Caroline Carson Woolsey to Eliza. Nov. 18th. Dear Eliza: Your most delightful letter has just been read aloud amid the cheers of the assembled family. What a splendid time you are having with your brigadiers and serenades. How I should like to sacrifice myself and join you in a few of your “noble” sprees, and [...]

The battle of Ball’s Bluff near Poolesville had taken place while we were on “leave of absence” at home, and on our return to Washington, Major Potter, U. S. paymaster, and his wife, starting on an expedition to pay the troops up the Potomac, invited Chaplain Hopkins and ourselves to join the party, which we [...]

8 Brevoort Pl., Thursday. The details of the landing of the fleet at Port Royal fill all minds and mouths. I hope Georgy will have, from “our own correspondent” with the expedition, a full account of the landing of the 7th Connecticut, which seems to have been the first on shore. The sight of those [...]

Tybee Island. The 7th was the first regiment ashore in South Carolina. It made the first reconnoissance in force; a detachment of five companies occupied Braddock’s Point and its batteries, and was the first to reconnoitre Daufuskie and neighboring islands. The greater part of the regiment now holds this position, with a fragmentary German one. [...]

Ebbitt House, Washington, Nov. 11 It is very late, but I scribble a line before going to bed to say we got over safely from camp, stopping on the way for Mr. Hopkins, who is going to Poolesville with us to-morrow. We got in at six o’clock and since then we have been in a [...]

Joe went back to the army at the end of his week’s furlough, G. and E. staying in New York a fortnight longer with Mother. On returning to Washington they found that General Scott had just resigned from the head of the army, Nov. 1, ‘61, and General McClellan had been appointed commander-in-chief. They began [...]

Hampton Roads, Oct. 27th. We still loiter here in a seeming imbecile way, waiting now for weather and now for nobody knows what. Meanwhile patience and strength are ebbing in twelve thousand men. The condition of some of the regiments on shipboard is said to be very bad. Ours is fortunate in its ship, and [...]

Francis Bacon to Georgeanna Muirson Howland (his future wife). Camp Walton, Annapolis, Oct. 18th, ‘61. Pardon a wretched notelet, written on camp stationery with the very dregs of the day’s ration of nervous energy. Everybody is both tired and busy to-night with this embarkation business. . . . You will readily believe they are sober [...]

Rev. Edward Walker to Georgeanna Muirson Woolsey. Hdqrs. 4th Reg. C. V., Camp Ingalls. Dear Miss Woolsey: Your kind note is just received. A week ago our hospital was in wretched condition, but, thanks to the Sanitary Commission! we are at present provided with nearly everything we want. If anything is needed, it is a [...]

Mother to Eliza Woolsey Howland at Fishkill. New York, Thursday, Oct. 17th. My dear Eliza: I must write a line to you this afternoon, not only to congratulate you and dear Joe upon being together again in your own pleasant home but to tell you how charmed I am at the prospect of seeing you [...]

Eliza writes:On reaching home we found everything in the nicest order, gas lighted, bright fires, plenty of flowers, a delicious supper, and Thomson and his whole family, and Mechie (the gardener) with his arms full of pears and grapes, waiting to welcome us. They were all glad to have us back, and seemed unable to [...]

Joseph Howland got a week’s furlough about the middle of October and we all went North together. Just before leaving Washington Eliza writes: We did a few errands, went to see the Indiana boys at the Patent Office again, and to the Columbian College Hospital, and also to call on Will Winthrop, now Lieutenant of the [...]

Oct. 14. Moritz got back from Annapolis all right. Found Dr. Bacon and delivered the basket. There was no prospect of their going before next week. All the 15,000 had not yet arrived and only one transport was ready. The railroad was blocked all the way by immense trains of stores, ammunition, etc., and Moritz [...]

Oct. 9, ‘61. As I told you, Dr. Bacon left either Monday night or early yesterday for Annapolis with the 7th Connecticut. They seem to have been the first ones dispatched, for yesterday others went, and, as I write, a long train of baggage and men equipped for a journey is passing down the street. [...]

Washington, Oct. 7. After dinner to-day we said good-bye to Dr. Bacon, now Surgeon of the 7th Connecticut, and he left in the night we suppose, with the regiment, to join the second great land and naval expedition for the southern coast.

Oct. 6. After dinner yesterday we drove out to the camp of the Rhode Island 2nd, to see the friend of our infancy and of hay-loft and cow-stall memory–Col. Frank Wheaton, son of Dr. Wheaton of Pomfret, Connecticut, to whose farm-house Mother took us all to board, the summer after Father’s death. It is about [...]

Oct. 1, 1861 Very little to tell you about except a few calls, including one from Mrs. General Franklin to ask us to take tea with her to-night. Lieutenant Lusk of the 79th, whom we used to know as “Willy” Lusk, also came. He seems to have grown up into a very fine young fellow, [...]

Rev. Henry Hopkins to Eliza Woolsey Howland. City Hotel Hospital, …………… Alexandria, Oct, 1861. My dear Mrs. Howland: I want to tell you how I am coming on here in my new field, for at Washington I received the impression, which it will take a long time to wear away, that you and Miss Woolsey [...]

Sept. 11th, 1861. Where do you think I am writing? In the Patent Office, where we heard the other day that a large number of sick men had been brought from the 19th Indiana regiment. We found them in a dirty and forlorn condition and have come to do what we can. The whole regiment, [...]

Caroline Carson Woolsey. Sept. 18. Charley left on Monday to be with his regiment, which has been drafted into the U. S. Service–the first step towards Washington. The members singly can resign at any time, and Charley will do this when called upon to leave the city. .   .   .   .   [...]

Abby Howland Woolsey Lenox, Sept. 15, 1861. Charley talks of going down to-morrow to be inspected and mustered into State service with the regiment–the Home-Guard. He thinks his fine for non-attendance will about equal his railroad fare down and up. He is to stay over night and will see Mary at Astoria.

Lenox, Sept. 12, 1861. To-day has been very beautiful. Such floating clouds and corresponding shadows, such liquid blue on the distant hills and such gold green on the nearer meadows! We saw it to advantage at sunset, from Mrs. Sedgwick’s house. Only Miss Catherine was at home, and we saw her in her own little [...]

Lenox, September. My dear Girls: Abby, as usual, is writing away vigorously, and I am very sure her letters to you are better far than mine would be, therefore I always give place to her; but do not think me indifferent to you or to any little circumstance whatever connected with you in the most [...]

  Ebbitt House, Sept. 5. I hope you are not entirely without starch this damp, sticky day, and that you have kept “Manassas”[1] busy all the morning bringing wood for the fire. Since my note we have had the confirmation of Jeff. Davis’ death, reported yesterday. If he is really gone, I suppose we mustn’t [...]