Today starts a new series on the Civil War in New Kent with reports to the The Daily Green Mountain Freeman from their correspondent in the Vermont Brigade during the Peninsula campaign of 1862. I have selected those letters, of which there were more than a couple, that were composed in New Kent.
(Our War
Correspondence.)
From the Fifth
Regiment.
Camp on the March, May 11, 1862
Mr. Willard: I was surprised this morning on referring to the map, to find that we were already north of Richmond. New Kent Court House is in sight from our camp; and the map shows that this place is a few miles north, and about thirty five east of Richmond, on a line of railroad to the Confederate city, the metropolis of everything military, congressional or diplomatic in rebeldom. But how soon we shall be doing police duty in that municipal city, depends very much upon military necessities and contingencies, and not a little upon the remarkable skedaddling gait and bottom of the fleeing army. Very many are confident that they intend to make a hold stand within their fortifications about that city, while others contend that they are forgetting out of Virginia and the Border States as fast as possible, and that they will not halt this side of Lynchburg; and I am partially inclined to this last opinion myself. One thing is certain, and, if you please, you can dignify the move with the most polite and scientific military term in an army lexicon, evacuating. They certainly have left this peninsula as precipitately as their limited means of transportation and legs could carry them. Our army once had occasion to "evacuate" Bull run, and l assure you that our troops in that panic left no more evidences of rout and flight, than they have left between here and Yorktown, to say nothing about their repulse and loss at Williamsburg. Every road and cross-road is filled with army plunder in the shape of wagons, gun carriages, hacks, buggies, guns, ammunition, old clothes, knapsacks, and last, but not least, deserters the happiest men I have seen in many a day. They had a "French furlough," their fighting was over, but ours was not ;and it would have pleased you to have seen their smiles and sparkling eyes as they gave these responses to the salutations of our advancing troops. "Their fighting was done," and instead of war, death and carnage, their hearts were swelling with hope of the endearments and enchantments of home. Envy, on an occasion like that, may not have been a very patriotic emotion, but who could help it Tired, foot sore and weary, plodding on in pursuit of the most ruthless army ever under arms, to see any body going home, started a train of sensations and associations that no patriotism can smother.
But other scenes soon quieted all feelings of the kind. We began to meet swarms of negroes, and at every "halt," to hear their stories. I wish that 1 could tell you some of them, but it cannot be done in any other way short of superior conversational powers, gesture and position. One old darkey tried his best to press his opinion about the two armies, and he excited much merriment among his listeners. "De seeesh go by yesterday, and dey look mighty bad; dey was dirty, ragged and hungry, and (leaning forward and speaking in an undertone.) i tells what, mass, I expects dey were a little scared. But you, Lordy Alassy, is a powerful army, and all best looking men I ever did see, and I hopes you catch 'em. O. my God. massa, dey is Lad meu, mighty had! Dey think nothing of shooting and stabbing wounded men. O, dey is awful bad."' And so he went on in a strain that I cannot begin to give.
We arrived at this camp yesterday afternoon, and expected to march again this morning, but it being the Sabbath, Gen. McClellan rested his army, and, by so doing, has made another link in the chain of confidence, affection and esteem which binds the leader and his followers. We shall, however, be on the move early in the morning. I was intending to write more, expecting that I should have this day to myself, but as I have just been detailed for picket duty, 1 shall be obliged to wait for another opportunity. Should your readers ever have another opportunity to read a letter from your correspondent, it will probably be dated at Richmond.
It is but a short distance there, but a very steep grade, and it is not impossible that we shall be many days on the road. I hope, however, to reach there safely, but if 1 do not do so, I take this occasion to wish you all good-bye.
Yours, See. See. Ess.
-The Daily Green
Mountain Freeman, May 21, 1862
The Vermont Brigade, made up of five regiments of Vermont volunteers, was the only brigade in the Union army to be named after a state. It also holds the honor, as dubious as it might seem to some, of having the highest casualty rate of any brigade in the history of the United States Army. Almost 1,200 men of the brigade died during the war.
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