Letter from the 114th Regiment
Chenango American, November 27, 1862
On Board Ship Arago
off Newport News, Va.
Thursday, Nov. 13, 1862
Eds. American: On Wednesday of last week, the 114th had orders (together with the other regiments composing the Brigade) to take shipping to join an expedition, the destination of which was and is kept secret. The excitement of breaking up camp, and the speculation of wise ones respecting the point of our future operations, occupied us till about 9 o'clock A.M., when the orders to "sling knapsacks and march" were given. The embarking of our regiments and stores took the greater part of Wednesday and Thursday, and the tedious snowstorm of Friday, 7th inst., prevented our sailing. On Saturday, 8th, orders came to call early the next morning, and at the appointed time we weighed anchor, put on steam, and headed for the South. The propeller Thames, steamers Arago and Ericsson were the only ones that could get over the bar, leaving the steamers Atlantic and Baltic stuck fast in the mud, and up to last evening, (12th inst.,) they had not left the harbor of Baltimore. We had a pleasant sail down the Chesapeake, and at 2 o'clock on the morning of Monday, 10th inst., our anchor was cast off Fortress Monroe, the most formidable fortress on the Southern coast. As viewed from onboard ship, this fort has the appearance of a village surrounded with a huge wall, and the wall mounted with a continuous row of cannon. The privates had no permission to go ashore while there, and the officers did not communicate to us what they saw or the news they heard, so we remain in profound ignorance of what was going on within its walls. We lay off the fort two days, when Maj. Gen. Dix ordered us down to Newport News, to drill and await the arrival of the expedition, which will rendezvous here for orders for their final destination.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 12th, we sailed for this famous place, and found it composed of a few negro huts, earthwork fortifications, built by the rebels, and spent balls, said balls being examined by our boys with peculiar interest. After anchoring we were soon of terra firma, and going through the company and battalion drill. We also went through a sham battle, which was high fun for the boys.
About 2 PM, the officers aboard the boat saw a strange object coming down the James river, and the Captain of our steamer, after taking a long look thro' his glass, guessed that it was the rebel Merrimac No. 2. The signal station here also signaled the old Monitor which fired a shot at the supposed enemy, which struck within a few yards of it, without, however, getting a reply. It had very much the appearance of a house roof set upon the water, and whether it was the Merrimac or not, this morning (Thursday) it had disappeared, and the Monitor lays up the stream as far as the eye can reach. The mouth of this river is completely blockaded by iron clads, there being two monitors, the new Ironsides, the Galena and other boats to the number of seven laying here. We are expecting and hoping that the rebels will send down their second champion, confident that she will be compelled to join her predecessor. Even as I write, Gen. Dix signals the Captain of the Arago to be prepared to slip her cable at any moment and move under the guns of the Fortress, and the crew are taking in the slack chain. The soldiers are looking up the river in momentary expectation of seeing the long looked for Merrimac No. 2 and the fast little scout that lays by the Ironsides is making up the river to see how formidable she may be.
Friday, 14th
The alarm of yesterday proved to be a false one, the rebel steamer only coming down about 40 miles and then returning. The remainder of our Brigade arrived at Fortress Monroe today. Brigadier General Corcoran's Legion also arrived and were sent to Newport News to form a camp. They seem to have some trouble, for the first day they arrived here, a captain was shot by a private, and the second, a regiment threw off their knapsacks and refused to do duty. A.
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