1 Bucks County
Intelligencer, From the 104th Regiment.
January 17, 1865 Page 2 Col. 3 1
From the 104th Regiment.
DEFENDERS OF BERMUDA HUNDRED,
ARMY OF THE JAMES, Jan. 6, 1865.
To the Editor of the Intelligencer :—I have to honor
to acknowledge the receipt of a package of papers from
you, and have distributed them among those to whom the
sight of your loyal sheet is always welcome. Such is the
irregularity of our mails that we do not hear so often from
home as we would like to, but we attribute the non-arrival
of our letters to our rapid movements from one department
to another, and do not think of uttering complaints.
The 104th Regiment is in the 1st Brigade of the Provis-
ional Division of Gen. Norrero’s command, and is comfortably
housed in log huts in the breastworks of this line of defences.
The last duty it performed was that of defending the mili-
tary railroad from Winchester to Harper’s Ferry, and the
duty was not only responsible but important, and required
troops to be constantly wide awake, for the communications
upon which depended the feeding of Sheridan’s army, were
entrusted in a great measure to the watchfulness of the 1st
Brigade. On the 23d this division was ordered to Wash-
ington, and by order of Gen. Halleck was assigned to the
Army of the James, in Gen. Butler’s Department. The
movement of the regiment was made in intensely cold
weather, and the transports were for a few days icebound at
Alexandria, but after a day or two in the Soldiers’ Rest of
Washington, we steamed down the Potomac, passed Fortress
Monroe and up the James, passed Harrison’s Landing,
where, with McClellan, we arrived in the summer of the 1862,
passed City Point, the base of the gallant Army of the Poto-
mac, and on we went through the great bend of the James,
past Deep Bottom to Aikens’ or Varina Landing, where once
was the point of exchange, but which now is safely and
snugly in our lines.
I have taken this pains to let you know of the whereabouts
of the 104th Penna Regiment, because there seems to be an
effort upon the part of some people to ignore its existence.
We would not take any notice of the snubbing the regiment
has been receiving at home of late, did it not seem to us that
the snubbing was systematic upon the part of people who
ought to know better. No one regretted the loss of the
many gallant officers and men by expiration of term, more
than did the officers and men who remained, and whose duty
it was to remain with that part of the regiment whose time
had not expired. All of the officers and many of the men
who remained entered the service with the regiment in the
autumn of 1861 at Doylestown, and when those whose term
had expired arrived at Doylestown, and the good people in
their patriotic zeal assembled themselves together to give
them welcome, when collations were prepared and speeches
made, we supposed our former Colonel in his well known
magnanimity would at least mention the modest five compa-
nies, the brave men and gallant officers who were on their
way to the Valley of Virginia to participate in Sheridan’s
victorious march to Harrisonburg. But when the “ Intelli-
gencer” arrived and a stray “Democrat” came amongst
us—lo, and behold! where were we? Did we actually
exist? we asked ourselves. And when the eloquent and
patriotic member of the bar welcomed the regiment to tis
home again, did we hear that there was any one left to strike
a blow for freedom? No! Upon that day to the public of
Bucks county we, five companies and sixteen officers, were
decently buried and totally forgotten by the returning
brave. Not a sound was heard, not an intimation given
that the 104th still lived. Then the regiment was making
long and weary marches, day after day, over the rough
roads of the valley of the Shenandoah, and in the midst
was the State flag which waved gloriously at Fair Oaks and
Morris Island. Was that regiment dead ? Then after the
narrow escapes and brave fight of the 19th of October, while
the whole country was ringing with the tidings of Sheridan’s
victory, comes a paper among us with the announcement of
“ only a few wounded and they only conscripts and substi-
tues, whose lives are worth nothing to the people of our
country.” What are we to think of such heartlessness as
that, we would like to know?
It was in the early days of November when, according to
orders, the 104th arrived in Philadelphia and marched to
Camp Cadwallader, that the good people at home began to
see that the 104th was actually in existence, that it carried
the flag of our good old commonwealth still, and carried it
proudly. Upon election day it gave a strong majority for
the Union candidate, President Lincoln, and could not be
seduced by the arguments of the opposition. Then it re-
turned to the field again, and ever since has done its duty.
Then comes to the paper before alluded to, a copy or so “ whose
term has not expired,” and tells of our terrible demoraliza-
tion, “ how the commissaries are allowed to sell us whiskey
by the barrel, and how great drunkenness prevails among
us, how we took to Virginia only 160 men, and that some
100, more or less, men and officers, had deserted, and how
the rest of the officers were all about to resign.” What a
beautiful picture we must be, according to that account, for
the people at home to look upon. Does not every family in
Bucks that has a representative in the 104th blush for shame
at our awful condition ? Perhaps it was intended as a
punishment for voting for Lincoln, perhaps it was because the
104th was no longer a political machine for some people to
ride into power, that that paragraph of unblushing falsehood
was written. All we want is justice—we ask no more.
The paragraph before alluded to, wound up with the ques-
tion, “What can such troops (Sheridan’s army) accomplish?”
Our answer is that such as we are, we accomplished “Sher-
idan’s campaign in the valley of Virginia,” which is now
a golden page in the history of this war.
As I said before, the 104th is doing its duty under com-
mand of a brave and veteran officer—Major Kephart. Two
weeks ago Gov. Curtin sent to us six new commissions for
men who well deserve the promotions they received. I
might tell you our numbers, but it would not be proper to
do so. As officers we are harmonious and not about to give
up the service, and as men we are well disciplined and
contented. We have not lost faith in the work that is before
us, and we desire our friends at home to still remember us
with that kindness they have always shown to soldiers in
the field. VETERAN.