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+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+Relay House Aug 5, 1864
+Dear Carrie
+I received your most welcome letter yesterday & hasten to reply to it. for if I don't do so now I wont have a chance again in two or three days at least for we are having more men put on special detail every day & as Co. B. boys are smart they get detailed by the Gen. in preference to any other, so that our company is sadly thinned out we have twenty able to do duty now, & of these fifteen are wanted every day so that you see it is the exception & not the rule when we are off duty. I was off yesterday & went swimming & in a place where I thought it was over my head I struck bottom & it happened to be on a stone & I thought I was way over my head & dident think about my touching bottom. I wish you could have seen me strike out for shore it was just a caution & in a couple of strokes my hand struck the bottom. I never felt more foolish in my life than I did when I got up & looked out in the creek for the turtle. I wrote a love letter day before yesterday for one of our boys, I tell you it was rich [.] I never enjoyed myself more than when I was XXXXXXX scribbling for him. he made it very sentimental after the Ledger style & then he seemed to know that it was rather silly for he would make a sort of half excuse for it to me at every sentence. when I am off guard I am scribbling pretty much all the time either for the Capt. or some letter for one of the boys. You talk of my having so much vanity that you are afraid to tell me what people say of me. now you know as well as anything that if ever there was a person perfectly devoid of such a thing as vanity that person was me & now you go & say I have too much. I know what it is for, you are jealous & don't want me to have a good opinion of myself for fear I cant see the supreme goodness mess of yourself. now you needent feel scared for I o shall ever be conscious of the value elder sister. I have often heard you speak of the inconvenience of living [in] your trunk but it is a little more so to live in a knapsack & have a haversack for a closet to contain all of your fifine china crockery, & eatables for three of four days, our food has been wretched for three of four days back for we have had sour bread instead of hard tack for some of the boys grumbled at the tack because it was so hard & now they have the fine sour bread instead.  I have remember that I had about eleven dollars when I started from home & now I have somewhere in the neighborhood of two. part had to go for susistance while were on Baltimore Heights part for ink, pens &  paper & one thing & another but the best part has gone I don't know where for I never spent it. it probably got in the hands of Co. I. boys for they are the [...] thieves of the Reg. One night while I was sleeping in the guardhouse one of them stole a shoelace from my shoe & when they do that they are pretty mean. Please write as often as possible & don't wait for answers.
+Your loving brother\\
+Louis LeClear
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_2.jpg?linkonly|}}
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_2.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
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+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_3.jpg?600 |img}}
+Dear Father
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
+Relay House. Aug. 8 [1864]
+I received your long expected but welcome letter this morning & hasten
+to reply to it. I cant think how it took so long for it to go. for the mails are,
+as a general thing, very prompt.
+You said you thought it would be a good Plan for me to keep a Diary. I think it
+would also but I can get no book of any kind to write in for in the first place there
+none in the one store that is here. & in the second place I have no money to get one
+with for though I had a plentiful supply when I left home it is all gone some I have
+spent & some has been stolen from me & I could get no clue of the theives. when I say
+I have spent some I mean a good deal for things are very high here a I have spent
+probably about three dollars the rest has been stolen. I had ten dollars when I left the
+City so that about seven has gone & no good for it. however while in camp the need of
+money is not so severely felt. it is only while on the march that the want of money is
+really felt for sometimes you have even to buy a drink of water while in Baltimore we
+were not allowed to leave the ranks & some of the boys paid five & ten cents for
+canteenful of water & then at the same time you may have no rations & it is a very
+unpleasant thing to go hungry.
+There are a couple of car loads of Rebs. right outside of the camp from Harpers Ferry
+and a good many of the boys are out looking at them. I went out to see them about half
+an hour ago. they are pretty ragged & dirty but look as if they had all they wanted to eat
+with the exception of a dozen or so & I guess nothing could fatten them [.] they were
+long slabsided affairs with hair all streaming over their coat collars down their backs.
+they looked as though there was not such a thing as water in the U. S. for dirtier human
+beings I never saw. - You asked me if I have not got more than I bargained for, my
+answer is yes. & so has everybody else that came in it among whom are a good many
+veterans & they say that they never has as much work as we have now to do during the
+first six months they were out. our Reg. is detailed all over the State & we have only
+one hundred men here doing duty. out of these seventy men are required daily for
+camp guard, for prisoners guard at fort Dix & Pickett at the railroad bridge. so that the
+duty comes pretty heavy on all of us for every one of us are on five days out of the
+seven [.] you can see the difference when I tell you that in the Volunteer service you
+have one day on & seven or eight off so that that we have it more than ten times as
+hard as the Volunteers do that are doing garrison duty. As for our having any fighting I
+think it not at all likely that we shall see any unless the Johnnie's come in as far as this for we are so split up that it would be no object to them to send us to any other place. so that if the other companies do not come back we are booked for the rest of our time in this place.
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_3.jpg?linkonly|}}
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+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+Relay House, Aug 19, 1864
+Dear Mother
+Your most welcome letter came to hand yesterday but I could not answer it as i was just
+stationed at Washington Junction and was settling my self for the rest Of my time. when this morning about eight oclock I got in a muss with the fifth Sergt. of our Co. who was in command there about your letter. for I found out that he had tried to get at the contents Of it before he gave  it to me, under the impression that there was money in it. I gave him a piece of my mind about  the matter and about two or three other things that he had acted meanly in when he was going to  strike me and I took my musket in my hand plainly told him that I would put the bayonet through  him if he attempted to touch me and that made him keep back a bit for he could do nothing to  as long as I kept that in my hands; we both went up to camp and as there was no other person to  be put in his place I was relieved and am now in camp doing nothing. You can send your box as  soon as you please but I do not think it would pay to send the bread as it would probably be stale  before it would reach me and we get very good Gov. bread here most every nigh fresh from  Baltimore. if you could put in more crackers instead it would be as well. put the directions on  full and fair and have Ed get a receipt for it at the office and send it on to me by letter so that I  can get the box without trouble or delay. You ask how many time I have washed my clothes yet  I always wash them twice a week so that I have a clean shirt always in my knapsack. I am going  to have a clean shave of my hair to day as it is impossible to keep it in order with the length I  have now so I am resolved on getting a regular fighting cut, it will have grown out though by the  time I get home so you will not have the benefit of it. Give my love to all at home and tell them  all to write soon. tell Grandma that I will excuse on account of her being ill but hope she will not  have it in her power to plead the same excuse again. Write as soon as possible and take all the   love you can hold from  Your loving son
+Louis LeClear \\
+Envelope: \\
+Postmark:\\
+Saint Dennis Md \\
+Aug 19 \\
+Address: \\
+Mrs. T. LeClear \\
+Stapleton \\
+Staten Island \\
+Letter No. 35
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_4.jpg?linkonly|}}
+----
+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+Ellicott Mills Aug. 20 [1864]
+Dear Mother
+It is just a month today since we were mustered in to service so that we have got through  with about one third of our time- It seems however as if it was only a couple of weeks ago since I first left home and if the rest of the time passes as quickly I shall be well You  can see by the heading that I am at last where I wrote you I wanted to be. You know that  yesterday I told you about the muss I got in with the Sergt. at the bridge and about being relieved I was lucky for me that it turned out so for in the course of the day a Corporal came in to camp with one of the men from the Mills who did not suit the Sergt. and he sent word to the orderly that he wanted me in his place so after some little contention I was allowed to go. Our Lieut. had taken a fancy to me and he wanted to send the Sergt. at the bridge here and put me in is place but I had rather be private down here than Sergt. there so I came and here I shall stay for the rest of my time unless I get sick or the Rebs. come, neither of which things seem likely to happen just now, for this is a healthy place and out of the Rebs. way. All we have to do here is to put a guard of one man at the door of a big room in the highest story of the house in which we are stationed to see that none of the prisoners we have here escape. the consist of Sesesh prisoners brought here to stay over night for want of transportation, of drafted men who overstaid there ten days and of deserters. we have so many of our boys here that we only have about two hours out of the twenty four for duty. and then fruit is very cheap out here. you can get splendid big peaches here for thirty five cents a peck and great big watermelons for twenty which is very  cheap for so early in the season. we are right in the middle of a little village and have a very fine homes for there are cloth mills here and lots of girls who work in them they are going to have a ball here Monday night and we are invited I am going dancing pumps and all I expect we will make a fine clatter in any quadrille we get into. If you have not sent the box yet please put the best pair of my balmoral shoes in so that I can have a pair to wear while the others are getting  mended. You can direct all my letters to Ellicott's Mills Mills Md. Provost Marshalls Office.  Please write soon and send the box by the same Express.
+Your loving son \\
+Louis LeClear \\
+Letter No. 36 \\
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_5.jpg?linkonly}}
+----
+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+Ellicotts Mills aug. 31 [1864]
+Dear Carrie,
+Having been guarding a lot of negro conscripts for the last three hours I take this
+opportunity to relieve my mind of the strain the responsibility of having them under my
+care has occasioned by taking a little while with you. You know that it is always said by
+the proslavery people in our state that all this talk about whipping slaves was "bosh" but
+it is no such thing for I was talking with one of the boys around here last night about it
+and says that he has often seen them tied up by their thumbs so that their toes would
+just touch the floor and then cowhided with a whip that would make the skin burst open
+at every stroke just as you will see the skin of an apple burst when it is baking. And
+then one of the Negroes told me that he had been a slave and showed me the marks on
+his back of the whip. He says if the master happens to a bad one he will lash them
+in that way from head to heels and turn them round and do the same on their breasts.
+That is the way they christianize their niggers. And as for the love the slaves to
+his masters that is another of their lies. There is a man out here by the name of Carroll
+who had in the first place about five hundred men slaves and now he has not five left
+for they have all enlisted in the army, a nice specimen of their love isent to enlist in a
+month or six weeks after having the chance.
+You say that you would think that time would pass heavily on my hands, on the
+contrary I never knew it to pass so quickly for we are just busy enough now in preparing
+for the draft to keep us from what you could call idleness. And if we happen to have
+nothing to do for a while we go up to the railroad a mile or so and get all the fox grapes
+we want or up the turnpike after apples or peaches for the people out here are either
+very loyal or else are afraid of us for all we have to do is to say that we want such and
+such a thing and it is given, I rather think it is their patriotism for they will give them to me when I am along as quick as when there is a crowd along.
+I cant see how you manage to live with so many musquitoes around especially, if
+it is at all warm. I hardly think you could find as many as you sent me in this part of Md.
+It is getting cold here now too, so that a blanket wrapped close around you isent a bad
+thing at night, and I think that by the time we are ready to go home we will find it about
+the thing to sleep with our clothes on. In a week from tomorrow our time will be half out
+I tell you it don't seem long now before we will be home. But then being with Reg. we
+may be detained a week or two beyond our time. Please tell Ed and Helen that
+answer their letters tomorrow as I only received them last night.
+From your loving brother, \\
+Louis LeClear
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_6.jpg?linkonly|}}
+----
+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+Relay House Encampment \\
+Hospital Oct 2nd 1864.
+My dear Daughter.
+I have but a moment to write. I reached here about half after nine this
+morning, safe and well, found your dear brother in a very critical state, Typhoid fever,
+has been delirious for days, but knows people today — the doctor says he hopes he will
+get along, but he cannot tell how it will terminate. He says if he gets well —it will be at
+least three or four weeks before he can be moved — such a looking object as he is. The
+Doctor says he has worried for me continually, and he thinks my being here, may do
+much for him- I hope it will. He is continually moaning and talking, but when he opens
+his eyes, he knows me, and is happy. He coughs hard, the Doctor says has congestion
+of the lungs with the fever, says it is a very usual thing. He seems to understand what
+he is about. I have just stopped my writing to bathe Louis — bathed his head, neck and
+arms when he was so much fatigued that I was obliged to stop. No sheets — no pillow
+cases nothing but his blanket over him on the bare cot. I had cloths with me, that I
+spread over his pillow, put on a clean night shirt, and he looks more comfortable. I shall
+go out tomorrow and try and hire some sheets — there are no accommodations here for
+Ladies, I can assure you, but that I care nothing for— if God sees it best to save him,
+shall be very thankful. I can not say any thing about coming home —tell Eddie, Kittie,
+and Helen to be good children, and do the best they can. Much love to them, and to
+your own dear self, and Husband. Love to Helen, my Helen E.W. and say to her that I
+hope she will spend as much time as possible with you, and I will pay her fare.
+Write soon, direct to Relay House Encampment—to Louis, and I shall get it. I
+had good company through.
+Send this to Aunt Helen, for I cannot write now. Please write to grandma too -
+has your father returned? If so, and he thinks of coming on, let him bring those two
+small linen sheets, and one other also small pillow cases, three - but he had better not
+come till I write again. Much love to him and if he is not at home, write to him Louis'
+condition. He is almost entirely deaf. This afternoon does not know as much
+as this morning. Must stop.
+Your loving Mother Caroline R. LeClear
+Envelope: \\
+Postmark: \\
+Saint Dennis \\
+Oct 3 \\
+Address:\\
+Mrs. Wm. H. Beard \\
+Stapleton \\
+Staten Island \\
+LETTER NO. 52
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_7.jpg?linkonly|}}
+----
+LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society
+WEEKS ON PROVOST GUARD
+Last summer while quartered at Relay House. MD. our col. received an order
+from the Brig. Gen. telling him to send a detail of a dozen men to Ellicotts Mills to act
+under the order of the Provost Marshall of that place. A detail was accordingly made
+out, composed the most orderly files belonging to CO's B. & E. and I was luckily one of
+the number. In half an hour after the order was made public we were on our way to the village.
+Arriving there we were escorted by a sergt. of the 44th Penn Voll. To our quarters,
+which were we found the fourth and fifth stories of a large building originally intended
+for a Free Mason's Lodge, but at that time occupied by the Provost Marshall and his
+assistants. After taking off our knapsacks and sitting down to rest we commenced
+talking about the duties we might have to perform when the Marshall, whom I shall call
+Capt. Brown came up to give the Sergt his orders, in speaking to us he informed us that
+our work was to be as follows, 1st we were to guard all deserters, bounty-jumpers, etc.,
+brought in by the detectives, all recruits were to be kept in custody by us until sent to
+the camp of instruction, 3rd & lastly we were to make ourselves as comfortable as
+circumstances would permit. After giving us this information the Capt. went away and
+left us to obey his last order to the best of our ability. After putting ail our traps in order those of us who were not detailed for guard strolled out to see the place; we found it quite a good sized town though there was none of that activity that is so marked in a
+village in our own State.
+During the first two weeks nothing of any interest occurred; but on the third
+Sunday after our arrival I went out about three miles to get some fox grapes for the
+mess; on returning I noticed a dozen horses and mules standing in front of the house,
+and a crowd of people at the door who seemed somewhat excited. Going up to one of
+the bystanders I inquired the cause of so unusual a gathering and was told that a
+detective had seen about forty guerrillas in the North Woods and that a great number of
+horses had been stolen on the day previous by them.
+On going upstairs I was informed by the Corporal that the Sergt. had gone to Relay
+House for some Cavalry. and that we were to ride out to the woods and see if we could
+discover them. Some people talk about the boys always being so anxious for a fight, it
+may be that they are. but I know that I was not in as jolly a state of minds as I might
+have been; however I went to my room put on my equipments, slung my musket over
+my shoulder and joined the rest in the street. After standing there a few moments we
+received the order to mount, we obeyed the order though not in the most regular
+manner as part of the horses were baulky and the mules had no saddles. As quickly as
+we were settled in our seats the command was given and we rode of amid the laughter
+of the bystanders; for as may be supposed we made did not make a very fine show, as
+some were on horseback for the first time and none were able to ride very well with a
+After riding for a hour with no very serious mishap we arrived at the wood and after
+tying our horses and leaving a sentry to guard them, we struck into the woods after
+marching for a few moments we halted to await the coming of the reenforcements. In
+the course of an hour we heard the trampling of hoofs and the clanking of the sabres
+that let us know that the Cavalry was at hand, and a minute afterward they marched up to us, headed by a Lieut. who took command and formed a skirmish line, so that we were able to sweep the whole wood at once. We managed through trampling down the under brush with our fingers on the trigger ready to shot the first Johnny that should show himself, but no Rebs were to be seen and on getting to the other side of the wood the Lieut dismissed us saying that his detachment was large enough to handle all the Rebs. around there. We did not like this very much as we had just had enough of the fun to make us want more. There was no help for it however & we set our faces homeward. Arriving at headquarters we resumed the old routine nothing of any importance to vary they m[...] till our term of [...]
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_8.jpg?linkonly|}}\\
+{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_9.jpg?linkonly|}}
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_4.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_5.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_6.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_7.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_8.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :93rd_nysm:leclear_letters_9.jpg?600 |img}}
-<caption>LeClear Family Letters, 1862-1863, 1864, Howard County Historical Society</caption>
-</figure>

Howard County, MD in the Civil War

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