The following letters were written by George W. Smith (1819-1896), the son of Jacob & Susan Smith. He married Elizabeth “Betsy” Knaub (1823-1891) in the early 1840s and fathered Silas (b. @1847), Morris or Maurice K. (b. 01/23/50), Mary E. (b. 02/15/53), Bence (b. @1856), George M. D. (b. 09/15/58), and Anna (b. 02/19/64). In 1860, he was a carpenter living in Lewisberry, York County, Pennsylvania, and stood 5′ 5″ tall with black hair and black eyes.
George enlisted at Harrisburg on June 25, 1861, and mustered into federal service there August 10 as a private with Co. G, 12th Pennsylvania Reserves (41st Pennsylvania Infantry), serving for some period as company cook. While guarding the wagon train at White Oak Swamp, Virginia, on June 29, 1862, he became snagged on a branch, fell forward onto a stump, and suffered a rupture. As a result, he was discharged by surgeon’s certificate to date October 18, 1862, at Fort Ellsworth, Virginia.
George wrote both letters to his friend and neighbor, Dr. Robert Nebinger (1796-1867) of Lewisberry, York county, Pennsylvania.
Letter 1
Camp Pierpont, Virginia
Sunday, October 27th 1861
Dr. R. Nebinger, dear sir,
I received yours Friday evening. Also Miss Rosa Shanley’s & my son Silas. What satisfaction it gives to receive, as I have received, in those three letters. All had something new. It clears the sky, makes everything bright. It nourishes, gives vigor to the mind, and I may almost say strength to the body. In fact, it makes a new person.
Now I will give you a brief detail of our situation. We lay within half a mile of Langly town. The town consists of about five houses, two taverns, and grocery & Blacksmith shop. The country is very fine—soil rich, produces well, but only half farmed, land rolling. Houses are all vacated, occupied by us, headquarters of Generals, and hospitals. The corn is very good. Husk that and feed the horses. You ought to see the horses now. They look as slick as eels and as nimble as bees. The government does not give hay and oats enough for the stock, With all the plunder, it only keeps them in good order for working. There is nothing doing now. All quiet. How long, no one knows. All laying around lazy. We call the whole thing a grand humbug. We have been dead heads all the time.
But under the circumstances, how of the Resolutions passed by the Committee of Safety of York County. We will not be dead heads here a great while because we married men with large families entered the service with the full assurance that the county would pay a certain amount per week, according to the number of children &c. during the time you. were in the service to each of our wives. Now, by God, that’s so, And are we to be gulled by a set of political tricksters, on demand robbers. No, by God. Never! We are determined to desert to a man if death is our portion & disgrace upon our families, rather than have our poor families wanting when there was ample provision made.
We mustered under that provision and they all had sufficient by adding our wages to it. And now to be cut out of that, we will cut out too & be home guards too. But we will not guard that North Central Railroad. If there is not loyal men enough in the State of Maryland to guard the road and bridges, let the Rebels burn it up. Itis the home guards that is guarding that railroad, principally all out of York county, and it is them that has cut off the sustenance guaranteed us weekly to be drawn by our wives to assist keeping our families while we were in the service down in the land of Dixie enduring the perils & hardships of a soldier trying to consolidate our once glorious Union again.
We will be content two weeks for a firm answer whether we are to be humbugged out of the county money or not. If so, farewell army at the risk of life. Doctor, them are the true sentiments of us poor men with families & we will strictly adhere to them. Are we right? Please answer me by Tuesday weeks mail. Ambrose Ensminger & myself are well. Please let my family know it. your sincere friend, — G. W. Smith
Too mad to write any more.
Letter 2
Camp Pierpont
November 13th 1861
Dr. R. Nebinger, dear sir,
I received yours Monday evening and it came in the right spirit—that is, stick to the Stars & Stripes al all hazards. Let the county committee stick their safety fund. We have since I had written my last to you, assurances that our families should not be in extreme want. Now we pitch in and that in a unit to put down these Rebel devils, and that by extermination of the whole Southern race if on no other terms. They are actually a set of blood thirty demons. At Balls Bluff they actually run the bayonet as much as three times through wounded Federal soldiers. Also cutting the throats of a great many others. [Just] wait. Ball’s Bluff will be remembered as the stabbing match of Paoli was. The cry will be “Mind Balls Bluff Boys—They will catch hell sooner or later.”
The soldiers are crossing into Virginia. Thousands upon thousands all the time. You don’t see it published in the papers but I assure you, it is the fact. Any time at all you go on any bluff, you will see new camps spring up. It just seems [as] if soldiers grows here. There will undoubtedly be a big battle before many days. The regiments are drilled very hard every day to have them in good order for the big licks. From the best information the rebels have at their Gibraltar, Manassas Junction, about one hundred and ten thousand fighting men. Well now, they ain’t a going to make another Bulls Run affair. “We have this advantage. If they won’t give us an open field fight and back into their Gibraltar, we can cut off all their supplies and starve them out to fight or surrender.
Doctor, we knock the spots out of anything like desertion—money or no money. I do swear by God, my creator, that I will fight as long as I have breath and strength. It does not make one dot of difference whether I die in Virginia or any other Southern State when in a cause to regain a Second Independence of just as much value in my estimation as it was to gain the first. It is nonsense for me to say anymore. You can judge my sentiments. I am true to the Union. I am proud and thankful to my creator that my family keeps in good health.
I am well and hearty except my lower jaw [is] fractured in two places, right straight up from the chin & on the right side half way back. A splint raised. I lost one lower tooth in front. I did not get the least bruise on the head, neck or body or any place at all that it was almost a miraculous affair under the circumstances. It happened this day two weeks ago, the 30th October. You know what stage it is in. It is knitting together all right. It is just as straight as ever, only minus a tooth. I am attending to the cooking. I just look after it. I never was laid up a minute with it. It stings a good bit by spells but that don’t bother any. I was not a going to let you know anything of the accident until the last of this week but some shit ass had to write home in the neighborhood & give the information. Now please, the very next person that writes to me, tell them to let me know from what place the information hailed from. I can make it pay back with interest. They were all cautioned to be mum—not to let my family know it for at least two weeks. What I write is the God’s truth. I am well & hearty, except the little pain by spells. Just like needles jagging in my jaw.
Ambrose [Ensminger] is hearty & [Washington] Laird also. Please read to my family. It won’t hurt. Give my love to all. I have not received the pay yet. I hear this evening that we don’t get paid off until next Wednesday or Thursday. The paymaster went up to Banks Division to pay it off. As soon as I receive it, I will express it direct to my wife to be drawn at Harrisburg. I will write to Silas Sunday. He will get it next Wednesday. No more. But your obedient servant, — G. W. Smith
Spared & Shared 23 