A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
The following is a letter written by Henry L. Barnum of Vandeusenville, Western Massachusetts, to his brother Moses Barnum, then living in Illinois. Henry Barnum had recently spent three years in the Union Army fighting in the US Civil War, and his letter, reprinted here in its entirety, describes the many battles he saw during "The War Between the States." The letter is from the website of Dayonne Beisel Barnum and was contributed by Jeanne Foster.
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Feb. 22, 1865
It is a long time since I have written to you or heard from you by way of Jane & Lucy. I received a letter from Jane last week and she sent me your address, so as I have nothing to do but sit here in the house I thought I would write you a good long letter. My health has been very good all winter until now I am troubled with one of your old diseases. Can't you guess what that is? Last week I went into the woods with another man to cut logs, & instead of chopping logs, I chopped my foot. I struck the axe into the top of it laying it all open. I am afraid I shant be able to do any work for some weeks to come. I tell the folks that I went into the army & was gone 3 years & came out without a scar, so I thought I would make one for myself. So you see we are in danger of being wounded here as well as in the army.
Since I wrote you last, I have been through a great many narrow & hair breadth escapes & endured a great many hardships-- a great deal more than I should suppose a man capable of enduring & living through. But God... watched over me & protected me from the bursting shell & the minnie balls of the sharp shooter & returned me home to my dear brother & sisters & friends in just as good health as I went away. Now dear brother, don't you think I ought to be thankful to our Heavenly Father for all his mercies to me? I have got a very large sheet of paper here-- I don't know how I shall fill it without I give you a little history of my experience in the army.
I enlisted in the 7th Infantry Regiment & went into camp on the 20th day of September 1861. The Regt. was in camp at Springfield of this state. We remained there drilling until the 2nd day of November when we went to Annapolis, Maryland where general Burnside was getting up an expedition to go into North Carolina. We remained here until the 6th of Jan 1862 when we embarked on board transports & sailed for Hatteras where we arrived on the 12th.
Our fleet was composed of 140 steamboats & 30 sailing vessels. We had a very rough time going around Cape Hatteras. It was a bad time of the year. We lost about 40 of our boats here that were grounded on the bar & then the heavy sea broke them to pieces. We lay here until the 6th of Feb., when we started for Roanoke Island where the enemy had got themselves very strongly fortified, but we took the island with 3,500 prisoners, 42 heavy guns & a great many small arms & commissery stores. It was the first fight we had ever been in but the men acted most nobly. Our loss was not very heavy.
When I first went in to camp I was put in as one of the Corporals... & at the battle of Roanoke our color sergeant was killed right at my side & I picked up the old Stars & Stripes & carried them the rest of the day. I was then promoted to color sergeant & held that position until 4 months before I came home. It is a very honorable position, but a very dangerous one for the flag makes a splendid mark for the sharp shooters.
On the 11th of March, we started for Newbern. There we found the enemy very strongly entrenched with a much larger force than ours with 18 pieces of artillery behind a line of breastworks 4 miles long & we with 2 small boat Howitzers which we had drawn 24 miles by hand & we were in an open field but after 3 hours hard fighting we routed them. We did not take many prisoners here but we took a large city & one of the best Seaports in the Southern Confederacy.
We were in & around Newbern for a year and a half. During that time we went out on expeditions once in awhile & had some times pretty hard battles. In April of 1863 my regt. got hemmed in at a place called Little Washington where we stood a seige of 22 days. All the men we could muster was a little short of 1200 & the enemy had 18,000 right in sight of us all the time. They held us there 22 days & shelled us night & day & then went off & left us. We had General Foster with us.
After that we went back to Newbern & done Provost guard duty in the city until the first of November when General Butler ordered our Regt. to Norfolk, Va., to do Provost guard duty in that city. There our duty was such that I had none to do so I got a detail in the city jail as one of the turnkeys. We spent the winter very happily.
On the 17th of March, I got a furlough of 20 days to come home & see Jane. She was very sick all last winter. I came home & had a first rate time. Was here 5 days out of 20. Got back to Norfolk on the 6th of April & on the 26th we started out with an expedition under Butler to go up the James river to Richmond but we have not got there yet and never will under old Beast Butler. We went into the first fight on the 6th day of May with 875 men all stout & healthy & we were under fire every day from then until the 20th day of June, making it we were in some kind of fight every day. When my regt was relieved, we had left out of 875 men & 30 officers just 42 men & 2 officers, the rest all being killed, wounded or prisoners. On the morning of the 16th May in 2 hours time my regt alone had 87 men killed, & 4 officers, & 270 men & 11 officers taken prisoners & over a hundred that were wounded & got back into our lines. Other regt's suffered as bad as we. I made my escape some way I don't know how. My flag staff was shot into 3 pieces & I tore the flag off & put it in my pocket & came out with ball holes in my cap & a number in my clothes. We were then within 4 miles of the Rebel capital. That is the nearest I got to Richmond.
On the 6th day of June, I saw one of the worst sights I ever saw. We went out with a flag of truce to bury our dead. It was after the Coal Harbor fight. Our men & the rebs were all mixed together. Any one could have walked 3 miles & not step on the ground - step on nothing but dead bodies & in some places where we charged, the bodies were 4 deep. Oh God grant that I may never witness another scene like that. We buried over 11,000 of our men that forenoon & the rebs as many more. We lost over 40,000 men in that 6 day fight. That battle was fought under Genl. Grant. We went into the trenches in front of Petersburg on the 26th of June & lay there untill the 18th day of Sept., when we started for home. We arrived in Springfield on the 26th & was mustered out on the 27th & I got home on the 28th having been in the service 3 years & 8 days & don't think I will go again right away.
Our regt. did not see very hard times the first 2 years we were out but the summer of 1864 will long be remembered by all the soldiers that were under Butler & Grant. My regt. were in 26 heavy battles while I was with them & a great many skirmishes. When we went out we did not think we should be gone more than a year at the most & here it's going on 4 years. Oh God grant peace may soon come-- There has been blood shed enough, & lives enough lost on both sides. Oh how many happy homes have been unmade by this cruel rebellion. How many dear Husbands, Fathers, sons, brothers & friends have been killed during the last 4 years. I suppose you get the N.Y. paper some so you can get the news of the war.
What great things Gen. Sherman has done during the last year. He has captured some of their strongest holds. He has now got Charleston-- the place that was besieged for over a year. It has findly fallen. They have not got but one place left now of much importance & that is Richmond & that must fall this spring I think without fail.
If we did not have any body to fight but the rebel in the south we should get along well enough but these rebel sympathisers in the North are worse than all the rest. They thought they were going to put [General George Barnum] McClellan in President but they got tripped up on that & now Little Mac has picked up his duds & gone to Europe & there he may live & die for all of coming back here again, for if ever there was a coward & traitor both, he is one. There was not a soldier that ever fought under him that voted for him.
We have had some very cold weather here this winter & first rate sleighing all winter. The snow is 28 inches deep now on the level & the thermometer stands this noon at 5 below zero. Everything is very high but some things are coming down a little. Cotton has fallen over one half. Provisions are very high, especially beef & pork. Mr. Lewis, the man I live with fats a great many oxen. He (sold) 3 yoke of heavy ones about 5 weeks ago for 11 cents per pound live weight & now you can't get them short of 13 cents.
Pork is 20 cts, corn is $2 per bushel, Rye 1.90, oats 1.25. Wages are not as high as they should be according to the rest of things. Good hired men get $250 a year.
I think I have written enough. Jane's health is not very good. Lucy is smart as a whip. I have not seen William in about 2 months. He and his family are well. He has a nice family of 3 children. My wife and children I shan't say anything about. Give my love to wife & children. I will send you one of my pictures. It is not a very good one, but the best I have now. It was taken while in the army. I wish you would send me one of yours & your family.
I want you should answer this as soon as you receive it.
Good bye for now from your dear Brother,
Henry
P.S. Direct (your letter) to Henry L. Barnum
Vandeusenville
Berkshire County, Mass.
From the Boston Globe, 11 July 1872, page 6: Henry Barnum of South Lee was on Monday run over by his wagon, loaded with stone, and so badly crushed that he lived but a short time. he was about 37 years of age and was a worthy and industrious man. He leaves a wife and child.
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
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