields and General Ord to the Valley.  The 13^th Mass were with General Ord. 

The March

     General Shield’s 10,000 men arrived at Front Royal May 31^st, in time to cut off Jackson who was still north of Strasburg.  But Shield’s hesitated, because Gen’l Ord was still a days march behind, and Fremont’s force had not yet appeared from the west. 

 James I. Robertson, jr.  wrote in “Stonewall Jackson,  The Man, The Soldier, The Legend” :  Jackson had no way of knowing that the Union “celerity of movement” necessary for his entrapment had turned into a comedy of errors.’  The author then relates Fremont’s blunders and Shield’s hesitation to attack.

     Way down the chain of command, a private in the ranks, yet a Harvard Graduate and astute observer who would one day prove a very capable officer in the 28^th Mass., Private John B. Noyes, complained in letters home, that McDowell could have quickened his advance to Front Royal.  He placed all the blame on McDowell, as at that time, hatred of McDowell was rampant among the officers and men under his command.  (The source of this contempt will be the subject of a future post.)

     In the midst of the campaign on June 8^th Noyes wrote his Father* about McDowell’s move from Falmouth to Front Royal :

     "Perhaps the insensate lollygagging of somebody who kept us on the R.R. from Alexandria to Manassas six hours longer than was necessary, that wasted a whole day at Manassas, a second between that place and Thoroughfare Gap by delaying the cars did not occasion the escape of Jackson.  Why in spite of all this delay we were not twelve hours late.   It took us just seven days to proceed from Falmouth to Front Royal.  The men could have performed the journey better in much less time.  Let us see.  We left Falmouth Sunday afternoon.  The brigade should

have been in Alexandria at 10 A.m. Monday, at Manassas at two o’clock, at Thoroughfare Gap at 3 o’clock of the same day, that is to say at Thoroughfare Gap in 24 hours.  This would have been allowing a large margin for the delay in transporting large bodies of men.  It takes but six hours to sail from Alexandria to Acquia Creek, and an hour or so to ride from thence to Manassas, and another hour to ride to Thoroughfare Gap which is but four miles from Alexandria.  We should have then had two days rations in our haversacks.  Instead of being there on Monday, we did not arrive till Thursday, about five o’clock.  The rebels did not destroy the water building I believe til Thursday A.m., or Wednesday, P.m. when Shields who started from Falmouth on Saturday overland was at the heels of the rebels. Tuesday and Wednesday would have brought us to Front Royal, not without having captured small parties of secesh.  We then would have been some 48 hours ahead of Jackson, and placed him between us and Fremont and crushed him.  As it was we were a half or a whole day late, perhaps I ought to say twelve hours.  Shields beheld the rear guard of Jackson retreating some six miles from Front Royal on Sunday A.m.  He came Saturday  P.M. but was compelled to await our coming before he could proceed with his eighteen regiments of infantry and 36 cannon."

     Noyes puts all the blame on General McDowell but for the wrong reasons, sighting professional jealousies as the reasons for McDowell’s delay.  In his letters home, Noyes continued to berate General McDowell for a myriad of other failings as a commander.

     Still, McDowell’s troops, as well as Fremont’s, did tarry, which allowed Stonewall Jackson to escape.   On May 30^th, Jackson’s forces “were nearly twice as far from Strasburg as the converging forces of Fremont and Shields.”**   On May 31^st Jackson reached Strasburg ahead of the Yankees.  He continued to push his exhausted army south and not only escaped, but out-witted and out-fought the pursuing Federal troops under Fremont and Shields. 

*MS Am2332 (52); Houghton Library, Harvard University

** “Battle Cry of Freedom, by James McPherson; p. 458.

Connecting Links

     It was difficult selecting a topic to post this March.  In February I pushed to finish and publish the latest webpage for my website, which had to do with Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign;  To Front Royal and Back.    Then I turned my attention to a presentation scheduled for March 10th at the West Valley Civil War Roundtable.  The topic of my talk was titled “Nine Weeks at Harper’s Ferry.”  It’s based on this page of my website, Nine Weeks at Harper's Ferry, but drew heavily on my ‘John Brown’ blog posts from October.

     It was fun putting together my first ‘PowerPoint’ Presentation for the talk.  I got to incorporate all sorts of interesting pictures into the slide show.   Naturally, for me, I had too much material and didn’t get through it all.   But the talk was successful nonetheless.  This took up all my time in early March and I didn’t know what new subject of interest to post here on the blog.   The subjects of these two projects, the 13^th Mass at Harper’s Ferry in 1861, and Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862 seemed widely divergent; you might say they were ‘myles’ apart.

     My efforts to research Shields’ and Fremont’s pursuit of Jackson up the Shenandoah Valley, kept bringing me to this website;  Myles Keogh.   I was impressed and eventually solicited the author’s opinions on the campaign, and so made another important Civil War friend and contact.

      As it turns out there is a connecting link between these two stories, and that is ‘Captain’ R. C. Schriber of the 13^th Mass.  Words like ‘idiot’ and ‘fraud’ generally follow mention of his name.

     Schriber commanded Company I, 13^th Mass., at the Ferry in 1861, and he was also on General James Shields’ staff in the Valley Campaign of 1862.   He was conspicuous enough to earn detailed mentions in 3 books; "Three Years in the Army" (1894) by Charles E. Davis, Jr; "Three Years With Company K" by Sgt. Austin C. Stearns, [deceased] (1976); and "The Strange Story of Harper’s Ferry" by Joseph Barry, (1903).  Perhaps there are more.  These authors only hint at Schriber’s subsequent career with a Maryland Brigade, but at ‘Myles Keogh’  I found some correspondence from Colonel Samuel S. Carroll addressed to Lt-Col. Schriber of Gen. Shields’ staff, and had one of those ‘Aha!’ research moments. "So that's where he went !"

     Schriber always gets a good laugh whenever I give talks on the regiment and the March 10^th presentation was no exception.  So, for this post, I offer up excerpts  from my late presentation on R.C. Schriber of the 13^th Massachusetts Infantry and the 1st (?) Maryland Cavalry.

Mysterious Captain R. C. Schriber

     At Harper’s Ferry in September 1861, there was a skirmish at Beller’s Mill, (near the town) in which Companies I & K went a ways up Shenandoah Street to some flour mills.   They stayed about 2 hours, then encountered some Rebel cavalry on the way back.  As Company I came down Shenandoah Street shots rang out from the hill above the town.  This may be the skirmish in which Captain Schriber distinguished himself.  At first fire he jumped into the Shenandoah River to hide behind a stone wall that protected the Winchester and Potomac Railroad from the river.  The wall protected him from the bullets, but the strong current of the river nearly drowned him.

     His fine clothes were damaged.  A red sash he wore left a permanent stain on his uniform which no amount of washing could remove.  “It would appear as if his uniform eternally blushed for the cowardice of the unworthy wearer.” *

     Schriber was attached to the regiment at Fort Independence shortly before it left for the seat of war.  He passed himself off as a military officer with experience fighting against the Russians in the Crimean War, and Massachusetts Governor, John Andrew, appointed him Captain, to the 13^th Mass.  The claim of war service was highly doubted by those in Company I, under his command.

     At Harper’s Ferry he kept his headquarters on a canal boat, so as to be ready to retreat at any time, his men said.

     He had a good deal of trouble with his men.  Some were in the guard house about all the time. One day he was drilling his company in the manual of loading and firing.  He told them he would put every man in the guard house if they didn’t do exactly as he wanted.  Then he gave the commands…

     “Ready… Aim…   Aim Higher !”

     About ½ mistook his command for “Fire!” ;  and they fired.    Austin Stearns said it was fun to watch the “Dutchman” rave and shout language “not generally heard on drill.”

     His uniform was loaded down with medals and merit badges and the red sash.  After the river incident he lost caste with his men.  Austin Stearns said of him, “He could have fraud wrote after his name and not over express it.”

     Joseph Barry reports his conduct toward the ladies of the town was “disgraceful,” and there is evidence in the original field books of Company I, that he was dealing in illicit horse trading.

     But Captain Schriber’s ambitions could not be contained by the 13th regiment.  By late October he had manipulated his way onto Major-General N. P. Banks’ staff.

     He rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel with the 1^st Maryland Cavalry, (Gen. James Shields’ division) but was eventually drummed out of the service for fraud.  He is mentioned in the war department’s ‘official records’ a few times.  One is his report on the battle of Kernstown, explaining his modest role in commanding the troops to victory.  Another mention is found in a  quote of General Shields referencing “deterioration in the situation; Col. Schriber is at work.”

     Here is 13^th Mass Historian Charles Davis’s sketch of Schriber:

     “The appointment of this officer to our regiment was an instance of attempting to graft foreign fruit to a native tree.  As it proved a lamentable failure, no apology is necessary for showing him up as a warning to future governors in making such attempts.  The fact that he had expressed a contemptuous opinion of Yankees doesn’t count for much,  but that was no reason why he should make himself conspicuous by peculiarities in dress or manners.  Eccentricities of this kind were unbecoming in a man of such mediocrity as he.

     Evidently the air we breathed was unsuitable for a man of his expansive nature, and we were glad when he shook the dust of the Thirteenth from his feet.  …We watched his career with interest as he sailed aloft, unconscious of his elephantine conceit, soaring higher and higher until he reached the rarefied air of a lieutenant-colonel in a Maryland brigade, where swindling and conduct unbecoming an officer were frowned upon.  Having reached this giddy height he exploded like the sky-rocket, whose flight he so much resembled, and like it plunged to earth again, followed by the fiery tears of his mysterious friends.  He was dismissed from the service, and is, probably, now in ‘Fair Bingen on the Rhine’ relating the heroic deeds he performed in Yankee land to save the Union.”

Note:  *Quote is from Joseph Barry's "Strange Story of Harper's Ferry."
To read more about Capt. Schriber see the link to my website page "Nine Weeks at HF" above.

The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association

One Continuous Fight; The Monterey Pass Battlefield Association; & The 'Other' Regiment.

Lee's Retreat from Gettysburg
Even people with little interest in the Civil War have heard of Gettysburg and the great battle that happened there.  But has anyone heard of the midnight Battle at Monterey Pass that directly followed?

Until 1999, Lee's retreat from Gettysburg was given little attention.  That's when Ted Alexander, Chief Historian at Antietam National Battlefield edited a special issue of North & South magazine on the subject.  Historians Eric Wittenberg, Steve French, and Kent Masterson Brown contributed detailed pieces on the fighting that followed Gettysburg as General Meade's Union Cavalry pursued the retreating Rebel Army to Williamsport, Md.  Some of these historians have since collaborated on a scholarly study of the retreat in detail, with analysis; "One Continuous Fight, The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863; by Eric Wittenberg, J. David Petruzzi, and Michael F. Nugent; published by Savas-Beati; 2008.  http://www.gettysburgretreat.com/

Ted wrote the forward.  I'm reading the book now.  There were so many actions that took place in this ten day period that one trooper described it as 'one continuous fight,' hence the title of the book.

The Midnight Battle at Monterey Pass; July 4-5, 1863
Picture a midnight fight on a dark mountain top; a violent thunderstorm is raging; Yankee troopers and horse artillery are slowly advancing to capture a long Confederate wagon train of supplies and wounded, jamming narrow mountain roads and trying to cross the mountain before the Federals capture them.  A very small band of Confederates assisted with a battery of light artillery are blasting away at the Yankees trying to delay their advance.  It's so dark the soldiers can barely see their own hands in front of them.  Lightening and canon blasts point the way forward and define enemy targets.   Panicked teams drag wagons over the mountain cliffs, carrying with them screaming wounded.  Picture a wild Cavalry charge down the mountain. The troopers feel as if they are flying because they can't see the road below them.  This is the drama of the battle.

The Battlefield Association
I turned to the internet to see if I could find the route taken to Leitersburg by the 1st Vermont Cavarly the morning of July 5th.  The flanking ride is detailed in the book but the route was left off the accompanying map.  My search led me to John Miller and the Monterey Pass Battlefield Association.
http://www.emmitsburg.net/montereypass/index.htm

John and several others are trying to preserve the history of Emmitsburg by conducting tours, raising awareness and purchasing land.  I found the map I needed at this site and I wrote to John.  I told him my ancestor participated in some of the fighting during the retreat.

3rd U.S. Artillery

William Henry Forbush transferred out of the 13th Mass while in the hospital recovering from a wound received in the Battle of 2nd Bull Run, Aug. 30, 1862. He enlisted in 'Flying Battery C,' 3rd U.S. Artillery on Dec. 11, 1862.  He joined the unit in January, 1863 and started a diary.   (I've done so much research on the 13th Mass that I refer to this unit as the 'other' regiment.  It's been difficult to learn much about them.)  The battery was in reserve at Westminster, Md. during the battle of Gettysburg, but participated in the cavalry pursuit afterward.  William wasn't at Monterey Pass, but he mentions it.  He did participate in the engagement at Smithburg the next day.  Smithburg? you ask, what's that?  Boonsboro?  Jones Crossroads?  These engagements are hardly known today.

John Miller responded to my email with a color photo of Gardenhour's Hill where Williams battery was positioned July 5th.  Diary entries for the week read:

Saturday [July] 4.  Left Westminster Md. and came through Emmetsburg Md. and laid on the road all Night.  The Cavalry burnt a train of wagons and took the wagon Guard prisernors.

Sunday 5.  Came to within 1/2 mile of Smithsburg Md. and we came on the Rebels.  We opened on them with our whole Battery and they with a Battery.  Their Shells struck in the Town but done us no harm.

Monday 6. We came to Boonsboro Md. and the left Section went to a Rebel train of wagons and burnt them about 4.esn [dozen] number and charged through Hagerstown.  Hung a spy and then Laid in the woods that Night.

Tuesday 7.  The Section came back here.  Laid in Camp at Boonsborough Md. all Day. At Night had Orders to get ready to march but the Order was countermanded. Pleasant Day but Rainy Night.

Wednesday 8.  Started about 12 A.M. and Skirmeshed with the Rebels until dark then came back to the other side of Boonsboro and halted for the Night.

The Region Today

Much of the area is unchanged.  This is documented in 'One Continuous Fight' which features a section on touring the battlefield sites, complete with photos and GPS co-ordinates.  But time marches on and some of the sites are slowly disappearing.  After nearly150 years these little known areas are beginning to disappear, just as they are beginning to receive attention.  Gardenhour's Hill is marked for development and will soon be gone.  I'm hoping to get there to see it before that happens.  You might want to do the same. Check out the association and read about the Battle at Monterey Pass!

Drum Barracks Civil War Museum

Southern California does have some important Civil War history.  It is represented by the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington, California, which is part of the City of Los Angeles. You can read about California’s role here:  
http://www.drumbarracks.org/

This week I received notice that the Mayor and Los Angeles City Council are planning to layoff Susan Ogle, the Director of ‘the Drum,’ sometime between now and July 1^st.

I quote from Loran Bures’ message; Commander, Gen. W. S. Rosecrans Camp No. 2; Department of California & Pacific; Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War:

“On the eve of the Civil War Sesquicentennial (150th anniversary), it is, at best, short-sighted to eliminate the only full-time, onsite staff member of the only truly tangible connection that Southern California has to the Civil War, and California’s contribution to save the Union.  It would be next to impossible to find someone as knowledgeable and dedicated to the Drum Barracks as Susan Ogle.  The next several years will bring many opportunities to present and remind the people of Southern California and beyond about the sacrifices made by our ancestors to save the Union.  The Drum Barracks is the natural focal point for many of these activities. 

Most likely the Drum Barracks would be consolidated under the Director of the Banning Museum.  Needless to say we are concerned with the prospect of the Drum being only "slightly" managed.  The prospect of not having the artifacts supervised full time is inconceivable.”

James F. Ramsey, Co E, 13th Mass; at the Drum
There is a connection to the 13^th Mass at the Drum Barracks.  Long time Massachusetts resident James F. Ramsey  and several members of his family settled in Inglewood, CA, some years after the war.  An original letter dated April 19, 1870 hangs on the wall of the museum.  The letter is addressed to James F. Ramsey, (company E, 13^th Massachusetts Volunteers) from Massachusetts Governor William Claflin; thanking Ramsey for his service in suppressing the rebellion and maintaining the integrity of the nation.   James Ramsey and his wife Ella are buried side by side at Inglewood Park Cemetery.  His descendents preserved his letters, (many of which are featured on my website, 13thmass.org) and donated the letter of appreciation to the Drum Barracks.

If You Want to Help
I’m passing on Commander Bures’ plan of action for those concerned.  If you would like to help keep Susan on at the Drum here is what you can do.  Time is of the essence, the layoff could happen as soon as February 19^th.

Write a personal letter to each of the following City officials, expressing your concerns about the pending layoff of Susan Ogle as the Director of the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum and its impact(s).  

First email your letter, and then send it by U.S. Mail. If you belong to a Civil War group mention it.  Please note that phone calls and emails are simply counted - they do not take note of your specific comments.  Letters are the most effective and have the most impact, unless they are form letters, which again, are simply counted.

Janice Hahn

Councilwoman, 15th District

City of Los Angeles

638 S. Beacon Street, Suite 553

San Pedro CA  90731

(310) 732-4515

Janice.hahn@lacity.org 

Jon Kirk Mukri

General Manager

Department of Recreation and Parks

221 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 1550

Los Angeles, CA  90012

(213) 202-2633

JonKirk.mukri@lacity.org

Mark Mariscal

Superintendent, Pacific Region

Department of Recreation and Parks

1670 Palos Verdes Drive North

Harbor City, CA  90710
Mark.mariscal@lacity.org 

Since the Drum Barracks and the land it sits on is the property of the State of California, except for the north portion of the parking lot which is owned by the City of Los Angeles, and is a California Historical Landmark, we should also voice our concerns with our state legislators.  It is leased to and operated by the City of Los Angeles.

To find your State Assembly member and Senator visit:

http://www.legislature.ca.gov 

Out of Staters:
The following two legislators’ districts include the Drum Barracks, but it is best to write your own state legislators first.  If you are not a resident of California, I would still encourage you to write to the following two legislators.

Jenny Oropeza

Senator, 28th District

2512 Artesia Blvd., #200

Redondo Beach, CA  90278-3279

(310) 318-6994

http://dist28.casen.govoffice.com 

Warren Furutani

Assemblymember, 55th District

4201 Long Beach Blvd Suite 327

Long Beach, CA  90807

(562) 989-2919

http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a55/default.aspx 

Los Angeles County Residents:
If you are a resident of Los Angeles County, also please write a letter to Supervisor Knabe.  I know that this is a City of Los Angeles decision, but the Drum Barracks is located in his district, and he takes an active interest in everything that is happening in his district.

Don Knabe

Supervisor, 4th District

County of Los Angeles

822 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration

500 West Temple Street

Los Angeles, CA  90012

(213) 974-4444

don@bos.lacounty.gov 

Maryland Pies

Introduction
     Sue and I watched the movie Julie & Julia last night.  It tells the true story of  Julie, who decided in 2002, to cook all of Julia Child’s French recipes in a year, and write a daily blog about the experience.  Her blog became popular.  A year later she received all kinds of offers from magazine editors and book publishers and TV show producers.  And since movies are like real life, (n’est pas ?)  now I’ll know what to expect when 13thMass blog turns 1.

     After the movie I commented to Sue, (who constantly uses the internet to find recipes and cooking tips) “Wow, cooking is a hot topic.   I should write about cooking.”

     "Yes." she replied.

     I could do a Civil War cook book.  But it has already been done; several times.  (The sausage/ham meatloaf is really good).  I do have a lot of food stories though.  The soldiers often wrote about food in letters, diaries and memoirs; because they were often hungry.  Here is one of my favorite food stories from the chronicles of the 13th Mass; about Maryland pies.  The following recipes didn’t make it into the cook book; fortunately.
  
"MARYLAND PIES."
By Clarence H. Bell.

     Austin Stearns wrote in his memoirs  "To appreciate a Maryland pie one must eat it.  One of some kinds would be a great plenty."     The following excerpt from an article in the military magazine 'Bivouac', circa 1885 sheds more light.

     All the latter half of 1861, the Thirteenth was quartered in different parts of Western Maryland, and as the population of that region was of a thrifty nature, our camps were often thronged with hucksters of both sexes, who catered to the dainty appetites of those not yet thoroughly broken to army fare, and whose finances were not wholly depleted.  Various were the wares that tempted the greedy — roasted chickens, boiled eggs, biscuits - but more than all else, pies.  And the resources of that section in the line of pies were remarkable.  When it is remembered that a large body of New Englanders sojourned there for so many months, it is to be wondered at that none of the receipts for the filling of pies were brought away; for in all the development of talent in the building of pies, and the subterfuges for filling those pies – to keep the crusts from too intimated contact- Western Maryland “takes the cake.”

     We had become used to custard and pumpkin pies of so thin a texture that we suspected the filling to have been put on with a paint-brush, when one day a new variety appeared in the shape of elderberry pies.  The unwary bought one, for there is always the first step in folly – be sure they never bought another.  The purchaser would take a liberal bite, but the slow mastication, and the haste to get behind a tent, or other convenient shield, to unload both mouth and hand, proved that elderberry pies were not appreciated.  If ever a new purge is needed, certainly this delectable combination is to be recommended.  The regiment was a full one, and a great many elderberry pies were palmed off upon our unsophisticated members, ere we became thoroughly introduced to the novelty.

     Human life is a progress.  There are gradations both upward and downward.  From one lane of happiness, we can look forward and upward to a higher, to which we may attain; and in the opposite degree, there are depths of misery into which one may fall, only to find, later on, a depth yet lower.  We had vainly imagined that elderberry pie was the bottomless pit of misery into which a pie-addicted individual could be decoyed, when one day there blossomed on our visions yet another variety.  The rustic peddler passing into camp was greeted with: “What have you got to sell, old man?”  “Pies,” was the answer, as he deftly lifted the napkin, exposing a basket well filled with nicely browned pastry, very tempting in its outward appearance.

The numbers that gathered about, had the money in hand and the exchange was very rapid.  “What kind of pies do you call these, old fellow?” 

“T’martusses.”  “What?”  “T’martusses - t’martusses.”

Somehow or other, we could not comprehend the dialect, nor could our minds grapple with the compound the peddler informed us the pies were made of.  It was only when we crossed our legs and sat down on the ground to supper that we realized the conundrum.  A single mouthful solved the doubt – demolished the expectation of a pleasant repast, and made us long for the elderberry, as the pie of paradise compared to our new acquaintance.  Talk about the ingenuity of our Yankee housekeepers!  One stands but little chance of loss in wagering that in all of the eccentricities of our New England kitchen discoveries, no Yankee matron ever hit upon green tomatoes as filling for pies.  Just imagine, if you can, the change from joy to poignant grief, as a tired guardsman lays down a ‘hard-tack,” and bites into a well-browned pie stuffed with green tomatoes very stingily sprinkled with sugar.  Ah, “T’martusses Pie!”  Many long years have elapsed since our first and only introduction to thee, but the misery of our meeting yet lingers in the volumes of memory.  Thou wer’t the dessert in the oasis of our army fare, crossed just once – we never went there again.  “Lost to sight, to memory dear” – very dear – about twenty-five cents worth.