Headquarters Third Brigade, P. R. Co.,
Falmouth Heights, Va., May 7, 1862
Dear Parents:-
Although I have not heard from Rockland (except for Mary Stanton) for two weeks, I as usual seat myself to let you know where I am.
You see by the heading of this that we have left Catlett’s Station and I will give you a synopsis of our journey to this place.
On the 1st, Friday, we received orders to march to Falmouth and started the next morning at 6:00 A. M. Traveled till 3:00 P. M. over roads almost impassable and camped for the night at Tillis’ Mill—distance eleven miles. The next morning at 5:00 we started again and marched to Hartwood—distance 12 miles. The day was pleasant and in company with Norris, (a classmate, you recollect him) I went ahead of the troops for the purpose of leisurely viewing the country, talking to the people and gaining information from “contrabands” who flocked out to see the “Yankees.” [1]
We stopped at the house of Isaac Botts, nephew of John Minor Botts, and got some corn-bread in the shape of “hoe-cake” from servants who had been left behind to take care of the property, Botts being in the rebel army and his wife in Richmond. [2] A middle-aged mulatto woman was in charge of the house and told us much of interest. She was quite intelligent; had raised her master from his infancy and been a mother to him. At the retreat of the rebel army from Manassas he sold her husband and daughter to a man from Richmond. Two children, her brother’s, about six years of age, had been left with her from running North, as her mistress said.
A little further on, we came to the plantation of a Mr. Paine. We stopped to look at the door-yard around his house which was filled with shrubbery and flowers. While there saw his wife and entered into conversation with her. She was very intellegent and lady-like woman. She said she had a son who was a student at the University of Virginia at the commencement of the war—a drafting officer came to the institution and took him into the army. She seemed much affected while talking and maternal grief and solicitude for the welfare of her son exhibited itself in her falling tears. She said, “If you ever come across Roy, treat him well for he is a generous-hearted boy and you will have a mother’s blessing for it.” In my own mind I could not help thinking of the feelings of my mother if the tide of war were the other way—a hostile army passing my home and I in the place of Roy Paine. But this is only one of the many evils and miseries of war.
Sabbath, the 4th, at 5:00 A. M. we left Hartwood and arrived at Falmouth on the bank of the Rappahannock at 11:00 A. M., a distance of eight miles. Falmouth is an old place but not larger than Emlenton; the river separates it from Fredericksburg which is a beautiful town from here, not unlike Meadville. I have not been over but I believe we have one regiment there as piquets.
There is quite a force of rebels within six or eight miles, so say contrabands and spies; their camps are visible from the bluff a mile or two below us. We are likely to have a fight near here as they are said to be concentrating forces as fast as they can by railroad from Richmond.
As Franklin’s Division is with McClellan, our force is not over 25,000 at present—we might get whipped.
There is a pontoon bridge over the river upon which teams cross daily. Timber is being taken out to repair the railroad bridge which the enemy burned when they vacated this place.
All the Rockland boys are well. Penrose Chadwick was wounded at Winchester but I do not know how badly. I saw Sylvanus yesterday.
General Ord has been promoted and confirmed by the Senate a Major General of Volunteers. Whether he will supersede McCall, as rumored, I do not know.
I will close for the present. Your son James
Next posting: Mary 21, 2012
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335
[1] Slaves who had fled to the Union armies were declared “contrabands of war” and allowed to stay with the troops doing all kinds of manual labor. The name “contraband” came to be used for all such escaped slaves.
[2] John Minor Botts was a lawyer and congressman who led a chequered career and at one time was mooted as a possible presidential candidate for the American party. He was a consistent backer of Henry Clay and turned from friend to enemy of John Tyler over political allegiance issues. Botts claimed to be a Southern Unionist. He was distrusted by the North and disliked by the South, the authorities of which imprisoned him for several months.