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-Unknown paper, Quiner Scrapbooks Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865
+//Wisconsin Daily Patriot//, September 7, 1861\\
+Quiner Scrapbooks Correspondence of the Wisconsin Volunteers, 1861-1865
 From the Fourth Regiment.
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 GEORGE
 //George Walter Durgin's Civil War Letters, 1861-1864//
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+Letter of Daniel Maxson to his Cousin
+Relay House near Baltimore, Maryland
+September 23d 1861
+My Dear Cousin Hattie,
+You may be assured that I was greatly pleased at the reception of your good letter the other day. True, I have but little leisure, but I will take a few moments to talk with you.
+You spoke of my bereavements. Oh my cousin! Sod has taken away my darlings. I tread alone the weary walks of life. My noble, talented affectionate wife and my beautiful baby are sleeping under the violets and they will come to me no more. Oh, it is so lonely, lonely without them. Harriet, you have seen trials. You have been afflicted with disease. Your aspirations have had their wings clipped. You know what trial is. But may God in his infinite mercy save you from standing by the grave which has closed over your household jewels—your earthly darlings. Such is my prayer.
+Through the blessing of God, I have in some degree bowed to the terrible blow and I can say, "thy will be done" though my heart is crying for my loved ones. The exciting scenes of war furnish occupation for my thoughts so that my loss does not weigh as heavily on me as when at home.
+I am now with my regiment again at the Relay House. Darwin has doubtless told you of my whereabouts. I had much rather be here handling a musket than driving the goose quill at Fort McHenry.
+My health will not endure confinement. If ever I regain it at all, it must be now. General Dix gave me leave of absence for a week and I went down to Washington and staid several days and saw the "pomp and circumstance of glorious war." The basement of the Capitol is used for an everlasting bakery. More than 200,000 loaves of bread are baked daily for the great army in and around Washington. The splendid Patent Office Building is used for a hospital for the sick and wounded. The fine grounds around the Washington Monument are used as a yard for thousands of cattle which today and tomorrow are not forever. In short, Washington presents the appearance of a beleaguered city.
+I went (by the kindness of Lieutenant King of Wis.) over the chain bridge into Virginia and staid with the Wisconsin 5th and 2nd all night. I slept on the further side of the furthest advanced regiment of our forces. I never saw a more splendid night than the one I spent in Virginia. The moon hung glistening in a cloudless sky and her beams fell on countless white tents, stretching away as far as the eye could reach, on gleaming bayonets, on huge cannon, on impregnable fortifications which bind the highlands west of the Potomac together as with a mighty chain. The rebels can never break through them to storm our Capitol. Neither can we go "forward to Richmond" through the terrible batteries of the enemy till we have drawn off a part of their great forces by demonstrations on the coast. Such I think is the plan of the government. We have a hard road to travel to conquer this rebellion. I believe I shall live to see it die and with it, the damnable institution which is the cause of it. But I do seriously fear that the present administration will fail to meet God’s purposes and that He will be obliged to depose them and raise up others who dare do His will.
+Fremont alone has met the question and handled it as God would have it handled and government will probably remove him for it. Seward is a mighty humbug and Lincoln is his willing tool. Neither of them meet the crisis like men, nor Christians, but like politicians who dare not say their souls are their own.
+I am tired, cousin, and must stop, Please write me again. Direct to Baltimore, Maryland.
+Care of Captain Roundy, Co. F, 4th Regt. Wis. Vols.
+My love to Ira and the child. — Daniel
+https://sparedcreative21.art.blog/2020/02/26/1861-daniel-burdick-maxson-to-cousin-hattie/?fbclid=IwAR3lFCoYYTMgesTDznXTnCe5GN9xJ0SxOXeTjTxISGcjjM-b0GHakzblEvQ
+----
+//Sheboygan Journal//, September 25, 1861
+FROM THE FOURTH REGIMENT.
+Correspondence of the Journal.
+CAMP GRAY, NEAR ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION,\\
+MARYLAND, Sept. 16, 1861.
+FRIEND MILLS: - Company "C" has been detailed to guard the U. S. Military route from the Relay House to Annapolis Junction. The Co. is scattered along the line in squads of 8 and 10, under charge of a Corporal. Your correspondent is posted with Capt. GRAY and Lieut. COLE at Annapolis Junction, which is a small village at the Junction of the Washington and Annapolis Railroads, and is 21 miles from Washington, 18 miles from Baltimore, and 18 miles from Annapolis. Two companies are of the Massachusetts 21st are stationed near us, guarding the road beyond the Junction towards Washington. We came here day before yesterday, and so far have found it a most delightful location. Several large slave-owners live near us, and appear to be very hospitable people. they cannot hardly be called secessionists, neither can they be called strict Unionists. They seem to have but little sympathy with the war, and in fact do not appear to concern themselves about which side comes out ahead. They attend to their own business, and treat everybody, no matter what their opinions are, hospitably. The planters' daughters are quite patriotic, if the many favors they send us is any criterion. Our duty is light and agreeable. We do pretty much as we please here, with the exception of standing guard nights, and it seems quite a relief to be free from the restrictions of camp life with the regiment.
+From this point we hear the frequent booming of cannon at Washington, but we are ignorant of what it is for. As a battle is momentarily expected, on the occasion of firing, we remark, "The great battle has commenced." But the news comes in a few minutes "all right at Washington."
+Before you receive this, you will have heard of the wholesale arrest of prominent Rebels in Baltimore, including Mayor Brown and Ross Winans. That is a "big thing" and Gen. Dix will immortalize himself by the operation. Some of these men were members of the Legislature which meets at Frederick on Tuesday, and were the most influential and wealthy of the Rebel leaders in Maryland. It is my opinion, and also that of others, that if these men had been permitted to meet together on Tuesday next, they would have passed an Ordinance of Secession, and simultaneously with the Rebel attack on Washington the Rebels of Maryland would have risen and endeavored to place the State Government in the hands of the Southern Confederacy. But the sagacity and promptness of Gen. Dix has placed an awful big block before the wheel of the Rebel cart. It does seem to me incomprehensible why the people of this State should persist in their desire to have a Southern army in their State. I should think that the present plight that Virginia is in would present a horrible warning to them. Why that a State blessed with peace and prosperity should invite armed hosts to convert it into a battle field, is more than I can conjecture.
+We have discouraging news from home in regard to the raising of new companies for the war. I trust, in God's name, that you will not have to resort to drafting to obtain your quota of men from Sheboygan county. I presume you recollect the assurances, given us before we left home, that we would be followed, if necessary, at a moment's notice, by any quantity of patriots from home. Do not, I say, let those assurances be proven vain and empty boasting. Recollect that this is the best and noblest cause that God every smiled upon, and that we are bound to win. If Co. "C" is to be the only representative of good old Sheboygan in this war, so be it. As the mate of a vessel said to the captain, during a storm, "you 'tend to your end of the schooner, we'll 'tend to our'n." We also hear that there is a class of men in your county who are doing mischief by ridiculing the Administration, and denouncing the stringent but urgent laws passed by the last Congress, and making light of the present difficulties which surround our country. This same class of men, while thus poisoning the patriotic atmosphere in which they move, claim to be law-abiding, and therefore, good citizens; and to many are seemingly harmless. They clamor for a peace which would entail upon us unending wars, and ask for an accomodation with their friends, which would forever disgrace and ruin us as a great nation. The Tories of '76 have had their reward; but the Tories of '61 profit by the lesson.
+Speaking of tories and this rebellion reminds me of some lines I saw the other day, written in 1850 by on who is now among the most active and unscrupulous in aiding the wide-spread rebellion. I need not tell you they are from the pen of Albert G. Pike. I quote two verses:
+"Great God! what a title, what name\\
+Will history give to your crime!\\
+In the deepest abyss of dishonor and shame\\
+Ye will writhe till the last hour of time,\\
+As braggarts who forged their own chains,\\
+Pulled down what their forefathers built,\\
+And tainted the blood in their children's young veins\\
+With the poison of slavery and guilt.\\
+And Freedom's bright heart be hereafter tenfold\\
+For your folly and fall more discouraged and cold,"
+"What flat floats over the fires\\
+And the smoke of your parricide war.\\
+Instead of the star and broad stripes of your sires?\\
+A lone pale dim mist-covered star,\\
+With the treason cloud hiding its glow,\\
+And its waning crest close to the sea!\\
+Will the Eagle's wing shelter and shield you? ah, no!\\
+That wing shelters only the free!\\
+Miscall it, disguise it, boast, brag as ye will\\
+We are traitors, misled by your mad leaders still."
+Who would think that this same Albert G. Pike is now congregating a reg't of savages to assist in the slaughter of his countrymen and overthrow of the Union? Indeed, sad times have come upon us.
+Soldiers still continue to flock in to Washington. Four regiments passed here yesterday, together with any amount of cannon mounted on carriages.
+The 4th regiment has moved from its position one mile south of the Relay House, on to a high hill, overlooking the viaduct and Harper's Ferry road. Entrenchments are to be thrown up, and the position strongly fortified. A battery of artillery is also to be placed there, and I understand it is to be commanded by Lt. Pauli, of Co. "C" who is an experienced artillerist. All this indicates a long sojourn for us in this vicinity. I hope we may never be placed in a worse place.
+I will take a trip down to Annapolis to-morrow just for the novelty of the thing, and if I should observe anything of interest while there you shall be duly posted. Again having the pleasure to announce to you that the health of our boys is good, I remain,
+Yours, &c., HIGH PRIVATE.
+{{ :4th_wisc_inf:sheboygan-journal-sep-24-1861-p-2.png?linkonly|}}
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-{{:{{ :4th_wisc_inf:sheboygan-journal-sep-24-1861-p-2.png?600 |img}}
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+//Evergreen City Times//, October 4, 1861
+Our Army Correspondence.
+Letter from the Fourth Regiment.
+RAILROAD DEPARTMENT, MD.,\\
+Sept. 19th, 1861.
+FRIEND ROSS: Since our company became incorporated into the 4th Regiment, its services, its merits, and consequent honors, have all been absorbed, swallowed up, and completely eclipsed by the centralizing power of the regimental name. If we did anything nice, it was the 4th Regiment. If we were exceedingly orderly and well behaved on any occasion, it was all the 4th Regiment. All our aspirations for fame all our chances for distinction, all our panting for military glory, were thus hopelessly brushed. So, following the steps of many illustrious predecessors, we seceded - dissolved all connection with the glorious 4th on the basis of mutual agreement, and Company C is now a power by itself.
+Capt. GRAY is Commander-in-Chief of the Department, while Orderly DURBIN, and Sergeants WINTERMEYER, THOMPSON, PULLMAN and BROOKS, and COLE, are Chiefs of Divisions. FRANK LAVINE is Private Secretary; Corporal COLE is Postmaster General; Lieutenants PAULI and COLE, and Corporals SHARPE and KRENDTLER, with the Postmaster General form his Cabinet. Corporal LUCAS is Adjutant, Corporal WITTE is Quartermaster Sergeant, and your not very humble servant is High Private in place of E. E. SHARPE, promoted. Our Head-Quarters are at Annapolis Junction, a point 18 miles from Annapolis, 19 from Baltimore, and 20 from Washington; thus occupying a grand central and commanding position. Capt. GRAY issues his General orders daily with as much grace, dignity and authority as Gen. McClellan. The extent of our jurisdiction i 10 miles in length, and width without limit. It is known as "The Railroad Department."
+The Regiment finding itself so weakened by our withdrawal, immediately evacuated Camp Randall and moved nearer the Relay House, to a hill overlooking the Railroad, and commenced fortifying. The new camp is named Camp Bean, in honor of the Lieut. Colonel.
+Troops are passing through here almost without number. From 5 to 7 Regiments go through daily. The inhabitants here wonder greatly "where all the soldiers come from." They say they did not think there were so many in the whole United States. They think we northerners must think a good deal of Lincoln to leave our homes and families and come away from Maine and Wisconsin to fight for him. Trains pass and repass almost hourly laden with horses, cattle, hogs, tents [...] ammunition, wagons, &c. I don't see where they find place to put them all.
+It appears that our Wisconsin Postmasters have some funny ideas in their heads about postage and the franking privilege, which cause them to take postage on letters franked by a member of Congress. A novel idea, truly! They assume to themselves more knowledge and authority than Congress, the Post Master General and all the Government officials put together. I would like to know what business they have to require postage at that end of the route? The law requires that all letters transmitted from one part of the United States to another shall be prepaid. It makes no provision for their going through and the pay being collected at the place of destination; and if there should a letter come through unpaid, the man that took the letter is liable to the Government, and not the P. M., at the other end of the route. But letters that are franked by an M. C. the Post Master has no business to meddle with. If the M. C. has abused the franking privilege he is liable to punishment, and not the P. M. Their excuse is that it is an abuse of the franking privilege; that members of Congress can frank their own letters but not those of the whole army. How does the P. M. know who sent them? He has no means of knowing except by the frank, which he is bound to respect. The facts are, that the soldiers, having been in the service some time and receiving no pay from Government, got pretty short of funds. The members of Congress knowing the yearnings of the human heart, and considering that a few dollars could be made much more useful in carrying messages of love to the dear ones at home and pouring the oil of consolation into their bleeding hearts, than in lining the pockets of leeches, bloodsuckers, contractors, office seekers, and the whole horde of hangers on at the Capital, - and having the consent of the administration, assumed the responsibility of sending the letters as their own. They were received by the government officials here, and nothing wrong was seen in the transaction till they reached Wisconsin, whom those wisacres decreed that the frank mark was a nullity and the postage must be paid! After the Government had devised a plan to relieve the families of poor soldiers and furnish them the means of communication, because itself was delinquent in its payment, and considered it an act of justice, upon reaching home, the wives and friends must pay the postage out of the scanty pittance left them for their support. Is it not only illegal but it is low - mean - it is contemptible! Nevertheless it was not a little amusing to witness the storm of harmless indignation burst forth against the malicious swindle.
+Last night considerable interest was excited in camp by the appearance of 30 men from the Wisconsin 3rd in charge of 10 Secession members of the Maryland Legislature, who were arrested yesterday at Frederick. They were on their way to Washington. They looked rather seedy, nothing having been furnished by the Government, and no pay yet. They felt first rate, however, and were quite proud of their charge. The Seceshers were quite restless under their escort, that not being the business they met to transact.
+We have received a complete outfit from the Government. It is quite a fancy dress and gives us a very soldierly appearance. We have got clothes though now to kill a man to carry them. We have two suits from the State, and this one, with three blankets and an overcoat. I tell you what, the Wisconsin 4th are well provided with all the necessaries, many of the comforts and several of the luxuries of life. All the trouble with us, is, we hate to stay here idle and see the smoke of the battle ascend from the field of strife, and hear the roar of artillery reverberating among the surrounding hills, and we not have a chance in. We came to fight and we don't want to get cheated out of it. But if appearances are not deceiving we stand a good chance of having that wish gratified to our hearts content before too many weeks. Coming events cast their shadows before, and Potomac's dread echoes shall ring with the bloodhounds that howl the requiem over the death of Secession.
+Yours, &c.,
+L. C. BARTLETT.
+{{ :4th_wisc_inf:evergreen-city-times-oct-04-1861-p-2.png?linkonly|}}
-<figure label>
-{{:{{ :4th_wisc_inf:evergreen-city-times-oct-04-1861-p-2.png |img}}
-<caption>evergreen-city-times-oct-04-1861</caption>
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Howard County, MD in the Civil War

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