8 Brevoort Place, June 13, 1861.
We are waiting for our travellers who are due now at any moment by the “Adriatic.” Abby and I came down this morning from Fishkill leaving a lovely summer morning behind us, but bringing some of it in the shape of flowers, strawberries and vegetables. Mother has everything in nice order for the girls, cribs for the babies, little novelties and conveniences for the girls, plenty of lovely flowers, etc., etc. It will be a tight squeeze to accommodate them all, but it will be done, with Mother’s usual faculty, and there would have been a place for you, too, if you could have come. . . . How wretched the Southern news is; such bungling and such frightful and unnecessary loss of life. That battle of Bethel must injure us very much and give strength to the rebels. I suppose you have seen the death of poor Theodore Winthrop – one of its victims. It has shocked us all and brought the matter very close.
Major Winthrop was shot in the fight at Great Bethel, June 10th, 1861. From the Yale College Obituary Record this extract is taken:
“While gallantly leading a charge on the battery he fell mortally wounded and died in a few minutes. His body was buried near the spot where he fell. It was subsequently disinterred, and after obsequies in New York City was brought to New Haven, where, on the 28th of June, 1861, with unusual demonstrations of respect from military, civic and academic bodies, and from the people-at-large, it was laid to rest in the burial-place of his father.”
All the students and faculty marched in procession to the grave.
As the coffin was brought through New York it was taken to the Seventh Regiment Armory. There Mother and G. saw it resting on a gun carriage, when they went for a last farewell. They had, so short a time before, helped to pack and buckle on his knapsack!