Week 8 - June 10th - June 16th,1861 - First Blood/ Encampment at Roaches Mills Virginia

This was a fairly slow week for the 1st Connecticut Regiment, although it did culminate in their first war casualty. The week involved some activity with the Colonel and mainly telegraph line work and railroad reconnaissance. Note that the Battle of Big Bethel took place on June 10th, and although the 1st Connecticut was not involved several of the members made notes of this battle in their correspondence.

Private Wolcott Marsh (Rifle Company A) visited the Marshall House in Alexandria on June 15th and noted that the wooden stairway where Elmer Ellsworth had been killed was cut away by Union troops as souvenirs (Mercer and Mercer, 2006). Private Horace Purdy also mentions this in a letter and sends a piece of the stairway to his wife. Unfortunately the current location of this momento is unknown.

From the journal of Private Horace Purdy:

Monday, June 10th 1861


The Colonel (Burnham) drunk. He abused Sgt. [Milo] Dickens shamefully at the morning drill without any cause at all. The difficulty was with him and not the Sgt. I went on picket guard this morning for the first time. My watch was brought from Washington it having been there to be repaired. The Stars + Stripes were hoisted in camp today. Governor Buckingham has been here and reviewed us.

[Note: Some accounts state that Burnham suffered from a neurological disorder than made him appear as drunk in the eyes of observers. Although the letters of Wolcott Marsh note on June 16th that the "Boys are getting disgusted with Colonel Burnham. Some companies starting petition to have him removed".]

Tuesday, June 11th 1861

Hard thunder + lightening [sic] last night but to shower passed over without any rain here. I came off picket guard feeling a little tired but otherwise I felt good. I commenced a letter to Gussie. I received one from her and one from Harriet N. York.

Wednesday, June 12th 1861

Our drills are changed to earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon. We drill now from 8 ½ to 10 ½ O’clock AM. And from 4 to 6 o’clock P.M. The day has been very warm. An engine with two cars passed our camp at 7 pm going towards Alexandria with an escort of soldiers on board. This is the first train that has run over the road since we have been encamped here.

Thursday, June 13th 1861

Capt. [Eliakim] Wildman acted as Lieut Col and drilled the right wing of the regiment this forenoon. Lieut Stevens went with a party of us to bathe at 11 o’clock. We were obliged to have a commissioned officer with us in order to pass the guard. [Private Benjamin F.] Skinner got mad about a bed in the eve and left the tent. It has been a beautiful day.

Sunday, June 16th 1861

About 400 of our regiment headed by Gen Tyler went up the railroad to reconnoiter. While I with a detailed party was at work putting up telegraph poles and wire. One of the platform cars filled with our soldiers was fired into near Vienna and seriously wounded one of Capt. Comstock’s Co. Busbee [Private George H. Bugbey of Hartford, CT, Infantry Company A] by name. One of our scouts were we were at work on the telegraph saw some men setting fire to the track between us and the train which had gone up. Frank Platt and myself rolled a hand car down to camp as soon as possible to get men to go up and drive then off. But when we got up there they had left without doing any damage. So we had our trouble for nothing. We saw some men ahead up the track just on the edge of a piece of woods which we thought to be the enemy but they proved to be our own. In a short time the train came down with the wounded man with the west. Some of us took the train and others of us took the handcar and went in to camp.

Week 7 - June 3rd - June 9th 1861 - Encampment at Roaches Mills Virginia

Now advanced into Virginia, it was still a fairly uneventful week for the 1st Connecticut volunteers despite a few alarms and the capturing of a prisoner. Conditions at camp appear to be fairly bad. Captain Wolcott Marsh complained to his wife that the food was not decent for a hog to eat and that he would not reenlist under the current Colonel [Burnham] (Mercer and Mercer, 2006). Private William Cooley noted that he had a bed tick but no straw to put in it.

In a letter to his wife Pvt. Horace Purdy wrote that if he didn't by something extra to eat everyday he would not get along and described the fare as "pork and soup one day, and soup and pork the next". Furthermore, on June 8th Purdy reiterates the opinions of Cooley and Marsh: "I am not rugged enough to stand the exposures incident to camp life especially when we are under a Colonel like ours who seems to have but little regard for his men whether they have straw to sleep upon or bread to eat. Since we have been here we have had but little straw (and some have had none at all) to sleep upon. And nothing but hard sea biscuit to eat for bread. Yesterday the old Col. (now Brig. General) came to our camp and when he found out our condition he gave the Col. a severe talking to after this manner. What do you mean? Do you want to kill all my men? What are those two waggons [sic] doing yonder? Send them to the city and get some soft bread for the men. You have been drunk nearly ever since you have been here. If you do not do better you shall forfeit your papers. The General [Tyler] also set to work to have straw brought to the camp and before night three large loads of straw were hauled on the ground and the men scrambled as if for their lives to fill their beds fearing that it would be gone before they could accomplish it".

On the 9th he wrote: "Our bread was hard sea biscuit. It is about equal to pine chips and for me about as nourishing. The coffee was also miserable as usual." So obviously not everything in camp life was improved after the chewing out of the Colonel by the General.

Another common occurrence from this point on are rumors of further advance, especially on Fairfax Court House, the closest point defended by the Confederates. With the close proximity of the two opposing forces, the animosity begins to build as can be seen in letters home.  On June 4th Purdy wrote: "As near as I can find out I think that we shall start soon for Fairfax where there has been some disturbance with the secessionists. If we go we may have a little brush with the fellows if they do not run as they have done heretofore. I think though that the latter will be the case for we shall not go but with a lean force if we go but with numbers sufficient to make our way through them. The secessionists are full as bad as reports make them out to be. The old fellow who was taken prisoner told the people here at the last election that any person who voted the union ticket he would have them hung the next day. Night before last a party of them went to a Union mans place and took 2 of his horses and drove them away. One of our pickets fired upon one last night but did not hit him. I believe I would shoot one as quick as I would a dog that had stolen my dinner if I should find one and knew him to be such and he should run instead of giving himself up as a prisoner". 

From the journal of Private Horace Purdy

Tuesday, June 4th 1861

An attack expected last night. An extra number of pickets were sent out. 30 more rounds of cartridges were given to each man making in all 40 rounds. We slept on our arms but there was no attack. I took a bath this morning before breakfast. Bought some strawberries for my supper. A brother [Pvt. Adna B. Dean] of Chas. Dean’s, a member of Capt. [John C.] Comstock’s Co. [Company A], came to my tent to see me, Chas. having sent his respects to me through him by letter.

Wednesday, June 5th 1861

More rain. Nothing of importance today.

Thursday, June 6th 1861

I was detailed for guard this morning. Cloudy misty and some rain. It rained very hard during guard mounting. I felt well when I went on duty, but very soon my head began to ache intensely. Was nearly down sick all day but did my duty nevertheless. My post has been at the guard tent over the prisoners, several fellows who have been sent there for punishment.

Friday, June 7th 1861

Had a diarrhea, headache and a lame back this morning and being very tired I took my bed as soon as I came off guard which was about 9 o’clock. I was so sick that I could eat no dinner or supper. Recd a paper from the [Danbury] Times Editor (Osborne) with extracts from my letters in it.

Saturday, June 8th 1861

On the sick list today. I spent the day on my bed, walking around the camp, reading, writing &c., Commenced a letter to Gussie.

Sunday, June 9th 1861

I feel well today. An inspection of arms, equipments, &c., at 9 o’clock. I got a pass for Geo. Allen [Corporal George B. Allen] and myself and we went to a house near the old mill which we use for a hospital to see [Pvt. H. Wellington] Gibbs – [Pvt. William J.] Murphy – Blissard [sic - actually Blizard according to records, this would be Pvt. William H. Blizard who was discharged the following day] and others who are sick [all from Infantry Company E]. We also took a walk and found some strawberries. As we have no chaplain for the Regt. we have had no services today.