1 Bucks County
Intelligencer The Doylestown
Guards. July 23, 1861 Page 3
Col. 1-2 1
The Doylestown Guards.—Several letters from members of this company are published in our columns this week. Although the Guards have just performed an arduous march from the city of Washington to their pres- ent location in the heart of Virginia, and are called on to discharge their full share of the perilous duties of an army passing through an enemy’s country, they still find time to keep up an active correspondence with their friends at home. Scarcely a mail arrives in Doylestown that does not come freighted with intelligence from our fellow- citizens who have taken up the musket and knapsack in support of the Constitution Laws. The Guards, with several other companies of the Twenty-fifth Regiment, are in Col. Stone’s division, which forms a part of the grand army of 30,000 men under Gen. Patterson. Since their junction with Patterson’s corps, the Guards have passed nearly two weeks in camp at Martinsburg and have taken part in the pursuit of the rebels to Bunker Hill, Charlestown and Winchester. As yet they have not been able to get within shooting distance of the enemy, whose heels have proved entirely too light for their pur- suere. One night last week, while at Bunker Hill, the company was posted in pickets of four men each several miles from camp, on the Winchester road, the nearest point to the rebel entrenchments. They had orders to shoot down any person that might approach them, no matter upon what pretence, as there could be none but enemies in that locality. The night passed, however, without any disturbance. Our boys are becoming accus- tomed to this kind of service, and are disposed to make themselves as comfortable as possible under the circum- stances. They are very anxious to see some real fighting before they come home. Their term of service will ex- pire in a week or ten days, when they expect to return home—some to remain, while a large number will pay a short visit and then try it again. It will be remembered that six members of the Guards— Sergeant E. L. Rogers, and Private Jackson Pierce, Jas. M. Rogers, William McCarty, J. S. Hough, and J. M. Hogeland—were left at the Washington Arsenal when the company took up the line of march for Harper’s Ferry— After remaining there a few days, these men proceeded forward, and succeeded in getting as far a place called Sandy Run, about a mile this side of the Ferry. They could get no further, as the Federal forces had moved forward in Virginia by way of Williamsport, leaving Harper’s Ferry unoccupied. A small party, under com- mand of Capt. Braceland, remained at Sandy Run. Here the squad men were compelled to halt until a route was discovered by Robert and George Eastburn, as narrated in our columns last week. Upon hearing of their situa- tion, deprived of every comfort and subject to great hard- ships, Gen. W. T. Rogers, father of two of the boys, deter- mined to pay them a visit, and endeavor to do something for their relief. He reached their quarters, at the extreme and of the road now in use by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, without difficulty. Upon getting out of the cars, the first man he saw was his son Edward, though un- observed by the latter until he heard the salutation— “ Well, Squire, how do you do ? - The General’s sensen- deavored to induce him to take up his quarters at the village tavern, but he insisted upon going with them and sharing their meals and sleeping accommodations. They reluctantly conducted him to their quarters, which con- sisted of a board shanty built against a bank, the base- ment being occupied as a pig sty. When dinner was served it was found to consist of beans and potatoes boiled to- gether, to discuss which the men squatted around the door. When supper time came, the boys again endeavored to persuade their guest to resort to the tavern, but he still insisted on eating with them. They were at length obligated to tell him they had but one meal a day. Their quarters were so infested with vermin as not to be fit to sleep in. The men were in rags, and were almost ashamed to be seen out of doors. Their duties were very severe, and they were sometimes obliged to stand guard two or three miles from camp for twenty-four hours at a time.— While undergoing these hardships, they asserted their de- termination to perform their whole duty according to the terms of their enlistment. As Harper’s Ferry is now oc- cupied by the Union troops, we presume that these men have, ere now, started to rejoin their comrades in the ad- |
vancing army. Gen. Rogers, before his return, made a brief visit to Harper’s Ferry, and obtained a number of curious relics from that scene of destruction. Mr. Genzel of the Doylestown Guards, in a letter dated Martinsburg, July 14th, writes as follows: “ One of the prettiest places I have yet seen, is
the country residence
of Charles J. Faulkner, Minister to the Court of France,
under Pennsylvania’s dishonored
son. All that wealth can
impart, has been lavished to render this place attractive; and
all the appointments of the house are in the most luxurious style,
while the grounds by which it is surrounded have been rendered
exceedingly beautiful by the combined efforts of nature and
art. The lady of the late minister,
is the sole inhabitant of this
abode of luxury; her two sons are officers in the Secession army,
while it has been discovered that Mr. Faulkner is in com- plicity
with the conspirators, and he dare not return to this country. I was politely shown through the grounds
by an old, worth
out slave. “ Last evening four straggling letters found their
way into our camp,
which is the only mail we have had since leaving Wil- liamsport,
one week ago. One copy of the
Intelligencer found its
way here on Friday, and had been almost read to pieces. We have
two large mail bags, full of letters, at Harper’s Ferry; but one of us know when they will reach us. “ |