Shenandoah Valley | Spared & Shared 23

Unfortunately there is too little information within this letter for me to conclude without question the identity of the soldier who wrote this letter that was simply signed, “your cousin, Charles” and addressed to Rebecca. Based upon content and troop movement, however, I feel certain that the soldier served in Co. B, 10th Maine Infantry, and my review of the roster pared the possibilities of only two or three young men. My hunch is that it was written by Charles H. Colley, the son of Amos and Sarah Nash Colley—a farm family from Gray, Maine. Charles enlisted as a sergeant but was promoted to 1st Sergeant and later to Lieutenant before he was mortally wounded in the Battle of Cedar Mountain on 9 August 1862.

There is an interesting story called “Gray Maine’s Stranger” that describes the burial of a Confederate soldier in their graveyard. The body was supposed to have been that of Lt. Charles H. Colley, Co. B., 10th Maine Vol. The story explains, “In those days, the family had to pay the government for embalming and transportation. The Colley family had done this. When his body arrived they opened the casket in farewell. Instead of their son, they found a fully uniformed Confederate soldier. They were grief stricken but finally decided to bury the lad in Gray Cemetery. That no ill will was borne the soldier was evidenced by the erection of a tombstone over his grave shortly after. Inscribed on the slab was, “Stranger—a soldier of the late war. Erected by the Ladies of Gray.” The group was made up of mothers whose own sons had been killed, wounded or were missing. In their sympathetic hearts, they knew the agony of war. No one knows for sure how the mistake was made. Lt. Colley’s body arrived shortly after. He is buried about 100 feet southwest. Local historians guess that both Lt. Colley and the Confederate might have been wounded in the same battle, hospitalized together and both must have died about the same time.” [See Gray Maine’s Stranger]

This Timothy O’Sullivan photograph shows officers of the 10th Maine at Cedar Mountain. Note the dead horses. The men pictured here are Lt. Littlefield, Lt. Whitney, Lt. Col. Fillebrown, Capt. Knowlton, and 1st Sgt. Jordan (Library of Congress).

Transcription

Four miles from Front Royal
June 15th 1862

Cousin Rebecca,

I have enough to make up a long letter should I write a history of all we have done of late and is where we have been. Our regiment was one in Bank’s army and took part in the retreat, but had little chance to do much fighting—a few were killed and quite a number taken prisoners of our regiment. Co. B lost I2—all supposed to be prisoners.

Our company had a tedious time as we left Martinsburg on Saturday evening to join the regiment at Winchester. We marched most all night and got near to Winchester where we found the regiment, and retreating with them back through Martinsburg, then on to the Potomac, so our company had a march of 56 miles in less than 24 hours—rather a long walk for us as we were not used to marching.

The little army crossed the river and staid at Williamsport a few days. The rebels had to retread soon and now we follow on with larger forces. They may get a chance to drive us again, but there will be some fighting and a large force to drive.

Most all of the foot soldiers lost all their knapsacks and clothing. The rebels followed quite close and gave us a few shells which fell to the right and left of us but hurt no one. I had quite a pile of clothing &c. for them and I suppose some are getting the benefit of it among the rebels. We left Martinsburg last Monday, marched 3 days, and are now expecting to cross the Shenandoah to Front Royal at any time. We don’t know where we are to go—only know where we are at present.

Our tents were burned in the retreat so we get shelter in any building we can. The farmers about here seem all to be secesh. They won’t sell anything to our men but they will miss some of their pigs and sheep as we have been short of meat, so the boys go in for taking it wherever they can. The large wheat fields look finely—the wheat very tall. But if the war holds on, it will not all get harvested. Cherries will soon get ripe, then peaches. It is a rich country here in this valley. The yankees ought to have it. Then it would shine. It is not thickly settled so each one owns too much land and keeps darkies to do the work. Many slaves are leaving their owners at these times.

Must close. Write and direct to Winchester, Virginia. Bank’s Division. From your cousin, Charles.

The following letter was written by Egbert Benson Buzby (1842-1932), the son of John V. Buzby and Elizabeth Bruner.

Egbert enlisted at Norristown on 14 August 1862 and was mustered in the following day as a corporal in Co. A, 138th Pennsylvania Infantry for a three year term. He was wounded on 6 May 1864 in the Battle of the Wilderness but recovered and was appointed sergeant on 1 December 1864 and mustered out on 23 June 1865. At his enlistment, he gave his residence as Montgomery county and his occupation as “printer.” Indeed, in the 1860 US Census, “Egbert Busby” was enumerated in the household of printer, Robert Iredell, as one of the printer apprentices. Iredell was the proprietor of the Norristown Herald and Free Press.

*The manor house at Clifton Farm sits on a 411-acre estate at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley. THe house was finished in 1834.*

Transcription

Camp Clifton Farm, Virginia
Tuesday, September 6th 1864

Dear Father,

I received yours of the 28th ult. last Friday evening and intended answering it right off net morning, but we got orders to move and move we did at daylight. It was quite an interesting letter. Was very sorry you had no more paper so you could have wrote me. I will try and tell you what has occurred to us since I last wrote.

The Sunday after I wrote to you we were startled while holding Sunday morning inspection by what appeared to us skirmishing, but it couldn’t be—it was so near. Aides were seen flying around and tents and camp equipage disappeared as if by magic. We soon got orders and in a few minutes were moving to our position. The 138th guarded the headquarters train to Halltown. We got back to our old position. Just as we had our arms stacked, a shell bursted over the regiment wounding a member of Co. E which was the only casualty in our regiment.

About 12 o’clock that night we fell back to Halltown and the range of hills lying between it and the Potomac—a distance of five miles. We threw up a complete line of rifle pits, I might say from the Potomac river on one side to the Shenandoah on the other. It is a splendid position. All we wanted was the rebs to attack us [but] they kept a good distance off. Our cavalry had several skirmishes. We laid there 6 or 7 days, [Gen. Jubal] Early, wanting to go into Maryland & Pennsylvania, but not liking to leave Sheridan in his rear, and still afraid to attack him (Sheridan). So Early left our front and we moved out to the old position we evacuated (here I wrote a letter home on Aug. 29) a mile or so outside of Charlestown.

The next day our cavalry [led by Merritt] kicked up a fuss at Smithfield, about 6 or 7 miles off, and were driven back to our infantry pickets. Our Division (3d) was ordered out in a hurry. We were soon ready and after traveling couple miles, we were placed in line of battle on the left of the pike, two regiments deployed as skirmishers which relieved the cavalry skirmishers who went on the right of the pike. The skirmish [line] was advanced supported by the remainder of the brigade, the first brigade following us. The skirmish line met no opposition until they were entering Smithfield where they had a slight skirmish. They drove them across the Opequan. The Division was taken back 2 or 3 miles and left there until last Friday afternoon when we were taken back to camp in a nice wood. We got orders to put our tents in regular order which we did. Two hours later we got orders to be ready to move at 4 o’clock in the morning. It was very provoking to us but we couldn’t better it any by grumbling so we kept our mouths shut and went to sleep.

In the morning the boys were sure we were going to leave the Valley and start for City Point but they were wrong. We came here to Clifton estate about four miles from Berryville. I believe the left of our line extends to the town. We are on the extreme right. We arrived here last Saturday afternoon without anything happening at all. The forces on our left had a fight near dark. It heard it very plainly but didn’t see it. You can read a better account of it in the newspapers than Madame Rumor has told me.

Sunday we put up a line of rifle pits or breastworks along the whole line. Nothing but cavalry skirmishing has occurred since Saturday. Yesterday and today has been very quiet. Mosby or somebody else has captured 40 ambulances but were re-captured so the report goes in camp. I don’t know what is going on or what we are going to do. We have to look to papers the same as you for the news in this Department.

We have had very rainy weather these last three days. It is very disagreeable. We are drawing three days rations and losing one day again. I haven’t had a letter from Mother since the 9th of August. The mail is going out right away. Your affectionate son, — Eg. B. Buzby

Write soon.