Summary:
Union Colonel Ambrose E. Burnside, commanding First Regiment, Rhode Island
Volunteers, reports to General Winfield Scott on the movements of his regiment
in June, 1861. He describes arriving in Chambersburg on cars of the Northern
Central Railroad to join General Robert Patterson's command, camping at
Greencastle, and advancing into West Virginia with Harper's Ferry as an
objective.
CAMP SPRAGUE,
Lieut. Gen. W. SCOTT,
Headquarters U. S. Army:
Washington, D. C.,
June 22, 1861.
SIR:
I have the honor to report that the regiment under my command, in pursuance to orders from headquarters of the U. S. Army, departed from Washington on Monday, June 10, for the purpose of joining the column of Maj.-Gen. Patterson, then moving from Chambersburg upon Harper's Ferry. The battery of artillery attached to the command, with the baggage, preceded the main body of the regiment twelve hours.
Early upon Monday morning we left camp, marching to the station of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, entered the cars prepared for our transportation, and were carried to Baltimore. The command was composed of 1,128 men and 117 officers, accompanied by a long wagon train. The passage through Baltimore was peacefully made, and, taking the cars of the Northern Central Railroad, the entire regiment reached Chambersburg, Pa., on the morning of Tuesday, June 11, when I immediately reported to Maj.-Gen. Patterson for duty. Still proceeding by rail, we reached Greencastle at noon, and encamped. The command remained in camp at Greencastle until Saturday morning, when, in conjunction with the First Brigade of Maj.-Gen. Patterson's column, under command of Col. Thomas, the line of march was taken up for Williamsport, Md. That place was reached at noon, and occupied by the force of which this regiment formed a part.
On Sunday a portion of the battery of artillery was ordered across the Potomac to Falling Waters; but, in accordance with orders from Maj.-Gen. Patterson, it was recalled on Monday, and the regiment, once more complete, commenced its march at an early hour for Frederick City. The route lay through Hagerstown, Boonsborough, and Middletown, and in these places the command was received with enthusiastic demonstrations of favor. The march continued through the entire day and a part of the following night, with an interval of three hours for rest at Boonsborough.
At 12.30 a. m. on Tuesday the regiment bivouacked in the immediate vicinity of Frederick, having accomplished a march of thirty-three miles.
Soon after sunrise the regiment marched into the city, and remained there through the day.
At 7 p. m. we left Frederick by rail and proceeded to Washington, arriving at 6 o'clock on Wednesday morning, June 19. It gives me pleasure to assure the Gen.-in-Chief of the gratification which I feel at the bearing and conduct of the command during this expedition. The fatigues of the way were endured with fortitude, and had any danger threatened I have no doubt that it would have been bravely met. As it is, I cannot avoid the expression of my satisfaction that the object of the expedition in which this regiment participated was attained in safety and without the loss of life. The command is now in an effective condition for the further service of the Government of the United States.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
A. E. BURNSIDE,
Col., Comdg. First Regiment Rhode Island
Volunteers.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 2, Serial No. 2, Pages 715-716, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
