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The Civil War Letters of William Davis

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Fort Lincoln,
[Washington, D. C.]
Evening, June 5, 1863

Dear Friend Mrs. Richards,

Your very kind and interesting letter of the 28th instant came duly to hand. I was very happy to hear from you as it has been some time since we last heard from you personally. I see by your letter that the Railroad Guards has returned to there peaceful homes and have been received cordially by the friends & citizens of Scranton. It must have been the happiest moment of there lives to meet with such enthusiasm. They certainly deserved a warm reception after a brief but exciting absence having participated in some of the most prominent battles in this war. William B. Phillips, myself, and two others were fortunate enough to get leave of absence on the night of there arrival [here in Washington, D. C.] for to see them. We put up with them all night at the [RR] Depot & felt glad of our visit. I never seen men look better after having passed through so much hardship. The boys expressed there wish several times wishing that we were with them on there way home.

I see you have endured a great deal by the way of friends keeping distant from you while suffering but such is the case. There is such a class fond of making matters worse than they are & I believe Hyde Park [PA] is not behind in representation of that kind. It is really disgusting to think what some will do in such cases. I am well satisfied that it was my lot to be taken sick on my return as I received all the attention from friends & strangers that I could wish for.

I am happy to inform you that friend William B. Phillips is getting along fine and has now a very pleasant situation assigned him. He is copyist in the Adjutant’s Office. This will be a permanent situation, I think. The work is very light & he will not have any drilling or unpleasant work to do such that constitutes the work of a soldier about these fortifications. He has got up gradually and found his place and they have got the right man to do the work. Shortly after I came back, the Captain wished to have someone to assist our orderly sergeant to make out the rolls. I was present at the time and recommended Billy & he has been assisting ever since when there was any writing to do. So yesterday he was ordered to report to the Colonel and his place assigned him. I suppose he will get some extra pay. If not, it is a pleasant situation.

We are getting drilled very hard everyday and our time fully taken up learning & practicing the art of war. I think by the way they are putting us through now and the rigid discipline over us, that something is expected to happen near Washington by way of a Rebel Cavalry raid or something of that kind. We are not allowed to leave camp & the officers are not allowed to leave there posts. We have cavalry scouts out all the time from here about 10 to 15 miles out. I should not be surprised if Lee would try and brake through Hooker’s army and attack Washington as they (the Rebs) are getting desperate, no doubt, & think it about time to act on the offensive.

The news from Vicksburg is not very definite & appear to be on the balance, but there is a great deal of confidence [Page 5 Missing]

[Your friend, -- William Davis]

Footnotes

So many Lackawanna Railroad employees from the Scranton [PA] area volunteered for Company K of the 132nd Pennsylvania Infantry that it was called the "Railroad Guard." Organized in Harrisburg in August 1862, the same time as Schooley's Battery, the Regiment was soon attached to the Army of the Potomac where it saw heavy combat for nine months and then was mustered out of the service on May 24, 1863. The Railroad Guard participated in the Maryland Campaign (Sep 1862); the Battle of Antietam (Sep 1862); the Battle of Fredericksburg (Dec 1862); and finally, the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 1862). The Regiment lost 3 officers and 70 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. Forty additional men succumbed to disease.
  
After turning the Army of the Potomac back at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Gen. Lee took the offensive and began to move his three Corps northward, his flank protected by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart's cavalry. The intelligence in Washington, D. C. appears to have been accurate as Gen. Stuart did indeed approach and threaten the Capitol city, though his reputation would be irreparably damaged for failing to stay in contact with his commander until after the fighting commenced at Gettysburg.

Gen. Grant's siege of Vicksburg [MS] would not result in its surrender for another month.     

griffing@fnal.gov