The following letter was written by Daniel Boone Herndon (1838-1923), the son of James Herndon (1789-1857) and Esther Ferneyhough (18xx-1892) of Madison, Madison county, Virginia. Daniel was 23 when he enlisted as a private in Co. C (the “Madison Invincibles”), 4th Virginia Cavalry on 24 April 1861. His military record indicates he was wounded on 15 February 1862.

The 4th Virginia Cavalry did not complete its organization until September 1861; prior to that date each of the companies operated as independent militia companies so at the time this letter was written in mid-June 1861, it would have been the Madison Invincibles who were assigned picket duty on the Potomac river and attempted to destroy the canal locks on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.

“The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal played a role in the Civil War as a boundary and route of transportation by the Federal Government. The canal at the beginning of the war was still used as a transportation route of flour and other staples from Western Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. However, after the hostilities began the flour trade, which had started to shift to rail transportation instead of canal, left the canal permanently because of the unpredictability of open transportation because of raids by confederates on the canal. As the battle front moved south into Virginia the canal resumed trade and became one of the main sources of Maryland coal transportation to Washington, D. C. This coal was used to power boat navigation, textile mills, and iron furnaces that would fuel the war effort. The C&O Canal was also used as a transportation route for both the Federal and Confederate armies. Confederate Raiders would use the towpath as a highway on their forays across the Potomac River into Maryland to disrupt the transportation of supplies, by both canal and rail, to Washington.” [Source: Western Maryland Historical Library on the C&O Canal and the Civil War]

Daniel’s younger brother, George T. Herndon (1844-1864) also served in the Confederate army. He was a private in Co. D, 34th Virginia Infantry. He enlisted in Jul 1863 and was killed in action near Port Walthall Junction on 16 May 1864.

[Note: This letter is from the private collection of Greg Herr and was transcribed and published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Transcription

Leesburg, Loudoun county, Virginia
June 12th 1861

Dear Brother

With pleasure I take hold of a pen to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present and getting along finely. We are all in fine spirits and trying very hard to get a Yankee’s scalp. I would have written sooner but I have not been in camp for several days. I am now down on the Potomac on picket guard but I expect to go in town this evening.

We went into Maryland the other night and pulled the locks out of the canal and let the water off so no Yankee boat could pass but we had hardly gotten over this side of the Potomac before they were replaced. But we went back again and tore it all to pieces so it could not be replaced easy. We would not be surprised of an attack today but we cannot tell.

Well, if reports be true, there will be five thousand in five miles of this place tonight. You may look for me home in course of a week if I can get off. I have the promise from Capt. Thomas to come and see you all and my sweetheart—you know very well who I mean. I think you all treat me very nice for not writing to me but if you will write now, I will excuse you. I would like to hear from you all. It cheers me up very much. It makes me think that you have not forgotten me.

Give my love to everybody in the neighborhood. You must answer this soon and tell Mother that I have not heard from her since I left Culpeper County House. I want you to write to me and tell me how everything is getting on and the news of the neighborhood. I want you to get me a double barrel shot gun and tell Benj. [Simeon Harding] Stockdell to get Furgeson Bradford’s pistol for me. I think he can get it for 18 to 20 dollars. I am bound to have one. try and do this for me if you possibly can.

Nothing more at present but I still remain your brother, — D. B. Herndon