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Letter from Wright, Benjamin
| Soldier: Wright, Benjamin |
| Allegiance: Union |
| Unit/Service Branch: 10th Infantry |
| Home State: Connecticut |
| Date Written: Saturday, April 12th, 1862 |
| Location: Newbern, N.C. |
| Correspondence Type: Letter |
| Subjects: Commanders, Comrades, Eastern Theater, Enemy, Family, Friends, Hospital, Newspapers, On the March, Rumors, Strategy, Warfare, Weapons |
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Dear Abbie,
Again a week has rolled away and we are on the threshold of another Sabbath. How fast the weeks roll around. Monday will be a month since the battle and where has it gone? We commence a week and almost before we have time to turn around the week is gone. We have been looking and waiting very anxiously all the week for news from the seat of war, but as yet have heard nothing. We shall now probably have to wait until the first of the week. The latest paper we have seen was the 3rd. I think something must have been done this week. It seems to me the Army should have things right along now so as to if possible do up the fighting before it comes to hot weather. In one month from now it seems they ought to have them pretty well subdued, but then I don't know but that our men will stand it as well as theirs. It would seem to us that by this time McClellan ought to have done something some how or other. I am afraid he has been out generalled and while he has been asleep, or not more than half awake, they have withdrawn the most of their forces from Va. and have moved them west. I hope it will not prove so in the end, but time will tell if he should be entirely successful and our forces should win the day in the battle that has or will soon come off at Corinth, Miss. I think the most of the fighting will be done I hope and pray. We hear different stories most every day about our movements, but as yet we remain in the same place. One day we hear that we are to advance to Goldsborough in a few days, the next day we hear we are not to go at all, the next we hear that Gen. Foster says he can't spare the 10th [Conn.] any how. Today we hear that, tomorrow or next day we are to advance to Trenton, but we have received no orders as yet and I see no preparations for a move. Part of a Regt. with some artillery went out to Batchelor's Creek yesterday to build a R.R. bridge that the Rebels destroyed when they left which looks as though some preparations were being made for an advance before a great while, but I should think we ought to have a good many more men before we advance very far. I don't fear that the Rebels will make any stand unless they have a large force, but the thing I am afraid of is that if we do not have a large force, they may retreat from Va. and cut us off in the rear, but there is not much danger of their standing and fighting us for with such men as Burnside. Even when the Rebels hear Burnside is going to make an advance they are scared most to death and take to their heels as they did at Kinston a few days ago. It has been said they were going to make a stand there but a day or two ago they heard Burnside was coming and they left. I reckon if they should see his old hat walking up on a stick they would leave without stopping to see whether the Gen's head was in it or not. I think they fear him a great deal more then they do Gen. McClellan. We have had some very pleasant weather this week notwithstanding it rained two days. The nights however have been rather cool. There was quite a frost this morning. I don't think there was any ice however. We had no drill this afternoon it being Saturday. We are expecting to clean up our guns and get everything ready for Sunday morning inspection. We have Battalion drill every forenoon from 9 till 10 1/2 o'clock. This afternoon after I got my gun, brass, etc. cleaned, I mended my shoe and then went down to the river and took a good wash which was very refreshing notwithstanding the water and air was pretty cool. If we stay here we have a good many more privileges and a very fine place to bathe then we did in Annapolis. Here a non commissioned officer can pass off the ground most anytime to go to the water or to ramble around the fields so long as he don't go to the city and get picked up by the provost guard. Yesterday I had a pass to go to the city. My pass was good for all day. I went to the Col. in the morning to have it countersigned. He asked me what time I was going. I told him I was not particular whether in morning or afternoon. He said that was very good. He wished I would stay till after Battalion drill in the morning. I told him I would. He said all right. I went on Battalion drill, I have to act as left guide now since the orderly has been sick, then I concluded I would get my dinner before I started, then the Capt. said Savage & Long was going down after drill, so I concluded I would wait for them and take a squad out to drill. I was sorry afterwards that I did not start in the morning and go over to the battlefield. I want to go there very much. We met Thomas downtown and we went and got some oysters, and after rambling around awhile Thos. proposed we should go over to the battlefield. Savage & Long's pass was only till 4 1/2 o'clock, but mine was good till 9 o'clock. Thos. told them he would get them back all right. He thought we could get down there and look around before dark. It is 5 miles or more, and then we could come back to camp after dark. Thos. thought the boat kept running until 9 o'clock. We went aboard of the boat and come to enquire. The last boat back was at 6 o'clock, and it was now 4, so we concluded we had better not start but would try it some other day, but I am afraid we shall not get a chance, that is if we are going to move in a few days, but that is all uncertainty. We can't go Monday for Thomas will probably be officer of the guard, perhaps however he will go the next day if he is not tired. Those that have their say, say we have no idea of it at all. From what we saw the day of the battle we could form no conception whatever. To take time and go and look at it in one's sober moments, he would say it was impossible for men to go through where some of them did on the day of the battle in the face of such obstacles, but in the excitement of the battle nothing could stop them. After leaving the boat, we went around by the Provost Marshal's Head Quarters where one of Co. G was in the lock up. Thos. went in to see about getting him out, and Savage & Long put for camp so as to get back by the time their pass ran out. I waited in the street for Thomas, he not coming in sometime I left. I was quite amused while waiting in seeing them carry in the prisoners. It was just after pay day and some of the fellows would get drunk. Whiskey is the greatest curse to the soldier and it makes the biggest fool of him. Some were brought in carts, others were not so far gone but they could navigate with the help of the guards. From there I strolled around to the cemetery and interested myself some time in reading the inscriptions on the tombstones. I wish I had a good deal more time. I took the inscription off one which I will send you. I wrote it in my book just as it was on the board, made the letters as near like as possible, put in all the dots etc. just as they were. There is a great many vaults in the cemetery, a great many more than I ever saw in the North. I think I will try and get over there again some day.
Sunday, 13th:
This has been a quiet peaceable Sabbath thus far. The Regt. did not go to church today as a Regt., but quite a number went down. Savage went with a squad of about fifteen. I did not go. Concluded I would stay home and read and write some. They said they heard a very good sermon from a native. Quite a number of ladies were out. They attended the Methodist Church. It was a young man that preached. I would liked to have heard a native. Thomas came in and sung a while last night. He was in again today while they were gone to church. We had a good sing. It seemed quite like old times. For a week or two we have not been able to sing any on account of Obediah and Salter, but today they were taken to the hospital where they will be a great deal better taken care of then they could be in the tent. We could not help but make some noise and every little noise seemed to affect them, but there, everything is quiet and they have a good bed and suitable food which we could not have here. I have not heard particulars from them today. Think they are about the same. I hear the orderly is a little better today. The rest of the boys are about the same. Henry Mead & David Finch are in the hospital downtown. I guess Henry is pretty sick. I am in hopes they will all get along. Some in the hospital begin to improve a little. I don't think there was as many funerals last week as there was the week before and there is very few being taken sick now. The health of the Regt. is improving although we can't turn out very strong yet and if we should have to make a very long march a great many would have to fall out. I am in hopes we shall not have to march right away. The longer we are left the better condition we shall be in if we have anything to do. Savage has been downtown to meeting again this afternoon. He attended colored church. We have heard lots of news today but I think it needs confirmation. We hear that Island No. 10 has been taken and that there has been a big fight at Corinth. One account is that the first day our troops lost 37 pieces of cannon and all their equippage and were driven from the field. That night however they were reinforced by Buell with 20,000 men. The next day they recovered their pieces and all that was taken from them the day before. That night they held the field. Another account is that our forces whipped them all out and Gen. [A.S.] Johnston was killed and that Beauregard had his right arm blown off at his shoulder. I hope all this may be true, but I think it needs some confirmation. We also hear that the Merrimack has been out again and took two Brigs and then went back again. I am afraid she will make us a good deal of trouble before we get through with her. We have heard again tonight that our forces completely routed the Rebels at Corinth.
14th, 6 a.m.:
This is a lovely morning and for once I got up some time before roll call. I started out just as the sun was coming up, the time I ought to get up every day if I was not too lazy. Last night we had a prayer meeting in the sutler's tent, a large unoccupied tent. Our meeting was rather short but we had a very good one. We have another one there Wednesday night. After meeting we went into Thomas's tent and had a sing. Obe and Salter was a little better last night. Mr. Hull was to the hospital downtown yesterday. Dayton is getting along very well. The Dr. told him yesterday he had some hopes of him now. David Finch was better but Henry Meade did not think was as well. The thing of it about Henry is he has worried so much about everything since he has been sick. Made him him a great deal worse than he would have been. He is a good deal like his mother. Mr. Long is going downtown this morning and is going to take our box to send home by express. We fixed it all up on Saturday. Most of the things came from Hatteras. The brass tube I send you is a tube from one of the Rebel cannons at Roanoke. The smaller shot was one of their shots that was picked up there. The largest one I picked up at Newbern. The piece of stone I got on the main shore opposite Roanoke Island. The wall around the cemetery is built with it. It looks very pretty. The pill plate or whatever you are a mind to call it I got out of their hospital in the camp when we came on the ground. It is not of much account, only it is Rebel. You can give it to Dr. Aiken. It will do for him to roll out pills on. The moss in the top of the box Mr. Long put in. Would like to have it sent to his wife. Lots of it grows on the trees in the swamp here. The box will be sent to Joseph and the packages for the different persons are all tied up and marked. He can open it and distribute them from the store. I am going to try and get some more things to send. We are in hopes of getting a mail today but hardly think we shall. There would have been one yesterday. A steamer came in the morning but Burnside met them at Hatteras and intercepted it and took it to Roanoke Island with him and we can't have any more mail till he gets back, but he may be back today. I hope so any how, but I see I have not time to write much more. I will write again as soon as possible. Give my love to all. Kiss Bennie and tell him his father says he must be a good boy and learn to walk and talk by the time his father comes home.
Yours ever, Bennie.
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