First Bull Run Alfred Ely Journal?

JPK Huson, ma'am;

You wrote:
Hahahaha! It's also funny, for some reason I kind of take people 'then' so seriously. Well, of course they were all exactly the same as we are now and if they all went out dressed up carrying picnic baskets to watch a battle, their peers would say the 1861 version of 'Huh?'. It was the first time I'd run across a referance to THAT attitude- found it delightful. I'm at least happy to say Calvin seems to have not taken fried chicken in a wicker basket with him, I guess that's something.

He did have 3 brothers in uniform. I haven't had time to compare their regimental records, as in who was where and when. I'm hoping to explain his lapse in judgement this way. The New York regiments mustered in early in the war had come to Washington, some stayed at Caspari's House, a hotel next to Congress I think which I guess was taken over to house troops for awhile. My grgrgrandfather, Calvin's brother, is listed as staying there we think ran the place at the time.( An awfully nice woman in DC found that for me. I don't have him listed as a relative in the war, because he mustered in and out in a month, NO idea why, as a Captain, then followed his brother to DC., then bought his own hotel after Calvin's death.) Anyway- I'm hoping Calvin's brotherly concern took him to the battlefield. That would be almost understandable. Almost! Makes me wish it were possible to go back in time, "NOOO, don't get into that carraige!".

During the Civil War, many a hotel, a boarding house and private residences were turned into military use. DC was a sleepy governmental town compared to current times. The edge of civilization in DC was "H" Street and the rest was farmland supporting DC's interior with meat, dairy and poultry, lumber and such. Houses were not joined at the hip and where townhouses were, they were small houses in width and triple in depth--Narrow but deep. Some went up three floors. With head-quarters for the Army in total, General Winfield Scott's office was on the third floor of the War Department, which is where the Old Executive Office Building is now, next door was the Navy Department. When all the volunteers came rushing in to serve, there wasn't enough room to house them all. So, being the amazing people they were back then, hospitality normal and shocking if doors slammed shut on anybody in need--rooms were rented and changed hands frequently by those serving. Many homes turned into hospitals, especially in Georgetown. Many a hotel were turned into hospitals immediately after First Bull Run/Manassas.

In looking through the Official Records of the Rebellion, if there is an address in Washington, D.C. aka Washington, City--I jot them down. The area of Independence Avenue, between the Smithsonian Castle and the Air and Space Museum, on the south side of the street, were a string of brothels. That is where poor General Hooker gets his name stuck to the illegal profession--his troops had been placed there due to lack of space elsewhere. Having worked as a police officer in DC, I can picture that place extremely well. I was fortunate enough to be there before the alleys were built up/destroyed in the name of progress. I found the rear of Ford's Theater amazing and so 'telling'--unfortunately it hasn't survived past 1975. The alley was brick lined, with a center square "commons" that used to be a stable and a little pen for the horses outside their stall were kept, the carriage house and above that the coachman's quarters, etc. Like most city blocks, it housed only the residents of that block. The rear of Ford's Theater for example, three and one-half stories tall, windows were in the back on the top two levels, where I imagine the props were stored and like old barns--had a beam jutting out with a pulley with two doors that could probably fit a small car through. This loft would have been an interesting experience. The door where Booth escaped was still there though it was grated over by a door to prevent people breaking in. But, I could imagine seeing Booth escape, out the door--mounted on his "rent-a-horse" then spurring the horse out of the alley which only had one entry on the north side and south side respectively--Booth taking the north exit explains why the identification tag on the rental horse was found at 9th and F. Street, N.W. and turned over to the D.C. Police back then.

The addresses mean a lot to me knowing this City well in the 1970's before it got built up even more. Space being a premium. But, knowing the address of General Stoneman's residence and head-quarters, get an "Ah Hah" moment as to how General John Buford (Cavalry hero of Gettysburg) was attended to by a Doctor so often--it is due to the Hospital Finley a block away. Buford died in Stoneman's house, minutes after being made Major-General.

I just wish everybody else had the same ability to put themselves in the places where I've been to appreciate history even more and have these nuggets of information make everything much clearer.

Now here is why that place Calvin was at is so important:
O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME LI/1 [S# 107]
Union Correspondence, Orders, And Returns Relating To Operations In Maryland, Eastern North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia (Except Southwestern), And West Virginia, From January 1, 1861, To June 30, 1865.--#2

Abstract from return of the volunteer troops stationed in the Department of Washington, Col. Joseph K. F. Mansfield, U.S. Army, commanding, for April 30, 1861.
O Officers. A Aggregate present.
M Men. B Aggregate present and absent.
P Present for duty.

-------P------
Posts. Garrisons. Commanders. O M A B
Capitol 6th Massachusetts Infantry.(a) Col. Edward F. Jones 47 546 633 633
Do 7th New York Infantry.(b) Col. Marshall Lefferts 39 772 833 837
Do 8th Massachusetts Infantry.(c) Col. Timothy Munroe 42 465 517 696
Navy-Yard 71st New York Infantry.(d) Col. Abram S.Vosburgh 25 677 702 806
Inauguration Hall 5th Pennsylvania Infantry.(d) Col. Robert P. McDowell 38 607 671 752
Treasury 5th Massachusetts Infantry.(e) Col. Samuel C. Lawrence 48 717 787 787
Patent Office 1st Rhode Island Infantry.(f) Col. Ambrose E. Burnside 53 1,019 1,104 1,112
Assembly Rooms(*) 12th New York Infantry.(e) Col. Daniel Butterfield 39 819 870 898
Caspari's House, Capitol Hill. 25th New York Infantry.(g) Col. Michael K. Bryan 34 417 469 488
Capitol Pennsylvania Volunteers (5 companies).(h) .... 15 475 497 503
Do District of Columbia Volunteers. Col. Charles P. Stone 21 468 523 547
At different points within the District. do do 107 2,038 2,242 2,356
Total .... .... 508 9,020 9,848 10,415

((Note: DO means ditto))
 
Medical/Surgical History--Part III, Volume II
Chapter X.--Wounds And Injuries Of The Lower Extremities.
Section I.--Flesh Wounds Of The Lower Extremities.

CASES 87-93.--Private J. S. Degolia, Co. A, 76th Pennsylvania, aged 32 years, wounded at Drury's Bluff, May 16, 1864. Surgeon A. Heger, U. S. A., described the injury and its result as follows: "The patient was admitted to the Point Lookout Hospital May 19th, having been wounded by a musket ball entering the right hip at the external and posterior aspect, passing across, over the pubes, to the left thigh, and downward toward the knee, wounding the great vessels of the left side, and making its exit one inch above the knee, on the external surface. On May 24th, the femoral artery was ligated above the wound two inches below Poupart's ligament. The patient was much prostrated from the severity of the wound and loss of blood. Stimulants were used, and warm applications to the limb. Repeated haemorrhage required the ligation of the external iliac on May 29th. The patient died, of gangrene, June 1, 1864. The first operation was performed by Surgeon A. Heger, U. S. A., and the second by Surgeon J. H. Thompson, U. S. V."--Private W. S. Marshall, Co. E, 11th Pennsylvania Reserves, aged 26, wounded at Gaines' Hill, June 27, 1862. Assistant Surgeop C. Wagner, U. S. A., reported that the patient was admitted into Hammond Hospital with a "gunshot wound of the right thigh and false aneurism of the femoral artery. The aneurism measured six and a quarter inches in its longest diameter. Dr. Wagner ligated the femoral near Poupart's ligament. On September 6th, haemorrhage to the extent of forty ounces occurred from the femoral artery. Dr. Wagner then tied the external iliac. The bleeding did not recur. The patient died September 16, 1862, from exhaustion."--Private H. Locke, Co. H, 6th Vermont, aged 23 years, wounded at the Wilderness, May 5, 1864. Surgeon Henry Janes, U. S. V., reported, from Sloan Hospital, Montpelier: "Gunshot wound, right thigh; ligation of femoral and iliac arteries for secondary haemorrhage. Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps December 5, 1864."--Sergeant-Major L. C. Sears, 5th New Hampshire, aged 22 years, wounded at Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862. Surgeon T. Antisell, U. S. V., reported from Harewood Hospital, Washington: "A conical ball entered the right thigh two inches below Poupart's ligament. On the morning of December 19th there was a slight haemorrhage from the wound. Search was made for the ball without result. A counter opening was made and a seton inserted. He remained very comfortable until the 22d instant, when a severe haemorrhage occurred, which necessitated the tying of the femoral in the ward, by Dr. Antisell. On Sunday, January 4, 1863, there occurred a haemorrhage which was arrested by means of styptics and compression. Another haemorrhage followed on the evening of January 7th, which could not be controlled by styptics. Search was made for the bleeding vessel without result. The patient lost much blood. On the following morning, January 8th, the patient was again brought into the operating room and the wound was carefully explored, but the bleeding vessel was not found. The operation of tying the external iliac artery was then performed by Dr. Antisell, in the hope of arresting the haemorrhage permanently. The operation was no sooner completed than there was a welling up of blood from the point from which the previous haemorrhage had proceeded. Styptics and compression were applied, and the patient was returned to the barrack. Stimulants and beef-tea were freely given, and warmth was applied to the extremities to restore reaction. He revived toward evening, and remained sensible and quite comfortable until the evening of the 10th instant. He died January 11, 1863, from exhaustion."--Lieutenant J. A. McQuillan, Co. I, 38th Ohio, aged 25 years, wounded near Atlanta, July 29, 1864. Surgeon J. H. Phillips, U. S. V., reported, from Hospital No. 1, Chattanooga: "Gunshot wound of right thigh. Haemorrhage occurred on September 20th, thirty ounces of blood being lost. The femoral artery was ligated September 20th, in the wound, which was gangrenous. On the 26th, the haemorrhage again returned, and it being found impossible to ligate it again in the wound, the external iliac was ligated just above Poupart's ligament, after which the haemorrhage did not recur, but the gangrene continued, and the patient sank, and died October 2, 1864."--Private R. B. Corn-well, Co. A, 23d Ohio, aged 23 years, wounded at South Mountain, September 14, 1862. Assistant Surgeon W. E. Waters, U. S. A., reported from Caspari Hospital that the patient died November 3, 1862, of peritonitis. Acting Assistant Surgeon L. Heard reported:frown:1) "The shot had entered some four inches below Poupart's ligament, over the track of the femoral artery. An examination gave evidence that the femoral artery had been wounded and that a traumatic aneurism was forming. Water dressing was applied till the 29th, when compression by means of a horse-shoe tourniquet was made, and continued until Octo-bet 4th. On October 10th, Drs. J. F. May and Shippen, assisted by Drs. Hall and Seeley, ligated the femoral artery. Ligatures were placed on the cardiac and distal sides, and the vessel was divided between the two ligatures. On the sixth or seventh day bleeding occurred, which was soon arrested and a tourniquent placed upon the limb. In about a fortnight after the oper-orion the proximal ligature came away of itself, with knot and loop at the end. On October 30th, profuse secondary haemor-rhage took place, which greatly reduced the strength of the patient. Dr. May ligated the external iliac artery. The patient gradually sank, and died November 3, 1862."--Sergeant J. K. Zeiders, Co. I, 53d Pennsylvania, aged 19 years, wounded near Gettysburg, July 3, 1863. Acting Assistant Surgeon W. V. Keating reported, from Broad Street Hospital, Philadelphia: "Gunshot flesh wound of the right thigh by a conical ball. The wound sloughed, and secondary haemorrhage occurred from the femoral artery on July 28th. The haemorrhage recurring on August 4th, Acting Assistant Surgeon A. Hewson ligated the femoral artery just above Scarpa's triangle, and on August 11th again ligated the vessel higher up. The thigh became somewhat oedematous; by October 28th the wounds of the previous ligations had nearly healed externally. A sinus extended into the tissues below, which were found to be in a softened broken-down condition; ligature separated. On October 8th, Dr. Hewson administered ether and ligated the external iliac artery through a curved incision about three inches long; about six ounces of blood lost. October 25th, slight haemorrhage from point of ligature, and another in the afternoon, amounting in all to about six ounces; controlled by styptics to wound and oil of turpentine and veratrum viride internally. Pulse 130 and weak." The patient was discharged from service May 14, 1864.
========================================

What would first become barracks in 1861, many of these hotels became hospitals. That location being one of them.

In volunteer units, officers were elected. All voted and by popular vote, they would elect their officers and non-commissioned officers. It isn't abnormal to see someone voted into a rank of Captain and disappear into a different rank, for example a Private the next.

M. E. Wolf
 
OH MY GOSH. I simply did not see this previously, I'm sorry! I've literally been living out of a suitcase lately, helping care for an ill relative and flying back and forth between home and there, trying ( NOT successfully ) to remember various wifi passwords for the laptop. :smile: No idea how I managed to miss THIS, and thanks much! I'll have to print it out to make sure I get a chance to really re-read, too. It's beyond fascintating. My son is going on one of those school field trips to DC ths month, and is getting explicit instructions on the section of latitude and longitude where sat Caspari's House. I want photos, even if it's now as I suspect a bland government building.

I'm off to pack once again, must get this printed. I TRULY appreciate this, thanks again. The only problem will be not driving into a tree while attempting to read it in the car. Hopefully not an entire month will pass before I get this processed, I know what I'll be doing to pass the time in the middle of the night while on sick duty this week, to be sure!
 
  • [PDF]
    The Responds to the Crisis of 1861

    dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/AnsweringTheCall_Person.pdf
    Massachusetts Regiment had arrived at the capital with some. Pennsylvania militia, but it ... American War, and was currently a private soldier in the 6th ... occupied the Casparis House, following its arrival on April 29. The 71st ... CivilWar.16. A corporal of ... The 25th NYSM was posted at the toll-gate and Vose's Hill, on the ...
  • Union Blue and Militia Gray: The Role of the New ...

    dmna.ny.gov/historic/reghist/civil/UnionBlue/UnionBlueChap2.htm
    Apr 6, 2006 ... in the Civil War - .... The 6th Massachusetts had arrived at the capital with some ... Bryan occupied the Casparis House, following its arrival on 29 April. ... The 25th N.Y.S.M. was posted at the toll-gate and Vose's Hill, on the ...
    [ More results from dmna.ny.gov ]

Aftermath

www.13thmass.org/1862/new_leaders.html
May 12, 2011 ... Band" from "The Civil War Letters of Edwin Rice," ed. by Ted Perry, 1975, ... Walker from "Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and ... Hall's Hill, where we are encamped, is in sight of the Capitol. ...... The Casparis Hospital is situated just south of the Capitol, on high ground – a fine airy situation.
 
Oh, my grgrgrandfather Wm. Henry Huson, Calvin's brother, is listed in the books as being at Caspari's also- maddening not to know more than that although it's something to do with the whole New York connection. He later bought a 'public house' in DC, may have worked at Caspari's previously or just stayed there.

'Seeley' is a very 'New York', Lake District name- interesting and also maddening not to have time to go track Dr. Seeley down right NOW. I have 2 or 3 three x grandparents who were Seeleys.

I do think an extremely good book would be one from inside DC, knowing as you do, from both perspectives, 1861-65 and now. I think I mentioned to the historian who wrote to me that Elisha Rhode's diary, the portion of it where he's stationed in Washinton and works there, was like eating one potato chip! You got a few fabulous glimpses of day to day life, then it was gone leaving you wanting an awful lot more, you know?

Rats, time is getting on today. I just know I'm going to drive into the nearest tree, not wanting to leave all this behind! :smile:
 
Well, this hospital had to be off of South Capitol Street--being that I used to patrol that area, it would be around Maryland Avenue, SW before it drops down towards the waterfront. Rayburn Building area, etc.

Architect for the U.S. Capitol's office 'may' have a bit more about where it was other than the map shown in one of the links I provided.

Please don't kiss any trees with your automobile -- drive safely please :thumbsup::smile:


M. E. Wolf
 
Hahahahaha! I need to figure out how to do that Kindle thing where it talks to you after you stick something on it- would make my insurance man happy!

I keep trying to Google Caspari's, so these links are MOST helpful, thank you! It seems to have been a repository for troops, first ( New York troops appear to proliferate after the first call-up ), and a hospital, not to mention where big-wigs slept. That would no doubt have been because of location, not eliteness despite that whole bowling-with-Abe thing. :smile: I'm not sure how many people would have thought hanging out with the President was at all prestigious in those days anyway, depending on which battle was freshly behind the poor guy.

My son arrived home from DC with exactly one photo of the Lincoln memorial, 16 photos of a Revolutionary War gunboat he thought I'd like because he thought it was a CW gunboat ( The Phildelphia, sunk in Lake Champlain in 1776 ) and a 26.00 Jimmy Henrix Tshirt I suppose because Hendrix was Vice President WHEN? I think I'm going to have to plan a trip with these addresses logged into the GPS, although will be on foot and public transportaion. No way will there be an attempt to drive in DC! Plus it'd be as bad as trying to drive through Gettysburg-you just cannot, there's tooooo much to look at! Another nightmare for one's insurance agent. Gosh, if only they all knew that Civil War geeks are high-risk customers- premiums would sky-rocket!

With my largely imaginary 'spare' time today, will be pursuing links, thanks VERY much once again! I still feel a book on war-time DC would end up on a few best-seller lists. These little glimpses I keep getting are just maddening. Any I've seen tend to be extremely heavy on the politics of the time. 'Team of Rivals', for instance, is an amazing book just so specific. I'd love to see 'plain old' life in Washington, '61 to '65, who knows from exactly what or whose perspective- there's so much! For instance, my grgrgrandparents moved there from New York in '60, we think in support of the brother running for Congress, owned a public house, were at Caspari's for some time. The more glimpses you get, the more fascinating it is to 'see' the city during that time, the reason the CW happened and the middle of the great cog. It'd be a long book. :D
 
I'm thrilled beyond, BEYOND belief. I do see other folks here and there have had ancestors show up as having been at Caspari's Hotel/Hospital. I have reason to have had to pay more attention to this place in DC lately, ( no Naval engagements near Pennsylvania Ave, who knew? ) and this morning feel like stopping people on the street to inform them of this find. Not wishing to be thrown into jail as a public nuisance, will post it here. Anyway, for anyone with NY troops, ancestors who came to DC following the first call up, and for those who are listed as in the hospital of that name- or have a politician who lived there, same place. This is it.

BTW, Lincoln bowled here, cool thought, huh? He was held to be pretty darn good at it too- a likely event for a man who grew up famously splitting wood.

I also found my grgrgrandfather at Caspari's, on a tax assesment, althought the person who wrote it was extremely confused and didn't know what on EARTH 'a' Caspari's WAS- he wrote something else entirely, which took some untangling, let me tell you! The word the guy wrote did not exist in DC- believe me, I looked, it's Caspari's alright.

PHOTO!!! I know this building is in other shots, but am not conversant enough with the layout of the streets of DC ( yet ) to be able to pick it out. This shot was LUCKY, lucky, lucky because it caught the side of the building with the sign-became visible on the blowup!!

washington sometime midlate1800s casparis.jpg
 
If anyone's interested in Washington, DC, the past, there's an amazing, amazing website I bumped into. It does not feature entirely Civil War era photos, but 100% are at least 'vintage'. Someone is collecting photographs in the city proper, identifying them with their addresses and posting them in BEAUTIFUL form-has to be seen to be believed. As a museum it's flattening, as a resource, it's a gift. The web builder really, REALLY know their stuff, too- the mouse over whatever small photo identifies the address, or you can click through the full-size version.

It's called theruinedcapitol.com Vanished:Washington-The architectual eulogy of what was Washington DC by Jacobsen Architecture. I'm terrible at creating links or would have done so, please excuse.
 
It's wonderful when you find there's thing out for me it is about family I am a older man now and as I get older I realize its not about how much you have but the people around you and the love you have for each other when I die and we all will I want my family to say he was a good father and husband and my life well be complete
 
That was perfectly charming, Civilken. I'm guessing your family will have exactly that to say, but hopefully not for a good, long while. It's funny, my grgrgruncle Calvin's family did pretty much say that about him, fortunately for us it was reprinted in newspapers, left for History to discover. I've gotten to know the man fairly well over the time I've intrusively dug around in his life- a hugely decent man, genuinely interested in the welfare of people, sharp without sharpening his wits on other's egos, fall-down funny, pretty much worshipped his wife and was a big softy with his children, I'm guessing as a result was useless as a discipliarian , we all know the type.

It amounts to the same thing, what matters. You wrapped it up extremely well.
 
there was several mentions of Alfred in songs. And there was one song "Afred Ely " to the Air: sweet Betsey from Pike. "As I rode down to Manassas one day, with heart light as air and spirit so gay, to handcuff the rebels, the southern pelf, the ills meant for others, came on my poor self.
 
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