SEVENTEENTH CONNECTICUT
The Record of a Yankee Regiment
IN THE WAR FOR THE UNION
From the Journal of William H. Warren, Private, of Co. C
No. 7---MARCHING IN VIRGINIA.
We stayed in Gainesville four days. The place was not of much account---at least what we saw didn't signify much. It was a good locality for rabbit hunting, and the boys pursued those four-legged confederates with considerable zeal. They caught a number of them. The mode of capture was to chase the rabbit and yell at him till he was paralyzed. At 10 o'clock the morning after our arrival we were ordered to strike tents, pack knapsacks and be ready to move. When this was done the order to move was countermanded, and we unpacked knapsacks and put up the tents, and started in pursuit of more rabbits.
We were now in a brigade under command of General McLane (McLean), the other regiments being Ohio troops---25th, 55th and 75th regiments. A snow storm set in at night, and those of the boys who had no shelter took the snow direct from heaven in all its virgin whiteness, and presented very picturesque spectacles in the morning. The next day was exceedingly cold, forcing the boys to skirmish around after wood for camp fires. By these they sat through the day, as there was no drilling going on.
Our regiment was now in the 2nd brigade, 1st division, Sigel's corps. We were hourly expecting orders to advance and take part in a movement to check the rebels near Fairfax court house. Sunday morning, November 9th, those orders came. We were given twenty rounds of cartridges and one day's rations. We left Gainesville at 8 o'clock in the morning, and marched to Thoroughfare Gap, in the mountains, a place well known by name to readers of the war history. Part of the brigade went through the Gap; the balance, including the Seventeenth, pitched camp this side. The locality was called Antioch church. This place was a novel appearing one to us. There were but very few houses thereabouts, and scarcely any of them in sight of another. The church was a stone structure, simple in form. It stood in a grove. About it were posts where the saddle-horses of the worshipers were wont to stand during the service. The original Antioch could not have appeared more primitive to us from busy Connecticut.
We reached Antioch church just before noon. We pitched tents in a large field used probably for pasture by its owner when he had the chance to use it. As soon as the tents were up many of the boys, and not a few of the officers started out to forage. A week of hardtack and salt junk had whetted our appetites for something fresh and pliable: The result of the forage were turkeys, chickens, ducks, rabbits, sheep and pigs. It was a disastrous sabbath for farm stock.
Eleven members of Company C were in the hospital at this time, several of them being located in Baltimore and the others in Washington. Other companies were similarly disabled.
Tuesday evening an order was issued for the advance of the artillery and cavalry of the division, and in fifteen minutes they were on their way. A column of these troops, with baggage trains, were moving by us all night.
Orders came to our colonel. He had the drum major notified to be ready at a moment's notice to beat the long roll (an alarm call) at any moment. The camp guard were instructed to be alert, and on hearing the discharge of a cannon to fire their guns three times. It was an anxious night to those awake, as a battle was supposed to be imminent. But the night passed in safety as many similarly threatened nights in that war passed away.
The several families occupying this section had guards placed on their premises to protect them from the raids of light fingered patriots. The guards were treated well by the families, being fed on warm hoe cake, fried beef, tea and coffee. I was on guard at one of these houses and got several such meals. They were very welcome. At the close of the first meal I asked the man of the house what I was to pay. He said: "I do not want any pay. I cannot eat money. But if you will save my pigs and cattle and poultry from foragers, I can eat them. And that is all the pay I want." I was satisfied with both the logic and the price, and determined that , so far as my action went, his stock would be saved to him.
In this family were a negro man, his wife and a little son. They appeared to be content with their lot. They were free of course, being made so by President Lincoln's recent proclamation, but they had not changed their relations to the family which owned them. One day the youngster picked up my gun, which was leaning against the house, and raised it as far as he was able to make aim with it.
"What are you trying to do?" I asked, taking the gun from him.
"Shoot massa," he replied.
The answer startled me.
This and those other families in the neighborhood, disposed to trade food for other things, found plenty of customers among the soldiers, who brought everything they could spare and traded it off for hoe-cake, pies, milk, cooked fresh meat, etc. The articles thus disposed of ranged from pewter plates up to red shirts.
Thursday, November 13th, we had our first drill in Virginia. It continued for one and a half hours, and its restraint was not much relished by the men. The weather now was quite cold, and the boys sleeping together hugged each other during the night. Lieut. Col. Walters, injured by a fall in Washington, returned to the regiment today. News was received tonight that Capt. Benson, of Company I, left sick in Washington, was dead.
Antioch was not a desirable place at this time for a citizen who desired to lay up money. The Antioch shoemaker wanted $18 for making a pair of boots. Salt sold for $25 a bushel. But the scenery was fine.
On our march from Gainesville to Antioch, distance five miles, we passed through what was once the village of Haymarket. The only indication of a village apparent to our marching column were the chimneys of a dozen or more houses. The houses had gone up in a flame. In Virginia, the chimney, a huge brick structure, is built on the outside of the house, generally one at each end of the building. These brick columns, looking like spectre sentinels, stood in grim watch over the ashes at their tent.
Saturday, November 15th, the regiment's complement of cartridges was made up to sixty rounds. At dress parade it was announced, first, that the Seventeenth was brigaded with the second brigade, first division, eleventh corps, Franz Siegel (Sigel) commander. Second, that General Burnside had superseded General McClellan in the command of the Army of the Potomac. Third, that Lieutenant Dikeman, of Company G, had resigned, on account of rheumatism. Fourth, that all straggling on the march should be punished by death.
There were two brigades of us in this camp, side by side. Each brigade had a brass band, and the music was plenty and good. On marches it was inspiring.
A sutler in this brigade was generally patronized by the boys. He had a bakery in connection with his sutler's tent, and baked bread, biscuit and cake daily. Here is a list of prices: bread and cake ten cents a loaf, biscuits two for five cents; butter lumps size of an apple five cents; apples five cents each; pies twenty cents each. These prices were very reasonable.
Near our camp at this place was Shermitz's battery. Its bugler made a very peculiar sound and we always looked for it. Somebody said the wind was tied up in knots and was thus pushed through the bugle.
Tuesday, November 18th. At 7 o'clock this morning we were ordered into line for a move, and stood thus until the rest of the division took place ahead, we to be in the reserve. No provision for the transportation of the sick had been made. Captain Moore told those of our company to go on ahead. General McLean saw them and ordered them back. Captain Moore went to see him, and succeeded in getting us ahead, and in having an ambulance accompany us to carry our baggage and to give us an occasional lift on the road. This is one of the many instances allowing his care for those in his command. At night we reached the old battle ground of the first Bull Run fight, and occupied the huts which the rebels had built when last occupying this place. We built fires and had a supper of salt pork, hardtack and coffee. It was not the best of fare for sick men, but we, the sick men, were grateful for the comfortable quarters our enemies had left us.
Wednesday, November 19th, the column marched all day. Being one of the sick squad I was ahead of the regiment. There were three of us, Sam Barnum, Jarvis Beers and myself. We kept on the road occupied by the troops. We started early and kept quite away ahead of the regiment. At Centreville part of our brigade went one road and the other part in another direction. At this time the regiment got ahead of us. At noon we went into a house and asked for something to eat. The lady of the house said: "I am baking. When I get through I will give you a dinner." She invited us to go into another room to sit by a fire until she could get dinner ready. It was then raining quite hard. In a short time she called us to dinner, and it was a splendid meal. After dinner she filled our canteens with milk, and at our departure directed us by a route across lots to join our regiment, which had come for a halt on Stewart's farm in Chantilly village. The regiment reached that place at 1 o'clock. We got there at 4 o'clock that afternoon. By her direction we saved nearly two miles walk.
No. 8---A CAMP AND A MARCH.
We reached Chantilly November 19th, and remained there in camp until December 10th. What I particularly remember of Chantilly was its mud. The rain fell in torrents a good part of the time we were there, and as there was a large number of troops present their trampling made the mud a prominent feature of the place.
Our regiment was stationed in a huge field or common. There was no village apparent, except the city of tents. Chantilly was like many a New England village---consisting more of a title on the map than of houses and streets. It was a vast, undulating plain, with here and there a substantial planter's house.
December 8th, we had a battalion drill for a period of nearly three hours. It was a strain on our nerves, and we resented it, but the resentment did no good, of course. At 5 o'clock there was a dress parade. On this parade several orders were read. It might be explained to the non-military reader that dress parades are used for the issuing of orders for the information of the troops. The orders today showed that a captain in a New York regiment was dishonorably discharged for permitting his men to rob a family of their provision. Another captain in a New York regiment was similarly punished for burning a house. Another order dishonorably discharged a New York regiment quartermaster for withholding and selling rations belonging to the men of his regiment. The breakfast this morning consisted of fried pork, crackers and coffee. There was no dinner from the cookhouse, but we had pork and crackers. The supper consisted of beans, crackers and coffee. Some of us had onions in addition, which we foraged from outsiders.
December 9th. Orders were received at dress parade today to be ready to march early tomorrow morning.
December 10th. At the inhuman hour of 2:30 a.m. reveille was sounded, and the roll call was issued. More dead than alive each company turned out in its street, and each member answered to his name. It was a cold morning, and the warm blankets we had left were more in our mind than the duty we were called upon to perform. We stood shivering in line while the orderly, with a lantern on his arm, went down the ranks to see that every man was present.
After the roll call we were ordered to our tents again to sleep, and to be ready to march at 9 o'clock. We lost [no time] in getting back to the [warmth of our] blankets. At daylight [we arose] again to strike tents, pack knapsacks and get ready for a march. At this juncture occurred an incident that made quite an impression upon us. We had been short of rations for several days, but on this day were destroyed ten times more than we would have required to eat. As the regiment drew up in line ready for the march it saw a vast bonfire---the most expensive bonfire it ever saw, or will ever see. It was a bonfire started by the regiment's quartermaster, and the material that fed it consisted of hardtack, fresh bread, dried fruit and dried vegetables, hay, grain, cartridges and accoutrements. They had just arrived for the use of the brigade, but came to late, and being threatened by the approaching rebels were consigned to the flames to destroy them. It was a painful sight to see them burned, but it could not be helped.
Left Chantilly at 10:30 a.m. and marched as far as Fairfax court house, a distance of seven miles, when we halted for dinner. Fairfax court house was a familiar war name. It had already been the scene of many a camp, plan and incident. We viewed it with lively interest.
The Danbury Times at that time printed the following description of the place, written by its correspondent:
"The village of Fairfax I will compliment so far as to say that it is the largest and most civilized place I have seen since leaving Alexandria. It is built on two streets which cross each other at right angles, and contains about seventy-five buildings. In the centre are the court house, jail and a large brick hotel, now used as a hospital. There are several other large buildings formerly used as stores and warehouses, but now appropriated for military uses. Some of the dwellings are quite cozy, and the state of the grounds about them speak well for the tastes of the residents. Fairfax has been a well to do place, judging from its appearance, but in all its history no period could possibly equal the liveliness of the present. The streets are filled with soldiers---privates, orderlies, teamsters and officers of all grades. Enterprising itinerants, who head the retreat and cover the advance of our large armies, were there in full blast. Long boards, filled with the names tempting drinks, met the eye at almost every turn, inviting the soldiers to where he can be sure to get his money's worth."
In addition to these there were two daguerreon galleries where life-like pictures were taken without ceremony, cheap for cash. Lager beer saloons also had a place and met with ample patronage.
After dinner the paymaster made his appearance and paid the regiment. This was our first pay since leaving Baltimore. That night we camped in a pine woods near Wolf Run shoals, on the Occoquan river. It was a poor night's rest, as the ground froze under us. At 8 o'clock next morning, December 11th, we resumed the march. The roads were in a frightful state of mud. The marching was wading. The difficulty of the going was increased by the passing of baggage wagons and artillery trains. We made ten miles today. The next day, the twelfth, we accomplished twelve miles. At night, rations of coffee, sugar, salt pork and five crackers were given us.
Saturday noon we reached Dumfries. Here we stopped one hour for dinner, and then advanced a mile and then went into camp for the night. Dumfries is probably better remembered by our regiment than any other brief camp. We were short of rations and keenly felt the want of food.
When we left Chantilly we were given our choice of bread rations, hardtack or soft bread, and we could have all we wanted. Most of the boys selected the soft bread as being the more palatable. But it did not wear as the hardtack, and those of us who took it were without bread on the second day's march.
All the afternoon at Dumfries we were on the lookout for the commissary or a sutler. On of our men bought somewhere a bottle of jelly for one dollar and ate it up without any accompaniment. He went into the camp of the 25th Ohio and offered twenty-five cents for a piece of hardtack. One of the 25th said he had no crackers to sell, but could give him some, and did so. We have always found the Ohio boys generous and helpful, especially after the battle of Chancellorsville. They were veterans, while we were new troops.
In the middle of the afternoon a sutler appeared with a wagon load of supplies. He sold out in double quick time and left a number of men unsupplied. Two more sutlers visited us. One of them had nothing but cheese and the other had nothing but peach brandy. Both sold out their respective stores rapidly. It was the first time in my life I undertook to make a hearty meal on cheese alone. I have had no desire since to repeat the banquet.
Dumfries is on a creek which empties into the Potomac. Two days before we arrived, 1,200 of Stuart's cavalry, confederate, visited the place and carried off two sulters and a detachment of our troops. There was a very old graveyard in Dumfries. In it were a lot of fresh made graves, where soldiers from an Alabama regiment were buried. Thus soldiers of the Revolution and the Rebellion [rest of paragraph missing]…the road again. We now understood that we were to support Burnside in an attack on Fredericksburg. We marched until 8 o'clock when we reached Stafford court house, where we stacked arms and lay down for the night.
At 3 o'clock a.m. we were aroused, and at 4 o'clock we were marching. This was what might safely be called an early start. At noon we stopped an hour for dinner. At three o'clock in the afternoon we reached Dumfries again, and remained there until dark. Moving again, a distance of three miles four companies of the regiment, including Company C, were detached to guard batteries, and the other companies moved on a mile ahead for the night. We stacked our guns in a field with the artillery, built fires, and after a while rolled ourselves in our blankets and went to sleep. The stars were shining. At 4 a.m. we awoke to find the stars gone and a heavy beating rain down on us. The fires were low, the night dark as Egypt and the place strange. We sprang to our feet and hastily got together our traps which were lying around loose and catching rain water. Then we endeavored to replenish the fires, and with the darkness of the night, the slippery condition of the mud, and the new and unaccountable things to bump against or to fall over, we had a season of extraordinary liveliness. We finally succeeded in getting together a lot of fence rails and got the fires going. Then we got under our blankets again and went to sleep in defiance of the rain.
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