The following letter was written by William T. Elwell (1837-1898), the son of John Elwell and Mary Gould of Caton, Steuben county, New York. William enlisted on 18 September 1861 as a private in Co. K of the 50th New York Engineers. On 1 November 1861 he was transferred to Co. D. In 1863 he was transferred to the 81st Company, 2nd Battalion Veteran’s Reserve Corps (VRC), and later still to Co. E of the 12th VRC. In 1869, he filed for an invalid’s pension.

William died in 1898 and was buried in Loudonville Cemetery in Loudonville, Ashland county, Ohio.

T R A N S C R I P T I O N

Camp Lesley ¹
Washington D. C.
June 3rd 1862

The Picket Guard [a poem]

“All quiet along the Potomac,” they say except now and then a stray picket
is shot as he walks on his beat to and fro by a rifleman hid in the thicket.
Tis nothing. A private or two now or then will not count in the news of the battle,
Not an officer lost—only one of the men moaning out all alone the death rattle.

All quiet along the Potomac tonight
where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming.
Some thought it was fun to get whipped at Bulls Run
but wait till they get to Manassas.
With bullets and lead at the side of the head
Your’ll see the brave 50th a running. — W. T. E.

Camp Lesley
Washington D. C.
June 5th 1862

Dear friend,

I received your letter of the 3rd and was glad to hear that you was all well as it found me enjoying good health at heart but leaves me a cripple in my leg. I am quite lame so that I cannot do any duty but I have not been to the doctor but once and I have got to wait till the young doctor comes home for I won’t go to the old doctor, and then I shall either get a furlough or my discharge for I cannot do anything here.

I shall know after my payday. Tell Anna not to send me anything. If that box has not gone to Dennis for I do not want anything more from home. I have just found out where father is and found also [where] my brother-in-law is, but have not seen either of them. But I have sent father a letter and shall see him before long.

We have just received our tents. They are the Sibley tents with 20 in a tent which akes it very disagreeable now, I tell you. We are all well at present and I hope that we will stay so. We are in hopes that we will have a neat little fight before long so that we can try our pluck to see whether we are good for anything or not.

I shall have to stop for I sit here cramped up in a corner and the rest playing cards around me. From your sincere friend, — Wm. T. Elwell

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¹ Camp Lesley was located about a half mile north of the Navy Yard on the Anacostia River. It eventually became known as the Washington Engineer Depot. It was the camp of the 50th New York Engineers.