Howard County, MD in the Civil War

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Back to 138th Pennsylvania Volunteers

Primary Sources for the 138th Pennsylvania Volunteers

“John F Frantz Enlisted in A Bucks Co Company on the 15th day of Aug 1862 and was sworen in to the U S Army on the 26th day of the same month at Harrisburg Pa I spent one week in Camp Curtain at Harrisburg We then got A bord of the Cars and were quickly convade to the Relay House Md whare we halted and went in Camp we then began to Experience the hardshaips of Camp life although we bore it like brave boys from the old key [Stone?] State of Pennsylvania Paul Pursel was shot on the 28 of March 1863 Axidentily in practis by Henry Hilbert.

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We left Camp Relay on the 20th of Aprile, And arrived at Dorcey s Switch on the same day, which was a march of five miles.

On the 12th June 1863. we were ordered to pack up and go to the Relay House to be ready to start on the morning of the [13th?] at 5 O clock but the order was countermanded on the afternoon of the 12th and so we wered ordered back to Dorsey s Switch on the 15th and to keep ourselves in readyness To go at any that we might be called upon We left Dorcey s Switch June the 15th and arrived at Maryland Hights on the 10th after a hard march. the weather was hot. We were ordered to evacuate the Hights on the 30th of June; and so we took up the line of march early in the morning and marched all day through mud and rain and when night came we were not a quarter of a mile from where we started. We spent part of the night in pulling down Cannone from off the Hights” - From the diary of John F. Frantz, Company A, 138th Pennsylvania. http://www.dippam.ac.uk/ied/records/52231.pdf

“Camp Sumwalt Sept 26 1862… Shoemaker still mends slowly but he is not able to leave the hospittle yet. And to day there was a man in Company F shot by one of his best friend through one thy & the boll lodged in the other thy. it was axaden they took him to Baltimore to have the boll extracted they think one leg will have to be taken off… our Col has been promoted to assistant brigadear General… We have got our Over Coats Shirts & Browces so we are ready for Jeff and his Armey… I think them Rebels spys as thee cauls them had better be locked up for it is my pinion there is spyes all over Maryland and Pennsylvania to… We have not seen any Rebels yet to fight with but there is plenty of them about us though. but we do not think half as much about fighting and danger as you do there. I think I told thee of one of our men being punished he got drunk & they tied him to a tree…Camp Somewalt Sept 14/62… we have moved to a new Camp ground it is a splended field…last 4th day night about 12 Oclock the Col came riding into camp and cauld as all up we had but 15 minutes to pack our napsacks load our guns we took 10 rounds of cartages in our boxes and marched down to the Railroad & up the Patapscho Tiver threw the bushes and came out on the Ohio railroad there we layed down on our guns and napsacks the Col left us for a few minutes then he came back and he said brave boys I want you to stand your ground the rebels is within 9 miles of us and the Telegraph Office is all cut of… I want you to be ready at a moments warning…I did not sleep much… last week there was 8 in our Company sick at 1 time. last 5th day there was a company Artillery men came to our camp from Burnside the have been in some hard battles. yesterday there was a lot of Calvery came to the uper end of our camp and pitched theyor tents… Camp Relay Sept 5th/1862…We left Camp Curtain…we landed in Baltimore at 11 o clock & stopped there…we halted untill daylight and then we marched around about a mile and drilled 1 hour in the rain with our naksacks & guns on our backs. I was quite sick when we moved but I am middling well at present… We are all very much pleased with our move to Maryland. the camp is 8 miles below Baltimore on a hill sloped to the South East with a Railroad close to the camp ground on wich there has some 18,000 soulders & about 250 army wagons past … there is but 1 Regment here and 4 companys of them left last eavening they had but 15 minutes warning to get ready and I exspect our turn will come next…I just got a check for 50 dollas of the bounty… I shouldn't wonder if we would move before night… within 3 miles of us the rebels burnt a bridge & other damage don besides. there is canons planted neer us to defend us. but some of our Reg is very much afeard…”“ - Civil War letters of Amos Mullen, https://www.barnebys.com/realizedprices/lot/75386773/civil-war-archive-of-private-amos-mullen/