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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 [Firs [107] Lines —— -0.1 —— Norm PgEn [107] 3 : “ ‘sin entered into the world and death through sin’ kept ringing through my brain” April–August 1862  General George B. McClellan, named general in chief after Scott’s retirement in November 1861, conceived a plan to approach and capture the Confederate capital at Richmond via a long feint to the left, in an area called the Virginia Peninsula between the York and James rivers. To McClellan, well supplied with maps and intelligence showing easy terrain and only token opposition, it seemed a speedy route to victory. But the general’s idea that his route up the Peninsula would be relatively unimpeded was wrong. There was terrible, yellow, clinging mud that swallowed wagon wheels and the legs of men and horses. Unexpectedly, he found a line of fortifications at Yorktown. He prepared laboriously to besiege this line, the scene of the battle by which the Americans and French had won the Revolutionary War eighty-one years before. A railroad engineer in civilian life, he could move large numbers of men and material skillfully. His weaknesses were a lack of aggression, a famous tendency to overestimate his enemy ’s strength, and a magnified idea of his own abilities. Transported from the Maryland camp as part of this movement of one hundred thousand, Twichell shared the view that the fall of Richmond was drawing near. On board Transport Rockland, Off Liverpool Point. Tuesday Evening. April 8th 1862. My dear Father, After waiting—waiting—waiting—we at length have a prospect of seeing the actual front of war. I was telegraphed to last Thursday night at Washington , whither I went on Tuesday, to return at once as we were under marching 107 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 [108] Lines —— 0.0 —— Norm PgEn [108] orders. I rode the 50 miles intervening the Capital and camp as briskly as my good horse could carry me and found that the embarkation had commenced— although we did not leave our quarters till yesterday morning—even then 24 hours sooner than necessary, for the boys had to bivouac last night in the rain and suffered great discomfort, poor fellows, owing to both cold and rain. So far as I can judge the whole embarkation has been miserably managed. The transportation was quite inefficient and at least three days delay has been the consequence. This aggravates us, for tonight we hear that Yorktown has been taken,° and we were confident that some part of that job had been assigned to us. It may be a rumor, but if it is so, the boys will feel wronged at their forced absence. Notwithstanding the orders of Hooker, we have got our contraband all safely on board, Thank God. I fear that in some cases it was done at a sacri- fice of truth, on the part both of officers and fugitives, yet who shall blame. We got our man on board, without being tempted to prevaricate—no questions being asked. His master was not ten rods from him when he walked up the plank. I will tell you all about it some time, Providence permitting. While I was absent in Washington, a bold reconnaisance, by details from each Regt. of the brigade, was made in the direction of Stafford, Va.°—full of excitement and interest. The event of it was a skirmish with rebel cavalry, in which our boys showed splendid spirit, charging at double quick after a most fatiguing march of more than twenty miles. One man had his leg broken by a musket shot, and several of the enemy are supposed to have carried off our lead. They fled in confusion. Mr. Bulkley was along, and I was sorely disappointed at losing the chance. You will probably learn the particulars from the papers. A sad sequel to the affair will mar the memory of it to our regiment. One of our men, Louis McFee of Co. H., on returning exhausted by 48 hours marching and loss of sleep, procured some vile whisky...

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