1 From
the 104th Regiment. December 27,
1864 Page 2 Column 4 1
From the 104th Regiment.
FROM THE 104TH P. V --We have late advices from the 104th.
The small battalion of the regiment which remains is guarding
the railroad from Charleston to Summit Point station, about
eight miles When the regiment left Philadelphia it took with
it into Virginia, one hundred and sixty men and officers, and
about one hundred men and some officers have not been heard
from since. Most of the officers have resigned, and soon their
will not be enough to keep up the organization. Our corre-
spondent writes that the army of Sheridan is in a demoralized
condition. The commissaries of subsistance are allowed to sell
whiskey to the soldiers by the Barrel, and great drunkenness
prevails. A short time before my letter was written a regiment
was allowed to go out and tear down a brick church which they
carried away. This regiment ( Germans from New York) are
said to leave nothing untouched but mill-stones and hot iron.
What can such troops accomplish?
CAMP OF THE 104TH REGT., PA. VOLS.,
NEAR SUMMIT POINT, VA., Dec. 19th, 1864.
Mr.
Editor :--The above is taken from the Doylestown
Democrat of December 13th, and purports to be late ad-
vices from the 104th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers.
The whole article is so manifestly erronious and unjust, as to
be deemed worthy of notice and correction.
The author of this article is says that “ when the regiment
left Philadelphia it took with it into Virginia, one hundred
and sixty men and officers, and about one hundred men and
officers have not been heard from since. “ This is true in
part. But why did not the writer explain the cause ?
The facts of the case are, that the regiment left the city
24 hours sooner than was expected by the officers or men.--
The city papers had the day and the hour fixed for the de-
parture of Col. Bassett’s brigade, (93d, 104th, 119th and
138th Pennsylvania Volunteers.) The brigade had just
come from the Shenandoah Valley, after a severe and fa-
tiguing campaign-- The majority of the officers and men
had friends, families and homes in or near the city and it
is not strange that after a long absence they should wish to
pay them a visit of a few hours, before returning to the Val-
ley. They returned at the time appointed for leaving, and
were surprised to learn that the brigade had left the day be-
fore. Many of them met with difficulty and delay in get-
ting passes and transportation, but they had no idea of de-
serting, and are back again safe and sound, and doing their
duty like men.
Since our return to the Valley, four officers have been
mustered out of the service--Lt. Col. Hart, Lt. O’Connell,
Lt. Tyson and Lt. Williams--and ten promotions have been
made, viz--Captain Kephart of Co. B, promoted to Major;
Lieutenant Glase, to Captain of Co. B; 2d Lieutenant Wid-
difield, to 1st Lieutenant of Co. B; 1st Sergeant Dyer, to
2d Lieutenant of Co. B; 2d Lieutenant Connor, to 1st
Lieutenant of Co. A; 1st Sergeant Wigton, to 2d Lieuten-
ant of Co. A; 1st Lieutenant Bitting, to Captain of Co. H;
2d Lieutenant Walker to 1st Lieutenant of Co. H; 1st Ser-
genat Setley, to 2d Lieutenant of H; and 2d Lieutenant Gar-
ron, to 1st Lieutenant of Co. D. The regiment numbers
408 officres and men, and they were never so well satisfied
with each other as they are at the present time.
This correspondent says that the “ army of Sheridan is in
a demoralized condition.” This is untrue in every particu-
lar. Gen. Sheridan is too good an officer to allow any thing
of the kind to occur in his command, and if the “Johnnies”
think that such is the case, all they have to do to learn their
mistake is to “ pitch in,” and “ Little Phil’s” army will
double quick up the Valley once more.
Again this reliable (?) writer says that “ the commissaries
of subsistence are allowed to sell whiskey to the soldiers by
the barrel, and great drunkenness prevails.” This a most
bare-faced and unmitigated falsehood, and has not even the
shadow of truth to support it. The only ones allowed to
buy whiskey are the officers, and they have to certify that
it is for their own use, and the order must be approved by
regimental and brigade commanders. Enlisted men have
never had the privilege of buying whiskey of the commis-
sary in any quantity whatever.
And last of all, he says that a regiment was allowed to go
out and tear down a brick church, which they carried away.
The inference from this is, that the men had permission
from their officers to tear down the church. This must be a
mistake, for I do not think that the officers of any regiment
would give their men permission to commit such an act of
sacrilege. That a church was torn down and used to fix up
the quarters of the men in a certain regiment, cannot be
denied, and I have no apology to offer for the act.
The 104th, however, are free from any such imputation,
and in no way responsible. Editors should be very careful
in publishing news from soldiers, for many times either
through ignorance or malice gross injustice is done to good
men and good regiments. Yours truly,
16. 5. 2.