William Schouler, A history of Massachusetts in the Civil War: Volume 1

[303] been assigned to General Franklin's division. The officers had preferred to be put in General Fitz John Porter's division, as he had many Massachusetts regiments in his command. This he effected with the aid of Messrs. Elliot and Gooch, members of Congress. He next visited the camps of the Seventh and Tenth Regiments at Brightwood, about six miles from Washington. He says, ‘Although the weather had been bad, and the roads were in a condition hardly conceivable by a New-Englander, I found the officers and men in good health and excellent condition. There was but one man sick in the Seventh, and the Tenth had not a single person in the hospital. The men lived in comfortable log huts, which they had built themselves, and were quite well satisfied with their quarters. After spending some pleasant hours with the officers, and making an inspection of the men's quarters, I returned to Washington, much pleased with the day's labors.’ The journey was made on horseback; and he was accompanied by Captain Dudley, U. S. A., then stationed in Washington, but who was shortly after appointed by the Governor colonel of the Thirtieth Regiment; and by Major Fletcher, United-States paymaster. The next two days, he remained in Washington, transacting business at the War Department, and endeavoring to secure the acceptance of Maxwell's company of sharpshooters, but failed to accomplish it. The report then proceeds:—

Having obtained a pass from General McClellan, I proceeded to the Virginia side to visit the Massachusetts troops beyond the Potomac. I passed over the Long Bridge about nine o'clock, and was surprised at the number of wagons, equestrians, and pedestrians, moving through the mud into Virginia. At the end of the Long Bridge is Fort Runyon, garrisoned by a company of the Massachusetts Fourteenth [shortly afterwards changed to the First Heavy Artillery]. The other companies of this command are near, at Forts Albany and Hamilton; the main body being at Fort Albany, the headquarters of Colonel Green.

Here he spent an hour, and then rode on to visit the Ninth, Eighteenth, and Twenty-second Regiments, and the Third and Fourth Batteries in General Porter's division. The roads were shocking. He stopped at General Blenker's headquarters,