In November he was elected to the State Legislature, as a There he was an active member of

Conservative Republican. the Committee on Finance, no easy post in Massachusetts in war time. The session lasted until April 30th, 1862; and his services were thus mentioned, in a letter written after his death, by Honorable A. H. Bullock, then Speaker of the House, and now Governor: "In the session of 1862 I became warmly attached to Colonel Rodman, and our friendship ripened into intimacy. His frank and gallant bearing, as an associate among gentlemen, attracted the appreciation of all. His marked intelligence and honorable purposes commanded the respect of the House."

During the summer following, at a time when recruiting moved heavily in New Bedford, Rodman decided to raise a company for the war, and showed such zeal that he was ultimately commissioned Major of the Thirty-eighth Massachusetts, dating from August 19th, 1862. The regiment left the State on September 24th, and was encamped near Baltimore until November 10th, when it sailed for New Orleans, with General Banks's expedition. During the period of delay, Rodman wrote with his accustomed frankness: "I am green as a leek, but pick up constantly, and manage pretty well." This admission makes it the more interesting to read in his letters the record of steady progress and of final mastery.

Camp Belger, Baltimore, MD., September 5, 1862. "So you see we are not likely to have a mere picnic party out of our military life, but shall probably have our share of hard knocks before I see New Bedford again. I believe I am all ready to take my chance, come when it may. We are very unconcerned. You may have heard me remark upon the strange mental change enlistment makes. Being bound to go where sent, and resolved to do one's best, seems to calm one's excitement; and it is rather an effort than otherwise to read the newspaper, or look at maps. You have had a vast deal more of excitement of the recent battles than we have...

“November 4, 1862. [After orders to move.]-There is a thousand times more chance of making a reputation in one of these expeditionary corps, than if we were swamped in the large mass of

regiments in the Army of the Potomac. These outside movements will be like pictures in the one-day-to-be-written history of the

war.

“December 4. — How does the old Academy flourish? I hope for the Allens' sake, excellently well. I must resign my secretaryship of the Board. Tell Ned he must be my successor, and he must enter my military rank in the records somehow. It will be the first instance of such a record among the Quakers. I won't resign my trusteeship, however.

“Fanuary 16, 1863.—Every day this week I have been attending a court-martial, . and it is a great nuisance; for it takes me from my regiment, and I am losing the invaluable opportunity of making myself a good commander. You can't imagine how it galls There is no escape, and it may last a month.

me.

“February 4. — None did so well as the Thirty-eighth; we did not make a single mistake. Were twice complimented by General Emory. First, when we passed in review, he said, 'The Thirtyeighth is doing finely.' This to his staff; and subsequently in the drill, when we were the only regiment which went through an important movement all right, in a tone to be heard all over the field, 'Very well done, that Massachusetts regiment on the left.’

"These are little things, to be sure, but they are gratifying to officers and men. One great thing we have gained, and that is in the gratification experienced by the men, who have their regimental pride stimulated immensely.

“February 9. — We had made up our minds to a lively enterprise with danger in it, but one likely to be successful, and give us a little reputation; and now, after a week tied up to the levee, we are on our way down to Carrolton.

“February 23. —I find plenty to do in camp, and am never so contented as when attending to my duties here.

"As to the absurd twaddle about 'the Union as it was,' I am astonished that men of sense can indulge in such ridiculous nonsense. It is infernal humbug, all of it.

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People may argue and speechify as much as they please, they can't help it. This is a revolution, and must result in a complete reorganization of social systems, and all the old fogies in Christendom can't prevent it. Lord, how I wish I could put a few hundreds of the stay-at-homes into a regiment, and put them on knapsack drills whenever they opened their mouths to say a word on public affairs.

February 24. By the way, I see that Bob Shaw and Norwood Hallowell are to be field officers of the Massachusetts blacks. I suppose they are much laughed at. I can't say I want to have anything to do with black troops, but I respect these young men for the part they have taken. They do it from principle, and are worthy of admiration. The organization of a black army is a grand experiment, which may be productive of splendid results, not only to the negro race, but the country. I saw last night an extract from Higginson's report of his Florida expedition, which is certainly encouraging, and should disarm the sneering sceptic for a while at least.

"The balls, theatricals, and operas revive pleasant memories, but I don't want yet to join in them; but if the war is ever over, and I live to see the end, I have no doubt I shall enjoy again just such things, for I feel as young as ever. . . . . I never was better in my life. Life in the open air and sleeping in a tent are just suited to my case. I have hardly had an ache or a pain or a symptom of any kind whatever since I entered the service. . .

"March 9.—We have doubtless a hard fight before us, but the troops are in good order, and high spirits. The stir and movement of the day of final preparation have been exhilarating in the extreme, after the monotony of camp life. . . . . The Thirty-eighth is all ready. I mean to do my duty. I don't feel as if I were to suffer; but, come what may, be assured of my unalterable love for you.

“March 29. — It will be a disappointment to have to give up all idea of taking part in any of the great scenes which we hope will go far towards ending the war, but something may turn up for us, and it is consoling to know that not always those most conspicuous are most useful. I shall be content to play an insignificant part, if the war can be brought to a close.

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April 18. — On road to Opelousas. It was pitch-dark; we rolled ourselves in our blankets and slept in line of battle. [April 13, date included in the foregoing.] Their artillery sent a shower of shell over our heads, and the zip-zip of the bullets was ever in one's ears; but although some came near, none were hit. I had, like most men, expected to be a little scared; but somehow I was not in the least so, and our boys all made fun of every shot that came very near us. Meanwhile I had hard work to keep the men flat, as they wanted of course to see what was going on; and, moreover, we were in the midst of an abundance of very fine blackber

ries, to pick which required some wandering. . . . . At two o'clock I was ordered to prepare to advance, come what might, to a point within good musket-shot of the works.

"This time I found that uneasy might be the shoulder that wears a strap, for I should think I had a mighty good chance of being shot; for my passage across the field was greeted with particular attention, that I was willing to excuse for the future. I must have been in full sight, and was the only person mounted on the field. Then the former order was so far modified as to rescind the lying down part of it. Now the order stood, 'Go on, and if you reach the works go into them.' Charging more than three fourths of a mile of earthworks, with four thousand men at least, and eight pieces of artillery, with a line of skirmishers, let me tell you, is not a thing very often done; indeed, I do not think it was ever attempted. It looked like a forlorn hope at the start. My officers appreciated the nature of the attempt, and so did many of my men,

but no one thought of hesitating. I was, at twenty minutes past two, ordered to advance, and at the word 'Forward!' my men went off as if on skirmish drill. It was elegant! First my skirmishers, then my reserves. So handsome was the advance, that Colonel Currie, of the One Hundred and Thirty-third New York, who was in the thickest of the fight, on the other side of the bayou, and his men, gave three cheers. I heard the cheers, and thought it was some success over there. I had found, in my movement during the last quarter of an hour, that I was a spotted man. I was the only person mounted, and every now and then the bullets whistled round me thick, and I thought more of my gallant horse than I did of myself. I don't quite understand it now, but I did not feel afraid of being hit at all. I every now and then stopped to think about it, generally eating a few blackberries in a ditch, while cogitating upon the matter. The fact is, I don't think anybody was afraid, or if any, not more than one officer and a few men.

“Tuesday, April 14. — At the dawn of day the Fifty-third moved into the works and planted 'old glory' on the parapet, just about the time that Weitzel crowned the works on the other side. At seven o'clock we were ordered to go and do likewise, and our now baptized flag was placed on the lunette. At Franklin all went into a field to bivouac, very tired, but in high spirits. We learned that we have taken twelve hundred prisoners, and that the Diana was blown up by the Rebs themselves, while the Queen of the West was destroyed by the Arizona. We began to think ourselves be

coming famous; and the boys forgot their sore feet, and ceased to grumble because they had not eaten meat twice since Satur

day.

Friday, April 17. — General Emory came up with me on the march the other day, and said, 'Colonel, I am glad to see you. How is my old Thirty-eighth to-day? You did elegantly, elegantly. I thanked him and said, 'General, I am glad you are satisfied. We did what we could; but my regiment, deployed as skirmishers along a line of three fourths of a mile, could not take an equal length of earthworks.' The old fellow shrugged his shoulders, and with his pleasant smile said, in his prettiest way, 'You did all that was expected of you, and more.' . . . . I think we did as well as any regiment in the corps would have done. Not to do so would have been disgraceful to us all, and I would not have my darling mother and loving little sister blush for me.

"May 3.— Dr. Ward and I are the only really tough ones. My knock-about out-door life tells now, and I don't wilt down like these shade-grown men. Perhaps my time will come, but certes I was never better than now.

“May 7.—It is very hard to blow up the weary wretches, and make them believe you are very savage, when you are overflowing with sympathy.

“May 8.— With the breaking up of slavery, which I hope will follow this war, possibly these great places may be shorn of their magnificence. I don't wonder the owners deprecate such a fate. I can't, however, sympathize with them. May all these results of the vile system vanish, say I. . . . . I am told that strong signs of Union feeling are found in this vicinity. I doubt all such yarns. The chivalry are not to be trusted.

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Tuesday, May 26, 9 o'clock, A. M. I have just had a stirring hour, occasioned by the arrival of Colonel Nelson with his native Louisianian (black) infantry, one thousand strong, who halted in our midst awhile, and attracted much attention. I was interested to see how my men would regard such neighbors, and was glad to see there was not much merriment and no contempt, even among the Irishmen. The general impression was that they were a fine lot of men, and will fight. Colonel Nelson and all his officers are convinced they are to distinguish themselves; and Nelson tells me he and his niggers, according to the programme, are to make the assault, and he has no doubt of his colors being taken into the town first. If they fight well, and Port Hudson falls, the great problem of 'Will the blacks fight?' will be solved forever. It is a question