The following partial letter seems to have been valued more for the patriotic image on the stationery than the content of the letter as only one sheet remains of what must have originally been a two or three sheet letter. The content reveals that the author was a three-month volunteer in the 2nd Michigan Infantry. It came coupled with an envelope with a New York address and a Feb 1862 postal marking which was clearly not linked to the letter. There are too few clues in the sheet that remains thought it’s interesting to read that the author claimed “all the privates of the regiment as well as a good many of the officers” despised “Fighting Dick” Israel Bush Richardson, colonel of the 2nd Michigan and brigade commander during the Battle of First Bull Run. I suspect this was a result of the soldier believing that Richardson had attempted to convert the “three-months” volunteers into two-year volunteers without their approval, as alleged.
The unfinished sentence at the end of the letter leaves us wondering what the author was about to tell us about the Battle of Bull Run but we’ll never know.
Transcription
[Arlington, Virginia]
[late July 1861]
Since I finished my letter to you I have received one from Charlie which I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of. Also one or two other items have appeared since which I will relate.
Our regiment has been quartered at Arlington since our retreat from Bull’s Run where we will at present appearances remain till the 13th of August when we will be mustered out of the service of the United States undoubtedly.
As dress parade tonight we were informed that we would be engaged the remainder of our time in cutting away & blockading roads and building trenches. Two hundred from the regiment will be taken daily till the work is completed & 300 from each of the other regiments in this brigade—or rather the regiments that were in this brigade, this brigade having been broken up & the 1st Massachusetts have gone to Fort Albany, the regiment that were there then having returned home. 1
Lieut. Col. Richardson is despised by all the privates of the regiment as well as a good many of the officers. Orders were given yesterday morning to fall in at 8 o’clock. Nobody knew what for but it has since been learned that we were to be mustered out immediately that morning but for the interference of Col. Richardson, who, as the story goes, tried to manage it so we would be obliged to stay two years. 2
Our position in the battle Sunday was a rather curious one, come to sit down & think it over. We were near as far advanced as were the…[remainder of letter missing]
1 Having participated in Richardson’s Brigade, Tyler’s Division, McDowell’s Army of Northeast Virginia, in the Battle of Bull Run, the 1st Massachusetts Infantry was ordered to garrison Fort Albany (200 yards south of the tollgate on the Columbia Pike) until 15 August 1861.
2 I was unable to find any corroborating evidence as to this accusation that Col. Richardson was despised by his men or fellow officers—at least not for his leadership in the field of battle. Richardson’s performance on Sunday, July 21st, at Bull Run was hindered by the interference of a drunken Col. Dixon S. Miles who outranked him and ordered Richardson’s brigade without passing orders through Richardson. If fact, according to Pvt. Lyman Stowe of Co. F, 2nd Michigan, Col. Miles even had Richardson arrested during the battle and took away his sword when Richardson attempted to take back command of his brigade. [Bull Runnings]
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