The Third Week - May 6th - 12th, 1861: The Regiment Travels to Washington

Because of the closure of routes through Maryland (especially through Baltimore) other routes and modes of transportation were used in early May of 1861 to get Union troops to the endangered Federal capital.  The journal and letters have a good account of this three day trip on the steamer Bienville, as does Capt. Wolcott Marsh in a book of published letters (Mercer and Mercer, 2006). The 1st and 2nd Connecticut Regiments departed New Haven on the 9th on May and arrived safely in Washington D.C. three days later. Along the way they passed Mt. Vernon (the home of George Washington) and even encountered President Lincoln on a passing steamer on the Potomac River.  I provide some of Purdy's unpublished account below.

Thursday May 9th 1861, onboard the steamer Bienville


The day has been pretty warm and very dusty. Mr. C. Wheeler, one of my old shopmates, was to the camp and staid until we struck our tents and marched off from the ground to go to Long Wharf to take the steamer Bienville enroute for Washington, which was about 4 ¼ oclock pm. We arrived at the wharf and went on board at 6 oclock. The other steamer to take the 2nd regiment came in while we lay at the dock. We left the dock at 10 ½ oclock, rounded the east end of Long Island during the night.

Friday May 10th 1861, onboard the steamer Bienville.

I awoke about 4 oclock this morn and went on deck just in time to see Long Island as we were leaving it and to see the sunrise. 8 oclock – out of sight of land. Clear and pleasant, the weather fine. The sea is calm and there is just swell enough to give an easy motion to the steamer. At 10 ¾ oclock we passed a Danish Barque and signaled her. We gave her three hearty cheers. Hazy in the P.M. So called Baltimore (a comical fellow, a member of the Waterbury fellow) is cutting up his pranks and raising --- generally. All the men are in good spirits a few who are beginning to be seasick.

Saturday, May 11th 1861, onboard the steamer Bienville.

Smith’s Island – Cape Charles and the sand banks of Cape Henry appeared in view about 6 oclock this morning. We are now in Chesapeake Bay. 7 ½ oclock passed and signaled a Swedish vessel. About 3 oclock met two steamers, one of them a U.S. Mail. 3 ½ oclock entered the mouth of the Potomac River. Hazy and scarcely any wind at all. On account of the removal of lights and buoys by the rebels, we anchored at dark on a bend in the river. After placing a guard fore and aft and at the sides of the steamer to keep a look out (for we were very near the Virginia shore). We retired for the night.

Sunday, May 12th 1861, onboard the steamer Bienville, Washington D.C.

The crew began to weigh anchor about 4 oclock and we immediately started on our way up the river again. At 5 oclock met a war steamer, the Mohawk. She rounded up to us and her captain inquired where we were from and were bound, how many men on board, etc. He told us to go on up the river while he would go on down and meet the other steamer with the 2nd regiment. Virginia and Maryland are on each side of us. At times we are almost in hailing distance of either shore. About 8 oclock as a part of the regiment were eating breakfast below we passed Mount Vernon, the home and tomb of Washington. In passing our band played and dirge and a national air. Passed Fort Washington soon afterward. Passed Alexandria about 9 oclock. A war steamer lay off there to keep the rebels quiet. A little later and we cast anchor in the river near Washington about halfway between the Arsenal Yard and the Navy Yard. While we lay there a steamer came from the dock passing very near us having on board Abraham Lincoln with a military escort. It was nearly noon when we were landed at the Arsenal Yard where we spent the remainder of the day very pleasantly. I spread my blanket on the grass and wrote a letter home to Gussie. We stacked our arms in the Armory and went on board the boat to quarter for the night.

REFERENCE

Mercer, S.M., and J. Mercer (eds.). 2006. Letters to a Civil War Bride: The Civil War Letters of Captain Wolcott Pascal Marsh, Heritage Books, Westminster Maryland, 536p. 

The Second Week - April 29th to May 5th - Settling In

During this time the First Connecticut Volunteers were still stationed in New Haven, Connecticut. Purdy describes the encampment as near the hospital whereas Pvt. Gustavus S. Dana of Company A recollected that the camp was at "Oyster Point" (Swift, 1965). The weather was poor, Sgt. Andrew Knox of Company E described it as very rainy, snowy, with thick ice building up on tents. According to Pvt. Horace Purdy:

"It was very cold night last for the season and I feared when I bunked in my tent that I should lie cold but by putting on my overcoat and three of us lying together spoon fashion with our three blankets over us together with our military overcoats on top of them and myself in between the two I lay as warm as toast, though many of the men lay cold."

Rations were also poor causing much discontent in the ranks, and resulting in the courtmartial of some members (from the journal of Horace Purdy):

Tuesday April 30th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut



“Discontent amounting to almost mutiny in our company on account of our rations. A Sgt. belonging to the Meriden company was court-martialed for disrespect to the Col. Cold in the eve I retired with the toothache”.


Wednesday May 1st 1861, New Haven, Connecticut


“Rather cool for the season. Three Sgts. and one Corp. in the regiment were reduced to the ranks and two Privates dismissed from the service and their uniforms taken from them for bad and unsoldierly conduct.”

However, in letters to his wife Purdy himself did not find it to be too bad:

May 2nd: "This morning we had a piece of tough beef steak, a third of a loaf of bakers bread (a 6 cnt loaf) and about a pint of hot coffee. The food is plain, but healthy though many found a great deal of fault. Many of the men are becoming dissatisfied with the army rations. It is so very different from their accustomed fare at home. It is no worse than expected and if they will only give it to us in quantities sufficient, I think it will be better for us with our out doors exercise than the dainties which we have been used to".

Purdy, however, did have something to say about the election of the non-commissioned officers:

May 5th: "As for me being promoted to the position of Corporal it is not so. But had our election been a fair one by ballott I should have had that place or a higher one. The election of officers to fill the vacancies ... was done by acclaimation in a hasty moment, most of the men being new recruits did not know the men...so as to vote understandingly".

Besides rigged elections and preventing frostbite and general starvation, most of the time was spent drilling.

The First Connecticut Volunteer Regiment - The First Week - April 22nd - April 28th 1861 - Camp Life Begins

Camp life for the average soldier was quite monotonous, full of drills, poor food, and numerous rumors, with occasional trips to the city and the odd alarm or interesting event.  To pass the time many soldiers wrote home and some, such as Purdy, kept detailed journals. These men also looked forward to letters and news from home. Rumors abounded in camp and the soldiers were often extremely frustrated by their lack of knowledge of details such as when and where they were going or if their services would be required for a fight. Quite a few soldiers, such as Horace Purdy, were strongly devout and worried about meshing army life and their ability to worship on the Sabbath. 

From the journal of Pvt. Horace Purdy (Infantry Co. E).

Tuesday April 23rd 1861, New Haven, Connecticut


"Pleasant. Drilled in the morning and in the PM. After tea we changed our quarters from the Hotel to the State House.”

Wednesday April 24th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut

“Judah P. Crosby + Chas. T. Stevens came on to the Green in the forenoon. They were on their way to Hartford to procure overcoats for our co. In the PM we pitched our tents on a field near the Hospital and went into camp. Rain in the eve. We continue to go to the N. Haven House for our meals.”

Thursday April 25th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut

“Pleasant. I received a letter from Gussie. I was detailed for guard duty at noon to continue to tomorrow morning.”

Friday April 26th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut

“Pleasant. I tried my revolver this morning by firing at a mark. It gave me good satisfaction. It shoots well. My feet are very sore. I retired early or rather bunked in my tent. Retiring is rather too refined an expression for camp life.”

Saturday April 27th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut

“We drilled in squads in the A.M. Capt. excused me after dinner to go to the city to get my boots mended. A. H. Byington, one of our members, mended them for me after getting permission of a shoemaker to use his seat for the purpose.”

Sunday April 28th 1861, New Haven, Connecticut.

“I attended the 1st Methodist Church. Dr. Kenedy Preacher. Text in the A. M., Heb. 10=36. In the P. M. it was Rev. 2=17. Geo. Allen and several others with myself attended prayer meeting at the same place in the eve. It has stormed all day and in the eve.

Letter from Horace Purdy to Augusta Purdy dated April 26, 1861:

Encampment near Hospital N. Haven Friday Apr. 26th 1861


Dear Gussie,

I received your good letter yesterday and am glad that you are as comfortable as you are. But I fear that you worry more than you ought. Wednesday P.M. we were ordered to a field near the hospital about a mile from the Green where we pitched our tents and encamped. We shall undoubtedly remain at these quarters while we remain in N. Haven. We march to the New Haven House for our meals. But I believe that the understanding is now that tomorrow we are to have our rations brought to us at the encampment and are to do our own cooking. This will come harder to us than anything else because we are not accustomed to it, but if we are to have such fare the sooner we commence the better so as to become familiar with it. We expect to have our overcoats today from Hartford. When we shall get our other equipments I do not know, before long I hope. I should not be surprised if we staid hear nearly a week longer. The reasons for our moving from the interior of the city was to encamp to become better aquainted with camp duty and also to make room for the 2nd Reg. which is getting together.Yesterday quite a number of our members were rejected for the purpose of reducing our numbers to 64 men. The rejected ones felt bad, some actually cried.

We have just had word that Mrs. Skinner is dead. Tell Geo. as for solice I cannot promise but I will do what I can. It will be inconvenient for me to carry a great deal besides my clothing as the knapsack will probably be full and the more I carry the heavier the burden to carry on my shoulders. I stood on guard last night, two hours on and four off. The day is ---. I am now in Capt. Wildman’s tent. The officers are telling stories, all hands are in a ---. A whole Co. is detailed at a time for guard duty. Our Co. was detailed yesterday. There are ten companies which compose the Reg. and consequently we will not have to go on guard duty again for ten days if we should stay here so long. Quite a number have given it as their opinion that when we move out at all it will be to go home. But I do not desire it. I would like to go though to Washington right ---. Notwithstanding I should like to be home.

(Horace Cooper??) the one who enlisted with us has backed out and gone home today. He is a complete coward in my opinion. The general opinion of him here is that he is only half-witted. We are all glad to have him go for he could not learn anything and would never make a soldier. He knew about as much about a gun as you do, and handles it about as handy. The news has just been brought to us to march. It may be true and it may not. I stop now, I may write more and I may not.

Horace

The alarm was false. Good by keep up good courage.

Horace

Brief Review of The First Assassin by John J. Miller

The First Assassin is a fictional historical thriller that takes place predominantly in Washington D. C. in April of 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter and revolves around a plot by secessionists in South Carolina to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.

The opening for the book deals with Lincoln's travel to Washington for his inauguration in February of 1861, and is based mainly on the "Baltimore Plot", an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln before his inauguration. It is still debated whether or not the threat was real and if the plan to sneak Lincoln into Washington D.C. was the wisest course of action (Lincoln regretted it later); however, journal notes written by Horace Purdy of Danbury Connecticut during this time suggests that many people (besides Allan Pinkerton) thought these threats were serious.

The book continues with the story of the travel by a runaway slave (Portia) to Washington on a mission devised by other slaves to warn Lincoln and thus strengthen their chances of being freed by the "abolitionist" president.  The story also deals with the professional struggles of Colonel Charles P. Rook, the soldier assigned to provide security for Lincoln against southern sympathisers (and ultimately the hired assassin) as well as his own superior officer (General  Winfield Scott) who believes that the threat against Lincoln is exaggerated.

The book is well-written and suspenseful enough to keep the pages turning. Some parts are quite predictable such as who the informant is for the main female southern sympathiser and the main villain gets tripped up too many times to be considered a truly convincing threat. Moreover, there are some loose ends that are never tied up, especially the storyline of another group with a plan to cause trouble in the Capitol. Overall, however, I found The First Assassin to be a realistic (i.e. the characters and historical setting) and highly entertaining story.  In fact, when I was finished with the book I found myself thinking that the story would actually make a great movie.

For more information you can check out the author's website.

Miller, John J. 2010. The First Assassin. Published by AmazonEncore, Las Vegas, NV, 446 pages, fiction. ISBN-13:9781935597117

April 22nd 1861 - The First Connecticut Regiment Mustered into Service at New Haven Connecticut

From the journal of Pvt. Horace Purdy.

Monday April 22nd 1861, New Haven, Connecticut


“Pleasant. Was sworn into the service of the U. States by Col. S. Loomis of the 5th United States Infantry. The examination and the administering of the oath was done on the Green in front of the State House [demolished in 1889]. The examination was not very close.”

From his letter to his wife from the same date:

"We were not personaly [sic] inspected at all. The U.S. officer and the surgeon simply passed along the line and if they saw one who looked rather old or pretty young he would ask them their age. Nelson White took the oath with us. For fear that he would not be accepted he told them he was 23 years old. The surgeon was aquainted [sic] with him, he looked at him and smiled and passed along. The city is all excitement, the miletary [sic] are pouring in from all parts of the state. There is more than enough already here for the first Reg. We are now only waiting for our equipments, as soon as those are procured [sic] we shall be ready to march. I intend if we are not ordered away too soon after we are equipped to have my picture taken with all my regimentals on, overcoat, knapsack, and a Sharps rifle in my hand, and send it to you. So that you can see just how I look as I leave N. Haven for the war."

"We may be ordered away in a few days, by the middle of the week I think. Direct to the N. Haven House then they will be brought to the hotel. This I shall send by a person going to Danbury I think. Tomorrow we expect the other Company here from Danbury to be put with the 2nd Reg., we will go with the first.

Other events on this date:
     - Robert E. Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces.

Numerous northern and southern units were mustered in on this date.

First Bull Run Anniversary

Today is the 149th Anniversary of the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), which was fought on July 21, 1861.

I'm hoping my posts will reach the eve of the battle in time for the 150 anniversary (sesquicentennial) next year.

The Wooster Guard - New Haven, Connecticut - April 21, 1861

New Haven Hotel, Sunday April 21, 1861


Dear Gussie

I received your package containing the letter last night with the other things sent by the good people to the co. I sent to you yesterday by Saml. Gregory a letter and I presume before this time you have received it. I also sent one to the Pahquioque I hope to my old shopmates. It was about the same as yours. Some of the wives sent their pictures to the men and I remarked that you were going to give me yours when I started but I refused thinking that it would make me homesick. A short time after I had occasion to go to my bag for something and found it in the bottom and after all I am glad that I have it for it is a great deal of company for me. After breakfast this morning we were ordered out on the green for an hours drill. I was appointed to a squad of men to drill them. The reason for drilling today is on account of the new recruits who are very deficient we want the men to be as thoughourly [sic] disciplined as possible before going to Washington for we may have to chastise those Baltamorians before we get there [Note: two days earlier on April 19th, troops from Massachusetts an Baltimore citizens exchanged fire, which killed four Union soldiers and several civilians].

After drill we went to our quarters in the fifth story of the hotel and prepared for church. The whole company marched to Dr. Bacon’s church on the Green and listened to a very interesting and patriotic sermon prepared expressly [sic] for the occasion and I confess that I came out of that church willing if need be to serve my country and fall on the field if I must. But I do not believe I shall. I believe that though I have to help fight in hard battles, that God will protect me and bring me back safely to my friends and my home. I feel impressed that I shall go through it all safely. Last night the Capt. requested me to read in the Bible before to co., I did so. This morning the Bible was read to the Co. again and one of our new recruits from Norwalk, Thomas Hootan offered prayer. Most of the men knelt upon the floor, those who did not gave the very best attention. It does me good to see it and I believe if we put our trust in God he will protect us. We are all in good spirits but it seems strangely to hear the sound of the drum and the tramp of the soldier on the Sabbath. My mind is in Danbury today. I can see you all in the Sabbath School. I have been with you in heart for 6 years, I have been in the school and it seems strange now to be doing a soldiers duty on the Sabbath.

9 1/2 o’clock. Evening.

I have just returned from a prayer meeting held at the Central Church, the same I attended this morning. It was holden expressly for the volunteers, it was an interesting meeting. Mr. Southmayd and others drove from Danbury here today and I sent this by him. The city has been the scene of the utmost enthusiasm today. 3,000 troops from Mass. passed through here about 4 o’clock P.M. Goodbye.

Affectionately, Horace

Write immediately thanks to Fanny, tell her I will pray.

Some other notable occurrences on this day (April 21, 1861)
 
- Colonel |Thomas J. Jackson placed in command of Virginia Military Institute cadets who were ordered to Richmond to serve as drillmasters for new army recruits.
 
- Communication lines between Baltimore and Washington were cut.  An attack on Washington by Confederate forces is feared.  Union troops from Massachusetts and New York arrive in Washington to defend the capital from attack.
 
-The 12th and 71st NY regiments left for Washington.
 
-The U.S.S. Merrimack is captured by Confederate forces at the Gosport Navy Yard (now the Norfolk Naval Shipyard) in Virginia after being partially burned by withdrawing Union sailors the previous day.
 
-George B. McClellan made Major-General of volunteers in the Union army.