5th Connecticut Infantry - Capture of Spies

Item LTR-8130

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages, written in period ink.


Hyattstown, Maryland

Monday, August 26th 1861

Dear Father and Mother,

Thinking perhaps you would like to hear from me. I take this time to write you a few words to let you know we are in good health and spirits. And I hope you are the same. We arrived here last Wednesday. I wrote you a letter two or three days ago dated Bucktown. The next day after I wrote it we marched to this place some 8 or 10 miles and think we shall be stationed here some weeks. Although I don’t know anything, only by the rumors that are about. Our Company are now on picket guard about the town or rather peacemakers. You see there are so many troops stationed here now they are liable to get into disputes among themselves when they get out of camp. So for that reason, we are here to keep order. We came out of camp yesterday morning. We are about 1 ½ miles from camp. We shall be out on picket a week and perhaps more. General Banks visited our camp last Saturday p.m. and spoke highly of our regiment. He said we was the best drilled, the best armed and equipped, in fact the best regiment he had got under his command. The officers and men of our regiment acknowledge that our company is the best drilled company in the regiment. When General Banks left our camp, he left word for our Captain to come over and see him. Our Captain went over that night. General Banks told him he wanted his company to guard this town. So yesterday morning, we pulled up stakes and came the way we that way. The way we worked it, we took 20 men out of the company at a time. They have to stand guard 24 hours. The next day, 20 more are sent out to take their places. We are allowed all the privilege we want. We go where we please and when we please.

Enclosed I will send you a couple of pieces I tore out of a paper thinking you would like to know what kind of people we have to deal with. I tore it out of the New York Herald in the same paper it was reported. We had crossed over and occupied trenches, etc., which is untrue. I will just write our little incident that occurred while we were at Sandy Hook and since we left there. We were at Sandy Hook, it was reported that two spies were about. So Captain Stone, Company A, with about 20 men, went and caught them about 10 miles from camp and brought them in. they proved to be father and son. They couldn’t prove anything against the Old Man and let him go. They kept the son about a week or till we got ready to leave. Sandy Hook fed and used him like a gentleman and let him go. Why they let him go I couldn’t find out. While we were at Bucktown, we heard that the 3rd Wisconsin Regiment had shot a man for attempting to poison the spring where they got water. Some of our officers went over to see him and found out that it was the young spy that we let go at Sandy Hook. He had followed us 4 or 5 days and attempted to revenge on us that way. They say the guard that was stationed at the spring put two balls through him while he was in the act of putting acid into the water. The guard then threw him over the fence like a dog. And I heard we came away and left him lying there (served him right).

The weather is growing cooler but it is pretty warm yet, with cold nights and heavy dews. We received our overcoats yesterday which do very well to wear nights. I saw Dick Calhoun of the 4th Connecticut from Collinsville the other day. He says E. Marks was well and was attending the hospital at Frederick City. Alex Cook is well or was when I saw him last. Tobey, Ike and myself are well and all send love and would like to hear from home.

Give my love to all inquiring friends, etc. Direct your letters to the same as before and then we are sure to get them.

Henry


Direct your letters:
Henry F. Prindle
Company B
5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers
Washington, DC.