ARMY OF THE POTOMAC.
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Interesting from the White House.
WASHINGTON, June 11 [1864].—By an arrival here to-day from the White House [on the York River] it is ascertained that nothing is now being landed at that place except reinforcements and forage for the immediate use of the army.
The railroad track, which had been completed to within a mile or two of the army [at Cold Harbor], has been torn up, and the rails and ties brought back to the White House, where they are being placed on barges.
Seven hundred men were first engaged in repairing this road; about the same number aided in destroying it.
The following is a partial list of wounded officers:
Col. RAYMOND and Lieut. GOULD, of the Second New York Mounted Rifles.
Lieutenant H. M. BEARCE, Thirty-second Maine.
Lieutenant R. R. BEACHMAN, Twenty-third Colored Troops.
Lieutenant G. W. GIBSON, Seventeenth Vermont.
Lieutenant JNO. C. WHITMAN, Twenty-fourth New York Cavalry.
Lieutenant A. PINDER, Fifth Massachusetts.
The steamer CONNECTICUT arrived last evening from the White House. She brought up six hundred of our wounded.
She reports eleven hundred Rebel prisoners in our custody at that point. Six thousand of our wounded still remain at the White House, awaiting transportation. The larger portion of them will be removed to-day.
Among the Rebel prisoners at the White House are a number of colonels, majors, captains and minor officers of that service.
The MONITOR1 has also arrived, having on board one hundred wounded.
The HIGHLAND LIGHT got here this morning, with a mail and passengers. She left the White House at twelve o’clock. Amongst her passengers was ANNA ETHRIDGE [Annie Etheridge], well known to the army in the last three years for her continuous service in the interest of the wounded soldiers.
A company of Ohio troops, raised in the Tenth Congressional District of that State, belonging to one of the regiments now garrisoning the defenses of Washington, voted yesterday that they disliked garrison duty, and would like to see some fighting. Accordingly they were detached and ordered to the front, and while on the way this morning they halted at the Executive mansion, and paid their respects to the President.
Upon making his appearance in front of the mansion he was enthusiastically cheered by the Ohio boys. General ASHLEY introduced him. The President thanked the officers and men for the call, and especially for their kind expression towards him. He was proud to hear of the noble decision they had made to go to the front, and thanked them for it. They had taken this step, they said, only in the hour of the nation’s hopes. The Ohio boys cheered the President again most heartily.
One of the enemy’s papers says General GRANT is carrying out the new movements upon Richmond with characteristic activity. Report says the Rebels have within a few days been considerably puzzled by General GRANT’S movements.
They think they have reason to believe that he proposes to make his new base of supplies on James River. At the same time they notice that a strong line of intrenchments is being constructed by us at the White House, indicating a purpose to hold that point.
The Rebel prisoners dislike the idea of being guarded by colored troops, and try to become insolent, but are soon quieted by the negroes, who significantly speak of Fort Pillow. The negroes take peculiar satisfaction in guarding the prisoners, and watch them with a jealous eye.
Among these prisoners is a woman dressed in military clothes, who is said to have had command of a brigade, with the title of General.2
The wounded brought up in the CONNECTICUT were all bad cases, and it was found necessary to steam at moderate speed. One captain and fourteen privates died on the upward trip. Among those wounded there were eighty-five with legs amputated and twenty-seven with arms amputated.
The following is a partial list of the wounded officers brought up on this boat:—Major E. A. Brewster, Twenty-third Massachusetts; Captain E. P. Boswell, Ninety-second New York; Captain J. S. Nesbit, Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania; Captain Shanning, One-hundred-and-twenty-second Ohio; Captain P. S. Blodgett, Tenth Vermont; Captain G. Farr, Thirteenth New Hampshire; Captain H. P. Woodbury, Twenty-third Massachusetts; Captain N. Shockford, Twelfth New Hampshire, and Lieutenant Clark Smith, Aid-de-camp on General MARTINDALE’S staff.3
SOPO Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
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Source/Notes:
- SOPO Editor’s Note: This cannot be the famous USS Monitor, which foundered off Cape Hatteras in December 1862. If anyone can tell me which ship this is, please use the Contact button at the top of the page. ↩
- SOPO Editor’s Note: Obviously this is propaganda and entirely false. The Inquirer generally didn’t engage in this sort of thing, and was well liked on both sides for just that reason. ↩
- “Army of the Potomac.” Philadelphia Inquirer. June 13, 1864, p. 1 col. 2 ↩