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--- 14th_new_jersey_infantry_primary_sources [2019/06/12 13:59] – admin
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-{{:{{ :14th_nj:civil_war_letter_by_william_arrance.jpg?600 |img}}
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-<caption>civil_war_letter_by_william_arrance, original found on ancestry.com</caption>
+''civil_war_letter_by_william_arrance, original found on ancestry.com''
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+//Monmouth Democrat//, September 25, 1862
+Army Correspondence.
+From the 14th Regiment, N. J. Vols.
+CAMP WOOL, ELYSVILLE, MD.,\\
+September 14th, 1862.
+DEAR MAJOR: So engaged have I been by a multiplicity of cares and and duties, that hitherto it has been impossible for me to drop you a line; but as matters of interest have just transpired, I send you the account as it has been detailed to me. Yesterday our Colonel received an order for a guard of one hundred men to be sent in charge of a supply train from Baltimore to Frederick city, or as far up as safety would admit of. The men were selected from the various companies, and were put in charge of Lieut. Kerner as commander, and Lieuts. Conover and Baily. Being absent from camp visiting the sick in companies E and I, who are stationed about one mile from us, guarding the bridges over the Patapsco, I unfortunately missed the opportunity of accompanying them. The cars stopped for a while at Mt. Airy. and on information furnished by a lad, a store and dwelling were searched, and sundry contraband articles seized. The ladies at the dwelling were very indignant at the search, and gave the Lieutenant to understand that they would make and wave secesh flags as much as they pleased. The Union ladies, on the contrary, were wild with delight on seeing our troops, and one old, gray-headed lady waved a flag large enough for a regimental standard, and with the tears streaming down her cheeks, invoked God's blessing on the Union troops. They went with no detention or delay till they arrived at the bridge crossing the Monocacy, which they found to have been blown up by the rebels. This was the spot we had occupied previous to being recalled by order of Gen. Wool. Here a guard was thrown out, and on examination it was discovered that the rebels had skedaddled precipitately, and we had the honor of reoccupying the very ground we had been driven from, before any other Union troops. But, oh! what devastation and destruction marked the change! Fertile fields and waving crops, had given way to smoothly-trod camp grounds, and barren fields. Dead horses laid around, and the offal of slaughtered cattle lay festering in corruption, with here and there the corpse of a soldier half buried. In one instance the hands of a dead soldier protruded from the soil, and in another the headless trunk of a rebel, whose head had been blown off, and his body mutilated in the attempt to blow up the bridge. Vermin literally covered the ground, and the men were really afraid of becoming lousy. The rebel soldiery were represented as a ragged, lousy and filthy set, but well armed and in good spirits.— Numbers of them were captured, having hid themselves in the wood and shelters about. Our men behaved nobly, hardly waiting to be formed by their officers, so anxious were they for a brush with the rebels. They captured many trophies, among which are two cases of Enfield muskets, bayonet scabbards, cartridge boxes, belts, etc. Numerous letters were also found on the ground, some of which I send you as morceans for the amusement of your many readers. The boys have just returned, and were hailed by their associates in camp with tremendous cheers. Their watchword is "TRUEX AND VICTORY!" An amusing story is told of a storekeeper in Frederick, who, on the arrival of the Confederates in the city, waved a secesh flag, and seemed perfectly wild with delight at their occupation of the city. So well pleased were they with his patriotism, that they bought all of his stock of boots, shoes clothing and camp stores, and magnanimously paid him the full price for them in confederate script. Now his neighbors make him the butt of all their jests. A family of secesh proclivities, living near the camp we occupied on the Monocacy, who, while we were there, became very indignant because one of our men for a piece of fun undertook to milk one of his cows, had fifteen cows and one horse stolen from him by his rebel confreres.—The general health of the camp is good; the men enjoy themselves finely, and everything is working nicely. The men idolize the Colonel, and well they may for he neglects nothing that will tend to their comfort or efficiency. As an instance, to-day we were short of rations, and had had no soft bread for three or four days. He sent the Quartermaster—a most excellent one we have too, by the way— to Baltimore, to wake up the Commissary Department there, and ordered a discontinuance of drills and work, till the men were supplied with fall rations. I will embrace the first leisure moments to apprise you of anything that may occur of interest. Yours, FLETCHER.
+{{ :14th_nj:monmouth_democrat_thu_sep_25_1862.jpg?linkonly|}}
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-{{:{{ :14th_nj:monmouth_democrat_thu_sep_25_1862.jpg |img}}
-<caption>monmouth_democrat_thu_sep_25_1862</caption>
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