Mary Thacher Higginson, Thomas Wentworth Higginson: the story of his life

[234] drowned and six wounded—One edifying result is that there was a flag of truce a few days after and the rebel officers readily held official communication with our officers which last summer they would n't do.

One amusing thing was, just before the fight began, the pickets across the river farther down were taunting our pickets— “Why don't you come over,” to which our men answered— “Coming soon enough for you” and even as they spoke the fire up river began and the rebels forthwith mounted their horses and went off in a hurry!

Health and strength did not return to the wounded Colonel, and after getting affairs straightened out there came a collapse. Perfect inaction was enjoined, but with his usual hopefulness the invalid wrote to his wife, ‘With milk and eggs and soup and Scotch ale I think I shall soon come round . . . . No new symptoms develop, only the same “General Debility.” ’

Colonel Higginson then adopted the resource of spending his nights at a neighboring plantation, returning to camp by day. He reported to his wife that the doctor said he had been ‘thrust through and through by malaria without knowing anything about it, because of temperament.’

There were still hard days to live through, official inspections, brigade reviews, and court-martials.