The following collection of letters were written by Thomas H. Capern (1842-1907), the son of English emigrants Thomas Capern (1820-1857) and Mary Capern (1817-1902) of Moorestown, Burlington county, New Jersey.
Thomas enlisted on 23 August 1861 as a private in Co. E, 4th New Jersey Infantry. He was captured as a prisoner of War by the Confederates on 27 June 1862 at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill and was held prisoner at Belle Island in Richmond until 13 September when he was paroled and sent to the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland, where he was exchanged within two weeks. Later in the war he was captured again and sent to the notorious Andersonville Prison, from which he escaped! Unfortunately he was captured again and sent to Libby Prison and finally spent his longest time as prisoner at Danville. He was ultimately discharged from the 4th NJ at Annapolis, Maryland on June 7, 1865.
The 4th New Jersey saw more than its share of action throughout the war, and the Overland campaign in spring of 1864 was no exception. It was heavily engaged at the Battle of the Wilderness, being attacked several times along with the 1st and 10th regiments. In the Battle of Spottsylvania, which began on 9 May and lasted until 21 May, the regiment was again heavily involved. Just three days before the letter featured here was written, Capern’s regiment had participated in the charge upon the “bloody angle,” which gained notoriety for the intensity of fighting that took place there and the gruesome results. It is likely that Capern’s description of men “riddled by bullets” was drawn from what he experienced there.
A diary kept by Thomas during the war was sold by RR Auction House which included an account of the Overland Campaign including the Battle of Cold Harbor. Extracts from the diary were posted on line that included:
The diary opens with the “Commencement of the Island Campaign of 1864 against Richmond.” In part: “Broke camp at daylight and started for the Wilderness. Upon our arrival where we found the enemy in strong force. Hostilities commenced immediately. Our Regt. charged them three times with considerable loss to us. After that we laid in line all night…one of the members of our Company by the name of John Crispin…was shot through the heart…Monday 9th…It was on this day that Gen’l Sedgwick (the noble & valiant commander of our Corps) was killed by a Sharpshooter…He is very much lamented by our Corps and also by all the army…We saw many of our wounded who were seriously hurt dragging themselves slowly along…It was truly hard for us to see the poor fellows lying in front of us groaning & crying on account of their wounds & of the danger of their position. But not one of us dared go & help them for fear that the watching rebels would shoot us both…We had a large number wounded & missing. I saw men upon the battle field who had been pierced by so many bullets that they were literally reduced to jelly.
Saturday 14th, Moved 5 miles to the left to reinforce Burnside’s Corps & at night went out upon the skirmish line…June 1st, Left the Picket line at 4 A.M. very quiet & still indeed & went to Cold Harbor & found skirmishing going on between the dismounted cavalry & the rebels…We found the bullets coming so close to us that we had to pull the fence down to shield us…Indeed a ball came straight for my heart but the fence rail stopped it. In it I recognized the hand of God…I was watching for the rebels who were secreted at the house & presently one of them blazed away at me. Then I looked and saw a rebel sitting behind a rosebush & he was in the act of loading—when I rested my piece &…aim & fired. There was no more firing from that quarter by him. Now although it gives me no feelings of remorse to know that I killed a rebel yet I am not glad that I killed a man.
Then we on the skirmish line—got orders to lie down and let the advancing column charge over us. So—they did and then commenced in good earnest the terrible & dreadful battle of Cold Harbor in which the whole of our line charged repeatedly but were repulsed with great slaughter. A good many of the under genls were said to have been drunk and unable to perform their duty for Genl Grant had expected to have whipped the rebels badly…August 17th…I with 17th others were taken prisoners of war. I could hardly walk off the field.” The diary goes on to describe life while imprisoned; this portion seems to be written postwar, potentially as a much later recollection as it appears to be in an more elderly hand. In part: “Once Lt. Col. Smith commanding our post sent on word by telegraph to Jeff Davis that we were starving to death fast…Jeff sent back word that he should hold on to us till we told him to let go…We were at last told one time in February at midnight that we were all going to Richmond to get Paroled…Then on the night of the 20th of Feb 1865 we got Paroled.”
It appears that Thomas lived his entire life in Moorestown, New Jersey. Notice of his death on 20 March 1907 was published in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 22 March 1907, informing readers that he was 65 years old and was married to a woman named Keziah (1851-Aft1907).
Letter 1
Camp Seminary
September 2nd 1861
Dearest Mother,
I take up my pen to write to you a few lines to inform you how we are getting along. I like soldiers life so far very much. We have a very nice captain and our officers as far as I have perceived are first rate men. Yesterday was Sunday but if I hadn’t knew it, I would not have known it from any other day. The first work of any amount that I have done I did yesterday. We were throwing up breastworks at For Taylor. I shoveled dirt for three hours in the afternoon. They had preaching in the morning but I occupied [my time] in wheeling rations and I did not get to it.
We hear pretty plenty of cursing and swearing here. Some of us are in the hospital. Those are nice things which we got from Moorestown and were very acceptable. I am going to have my uniform tomorrow and my gun. I am well at present. We may have a fight pretty soon but we are not afraid of all the force that the enemy can bring. We are all desirous of having a good shot at the rebels. I have been through Alexandria and Washington. I saw General Kearney yesterday.
I wish that you would buy me a little memorandum book with black covers that has got the name of the months in. I want to write in it anything remarkable that comes to pass.
There are dead men brought in every day from the picket guards. This afternoon I shall have to go to work in the trenches. I wish that when the Moorestowners send a box or package out here you would put in some Union envelopes and a quire of letter paper with some pens. Every one of those little things are very acceptable to us soldiers. Whenever pay day comes, I will send you some money.
How is little Willie? Tell him to remember me and be good to his mother. Tell Mary Lizzie & Emily J. to write to me and to consider this a letter as to them and you. Remember me to Mr. Fendall and all enquiring friends. Give my love to all.
Direct to me: Thomas H. Capern, care of Captain [Charles] Hall, Company E, 4th Regt. New Jersey Volunteers. Write soon.
Letter 2
[On Picket Duty]
September 24th 1861
Dear Mother,
I received your welcome letter and was in one way disappointed for I expected when the letter was handed to me that you had received my letter and I expected to hear that my parcel was on the way or was here. I can get paper here but it is dear. I received the letter you sent me the other day and as soon as I got an opportunity I wrote to you to send me on my things and calculated that this was the answer to it. I am sorry that you did not receive it.
I am well and in perfect health. I hope that you will get this. I shall not write much for we are out on picket and have to sleep in daytime because we have to keep awake at night. We are out on the outside pickets. We are near the secessionists. We are not a half mile from them. A part of the woods we are in are full of them. Their forts on Mason’s Hill 1 is within gunshot of here.
Please to send me those things as soon as you can for I very much need the blanket. Two nights now I have laid out in the cold and my rubber blanket would be very acceptable especially when it rains. Please to send me a pair of thick gloves. It is very warm here in the daytime but at night it makes one shiver. Tell Willie I seen a fox the other day. There are plenty of wild cats and squirrels here. I am so sleepy that I can hardly keep my eyes open. Be assured, dear Mother, that as soon as I receive your letters that the very next opportunity that I get, I commence to write to you and sometimes it is two or three days before I get a letter finished.
We are very closely confined here in our regiment. I should not wonder a bit if there should be a battle pretty soon. Our fort is rapidly being finished and they are mounting the heavy guns as fast as they can. The rebels are hard at work night and day upon their forts. They have four forts right close to where I am. The other night the secessionists ran our pickets into camp in a big hurry. I should wonder if we will make them run into their camp in a bigger hurry than they came out in [ours].
Please to write soon. Al[fred] Woodard got his things some time ago. I told you all about the time when he got his box in the other letter. It will come safe if you pray that it may. I received a Christian Chronicle yesterday and was much pleased with it. I like that way of sending my money home in draft when I get it. I am expecting to get paid everyday. If we do not get pay this week, I do not suppose that I shall get it for a month. I got a regular jawing just now about a note that I wrote to the captain. Some of these times I will tell you what the note was about.
We are out on picket guard here and have to keep awake all night and stay at our post in the day time and we have had nothing but a little dry bread to eat while the rest of the guard that are with the Captain and lieutenants have plenty to eat and we sent a note to the captain. He took no notice of it and we sent one to the General. Lieutenant [Samuel H.] Ellis just give me a growling at because the names signed had all been written in the same hand writing. But the rest are poor writers and some of them cannot write at all and we were so hungry that we never thought of anything else. But we will have redress. From your son, — Thomas H. Capern
1 Mason’s Hill, seven miles south of Washington, D. C., derived its name from Capt. Mason in the Confederate service at Norfolk, Va. who was the proprietor. Mason’s Hill is a very high and commanding position, and about two miles from Munson’s Hill, both of which were fortified and in possession of the Confederates in October 1861.
Letter 3
October 20th 1861
My dear Mother,
I received your ever welcome letter a day or so ago and was very glad to hear from you. I have a little time now to myself and I thought that I would embrace the opportunity to answer your letter. I am glad that you receive my State money and please to write when you write tell me how much you get for there are so many reports about here as to the amount of money each gets from the State. I expect that you get six dollars.
We have had one of our officers killed out on picket. He was killed on Thursday night. The circumstances of his death are a little peculiar. He was our Sergeant Major and an excellent officer. His place will not be soon filled up in this regiment. The whole regiment deeply mourn his loss. His death occurred through his own carelessness. He told the Captain whose company were out on picket that he was going to have some fun with the pickets. Now our pickets have been fooled with so much already, and our pickets upon the outposts nearest the enemy, if they hear anybody coming or going or hear a person moving, their duty is to give the command to halt and if they do not halt, then it is the picket’s duty to fire.
Our Sergeant Major was with several others going from post to post giving the soldiers their instructions (it was pretty dark) when as he advanced from a certain post he received the command to halt. He kept on and upon the second time being commanded to stop he jumped into the bushes for the purpose from what I can hear was to fool the soldiers and have some fun with them but he paid too dear for his fun turned out to be a solemn reality. As he jumped into the bushes, the picket fired and the ball took effect. He jumped as high as two feet from the ground and then fell forward upon his face and nothing but the body remained for the spirit had fled to its maker.
This morning the ceremonies were performed over him excepting that his body will be sent to his home. His body was laid in a box in the hospital and this morning nearly two-thirds of the regiment turned out and escorted his body from the hospital to the Colonel’s tent where the funeral ceremonies were performed over his body. Those who were detailed to be an escort for the body to Alexandria fired 3 rounds over his coffin. There was a brass band in attendance. So we have lost one of our own officers and from what I have seen and know of his character his home is not an enviable one for he was not a Christian. His name is Sergeant Major [Thomas S.] Bonney. He had only been married 10 days before he came here.
While I am writing, another accident has happened. Another man has been badly wounded but I have just heard that he is getting better. A Co. were going out on picket and they got leave to go out in the woods and fire their loads off. As it appears some of them held their pieces too low, the consequence was that a man a half mile off was struck right upon the button of his cap. The ball luckily glanced off the bone. He fell for the concussion stunned him.
I have just come in from a little march of two miles. We have been out to wash our clothes and I tell you, it makes us feel nice. As we were coming home we met a Major and the Doctor with their aide-de-camp. He asked our Lieutenant if we had been out on picket. We told him we had been to wash. The Doctor remarked that we looked remarkably well and clean.
We have some very nice meetings in the church here. The Chaplain of the 1st Regiment holds 3 or 4 meetings there every week. We had a select meeting last night for those who were Christians and those who wished to be Christians. We had quite a sprinkle and a glorious meeting. We were all as you may say strangers in the flesh but we felt that we were brothers in spirit. We talked about our trials, our temptations, and how we came to be Christians and how we had got along in our journey. We spent one happy hour there and were sorry when the meeting broke up. Oh, it was a lovely and glorious sight to see officers and privates giving in their testimony for our Captain Jesus Christ. Oh, how I felt that it was good to be there. Backsliders are being brought back and sinners are being awakened to a true knowledge of their ways, while Christians are being led nearer to the cross and being renewed in spirit day by day. Pray for us, Mother, that this state of things may continue and increase. Next Sunday there is going to be communion at eleven o’clock but I fear that I shall not be able to get there as we shall have about that time a knapsack drill. I should love to have been with you at the communion table. But I can live a Christian here if I try through God’s grace.
I do not think that I can send my money with my state money. We shall be paid some more money in two or three weeks and I will send home all the money I can. I would like it for you to make me a couple of military shirts with two pockets in each. My clothes are not worth sending home but I will take good care of the valise. My knife is of great service to me. I believe that I am getting stronger and stockier. I hope and believe that the Lord will take good care of you this winter. I have in consequence of the loss of my money drawed upon the sutler 4 dollars for you must know that we have to get things here. But I will send home all I can and let you get me what things I shall want in Old Jersey. We are drilling all about the way to fight out in the battle fields.
But I must close. Please remember me to all inquiring friends. Give my best respects to Mr. and Mrs. Fendall. Tell Mr. Fendall that those papers are very nice and that they prove very acceptable to me for whenever it happens that I have any leisure time, I pull out a paper and go to reading. Give my love to little Willie. I send much love to you. Write soon. From your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 4
October 26th 1861
My dear Mother,
I received your ever welcome letter. I am always pleased to hear from you. I never enjoyed better health than I now enjoy. And I sincerely hope that it is the same way with you. Those shirts are made of grey flannel. Please to make two pockets in each of them. I would like two or three pair of good warm stockings. I wish that if it will not deprive you of anything you would send me some post stamps to put on the other letters which I send away to other persons. I get a letter every two or three days. And lately I have been much gratified at receiving one or two newspapers every week. Last night a paper and some tracts come to me. The papers come from Mr. Fendall for I can tell his handwriting as soon as I receive a letter. The minute I lay my eyes upon it, I can tell who sent it. Please don’t send me things until I write again.
I heard from the Debore’s the other day. They were all well. I shall send them a letter by this mail. I often think of you, my dear Mother. I hope that the day is not far distant before I shall see your dear face again. But at present, it looks rather gloomy in the distance. But God controls and we will hope for the best.
I went to that meeting last Sunday morning and we had a precious time of it. I shall never forget it, I can tell you.
I have been out on picket this week for three days and took up lodging for the nights in our secessionist officer’s tent. It was made of poles being driven firmly into the ground and thatched with straw. We were about six miles from camp. We could see our camp from there and our fort showed plain. Only a short time ago there were only two or three rebel regiments encamped where we were on picket. They were there the whole time we were there building our fort. They never molested us in the least. But as soon as we got our rifled cannon mounted, we thought that we would try and see what effect a few shells would have upon them. It was soon apparent to all of our men they were not relished in the least by the rebels for the rascals ran in every direction.
I expect to send home all the money I can. I will send home over 15 or 18 dollars and then whatever I want I will send home for it and get a box sent to me with plenty of prayers after and with it and then I am sure it will come. We expect to get paid on the 5th of next month. I like my gloves first rate. I must soon conclude for it is getting late and it’s precious little time that I have to write anymore. Remember me to all enquiring friends. From your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Much love to you and tell little Willie that I will write him a letter some of these times when I can get time. Give my love to him. From his dearest brother, — T
Oh, dearest, dearest Mother, please write. Know that I do long to see you soon—your dear face. Remember me to all once more, and to Mrs. Fendall. Tell Mr. Fendall that the papers are read by others besides me and I hope good may result from it. Those attractive little stories which are in the Chronicle are read quicker and with more interest that a tract would be. tell him that the papers do me a great deal of good. I shall send all the money home that I can and then I wish that you would send me some postage stamps.
On hearing the drums beat for a funeral. Death and disease are all around us. Oh that we may be prepared to die when the angel of death shall come to call us to our long home beyond the grave. Another one has left our ranks for to see the realities of another world and let us be ready to go when we are called for it’s not our lot to know how soon we have to go.
Goodbye Mother, for tonight. May thou live to be a good old age and the blessings of the Lord follow thee.
Letter 5
Fairfax Seminary
December 25th 1861
Dearest Mother,
I received your welcome letter last night and was glad to hear from you once more. I am glad that my box is underway. Probably I shall get it by Saturday night. My cold is a little better than it was and I hope that when I get that medicine it will by the blessing of God entirely cure me. I wish that when you answer this you will tell me which regiment Samuel McCambridge is in for there are quite a number of Pennsylvania regiments here. Yes, I know William Jones’ wife right well. Ah, Mother, death is always around us. But here especially we look for deaths to happen for there are so many sick in the hospital all the time.
Today is Christmas but is rather dull. No drill for us. Some of the men are enjoying Christmas in the worldling’s way of getting drunk. This morning I was invited to take a social drink of whiskey in my tent two or three times but I tell them I believe that it is wrong to drink it and I believe that it hurts men and therefore as I didn’t believe in it I would not taste it. I have already seen this morning its evil effects. There are some men in the guardhouse that had it not been for liquor very probably would not have been.
I am unable to tell you how long Lieut. [Samuel H.] Ellis will stay home but this much I can tell you, he applied for his discharge from the service and got it and it was read off on Dress Parade where most everything is read off. Edward Force in this regiment and in Co. H which is the one right next to ours.
Well, Mother, I will close my letter pretty soon. I send my love to you. Write soon. Remember me to all enquiring friends. From your son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 6
Fairfax Seminary
February 26, 1862
Dear Mother,
I take my pen in hand to write you a few lines to let you know that I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. The weather here is the same as usual—more rain, more mud. We drilled today in the mud when we could scarcely walk. I will be careful about the medicine. There are so many sick with bad colds here. There are 27 I believe out of Company I in the hospital. Tis the bad weather that does this and I am very thankful that my health is as good as it is. Surely the Lords is merciful to me and watches over me.
We are under marching orders once more.
Well, Mother, I do not feel like writing much tonight. May the Lord soon bring this war to a close. The rebels from all accounts are beginning to cry for peace. Nashville, on of their boasted strongholds, has fallen.
I feel kind of dull. Write soon. Well, Mother, I will soon close. I will write more next time. Those papers do me a great deal of good. My pastor sent me a paper last week—The Watchman and Reflector. My pastor writes me very beautiful letters. I guess that I will send you one of the letters to me sometime so you may know how well he writes to me. Besides, he always tells me about Emily.
From your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 7
Near Alexandria
April 16, 1862
My dear Mother,
I received your letter yesterday and was glad to hear from you again. I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. Dear Mother, I am penning these few lines before breakfast although it will not go today. We expect to go on board of a fleet either today or tomorrow and go down to Yorktown. Franklin’s Division has been telegraphed for three times and as our Brigade is the first in the Division by rights we go on board first.
For two days past we have been up before four o’clock and off marching before sunrise and marched nearly the whole day. A week ago orders came for us to march to Warrenton (some two or three miles the other side of Manassas). Well, we went up above Manassas from there on the cars about four miles the other side of Manassas [where] we camped for the night. The next afternoon we marched seven miles further up. We had to march because the railroad was torn up for three or four miles and the bridges burnt by the rebels when they left. We laid there a few days. While we were there we experienced the hardest time of any since I have been a soldier—an awful ever snowstorm came on. Then it turned to hail and then it rained. Thus it stormed for three days. The water ran under us at night all over our beds, and leaked through the tents which are only intended to keep the dew off. Right outside of our tents and all around the mud and water was over our shoe tops and thus our feet were dripping wet and cold all the time. Besides this, we had to fall in line every half hour through the day to answer to our names which you will perceive must have been very disagreeable.
We were 15 miles from the Rappahannock river. We could hear General Banks shelling the rebels but we were held back. We were 40 miles from Alexandria and we came that in two days. The 4th [New Jersey] Regiment can march better than any of the rest. We have been marching up and down the railroad but we hope we are going now where we shall see something.
Manassas has only one or two small forts which are hardly worth the name of forts. The place looks bare for the rebels set fire to everything when they left. From there we took the pike to Centreville. We seen the graves all over the fields around. We passed over Bull Run. There was a good many graves and large ones by the roadside as if there were some over 15 buried in one place.
Centreville is a very formidable place. There are barracks for a large army. All winter the rebels must have had a large force there. If our troops had advanced in to them, they would have cut a good many of them down for the rebels had some 20 forts, long rifle pits, and they had one place fixed where they might retreat from one fort to the next without our knowing anything about it.
Some said we are not going on board of the fleet. Well, Mother, it is almost 4 months now since we had any money and when we are going to get paid off, I don’t know. I hope that you will get along. May the choicest blessing of heaven rain upon and over you all is my prayer. Now we should thank the Lord for all His good blessings to us in preserving our lives and in granting our soldiers such great success in all their matters. Great victories and hard battles are now being fought as the final death blows to the Rebellion are being struck. God grant to be with us in all things. Write soon. From your dear boy and affectionate son, — Thomas Henry Capern
Give my love to Willie and Mary E. Tell them I have no time to write.
Letter 8
Camp White House [Landing]
May 17th 1862
Dear Mother,
I received your letter and was glad to hear from you and that you were well. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. When I received your letter we were camped at Cumberland but on the 15th we, though there was a cold rainstorm setting in, we were ordered to strike our tents and prepare for marching. We marched through the drenching rain some 4 or 5 miles. But it took a long time to go those few miles for the roads were awful and there was a train of wagons ahead of us and some artillery. We would march a hundred yards, then sit down and rest awhile.
About the time that the rain began to pour down, then we had to camp in this field in the cold rain and clover a foot high. But one or two days has altered the appearance of the field very much. The grass has nearly all disappeared. The weather is fine with the appearance of rain. We are camped some 23 miles from Richmond. How near the rebels are to us, I do not know. There are 80,000 of us camped in a field of not less than 200 acres.
Well, Mother, it is an opinion that the war will not last long—at least we hope so. I shall not be able to write much this afternoon. Tell Brother F. that I have received those papers and was very much pleased with them. Remember me to all enquiring friends. Write soon. Dear Mother, I hope that it will be not long before I shall be able to see you all once more. May the choicest blessings of heaven rest upon you all.
From your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capers
Letter 9
Camp Picket Duty along the Chickahominy Creek
at Mechanicsville [Virginia]
June 17th 1862
Dear Mother,
I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you the same. I received your last letter and was glad to hear from you. The weather is very warm. Everything is unusually quiet along this position of the line. The rebels, however, are throwing up breastworks in front of us. They in all probability work at night when we cannot see them for we went down along the creek last Sunday morning and we saw a fort beginning to be thrown up to the right of a barn and yesterday morning when we came back it extended a good ways to the left. We could see a battery of artillery. Last night heavy firing was heard on the left and we also hear it beginning again this morning. Our boys are throwing up breastworks below us.
Mother, we get the news here about the war and that’s all we care about. But I would like for you if you could send me a Christian Chronicle or some other real sound religious paper. I love the little treats you send me and they are read by others. I was requested by a comrade to ask you to send 12 copies of the Swearer’s Prayer and the Gambler’s Balance Sheet.
Our colonel’s name is Colonel [James H.] Simpson and our general, General George W. Taylor who used to be colonel of the 3rd [New Jersey] Regiment. Kearney is several miles to the left of us and is across the Chickahominy Creek while we are upon this side. As to that secret, I will tell you soon but for certain reasons I cannot this time.
Mother, there is a delay between here and the York River in the post office arrangements because all the letters which go from around here do not get here as quick as they used to. But must give a grain of allowance and not become uneasy for we are upon picket away from our division and close to the rebels—so close that they shell us once in a while.
The church received my gift in the parsonage very well and my pastor says that they pray a great deal for me and that I will not be forgotten. I often get a letter from him. Yes, Mother, we get plenty to eat unless an accident occurs to our trains or wagons and then we are set for one or two days. I have taken no medicine since I have been in the service—only what you sent me for a cough.
Well, give my love to cousin Martha. Well, Mother, we are pretty fair times here. I received a letter from Emma Darchlery. She was well. She said she had received a letter from sister and was going to pass it out at the service. I wish you would send me a quarter’s worth of postage stamps for there are none here and yesterday I lost all the money I had which was 3 dollars which I was saving and now I haven’t a cent. But I am thankful to the Lord for His goodness towards me. Write soon. From your dear son, — Thomas H. Capern
I asked my pastor’s advice about that whiskey ration and I send this letter.
Letter 10
Across the Chickahominy near Fair Oaks
June the 21st, 1862
Dear Mother,
I received your letter and was well pleased to hear from you again. I am well and hope these few lines will find you the same. On the 19th we had a very hard march considering the heat of the sun of 14 or 15 miles. We were upon Brigade picket duty at Mechanicsville as I have told you before. Well, we had to march from there to here. We crossed at Woodbury Bridge and now are camped near the battlefield of Fair Oaks. There was fighting took place here. Five minute’s walk will take you out to the scene of desolation where the iron hail was profusely scattered fairly riddling all the trees and where friend and foe were scattering during the fight upon the bloody field. The graves are scattered. Here and there is a long trench, and away there is another and another and so [on]. The further you go towards the railroad, the more evidences of war you see. The rebels are generally buried in trenches or have been piled up and dirt thrown over them and the air smells bad already.
Ah! many a one is there in his narrow, cold home. There is a tremendous power of us here and the rebels seem inclined to want to renew the bloody fight again. We hope they will for that will give us a little advantage over them for we have breastworks thrown up for miles for a hard fight there will be, and must be. We may have a hand in it. Now look on a map of the Seat of War in Virginia and find the battle ground of Fair Oaks and we are camped all around. Then you’ll know where I am. The rebels shelled in advance yesterday but our boys did not reply to them until this morning.
Well, Mother, I am glad to know that you have got the money. When payday comes again, I’ll send you enough to pay off that bill on the sewing machine. I met with a loss the other day. I lost all the money I had amounting to 3 dollars which I was saving. I helped make one bridge and crossed on another one some 6 miles below.
Well, as to clothes, I’ll tell you about it. Uncle Sam allows us so much a year for clothes and if we overrun that amount—whatever is owed, that amount every payday is deducted from our pay after we once draw over the amount allowed. All we draw then till the next year is up we have of course to pay back. You must write to Grandmother. Let me know. I got a letter from Emma D___ lately also. I received a letter from sister Emily on the 19th. She was well.
Dear Mother, indeed I do know that prayer is the Christian’s vital breath. But that is what we are the most prone to forget to do here. Our minds are kept in a whirl pretty much all the time and tis as much as we can do to get to thinking seriously—unless he sees something solemn going on.
Now dear Mother, I must soon close. God grant to come watch over and preserve such a good Christian Mother as tis my privilege to have. Some tell me they only wished they could receive such letters as I receive. May God keep me and preserve me in safety to come home. I am sure of a glad and hearty welcome home by all. Write soon. Remember me to all. From your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 11
Camp near Warrenton, Virginia
August 29th 1862
My dear Mother,
I received your welcome letter last eve and now sit down to write an answer in return. The weather this morning is quite cool and rainy. It would seem as if a long storm is setting in from the North. You at home must be having a cold storm and it is carried down to us and it has cooled the air off nicely for us. Besides, we are quite close to the mountains.
Well, Mother, we have [been] changing round again. We have come back to the old brigade once more where we shall probably remain till our time is out. Our regiment got too small to do all the duty that was required of us on the ammunition train so we were relieved by another larger regiment from our job. And so we marched back to rejoin the old brigade who were stationed at Warrenton and here we are. But as we are here again, I am terribly afraid that as soon as you will hear tell of the army a moving that you will worry yourself about our going into a battle. It is quite likely we shall and if we ever do, I think that we will have to be the skirmishers of the division of the brigade—that is, go ahead of them all and feel for the enemy and when you see a man, pull for him and keep advancing, loading as you walk until you receive orders to retreat. But we are in hopes that we won’t have to fight no more but tis well to be prepared for the worst that can happen. Lee has a large and powerful army as we will find out if we tackle him.
Tip Snyder 1 is getting well fast. I received a letter from Joseph Snyder inquiring after his brother. It seems strange to me that there are some who are so careless as to write news that such a one is dying or dead when they know he is not. I have not caught any fish yet for I have had no chance. We have not heard anything of our being going to be sent South nor do I think that we shall. There is some talk of taking the 15th Regiment out of the Brigade to go on some expedition, I reckon, but don’t be alarmed about us. The Lord can take care of us one place as well as another and if they choose to send us off anywhere, why we will endeavor to do good work for our country. When we think of hard fighting to be done, we should not shrink from it for that is what we enlisted for.
Tell Mother I would rather be here than at home now. There are so many orders coming out. I am here satisfied and contented. While if I were at home I should be afraid that they would bring an order after me again. I have been quite sick lately with the dysentery and could not eat or hardly to walk about. But I prayed that the Lord would bless the medicine I took to the restoration of my health and He has done so. Tell Lizzie that she must write next time as I always look for her letters. I will send Willie a funny paper. I received some papers from him lately and am much pleased with them. Well, Mother, I must soon close. Please to write soon. I love your letters, Mother. There are no news here of much account. So much love to all, I remain your affectionate soldier son, — Thomas H. Capern
Mother, the Lord will take care of you.
1 Believed to be Sgt. William Henry Harrison Snyder (nicknamed “Tip” after Tippecanoe Harrison) of Colestown, Camden county, New Jersey. He served in Co. E with Thomas.
Letter 12
[The following letter was advertised for sale by The Excelsior Brigade and transcribed by them so I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the transcription.]
U.S. General Hospital
Annapolis M.D.
Oct. 16th 1862
Dearest Mother,
I was very much pleased to receive a letter from you and this morning it came to hand. The money came safe. Well, these kind of bills are all the go here. Indeed, we would rather have these than state notes. It came in the right time. I am sure you could not have sent any more when you sent me all you had. It will do me a great deal of good. I have no doubt it will give you great pleasure to know that I am nearly well. I can walk about first rate. But you must not count upon seeing me soon for all the prospect I see is now as soon as the requisition for clothes comes in, you will see or hear of my going to my company and regiment. If so, I shall not be a bit sorry that Captain Hall has resigned his commission.
I got a letter from my Pastor lately. I am glad that Lieutenant [William H.] Eldridge is with the company. I hope he is captain. I shall be glad to see the boys and they will be glad, no doubt, to see me. You wish to know whether I am exchanged or paroled. Well, I am both. On the 13th of September, I was paroled on Belle Island by Captain Montgomery of the Rebel Army. Well, after I had been in the hospital maybe some 2 weeks or so, I saw in the New York Herald that all of the paroled prisoners from Belle Island who were paroled on the 13th of September were declared to be exchanged. So you see, I am good as soon as I get these clothes for the regiment, for the doctor has intimated to me that I was well enough for my regiment a week ago.
Well, Mother, if I do not be able to see you this winter, yet we will not repine at our Heavenly Father’s will, for He doeth all things well and we will see everything in the true light by and by. But I hope and trust He will keep me safe from all harm and in his ever good time return me safe home once more. I will do the best I can you may be assured.
Tis dinner time for the bell has rung for the Ward tenders to bring their trays to the cook staff for the dinner. Write soon and tell me about the company. [Braze Willsey] is here in the parole camp or rather expects to go there today. I should like a [Christian] Chronicle very much. I will write a few lines to Grandmother. But I must close, hoping this will find you all well and happy. Remember me to Brother and Sister F. and to all inquiring friends. So, no more at present from your affectionate son, —Thomas H. Capern
Dear sister Lizzie,
I was glad to hear from you again. I am pretty well now. You must not expect to see me soon for as hostilities will, in all probability, continue for sometime yet. Therefore, the army needs every man that belongs to it and I expect to go there soon. Yes, Sister, I am an exchanged prisoner and as good as any of the rest of them. I should have been glad to have the pleasure of seeing your dear face once more. But for the present, all my hopes of seeing you soon seem to be predicated by an elusive but mysterious Providence. But God has his own plans and we must not repine or complain, but should go and do our duty with contentment and cheerfulness wherever our lot happens to fall. But we all pray that this war may speedily come to an end. Let us pray earnestly that the Lord, who thus far has cared for me and brought me out of every trouble, will keep me safe from every harm. Give my love to little Willie. No more at present from your dear brother, — Thomas H. Capern.
Much love to you all. I am glad that you have been down country. My Pastor told me in a letter which I received the other day that a good many of my associates had joined the army lately. — T. H. Capern
Letter 13
Camp in the woods near Belle Plains
January 26th 1863
Dear Mother,
As there is an opportunity to send you a line by William Brock who is down here. We expect to get paid tomorrow. I hope so for we want some money bad now at this present time. We are out of ink and paper, &c.
We have been for the past few days upon the march. We marched away up the river intending to cross and attack the rebels. Well, we got up where we intended to cross the river from the next morning when Lo! what a relief to us, we found that it had rained there all night and that the splendid roads were almost converted into impassable mud. All of a sudden the pontoons and artillery were all stuck fast. How we had to go on and pull them out going up to the knees in the mud and water. We soon perceived that this advance movement was checked for the present by the sudden change of the weather. There we were in mud and the boys believe that the Lord sent the rain on purpose to prevent our crossing over the river.
Well, give my love to all. We are back in our old camp. Yesterday was Sunday. We done the most fatiguing march we’ve done. All the way nearly up him and down steep hills through the mud. We like to have stuck fast at every step we took, the mud was so deep. We feel at present very nearly dead with fatigue and exhaustion.
Well, my love to you all. Write soon. It seems a long while since I heard from you. I remain your loving son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 14
Camp near White Oak Church, Va.
March 1st 1863
My very dear Mother,
I received a letter from you day before yesterday but have had no time to answer it. We had just come off of picket, then got our dinner and had to go and fix for another camp about a half a mile from the old one. So I worked hard shoveling sand all the afternoon. Came home to the camp sometime after sundown, then had to get some supper ready. By that time it was nearly roll call for bed time. Next morning I needed to get ready for muster and inspection at 9 o’clock. So we were as busy as we could be. Our guns on account of the rainy time which we had while on picket were very rusty so it took all our time almost to make them look like anything. Went out on inspection. Was mustered, then marched over to where we had made arrangements to camp. Then went back to the old camp and carried up some things. Then some of us were detailed about sundown to go back and guard the camp to keep the 15th Regiment fellows from stealing our tents. And now I have passed a rough night. Went on guard at 7 o’clock last night, then laid down two of us together by the fire. When we woke up, our blankets were soaked through and through with the rain. Then went on again at one o’clock and came off at three o’clock in the morning. It was still raining but we laid down on the wet ground and covered up ourselves with our wet blankets and slept until 7 o’clock this morning. Then stood on post till 9 o’clock. Then came off and came to this camp after breakfast and then I shall have to stop very soon in order to go over again to start another trip in the rain.
The reason we moved our camp is because the Chaplain and the Doctor said that our old camp was getting very unhealthy so we moved to this place.
Tuesday, the 3rd. I received another letter and a paper yesterday evening from you with some money and paper in. You have obliged me very much by sending it. I am writing to you in a hurry as I have but very little time for any such thing as writing. Just as soon as we are up in the morning, the Adjutant sends for detail after detail of men before we get our breakfast. Yesterday I had to leave my breakfast half finished and I was gone all day. All of our company was on guard and upon detail yesterday and all the time we can get, we have to fix our tent. We have got all the logs up and part of the chimney. Now we have to mud it all over. Now comes an order to fall out and police the ground so I shall have to leave my letter unfinished.
I will try to finish now. I will go over to the 23rd just as soon as I can get a chance. Charles Busby must have given me the wrong things. Give my love to all. Excuse me for not writing more. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Captain
Write soon. We are all well. We have no commissioned officers in our company now.
Letter 15
Camp near White Oak Church, Virginia
March 19th 1863
My very dear Mother,
I had the happiness to receive a letter from you of March 12th yesterday and was very glad to hear from you all again and that you were all so well. I feel that thankful you are so. As for me, I have been quite unwell for the past few days and I don’t ever expect to be any healthier while I remain in the service. This is my candid belief and I suppose I might as well tell you about it first as last. I keep just as cheerful as I can and [ ] as long as I can, but still I don’t think at least I feel sure that I cannot stand as much as I have. But I suppose that t’will be alright in the end. I suffer with the heartburn exceedingly. Have a good appetite but my food don’t seem to do much good. Then I feel often times a feeling of general debility all over and this is the reason why I wanted these medicines so badly. Well, Mother, I hope they will bring the box straight through.
The weather is very pleasant indeed this morning but lately it has been quite stormy indeed and it has been bitter cold. We are in the full expectation that in the course of a couple of weeks or so we shall have to break up this pleasant camp and once more enter upon the duties and exposures and dangers incident to another active campaign. May the Lord be merciful to us and preserve our lives in the hour of danger. We believe that we have many battles yet to encounter with the enemy.
Well, Mother, great preparations are being made. Gen. Joseph Hooker is a fighting man and a good man. He knows where he attempts to go through—that is, if there is any such thing as going through, he will go through. We have known him all through the campaign on the Peninsula. Kearny and Hooker were upon the left of us.
Just heard that the rebels tried to cross the river last night somewhere along the line. The long roll beat in the distance in the midst of the night. We expect [ ] time pretty soon.
As to Tel. McHenry, he was discharged some time ago. I am sorry to hear about Wm. Bassett acting so [illegible] could see him. I am sorry Aunt Martha was so ill that she could not write. Then you are going to write back? Please do let me know….I wish that you would send me some of those British Messengers for the boys all call me a regular John Bull. You see there are some in the company who know you and besides, I speak yet just like the English do. Well, Mother, I hope to live to get home. I suppose that quilt be some time.
The name of that young lady is Miss Mary E. Heally, a 7th day Baptist. If you please, keep her name to yourself. Give my love to all the friends. Remember me kindly to Brother and Sister F. Give my love to Willie and to Mary E. I wish Mother that you will send me some ink powder for often times ink is not to be found here either for love or money. We have but little this time for I accidentally spilt mine, then went and sit down and unknowingly spilt another comrade’s ink so that we have about enough to write a letter apiece. So sister Mary E. will have to excuse me answering her letter this time. So goodbye. Write soon. May heaven’s merciful blessings rest and remain upon you in my prayers. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
There are some rumors of the paymaster coming here but I see no signs of him as yet. Eli Haines and Al Woodward send their best to folks.
Letter 16
Camp near White Oak Church, Virginia
March 29th 1863
My dear Mother,
I just received a letter from you again. It is the quickest that I have received from you since I came back to the regiment. I have written three letters with this in 5 or 6 days to you but as long as I can get paper and ink and pens to write with, I am bound to answer any letter that I get from home. I am sure of an answer back right away.
Tis most beautiful weather indeed and tis my opinion that it will not be long before we shall obliged to take up the line of march. Well, we have been waiting for some time for our bread for dinner. Tis coming we hear. I have no doubt that we soon will have to come down to eating hard tack. I wish they would for I would rather have the shingles to eat now for I can make them last much longer as we often eat up our bread at two meals. Then we have to go without for our breakfast.
We have to drill a great deal now. I hope that my box may come safe to me for I am getting out of everything. Well, Mother, I sometimes come to a stand and hardly know which way to stand or move. One thing I am resolved never to turn away from the path of the Christian. Sometimes I am lying upon my bed, still perhaps asleep. Now I will tell you how I am treated sometimes. And often when they do treat me so, I lose my temper for they carry it on so long and far that I cannot stand it. Well, say I am doing nothing but reading my bible when some of them will come over and lay down along side of me and torment and then they will jump on top of me while some of the rest almost strips me and others bend my arms and hold my legs and if I make a struggle to get out on my unpleasant and painful position, they they will begin to curse me up and down and call me an hypocrite—a liar, and all such things—and then call me a Johnny Bull—an Englishman—and then curse me for being me, and all such like things. Then perhaps or very likely I will tell them that they are not men of principle but act real mean and it seems often times that tis all that I can do to keep from cursing them. I hear so much cursing and swearing all the time that the words are at the tip end of my tongue before I think of it. I tell you, Mother, then they will say we can’t let him, the hypocrite, get down upon his knees to pray at night. Yesterday they told me if I ever get down there to pray again that they would throw water upon me and push me into the fire. I would say nothing at all about these little petty issues but I am often puzzled what to do. Which way to turn. Oh Mother, think over it and send me words of counsel.
There has two men come back to our company—George Buss and Samuel Wells—from the [ ] Hospital. They look fine. But Sam, I fear, has forgotten the verse and covenant that he once took upon him to serve the Lord. He talks quite hard. OI pity him. They are trying hard to get me and I know it becomes me to pray much and watch much so that I may be enabled to hold out. I am the only one in the company at the present time who still continues to make a profession of religion. Oh that I may be enabled to stick fast unto my profession and fight the good fight of faith.
I could get my daguerreotype taken I suppose as well as George Mc____ could if I had the money. He borrowed some but nobody seems to care to do hardly anything to accommodate me. If I had 2 dollars I could get it and send it home—that is, if we stay here much longer. I cannot write much at this time so give my love to sister Lizzie and to little Willie. I haven’t time to write to sister or else I would. Much love to cousin Martha and all of the friends. Goodbye. I remain yours affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Enclosed you will find a few lines for England.
Letter 17
Camp in the Pines near Falmouth, Va.
April 22nd 1863
My dear Mother,
I received last evening by the hands of Lieut. Brooks your letter containing the red pepper & comb. I thank you very much for them. I have sent you 35 dollars for your own use. It is all that I could send this payday. I had a great notion to only send you 30 dollars and keep the other five for to buy some knit shirts. You see that I have revolved over many plans in my head before payday came as to what should I do. I therefore came to the conclusion to send the 5 dollars to you. If it is possible before the army moves I am going to try hard to get a pass and get my likeness taken that I will send to you. Then I wish for you when you get it to have 4 more taken from it for you can get 4 taken there at home for the price that I can get one taken here. And then I wish you to send me a couple of them. But I guess we will not form visions of the air castles.
Well Mother, I hope that you are getting along first rate. I feel well in some respects but I am breaking out in sores all over so that it makes me feel bad while I don’t get so that I cannot drill. I guess that you need not send me anymore steel pens for a comrade and me have sent to A. Morton of New York for a couple of good gold pens as they are the best pens in the world and the cheapest and the best in the long run. I just saw his advertisement in the Christian Chronicle so I thought I would give him a trial this time.
If I had been able to have got my ration as I had good reason to expect that I should soon have got it, I would have been enabled to have sent you 50 dollars but after running from one Colonel to the other who were quartermasters, &c. I haven’t got yet. I hope to get it if I live sometime. These quartermasters send a fellow from one to the other in order that they may get shed of paying a little money out of their pockets.
Well, Mother, there is very little news a going—only they are preparing to take the sick away to Falmouth and we think before many days shall roll around that we too shall be upon the move. The papers say that some troops are across the river. I shall be glad when the day comes when we can give the Johnnies a crushing blow. I just feel now as if I could fight against them all day long and these other Nations of Europe who are assisting them. England says she is neutral and she shows it. If I ever come a soldiering again when I get out of this, it wil take a war with England to bring me out and I will fight against her with all the might and energy I possess. To have the chance of fighting those who on the other side of the Atlantic are assisting the rebels, I would re-enlist for 3 years more—willingly. I say this—and this is my spirit, crushed be they who dare insult and give aid to the enemies of my country’s flag. If England don’t look sharp, she will get peppered as well as the rebels. But there is a terrible day of reckoning.
Well, Mother, I guess that I will close. So write soon. Remember me to all inquiring friends. Much love to you all. I remain your loving and affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 18
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia
May 9th 1863
My dear Mother,
I had the happiness day before yesterday to receive another kind letter from you. I am glad that you got the money safe. I received the postage stamps but still there is always something in war time which turns up to be still wanting. I now find I cannot send them books home without having some sealing wax which I cannot get here. So please to send me a piece soon. I dislike to send home for anything. That goes against the grain. But still you know how it is. I shall write this letter by tid bits. I am expecting all the time to hear the drums roll for drill. And I am taking time to write to you that I should be a sleeping for I was on guard yesterday and therefore I am quite tired and sleepy today so that I can scarcely keep mine eyes open. I often write when if I were to consult my feelings I should be sleeping.
Well, Mother, I am pretty well at this time and hope these few lines will find you all the same. You need not be so very anxious and worried about me for so long as we stay guarding this ammunition train, we don’t calculate in getting into any fights. Here this time we have for the first time been enabled to stand back and see and hear the fighting. From the top of the high hills all around us close to the river, we have seen our brave boys battling with the enemy. In the dead hour of midnight, when standing upon post upon the [ammunition] train, we could hear the fierce rattle of the musketry as the echo reverberated from the opposite hills and we could see the shells bursting in the air. There has been a dreadful struggle and a fearful loss of life. Our old Division has been fearfully cut up. Oh how thankful should we be that we are here in this position.
Col. [William] Birney tried his best to get us in the fight—right into the front where the hottest fire was. He wouldn’t have cared if we had been all butchered. Not he. All he is aiming at is promotion to a generalship. But being foiled in his attempts to get us into the battles, he is doing all he can in his power to put us in some other Brigade or Division. The other day he sent three orders over to the reserve artillery General’s Headquarters. One was to have us to go back into the old Brigade. The next was to have us put into his brother’s Division, and the next to have us put with the 2nd New Jersey Brigade. We are all hoping and praying that he will not succeed in any of his plans because he only has the interest of his own self in view—not that of his men. To have such a man in command as our Colonel is enough to ruin the best regiment in the army. I think that you will hear tell of more fighting in these quarters soon.
Please send me a Philadelphia Inquirer for I would like to see some of the news. It seems a long time since I saw a paper in camp. We drew some fresh bread again yesterday. Bully for Old Joe Hooker. I have two other letters to answer when I get time—one from Bro. Wright and one from Henry Beckwith. They are well as usual. One by one are passing away. If I stay my time out, I shall hardly know Moorestown anymore.
This last move of Hooker’s is considered a very smart move upon his part but the rebels had too many reinforcements for him so they are in possession of all their hills again. I wish now that they would put the Conscript Law in place and bring out all able to carry a musket and whip the Johnnies & bring the war to a termination. I want to see Richmond taken and see myself strutting around the streets making all the secesh men, women, and girls step around. I couldn’t take no sass off of them. I am in more than ever for the country.
Well, Mother, by the grace of God, I will endeavor to stand fast in the faith. So please to write soon. I can write no more at present. There—if it had not been for these drums sounding so soon, I might have got this letter in today’s mail.
Well, we have come in from a long, wearisome two hours drill. I feel very tired and sleepy here before—tis sundown. These are the things which produce disease in the soldier—want of rest. But one Colonel foiled in his attempts to get us into the battle is now wreaking forth his spite upon the men. He had better never go into a battle with us or some other regiment that know him for he would never come out alive. I am just as sure of that as I am writing to you at this time. Remember me to all inquiring friends, Much love to all. I remain your dear son, — Thomas H. Capern
I’ll try to write clearer next time.
Letter 19
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia
May 13th 1863
My very dear Mother,
I have just received a letter from you and was much pleased to hear from home again. I am pretty well and hope you are all the same. I also received at the same time a small package containing some little tract books with the pills & ointment and the Castile Soap. I often think of you. I should write oftener, Mother, but we have to drill so much that we have no time for anything else. And then I write a good many letters for others who cannot write themselves and what with one thing and another, I am busy all the time.
There is no news here. A good many of the boys are out playing and exercising themselves but I am writing and shall in all probability be writing up till the time for Tattoo at 8 o’clock. I am quite sorry to hear that Bro. Fendall is so unwell but I hope and trust that his trip to a western climate will help him. Well, Mother, I have just finished writing a long letter to John Glover. I received quite a long and welcome letter from him last night. He wishes to be kindly remembered to all the friends in Moorestown. Also he trusted me to remember him to you all. His regiment—the 58th Penn. Volunteers—is at Newbern, North Carolina. They see a good deal of fighting, he says. He is well.
“We hear of Gen. [Stonewall] Jackson’s death but we don’t credit it for he has been dead so many times already. But in time of battle he was always found to be alive and on hand.”
—Thomas H. Capern, Co. E, 4th New Jersey, 13 May 1863
Well, Mother, we know no news at all here or are allowed to know any. All newspaper correspondents who write about the movements of the army will have to stop it or be sent out of the lines of the army and the newspapers are not allowed to come into the army. This is a good and important order of Gen. Hooker’s. We hear of Gen. [Stonewall] Jackson’s death but we don’t credit it for he has been dead so many times already. But in time of battle he was always found to be alive and on hand. Mother, Gen. Jackson is a smart man and a religious man. A minister and he preaches to the soldiers of his Corps. But he takes a text and renders it so to appear as if the treasonable South will ship at last. Now, do you suppose that he will get to heaven by his acts? He is inciting a resistance and a revolt against freedom, liberty, &c., and against the best government the world ever saw. I have heard others say that a good many of the ministers were mere traitors at heart than any other class of individuals. Now, I cannot reconcile the idea of Stonewall Jackson going to heaven after doing as he has already done. Really, tis hard to say. But it strikes [me] that if a man were a true, genuine Christian, he would go in for the Union. At any rate, I could shut him deliberately and if I were in battle and were to know him as he were about, I would try hard to fetch him down, I tell you. I think the rebellion is going to feel the weight of iron sledge hammer of the Union.
Mother, I am much pleased with these little tracts and I am beginning to feel that indeed and have not quit my round with the Army of God. And I can see the cause of my unhappiness and my shortcomings.
We have been signing some rolls for our rations, money, &c. I wish I could have some religious magazine to read such as Guide to Holiness and others. But Mother, I must soon close so please to write soon, will you not? Please to send one dollar with more of stamps for I have been using some of those you sent. And when I get the ration money I will send the money. So I must close. Write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 20
Camp near Falmouth, Virginia
May 25th 1863
Dear Mother,
I had the great pleasure tonight to be the grateful recipient of another kind and exceedingly welcome letter from you. I am glad to hear that you are all so well. I also am in pretty good health at this present time and hope these few lines will find you the same. The weather has been very hot and sultry for the past few days or rather over a week but now it looks a little like a storm again. I hope it will rain for a few days now to settle the dust.
There is no news again here except what the papers state about the affairs in the Southwestern Department. I have today’s paper before me now with the cheering intelligence in it that a glorious victory has been achieved by the Army of the Southwest. Give God the praise if tis only so. There is plenty here who now in spite of all the good news, yet content themselves in looking upon the dark side of the picture and perceiving nothing but a train of defeats for to be our army’s destiny. But I feel otherwise. I firmly believe that the Lord now in our hour of the Nation’s extremity is about to stretch forth His omnipotent arm and cause our armies to achieve splendid victories over the rebels. May the Lord still prosper us.
We have suffered a defeat here, tis true. But after all, it may come out in the mysterious course of events that our defeat on the returning across the river was a good thing. I am contented with my situation and I am quite resigned to the Lord’s will. I tell you, I find that a great many cannot see things in the same light as I can and that too with composure. I leave all things with the Lord whilst I humbly strive to do my duty towards my country which they don’t but keep a worrying all the time. Therefore, it is not strange when they put not their trust in God that they should wonder at my calmness amidst so much peril. I was too much like them two months ago but I prayed that the Lord would give me submission to His will and to my fate and it has been granted to me. And I rejoice that it is even so.
I haven’t felt very happy in mind for the past few days for I have been troubled with evil thoughts and I have entertained them too much and thus my thoughts have been less of God things.
It is growing dark so that I soon shall have to come to a close. I have suffered with the toothache a great deal for the past few days. I wish I had a few cloves. From accounts in the papers, we will be paid off soon. Two months pay. I shall send home for two checked shirts and a good silk pocket handkerchief. There is not many in this regiment who wear good shirts as they find that it pays them better to send home for colored shirts or to buy them here. You could send them by mail. I received two Inquirers from you. Also these postage stamps. I have sent the Memorandum Books. They ought to have reached you by this time. Write soon. I remain as ever your loving son, — T. H. Capern
Letter 21
Camp What Shall I Call It
May 28th 1863
My very dear Mother,
I received your ever welcome letter and was glad to hear from you again. Tis a wet but lovely day. We have moved our camp some three miles yesterday and we lay down near Potomac Creek. The whole [ammunition] train moved on account of the lack of good water where we were before so now we are—some of us—have to get our tents up while others are fixing a beginning on theirs. We don’t like the new camp for instead of putting us down alongside of the creek in some nice spot (as there are plenty of them), our Colonel came to our camp yesterday before we moved and told the officers he had picked out a palace of a place so that we thought that we were going to get in some nice place. So when we had come to it, we were a little taken aback for t’was upon a side hill which was covered with stumps, bushes, and briars quite thick. All united in saying that tis the meanest camp we have had since we have been out. But we will have to nevertheless make the best of it. Such is military law that we cannot help ourselves in many things which we would otherwise.
Well, we have one tent nicely fixed up. I sleep upon a bed made of barrel staves. I tell you, if I fare we well while I am in the service as such a bed as that, I won’t growl.
Now Mother, really it seems to me as if you expect too much of the soldiers. When I write home that I am not able to do so and so, it seems as if you either soon forget it or do not credit it. Now you say when I get my likeness taken (and I am afraid that it will be a long when too as I cannot help unavoidable circumstances happening), you wish me to get it taken with my gun by my side or in my dress coat. In the situation I am now, I doubt being able to get it taken and if I should, I could not take my gun along for it is so far to an Ambrotypist. They are few in the field. And to my dress coat, our regiment packed them up in boxes as soon as summer weather set in and turned them into the Quartermaster’s hands to keep for us. So you see how I am fixed.
Well, Mother, we have been paid off once more two months pay and I have sent you 20 dollars so be on the look out for it some now.
Mother, I seem determined to hold fast to my profession [of faith] but I do feel very dull indeed as regards spiritual matters. I hope to be able next time I write to be able to record a more lively spiritual disposition. I have not received the Chronicle yet but I hope to get it tomorrow. I begins to look like a storm. Very likely t’will rain tonight. Well, Mother, I have sent you two check shirts. Also a silk pocket handkerchief. Well, we have plenty of work here for a month to do. I don’t suppose as I shall get time to write. Give my love to all. Write soon. I remain your loving son, — Thomas H. Capern
Please to send me some thread.
Letter 22
Camp near Belle Plain, Virginia
June 3rd 1863
My very dear Mother,
I have just received by the hands of Clayton Holingshead the package you sent me. I am glad that you received the other Memorandum Books safe. Can you make out the writing in them? Do please to send me the date of the last day I put down in the small book. Just tell me what day of the month it was when I left off writing because I came to the final end and therefore had to stop.
The weather is fine but promises a storm which we are longing to see just now on account of the dust which comes blowing over the hills in perfect clouds. As for health, I enjoy better health than I have for a long, long time and I trust that the Lord will continue to bless me. They tell me that I am getting very fat indeed. Well, I think that I am in pretty good condition at this present time. I am beginning to get in good order to be captured again for when upon the 27th of last June we were captured by the Johnnies, I was so fat that I could hardly see.
I have no news to tell whatever. I don’t think that I shall finish this tonight but leave it for tomorrow.
I hope these few lines will find you the same in perfect health. I am very thankful for the religious newspapers. I received two the other day from you and two recently from my pastor. I am very sorry that Bro. Fendall’s throat is no better and that he has to leave but I trust that the Lord will be gracious unto him and bless the means used for his recovery and that he may soon be restored to his wonted health and strength.
Well, Mother, here we just guard munitions and I feel just as though t’were afternoon instead of being only half past 7 o’clock in the morning. It is cloudy this morning and looks like rain. We hope that it will rain to settle the dust. Yes, Mother, that is a nice piece about that young Lt. Williamson. He was good and brave & true. But Mother, here is one thing I have yet to say when the soldiers see such pieces in the nespapers, they are not half so likely to read it as if t’was about a private soldier. I don’t see why they always or most always have pieces in about the officers while the privates receive but a passing notice. Money and rank should not make that difference between the Christian officer and the Christian private. I am led to these conclusions by what I hear my comrades frequently say. I hope that you have received those 20 dollars I sent you a short time ago. Yes, Mother, I cannot but exclaim when I think of the mercy of the Lord which has been bestowed upon me. Surely goodness and mercy hath followed us all our days. To Jesus be all the glory.
June 5th. Well, Mother, you must excuse me for not sending this letter before. I hardly know whether I shall get this in today’s mail. Just as I began to write you and answer, I had to go upon a detail which kept me till supper time. Then the next morning I was upon guard.
Well, Mother, we are under marching orders again. Orders are to have three days rations cooked ahead. The opinion is that we are going to fall back upon Washington. You see the 9 month’s men and the two year’s men’s going home has weakened our army a great deal and the Johnnies know it full well.
I must close so please to write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Tell Emily and Lizzie that they must excuse me for not writing to them as I haven’t time at present. But give my love to all of them and to Willie and to all inquiring friends, — T. H. Capern
Letter 23
Camp on the Centreville Road near Fairfax, [Va.]
June 16th 1863
My Dear Mother,
I have embraced the first opportunity that has been unto us since I received your last and welcome letter which I received on the afternoon of the 13th of this month. I’ll tell you about our retreat from Belle Plain. I went out on a hunt after some cherries and as I was a coming back, as I got on the top of a hill, I looked towards the camp and spied the boys all striking tents. Then I run as hard as I could while the heat made me sweat to run down from my body in streams. At that time there was a heavy black thundershower coming up slowly in the west. About sunset we shouldered knapsacks and started for the wagon train, then we stacked arms and laid down in the rain for to wait till the wagins had begun to get into line. One man was allowed to [ ]. We on the left did not get started before 1 o’clock in the morning and by that time the right of the wagon train was some 4 or 5 miles ahead of us. 300 wagons with 6 mules—when they all get into one line makes a long string, I can tell you.
After we did get started we went along very slow, stopping every little while and then going ahead again. From the large fires that we saw lighting up the horizon all around we concluded that we were upon a retreat. Well, I can tell you we got no sleep to do us any good for three nights and we only stopped twice to give the mules something to eat all that time but we kept on marching night and day. We came over some awful roads, I can tell you. We came through Dumfries and through Ococquan (if you will get the Map of Virginia you will find them places near Centreville on the road from Fredericksburg. I can tell you we got in here yesterday afternoon tired out with sore feet and blisters. We were put through pretty charply.
Today we fell in line to go again but the orders were countermanded. But we expect to go tonight or tomorrow. We expect to have to go towards Maryland. All the news we have here is that the Johnnys are in Pennsylvania entrenching themselves. The boys don’t seem to care much. We are of opinion that it will do the North good. T’will wake them up to a true sense of their condition. They are not willing to come for a soldier to defend their country but they would rather stay at home and discourage us. I hope the Johnnys gets some of these who are in for resisting the draft. I’d laugh to see them catch them. We hope that they will stay there long enough to let us have time to get after them. They said that they were a going to invade the North and they are fulfilling their promises. I firmly believe that this rebel invasion will be of great benefit to the North. The soldiers—the majority of us—think alike.
Well, Mother, I expect that we are a going to have several weeks of hard times a marching. Whenever you may get this Memorandum Book that I have got now, you will see a history of all this. Well, Mother, we see great news in the papers but it don’t alarm us in the least. Well, Mother, I am pretty well and hope that you are the same. Please to write soon. You had better went and not send those shirts yet a bit. But if you can, I wish that you would send me a few dollars. There are no sutlers in the army now and if we go into Maryland or up that way, maybe if I had some money I could buy some milk and homemade bread.
Give my love to all enquiring friends. Give my love to all my sisters and Willie. Much love to you. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 24
Camp near Fairfax Court House
June 18th 1863
My dear Mother,
I am upon camp guard this morning and I have sat me down to write you a few lines. I have got one letter new in the mail bad but I forgot some things. Please to send me some cloves and those shirts right away. I remain your son, — T. Capern
Letter 25
Camp near Frederick City, Maryland
June 29th 1863
My dear Mother,
I have just sat down to write you a few lines to let you know how I am getting along. I received your letter with the dollar. I tell you, I was glad to get it. We were then encamped near Fairfax Station, Virginia. We started the next day. Just as I was a going to write, the order came to strike tents and march. We then struck out for Edward’s Ferry upon the Potomac River. We had a tough time of it going very fast and over rough roads.
Well we crossed the river and camped for the night in a beautiful clover field and made our beds of clover hay. As I took some rails to make a fire to cook my pork and coffee by, I thought that it seemed hard. Well, Mother, it really did my eyes good to come here and see as we marched along, the fields of golden wheat waiting to be reaped. And all seemed like home. The houses and yards and flowers seemed to be quite natural. But we have had a tough march across the mountains and another range of mountains not over two miles from us and beyond that another range still. There is some guerrillas hovering around here. A squad of men has just come in from a scout after the rebels. Found traces of them but they were gone. That is about a mile from us. But we ain’t afraid of them.
I am so tired from marching that I can scarcely hold my pen to write. We may have to march further along for ought that we know. I had no dinner yesterday nor any supper nor any breakfast this morning but I slept in a house among the mountains—three of us. We had feather pillows and was offered a feather bed but we declined.
Some wagons were smashed up. We came past the Sugar Loaf Mountain. I have seen more girls and young women that I have seen for a long, long time. I also had a narrow escape for my life. One place the road was very narrow and the wheels of the wagons passed right under the bushes along side of which we were walking. Well, you see a team came rather too close to me and I held back till it had got by when someone rushed by me and I fell on my back unable to roll over for fear that I would roll right under the wheels and then I should have been killed for certain. But Tip Snyder, one of our company happening to be coming along, soon grabbed hold of me and rolled me over in the bushes out of danger. So you see that there is danger all the time.
We have marched a great part of today, the 28th, just as fast as we could walk. Well, my dollar came into play for I bought something to east as we came along. I gave 20 cents for a homemade pie in the city this morning as we came along. Nearly died. I have 15 cents left now with which I am going to buy some homemade bread. If I had money now I could live cheap and t’would be such a change from hard tack. There is a plenty of milk to be had.
And now, I tell you Mother, it is a hard temptation to be borne when passing along side of a garden to keep from taking some vegetables when we had just come from the most barren spot in Virginia—where there was nothing but pine stumps. I wish you would please to send me all the money you can spare at present or from time to time if you will. You know that I will do the best I can for you. I wish they would pay us off here in Pennsylvania. It takes 25 cents to buy a large homemade loaf. Give my love to all. Write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 26
Camp near Pennsylvania
July 1st 1863
My dear Mother,
I want you to send me some money soon if you can for I must have something to buy victuals with or else I must steal. There has been some bad mismanagement on the Quartermaster’s part and we are short of several days [rations]. I have come off of guard after marching all day and been marching several days and nights without getting hardly a meal’s victuals. I have had no dinner nor supper nor breakfast and after marching on the double quick too a good part of yesterday and you may judge how I feel. Your son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 27
Camp at Warrenton, Virginia
July 31st 1863
My Dear Mother,
I received your last letter of the 22nd and was much rejoiced at perusing it. These letters which one gets from home could help the wanderer himself. Yes, I received the one dollar you sent me and that is all gone but 5 cents now. Well, Mother, when you write again, please to send me an envelope and two sheets of paper for I had to take some of the thread you sent to me to tie this sheet of paper together. I spilt some ink powder on another letter which you ought to have seen by this time. I can’t always answer your letters as soon as possible after I get them.
I am pretty well but I am still in want of some more of those Holloways Pills and ointment. I would like to have two boxes of pills. Well, Mother, [having] no money is making me a great deal of trouble to you I fear but there are no sutlers here in the army any more—for the privates or the officers. I wish you could send me some postage stamps. Dear me, how glad I shall be when the time shall come that I can make up to you all these things. I am afraid that you will go without on my account. The thread and needles I thank you much for. I used them as soon as I got it. I am glad you are going to send some more for this will be all used up in a day or so.
I have received a letter from cousin E. Darch lately. She says they are all well. They are having an awful dry time out there. The dist she says is ankle deep in the roads while the corn and potatoes are dried up. And the trees are loaded with peaches drier than the stones. That’s bad, ain’t it. I also got a letter from Mary Ann Beckwith. She says that Grandfather and Grandmother Robbins are both well and they with Mr. and Mrs. Beckwith wish to be kindly remembered to you all.
Well, Mother, we have been lying here for a week or so and we are getting rested up nicely besides. We have drawn some new pants which we needed very much indeed. Could you now send me a small package and put in it a towel for I want one as bad as I do anything else. Well, Mother, I am afraid I shall never get those shirts for I have just received an answer to my letter to the 3rd Assistant Postmaster at Washington and he tells me that no such package has been received there. So it has been stopped before it go to Washington. Did you have it registered, Mother? for that is the safest way for them. It is at the postmaster’s risk.
Well, Mother, we only got one year and 17 days longer to stay. Our old Brigade is 9 month’s men. They are three months ahead of us. May God in mercy spare our lives. Some out of our regiment has gone home to Trenton to bring enough draftee men to fill up our regiment. That will make the duty lighter upon us.
Well, Mother, I feel about the same in spiritual matters. Oh, I need a waking up. One here is rather inclined to go to sleep—there is so much in his way that comes in his line of duty. The drum calls you to go to sleep about the time you are right sleepy and the drum awakes you and then you have no time until after guard mounting time. Well, I must soon come to a close. Write soon. Remember me to all inquiring friends. May the Lord bless you and take care of you. I remain as ever your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
When you write, be sure and send an envelope for there are none to be had. We lay at Warrenton Junction.
I am aware all the time that you are going without a good many things on my account but I hope that the Lord will smile abundantly upon you all and bless you and reward you for all your bequeaths and care toward your absent soldier boy. It worries me to know that very likely for a long, long time that I shall not be able to do anything to requite you for your trouble. Cannot you get someone to send me a fishing line with several lures? We are getting where there are fish, since hearing that fish were caught in a creek close by this morning. I am quite well. The air is most awful and barely holds the boys on a march. — T. H. C.
Letter 28
Camp at Warrenton, Virginia
September 7, 1863
My very dear Mother,
I have just received your welcome letter and was so glad to hear from you again and to hear that you were all so well for which I thank God. I am pretty well today and feel first rate today And I hope that htis may find you the same. That parcel you sent me has not reached me yet for I doubt whether Mr. Macalvane knows where we are yet. He didn’t put up far from Warrenton Junction, or did when we were there. However, I will hope that I may get it. If you can, please to send me 1 dollar and I will try if we stay here to get a pass into town and get my likeness taken and send home.
Well, Mother, we are anxiously reading day by day our foreign correspondence. Everything is working well. Slowly and surely we are putting down the rebellion. We hear of continual successes crowning our arms through the blessing of God. Well, I shall have to hurry and get through as tis approaching drill time and Dress Parade when I reckon we shall come out in white gloves.
September 8th. Tis very foggy this morning. Where we used to go out blackberrying when we came here with the ammunition train now we have to keep a strong picket force on account of the guerrillas.
Well, there is certainly, I think, a great crisis in the history of the world a coming to pass. Europe, I think, will soon be the scene of bloodshed. England and France are now aiding the rebels all they can and the French army now confronts our own upon the Rio Grande, the southern border of Texas. Were it not for my belief in a God who holdeth the Nations in His hand, I should count myself dead almost. But I believe that all of this was preordained to come to pass. This will be a great shaking of the Nations. God’s ways are mysterious, his wonders to perform—and often when we seem about to be overwhelmed, then God turns the scale. Let us put out trust in the Lord and pray to Him to save us from destruction and with His assistance a thousand, as it were, may put 10,000 to flight. I expect if I live to see my time out that I shall have to come for a soldier again. Oh there is an awful bloody time shut out from our vision just now.
Well, Mother, the secesh here are quite high about France helping them. God grant that we may be able to whip them all combined for I believe as true as I am sitting here writing to you, my dear Mother, that God will cause some great interposition of His favor to take place in our behalf. We are ready to fight them bitterly and if foreign nations will place their armies upon our soil, many a one of them will have to bite the dust. We will sweep down as a whirlwind upon them.
Please to send me a little more ink powder. We are in hopes of being paid off soon. I owe 7 dollars, two from last payday to the sutler and 5 I borrowed last payday for you know I got no pay last payday. This payday I expect to get $25.39. Seven from this will leave me 18 dollars. I will send you all I can. Give my love to all. Write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
I received Willie’s letter. My love to him.
Letter 29
Camp near Culpeper, [Va.]
September 20th 1863
My dear Mother,
I received your ever welcome letter and was truly glad to hear from you again. They say ’tis Sunday but indeed, I confess I can’t tell since we’ve got to marching and the stormy weather, I can’t keep the run of the days. We were paid off the same day that I wrote to you and also marched to Sulphur Springs the same day. So I was disappointed after all.
Well, Mother, we have waded rivers and stood out in the pouring rain night and day watching for the enemy till we were completely wet through and through and our rations were wet and our clothes also. I shall not be able to send you home any money this time but next time, if God spares my life, I hope to be able to send nearly all. We are on the march and shall be often without rations and a little money on hand will be nice. We have to pay 65 cents a pound here for good butter.
There was a man drummed out of the 3rd [New Jersey] Regiment yesterday for robbing the mail of the 99th Pennsylvania Regiment, and besides, he is sentenced to an imprisonment for 5 years. We are getting along fine. There are no large bodies of rebel troops anywhere around here we don’t believe, but there may still be things turn up that we are not thinking of and though we are taking all the care we can to out General Lee, yet there may be a big battle out not far off.
The names of the company officers are Capt. John Evans, 1st Lieutenant David Flannery. Our regimental officers are Lieut. Col. [Charles] Ewing and Lieut. [William] McElhaney, Adjutant. Now the report says that our Corps has to take up the front line of march tomorrow and fight whatever comes on hand. Well, if we do, I hope God will help me to do good work and do my duty and preserve my life. I am in HIs hands. To hHis care and protection I resign myself. Pray for me more, Mother.
Well, we can see Culpeper from here. There are rebels not far from here as they shell our boys and our men don’t reply. These shells are savage things, I can tell you. If a shell hits a man, it goes clean through him or knocks his head off. There is given rumors about Lee’s army here.
Give my love to all. Write soon as you can. I haven’t got that parcel yet nor do I ever expect to get it now that we are on the march. If we have to fight, I reckon that we will throw away everything.
I must close, Write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Eli Haines and Al Woodard are both well. — T. H. C.
Don’t you recollect a Methodist preacher who used to be at Moorestown by the name of [Joseph H.] James. He is chaplain of the 3rd [New Jersey] Regiment.
Letter 30
Camp near Culpeper Court House, Va.
October 2nd 1863
My Dear Mother,
I now sit down to write an answer to two letters which I have received from you during the past two days. I am glad that you got my likeness for it was a good one.
Well, Mother, it is very stormy this morning but warm. There were troops moving last night, I am sure, the way the drums beat and the wagons rattled. There have been several Corps gone from here to reinforce Gen. Rosecrans and as Gen. Gilmore, they say, is to be reinforced at Charleston, some are afraid that our Corps will be sent there. Yesterday our Brigade cleaned up and made ourselves to look as nice as possible and came out with our white gloves on. Those who witnessed us out there said we presented quite a beautiful sight & scene. We were reviewed by Major Gen. Sedgwick (he is our Corps General) and Brig. Gen. Wright who commands our Division, and Gen. [Alfred] Torbert who commands our Brigade. Then we all marched around in review. The 15th [New Jersey] Regiment got the praise for the best marching. You see we used to get the praise but the boys in the old regiments are getting so they don’t seem to care how they do.
The 17th [New Jersey] has got two years yet to stay and they have a very strict colonel. When we came to an order arms in our regiment, if we had a strict colonel like old Birney was, he would make us shoulder arms and order arms till we brought all our pieces down together. We have been trying to surmise what the review was for but we can’t find out.
Well, Mother, I haven’t got that parcel yet. I guess that I shall never get it, but never mind. How do you like my having a Bible in my hand and my hat off when my likeness was taken? I guess that Mrs. Haines has got a likeness from her son by this time.
Well, Mother, I guess the rain will stop me melting for a while but it can’t stop our praying. Oh Mother, pray with me in behalf of a stricken sin sick soul. He belongs in the 13th regiment. He first was attracted to come to our meetings after the camps were all still. Every night a few of us go our into the woods and pray for a revival that God will bless us and help us to live closer to Him. And He blesses us. That spot has become sacred to us already. Two souls found Jesus there one night precious to their souls and now they can go on their way enjoying a hope of heaven. Several backsliders have come back. One night as I was going over to Bro. James’ meeting, I went up to Co. I to look for Brother Tish and I asked another one to come with me. I found out that he was a backslider and that he was beginning to feel serious. He went with me and that was the turning point. He now rejoices in the love of Jesus and so I might mention others who are seeking Jesus and some have found him who never sought His face before they came in the army. I was out last night till after eleven o’clock. In pious conversation, we held our meeting. I done all I could to point the stricken one to Christ as the savior of sinners. But I need much grace though to keep from falling. I could rejoice to see some of my company out on the Lord’s side but I seem to meet only with bitter opposition. Some says we ought all to be arrested and our heads clubbed for holding such meetings. And then they assail me with, “You are a regular hypocrite.” That is, they say if there are any. And many other things so they say so that it shall come to the officer’s ears and he brings such tales as they tell about me falsely. He comes and wants to know if so and so is true. Then they run off and deride me. This is hard to bear. He says my grace is sufficient for thee and I believe it. But I can pray for them. Write soon. I read those papers.
So much love to you. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 31
Camp between Centreville and Chantilly, [Virginia]
October 17th 1863
Dear Mother,
I received your letter some few days ago but had no time to answer it as we were on a hard march marching for this strong position. We were running a race with the rebel army and we were a little ways ahead of them and we were bound to keep ahead and we have done it and are here waiting for the rebels to come and attack us. We came here the other night in a hurry. Old Lee was fighting only a few miles off and we could see the smoke of each cannon. That was the 2nd Corps fighting the rebels while we were having to get to the hills of Centreville before Gen. Lee could get there. After we got to Centreville, we formed into lines of battle behind the breastworks and got the artillery into position so that thy could sweep the plains below us.
Well then some another Corps came along and took our position and we moved further up to here the same evening. I tell you, the whole army was so tired out and sore that we could hardly walk at all. Well we came here and took up our position expecting the rebels to come and attack us every moment for this is the place that they flanked Pope last summer. But we were determined that we would conquer this time or die. We got up the next day and dug rifle pits and cut down trees and planted artillery to throw grape and canister.
Pretty soon, down towards Bull Run—Boom, boom went the cannons. There was a hard fight that day but they did not think well enough to come and tackle the 6th Corps. We have whipped them twice now and we can’t hear where they are now. Maybe they’ll come and give us a hitch soon. Well we are ready for them. We’ll give them a warm reception if they do come. There is an open field before us and if they come here we will pile them all over that field before we will yield.
I would like to give you an account of our long and tedious march and how we came near being captured on the Rapidan, how we slipped away right under the rebels’ noses, and how we marched side and side with the rebels and didn’t know it, and how we crossed the Rappahannock River and then recrossed back again the next day and formed into line of battle to fight the Johnnys and then how we drove them away beyond Brandy Station and in the night slipped away again and blew up the bridge and came on the march to here. Old Lee was ahead of us but as we turned back after Hill’s Corps, he turned back too and then we turned round and came this way as hard as we could and got ahead of him 24 hours start.
I am well, Mother. Write soon. Send me some money or paper as this is nearly all I get. I wish much love to you all. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 32
Camp at Warrenton, Virginia
October 24th 1863
My Dear Mother,
Once more I sit me down to pen you a few lines. Perhaps in the camp there is a letter from you to me but as I have had no chance at all for the past three days to go into camp, I know not what is going on. Neither do I know what is in the mails. I was sent in here the next day after our Corps came here from Centreville on guard duty as a patrol to patrol the town. After a while the sergeant of the guard came into the Court House where I was and said two more safeguards were wanted so I came to be one of them and I am now in another place also. Where I am sitting now writing this letter is in a kitchen by the warm stove in out of the storm which is raging at the present time of an old regular Baptist minister. He is a good man, I can assure you. Him and I have had some good old talks together about Jesus, &c. His wife too is an excellent woman. She is just as tall and as stout as you and a very pious, devoted woman, She told me to tell you that I had come across some of the regular Baptists and while our political ideas were opposite, yet in one way we could take each other by the hand and call each other brothers and sisters in the Lord. They declared that I was the first Baptist in our army that they had come across and I think the first Christian that they had an opportunity of conversing with in our army. They had met with a few in their own army they told me. They told me that indeed ’twas quite a treat to come across a Baptist and especially as I was their safeguard.
Mother, I am learning a great deal about Southern life and many other things. I find some excellent people and I have formed some acquaintances her in this rank Secession place and I shall never forget them. Indeed, I am glad that I have formed such acquaintances as I have. In many things I have been mistaken. These people’s name is Rev. Mr. Spilman 1 and they tell me that if they can do a favor for me [if] in their power. They have furnished me with this sheet of paper, pen and ink. Well, I do really feel here as if I were at home. What do you think of that? And your son is bringing credit to his Mother from even in one sense of the word from his enemies. She seems to be much pleased with me and thinks that where she will find one like me, she will find a thousand different. Indeed they seem, to think that I am something of a peculiar character in this way—that all my conversation seems to be of a religious character. And again I seem to be one that can feel for others and can feel it in my heart to show kindness to them whom I regard as mine enemies.
But I must close soon. I hope this may find you in good health and getting along right well. Well, Mother, give my love to sister and brother. We have done some very hard marching lately and have gone some considerable time on nothing much more than wasted corn which we found along the road. Much love to you all. Write soon. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
1 Probably Alexander Hamilton Spilman (1806-1875) of Warrenton. He was ordained a minister in 1849. According to a biographical sketch, during the Civil War he “sometimes found work as a preacher serving several outlying churches being interfered with by troop movements of either side. One day while on his way to keep a ministerial appointment, he was captured by a group of Federal soldiers. That night while sleeping on the ground with his saddle bags for a pillow, he heard his captors exulting over haing captured a “Major.” When they learned he was only a Baptist minister they were sorely disappointed and chagrined.” He was further described as “a man of great integrity, respected, loved, and esteemed by all; a kindly understanding person and a good husband and father.” His preaching was “practical, earnest and often truly eloquent.” Alex (as he was called) was married in 1825 to Adeline Green Allan (1807-1865). They had 13 children.
Letter 33
Camp at Warrenton, Virginia
October 26th 1863
My dear Mother,
I received your letter and those papers and was much pleased with them. I have also received that hymn book and the little book also. This is my last sheet of paper I have.
Well, Mother, I am sitting in an old regular Baptist minister’s kitchen sending this letter to you. This is an awful poor pen. Sister Lizzie will have to excuse a letter this time.
So you heard some talk about getting the boys to reenlist, did you? Well you heard right. My own name is on the list and if you don’t wish me to go, I can take it off when I please. By the arrangement before the late move began, we was to have been home and then stay in Jersey all winter. There is a 1,000 dollar bounty altogether offered and that is a great inducement, you know. And by going I thought to clear the old debt of your house. And then as you know, we run a chance of a whole campaign next summer. I thought if I should happen to get killed, it would have been some satisfaction to you to have seen your son since he had left you but I guess I won’t go. It was so arranged by the government that we could back out of our engagement in a week after they engaged to take us home. What do you think of it? I have explained all about it. Most of the regiment put their names down and you see I didn’t want to be put in another regiment.
Well there is some fighting going on all the time. Yes, I have a memorandum book but t’will soon be full. When we were at Warrenton last summer I was safeguard three days at a Mr. Payne’s house near where I am. Well, I left my bible there, I having laid it down and forgotten it, and they picked it up and kept it for me when the army should come again thinking that I must prize it highly, it being a present from my mother. I was up there last night and Mrs. Payne gave me the Bible and also gave me a bottle of ink of which I was entirely out of. So you see they are kind to me. They think very highly of the Jersey Brigade and also of our Corps.
Well, Mother, I must now draw to a close. Please to write soon. May the Lord preserve you and keep your son in the right path. These people think that this war is the beginning of the last and terrible war between Gog and Magog. They think that the Mississippi Valley will be the battlefield of the nations of the Earth before the Millennium. What do you think of it?
I remain as ever your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Much love to you all. Write soon. Remember me to all the friends.
Letter 34
Camp near the Rappahannock
December 5th 1863
My dear Mother,
I am well and hope that these few lines will find you the same. I have just received a letter from you. Tis the first mail we’ve had for eight days now. We have been seeing mighty hard and rough times lately and don’t know that they are all over with yet for this winter.
On Thanksgiving morning we took up the line of march & marched all day, crossing the Rapidan at Germania Ford. There we clumb up a very steep hill, or rather we marched nearly all night. Then we halted and laid down to get what rest we could. Up early next morning and pretty soon to our left, we heard cannonading going on. Once in a while it would come quite close and sometimes we could hear volleys of musketry so we made up our minds that we would soon have to go into a fight.
Towards night we loaded and pushed on towards where the firing was going on. We kept getting nearer and nearer. There was nothing but skirmishing going on. Then soon came heavy volleys of musketry. There was a battery of artillery with us and they went ahead of us on the full run. Then the firing came closer and we had to go upon the double quick through a thick woods. All of us boys thought that we were going to go into a fight then sure, but we did not, but camped a while and then early in the morning at 1 o’clock we started on again. We kept on the march till daylight, then we stopped and made our coffee. Well, I must say then, some fresh bread come and we have been two days without anything to eat.
Then we formed lines of battle and threw out skirmishers. We would have been the first into the battle if we had come in that day through the woods. Adn then down came the rain. It rained all day but we kept on advancing and then filed down a turnpike and then swung around to the right on to the Orange Plank Turnpike. Pretty soon we came to a dead rebel. Then we knew that there was warm work ahead. Fighting soon commenced but the 1st Corps were ahead of us. Then our Corps advanced towards the right. We formed lines along a hill covered with small pines and bushes. T’was a place called the Wilderness.
After we had formed our lines, we stacked our arms and built fires & the 15th [New Jersey] Regiment went out on the skirmish line. It was awful cold I can tell you. Then some of us went out in the open place and looked across and saw the rebels—any quantity of them on the next row of hills waiting for us to come and attack them. The sharpshooters would send a ball over among us once in a while and the boys would get back under cover. They had strong rifle pits. We calculated to charge up them hills the next day but we laid still all day. Between us and the rebs was a swampy piece of ground and a creek through which we would have to wade through when we charged.
Now comes the awfullest time of all. At 1 o’clock in the morning we got up and filed off to our right and came out into a open place. There was wasn’t allowed to make the least little noise and had to lie down for a while upon the frozen ground. We were so sleepy from losing our sleep that we could hardly keep awake. Our feet came near freezing there. Well, up and off again through a piece of woods, then into a pine woods. Then we formed our lines and Gen. [Alfred] Torbert came and told us to cover up in our blankets [but] we couldn’t make a fire. As soon as it come daylight, Gen. Torbert wouldn’t let a man stand up for fear the Johnnys would see. If they had known that we was there, they could have killed us all. We intended to charge the rebel hills at 9 o’clock that morning but Oh how glad we were when they put it off for we piled up our knapsacks in a pile never expecting to see them again for we knew if we made a charge that those who were not killed but were wounded would freeze to death on the battlefield.
I felt calm and composed. I put my trust in Jesus and felt happy in his love. The rebels threw a few shells close to us. We laid there nearly freezing all day. Then about dark we went back to an old camp on the hill tips. There we made fires and cooked our coffee and tried to get a little rest. Then about dark we commenced to march this way. We marched all night. We were so sleepy that we could scarcely keep our eyes open. Indeed, I believe I marched a good piece with my eyes shut. We came some 14 miles that night. About sunrise we stopped to make our coffee. How tired we were then. And then hardest of all, our rations run out. All I had to eat was a little dust and dirt out of the bottom of my haversack.
Then we marched on and rested for the night. We got the best night’s sleep there that we had had for some time for the ground wasn’t frozen then. I just tell you, Mother, it hurts a man to sleep out on the bare, frozen ground these frosty nights. We only got a little piece of fresh beef to eat.
Well, up in the morning and off again—another all day march without anything to eat. But we are back in camp again and don’t know how long we are going to stay here. We hope to go into winter quarters soon. But Mother, we have had a most mighty hard time of it. But I am thankful that after seeing what I have seen, I am thankful to God for having got off with my life. Mother, I am going to send for a box and I want you to send me some Bologna sausage, some apples and some fresh butter—not much of it, and some tea & sugar, some plum pudding. O well, anything you can send. I would love to have a piece of roast fresh pork and some preserves. But Mother, send it on as soon as you can by Adams Express. I have had such a rough time of it upon this march that I would live to have something nice for once in a while. Some roast sweet potatoes. Well I must soon quit. I hope you are well. I am very glad that you received the money. I have hardly time to write to you. Mr. Samuel Beckwith and wife and Grandfather and Grandmother Robbins wishes to be remembered in love to you all. I can’t help smiling when you say that in my likeness, I look as if I wanted to speak to you. Look out for my Memorandum Book. Send me another in a hurry. Send that ink powder. Much love to you all. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 35
Camp near the Hazel River, Virginia
December 6th 1863
My dear Mother,
I am on guard for several days now as the rest of the regiment are scattered around on picket and upon detail so that there are only a very few of us left in camp. Well, Mother, I wrote for a box in the other letter of day before yesterday and I forgot several things which I wanted badly. I want you to send me a good size box. I want a small frying pan; also a quart kettle—one of them round kind that the boys take to het milk in. Also a small pepper box and a small tin cup. Also I need worse than all a small butcher’s knife, fork and a strong table spoon. If I buy these things down here [I will pay] 5 times the price for them. I want some good black tea and sugar. I wish ’twas killing hog [time]. I want a plum pudding for Christmas dinner and I want a loaf of homemade bread. You know what. Somehow after this rough and tedious starving march, I fancy I want something good. Writing paper and envelopes are very dear while ink can’t be got. Well, Mother, do the best you can. Don’t go beyond your means. But I’ll make it all [up to you] someday if God spares my life.
Mother, I am happy in a Savior’s love and I feel that I can truly say that to depart from this life would be far better for I then would be enabled to join dear Father and the rest of the ransomed hosts in glory. And most of all, I’d see Jesus, my Savior. But while I am spared here below, I’ll strive to press on in the narrow path. But I must stop soon. There was strong talk yesterday of moving back to Warrenton. We are safe here except Lee moves on us and then we would be forced to fall back. But it’s getting late in the season and the weather is getting very cold.
Perhaps some of the friends will help you make up my box. Send it to Adam’s Express. Direct it to Thomas H. Capern, Co. E, 4th Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, Army of the Potomac, Washington D. C. via Adam’s Express
Well, goodbye Mother. Much love to you all. Remember me to all inquiring friends. Tell Bro. Pierson to look out for a long letter from me soon as I can get time to write. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 36
Camp near Brandy Station
April 18, 1864
Dear Mother,
Last evening I had again the great privilege and pleasure of again receiving a welcome letter from you. I was kind of down-spirited when I received the letter for it kind of seems to me as if my friends were deserting me. It’s precious few letters which I have received lately and I was 4 or 5 days looking for one from you. But although I was very much disappointed at the results of last night’s mail, yet my heart felt glad to see there was a letter for me from my home and the loved ones there. I am glad to learn that you are all so well. I am pretty well at this present time and I hope that you are all the same when this shall reach you. I hope that Willie will have a good time of it. It will do him good to go out into the country.
Dear Mother, I am right glad that you like your pastor so well. I hope too that you may have a great revival and that you may see what we see and hear down here. We see sinners in other regiments seeking their soul’s salvation and hear them cry for mercy and hear them tell that they have experienced love and bloody Jesus. Glorious, isn’t it? Mother, Oh it does me good to witness such scenes. It quite lifts our minds from off of this earth and makes us look up higher. Oh my dear Mother, that I indeed may be enabled to make my calling and election sure. For indeed, I want to be a true possessor of it. I want to lead the life of a Christian and thus glorify my Savior who is in heaven interceding for me.
Mother, I have not got my box of papers yet. Neither do I think that I shall get them for they are down at Brandy Station and it’s so far from here to there that I cannot go and get them. When I sent for them, I thought that they would come right straight through along with the rest of the boxes. But somehow it has not yet made its appearance. But still there is one good thing which has resulted from the sending of that box for I have had two letters from W. Sanford of the Branch Office of the Christian Commission at Washington and he is going to send me weekly a small bundle of papers free. I received some last night. I have just wrote a letter in acknowledgment of them.
Well, Mother, there is a review today but as our regiment has been upon picket and has not come in yet, and as there are hardly enough left in camp to do the guard duty, we we have got out of it. But I reckon that it’s only preparatory to a Grand Review of the whole Army of the Potomac.
The weather seems to be getting right nice now though still there is snow to be seen upon the Blue Ridge Mountains some 40 miles from us. I have received the camphor bag and am wearing it. Dear Mother I am going to ask you to do something which I hate to do after sending it home. But if you can do it, won’t you send me 5 dollars. Out sutlers and picture men are all gone now, but still I want to lay in a stock for the march of some things which I must have and which there is still a way of getting. I had expected to have got my ration money for the time I was home upon furlough long ere this time but I ain’t got it yet, nor is there any show. Part of the regiment has got it and part have not.
Well, I must close for I am upon guard today and perhaps the regiment will come after me. Write right soon. Remember me kindly to all inquiring friends. Much love to you all. I remain as ever your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 37
Camp near Brandy Station, Va.
April 25th 1864
My dear Mother,
I received your ever kind & welcome letter last eve and was right glad to hear from you again and to know that still by the blessing of God you were all kept well. I am enjoying the same blessing at this time and hope that you will all be enjoying it still when this shall reach you. The weather here is truly delightful. We are expecting to move now most every day. We are almost ready to commence a hard and vigorous campaign. Oh that we could realize the war as the Southern people do. Then this would soon come to a close. But I trust that God who holdeth all the destinies of Nations in His hands will go with us and give wisdom unto our generals and cause the enemy of our government to be dumbfounded before us and overthrown with a speedy destruction.
Very soon, perhaps, from now we will be engaged in the deadly strife. Three of us were talking together yesterday and strengthening each other that perhaps we were nearer our Father’s home that we think that we are. Oh that we may be ready to go if the messenger shall come for us.
Well, Mother, I think that that was a great idea of Grandmothers. But if you write home soon, tell her that perhaps I may be in a fierce engagement with the enemy’s of freedom and liberty before the letter shall reach her. But tell her before she leaves this world to send me His blessings. I received the money Mother, and am thankful for it. I send back those two State bills. I want you to send me a dollar’s worth of post stamps and 50 cents worth of writing paper and 50 cents worth of envelopes. I want them right away. Send the stamps in a letter. Send me two or three little fish hooks for I lost them. I have caught no fish yet but I have seen some splendid fish caught here lately.
Mother, you must do the best you can for I don’t know when we shall get paid again. In 20 more days it will be pay day but before that time in all probability may of us will be numbered with the silent dead or in the hospital wounded, or prisoners in the hands of the enemy. God only knows what will be. But we can trust Him. It is good that we can trust Him.
Did you read Willie’s letter to me? If you did not, you ought to have read it. It would have done your heart good. It is the best letter he ever wrote to me.
Write soon and send those things as possible. AlsoMother, please send me two pairs of socks for they last so much longer than the government stockings.
When we had inspections yesterday our Major told us to fix our knapsacks to carry five days rations in and that we would have to throw away some of our clothing. So we are to carry 8 days rations again. God grant that these 8 days rations will bring us nearer to Richmond by the time they are out than when Joe Hooker first issued 8 days rations before Chancellorsville. And I want to go to Richmond this time as a conquerer than as one conquered.
Well, Mother, please to tell sisters that I am so near out of writing paper that I won’t be able to answer all those kind letters which I received. I sent one in this to Willie. Give much kind love to Lizzie and to Emily. Clara’s letter was good. She will be a smart woman if she lives. I hardly know whether to answer her letter for I am short of paper. I ought to have sent for some before now.
Well, I must close soon. I suppose that according to a letter received from Mary Ann last eve that you will have the pleasure of seeing if they live—Grandfather and Grandmother Robbins. Mary Ann sent her love to you all. I must now come to a close. Write soon. I remain as ever your affectionate, — Thomas H. Capern
The Lord bless you all and take care of you is my prayer.
To read the brief diary kept by Benjamin Linton of Co. F, 4th New Jersey Infantry during the initial phase of the Overland Campaign, see The 1864 Diary of Benjamin Linton, 4th New Jersey Infantry.
Letter 38
[The following letter is from the personal collection of Matt Snihur and is published here by express consent.]
Camp upon the field
May 15th 1864
Dear Mother,
As there is an opportunity of sending a letter home now I thought that I would let you know that your absent son is still alive. I am pretty well and hope you are the same. But we are all sore after 11 days fighting and marching and how much longer it will continue God only knows. I hope that the rebels will not come on to us before I have time to write this letter.
We have seen some dreadful hard fighting lately and we have suffered a dreadful loss. Our Brigade is very small—only about 12 men to a company now. We have 16 or 17 men. I have only caught up to the regiment this morning from the battle of Thursday but our regiment had a small fight here yesterday. The 10th [New Jersey] Regiment is cut awfully. We are all so thankful that we are alive. Al Woodard is wounded in the neck slightly. A large number of our company are wounded. Eli Haines is all right. George Wilkins and [Sgt.] Ben Jones are all right yet. Tom Makens is all right. Won’t you please to write to Mary Ann and tell her I send my love to her and am still alive and in trusting in the Lord.
Have been seeing some awful hard fighting. Were in a fight on the 12th which lasted from daylight till the morning of the next day. I was in it all the time. Please to write and tell Pastor [Thomas G.] Wright that I am alive and have been fighting the rebels. There was 20 pieces of artillery and several thousand prisoners taken the other day of the rebels. They say we have Richmond but we hardly credit it. We are fighting for Spotsylvania Court House. The rebels captured a regiment yesterday of our division. General Lee took breakfast in a house close to here yesterday morning.
Charles Hall is well also. We are having a hard time. We don’t get no time to sleep. We have nearly all lost our knapsacks and everything. I have lost all my things. I am thankful that I got out with myself. I felt happy in the Lord. Jesus is near me and he feels precious to my soul. I hope to be spared yet to come home. Give my love to all the friends. I seen lots of Johnnies charge on us the other day but we would hold our fire till they came close up and then we would rise up and give them all that they wanted. There was plenty of rebels here yesterday. I have seen men perfectly riddled by bullets and mashed to a jelly. What do you think of that?
I want you to be sure and write to Pastor Wright and tell him to tell the church that I am alive or was on the 15th of May. That I am sitting out in the battle field on Sunday knowing not how son we may be called to fight. Much love to you all. I want you to lay in a stock of things for me for you see I have lost and the most of us have lost all we had [and] glad to have ourselves left. But I must stop. I leave you in the hands of the Lord. I lost my Memorandum book up in the Wilderness, But I am glad that I am alive.
The rebels strip our wounded and bayonet them. Leave me in the hands of a kind Providence. Goodbye Mother. Pray for us. I will write when I get a chance. I remain in much love to all of you at home. Your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 39
Camp near Cold Harbor, Va.
June 11th 1864
Dear Mother,
I now sit me down to tell you that still, through the good and mercy of the Lord, I am still spared and I am very thankful for such a real blessing. I rejoice in telling you that I am pretty well and hope that you are the same.
I am with the regiment again. I was surprised to see the Johnny’s breastworks so close to us. Why our front line of works must be within 40 yards of the rebels. We have lots of rifle pits out here and we are digging up more.
We are having beautiful weather. The rebels are kind of still today which is something we like for in reality tis not so pleasant to hear a continual stream of balls coming close to you and wounding comrades along the line. Occasionally, however, one comes along here to remind us that they are still about. Our regiment are today upon the third line of works which is the most dangerous line except the 2nd line. The front line are so close that the balls go over them and what don’t strike in the 2nd line comes to this line. Some good shots are made by the rebels. They come mighty close—close enough, I can tell you. We have to keep down pretty well and pretty close up to the breastworks.
Our artillerists give them a few round shot and shells once in a while to show them that we are not all asleep. There is something in the wind surely. May the Lord make everything to come out all right for our side. We may move from here tonight for ought that we know as in all probability we shall go upon the front line.
Some letters came for me two or three days ago from you and T. Makins did not know where I was. As you know, when a man gets wounded, he goes to the rear immediately if he can and the rest knows not where he goes to. So he tore up the letters and kept the stamp and gave them to me when I came back this morning. I got that paper and envelope and 1 pair of socks. Then afterwards I received the bundle containing 1 pair of socks and drawers and shirt. Thank you very much, dear Mother, for your kindness and promptness.
Well, Mother, if I live when we get paid someday, I will repay you if I can, but still I shall have to send for something more. Please to send me some ink powder and more envelopes & paper and a Memorandum Book. By and by, perhaps, there may be a time when things will stop coming again. Although I am afraid that I am taking away from you, I trust that my life will still be spared. In God is my confidence.
I shall soon have to come to a close. Tell Willie that I am pretty sure that in the afternoon of the 1st that I am sure that I straightened a rebel out. He had been sending some shots mighty close—a little too close for to be comfortable, and so we watched him and I spied him and took good aim on him and that was the end of them close shots from that direction.
Much love to you all. Tell all to write of they can. When I write next time, I guess that it will be much farther upon the left. Remember me to all inquiring friends. Write soon. I remain as ever your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern, Co. E, 4th Regt. N. J. Vols., Washington D. C.
Letter 40
Camp near the James River
June 15th 1864
Dear Mother,
As I have an opportunity this morning to write a few lines to you. I received a letter from you the other day dated the 9th and I can assure you was thrice welcome to me. I have read and reread the letter over and over again. It found me well and I am the same this morning and sincerely hope that these few lines may find you all the same. I was right glad to see a few lines from sisters and very glad to hear that Willie was having such a fine time. Give him my love when you write to him.
We have got up and traveled from Cold Harbor and now we are away down by the James river. We can hear the whistle of the transports in the river. Where our destination [will be], we don’t know. We don’t know anything nowadays.
Sheridan is on a grand raid in the rear of Richmond. Some think we are going to operate on Ft. Darling and across to Petersburg. I don’t believe that the rebels followed up our rear with much force at all. We fooled them considerably. We took one road and they climbed after us on the other side on another road. They threw some bomb shells out of some of their mortars down upon our left and I tell you, in the dark they looked pretty. This is the way they go up [sketch]. They can throw them anywhere they please. I hear some of the shells fell among themselves.
Well, Mother, this is most truly a splendid morning. I wrote you a letter the other day telling you I had received those things you sent me and I have them on now. I want you to tell me how you are making out. I am sorry that I have to send home for so much but we won’t get paid now before there will be 4 months pay coming. I had the misfortune on the night of the battle of June 3rd of losing my haversack containing many articles which I wouldn’t have lost for a great deal but I couldn’t help it. I got in the dark someone else’s haversack and somebody got mine. You see I was asleep and another line came into the trench when I was asleep and they must have seized onto my things so I made a grab for one. Then as you know, I was slightly wounded that day I traveled to the rear. I wish not that at the earliest opportunity you will send me a small package containing a butcher knife, a table spoon, a fork, a bottle of pepper, some ink powder, &c. If you can spare me a little money without robbing yourself, I wish you would. If I weren’t hard up, I wouldn’t ask for anything. But you see how I have nothing to eat for three means now in all probability. Now it isn’t pleasant, I can tell you, to go without anything to eat. I am not the only one for most of us here have ate the last in our haversacks for our breakfast. The boys begin to cry out hard tack. Well, Mother, I don’t like to send home but you see I am compelled to do so. I hope to live to make it all up to you. That cake went very nice. I was right glad to receive it.
You want to know who our officers are. Well, I’ll tell you how you may know when our regiment goes into battle. Maj. Gen. Wright commands the 6th Corps. General Russell commands the 1st Division of the Corps, and Col. Penrose commands the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division, 6th Corps. So when you read in the papers of Colonel Penrose’s Brigade being in the action, you may remember that we are in all probability into it hot and heavy. There are four regiments in our brigade now—the 4th, 15th, and 10th New Jersey Vol. and the 1st Delaware Cavalry. These cavalry have no horses yet and so they had to take guns & come in our brigade. When you read of the 6th Corps being engaged, remember to look and see if the 1st Division was engaged because we are the 1st Division and our brigade is the 1st Brigade in the Corps, and in the division. When we first came out, we were the 1st Brigade in the Army of the Potomac.
Mother, I love your letters. I love to read them and they do me much good. tell Alfred Woodard’s wife when she writes to him to give my kind regards to him and that we all hope that he will do well and see good times.
Well, I do hope that Abe Lincoln will get reelected again. I believe in putting the war right through. May the Lord bless us ,ore and grant that soon a decisive blow may be struck—one which will make the rebels feel it, Eli Haines is well and sends his love to his mother. Remember me kindly to all enquiring friends. Please to write soon. Send those articles as soon as you can. I wish you send me something that would make a cooling drink. Something like cream of tarter and essence of lemon. Please to write soon. I don’t know when I shall get a chance to send this. Goodbye. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
May the Lord take care of you all.
Letter 41
Camp in the woods between the James & Appomattox Rivers
June 18th 1864
My dear Mother,
Again I sit down to write you a few lines to let you know that I am well this morning. We have had no mail for several days now but we are in hopes to get one soon. Last night at 12 o’clock we were roused up and left here in light marching order and went out and formed in line of battle. We came in however at 4 o’clock again, the attack having not been made. We came here yesterday morning from off of the transports. We are about 12 miles they say from Richmond and 8 or 10 miles from Petersburg at which latter place some most terrific cannonading and desperate fighting has been going on. We could hear a perfect war of cannons all yesterday afternoon and then the rumor came that Petersburg was ours but then came another rumor that the rebels were doing their best to get it back again. We have heard pretty heavy musketry and cannonading on our right this morning. We may leave to pitch in today for aught that we know. We hope not.
You see as we are upon the south side of Richmond if we should happen to whip the rebels here, Old Jeff and Lee will be in a scrape because here are their communications. May the God of victories smile upon us. There must be a great number killed and wounded down here already. Close to where we are is a darkie company. They were in the fight the other day and drove the rebels. They say that they killed every rebel that they got a chance at. They take no prisoners whatever and of course the rebels kills all they catch of them too.
I’d like to know what makes the flies so thick down here. Why they seem as if they would almost eat a well man up and the Lord have mercy upon a wounded man upon the field. The fighting is coming down our part of the line. There is hard work going on. There will be something decisive done here, so I think. It looks like a poor show for a man to come out with his life but still the Lord can keep me for not a single shaft can hit till the God of love sees fit. I don’t feel, however, for the past few days as I would like to feel. I don’t feel that happiness in my heart that I want to feel. I feel so afraid when I think that I am going into battle lately that I keep thinking that if I was to get killed, I would not be prepared to die. I have not been praying so much of late as I ought to and I have been rather careless till we came to where the scene of death is again and that brings one to a sense of things again. I feel sorry that I’ve got so but I trust that God will forgive my sins for Jesus’s sake and give me that inward assurance and peace of mind that I am longing for. I am afraid that I have too strong a hold upon this life. I think that perhaps I sin in wishing all the time so much that I will not get killed. If so, may God forgive me. I still hang on to my Bible. I read that everyday. I feel that though if I persist, I will perish clinging to the cross of Christ. I have felt before now that if I were to be killed that I would go to heaven right away and that’s how I want to feel now.
Well, Mother, I want to get to heaven. I kind of believe that we all shall get there. I sent for some money. I hope you can send some now. Yesterday, I could if I had had a dollar could have bought in a few minutes all the sugar and coffee and hard tacks I wanted to carry but I had to go without. However I went up to a pile of moldy crackers and there was some good pieces in amongst the moldy ones and so I got something to eat. There are a lot of these Hundred Days’s men here. They have their soft bread but they haven’t been marching so many miles as we have. So send me some if you can. Eli Haines is well and wishes to send his love to his mother. Write soon. Much love to you all. I remain your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Letter 42
Behind a little breastwork near Petersburg, Va.
June 20th 1864
Dear Mother,
Once more I sit down to write you a few lines. I think that I sent you a letter last night but as we are in a perilous position this morning, I thought that I would write down a few things to show you how thankful we ought to be to the Lord for His goodness to us.
This morning very early we were roused up to go upon picket or upon the skirmish line as we supposed. But after we had marched toward the post a ways, we halted in a long trench and laid down for to rest awhile. Soon a Captain came along and told us that we were going to support a battery and that we had better get a shovel and dig holes to protect ourselves with from the eyes of the rebel sharpshooters. So we went to work with a hearty good will. Anything to save one’s life here. The Lord favored us a great deal this morning, there being a thick fog in the air until the sun were high in the heavens. Then we got a glimpse of the rebel forts across the river and also we could see one of the church spires of Petersburg. And of the fortifications on the other side—well, there was several small forts built here also last night. Just as soon as our artillery opened upon the rebels here, the rebels replied by a heavy crossfire from three ways and they made the places around here tremendous hot for them and us. The shells and shot came bursting all around us and whistling mighty close to us. But I felt that God could help me and all of us safe and He has thus far. One shell came and burst within a few feet of our company. To be sure, it did not burst more than three yards of all of us but it struck close to two, right on top of the breastwork behind them covering them all over with the earth. It stunned them a little.
Now when we are delivered from so much danger, don’t you think that we ought to be thankful and yet such is the depravity of the human heart that even when death is seemingly so near, yet the most awful swearing goes on. I am sometimes afraid that God will send some judgement upon us for our ingratitude and wickedness. I was to a nice prayer meeting. The chaplain of the 15th Regiment led the meeting. We had a good season together. How many of us will meet alive again at the next Sunday meeting, God only knows. Ain’t it good that we can have such good seasons of Christian worship and fellowship together?
Well, Mother, I never keep back from you a knowledge of the dangerous situations that it is my lot to be in from time to time. Most of the boys think that I do very wrong in thus telling you of such things but does it worry you to know that I am in such circumstances? I don’t believe it does for I know that you leave me in the hands of the Lord.
We calculate that towards night there will be a warm time in this place now. If so, may the Lord preserve us still. The rebels are in very strong positions here. Well, I have just received your ever welcome letter of the 16th and was glad to hear from you again. I think, Mother, that if you will look over the letters I have sent to you, you will find that I have told you several times that I received those drawers and short, &c. You must not be afraid to send me anything at all for I always get all you send to me. I have been looking for these papers for a long time and wondered why you did not send me any more. I have sent for more things. Did I tell you to send me some ink powder? The flies here don’t give a fellow any peace of mind at all.
There was quite a time in our company last night occasioned by Sam Wells getting a letter from home stating that Alfred Woodward was dead. Your letter seemed to me uncommonly short. You think that we have been in the front enough? Well, well, I’ll tell you where we will be in all probability till the war is over. We will be in the front in places of the thickest dangers. THat seems o be the fortune of our brigade. But we have to trust to Providence and do the best we can.
I am going to sit down and read them little books now. Please send me these things I send for as soon as you can for I need them very much. This is an awful hot, sultry afternoon. The whole of our company are gathered together in a small trench. Well, if they kill us and we are not relieved before tomorrow, we will dig again tonight and make a young fort grow up here.
Remember me kindly to all enquiring friends. Write soon. Give my love to all. You never will hear me think we can never take Richmond by a direct assault but we must work by the left flank around them to evacuate Richmond. Then our commander, Maj. Gen. Wright has come out here to look around and see where is a good position to plant a battery for to rake the one who gave us such a terrible raking fire this morning. Their generals are changing the rebel position. Godly Mother, I am pretty well and hope that you are the same. May God bless you all. I am as ever your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
We are to get our mail any day now. The rebels are on one side of the river and we are upon the other. I need some envelopes pretty soon if I live.
Letter 43
In the woods I know not exactly where
getting ready to build breastworks
June 24th 1864
Dear Mother,
I received a welcome letter from you this morning and also two papers containing a Memorandum Book and some envelopes and paper. Thank you for them. In the letter were some stamps and some ink powder which articles came in due time. I am pretty well now and hope that you are the same. The weather is very warm and we suffer from the heat considerably. We are some ways down upon the left of Petersburg but where I cannot tell you. Our lines were continually changing the whole of yesterday and this morning they have changed again and as how our lines run now, none of us can tell for there are batteries stationed completely in our rear. Our line seems to run in this shape—say here is Petersburg. [sketch] I can’t form an idea how it is.
There was heavy fighting near us this morning and yesterday and we may be into it before the day closes. There is an important railroad out here somewhere that we want to get hold of but I guess we will have a stiff engagement before we get it, and after we get there, it will be fight all the time till we get it torn up.
Well, Mother, I trust that I may be spared. Tip Snyder has come back to the company again. We know nothing what is going on—only that things look like war here.
Well, I will stop and cook some dinner. I am at a loss it seems to me for to know something for to write about. I am sorry to hear that Clara is unwell but I hope that she may get well soon. Write soon. May the Lord hear your prayers in my behalf and may the Lord continue to bless you. I remain in much love to you all. Yours affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Our company are all pretty well.
Mother that shirt and drawers don’t suit me. They ought to have been of some thinner material like what I had on when I came back to Virginia. This stuff is too thick and fuzzy and ot ought to be check shirts and drawers. Can’t you make me some soon as we get no chance at all to wash our things.
Letter 44
Camp in the woods near Petersburg, Va.
June 27th 1864
Dear Mother,
I have received this morning a letter and some papers containing the paper, Cream of Tartar and ginger. Also the knife and spoon but you forgot the fork I reckon. I am very thankful to you for them and for the money.
The sun is very hot upon us. Cannonading is going on quite heavy not far upon our right. We have been and are still looking day by day for it to commence where we are. Then may the Lord be gracious unto us and preserve us from all harm. Well, Mother, I have no news at all to communicate although with this exception—that on our right there is a continual picking away of musketry and cannonading day and night. During the night it often breaks out in a general roar down the lines.
Well, the wind is rising sure and it looks a little like rain. Surely if it does rain it will be a Godsend for we need it very much. Well, Mother, I am sorry to tell you that this shirt of mine is actually tearing to pieces. It must be very poor material. Now in future when if I live I may send for drawers and shirts, you will please make them out of cotton flannel or something like that stuff. I hardly know what to write about. I have got the record of this campaign so far in my book down. This ink is made from that ink powder. I wish when you send me more papers that you would put a few little bottles in for they are so handy to carry little notions in such as what you sent me. I could carry little bottles of notions in my pockets, you see, and they would carry well too.
I know that, dear Mother, that you are all longing for the time to come when we shall get Richmond. But don’t be discouraged if I tell you that I don’t think Richmond will be taken much before next fall. We will have o have 50 or 60,000 more men in the opinion of most of us. But Mother, keep up good heart and although gold is very high and I know not what we shall do, yet when I come to look ahead I can’t see the way clear. Yet there is one source of dependence left and that is I know that there is a God above who overruleth all things and who is permitting these things so to be and who can cause them to come to an end soon. If I did not trust in Him, I don’t know what I would do. We all hope for this cruel war to soon come to a peaceful end but as yet there are no signs down this way.
I would often times be willing to give 5 dollars for a pitcher full of clear well water. Most all the water here tastes and smells bad. Yet we are compelled to drink it. When you write, give me a list of the prices you pay for provisions such as flour, sugar, &c. I could wish that we would get paid off soon. They are preparing for next muster day which will be on Thursday. Then there will be 4 months pay due us and 50 dollars besides of bounty. I hope to be able when we get paid—if we get 4 months pay—to send you 75 or 80 dollars. That much would do you some good. Are you much in debt now? How about the house? Has Mr. Roberts paid you for his as yet? How I wish to see that settled.
Well, I must soon close. Eli Haines has written to his mother. He is well. We are all pretty well. Much love to you all. God keep and provide for your every want is the prayer of your affectionate son, — Thomas H. Capern
Spared & Shared 23 