The following letter was written by 17 year-old Andrew Crozer Reeves (1844-1868) who served as a corporal in Co. K, 104th Pennsylvania Infantry (a.k.a. the “Ringgold Regiment”). This regiment was organized in Bucks County under Colonel William V. H. Davis. They trained at Camp Lacey, established on the west side of Doylestown, and shipped out for Washington, D.C. that November. They served in the Peninsular Campaign of 1862, spanned the winter and spring of 1862/1863 near the seige of Charlestown, and fought in the crucial Valley Campaigns of 1864. Over the course of the Civil War, out of about 1,000 men, 46 were killed in action, 3 missing in action, 62 taken prisoner, and 104 died in service. Reeves was discharged from the regiment on 12 September 1862 due to wounds received in action.

Andrew was the son of Elisha Boudinot Reeves (1806-1879) and Mary Ann Anderson (1807-1879) of Lower Makefield, Bucks county, Pennsylvania. After he was discharged from the service, Andrew returned home and married Mary Jane Moon (1845-1926) in June 1867—almost one year before he died at age 24. A son was born to the couple on 3 December 1867 named Andrew Crozer Reeves, Jr.

Transcription

Headquarters Ringgold Regt. Co. K.
November 9, 1861

Dear Sir,

We started from Camp Lacey on Tuesday morning at half past six o’clock and marched to the [Doylestown] depot and the cars started at eight o’clock and arrived at town [Philadelphia] about twelve o’clock and marched to the [Volunteer Refreshment Saloon in the vicinity of the old] Navy Yard at half past two and had a fine dinner of sliced potatoes and round, pickled cabbage, roast beef, boiled ham, bread and butter, coffee. We started from Philadelphia at five o’clock, arrived at Baltimore at daylight and marched through to the Baltimore and Washington station. We saw some few flags in Baltimore. We gave each one three cheers and did not see many people in Baltimore but no one said a word. Negroes were plenty. We saw about four negroes to a white. It was about eight o’clock when we started from Baltimore. ¹

There were encampments about every two or three miles and then the companies are divided from one to two miles. We arrived in Washington at half past one and the first thing I saw was a government team running away. There is no end to teams here—mostly mules. The horses look very rough—that is, the most of them. Our team is the best looking team that I have seen but they have not got used to Uncle Sam’s stables yet, the large one. We have not got but one yet.

We [do] not expect to stay here. The Colonel is not satisfied as there is not room for artillery to drill. The Colonel has gone to Washington today. I forgot we stopped at the depot. We got up here too soon. We got our dinner at Washington—bread and beef and coffee. We started from Washington at five o’clock and arrived here at half past seven and stacked arms and laid down. Tim Rice and I laid together. We laid one gum blanket down on the ground and put our two government blankets and the other gum blanket over us and the capes on our overcoats we pulled over our heads and in the morning when awakened, everything was white with frost. We had crackers and coffee for breakfast and coffee and crackers for dinner.

We pitched our tents in the forenoon and filled our tents with leaves in the afternoon. Georgetown is about a half mile from here. We can see the Potomac, Alexandria, Georgetown and a flag on Munson’s Hill, and the name of this place, I believe, is Kalorama Heights. There is woods all around us. We can [go] out anywhere around here providing [we] get in at roll calls and must look out for the regulars as they will take us and keep us until our Captain comes after us. The 60th New York is encamped about three hundred yards from us. We slept very sound last [night] on our feather bed made out of leaves. I had fresh bread for my breakfast; so had Captain and the Major. We bought [it] off a black woman. We are all well, happy as a lark. There is a good view here. — Andrew C. Reeves

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¹ The regimental history of Durell’s Battery which was initially attached to the Ringgold Regiment describes the march through Baltimore: “The regiment had not proceeded far upon the march through the streets of that city before it was noticed that there was a sad lack of enthusiasm for the Union soldier, compared with that exhibited in Philadelphia the day before. The colored people appeared to be almost the only class to cheer the regiment and the Union cause, while crowds of whites stood sullenly at the street corners, and some of the small boys cheered for Jeff Davis. The march to the Washington depot was unmolested, however, and the men were again packed into cars. The skies had cleared and the men were in good spirits.” (page 21)