Union News, Broome County, New York, July 18, 1861
Barracks Co. D, Camp Anderson, 27th Regt. N.Y.S. Vol., Washington, July 12, 1861
Mr. Editor: In the first tier of Barracks facing Avenue K, between 18th and 19th streets, in one corner of a sixteen foot square shanty (of which our Company occupies even) with a board hung on hinges to swing open and admit the light and air, Blockhead stands up to a board, nailed under the air hole before named to write his first letter from the Capitol.
The morning is a beautiful one, not a cloud or a breeze of wind to counteract the scorching rays of the sun. Thermometer 97 degrees in the shade, but we don't appear to mind it much, everything is so exciting.
Col Jackson's 18th New York Regiment is not informed to what point they are ordered. I suppose I must give you something of a description of our trip from Elmira. Well, here it goes.
The morning of the tenth (the day we left) all were busy harnessing for the trip. Not one half of them were able to get all the straps into position, and but few of them (I venture to say) even supposed the amount of load they had to travel under. But they helped one another out of their difficulties, and immediately after dinner came out on dress parade then formed into companies and marched to the Depot through the principle streets and halted in the shade of the trees on Main street in front of the residences of Capt. Spauling, Messrs. Andrus and others. The ladies were on hand with pitchers of water to slake the thirst of the soldiers, who had been marching for three hours in the dust. One man came near fainting, but had new life infused into his system by a good sized dose of the invigorating fluid known as brandy, furnished by Mrs. Capt. Spaulding. The Regiment was then marched by Companies to the Cars. There were fifteen passenger and five freight Cars loaded with soldiers and two with the Officers horses and baggage, with two engines to draw the train. At five o'clock the iron horse began to start and we moved slowly off amid the cheers of the multitude, the waving of hats and handkerchiefs, and the incessant good byes of both soldiers and their friends who had come to see them off. Our speed increasing, we soon left Elmira behind us. Just out of Southport, the Jefferson Regiment had come out to the railroad ready to follow us as soon as sufficient cars could be brought down. They gave us three deafening cheers as we passed.
We came near coming to a stand still on the steep grade below Troy. However the engineer succeeded in drawing it up, although the boys thought they would have to get some rails to assist. It commenced raining soon after we left Elmira and the boys in one of the freight care found a very leaky roof. Some of them used [?] names rather too freely, but most of the fellows stood it as well as could be expected. As we dashed down the valley of the Lycoming Creek, we came suddenly upon the iron works. 'Twas a new thing for most of the boys (as was the railroad track up the mountain side almost perpendicular) for letting down cars of coal and iron oar (which is located on the top of the mountain) with ropes. A stationary engine on its top, being placed there for that purpose.
The valley of the Lycoming Creek is from ten rods to one fourth of a mile in width and the hill sides or rather mountains, so steep you cannot see the top without running your head out of the car window. Near the Iron Works there was a couple of girls on a pile of [?] by the railroad waving their Bonnets and as I threw out my handkerchief one of them caught it out of my hand and threw it into the next car behind. 'Twas neatly done, and the boys cheered the act loud and long.
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Limestone is about the only rock for about [?] miles in the region and almost every farmer has something in the shape of a lime kiln of his own. There was one village on the road that had six or seven lime kilns. They were not however in operation.
We reached Baltimore about 3 o'clock, formed into line four deep and marched through the city about two miles to the Camden Station. We were saluted with hurrahs for Jeff Davis from the children, but the men preserved a sullen silence. There were perhaps fifty small [?] flags stuck out of the windows. Twas said ours was the first Regiment that had passed through the city, but what had been insulted with secession flags and other opposition demonstrations. One old fellow (perhaps fifty years) said he hoped we would never live to come back through that city. I thanked him and told him I did not think we could accommodate him. It took us about half and hour to load into the cars again.
From the Pennsylvania and Maryland line all the way South, the railroad is strictly guarded. Every half mile a strong guard is stationed and every passenger is closely examined. There was a French Lady arrested yesterday. She having papers secreted of a treasonable nature upon her person. She is now in the hands of the guard. There was not a mansion or hamlet but what the inmates waved their handkerchiefs, hats or bonnets as the case may be, with shouts for our success, until we reached Baltimore. There succession is kept down by force. There are encamped around about the city, about 5,000 soldiers and an efficient Police in the city of about 1,000 strong, which makes them come to terms. They dare not make any demonstration. We left Baltimore at 5 and arrived in Washington at 10 o'clock, when after a march of two miles, we arrived at camp where we took up our quarter, stretched ourselves upon the floors of our wigwams, and made up lost time in sleep. We were thirty hours on the road.
There is now a heavy firing in the direction of Alexandria. There is warm work going on there. The boys are all in good spirits and impatient for action We have the best camp, it is said, in the city. I will write again soon. Send me a paper. Write me at any rate.
Your's respectfully, Blockhead
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