Letter from the NY 114th Regiment

Letter from the New York 114th Regiment

Chenango American, December 25, 1862

Atlantic Ocean, Transport Thames
December 8th, 1862

My Dear Friends:  Oh that I had the pencil to picture, or the pen to describe the scenes and events of the last few days.  Knowing it would be interesting to you all and a satisfaction to myself to do the best I can, I will make the attempt, fully conscious that if you can only appreciate the difficulties under which one writes in such a place as this, you will be sparing in your criticisms, both as regards the style and the writing; for the only convenience for writing is to sit flat on the desk, with my paper on my knee, while somebody in continually jostling me or talking to me.

We left Fortress Monroe Thursday last, about 11 A.M., having received an order in the morning to proceed to sea at 10 A.M. and then wait for the Baltic, which ship is designated to lead this part of the "great expedition" and the Ericsson to fetch up the rear.  Each vessel (of which there were fifteen) had a certain place assigned her in the fleet to be preserved if possible.

The sail down the Roads with so many large and beautiful steamers in procession was beautiful and grand.  In the evening the Baltic came up and took her place in the lead and all started away for the grand and as yet the beautiful sea. As the sea all this time was comfortably calm, almost every one enjoyed the scene. The next day (Friday) was rainy, the wind rising, the sea becoming more disturbed and sea sickness quite prevalent--everything disagreeable and nasty. About 4 P.M. but two or three vessels in sight and darkness beginning to settle upon the face of the great deep, the wind blowing a gale, and the sea becoming piled up in almost frightful heaps, our engine gave out, some pipe giving way; a trifling injury, but still sufficient to render the engine totally inefficient.

The only resource left for us was to be taken in tow, by some one of the large steamers, and a signal of distress was hoisted which soon brought to our assistance the Ericsson. Then came the difficult and critical moment; that was got a line made fast to us, and to accomplish it the steamer ran under our stern, and although they succeeded in making fast to us, still it was attended with much risk, and resulted in some injury, the breaking of our spankerboom which projects over the stern, and injuring our Captain by jamming his thigh so that he has kept the berth ever since, and will for some days yet.

We were then towed by her at a very slow rate. That night was most terrific.  Oh that I could picture the whole scene so as only to give you but a faint idea of our situation--of the rolling and pitching of our ship--the awful grandeur and uproar of the ocean in a storm--the scene below decks--the sea sick soldiers--the filth, the distress, the breaking down of the temporary bunks, those in the upper falling upon those in the lower, the difficulty of standing upright, the sliding from one side to the other and back, of trunks, boxes, barrels of meat, salt, and indeed everything movable, was not only terrific but dangerous. The temporary cook house put up for our accommodation soon became a perfect wreck;; barrels of beef, bean, coffee, &c, which were left on deck were thrown overboard, with some five tons of coal on the forward deck, to lighten her deck load and if possible prevent her from rolling to such a frightful degree, and besides this every man was ordered below for the same reason.  I being one of the very few who was not sea sick, remained to render what aid was in my power, and had it not been for the help the ships received from Co. E's men, the consequences might have been more disastrous than they have been. Duncan McKeller and Jack Chidester are old sailors, and have been ceaselessly on duty and are acknowledged by all to be the best men on board.  I was 30 hours in the pilot house without leaving it, assisting at the wheel and that too after I got my  foot badly jammed by the anchor sliding down and catching my foot between it and the mast.

But I must go back and relate some other exciting scenes.  When the Ericsson ran under our stern, she came so close that she got one of her life boats stove.  On Saturday the hawser, the large line by which we were fastened to the steamer, parted, and here was enacted the same dangerous scene of again making fast to us. As we were helpless, it was the business of the steamer to make fast to us again; and in their endeavors to do so, the sea being rough, the two vessels came in contact, smashing another life boat into a thousand fragments in a moment and raking her post quarter against our large anchor, then settling down, her immense quarter passing down within six inches of our starboard bow and all again was clear.  Oh what moments of agony to those who could appreciate the danger of such a collision at sea, with some fifteen hundred lives at stake.

On Saturday it cleared away but the wind kept up though not quite so strong as on Friday night, still the sea was very rough and one little shell rolled most awfully. The wind next hauled around the northward and still continues so, making it more favorable for us.  Last night and now the sea is smooth and we are being towed along tolerably well. The weather is cool but pleasant and everybody is taking an airing, and a general cleaning is going on.

This morning the Captain and Engineer of the Ericsson came on board of us to ascertain our situation, and as Sergeant Rorapaugh was in the cabin making out his morning report at the time they came down, he heard all the conversation which took place between them and Col. Smith.  He says the Captain of the Ericsson said he never saw so many men in so perilous a situation as they had been twice in, and thinks it almost a miracle that we were saved.  The Captain of the Ericsson said we were going to Ship Island, but that he should tow us into Port Royal and there get another steamer for us.

Off Hilton Head, S.C.
Mouth of Broad River
Tuesday Morning, Dec. 9, 1862

I resume my pencil at 3 A.M. because it is more quiet.  We arrived at this place last evening just at sunset, several hours sooner than it was supposed when I was writing yesterday. The weather was pleasant and the sea smooth and at about 3 P.M. the fist glimpse of land was discovered off our starboard bow, or as landmen say on our right hand side, and I venture to say the earlier navigators who manned the Ark were not more overjoyed at the reception of the olive branch brought by the dove, than were the voyagers on board the Thames. and it was not to be wondered at, that they should be, after having been kept several days and nights in such a state of discomfort and peril.

We are now on the famous battle ground on which Commodore Dupont fought and conquered the forts Walker and Beauregard, as we are lying between them; of course I can't say anything about the localities here and perhaps may not be able to at any time, as of course I know nothing about our stay at this palce.  I am told the plantations 3 and 4 miles up the river are very fine and I wish very much to see them, and shall if possible.

The voyage here has been decidedly cold, but the indications are that today it will be warm and pleasant, and no doubt on shore beautiful flowers are in bloom.

We know nothing about any other part of this great expedition except of that part which sailed out of Hampton Roads with us; whether any others left New York, or elsewhere about the same time as we did and have gone on or not is all a blank to us.

The Captain of the Ericsson told our Captain he had no business to go to sea in such condition, and that the ship was not sea worthy.

Cap. N.A. Dederer, Co. E, 114th Regiment