“the hardest thing I ever saw”

150 years ago today a detachment from the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rappahannock once again to probe Confederate strength on the other side. Members of the 50th New York Engineers tried to build a pontoon bridge as the battle commenced. The Battle of Franklin’s Crossing (or Deep Run Battle) was the first clash in the Gettysburg campaign. It was “a small fight” that had a big impact on at least one member of the 50th NY Engineers (not to mention the killed and wounded).

bridgework at Franklin’s Crossing (photo May 2, 1863)

From the 50th Regiment.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH,
June 6, 1862[3]^[1]

DEAR WIFE:

*** As soon as we were paid off, we had orders to go and lay a bridge across the river just below Fredericksburg. The news had come in camp that the Rebs. had left the city, but when we got there we found lots of them. We started with our boats, and as we commenced to unload them, the Rebs. opened fire on us. Our men fired all their cannon at once. They were loaded with grape and cannister, – the shot went in among them like hail, still they kept marching on toward their rifle pits, where they could get out of sight. When they got there, they sent the shot into us. We had eighteen men wounded in our regiment. I don’t think there were any killed, but I am not sure, as there are some missing.

It is hard to see the men fall by your side, when you can’t fire back. Well, they kept up their fire for about two hours. By that time, we had all our boats in the river and commenced crossing. We had landed about one thousand men on the opposite side, and directly they made a charge up the hill, when the Rebs. surrendered and came to them, and we brought them across in the boats. Some of them escaped, but our men were close on their heels. I went across in one of the first boats, and I got on the hill in time to see the Rebs. taken prisoners. I saw a wounded man and went to him; it was a Rebel officer. He was shot just below the heart. He asked me for a drink of water, and I gave it to him. Then he wanted me to hold up his head. I tell you, it was hard to see him. He wanted me to take him across with me. I went and got a stretcher and put him on it, and two men carried him down to the river. We halted there, and he asked me to hold his head up. I did so, – he grasped hold of my hand and shook it, and said, “it is too bad.” He put his hand in his pocket and gave me a book with $160 in it, but an officer came up and took the money away from me. The he raised his head and got hold of my hand, and said, “Sergeant, I am dying.” He shook my hand and fell over dead. That was the hardest thing I ever saw, – he never spoke a word to any one but me, – I couldn’t help thinking of it, and could not sleep last night. Col. Pettis ^[2] says I was entitled to the money, and that he will get it again. He would like to have seen the man take it from me. Well, it was rebel money, and was good for nothing more than a keepsake. There was a letter in the Rebel officer’s pocket with his name on it. He was a married man and has a little girl; his folks expected him home in a few days, but they will never see him again. I suppose they will feel bad when they hear of it. He was a fine looking fellow. On the field there were some with their arms, some with their legs, shot off, and others shot in every imaginable way. **

Your affectionate husband,

GEORGE.

Here’s a possibility for our letter-writer:

George H. Bellows

There is evidence that Military Examination Boards were set up to monitor the competence of Union officers. Perhaps Sergeant Bellows got in a little over his head.

1. ^[1]a handwritten 3 on the clipping at the Seneca Falls, NY public library↩
2. ^[2]Col. William H. Pettes↩