February 8, 1862: Roanoke & the Death of Captain Joseph Henry

On February 7 and 8, 1862, the men of the 9th NJ Volunteer Infantry Regiment got their first taste of battle as they attacked Roanoke Island, North Carolina.  The regiment had been trained in conventional land warfare, but the men soon learned they were in an amphibious war for which they were not trained.  The "Jersey 9th"  would earn a new nickname, "The Muskrats." 

Roanoke Island stands in the middle of a narrow strait which separates  the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.  On this 12-mile stretch of land, the Confederates constructed a series of artillery earthworks.  The battle began with Federal gunboats firing on the island defenses at 9:00 a.m. on February 7.  At 3:00 p.m., the First and Second Brigades  were ordered to land on the island in small boats.  The 9th NJ Regiment was attached to Brigadier General Jesse Reno's Second Brigade. 

The troops landed without opposition but had to fight nature as they moved through a heavy swamp as they tried to reach solid ground.  After reaching solid ground, a small skirmish with Confederate pickets took place.  The Confederates retreated to a large earthwork known as "Center Battery," which was surrounded by swamp and brush.  As the Union forces bivouacked for the night in a corn field, another storm rained down on the unprotected soldiers.  

At 6:00 a.m. on February 8, the Union troops advanced on the Confederate earthwork.  The troops had to advance over a narrow road through the swamp.  First Brigade's advance was stopped at the earthworks by heavy musket and artillery fire.  Second Brigade waited for orders approximately one half mile away.  Finally at 8:00 a.m., Colonel Charles Heckman, of Phillipsburg, received orders to advance the 9th Regiment and join the First Brigade.  The "Jersey 9th" was to flank the earthwork fort  by moving through hip-deep swamp to a timber line approximately 100 yards from the fort.  Heckman ordered his sharpshooters to aim for the Confederate cannoneers.

The Warren County soldiers of Company H were advancing under the command of Captain Joseph Henry, of Oxford Furnace.  At his side was Corporal John E. Matthews, of Belvidere,  known as "Father Mathews"  by the younger soldiers.  Matthews wrote an account of the battle to Franklin Pierce Sellers, editor/publisher of The Belvidere Intelligencer, "We defiled into a thick woods, on a tolerably good road, for three quarters of a mile, only   we waded a deep pond about 100 yards wide.  Here a sharp turn in the road brought us to a masked battery of four 24-pounders, which were throwing grape and canister at a considerable rate.  The rattle of musketry was deafening, until about five minutes before we got into action, and we were afraid that our men had either given way, or hoped that the enemy had retreated.  On our way up, a procession of dead, wounded and dying met us, and I must confess that I felt a little squeamish, but never thought of turning back.  At last a Colonel, who was mortally wounded, met us and asked what regiment we were.  We told him we were the Jersey Ninth, and his reply was 'hurry up, for God's sake, the day depends on you.'

"We hurried up and were soon at work.  The rebels, I guess, thought we had retreated when our fire slackened and so renewed their fire.  We defiled to the right of the battery into a very heavy swamp and stood to our middle in the water for nearly three hours.  During the night, our men managed to land  two small field pieces, but they did not do much, as their ammunition ran out, and we were left alone with our rifles to contend   with their heavy guns.  At last, our pluck and perseverance was too much for the rascals, and they had to leave, but before leaving, their fire slackened for we found where they were and as soon as one of them showed his head to load or fire his piece, one of our 'humming birds' whistled in his ear and down he tumbled into the ditch.  They fought well, however, and it took a good many     of our 'messages' to convince them that the Jersey Ninth meant to have their four guns.

"Finally, we rose, as they were about retreating, to charge upon the battery and take it  at the point of the bayonet, when the 9th New York Hawkins Zouaves came up and fired right square into us, mistaking us for the enemy.  They fired two or three volleys, compelling us to lie flat to prevent being shot, before they discovered their mistake, by which time, the enemy had spiked their guns and fled.  The Zouaves charged  on an empty battery, but did not deserve, nor I do not believe, will get the honor of the victory - which I think, and all here allow, belongs to the Jersey Ninth."  Matthews noted the swamp in front of the battery had been man made to help camouflage the guns.

Private Daniel W. Shoemaker, of Pahaquarry Township, a member of Company H, recalled in a February 15th letter to Sellers, "Get Frank Leslie's illustrated paper, and there you will see true sketches of our battlefield and the fight; it will give you a very good idea of it; the sketches are nearly true; the artist was with us all the time.  You will see Ninth New Jersey midway between the right and left flank...I have not ascertained how many were killed or wounded of our regiment, but there were some killed and many wounded by the New York Hawkins Zouaves; they fired three volleys   into us, and had we not sat down almost under water, they would have cut us all down.  It appears that we were favored by a Power that was more than earthly.  We received volley after volley from the rebel infantry - the balls and grape came over us in showers, but ours came too low for them. Captain Wise, son of Governor Wise [of Virginia], was killed when he was about to discharge a cannon; he could not rally his men.  His father sent for his body under a flag of truce. We gave him up, together with two others - one colonel and one lieutenant  [Selden], who were killed at the same time."

The battle had lasted from daylight to a little after Noon.  It was a victory for the Jersey Ninth, but the price was high.  Warren County had lost its young captain, Joseph Henry, early in the fight.   Matthews wrote, "I must now record what I wish I had to need to do.  Our beloved Captain fell dead in my arms 15 minutes after we went into battle.  He was gallantly leading his men on, directly in front and center of his company, and immediately in front of me, when a grape shot - some think, and other seem to think a piece of shell which had previously taken the legs off another - struck him   a glancing blow on the sword belt, knocked him down, and paid me a small compliment by merely striking on the left shoulder and tossing me backwards without any inconvenience save a slight bruise.  Captain Henry did not speak but groaned three times, 'ah, ah, ah,' and then was silent.  Jacob Meyer and myself, who were standing, or rather kneeling (for whenever the rebels fired, we were ordered to kneel, and thus the ball passed over our heads at first) near me, carried him to the rear where the surgeon was in attendance, and seeing no wound, hoped that he would soon be better, but hurried back to our places in ranks, and told the boys that we thought that he would soon come round again; that we thought the ball only knocked the wind out of him, as a severe blow in the short ribs will, and in fact he opened his eyes and looked round but did nor speak before we left him.  

"In the excitement of battle, he was almost forgotten, as no one thought he was seriously injured.  When I fell, a comrade exclaimed to those near him, 'My God! Father Matthews (my cognomen in the company) is gone,' and did not know until the fight was nearly over that I was alive, and then he saw me just as I pulled my feet out of the swamp to the road.  He had heard, however, that the Captain was carried from the swamp - I cannot call it 'field'."

According the unit history, a Confederate artillery officer, Lieutenant Selden, was under sniper fire from three men of Company D, 9th NJ Regiment, as he fired his guns within the earthwork fort.  As he seized the match to fire one of his field guns, the three sharpshooters fired, shooting Selden in the head.  However, just before he died, Lt. Selden fired one gun - the gun that killed Captain Henry.   The shell fragments or grape shot ripped into the Jersey Ninth severing both legs of Corporal John Lorence, of Carpenter's Landing, of Company K; severing one leg of Private Jonathan Bural, of Company K; passing on to kill Private Blackwell, of Company F; and then striking Captain Henry and Corporal Matthews.

Private Blackwell reportedly shouted, "Remember thy God" as he fell back into the arms of his brother.  As Lorence was being carried back to the aid station, he reportedly told other soldiers, "Go in, Boys. Go in. Give it to them!  I can't do any more." 

General Ambrose Burnside later visited Lorence several times in hospital.  According to Captain Jonathan Townley, Jr., of Company K, "Once when I was with him, as he lay suffering, he said that is his limbs would only heal, he would procure a pair of wooden legs and fight on them.  Of this I told General Burnside, who came in just at that moment, and who replied, 'Coporal Lorence has done enough for his country; it is time now for the country to do something for him.'"

Matthews reported, "None of the Belvidere boys are hurt, except [Corporal Edward] Clayton, who got a buckshot through the cheek and saved him the trouble of having toothache in one of his upper teeth.  He is doing well and is running around the camp lively as a cricket.  Corporal [Lycidias] Hamilton was too sick to land and so missed the fight.  Several others of our regiment were taken sick on the trip and could not come with us,  the measles were pretty bad on our ship, and there were several cases, but a good many of them did not break out, and I believe most of them are well now.  Sergeant [Austin] Armstrong, of Hope, I forgot to say, was killed in the fight.  There were three wounded in our company, but the wounds were slight and none of them are in the hospital at present."

Captain Henry had the feeling he was not going to survive the battle.  In a letter to his sister, Mrs, Charles Scranton, written on board the ship, he wrote, "The sun is coming out beautifully; we shall weigh anchor immediately and join the rest of the fleet, and then, I suppose, we'll soon land and attack the rebels.  Do not cease to pray for me , for mercy - forgiveness - and should it be ordained that I shall perish on the field, that through the merits of the blessed Saviour, I may obtain an entrance  to the abode of the Redeemer on High.  I can write no farther; with my best love to my brothers and sisters, father and all the family, I am your affectionate brother, Joseph."  Captain Henry was the first New Jersey officer to die in battle during the war.

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards     

January-February 1862: 9th NJ Infantry Regiment & the Perils of the Sea

Someone once wrote a warning to be careful for what you wish because you might get it.  When Charles Hinton, of Belvidere, wrote to The Belvidere Intelligencer on December 23, 1861 that the men of the 9th NJ Volunteer Infantry Regiment wanted to move farther south to fight the rebels, he clearly did not know that his and his comrades' wish would soon be granted - with a terrible result.

On January 4th 1862, the "Jersey 9th" was ordered to board a train to Annapolis, Maryland to join an expedition to Roanoke Island, North Carolina.  The 9th was attached to the command of Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno.  On January 10, the regiment steamed to Fortress Monroe, Virginia, and on January 12, the 9th NJ embarked on transports heading toward the Hatteras Inlet. 

While on board the brigantine DRAGON, Hinton, of Company K, wrote,"We left Meridian Hill on the 4th, and got on board the sheep cars, of course, and started for Annapolis.  We arrived there at Midnight, and were taken to the navy yard to quarter for the night.  On Sunday, the 5th, we were put on board the brig to be ready to start on the Burnside Expedition, but we layed in the bay for three days, then started for Fortress Monroe, and arrived there on Friday afternoon.  We layed there for two days without being allowed to go ashore.  On Sunday, the 12th, we spread our sails to the breeze and sailed down along the coast finely.  It was the first time that a good many of the boys had ever been to sea, and they were nearly all seasick.  After sailing a day and a half, we arrived off Hatteras Inlet; we layed three days along the coast.  We did not like the idea of lying out there so long as it was stormy most of the time."

On January 14, the steamer CITY OF NEW YORK, carrying ammunition, foundered at the mouth of the inlet.  The USS CONNECTICUT sunk inside a bar.  The steamer POCAHONTAS, carrying horses for the cavalry and officers, ran ashore in the storm.  Corporal Samuel J. Dilkes, of Company K, swam ashore in the storm with a rope, which he attached to the POCAHONTAS   and to a stake driven into the sand on shore. Because of Dilkes' actions, the crew of the POCAHONTAS was able to hold onto the rope as they headed to shore and safety.  When the POCAHONTAS' cook, an elderly woman of color, was too frightened to escape the sinking ship, Dilkes swam back to the ship, tied the woman to him, jumped into the water, and swam the two of them to shore.  The men on shore and on the other ships cheered a Dilkes saved the woman.  


On January 15, the storm had passed and the water seemed calm enough for the staff officers of the 9th Regiment to meet with General Ambrose Burnside aboard the US Steamer PAWTUCKET.  Colonel Joseph W. Allen, of Bordontown; Lt. Colonel Charles Heckman, of Phillipsburg; Surgeon Frederick Weller, of Paterson; Adjutant Abram Zabriskie; and Quartermaster Samuel Keyes left the steamer ANN E. THOMPSON in the captain's gig and arrived safely at the PAWTUCKET.  After meeting with Burnside, the officers of the 9th Regiment got back into the gig.  As the crew of twelve sailors rowed back toward the ANN E. THOMPSON, a water-spout or large wave hit the bow of the boat. A second, larger wave hit the bottom of the boat and heaved it into the air, capsizing it.  Heckman and Zabriskie made several unsuccessful attempts to save Colonel Allen, Dr. Weller, and one of the sailors.  They watched their colonel and surgeon struggle to keep their heads above water - only to be swallowed up by the sea before Heckman and Zabriskie could reach them.

Heckman realized the capsized boat, on to which the survivors were hanging, was washing out to sea.  He grabbed an oar and tied a sailor's shirt to it to make a flag, which he raised into the air to catch the attention of the crew of the PAWTUCKET.  The steamer quickly came to the rescue.  The survivors received medical attention on board the steamer, and the bodies of Colonel Allen, age 51; Dr. Weller, age 44; and the sailor were retrieved.  Lt. Colonel Heckman, although prostrate from exhaustion, took command of the 9th NJ Regiment. 

On January 16, the DRAGON, carrying Hinton and five companies of the 9th Regiment, struck a sand bar.  First Sergeant Thomas W. Burnett, of Company B, ordered his men to fire signal shots with their muskets to attract one of the steamers.  Hinton recalled, "On the third day, the steamer PAWTUCKET came to tow us in; she started with us, but only took us part way in, and left us on the bar.  By the time she returned, we found out the dangerous position she had left us in.  We did not know what to do at first; the men were all in confusion.  At last Company B was ordered on deck with their rifles and fired volley after volley until we saw him [the PAWTUCKET] coming back, and the steamer PILOT BOY with him."

Belvidere folks would say they would go without rather than eat such food: if they were here, they would not talk so  - they would seize fast a big piece of fat pork and think it was good.  I have not seen any of the Belvidere boys [in Company H] since we left Annapolis, but they were well and in good spirits.  I suppose we shall soon have a brush with the rebels, and if I come out right side up, I will let you know something about it."

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards         

January 27, 1862: 47th PA Infantry Regt. Ships Out to Florida

On January 22, 1862, the 47th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry Regiment traveled by boats to the Georgetown Arsenal to exchange their muskets.  The soldiers exchanged their old Harper's Ferry Arsenal Model 1842 "Mississippi Rifles" for the new Springfield Arsenal Model 1861 rifled muskets.  After receiving their new rifles, the regiment traveled by train to the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

At Annapolis, Samuel Lightcap and other members of Allentown's Company B received passes to go tour the town.  After eating a hearty dinner at the Hotel Metropolitan, Company B returned to camp and was ordered to go back and round up the other members of the regiment who had slipped into town without passes.

The regiment loaded its equipment on transports, and on January 27, 1862, Colonel Tilghman Good's 47th Pennsylvania Regiment steamed out of the Chesapeake Bay toward the Atlantic Ocean on the newly built steamer ORIENTAL, commanded by Captain Benjamin Franklin Tuzo.  Three men from Easton companies - two from Company E and one from Company A - deserted before the ship sailed.  The ship anchored at Fortress Monroe, Virginia for the night and weighed anchor in the morning for Florida.

After a few days at sea, the men of the 47th began to suffer from seasickness as they passed around stormy Cape Hatteras.  Captain J. P. S. Gobin, of Company C, recalled in his letters and journal, "Nearly every one of them became seasick. The bulwarks, the deck, and every available spot was filled with them, emptying the contents of their stomachs.  At the supper table (on Wednesday), I nearly died laughing to see one after another of the officers get up and leave for their rooms.  I began to feel rather serious, and as I was resolved that those left should not have a chance to laugh at me, I started for my room.  When I got there, I found [Lieutenant] Reese in it, awfully sick, and making as much fuss as if he was trying to get his boots up through his stomach.  I was laughing at him when all at once it caught me. and oh Jerusalem, but I was sick!  After throwing up all I had in me, and trying hard to hunt something else, I laid down and did not get up until Friday morning.  No matter how sick anyone became, he got no sympathy.  The well ones would laugh at him, knowing there was no danger.  On Friday, I staggered on deck and by noon was all right again.  But of all on board, over 1,000, I do not think there were 50 who were not sick."

While at sea, Francis J. Mildenberger, of Phillipsburg, in Captain Richard Graeffe's Company A, was promoted to 5th Sergeant.  Jacob Beck, of Easton, also in Company A, was promoted to Sergeant.

The ORIENTAL steamed southward.  The soldiers were amazed at the sight of flying fishes, sea turtles, and dolphins that passed the ship.  Lieutenant Charles Abbott, of Company K, passed his collapsible telescope around so the men could see the sea creatures and the islands of the Bahamas as they steamed past them. 

When the ORIENTAL arrived in Key West, Florida, an officers' meeting was called, and a committee was elected to draft the customary resolution thanking the ship's crew for their safe passage.  The committee consisted of Colonel Good, Chaplain W. D. C. Rodrock, Major Gausler, Captain Gobin, Lieutenant Bonstein and Lieutenant Stuber.  The resolution was presented to Captain Tuzo and his officers: William Swaney, Van Wit, and Antonio Labens.  

On February 6, 1862, Captain Charles H. Yard, of Company E, wrote to the Easton Daily Evening Express, "Having a few spare minutes, after the labor of the day, I thought it best to write a few lines to you and get it off with to-morrow's mail, to let our friends in Easton know our whereabouts.  We started from Annapolis twelve days ago, on the steamship ORIENTAL for this place, where we arrived the day before yesterday.  We had a very pleasant voyage, and the only thing to mar it was sea-sickness.  Altogether, I think we have made quite an agreeable change from the mud of Virginia to the sandy beach of Key West.  It is about the same warmth here at the present as it is in summer in Easton, and it is the winter season.  The members of the company are all well and enjoying themselves.  Oranges, cocoa-nuts and fish are in great abundance here.   

"We are preparing our camping place out of a thicket.  The average height of the bushes is fourteen feet and very dense.  I will write as soon as possible and give you a description of our trip, and also one of the island. There are at present on the island five companies of regulars and three regiments of volunteers, the 90th and 91st New York and the 47th Pennsylvania.  I will  try and give you all the particulars in my next letter and hoping this short letter will prove satisfactory for the present.  I remain, Yours Respectfully, Capt. C. H. Yard."

Copyright 1999-2012: Jay C. Richards      

January 27, 1862 Letter from Andrew Neal, 4th PA Veteran Infantry Regt.

On January 27, 1862, Corporal Andrew Neal, of Belvidere, in Company F, 4th Pennsylvania Veteran Reserve Regiment, wrote to Franklin Pierce Sellers at The Belvidere Intelligencer.

Neal wrote, "As it has been some time since I wrote to you, I thought a few lines from Dixie Land might interest your numerous readers.  We are still encamped where we were when I last wrote to you [Camp Pierpont, VA].  The past two weeks have been the most gloomy and disagreeable that I have yet experienced in camp - snow, rain and hail all the time, and mud knee deep in every direction.  Our hearts were glad last Saturday, the 18th instant, by the presence of Major Oakley, Paymaster of the Second Brigade, in camp.  The men each received $26 for the months of November and December, out of which sum many of them have sent $20 to their homes.

"The Second Brigade is composed of the following Reserve Regiments: the Third, Fourth, Seventh and Eleventh, numbering nearly 4,000 men, commanded by Brigadier General Meade, of Philadelphia, who is a graduate of West Point, and as brave and efficient an officer in every respect as can be found in General McCall's Division, which Division can't be beat. 

"The Quartermaster's Department of our Regiment gets better every day under the untiring attention of our worthy Quartermaster, Lieutenant Lechley.  We get a good quality of light bread, and mess pork in our Regiment is about played out; it is replaced by nicely preserved hams and shoulders, with plenty of good fresh beef...As the tattoo is beating , it admonished me that I must bring my scribbling to a close, which I will do by wishing The Intelligencer success - may its shadow never grow less.  Yours for the Union, Corporal Neal."

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards 

January 1862: New Market: First Skirmish of 11th PA Cavalry, Co. I

On January 23, 1862, Jacob P. Wright, of Belvidere, wrote to Franklin Pierce Sellers, editor/publisher of The Belvidere Intelligencer to report on the first skirmish of the "New Jersey Company" of the 11th PA Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.  

Wright stated, "Friend Sellers: I write to say that the Belvidere boys are all well and in fighting order.  We went out the other day to New Market Bridge [Virginia] to see what we could see.  The first thing that drew our attention was some secesh cavalry, about fifty in number.  We made a charge on them, and they on us, but when they saw that we were too strong for them, they went back all standing; but we still went a mile further and crossed the bridge.  

"After going about a half a mile, we saw a company of infantry.  We took after them, but we soon discovered that they were our pickets, and we turned back.  It is raining today or we would be out.   Yours, J. P. Wright, of Belvidere."

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards     

Jauary 19, 1862: Letter from Theodore Carhart, Jr., 1st NJ Regiment

Private Theodore Carhart, Jr., Company D, 1st NJ Volunteer Infantry Regiment, of Belvidere, was known to readers of The Belvidere Intelligencer as "Dora." 

On January 19, 1862, Carhart wrote a letter to his family while in Camp Seminary, Virginia, "Father and Mother: I received your letter this morning, and, as usual, felt glad to hear from you.  It always makes me feel good to receive a letter from home.  I feel lost if I do not get one a week, and I suppose it is the same with you.  

"The weather has been very bad for the last week.  The sacred soil of old Virginia has been almost knee deep.  There has been no drilling for over a week on account of the mud.  It has rained steady for three days, but slacked up a little tonight.  It was warm enough today to work outdoors with the coat off.  If the army should attempt to move while it is so bad, I think it would meet with failure, for it would be a thing almost impossible to move the artillery; and I think further, that if it should freeze up any time, that there will be a move of the Army of the Potomac; and in McClellan's words, 'it will be short but desperate.'  As I have said before, the hardest fighting will have to be done in Virginia.  You say the army has been lying idle       about long enough; so we all think, and have to take it out in thinking.  I don't believe there is a man in the Brigade but would jump and give three hearty cheers to hear an order read for an advance movement.

"Yesterday, there was a rumor in camp that there were two companies to go out of each Regiment in the Division to strengthen the outposts, and you could hear almost every private exclaim, 'Is your company going?  I only wish ours would, for I am tired of laying here and doing nothing.'  The boys who have gone in the different expeditions are having all the fun, and we are idling away our time.   Our good old General [Philip Kearny] has done more to make the men of his Brigade happy and contented than any other General in the army.  He has constructed a log hut to serve as a dining room, and for boxing and fencing - the gloves and swords free for all.  There are a dozen pair of different kinds of gloves and an equal number of swords, headplates, breastplates and jackets made for the purpose; and in fact, there is everything there that a person could ask for in the way of amusement; and this is not all - he allows troupes (not secesh) to come here and amuse the boys.  Last week, the 'Hutchinson Family' were here, and this we would like to make an engagement with our troops, and we feel confident we could fulfill it.  Only let the General point out the place, and we would get there in double quick.  

"I see, in my last week's Intelligencer, a letter from my old friend Knox [Thomas A. H. Knox].  He and Andrew Neal were down to see me some time ago, and I promised to return the compliment, but the weather has been so bad that I thought it useless to undertake the journey (it being near 20 miles to where they are) but will try the first opportunity I get, and I think I can get through safe.  Last week, we were visited by a few friends from Jersey, but not liking camp life, or the lay of the country, left rather suddenly.  All the Belvidere boys are flourishing grandly.  I receive The Intelligencer regularly every Saturday afternoon.  As I hear tattoo beating, I must close, so good night - love and respects to all. Respectfully, your son, Dora."

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards    

January 18, 1862 Letter: Jacob Wright & James Clayton, 11th PA Cav.

In January 1862, Company I ("The New Jersey Company") of the 11 Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was encamped at Camp Hamilton at Fortress Monroe, Virginia.  The Warren County members of Lieutenant Charles Butts' Company I adopted a motto: "We Swear to Conquer or Die." 

On January 18, 1862, Jacob P. Wright and James M. Clayton, of Belvidere, wrote a letter to Franklin Pierce Sellers, publisher/editor of The Belvidere Intelligencer, "We now take the opportunity to write to you a few lines and let you know how a soldier's life is about here.  The soldiers are all gay since pay day.  The regiment was paid off on Tuesday last, and before night, they were all gay.  They had to double the guard around the camp, but for all their trouble, some of them got out. 

"The boys of Belvidere are well.  We have good new stables for the horses and good cavalry tents for ourselves.  We are in good quarters for the winter - as good as soldiers generally get.  We find our feather beds on the soft side of a plank, and two woolen blankets to cover us at night.  If we can get a bundle of hay under our heads instead of our boots, we think ourselves well off.  We are getting fat on salt meat and hard crackers.  The rebels haven't bothered us yet, and they had better not, for there are fighting boys in this regiment.  They are anxious for a fight, and they say they will not return until they have one.  We send our respects to all the friends of Warren.  The Intelligencer is a welcome visitor on our camp.  We are Harlan's Regiment, Company I, Captain Herr, Camp Hamilton, Fortress Monroe, Va.  This is written by J. M. C. and J. P. W."

Copyright 1997-2012: Jay C. Richards