The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-11-14
A WOMAN AT THE FRONT.
MRS. HOwE'S WARTIME EXPERIENCE
lFrom the Portland Press.l

late Mrs. Caroline Dana Howe refer
ence was made to her experience dur
ing the Rebellion, when she was one of
q party of ladies who visited the Union
army under Grant and were exposed to
some of the dangers of actual war. Mrs.
Howe was, in fact, actually hit by a
nearly spent bullet which graZed her
ear. Many years after the war MI.
Nathan GOold of this city loaned to
Mrs. Howe copy of the report of the
adiutant general of the State of Maine
covering the period of Mrs. Howe's
brief military experience. In returning
the book she sent Mr.. Good letter
which. SO far as known. contains the
only account she ever wrote Of her
visit to the army on the James.
Mrs. Howe's story of her trip to the
scene of conflict is clear, with one ex-
ception, and there, with little exercise
of the Imagination, it is easy to picture
the Confederate cannon firing over the
heads of the OutpOsts OF the Union
army and dropping its shot near where
the Northern ladies were standing. just
whom Mrs. Howe meant by the gen
eral toward the north" concerning
whom she talked with Grant, she does
not explain, but apparently she became,
unknown to herself, messenger 10
take to Washington news OF GRANTS
dissatisfaction with General Franz 81
gel, who was at that time IN command
at Harper's Ferry. There is no DOUBT
that Grant distrusted Sigel, who al
though he had in early life served with
distinction as a soldier in his native
land had met with many reverses dur
ing his career in the Union army. 1t
was lust after Mrs. Howe's visit to the
front that Lee sent Early north in a
dash which threw Washington into
panic and was probably planned by the
Confederate commander-in-ch chief in the
hone that it would lead Grant to take
action which would weaken his position
before Petersburg. Sigel was in Early's
path but succeeded in establishing him.
self on Maryland Heights and stuck
there, notwithstanding efforts to dis
lodge him. Still his course was not
such as to commend him to his supe-
riors. Nicolay and Hay in their life OF
Lincoln say:
1.-THE dissatisfaction of General Grant
and General Hallock with General Franz
Sigel had, however, now reached us
climax, and he was finally removed
from command" This was on the 7th
of July. Evidently Grants talk with
Mrs. Howe had been repeated to the
President with view to influencing
him in favor of the change desired at
Harper's Ferry.
Mrs. Howe's letter, which has never
been published, is as follows:
Portland, August %, 1898.
353 Cumberland Street.
Mr.. Nathan Goold,
Dear Sir,-Let me say that L 1ouno
so much of interest in your volume
| (Adiutant Generals ReporO that L
| could not let it out of my hands any
sooner. For was week at the head
| quarters of the army in June, 1864. The
| committee on the conduct of the war
were to be sent by President Lincoln to
| the front to examine the mine to be
exploded under the enemy's works.
| This committee with Senators Wade
| and Chandler as leaders, requested
| permission to take their wives along on
| the Baltimore which was chartered for
the occasion, and |, as guest OF Presl-
| dent Lincolns friends in Washington,
was of the party.
We went down to Fortress Monroe
and under strong guard rode through
| the ranks of rebel prisoners, 5000 IN
number. Mrs. Butler and daughter
| Joined us there, making in all seven
ladies: Mrs. Benjamin v AIDE, Mrs.
| Zacha1iah Chandler, Mrs. Custer Mrs.
/ kellogg and Mrs. Howe. From there
we went direct to City Point, General
! Grants headquarters, and renamed
with him two days, the committee
meanwhile examining the mine TO De
1 exploded in week or so under the
I rebel fort. Generals Custer, Sheridan,
/ ingalls, and Weitzel were with us IN
| few hours after our arrival on the
| Baltimore. We had band and a
uuadrille that night on the steamer.
| The band was led by Cole of Portland
as | found out ten years afterwards,
he living all those years i'll sight of my
windows.
From there we sailed to General
Buffers headquarters at Bermuda
| Hundred on the James. The sixth
regiment was there for three days,
General Butler entertaining us, for we
were from our steamer on the james.
One of the aMuSements afforded US
was the turning of rebel cannon which
brought us directly facing many thou
sand rebel soldiers Jour army lying
between us of course) 1t was three
| minutes of extreme danger, as he after
ward explained, for had it been known
that these were the committee on the
conduct of the war mot one would
have been living" which was true, |
suppose There was serious skirmish
of the pickets while we were at break
fast one morning too, and Butler was
summoned. The ladies lost their color
just then. Every fifteen minutes, too,
the death dealing shells were seen and
heard bursting over Petersburg from
our line and the explosions were fear
full to see as we'll as hear. We went to
the pontoon bridge, too, over the
Appomattox and to the Point of Rocks.
Meanwhile the signal gs were dip
ping and conveying their messages far
and near by day and the swinging
lamps by night, the tramp, tramp,
tramp of the sentinels mingling with
the unaccustomed sounds and sights.
Can you imagine what this all meant
to me? 1t is but fractional part,
though.
Butler had just got ready his i'm
mense kite with its thousands of print
ed assurances to the rebels that if they
were suffering for food and came to
our ranks they would find plenty and
not be made to fight against their own.
Many deserters came in that night (for
the papers had gone straight on the
west wind to the rebels camp and we
heard him examine them in his hIunt