81st Pennsylvania Infantry | Spared & Shared 23

The following letters were written by 18 year-old John Parker to David Wentz (1806-1882) of Parryville, Carbon county, Pennsylvania. In the 1860 US Census, John was enumerated in the Wentz household and employed as a farm hand. In the 1870 US Census, John was enumerated in the household of Harrison Wentz in Franklin, Carbon county, Pa., and employed as a school teacher. John may have been an orphan and the Wentz family may have been relatives.

There were many John Parkers who served in the Union army during the Civil War but he was the one that served in Co. H, 81st Pennsylvania Infantry—a company that was raised in Carbon county, Pennsylvania, in August 1861. The 81st Pennsylvania participated in the Battle of Gettysburg as part of the 1st Brigade, of Caldwell’s First Division, in Hancock’s II Corps. They were engaged in the pursuit of Lee’s army following his defeat at Gettysburg and would have been in the vicinity of Funkstown, Maryland, at that time.

Letter 1

*Patriotic header on letter featuring lithograph of McClellan on horseback.*

[Harrison’s Landing]
July 5th 1862

Mr. Daniel Wentz,

Dear sir, I let you know by these few lines that I am well at present and hope these few lines will find you all in the same state of health. Your letter dated June 21st came duly to hand yesterday and was very glad for it. I read it with much pleasure but I hope you don’t pity your old sawmill dam and the bumble bees has been flying again and our regiment is cut up very bad. Britten and A[lfred] Overolester, W. Bennet is safe.

Where L. Knous is, no one knows. He is not along with the regiment anymore but he has not been in the battle either at Fair Oaks. He is a great soldier. He ran away every time. Where he is now, we don’t know. He is either lost or taken prisoner. This battle has been on Sunday and Monday our regiment has been in three battles. We retreated onward to James River but we have drove them back again. But I guess McClellan done it to coax them out of Richmond. There is thousands of thousands men fell. You can’t say that I haven’t been in war. If I will ever come home, I hope I will though the Bucktails has got cut up too very bad. But John Vogle and his Father & H. Swartz is safe too. F. Suter is hit from a piece of shell at his head but he is all right too. He won’t mind that. I have seen those men myself but I have seen some other men out of the same regiment and they have told me so.

I have sent $15 to Dennis with the Express to Parryville. If any of you want the money for your own use, why so take it and take that what I owe you for sending home my clothes. I have only got $17.75 for my pay this time. I have two months yet to come now. This is all I have to say for this time. They will put, I guess, three or four regiments together now and you want to know my Captain’s name yet. His name is [Thomas C.] Harkness but he is wounded now and gone home. I have told you in another letter already but perhaps you didn’t get it. Yours truly in hand, — John Parker

Please write soon in care of Col. John Stone, Co. H, 81st Regt. P. V., Howard Brigade, Sumner’s Corps, Washington D. C.

To be forwarded.

Letter 2

*Patriotic stationery used by John Parker to write his letter in pencil, dated 11 July 1863*

Funkstown, Maryland
July 11th 1863

Mr. Daniel Wentz—dear sir,

I now let you know by these few lines that I received your letter on the 8th which was dated June 22nd and was glad to hear that you are all well as this leaves me. I am also well, hoping these few lines may find you enjoying the same blessing.

You have stated in your letter that Dennis & Harriet would think more of me at present than ever they did which I am glad to hear but the way he wrote in his letter, it did not seem so.

You have also stated about the rebels being in Pennsylvania which was true enough, but they are not in now at present for we have routed them out of it. They are now yet in Maryland but they would not be in here any more if they could cross the Potomac river. We have also had a battle at Gettysburg and are expecting another one here in Maryland.

I am still tending to the mail. We are at present laying at Funkstown in line of battle ready to pull the triggers at any minute and are very anxious to do it for fear the rebels will cross the river and we have to follow them again in Virginia. I have also received a letter from Harrison the same time. He has stated about me lending him some money. I will leave that to Dennis because he’s got it but for my part, he can have it if Dennis don’t use it himself. Dennis can now do as he likes. This is all I have to say for this time. — John Parker

Write soon.

These two letters were written by Charles E. Ruch (1840-1865), the son of Samuel Ruch (1797-1875) and Sarah Rehrig (1807-1847) of Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Charles’ older sister, Hannah Ruch (1825-1899) was married in the 1840s to Gideon Peter (1823-1883) whose younger brothers are mentioned in these letters.

I could not find an image of Charles but here is William Lomison of Co. G, 81st Pennsylvania wearing an early war uniform of the regiment. William was killed in action at Antietam. This image was posted on CW Faces by Ronn Palm from his museum in Gettysburg.

According to muster records, Charles enlisted on 15 October 1861 and was mustered into Co. I, 81st Pennsylvania Volunteers 9the “Fighting Chippewas”) to serve three years. He was described as standing 5′ 8″ tall, with light hair and hazel eyes—a carpenter by trade and undoubtedly with a limited education based on his letter writing skills. Charles was taken prisoner at Reams’ Station in Virginia on 25 August 1864 and was sent to the prison at Andersonville in Georgia. He appears to have been among the prisoners relocated to Salisbury Prison in North Carolina where he died on 17 January 1865. [Another source says he died at Andersonville.]

The 81st Pennsylvania Regiment was recruited under the direction of James Miller, a soldier of the Mexican War, in obedience to an order of the War Department. Six companies were from the city of Philadelphia, and four from the counties of Carbon and Luzerne. Recruiting commenced early in August, and the men reported by squads and companies at the general camp of rendezvous near Easton. On the 10th of October 1861 the regiment proceeded to Washington, and went into camp at Kendall Green. Two weeks later it moved to a camp overlooking the East Branch of the Potomac and the Navy Yard. It was here assigned to a brigade commanded by General Casey, subsequently by General Howard, and known as the First Brigade, First Division, of the Second Corps. With the exception of an expedition to Marlborough, Maryland, as a police force for the preservation of order at the general elections, where the peace was threatened, it was engaged in no active duty until the beginning of December.

[Note: These letters are from the personal collection of William Clemens and are published on Spared & Shared by express consent.]

Letter 1

Washington City
[no date given]

Dear Sir,

I took the opportunity to inform a dew lines unto you that we are all well at present time and in hoping this few lines will find you in the same state of good health & humor. And further, I received your letter on the twelfth of this month and was glad to hear from you. I would have written to you long before but I have no time. I am on duty pretty near every day now. I will write to you every week.

Mr. Alfred, excuse me for this time. I will satisfy you now from this time. I wish I can talk to you about one day. I would tell you much news. I have seen many things. I have seen more since I left that I ever saw in my life.

We have all our clothing and blanket. We have one [pair of] pants and two drawers and two shirts & three coats and one pair of shoes and two pair of summer stockings and one cap. Now I will tell you a statement about bedding. I and Charles Peter and Joseph Peter, & Edwin Rehrin, & William Rernig, and William Hunsicker [are] sleeping together in one tent. The tent is about eight feet long and six feet broad and so on.

Mr. Al H., I wish I can see you or I hope we come back before long. Then I will speak to you. I and Charles Peter [will] come up on your house on purpose for to talk with you. This is all for this time. Excuse me for that poor writing. I have no place for to write nice. Write to me soon. Then I will answer you right away.

If any of you want to write to me, direct your letter to Mr. C. E. Ruch, Washington City D. C., 36th Regiment, Company I, Pennsylvania Volunteers, Col. [James] Miller in care of Captain [William J.] Conner.

So much of your good friend, — C. E. Ruch & C. E. Peter.

Al H. I think Anna Miller and Martha Bernhard is all right. Alfred, I wish you good luck.

Letter 2

Alexandria, Virginia
December 16, 1861

Dear Friend Alfred Hander,

I took the opportunity to inform a few lines unto you that I am well at present and in hoping this few lines will find you in the same state of good health & further I let you know that I received your kind letter the fifteenth day of this month and I was very glad to read it and I found that you was up in Rockport.

Further I let you know that our regiment was on picket guard last week. We was in Munson’s Hill. It is about two miles from our camp[ing] place. I and Joseph Peter and Owen Buck from Lehighton and Israel Youse ¹ and William Keck—we five—have got one post. We have got the worst place in the whole lot. Our post was the nearest to the rebels [but] I am not afraid for a rebel.

We are in a brigade now. Our brigade has five regiments—about five thousand men. The name from our camp is Camp California. I must stop writing. It is time to get ready for tresperate [dress parade].

Don’t forget to write and write all the news that you know. Write soon. Write soon. So much from your friend, good friend, — C. E. Ruch

Direction: C. E. Ruch, Alexandria, Va. 81st Regiment P. V., Col. Miller, Company I in care of Capt. [William J.] Conner.

Our regiment has lost the number. It is the 81st Regiment now.

¹ There is a work of fiction based upon the service of Israel Youse entitled, “Death & Deliverance: A Young Civil War Soldier’s Journey” written by Keith A. Youse and published in 2007.