Collecting Forage, Building Huts, and Marching in Little "Grand Reviews": Camp Pierpont, December 1861

As December 1861 got underway, thousands of soldiers from Pennsylvania called Camp Pierpont in Langley their home away from home.  Federal commander George B. McClellan had sent Brig. Gen. George A. McCall's division to Langley back in October as part of an advance into Northern Virginia.  Now McCall's division had the privilege of occupying the far right of the Union lines, not far from the banks of the Potomac River.  But with such responsibility also came the monotony of camp life, consisting mainly of drills, picket duty, and all around bad food, not to mention disease.  The harsh winter weather also loomed just around the corner.  Things were pretty quiet along the Potomac, although the men occasionally had the chance to experience something a little more interesting.

A Few Excursions to the Environs of Dranesville

The Pennsylvania Reserves required forage, and McCall knew perfectly well that a ready supply awaited him on the secessionist farms lying in the no-man's land between the Union and Confederate armies.  At the start of December, he dispatched two expeditions to the area near Dranesville, about ten miles down the Leesburg-Georgetown Turnpike (today's VA-193) from Langley.  The first expedition on December 3, with the brigade of Brig. Gen. John F. Reynolds in the lead, succeeded in carrying away 50 wagons full of forage.

A few days later, on December 6, Brig. Gen. George G. Meade headed to the farm of "bitter secessionist" John Gunnell, two and half miles northeast of Dranesville. (OR, 1:5, 455.)  Meade was to collect forage and arrest two of Gunnell's nephews, who were "reported . . . to have shot two stragglers of [Nathaniel] Banks' division, and left them for the hogs to devour."  (OR, 1:5, 456.)  The brigade of Brig. Gen. E.O.C. Ord followed behind, just in case.

Gen. George G. Meade, commander of the Second Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves and later head of the Army of the Potomac (courtesy of civilwarhome.com)

Meade's brigade set out early in the morning from Camp Pierpont.  An anonymous soldier from the 11th Pennsylvania Reserves described what happened at Gunnell's in a letter to the Ebensburg Alleghanian:

Companies A and D . . . were detailed to take charge of the farm and loaded the wagons of which latter articles we had about sixty. The boys immediately fell to with a will and in a comparatively short space of time every wagon was loaded down with wheat, corn and potatoes. In addition we captured eleven head of horses, a pair of oxen and wagon, thirty-eight hogs, averaged two hundred pounds each, two buggies, a splendid carriage and a lot of excellent light harness. Two negro slaves, the property of said Gunnell were also taken in tow and brought into camp. They were exceedingly glad to be afforded opportunity to effect their liberty and are now, I understand, employed as cooks in some of the regiments.

As prisoners, Meade's men brought back Gunnell's nephews and three other "rank secessionists." (OR, 1:5, 456.)   The entire expedition returned to Langley by around six that evening.

Meade was not fully satisfied with his day's work. The general had experienced more than a few disciplinary issues with his men, who "got into their heads that the object of the expedition was the punishment of a rebel, and hence the more injury they inflicted, the more successful was the expedition."  (Meade 234.)  As he lamented to his wife, "it was with considerable trouble they could be prevented from burning everything" that was not carried away.  (Meade 234.)  Meade, whose conciliationist sensibilities were offended, was "ashamed of our cause." (Meade 234.)

McCall painted a somewhat different picture.  In his official report, he informed McClellan about "the very exemplary conduct of all the troops on this occasion" and "commend[ed] from personal observation the good discipline maintained."  (OR, 1:5, 456.)   Perhaps McCall was still bristling from "a very severe letter" he received from McClellan in November commenting on the poor state of the discipline in his division and wanted to avoid even the suggestion of lax behavior of the part of his men. (Meade 226.) 

Winter Quarters

Back in camp, the Pennsylvanians prepared for the season ahead.  As the unknown soldier from the 11th wrote to the Alleghanian, "[t]he weather here is becoming pretty cold and winter-like, but considering that
 . . . the climate is not far different from that of Pennsylvania and in fact of the Alleghenies, we should not expect it to be otherwise."  The troops ensured that they would be well protected from the elements by constructing crude log huts topped with tents.   According to solider from the 11th, "some of them boast of the possession of stoves; others compromise on homemade fire places called 'California stoves.' Between the two we are right comfortably situated."

Photograph of a Union winter camp showing typical log huts, similar to those described in the letter to the Alleghanian (courtesy Library of Congress)

The Grand Review

McCall's entire division participated in a military review in front of Johnston's Hill near Langley on December 12.  The Philadelphia Press noted that since the Grand Review at Bailey's Crossroads on November 20, "there has been no such military display on the line of the Potomac."  Many officers from other divisions attended, although it is uncertain whether McClellan himself was present. The regimental bands "by their inspiring music, gave patriotic zest and liveliness to the occasion."  (Phila. Press, Dec. 14, 1861.)  The  Press could not help but notice that the soldiers' movements "were marked with the precision of old and long-drilled regulars."  Apparently McCall had instilled some degree of discipline, at least for the purposes of parading.  The review ended after two hours, and "all who witnessed it pronounced it a brilliant success."  (Phila. Press, Dec. 14, 1861.)  In a little more than a week, some of these same soldiers would be sent on another expedition to Dranesville, and would score even greater accolades.

Sources 

Ebensburg Alleghenian, Dec. 26, 1861; Meade, George Gordon, ed., The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1 (New York, 1913); Philadelphia Press, Dec. 14, 1861.

A few other good accounts of the foraging expeditions to Dranesville can be found here and here.  In an upcoming post, I also hope to explore the secessionists of Dranesville in more detail.

Music at Camp Pierpont

My post from a few weeks ago got me thinking about the role of music during the Civil War.  The soldiers of the Pennsylvania Reserves, like many others, passed the time in camp by listening to popular tunes and singing songs. Their long stay at Camp Pierpont around Langley, Virginia provided plenty of opportunities.  Letters written by members of the division reveal a lively bunch.  E. de W. Breneman of Company B, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves didn't let the "very, very cold night in Virginia" get him down, even though "[t]he wind is howling through the trees, and threatening destruction to all it may come in contact with."  As he told the Lancaster Express in an October 24, 1861 letter, "All is cheerful in Camp – some of the men are now singing 'Gay and Happy,' in groups; others 'Be kind to the loved ones at Home,' others, 'The Home I left behind me.'"




"Songs of War," by Winslow Homer, Harper's Weekly, November 23, 1861 (courtesy of sonofthesouth.net)


Others enjoyed the entertainment offered by regimental bands. In October 1861, an anonymous soldier in Company A, 11th Pennsylvania Reserves, was relieved that "[o]ur Brass Band which was impatiently looked for during the past month has arrived in camp."  He noted that the band, led by a Professor Filer, "discourses much excellent music."  The self-styled "Typo Warrior," of Company A, 7th Pennsylvania Reserves, put it best when he wrote to the Shippensburg News on October 17, 1861:

Now that we have a band, the twilight hours are whiled delightfully away. Dixie, Wait for the Wagon, Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel, and Home Sweet Home, are among the pieces generally selected by the men, with an occasional air from La Travita [sic], Norms or some flashy polka masourka, making altogether a mélange of eleven pieces, and executed in a manner worthy of an older organization. The fact is the men work hard every day. What time between picket and guard duty, wood chopping, and erecting fortifications (which takes a large number of our men daily), digging and ramming, the poor fellows return to their quarters completely tired out, and are entitled to some entertainment in the evening, if it be only till taps.

All letters courtesy of the Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps Historical Society.

Christmas at Camp Pierpont, December 1861

Readers by now are quite familiar with Camp Pierpont, the quarters of the Pennsylvania Reserves in Langley, Virginia during the winter of 1861-62.  The Pennsylvania boys, many away from their families for the first time, marked the Christmas holiday that December in a variety of ways.  Some soldiers received packages from home and shared the bounty with their comrades-in-arms. According to Private Adam Bright of Co. C, 9th Pennsylvania Reserves:

I had a very nice dinner on Christmas day. One of my friends had a box sent to him by express containing 4 large Shanghi [sic] roosters stuffed, a number of pound cakes, and pies, pickles and apples. You may be sure I did them all justice.

Soldiers also received clothing like "socks and comforters," as well as "a little Old Rye." (Letter from Newsboy, Philadelphia Sunday Transcript, Dec. 24, 1861.)  The whiskey sometimes led to mischief.  The History of Company H, 4th Pennsylvania Reserves recalls:

Christmas being at hand, the boys solicited boxes from home to somewhat alleviate the rugged realities of camp life. In many of these bottles of whiskey figured cheerfully amidst other luxuries for their holiday festivities. The provost-Marshal, learning of this new feature of Northern liberality, by order of the General, opened the boxes on their arrival, confiscated all contraband goods and removed them to headquarters, to be "used by the mess," so the soldier lads said. They becoming enraged by this unwarrantable intrusion upon their rights, confiscated a quantity of poultry received by General [George A.] McCall from a friend by way of retaliation for their wrongs.

Soldiers also had other distractions during the holiday season.  The 11th Pennsylvania Reserves, for instance, took part in an amusing "friendly fire" episode:

Some of the boys . . . had Santa Claus, with a full-rigged suit of Secesh [sic]Clothes, stuck up in a tree. One of the guards, being put on post, and not knowing of the aforesaid gentleman being in the neighborhood, while walking his lonely beat, cast his eye that way, and, seeing Mr. Man, came to the conclusion that it was one of the men of J. Davis & Co. . . . .  He determined to make a hero of himself and fired, putting a ball through our Christmas friend, when the rest of the boys jumped up, exclaiming "Guard house, Guard House." (Letter from Newsboy, Philadelphia Sunday Transcript, Dec. 24, 1861.)

"Christmas Boxes in Camp, Christmas, 1861," Harper's Weekly, Jan. 4, 1862  (courtesy of sonofthesouth.net)

All lightheartedness aside, the Pennsylvanians showed that the spirit of Christmas was alive and well at Camp Pierpont.  Private William H. Jayne of  Co. C, 6th Pennsylvania Reserves was wounded at the Battle of Dranesville on December 20 and spent the holiday recovering at a field hospital.  In a December 26, 1861 letter to the Honesdale Democrat he expressed his appreciation for the generosity of his fellow soldiers:

Our boys received some luxuries from Wayne county for Christmas, which they sent to the Hospital for the wounded and we had as merry a Christmas as ever such a lot of cripples enjoyed.

Other soldiers could not help but notice that the war left little reason to celebrate.  William R. Brown of Easton's Battery, which has seen action at Dranesville, wrote to the Raftsman's Journal on Christmas Day, lamenting that "there are none of those scenes of frivolity and good cheer with which Pennsylvanians are wont to regard this annual holiday to divert the mind from the daily routine of camp life."

Brigadier General George G. Meade, commander of the Second Brigade of the Pennsylvania Reserves, offered a glimmer of hope amidst the conflict that had torn the country apart.  In a December 25, 1861 letter to his wife, he expressed the sentiments likely shared by many that holiday season:

I write a few lines on this day of rejoicing and festivity, to let you know I am well, and though absent from you in the body, that I am with you and my dear children in spirit and thought. As this day is the anniversary commemorating the great promise held out to all mankind, let us hope it may promise speedy peace and happiness to us in this world as well as the one to come. God grant it may be so!

As I drive down Georgetown Pike and through Langley from the comfort of my own heated car, I can't help but think about the homesick men in blue who tried to celebrate Christmas as best as they could under the hardships of winter camp.

On a personal note, I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Note on Sources:

I am eternally indebted to the Pennsylvanian Reserve Volunteer Corps Historical Society, whose website makes available a multitude of soldiers' letters, including those cited above. 

Meade's entire letter can be found in The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Volume I, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1913, p. 239 (available on Google Books).