Sunday, August 31, 1862
The Twentieth arose early this morning, marching at 3:00 A.M. over the Aqueduct Bridge on the Centreville Road and arriving at Fairfax Court House at 8:00 P.M., ending a long forced march of twenty-one hours in a heavy rain. Upon arrival at Fairfax the Twentieth had no relief, as Companies I and K went on picket duty from the approach of Confederate cavalry on the rear flank of the Union army.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 144.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
March to the Potomac River
Saturday, August 30, 1862
On Thursday afternoon at 3:00 P.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment disembarked the steamer "Atlantic" at Alexandria and marched along the Little River Turnpike toward Fairfax Court House, making camp at Cloud's Mills for the evening. Expecting to march at 9:00 A.M. on Friday, the Twentieth delayed to await new recruits sent from Washington, D.C. The Twentieth could not accept these recruits, as they had no armaments, and sent them back to Washington. At 5:00 P.M. they began their march toward the Potomac River, continuing their progress until shortly after midnight. At 12:30 A.M. this morning they bivouacked on the road and resumed their march at 5:30 A.M. They reached Fort Marcy by 1:30 P.M and crossed the Potomac at Chain Bridge at 5:00 P.M., where they camped for the evening.
During their march the Twentieth heard heavy artillery fire coming from the direction of Centerville, near Manassas, and became aware that a fierce battle was raging. Union General John Pope, in charge of the Army of Virginia, was furiously fending off a series of Confederate attacks in a conflict later known as the Second Battle of Manassas. General Pope had been in charge of the Army of Virginia since the Seven Days Battles in June. President Abraham Lincoln had become dissatisfied with General George McClellan's leadership during the Seven Days Battles and had organized a new fighting force under the command of General Pope. Lincoln had hoped to squeeze Richmond from two directions, with Pope attacking from the west and McClellan attacking from the east. General Robert E. Lee, anticipating this dual attack, led both Pope and McClellan away from Richmond by driving north toward Washington. Lee's northward move succeeded in dividing Pope's and McClellan's forces and by driving both wings of the Union Army away from Richmond. The Second Battle of Manassas proved to be another Union defeat. Pope's vanquished forces were pushed back to Washington, D.C.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 143-4. Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 159,161.
On Thursday afternoon at 3:00 P.M. the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment disembarked the steamer "Atlantic" at Alexandria and marched along the Little River Turnpike toward Fairfax Court House, making camp at Cloud's Mills for the evening. Expecting to march at 9:00 A.M. on Friday, the Twentieth delayed to await new recruits sent from Washington, D.C. The Twentieth could not accept these recruits, as they had no armaments, and sent them back to Washington. At 5:00 P.M. they began their march toward the Potomac River, continuing their progress until shortly after midnight. At 12:30 A.M. this morning they bivouacked on the road and resumed their march at 5:30 A.M. They reached Fort Marcy by 1:30 P.M and crossed the Potomac at Chain Bridge at 5:00 P.M., where they camped for the evening.
During their march the Twentieth heard heavy artillery fire coming from the direction of Centerville, near Manassas, and became aware that a fierce battle was raging. Union General John Pope, in charge of the Army of Virginia, was furiously fending off a series of Confederate attacks in a conflict later known as the Second Battle of Manassas. General Pope had been in charge of the Army of Virginia since the Seven Days Battles in June. President Abraham Lincoln had become dissatisfied with General George McClellan's leadership during the Seven Days Battles and had organized a new fighting force under the command of General Pope. Lincoln had hoped to squeeze Richmond from two directions, with Pope attacking from the west and McClellan attacking from the east. General Robert E. Lee, anticipating this dual attack, led both Pope and McClellan away from Richmond by driving north toward Washington. Lee's northward move succeeded in dividing Pope's and McClellan's forces and by driving both wings of the Union Army away from Richmond. The Second Battle of Manassas proved to be another Union defeat. Pope's vanquished forces were pushed back to Washington, D.C.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 143-4. Richard F. Miller, Harvard's Civil War: A History of the Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry (Lebanon, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 2005), 159,161.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Sailing up the Chesapeake Bay toward Washington
Wednesday, August 27, 1862
On Monday the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment boarded an old Collins steamer named "Atlantic" and sailed up the Chesapeake Bay, arriving at Acquia Creek this afternoon at 3:00 P.M. They had expected to disembark at Acquia Creek, but instead they sailed on to Alexandria.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 143.
On Monday the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment boarded an old Collins steamer named "Atlantic" and sailed up the Chesapeake Bay, arriving at Acquia Creek this afternoon at 3:00 P.M. They had expected to disembark at Acquia Creek, but instead they sailed on to Alexandria.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 143.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Letters from the Front - Henry Abbott
Tuesday, August 26, 1862
Lieutenant Henry Abbott received a letter from his mother concerning the death of Henry's brother, Ned. Although she was grieving deeply, she remained strong in spirit. She wrote, "I have great strength given me to bear this blow. I feel that the dear child is happy -- perfectly happy, & that he will be a guardian angel to us all." She consoled Henry by writing, "He loved you more than I can tell. I think he will always pray for you & hover around you. He thought more of your good that his own, & would willingly have laid down his life to make you happy."1
References:
1Robert Garth Scott, editor, Fallen Leaves: The Civil War Letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott (Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, 1991), 138.
Lieutenant Henry Abbott received a letter from his mother concerning the death of Henry's brother, Ned. Although she was grieving deeply, she remained strong in spirit. She wrote, "I have great strength given me to bear this blow. I feel that the dear child is happy -- perfectly happy, & that he will be a guardian angel to us all." She consoled Henry by writing, "He loved you more than I can tell. I think he will always pray for you & hover around you. He thought more of your good that his own, & would willingly have laid down his life to make you happy."1
References:
1Robert Garth Scott, editor, Fallen Leaves: The Civil War Letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott (Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, 1991), 138.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Letters from the Front - Henry Abbott
Sunday, August 24, 1862
Lieutenant Henry Abbott received the sad news that his older brother Ned, a captain in the Second Massachusetts Regiment, had been killed on August 9 at Cedar Mountain. In a letter to his father Henry wrote, "Until I got the newspapers & mamma's letter day before yesterday, I thought Ned only wounded ... Today we finished our march & I can answer. It came upon me with terrible force ... I know how awful the blow is to you, for he was the best son you had & was so sure to have been a great man."1
References:
1Robert Garth Scott, editor, Fallen Leaves: The Civil War Letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott (Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, 1991), 136-7.
Lieutenant Henry Abbott received the sad news that his older brother Ned, a captain in the Second Massachusetts Regiment, had been killed on August 9 at Cedar Mountain. In a letter to his father Henry wrote, "Until I got the newspapers & mamma's letter day before yesterday, I thought Ned only wounded ... Today we finished our march & I can answer. It came upon me with terrible force ... I know how awful the blow is to you, for he was the best son you had & was so sure to have been a great man."1
References:
1Robert Garth Scott, editor, Fallen Leaves: The Civil War Letters of Major Henry Livermore Abbott (Kent, Ohio: The Kent State University Press, 1991), 136-7.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Letters from the Front - Nathan Hayward
Saturday, August 23, 1862
Doctor Nathan Hayward penned a brief letter to his father from Newport News. He mentioned that until this morning they believed they would remain at Newport News for at least a week. He wrote, " .. [we] had sent to Fort Monroe for a wagon load of fruit, expecting to make ourselves comfortable here and enjoy the luxuries of the season and the place. What our destination is, we do not know, whether A[c]quia Creek, Alexandria, or elsewhere."1
References:
1Nathan Hayward, "Letters," Association of Officers of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment, Reports, Letters and Papers Appertaining to Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, vol. 1, p. 396, Twentieth Massachusetts Special Collection, Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.
Doctor Nathan Hayward penned a brief letter to his father from Newport News. He mentioned that until this morning they believed they would remain at Newport News for at least a week. He wrote, " .. [we] had sent to Fort Monroe for a wagon load of fruit, expecting to make ourselves comfortable here and enjoy the luxuries of the season and the place. What our destination is, we do not know, whether A[c]quia Creek, Alexandria, or elsewhere."1
References:
1Nathan Hayward, "Letters," Association of Officers of the Twentieth Massachusetts Regiment, Reports, Letters and Papers Appertaining to Twentieth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, vol. 1, p. 396, Twentieth Massachusetts Special Collection, Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Northward March Continues
Friday, August 22, 1862
The Union Army continued their march northward, arriving at Yorktown Wednesday where they camped for the evening. At 6:00 A.M. on Thursday morning the Army resumed their march, covering fifteen miles and arriving at Big Bethel by evening. This morning the Army began their progress at 4:00 A.M., marching in a heavy rain eight miles to Newport News. From here they planned to travel north by steamer along the Chesapeake Bay.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 142-3.
The Union Army continued their march northward, arriving at Yorktown Wednesday where they camped for the evening. At 6:00 A.M. on Thursday morning the Army resumed their march, covering fifteen miles and arriving at Big Bethel by evening. This morning the Army began their progress at 4:00 A.M., marching in a heavy rain eight miles to Newport News. From here they planned to travel north by steamer along the Chesapeake Bay.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 142-3.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
On the March North
Tuesday, August 19, 1862
The Union Army struck camp at Harrison's Landing on Saturday, August 16 to pursue the Confederate Army, nearly two weeks after General George McClellan received orders from President Lincoln to strike camp. General Robert E. Lee ordered General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson north to draw fighting away from Richmond. The Union Army left Harrison's Landing at 8:00 A.M. on Saturday morning, marching about six miles to Charles City. On Sunday the Union soldiers endured an all-day march that covered sixteen miles, making night camp at the mouth of the Chickahominy River. On Monday the Army began their march this morning at 5:30 A.M., crossing the James River at Barrett's Ferry where they enjoyed a bath in the James River and marched another five miles for night camp. This morning the Army struck camp at 7:00 A.M. and marched through the colonial town of Williamsburg, resting briefly before resuming their march. They made camp by nightfall at Fort Magruder.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 142.
The Union Army struck camp at Harrison's Landing on Saturday, August 16 to pursue the Confederate Army, nearly two weeks after General George McClellan received orders from President Lincoln to strike camp. General Robert E. Lee ordered General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson north to draw fighting away from Richmond. The Union Army left Harrison's Landing at 8:00 A.M. on Saturday morning, marching about six miles to Charles City. On Sunday the Union soldiers endured an all-day march that covered sixteen miles, making night camp at the mouth of the Chickahominy River. On Monday the Army began their march this morning at 5:30 A.M., crossing the James River at Barrett's Ferry where they enjoyed a bath in the James River and marched another five miles for night camp. This morning the Army struck camp at 7:00 A.M. and marched through the colonial town of Williamsburg, resting briefly before resuming their march. They made camp by nightfall at Fort Magruder.1
References:
1George A. Bruce, The Twentieth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry 1861 - 1865 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside Press, 1906), 142.
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