Franklin County: David R. P. Shoemaker to Henry A. Bitner,
October 18, 1862
October 18th
Paroled Prisoner's CampAnnapolis Maryland
Dear Sir:
You will doubtless think I have
been rather careless in answering your
letter but
when you hear my excuse I
think you will pardon me.
Your letter was brought to me
on Sunday September 14th, on
the Battleground
of South
Mountain, before the engagement
commenced. You have doubtless heard
all the
particulars of that hard fought
battle. I was taken prisoner about
sunset, in a
charge on a rebel Battery.
I was in the front and left of our regiment when the Rebs. outflanked us
on the left and several of us were
captured. We were marched to Boonsboro
and stayed there until about 10 'clock at night
when
the Rebs came through on their retreat, and we got up and
marched to
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Shepherdstown, Virginia where we stayed that
day and the next when they took us
back to the rear
of the rebel lines where
we remained during the battle of
Antietam,
and the next day, when being
joined by other prisoners amounting in
all to
about 400 we commenced our
march for Staunton, 120 miles.
During
our whole march we had nothing to eat
but green corn, until the last three
days when they gave us a pint of flour
each per day and about 1/3 lb of fresh
beef, without a pinch of salt for either. We mixed our flour
in the cups
and baked it in the ashes. We were
8 days going to Staunton where we arrived
on Saturday evening the 27th, when we
immediately got on board the cars [deleted: at]
and arrived at Richmond next morning. Here I took sick and was hardly
able to sit up during my 8 day stay
there. I had no medical attendance whatever. I spoke to two
secesh doctors who
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took my name, but that was the last
I ever saw of them. I
was placed
in a third story room of a tobacco warehouse with 180 others. I lay on the hard
floor having
nothing but a rubber blanket.
On the 6th of October we were sent to Hagers
Landing, where steamers were waiting to
bring us to this place.
I should like to give you the particulars of [deleted: our] the battle and of my capture
and imprisonment, but I have not
yet fully recovered my health and it
is quite a task for me to write. You
will
excuse bad writing and composition
on this account. Answer soon and
let me hear all
the news from Franklin.
Give my best respects to all friends,
my love to the gals and reserve my
sincere friendship for yourself.
D.R.P. Shoemaker
