Summary:
Union officer Fitz-John Porter writes Assistant Adjutant E. D. Townsend from
Chambersburg in June, 1861. He discusses the building of a blockhouse on
Maryland Heights, the Confederate defense of the Shenandoah, actions of
Confederate cavalry including oppression of civilians, and the green nature of
Union troops.
Col. TOWNSEND
Chambersburg, Pa.,
June 4, 1861.
COLONEL:
The last paragraph in the general's letter (next preceding) refers to this, that at night the sound of the hammer is heard breaking stone on the Maryland Heights, the ax felling trees. Evidently a block-house is going up. No one can get near enough to see, and no one is permitted to come here all the way from there. Their informers only go part way. No guns have been placed on this side, unless they are light field pieces, and taken up in wagons. The Virginia side of the Shenandoah is armed, and the guns are iron and long-probably 32 or 24 pounders. Squadrons of cavalry roam the Virginia shore, oppressing people and pressing them into service. Our volunteers are as green as green can be. Marching is their forte, if they have a drum or a band. They cannot form a square yet of those I have seen, yet they think themselves perfect. As the Gen. has just said he would send one or two batteries here, the general will do nothing about getting the field artillery from Harrisburg, though ammunition will be called here, which will be available for the two field batteries if they come. If they do not come, we can get those guns and plant them. We are working like bees.
Yours, truly,
F. J. PORTER.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 2, Serial No. 2, Pages 661, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
