griffing@fnal.gov
The
Civil War Letters of William Beynon Phillips
Headquarters
1st Brigade Defenses
Fort
[Washington,] D. C.
October 3, 1863
Dear
[Mr.]
It is now some time dear friend since I had the pleasure of writing you, owing to your inability to read any letters. But thank God I hear you are able to leave your room, so I write you. I wrote Mrs. Richards some weeks ago & was glad to receive an answer that they entertained strong hopes of your recovery. Believe me I was pained & surprised at your sudden & dangerous illness, but I hope it is all over, & everything as usual. I hope I shall not overreach it when I congratulate you on your entire recovery.
I
have nothing new to inform you of. The defenses – as you are aware – [are]
as calm as and void of excitement as any country village in New England. As to myself, things are as well as I can expect or “any other man.”
I have made two moves since you heard from me before, one from
As to clerking I am well up in that [and] improving daily, and I have some prospects of promotion. The Sergeant Major who is in the office is about being approved Lieutenant. The senior clerk with rank of Sergeant is to be appointed Sergeant Major, & the Colonel told me I would have his place. So the wheel goes around.
But I am sorry of ever coming to this regiment for not seeing any active service, [as the] promotions are few & far between. I had though a good chance of going into Colored Troops or the Signal Corps, for there are some out of our regiment who I fancy has not over & above brains in them, but since I had a good easy thing in hand and some prospects, it's better I believe to hold on to it. “A live private is better than a dead General.” The living at Headquarters is first rate – plenty of good things to eat, splendid quarters, & I have a bunk & bed that I bet General Meade would envy. Besides, we have all kinds of newspapers, books, & periodicals gratis & plenty of tobacco & some “fire water” – which I don’t take being a “Teetotalar” as the Welsh say.
I entertain strong hopes of seeing you this winter. If any furloughs will be issued at all, I’ll get one. They were issuing some furloughs last month, but an order has just come in choking them. So the Nag is dead at present. This is caused by the Army of the Potomac being weakened to reinforce some other point, though I see the papers say that the Army of the Potomac is not weakened. But they are [wrong], for some one or two corps passed us here. Some of the boys say the 143rd Pennsylvania Volunteers was among them.
I suppose you are on the eve of exciting times, owing to the coming elections. I pray God [Andrew G.] Curtin will be elected [Governor of Pennsylvania]. If the Soldiers had a say in it, he would have a hundred thousand majority in the Army. We are confident here of his [re-]election, and sincerely hope he will [win].
My idea of the war is as usual very hopeful, though the Rebs are just now showing some signs of life. But I believe it is the “last kicking of the dying hog.” I heard the Colonel say that as soon as Richmond is taken, we are in for active service, [but] not before, unless they come & try this city. If they ever come [here], it’s the bitterest pill yet they [will] have to swallow. The defenses is twice as strong since Lee was in Pennsylvania. Before our defenses were in a single line, but now from Fort to Fort there is a strong covered way & redoubts & Batteries thrown up in advance. Our line, if attempted, would annihilate any army that dare attempt them [even] if only manned with three relief's for the guns & a regiment of infantry in the rifle pits of each fort.
Now
I am afraid I shall tire you & therefore shall close this. Please give my
best regards & wishes to Mrs.
Richards
& many kisses to little Nettie. How is she getting along? And let
me know also fully about yourself & Mrs.
Richards. I hope the health of you both is well established by this time. [Give] my
regards to Mr. Howell & Henry &
Billy
McClane
– also to
Yours very truly, -- William B. Phillips
Address:
W.
B.
Phillips
Care of Florence
W. Grugan. 2nd Artillery P. V.
Fort Bunker Hill
[Washington,] D.C.
Tell
Footnotes
In
the fall of 1862, Congress authorized "Colored
troops" to serve in the Federal Army, but only white officers were
permitted to lead them. White officers, often recruited from the junior officers
of existing regiments, served under the Bureau of Colored Troops which was
established by General Order No. 143 on May 22, 1863. When Confederate officers
announced that they would give no quarter to Colored troops and their white
officers if captured in battle, the news had a chilling effect on the officer
recruitments for these federal units -- especially after the massacre at Fort
Pillow in April 1864.
Governor Andrew G. Curtin (see image in banner
above).
Billy McClane could not be found in the
1860 US Census for Carbondale or Hyde Park, PA. However, there are several
variations possible for this surname (McLain, McClaine, McGlyn, McLean)
Probably 67 year-old John Roberts -- a former miner
-- who immigrated from Wales and resided in Carbondale, Luzerne County,
Pennsylvania in 1860.
Probably 43 year-old Edward Howell and his 39 year-old wife Rachel, immigrants
from Wales. Mr. and Mrs. Howell lived
in Carbondale, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where Edward worked as a shoe maker,
possibly in the same shop as Mr. Richards.
griffing@fnal.gov