Franklin County: Samuel W. North to His Brother,
October 14, 1862
Summary:
North gives a detailed description of marching, crossing a river, fighting a
skirmish, and sleeping in wet conditions. He also refers to the invasion of
Chambersburg and and the theft of horses there.
Brother
Oct 14th 1862
Camp near Sharpsburg
Dear Brother
I received a letter from you some time ago but as pap was here I did not think it necessary to answer immediately. I am well. We have been most crazy on account of the rebel raid into Franklin Co. the idea of 2500 Cavalry passing through one end of our lines capturing Horses & clothing, passing around the whole army and then unmolested going back into virginia at the other end of our lines is the most ridiculous Slur on our Generals and army ever heard of. We heard that Stewarts Cav to the no. of 2500 crossed over at McCoys ferry or some place between clearspring and Hancock then coming in through the valley road into the corner made a clean sweep of the horses, passed through Mercersburg and got all the good Horses there that they could get hold of. We heard that they took 20 head of horses from Adam Hoke four from [unclear: Wilet] and two from McMurdy two from Seth Dickey and all the good Horses about they did not get any of ours. It would be hard to describe the effect it has had on the 126 the chambersburg boys were wild they say they dont blame the rebels but give them credit for the way the thing was accomplished and for the way they treated our people. but they curse our officers and the way the army is commanded. It has had a most unfavorable effect on the men of the 126
[illeg.]
thing to be done his regt will have the first
chance. Some say that the brigade will be separated. Gen. Tyler was very strict but he took good care of his men and we have
lost I say lost for his spine is affected and he is not likely to get well. he
was one of the finest looking men I ever saw. I want you to Send me the good
intent that has an account of th raid in it be sure and
send by Sharpsburg. give me all the particulars when you write give my love to
all the friends write soon
Your Brother S.W. North.
Address - S.W.
North Co. C
[unclear: 16]
regt Pa. Vol. Sharpsburg
Washington Co.
Oct. 18th. Since I wrote this letter we have made a grand reconaisance into Virginia on Wensday night. were ordered out, to [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] We went to bed and slept until daylight. Then [unclear: cornered and moved ] off we were about to take nothing but guns [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] [illeg.] over coats left every thing else behind. we thought it was but a strong picket but were moved to the river and were soon in the cold potomac some of our artillery had crossed before and were making some noise ahead. we moved on and when we got to the other side marched to Shepherdstown. the Ladies there gave us a very cold reception some of them held their noses, some made faces & ugly mouths at us. one I saw waving her hand at us but she stood back in the entry. there were a great many rebel wounded there. We moved on about three miles when our batteries commenced shelling the rebels and the fire was gettin brisk only from the artillery though. we were then thrown into the fire of battle in a woods we lay there while our batteries were driving the rebs from the woods in front of us we were then ordered forward and then we went it at a fast walk through the woods through fields over fences and rocks through some of the thickest woods I ever saw. at last we pushed them pretty close and their batteries commenced returning the fire very briskly the shells burst within fifty or sixty yds of us some burst in the air above us and some burst in front of us but we got on a little further and got under cover of a hole. then the musketry firing commenced pretty briskly it sounded very strange I cannot describe it. it was on Thursday evening & we thought every minute we would get a chance at them when the cavalry made a dash and then it was reported that we had taken two pieces of canon though I saw none of them and dont believe it. we were then about seven or eight miles into Virginia only our division about eight thousand including a regt of cavalry and two or three batteries perhaps but one of these fell back a little and camped for the night. we lay down with our overcoats only and had hardly laid down till it commenced raining.
Oct. 19 I do not make a practice of writing on sunday but as I have a chance to
send & you are no doubt anxious to hear from me, as you no doubt heard
that our divission (Humphries) had a skirmish with
the rebs in virginia I will finish the one I had begun twice before. I left off
when we lay down to sleep. we had nothing but our overcoats to sleep in. we had
hardly laid down until it commenced raining or rather pouring down but I was so
tired I soon went to sleep slept a couple hours and got awoke wet and cold got
up and went to a fire the boys had made dried my clothes and laid dow again and slept a while again so on till morning. in
the morning we went on again and soon pased the place
we were the night before. it was the Bal.
& Ohio R.R. it was torn up in several
places. we pushed on. were double quicked up to some cannons which were about
being charged by some rebel cav. we moved on about
5 miles farther
[page 5]
and came near to a large force. they were evidently
drawing us on we lay dow near an old seceshs house the home of Wilmot he was away
but there were some darkeys there who said the rebs
were in strong force near there, said they had them looking for them all night
we found some of our government overcoats in the house probably some of those
taken at Chambburg we got half doz or more of them a couple of horses very nice ones
Our advance said the rebels lay as far as the eye could see their force was
estimated at forty thousand we then commenced returning and moved on till dark
when our rear guard and artillery were firing very briskly we about faced and
marched back again our boys did not relish that as we were very tired our provissions
[added: all] done and it was getting dark, but we
soon turned again and came on to the river and such a time as we had crossing
you would have been scared to see
[page 6]
long lines of men plunging and
wading the river it was dark and every now and then one of the tired fellows
would fall down in the water I did not get anything wet but my boots stockings
and drawers and I put on dry ones when I got to camp but going over before I
just walked in as I was and had no chance along but did not catch cold or feel
bad. when we were climbing the bank of the canal our capt. called "Co. C" "Co. C" and we
were soon in water again we had kept pretty well together when we got to camp
our fellows who we left behind us were glad to see us safe as they had heard the
firing and thought our regt had been fighting we
cannot call it a fight but just a reconaisance
in force. in the whole affair our divission lost but
four or five killed and some twelve or fiffteen wounded. we passed several of
their killed lying in the field took seven or eight prisoners. and got
[page 7]
back safely across the river and slept at home When we were moving in line of
battle we drove rabits and every thing up there were
some times two or three rabits running about the lines at once and some of the men caught
some partridges that were so scared at the firing that they did not move. we did
not (our regt) get firing at all, but some of our
companies which were out skirmishing on the right and left
[unclear: lost] their cav, and Co. A was
within a few hundred yds of a battery it shelled them
and they had to skedaddle back to us tell mother she may send my old blue vest
if she gets a chance we were out near to leetown about twelve miles into
virginia. I got a letter from pap to day & will answer it in a few days.
give my best respects to all the friends.
Your Bro
Sam
