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 {{ :bla:boston_evening_transcript_-_may_16_1861.jpg?linkonly|}}
+----
+Letter of Caleb Mortimer, ca. May 16, 1861, Gilder-Lehrman Collection
+Relay house Md, 1861
+Dear Wife
+I received a letter from you today
+dated April 29 and also my pipe and
+it made me feel glad to get a letter from you
+and the old pipe was like seeing an old friend
+where the letter has been I am at a lose to
+know since I wrote to you we have moved
+from Annapolis a week ago last Saturday night
+about twelve o’clock we were waked up and ordered
+to pack traps and prepose to start and about
+half past six in the morning we were on the road
+and marched all day about thirty miles through
+one of the worst roads one ever did see and
+the last part of our journey in a drenching rain
+and when we arrived here you never did see
+a man more completely used up set of men and horses
+you cannot Imagine we put up that night in an
+old house said by neighbors to be haunted
+but you better believe the ghosts did not haunt
+us much that night and the next day we moved
+on the hill about half a mile from the house and
+commenced a camp and now we are encamped here
+in my next letter I will give you a description
+of the camp and how we live about a week
+ago I need orders to get my section ready
+and in a half an hour we were ready to start
+and marched down to the depot and putting
+our two pieces aboard the cars and started
+towards harpers ferry and when about ten miles
+from this place we disembarked and took possession
+of the renowned steam gun and four mules which was
+on its way to harpers ferry to the sesesion army there
+and brought it safe back to our camp and we
+have it here now and it is quite a curious machine
+and if is does what its inventor claims for it is
+a murderous weapon throwing three hundred balls
+per minutes and if such is the case it is better in our
+hands than that of an enemy.  It is a big machine
+looking about as much like a shark as anything I can
+think of and weighing about four or five tons.
+Last Monday while we building a shanty I received
+an order to have my section ready to march in
+twenty minutes and you better believe we dropped the
+tools and went I walked in double quick time and
+started for the depot again and getting our pieces
+aboard the cars together with our horses and on
+the same train the Sixth Regiment of Mass. and
+apart of the Eight Regiment of New York and learned
+that our destination was Baltimore and as we neared
+that city every eye was on fire and every tooth set for
+we expected a warm reception we arrived about seven
+o’clock in the evening took our pieces off the cars and
+the Infantry disembarked and formed units
+a hollow square and my sections of artillery in the
+centre and wo be to the party that had attacked
+that regiment that night but we marched through
+the city without the least disturbance and halted
+on the top of Federal Hill about a mile from the
+centre of the city and just as we stopped then
+came up on of the hardest thunder storms I ever
+did see and not a sign of a shelter for horses
+or men and it never rained harder finaly we
+found a place to ty our horses to a fence and
+a room about twelve feet square for the men
+and we had hardly got our horses unharnessed
+when the long roll was beat which summons every
+man to arms and the horses was harnessed again
+and every man in the camp was turned out in
+the storm expecting an attack as the officers heard that
+there was a row going on downtown and might
+come up to catch us napping but if they had they
+would have met with a terrible reception as my
+guns was placed one commanding one street and
+the other gun commanding the other and we were
+well flanked with Infantry but nothing came but
+we stood at our guns all night in the drenching
+storm the men built about fifty camp fires on
+the hill and the way they piled on the wood was
+a caution to the city folks it was the wildest scene
+ever witnessed the men was lying on the ground
+with a cord wood stick for a pillow and in the
+morning a harder looking set you never did see
+but the next morning came out bright and
+warm and dried them up somewhat and
+in the afternoon the camp equipage arrived
+including tents and cooking utensils and the next
+night we passed as comfortable as could be
+in the afternoon.  I was busy writing as mounted
+orderly for General Butler and rode almost
+all over Baltimore delivering dispatches and without
+the least trouble in fact the city has entirely
+changed the next day Major Cook sergt Wright
+and myself as escort to the General and staff
+accompanied him to the Gilmor House which is by
+the way the Revere House of this pace to dinner
+and your husband had the honor of taking
+dinner with the General and also as escort
+the party back to quarters. I am getting short of
+paper and must stop the next time I write I
+will give you some more of our adventures in the city
+and also of our return give my love to father and
+mother and the children and all friends.
+Write often for nothing is so pleasant as to get a letter
+from home direct your letters the same as before to
+Annapolis and I shall get them from your affectionate Husband
+Caleb
+Caleb Mortimer\\
+Gilder-Lehrman Collection
 ----

Howard County, MD in the Civil War

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