Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw

CHAPTER TWO: "The Road through the Woods"

C H A P T E R 2 T] The war had certainly not ended during the thirty-day enlistment period of the Seventh New York. Private Shaw decided that there was as much of a reason to stay in the armyasthere had been to come out in the first place.Commissioned asecond lieutenant in the newlyformed Second Massachusetts Infantry, Shawfound the life of an officer much different from that of a common soldier: "We have cots to sleep on, much better fare, and servants in abundance from among the men." He signed on for three years. The new regiment formed and trained at Camp Andrew nearWest Roxbury, Massachusetts, site of the Brook Farmexperiment. As regiments formed into brigades and brigades joined into armies, both sides jockeyed for position. Then came bloodshed. The Union's first combat casualty, Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, killed on May 2.4 trying to remove a Confederate flag from a hotel in Alexandria,Virginia, followed by the death of Shaw's friend Theodore Winthrop and nineteen others at Big Bethel, Virginia, on June 10, brought fears of many deaths and long war home to thousands of families. The war wasyoung and the young had begun to die. 100 he road through the woods" Walnut Street, JamaicaPlain [RGS] May 19,1861 Dear Mother, Your note was handed me afewminutes ago byUncle Henry.1 1managed to come over here to dinner, asLawrenceMotley (First Lieutenant) came out to camp to-day.2 1wasvery comfortable coming on, asI went into the sleepingcar , where there are plenty of blankets, and slept soundly. My cold is much better, but I am somewhat hoarse from talking and giving orders. Brown's Troches are curing it. Wehave 45men now, but hope to get 100.Wemay not start for two months, asthere will be much drilling necessary to get the men into working order. As the regiment is accepted for three years, they will not want to start until they are fully equipped, and well drilled.3 Everything is apparently managed with great care. Blankets and mattresses are plenty, meals good and regular. The physician is a very good one, and the men are kept clean and comfortable. They haveto wash allover everyweek, and keep their quarters well aired and clean. It is very odd to be at Brook Farm.4 The cottage is the only one of the old houses that remains.There is a new house on the site of the "Hive," and these two are the only ones now standing.5 Most of the men (perhaps 500) are in tents, but our two companies are, for the present, in barracksclose to the new house, wherewe arequartered. I shall do all I can, when we go off, to keep up the health of my men, and make them comfortable. I am so sorry you feel so about me. But it can't be helped, I suppose, as long as I am away. You must recollect that there is no danger of my being ill, or otherwise made away with, until we march,which will not be for sixweeks at the earliest; so try to feel easy until then, at least. I assureyou I am not very careless about myself. I knew I should not suffer from cold coming on here, for those cars are always too warm for me, and I had quite a thick coat on. There is a great difference between the life of a privateand that of an officer, I find. We have cots to sleep on, much better fare, and servants in abundance from among the men. When we get our company full, I shall have more liberty , for then the other officers will be at the camp.Now the Captain and First Lieutenant are recruiting and attending to business, in town.6 I was snapped up yesterday by Captain Tucker for a moment after I got to the Colonel's office, much to Uncle Jim's disgust, and had to stay all day in a desolatelooking unfurnished hall with the men, and at 6 o'clock go out to the camp without any luggage.7 There are a great many old acquaintances of mine at the camp, and I had avery pleasant time last night. "THE ROAD THROUGH THE WOODS" 101 I havejust written to Father, and sent the letter to town, but this will be too late for to-day's mail. Good-bye, with...