Introduction
The regimental
history, Three Years in the Army, by Charles E. Davis, Jr. is silent
regarding the detached service of Company C at Monocacy &
Frederick
City Junction in September,
1861. Contemporary newspaper accounts, the 2 letters of
Albert
Liscom and the report of Captain John Kurtz to Col. Leoanard provide
some information. A couple others commented on the
company's duties in letters written from Darnestown.
Sergeant-Major Elliot C. Pierce wrote to his sister Fanny:
“Capt Kurtz of Co C. stationed at Frederick is the one that broke up
the Maryland Legislature taking 18 prisoners you see the 13th is at
work.”
Llewellyn Jones of
Company G also commented:
“Company C. Capt. Kurtz stationed at Frederick City arrested twenty
three of the secession representatives of the Maryland Legislature who
were about to meet and in all probability would have passed the
secession ordinance. It has effectually broken up the
legislature.”
In "Battlecry of
Freedom," author James McPherson writes:
"After
Confederate victory in the battle of Manassas on July 21,
secessionists in Maryland became bold again. A special
session of the legislature in August rang with rhetoric denouncing the
“gross usurpation, unjust, tyrannical acts of the President of the
United States.”* By the time another extra session
was scheduled to meet on September 17, the administration was alarmed
by reports of a plot of a simultaneous Confederate invasion of
Maryland, insurrection in Baltimore, and enactment of secession by the
legislature. Lincoln decided to take drastic
action. Union troops sealed off Frederick (where the
legislature was meeting) and arrested thirty–one secessionist members
along with numerous other suspected accessories to the plot."
The precise role
Capt. Kurtz and Company C played in these arrests is
uncertain. Perhaps he was in command of the overall troops that
participated in the arrests. Only elements of the 3rd
Wisconsin
are mentioned in news accounts. The primary duty of Company C, was to
guard the railroad and river crossings at
Monocacy and montior regional traffic to suppress aid to the
rebellion. A week before the arrests, Capt Kurtz
writes to Col Leonard:
"General Banks thought we ought to have more troops here and as the
legislature meet in Frederick next week it would no doubt be
politic to have enough somewhere near to intimidate them, and thus
prevent the passage of a Secession Ordinance, they have in the Barracks
at Frederick some Eight hundred men without Arms and the officers are
all “plebes” and their moral effect is little or nothing in this
vicinity. I did not know that such a meeting was to be held
when the Genl was here or I should have called his attention to it."
Albert Liscom does not mention the arrests at
all, but neither does he mention the resignation of Captain Kurtz.
Permission from the
Government was give to
Governor John Andrew of
Massachusetts to raise 10 additional regiments for the Union War
effort. Andrew apparently decided to offer John Kurtz, a
Lieutenant-Colonel's commission in the 23rd Mass. We know
this
because Kurtz resigned from the 13th on September 25th. First
Lieutenant William H. Jackson was promoted captain to replace
Kurtz.
On this page
is Capt. Kurtz's report to Col. Leonard just quoted, and his
biography. There are two letters of Private Albert Liscom,
and an
interesting newsclipping from the Frederick Examiner.
Artist
Alfred Waud sketched the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad bridge
across the Monocacy in 1864. Company C picketed the bridge
and searched passengers suspected of aiding the Secessionists.
*"Battlecry of Freedom" p.
289; McPherson’s footnote reads Jean H. Baker, The Politics
of
Continuity: Maryland Political Parties form 1858 to 1870
(Baltimore, 1973), 58.
PICTURE CREDITS: All
maps and images are from the
Library of Congress Digital
Collections with the following exceptions: The Monocacy
Aquaduct
from the National Park Service Collection accessed via
www.crossroadsofwar.org; Frederick Junction Depot is from the
Maryland Historical Trust, www.mdihp.net; The same site today is from
www.trainweb.org/oldmainline; Roland Morris courtesy of Tim Sewell;
Captain John Kurtz and First Lieutenant William H. Jackson from the Army
Heritage Education
Center, AHEC, Mass. MOLLUS Collection, Carlisle, PA; ALL
IMAGES HAVE BEEN EDITED IN
PHOTOSHOP.
Return
to Top of Page
Letter of Albert Liscom,
Company C
Pictured
is Frederick City Junction of the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad not far from the Monocacy Bridge. Captain Kurtz's
report to
Col. Leonard is addressed from this station. Albert Liscom
describes this depot in the following letter.
Frederick
Junction Sept
5th 1861
Thursday
Morning
Dear
Parents &
Sister
We
left Sandy Hook last Tuesday morning with all
but two companies of our regt. Our
company expected to start on Monday. We
had orders to strike tents we got already to start and expected every
moment
orders to move. We waited all day in the
hot sun and at night had orders to pitch tents.
We did not know what we had waited for nor what we were to stop for,
but
went to work and pitched our tents. Some of us then got outside the
line on
pretence of going for water and went off in search of some supper, we
went
about half a mile to a log house kept by a free negro who is the father
of
eighteen children – the boys had been there a number of times
before and always had a splendid meal, the
same as we got that night. I was not
very hungry and eat nothing but a few griddle cakes and drank some tea
– it was
tip top. The afternoon while we were
waiting the Chaplain who had gone to Harpers Ferry
to get the mail came riding into camp post haste with
P2 img
2559
the news that Co I was having a fight at the Ferry
(this was
their post) two companies immediately started off to the relief – but
Co I did
all the fighting. As near as we can find out there were about
fifty
rebels (Cavalry)
our boys emptied a number of saddles,
only one of our men was wounded – a ball passed through his wrist –
and
through his cartridge box making a wound in his hip – he is now doing
well. The next morning at four oclock we began to
pack up again after we got packed up – four of us went of to get some
breakfast
– we went to the negro’s but they were all ate out, we had to go about
a mile
to the house of a “sesesh” – we sat down to the table with the family
and had a splendid breakfast. We had ham
& eggs – fresh fish – whet bread – Johnny cake – fired apples –
nice honey
comb & coffee we paid twenty five cents a piece – they wer very
clever
people – we did not talk politics with them, we had two or three slaves
to wait
upon us – and one to stand with a bush and keep the flies off the
table.
When we got back to camp we found the
regiment all ready to start – with the exception of two companies which
were to
remain behind to guard the ferry – we marched about a mile to the canal
where
we all got on board boats with our baggage our teams went by the road –
we rode
twelve miles to
p3 Img 2560
Point of Rocks a little mean “sesesh” hole; with
about one
hundred and fifty inhabitants. The
twenty-eighth Pennsylvania
regiment is stationed there. Our regiment
left us there and went on to Hyattstown. We stopped there that night –
we slept
in an old bowling ally belonging to the Hotel – it was like
sleeping on the soft side of a rock but we have got quite used to such
things –
and do not mind a hard bed, we lie with our heads next to the side of
the
building with our feet next to each others we slept first rate – we
turned out
at five and loafed about until two in the afternoon when we took the
cars for
this place – twelve miles from Point of Rocks – it is the Baltimore
& Ohio
railroad. It is a pleasant ride from Harpers Ferry –
particularly on the canal – the scenery
is splendid all along the route. Besides
the bridge at Harpers Ferry we passed the Abutments of two more which
had been
burnt by the rebels they were very long bridges – not even a timber is
left –
the piers – six or seven to a bridge – are all left standing and are in
good
condition – one of the bridges is at Point of Rocks it was a railroad
bridge –
perhaps you recalled reading in the papers some time ago of a big rock
which
the rebels threw from a ledge over the railroad track – meaning to have
it
strike upon the track and obstruct the road – which we were at P. of R.
P4 img 2558
I sat upon the same rock.
I should think it was twenty feet long twelve or fifteen wide eighteen
or ten thick – it took them three days to work it over the ledge it
made
smashing work when it fell – the canal runs right side of the
railroad,
It is about eight feet lower - there is a
stone wall along the side – when the rock fell it struck the track –
grinding
it off down through the wall and buried itself deep in the ground –
about half
of it lies in the canal but does not obstruct it, it did not fall as
they
intended it should so that in about six hours the road was repaired so
that the
cars could run. We are in a very
pleasant place here – it is about two miles and a half from the City of
Fredericks – there is a depot with its buildings and two farm houses
which is
all we can see – we are here to guard three bridges and the
railroad
- we have to search the cars make every
passenger show a pass and then examine their baggage – there is a
company from
a Wisconsin regt stationed here now – but they are going to leave the
place to
us – we are on the line to Washington. I
believe it is about forty miles from here.
It is a rainy day and we are here in our tent writing, reading,
sleeping, talking &c there are eighteen
P5 img 2562
 of us in a tent we have to be
pretty close some
nights we
can hardly keep warm it is so cold – it is quite comfortable day times
but
nights it is quite cool.
since we have been out here
we have not suffered anymore with the heat than we should if we have
been in Boston
– our mess have got to go on guard tomorrow.
I have changed my mess and am now in mess two where I shall
stay.
I like it better – as there are many more of
the old happy family here –
there are Bosworth, Goldsmith, Dickinson, Seabury, D. Walker,
A. Johnson,
Collis, Morris, G. Ross and myself – we are all well and happy as
ever.
Rowland & Charly wish to be
remembered. Rowland says tell his folks
he received the box which they sent to him but no letter and has
received none
since – he says he shall not write until he receives one from them
because he
says he is mad – if you could see [Roland Morris of Co. C,
pictured, was one of the most popular men in the regiment.]
p6 img 2561
him you would not think so – he is a jolly boy –
remember me
to his folks – we heard that Bill had been appointed Lieutenant in
Wardwell’s
[?] regiment, we want to know if he is coming out here – we advise him
to stay
at home.
The boys are all
well and in good spirits. I have never
received but three or four papers from you – you no need to send any
more for
they are not very particular about forwarding them – the last letter
that I
received from you was dated the 25th
Aug.
tell Hannah I will write to her as soon as I
get a chance. We made a good haul this
afternoon we stopped two long freight cars filled with stores for a
country
store – they were mostly West India goods – they were directed to a man
in
Knoxville but there is no such man there.
Capt. has sent to Col Geary at Point of Rocks (who has command of our
company while we are here) to know what is to be done with
it.
Please write often Remember me with much love
to all inquiring friends – and accept much love from yours as ever
Albert
Note: Rowland is Roland B. Morris.
Bill is probably Bill White.
The buildings at the junction no longer stand.
The site today is still rural. The Frederick Branch
of the
railroad turns off to the right. The main B & O line to
the
left. The station stood between the tracks in the center of
the
picture. General Grant met with General Sherman here in 1864
during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. The picture is from
the website http://www.trainweb.org/oldmainline
Return
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of Contents
Letter of
Captain John Kurtz to Colonel Leonard
The main
duty of
the detached
company
was to protect the railroad bridge and search and screen passing
traffic coming and going from the
area.
Forty-eight year
old Captain Kurtz would
resign from the 13th Mass on
September 25th to accept from Massachusetts Governor John Andrew, a
Colonel's
commission in the 23rd Mass., then organizing
back home. Perhaps the captain refers to this when
he writes Col Leonard, in the following
letter,
"I am
not at all
cognizant of any such honors and therefore I think you
have been misinformed."
It seems
Colonel Leonard at
Darnestown received the news of the offer before Captain John Kurtz.
The intended promotion is mentioned in Albert Liscom's letter
of September 29th on this page.
"We
expect to
loose Capt
Kurtz
he has had an offer of a higher Commission he got a furlough for ten
days and has gone to Boston to see about it."
Kurtz
was officially commissioned Colonel of the 23rd Regiment on November 11th.
In the
following
correspondence, Captain Kurtz reports the recent activity at his post.
Captain John Kurtz to Colonel Samuel H. Leonard, 12 September 1861, Thayer Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society. Capt J. Kurtz
Camp Boston Sept 12th
1861.
Col S. H. Leonard
Dear Sir
Yours of
yesterday as well as of even date with this are before me. In
reply would say that I made out my pay rolls in quadruplicate before we
left Sandy hook. I gave the roll of them to Adj’t Bradlee +
kept one myself and I suppose that is all you want if not send word by
return of Mail.
Yours of yesterday relative to myself is
bran new I am not at all cognizant of any such honors +
therefore I think you have been misinformed.
 We had a visit yesterday
(Tuesday ) from
Genl Banks and Dix [General John A. Dix, pictured]
they held a long consultation, and afterwards
visited the different messes, in our Camp, the Guard turned out, and
they expressed themselves well pleased with all of our appointments
after strolling about here sometime they bid us good bye and left – We
are pretty well situated here our
business is somewhat delicate but as we get more accustomed to it we do
not find it so unpleasant; now and then we find an old,
knotly ugly specimen of a Secesh of the feminine gender and she calls
us pretty hard names + then we require her to empty out her dry goods
which she may have in her trunks, reticule, bags Buckets and if she
looks full chested her bosom also, and that takes the starch out of
them; they play bluff pretty well but we always go them better, and
finally they show their hands and we rake the board.
Sometimes they appeal to our generosity and then we smile + again they
look very fierce and threaten, and then we smile again, and finally
they come to the conclusion that it is outrageous and then we smile
again and say Amen! - Genl Banks thought we ought to have
more troops here and as the legislature meet in Frederick next week it
would no doubt be politic to have enough somewhere near to intimidate
them,
and thus prevent the passage of a Secession Ordinance, they have in the
Barracks at Frederick some Eight hundred men without Arms and the
officers are all “plebes” and their moral effect is little or nothing
in this vicinity. I did not know that such a meeting was to
be held when the Genl was here or I should have called his attention to
it. –
We have
in our possession five car loads of mdse [? merchandise?]
that we have stopped since our arrival here, and we are anxiously
expecting more. - I understand there is a Mail Stage from
Frederick to your Camp every other day, it goes down one day and comes
back the next we see it pass always, as our Camp is upon the Turnpike
- Lt Judson* says that the verdicts are all made up and that
Major Gould told him that he would sign them when the Regiment again
came together. –
*2nd Lt. Walter Judson
Colonel John Kurtz, 23rd Massachusetts
Volunteers; a biography
The
regimental history of the 23rd gives no record of his appointment but
does provide a biography of John Kurtz and his service with that
regiment.
The following is
from, "A record of
the
Twenty-third Regiment Mass. Vol. Infantry," by James
Arthur Emmerton; W. Ware & Co., 1886.
Nov., 25, 1862.
Colonel John Kurtz, who had been Provost-marshal in New Berne since
June
16, hurt by a severe reprimand from his superior officer for neglect of
an
order which, through negligence of the messenger, he had never
received,
resigned, and was honorably discharged.
John Kurtz son of
John Erhard Kurtz, a well-known German
baker of Boston, who had married in this
country, was born in Boston,
2 Oct., 1813, and brought up to his father’s trade. He
belonged to the old Volunteer Fire
Department and was present at the burning of the Ursuline Convent in
Charlestown, 11 August,
1834. Have not learned how early he
joined the militia, but in 1837 he was orderly-sergeant of the
Washington Light
Infantry, Capt. Samuel Adams, and helped suppress the Broad Street Riot
11
June, 1837.  At the muster that year on
the Common, when the Montgomery Guard, the first exclusively Irish
company ever
organized in the State, appeared, six companies including the
Washington Light
Infantry, under Sergeant Kurtz, marched off the field under their
orderly-sergeants, leaving their commissioned officers in
line.
The six companies were disbanded by order of
Gov. Everett. Out of the Washington
Light Infantry was formed a new company, taking the name Washington
Light
Guard, under Capt. William Washburn and 1st Lt.
John Kurtz.
During the exciting
presidential campaign of ’40, Capt.
Washburn, a partisan Democrat, tried to make the company
Democratic.
Lt. Kurtz, an old line whig, resisted. Feeling ran so high
that there seemed no cure
but separation and the 1st Lieutenant, with all
the Whigs in the
company, seceded and formed the Washington Phalanx. Here
Capt. Kurtz’s eminent qualifications as
disciplinarian and drill-master came in play and he soon raised the
company to
an enviable position in the militia, its example elevating the tone of
the
whole force. It was his habit, on parade
days, to march up State Street,
“where merchants most do congregate” and drill the company, with the
bugle,
before the admiring crowd “on ‘change.”
Capt. Kurtz retained command for several years. He married 13
Nov., 1844, Caroline T.,
daughter of Melzar Dunbar of Boston.
16 July,
’61.
Capt.
Kurtz was commissioned Capt. of Co. ‘C,’ 13 Mass. Vol. Infy.
On the battle fields of Roanoke and New Berne, Colonel Kurtz was
distinguished by a cool unhesitating obedience to orders. As
Provost-marshal he secured the good will
of all well-doers by his speedy and impartial judgments.
24 Feb., ’63. Col.
Kurtz was appointed chief of police for Boston. He held this
position, with general
satisfaction, till his resignation 19 April, 1870. Since that
time he was Inspector at the
Boston Custom House. He was several
years President of the 23rd Veteran
Association.
He died 10 Nov., 1881, unexpectedly, of
heart-disease, leaving a widow, a widowed daughter and a
grand-daughter.
His funeral was attended by large
numbers of
his comrades in all his various commands.
NOTE: This date is
reported in the adjutant Generals report on the 13th Mass. It
errs and lists Colonel Kurtz's new command as the "33rd Mass."
Return
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Arrests of Secessionist
Members of the State
Legislature
A
special session of the Maryland Legislature was scheduled to meet
September 17, 1861, in Frederick. In the Spring, Baltimore
secessionists rioted in the streets and attacked soldiers of the 6th
Massachusetts Infantry as they marched through the city to catch a
connecting railroad line to Washington. Six soldiers and 12
citizens were killed, with countless others wounded. The mob
pulled down telegraph lines and destroyed railroad bridges cutting off
communication and transportation to the capitol city. The
“States Rights” democrats swore no more troops would pass through
‘neutral’ Maryland to aid the tyrannical Federal Government in
Washington, then gathering troops to oppose
rebellion. Because Maryland surrounded
Washington on 3 sides, the city was cut off and isolated for a
week. Fear and panic seized the city’s inhabitants and
Lincoln despaired of receiving any more help from the northern
states. That changed on April 25th when troops
finally started to arrive. General Benjamin Butler had
circumvented Baltimore and opened another transport route to bring
troops to Washington. With an increased army
presence in Maryland, martial law was declared in Baltimore on
May 13th. The insurrectionists were arrested and Maryland’s
majority Union sentiment asserted itself. The Secessionists
grew loud again however, after the Federals lost the Battle of Bull Run
July 21.
At a special session of the Maryland State Legislature in August, the
President’s policies were denounced and threats of secession were again
made. Government
authorities in Washington ordered General Banks, commanding the
military department to prevent this from happening.
The next special session of the legislature was scheduled to
meet September 17. General Banks
received orders from General George B. McClellan in Washington, "Have
everything
prepared to arrest the whole party, and be sure that none escape.
It will go far towards breaking the backbone of rebellion."
Secretary of State William Seward sent General Banks a list
of names of
men who needed watching.
The
newspapers carried the story.
Sources:
"Battlecry of Freedom," p. 289, James McPherson, Oxford
University Press, 1988; "Fighting Politician,"p. 59, Fred Harvey
Harrington, University of Wisconsin, 1948.
The
Highland Weekly News
THE HIGHLAND WEEKLY NEWS
Highland County Ohio, October 3, 1861.
Arrest of Members of the Maryland Legislature
The Government
having intercepted letters from the Confederate
authorities to prominent Secession members of this body, disclosing a
plan for the passage of a Secession ordinance and the simultaneous
crossing of the Potomac and occupation of the State capital by Gen.
Johnston and his army, determined to defeat the movement by arresting
the leading Secession members of the Legislature. This was successfully
done at Frederick City on the 17th of September, by Baltimore police
officers under the protection of the Third Wisconsin
regiment. Ten of the members were arrested at Frederick and
conveyed to Fort McHenry, and subsequently other members were arrested
in Baltimore, leaving the body without a quorum. It is known
that a majority of the members were Secessionists, and had they been
permitted to carry out their treasonable plans, they would no doubt
have passed an ordinance declaring the State out of the Union. -
- About 30,000 copies of a strong Secession
document, printed by order of the Legislature for general circulation,
were seized by our officers and publicly burned.
This prompt and
energetic action of the Government has struck terror
into the ranks of the Maryland traitors, and is warmly approved by a
large majority of the people.
The
Cincinnati
Daily Press
Cincinnati
Daily Press
September 19, 1861
LATEST BY TELEGRAPH
THE WAR FOR THE UNION!
THE MAJORITY OF THE MARYLAND
LEGISLATURE UNDER ARREST
Frederick Md., (smallcaps) September 18 –
Immediately after
the farce was gone through with yesterday afternoon, of calling the
roll and adjournment, an unusual stir took place in the
community. Some companies of Wilson’s Regiment were observed
passing through the city in different directions, and soon it was found
that the city was walled in. No one could go out without a
pass from the Provost-Marshal, whose office was soon crowded with an
excited throng of people who had been stopped and turned
back. In the mean time, Lieutenant Carmichael of the
Baltimore Police was moving quietly about with his officers,
accompanied by a squad of military, making arrests, commencing with the
officers of the Legislature, and especially the Clerks, who contended
that they would keep the legislative machine going until a quorum
should arrive.
The first occupant
of the guard-house was the Clerk of the house,
Milton Y. Kidd. His assistant, Thos. H. Moore, could not be
found till late in the evening, but was finally arrested. The
Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Kilmour and his assistant, Mr. Carmack, were
also found with much difficulty, and taken to the same
destination. Mr. Gordon and Mr. McCubbin, of Allegheny, were
next taken, and soon Messrs. Solman and Durant were arrested, at a late
hour. Mr. Kessler was arrested, but Mr. Mills, at the last
accounts, had not been taken.
The aim of the
officers was to arrest all the members who voted for Mr.
Wallace’s famous report, about thirty thousand copies of which were
yesterday seized as treasonable documents.
During the evening
the Union members of the House and Senate met in
caucus, and resolved that the action of the Senators present in not
assembling having virtually brought the Legislature to an end, they
would return to their homes, and not again attempt to re-assemble.
Mr. Long in the
mean time was delegated to prepare a brief statement,
to be signed and published by the members present.
The arrest of the
clerks will prevent them from calling the roll, and
so the Legislature is at an end.
Several of the most
noisy and active Secessionists in town have also
been arrested.
The prisoners will
remain in the guard-house all night, and be removed
to Fort McHenry in the morning.
Daily
Nashville Patriot
Daily
Nashville Patriot
September 28, 1861
The number of
members of the Maryland Legislature
under arrest at
Baltimore is thirty-eight. Lincoln has “put his foot down
firmly” on that State.
Return
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Flag
Presentation, September 26, from local residents to
Company C.
First Lieutenant
William H. Jackson assumed command of Company C upon the resignation of
Captain Kurtz. Jackson was later officially promoted captain,
retro-active to the same date.
Frederick Examiner
October 2nd 1861
Flag Presentation. – An imposing and gratifying event
happened at the
Monocacy Junction on Thursday last. Agreeable to private arrangement,
there was quite an assemblage of ladies and gentlemen from the vicinity
gathered there to pay a well merited compliment to Company C, of the
13th Massachusetts Regiment, Lieut. W. H. Jackson,
commanding. This company has been stationed at the Junction
for some time past as picket guard, charged with delicate and
responsible duties, and by their uniform courtesy and good conduct so
far ingratiated themselves in good opinion of the neighborhood, that
the presentation of a stand of colors was decided upon as a fitting
token of esteem. For this purpose, the gay company met, and
at 4 o’clock P. M., the presentation was made by C. Keeler Thomas,
Esq., in a speech, alike creditable to his head and heart.
The beautiful “Star spangled banner,” so dear to every soldier of the
Union, was received by Lieut. Jackson, in appropriate and pathetic
acknowledgement, and now waves in glory over “Camp Boston,” as the
gallant Bay State men have named their bivouac.
Return
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Ready for a Fight; Letter of
Albert
Liscom
Through the month of September, Confederates threatened operations
along the canal. Skirmishes ocurred Sept. 20th at Senecca
Falls, the 24th at Point of Rocks and the 29th at Berlin.
Albert Liscom describes an alarm on the river whereby members of
Company C
moved to the aid of Col. John Geary, commanding all Federal
troops between Point of Rocks to Antietam Ford.
According to Albert, Company C gained favor with Colonel
Geary, which explains his use of those troops in the Battle of Bolivar
Heights, a couple weeks later in October.
In this letter Albert first mentions to his father he is
having pain in his teeth and chin, a re-occurrence of
something he experienced a year previous. It becomes
obvious from his letters, as time progressed, that he was suffering
from some kind of degenerative disease.
Things continued to get worse for poor Albert
as time wore on, - and the service got harder.
Frederick Junction Sunday Sept 29th 1861
Dear Parents & Sister,
I hope you well pardon me for neglecting
so long to
answer your last letter dated Sep 11th. I did not receive it
until the 20th we do not receive our letters at all regular now we are
not with our regt. – your letter is the 1st one
which I
have received – the mail came yesterday but there was nothing for
me. I was very disappointed – why is it; don’t anybody write
to
me – or what is the trouble. I have received
letters from
you – one from Hannah – one from Bill Locks & one from S. Wood
which is all the letters I have received. I have answered
them
all but Chas Wood’s. I don’t care about corresponding with
him. I hope I shall get a letter soon for I am anxious to
hear
from home. I should have answered your letter before but for
a
number of reasons – we have to go on guard every other day – and when
we are off we have to drill and to do fatigue work – getting wood and
water to cook with – cleaning up our parade ground &c –
something
is wanted most of the time – you can judge how much time
P2
I
have to write – another reason why I waited – we have been expecting a
fight – but I am sorry to say we have so far been disappointed – if you
have any doubts as to our inclination to fight you should have been
here at our camp one week ago last night – when at about eight oclock
the whole company were ordered to fall in. I was on guard
that
day and I would have given five dollars to have been off when I heard
the order. It takes twenty four men each day for guard duty –
it
happened that day that the best men were on guard eight
oclock
was the time for me to go out to my post – the relief had just been
ordered to fall in – I tried to find some one to take my place – but it
was of no use – the boys were all crazy for a fight – four of the least
important posts were to be deserted – my post was on the bridge and
could not be left but this? was? made? alright as the guard
was
reduced to twelve – the smallest men and those who are not so well
drilled were put in our place and we were relieved and ordered to fall
in with our canteens and haversacks – we got about forty
cartridges filled our canteens and took some hard
bread in
our sacks – we mustered sixty men – we all had our places and our names
were taken – every thing was got ready and then we were ordered to turn
in and get all the rest we could before the
P3
cars
come which had been telegraphed for to take us to Point of Rocks where
there was a fight expected that night – we were to join Col. Geary by
his order – he has sixteen hundred in his regt. he had a company of
Artilery of six pieces there and had ordered a company of Cavalry – at
twelve oclock we were called and in three minutes every man was in his
place and ready to start; we marched about ten rods to the
cars
and got aboard these we had to wait for a telegraph order to start
which was expected every minute the Engineer said he could run us up
there twelve miles in twenty minutes – we waited in the cars until
after day light and not hearing anything we came back to camp with
orders to be ready at any moment – the cars with the engine all fixed
up stood here on the track until Tuesday waiting for us – but we have
not gone yet – the cause of the alarm is that the rebels on the other
side of the river opposite Point of Rocks are trying to build a battery
– if they should succeed they would stop all passage on the rail road
and would command Point of Rocks and would then try to cross the river
– to this side. Col Geary has scouts over there who are
watching
their movements – they reported they had seen cavalry and troups in a
large force who appeared to be making preparations for a fight – they
are trying every way they can think of to get on
P4
this
side for provision and plunder – they fired across that night and Geary
thought they were going to make an attempt to cross if they go on with
their battery – Geary will cross and rout them he has taken a great
likeing to our Company and says he will send for us if there is any
chance for a fight. We shall probably leave here tomorrow for
Harpers Ferry. Friday night two of our
baggage teams
came here with orders for us to pack up and join our regt with the
Division in the morning the order was countermanded by Gen Banks
ordering us to Harpers Ferry to join Cos I & K of our Regt. –
our
three companies will be all the force stationed there at present –
there should be more than this for there is likely to be an attack
there – in the afternoon we struck tents packed up and got everything
on board the cars – had got on ourselves we were waiting to start when
the order came for us to stay here until another company should come
here and relieve this post – we came back pitched our tents and put
everything the same as it was before – but we shall probably be
relieved in the morning. I was on guard yesterday but had to
come
off last night – my teeth and chin pained me so I could not stand
it. I am going to have another good time with my chin such as
I
had one year ago last February it commenced to pain me
P5
yesterday noon it kept me
awake most all night last night it is very painfull to day so that I do
not feel at all like writing, if I did and had more time I would tell
you some of the risks we run for the sake of going outside the line and
having some sport but if I write everything I shall not have anything
to tell when I get home as it is I think I will not write much more
now, and if I don’t get some letters soon I think I shall stop
writing. I want to hear from home often. I don’t
think of
much more to write this time. things go on the same as usual,
my
health is and has been very good, the boys are all jolly.
Edward? Cody is well, his folks live No 5 Jackson St near the
monument – give my love to them. Rowland is well and as happy
as
a king, give my love to his folks. We expect to loose Capt
Kurtz
he has had an offer of a higher Commission he got a furlough for ten
days and has gone to Boston to see about it.
P6
why
don’t Father write to me and let me know how he gets along and what
there is going on up country. I want to hear from him.
You
spoke of my writing to Cm(cousin?) Butrey/Bestry? I don’t
wish to
correspond with her you can give my love to her and the whole family,
tell her I shall not have time to answer more letters as my time is so
much taken up did Hannah ever receive my letter if so I should be happy
to have here answer it, the weather her is quite uncomfortable we have
wharm days and cold nights, some nights we almost freeze in our
tents. I hope we shall get into barracks soon, we had a
pouring
rain here last Friday it blew a perfect hurricane all day and night we
had hard work to keep our tent any where our things wet
through.
(all for the Union) but I must close this now give my love to all
inquiring friends and accept a large share for yourself, and remember
me as your aff Son and brother
(Please write soon)
Albert
On
September 30th,
Company C left their outpost at Monocacy, and
joined, Companies I & K, at Harper's Ferry, per Col. Geary's
request to General Banks for re-enforcements.
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© Bradley M. Forbush, 2014.
Page Updated February 28th 2014
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