1861: Garrison Duty

Men of the 22nd New York Infantry
Source

Chère maman,

We arrived in camp on the second of July, Washington is a filthy place, full of soldiers, people trying to take your money, and lots of folk who seem to have no other purpose than to try and separate a man from his belongings.

We went through Baltimore a couple of days ago and the regiment was attacked by a mob. A fellow in Company I was killed, I don't know his name, nor did I know him personally, but it was a dangerous episode. We fired on the crowd and I know a number of civilians were hit, probably killed I think.

The local police came in and settled things down. I swear, that city is a fetid hive of secessionists.

It's awfully hot and sticky down here, I miss home already, but I do believe what we're doing here is right and proper.

Votre fils, Joseph¹

"Goodrich!"

"Oui, Sergent Foy?"

"English, we speak English in this country, Frenchie. And the name is Foy, like 'boy,' but with an 'F,' not fwaa."

"Sorry, Sergeant, I am learning."

"Not fast enough, get your gear, you and Dignan² are on sentry duty tonight. Report to Corporal Murry over at the orderly room."

"Yes, Sergeant."

Goodrich, as he was called now, that being easier for les Anglais to pronounce he supposed, still thought of himself as "Gaudry." But he readily answered to his new name as he supposed that name, like his equipment, had been issued to him by the army. He picked up his pack and his rifle, shaking his head at the absurdity of it.

Making sure that his uniform was straight, he headed towards where the company had its orderly room. For now it was a small shack in this miserable collection of huts near the edge of the capital. Rumor had it they'd be moving out soon and be under canvas again. These miserable quarters were loaded with filth and fleas! He could hardly wait.

Some thirty miles from where the 22nd was encamped, two armies were moving into position. The Army of Northeastern Virginia under Brigadier General Irvin McDowell was probing cautiously, looking for the rebel army under Joseph Johnston or Pierre Beauregard, intelligence reports were unclear as to who was actually in command at that point.

The President wanted the rebellion crushed before things drifted further out of control. The fall of Fort Sumter some months earlier still stung. McDowell's orders were clear. Find the enemy and crush them. From there it was thought a march on Richmond would bring the chastened secessionists back in to the fold.

Events were to prove that to be a false hope.

The 22nd moved over the Potomac over the Long Bridge and set up camp in Arlington, Virginia, around a small eminence called Upton's Hill. The weather was starting to moderate from the extreme heat and humidity of summer to the cooler temperatures Joseph was used to back home. But compared to Vermont, it was still hot.

Joseph had made the acquaintance of an interesting fellow in the neighborhood, it seems that prior to secession, this area had been very pro-North in its sympathies. A number of residents had been overjoyed when the Union Army had taken up positions here.

The man, named Henderson, seemed overly friendly and liked to talk. Joseph tried to avoid him, others in Company K weren't so reticent.

"Come on, Frenchie, Henderson's a good fellow. Talks too much, but heck, he's friendly, unlike a lot of the folks around here."

"I don't know, Thomas. He's always asking about the army. I don't trust him."

Ever since the thrashing McDowell's army had taken at Bull Run in late July, rumors were rife of southern spies and informants. A lot of the men in the 22nd, as yet unblooded, were still naive about this conflict and thought it would all be over by Christmas.

"Well, you should loosen up, Frenchie. You Vermonters sure are a suspicious lot."

"Just don't tell him anything important, Thomas. You never know."

Thomas Dignan shook his head.

The winter passed slowly, garrison duty was boring, but safe, no one was shooting at them. Joseph's misgivings about Henderson had been proven correct when the man had been caught by a roving patrol with papers detailing the strength and locations of Union units in Arlington and Alexandria.

The man had been tried by a military tribunal across the Potomac in the capital.

"Hey Frenchie, you were right about Henderson. I heard from a fellow in A Company that he was caught passing secrets to the secesh."

"I never trusted the man. I told you he was suspicious."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him anymore, seems the provosts hanged him last Friday."

"Really?"

"Yes indeed, by the neck until he was dead."

"Mon Dieu!"

"You betcha, Frenchie. My God indeed."

Orders came down for the regiment to join the rest of the army in a march on Manassas. The 22nd was now part of Augur’s 1st Brigade, in King’s 3rd Division, of McDowell’s 1st Corps, Army of the Potomac, which was now under George McClellan.

The men marched out, then back again and were back on Upton's Hill by mid-March. In April they were back under McDowell in the Department of the Rappahannock, still in the same brigade and division, but apparently no longer under McClellan.

In April of 1862, orders came down, the 22nd was advancing deeper into Virginia. Down to Fredericksburg with the goal of advancing on Richmond from there.

The men in the 22nd were excited and nervous at the same time, garrison duty was boring but like 1st Sergeant Kelly warned them, "a fellow could get killed chasing secesh on their native soil!"

Few concerned themselves with that.

Chère maman,

We march soon and will be taking the fight to the enemy. I am nervous but not particularly frightened, the 22nd is a good outfit.

I'm not sure when I will be able to write again but do not worry, I am in good company and if it is God's will, I will come home to you in His own time.

Votre fils, Joseph

¹ I have no doubt that Joseph would have written his mother in French, not just the opening and ending, but to put the entire thing in French could prove tedious to the reader.

² I have taken the liberty of using the actual names from the 22nd's muster roll as it was in 1861. No doubt as casualties occur, I will have to make up names from that point on. You can see that roll here.