The story of the Thirty Eighth regiment of Massachusetts volunteers

by George Whitefield Powers

The old routine of drill was now resumed. Col. Emory commanded the division to which the Thirty Eighth was assigned; and the men here first saw the stout old soldier who afterwards became such a favorite leader.

On the 28th of October, an order came from Gen. Wool for one company to go to Baltimore on special service. Co. F went through the city on the double-quick, with loaded muskets and fixed bayonets; but their services were not required, and they came back to camp rather disgusted at having added nothing new to the fame of the regiment. It was rumored in the camp, that some one had insulted the hostler of a general, and a squadron of cavalry and a body of infantry were ordered out to avenge it.

While at Camp Emory, the regiment received a visit from the Rev. Mr. Ware, of Cambridge, a gentleman who always manifested great interest in its welfare, and whose kindness will long be remembered by its members.

In this camp, the companies drilled daily in “reversed arms,” for the purpose of attending the funeral of some officer who had died, or was expected to die. But their services were never called for; and it became one of the regimental legends that the officer had refused to die upon hearing that the Thirty Eighth were drilling for the purpose of burying him.

Toward the end of October, the weather began to get cool, and every one looked uneasily forward to a winter in tents in Maryland; but as a new well was almost completed, and a new guard-house begun, the men still had hopes of getting away. Col. Ingraham was now acting brigade-commander, and Lieut.-Col. Wardwell in command of the regiment; and brigade and division drills took place several times a week.

During the first week in November, marching orders were received, and preparations were made to embark on ocean transports; but the regiment did not break camp until Sunday, the 9th. A few days previous, there had been a severe snow-storm, which would have done honor to Massachusetts; and every one was eager to get into a warmer climate. Just before the cold weather, Mr. Wellington, of Cambridge, had visited the camp, and furnished each of the members of Co. F with a pair of gloves, a present from Mr. Stacy Read. The band of the One Hundred and Fiftieth New York escorted the regiment through the streets of Baltimore to the Union Relief Rooms, where a good meal was furnished them. Quarters for the night were found in unoccupied houses; and the next day the regiment was taken down Chesapeake Bay in small steamers, and transferred to the steamship Baltic, which had been selected by Gen. Emory as his flag-ship. The ship stopped a short time off Annapolis to take on board two companies of the One Hundred and Thirty First New York, and then proceeded to Fortress Monroe, arriving at Hampton Roads on the morning of the 8th.

The victories of Farragut had not yet added their brilliant record to the achievements of our navy; and the scene of the little “Monitor’s” victory, and of the “Cumberland’s” glorious death, was eagerly studied, while one of the officers, who had been an eye-witness to the engagement, related the story to a group of interested listeners.

For nearly a month, the regiment remained on shipboard at Hampton Roads, occasionally going on shore to practice target-shooting and to drill. An amusing incident occurred at this time, the memory of which will bring a smile to many a face. There had been no facilities for washing clothes since leaving Camp Emory, and the regiment had not yet roughed it long enough to become accustomed to dirt; so one day, when it was announced that the knapsacks were to be taken on shore, and an opportunity given to wash clothes in fresh water, soap became in demand, and all anticipated one more cleaning up before going into the field. A tiresome march through the streets of Old Point Comfort, by the “contraband” village rising around the chimneys of ruined Hampton, brought the regiment to the vicinity of a creek; and soon the bank was lined with busy washers. But the soap furnished by Uncle Samuel had no effect upon the dirt contracted on his transports. Suddenly some one discovered that the creek was a salt-water one. The washing fever subsided, and the regiment went back wiser, but very little cleaner.

Day after day slipped by, and still there was no movement. On the 18th of the month, the regiment received their first visit from the paymaster, being paid off on the deck of the ship. The companies changed quarters more than once on board the “Baltic,” and had the opportunity to test the comparative hardness of nearly all the beams in the ship. It required skill in gymnastics to go from the bunks to the deck without coming in contact with some animate or inanimate body.