R.H.W. wanted to tell people back home what the Civil War actually looked like.
Writing from the Washington Navy Yard in early June 1861, the soldier known only by his initials was a member of Company C, 71st New York State Militia. His lengthy letter appeared in the Carbondale Advance in Carbondale, Pennsylvania.
A mining, railroading, and canal town in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania’s Coal Region with deep commercial ties to New York, Carbondale had its own stake in the war unfolding to the south. R.H.W. apparently had roots there. As a Pennsylvania regiment marched past him through the streets of Alexandria, Virginia, he searched its ranks looking for familiar faces from home. He found none.
By June 1861, readers of Coal Region newspapers had grown accustomed to letters describing camp life, long marches, and the anticipation of battle. R.H.W. had something more to report. He had been there – in the historic town of Alexandria, in the building – where the war’s first martyr became a legend.
On May 24, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, commanding officer of the Fire Zouaves and a close personal friend of President Lincoln, led a small detachment into Alexandria to haul down a Confederate flag flying above the Marshall House hotel. The flag was enormous, visible from the second floor of the White House across the Potomac – a daily provocation to the president and to the Union cause.
Ellsworth tore it down himself. Descending the stairs with it draped over his arm, he was shot dead by the hotel’s proprietor, James Jackson. A soldier in his guard killed Jackson almost instantly. The North had its first martyr – Ellsworth became the first United States Army officer to be killed during the Civil War.
Days later, R.H.W. and his regiment marched into Alexandria. That night, Company C was quartered in the Marshall House itself. Standing in the hallway where Ellsworth had been shot dead and the hotel’s owner shot and bayoneted to death, soldiers crouched over a floor still stained with his blood. They cut pieces of oilcloth from the hall as keepsakes. Then they made a vow.
The noble blood spilled there, they said, would be avenged. In the days that followed, the author was engaging in combat aboard the Anacostia, a tugboat turned gunboat that participated in combat operations along the Potomac River in an attempt to clear Confederate artillery that had stopped river traffic to Washington, DC.
This is a fascinating letter about some of the most fascinating events of the Civil War’s early weeks.
From the Carbondale Advance, June 8, 1861
WAR CORRESPONDENCE.
On Board the Anacostia, Washington Navy Yard, June 3, 1861.
Dear Mr. Editor—
Since my last we have had stirring times here. On the 24th ult., the Zouaves under Col. Ellsworth took possession of Alexandria, where were stationed a considerable force of rebels, who retreated in confusion on the approach of our fire boys. After leaving the steamer the Zouaves marched in quick time towards the centre of the city, and were brought to a halt at a short distance from the Marshall House, above which there was a secession flag flying.
Col. Ellsworth espying this, immediately took a guard of four men with him in order to remove it. They reached the roof in safety, hauled down the flag, and were descending the stairs with it, when Jackson, the keeper of the house, springing from a side-door, levelled his piece at Ellsworth, who had the flag on his arm, and shot him right through the heart.—Brownell, one of the guard, almost at the same instant, shot Jackson in the head, and rushing forward thrust his bayonet through the body of the reeling rebel, killing him instantly.
Ellsworth’s sad fate created a terrible excitement among the troops here, and if the word had been given there would have been a quick march into Virginia.
As it was, the Zouaves could scarcely be restrained from burning Alexandria. 30 secessionists (cavalry) were taken prisoners by the Michigan regiment, they entering the place simultaneously with the Zouaves, after a march of 5 or 6 miles.
The 71st Regiment received orders on (May 27th) to hold themselves in readiness to march; so we got our knapsacks, &c., ready. On Tuesday morning at 3 o’clock the command came for us to proceed to Alexandria. The whole regiment, with the exception of a guard left at the Navy Yard and at Anacostia bridge, embarked on the steamer Philadelphia. We reached Alexandria in about an hour (it is seven or eight miles from Washington), and marching through the city encamped on its northern limits.
Here we remained during the day, soldiers taking pleasant strolls though and its environs, regaling themselves with whatever in the way of strawberries, cakes, meats, beer, or sight-seeing, their appetite or taste desired.
The inhabitants were rather shy for awhile, but observing the decent behavior of the troops they gradually threw off their reserve and became quite sociable and communicative. I conversed with several of them and found them staunch Union people, but whether from necessity, fear or principle, I couldn’t, of course, decide. It seems as if, the moment our soldiers tread upon secession soil, the people become strongly in favor of the Union.
At night the company (C) to which belong, were quartered in the “Marshall House.” I saw the spot where Ellsworth fell, still stained with his blood. Many of our men cut pieces from the oilcloth which covered the hall, with the intention of keeping them as mementoes of the said affair; and all vowed, as they stood in sorrowful groups about the place, that the noble blood spilled there should be avenged. We arose at day-break, and soon after breakfast on biscuit and bacon.
After breakfast we strolled thro’ the building, picking up various secession tokens–the secession troops having been quartered there previous to the arrival of the Zouaves. At nine o’clock the regiment was formed in line along King St., and thence proceeded toward the dock.
As we marched away a Pennsylvania regiment came in, looking sun-burnt and travel-worn. I did not see any Carbondale folks among them.
We had to wait nearly five hours for the steamer which was to convey us back to our quarters at the Navy Yard. We had gone to Alexandria to protect it until another regiment should arrive. At about five o’clock reached home.
After supper a detail of 20 men from our company, myself among the number, were chosen for a cruise on the Potomac. At eight o’clock we went aboard the gun-boat Anacostia expecting to sail immediately, but did not get off till ten o’clock the next morning.
The object of our cruise was to protect Federal vessels sailing up and down the river, as well as to keep an eye on the enemy, and engage whatever batteries might be discerned on the Virginia shore. Our destination now was Aquia creek, where we were to join the gun-boat “Thos. Freeborn.”
The day was one of the finest and the scenery along the river beautiful in the extreme – I have never seen finer; although it lacks the bolder features of the Hudson. It makes up, however, sinuosity what it lacks in boldness. There are a great number of bays and indentations, which opening as you proceed, continually expose delightful vistas.
In many places the shores maintain their primeval wildness, suggesting sterility or lack of population and enterprise; nevertheless, the lover of nature will find, in these spots, much that is worthy of admiration. Mount Vernon was so hidden in foliage that we could discover nothing worthy of remark beyond the beautiful situation of it.
We reached the Freeborn, sixty miles down, at sunset, and came to anchor. On the following morning, (preliminaries having been arranged during night the by the commanders of both vessels) anchors were hove up and the bows the ships turned toward Aquia Creek, where there was a strong rebel battery. The Freeborn took the lead, as she had the commander of the “flotilla” aboard.
On reaching a position opposite the batteries, the leading vessel fired a cartridge, acknowledged from the share by a 32-pound shot, which fell about 200 yards short, dashing up the spray 20 or 30 feet, and giving us an idea of death-power of such articles.
The Freeborn fires again, and this time a column of sand rising in the neighborhood of the battery, testifies to something more than powder. The Anacostia moving up throws a shot at them, knocking the end of a wharf, immediately in front of breast works, into splinters.
The firing soon becomes warmer – the Anacostia and Freeborn putting their shot and shell with great precision into the place, ploughing up the earthworks, and smashing gaping holes in the railway depot and houses of the village.
In the meantime the enemy were not idle. Their shot kept the water foaming all around us, several of them passing over our heads in dangerous proximity. Lieut. Prendergast, commanding our squad, had his cap blown off by the wind of a ball, as he stood with glass in hand on the quarter-deck, and the Freeborn was struck two or three times – one ball running up the side of the vessel and landing in the lap of a sailor. Of course it was a spent ball, and could do no injury.
At the end of two hours the enemy’s battery was silenced, with the exception of one gun, which must have been well protected. A new fire now opened upon us from an unexpected quarter. We had seen the dust rise along the road leading to the creek some minutes before, and judged it to be from the rapid movement of the artillery. Our conjectures were correct. Coming up to a point within two miles of us, they planted their guns in an opening between two hills, which sheltered them from our fire.
They had rifled cannon, sending shot to a great distance, and with unerring precision, As we soon discovered by the murderous whistle of their balls a few feet above our heads. As we kept maneuvering in a sort of circle, they had difficulty in getting the true range, otherwise I might not be writing to you at this time.
The war spirit began to rise in our boys now, and the way we handled our gun – though she was an exceedingly heavy 32-pounder was a “caution.” In half an hour we silenced the batteries at the creek, and would have silenced the artillery on the hills, but finding our shot fell short every time, though at our greatest elevation, we withdrew for dinner and rest.
Not a man was injured aboard either vessel.
So ended our first engagement. At twilight we steamed up the river about ten miles, the Freeborn proceeding to her morning’s anchorage a few miles below. At twelve o’clock, midnight, the U. S, steam sloop Pawnee passed us on her way down to the rendezvous. We followed early in the morning.
At about ten o’clock, the flotilla, comprising the Freeborn, Pawnee, and Anacostia, with the Yankee and Resolute as tenders, took up a position immediately opposite the batteries, which we discovered had been repaired and strengthened during the night, with the addition of several rifled guns. The first shot was fired from the shore this time, and it was immediately answered by both the Freeborn and Pawnee. The Anacostia also put in a word as she came up in position. In a few minutes the firing from ships and batteries became very rapid – the Pawnee often putting in whole broadsides.
Heavens! how sand flew and timbers crackled about the traitors, and how the foam flashed about us! In a little while a fire broke out in several buildings of the village, and continued burning during the engagement, reminding one of a little Moscow. The fight lasted about five hours, when the enemies batteries were silenced, and we drew off, it not being in the programme to take possession of the pace; and indeed we had not proper boats for such an undertaking.
The enemy’s embankments were knocked into “a cocked hat,” came and several of their men were seen carried off…
The Pawnee was hulled seven times, the Freeborn three times, the Anacostia, not at all.
As on the first day, not a man was injured, which seems miraculous considering the hail of shot which fell around us.
In the evening, we were despatched to Washington, where we now are awaiting orders.
We do not know as yet the point to which we will be ordered – probably Fortress Monroe. In the meantime keep your eye on the papers.
R. H. W., Co. C, 71st Regt.
Read the previous letter from the Letters from War: 1861 series.
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