Endicott, William E. Letters, 1862-1866

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Frederick Junction 
Friday Afternoon Sept. 6th 1861 

Dear Cousin Hannah 

I received your kind letter of the 22nd 
I was much pleased to hear from you and am greatly 
obliged to you for thinking to write to me. I hope you will 
write often for as you said in your letter anything from 
the direction of home is very acceptable. you say I did not 
ask you to write to me. I took it for granted you would 
without asking. I was expecting a letter from you and was 
much pleased when I received one. I received a few lines 
from my friend Chad Wood that with your letter is the 
only letters I have received from home with the exception 
of Mary's. I have but very little time to write so that I 
cannot answer many letters. you say you would be satisfied 
with only a few lines of my handwriting. I think that is 
about as much as I shall be able to write for I always 
write everything I can think of in my letters home and I 
suppose you always read the same so that it would be 


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useless for me to write the same over again in a letter to you. 
I wrote to the folks yesterday and wrote every thing I could 
think of so that I am now about -out- of news. I am not 
able to write anything in regard to the war for we are where 
we do not hear anything. we have been stationed back 
in the country doing guard duty and have not been 
where we could hear much news. We get nearer to Washington 
every time our regiment moves. we expect there is to be a big 
battle near there before long. I hope there will and one 
that will weigh heavily in deciding this affair between 
the states. I am not anxious to be a soldier any longer than 
I can be of service to my Country. when they get so as to treat 
and feed soldiers as they deserve then I think I should like 
it better. a solders life is hard enough at best without its 
being made more so by [any ?] fools who burn to show their 
authority. officers do not care nor realize that they are dependent 
upon their men and that many of them in social life are 
farther advanced than themselves. but we are in for it and must 
put it through. I have no desire to back out – I would not 
return home without the boys if they would give me my 
discharge and pay my fare not but that I want to see my 
dear Parents and Sister who have ever done all in their power 


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to  make me comfortable and happy. but I came out here 
to be a soldier and stand by the old flag and I mean to 
stand by the boys and do it. and if I ever get home again I 
shall never be sory that I enlisted. I would like to see 
Boston and some of the Boston faces but I guess it will 
be some time before I shall have that pleasure. I should 
like to see some of the Boston girles. girles are scarce out 
here awhere we have been. and a pretty girl is a curiocity. 
please remember me to all the young ladies that you see 
who I am acquainted with. give my kindest regards to 
friends Abbie and Nellie tell them I am greatly obliged 
to them for their kind rememberance of me. I will 
remember the train we had in the barn at Chichester. 
I would like to have been present at the  second edition 
of the same. Also at your Zouave drill. I would like to 
have given off the orders.  

Saturday Afternoon Dear Cousin 
I left this letter last night at supper-call and did not get 
a chance to write after that. thought I would draw it to a 
close this morning not thinking I should have anything 
more to write but we had a little sport last night that 
I must tell you off. We had just turned in for the night 
about ten ock our first sergeant came into my mess and 


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said he  wanted ten men to go off on special duty. I was 
one of the number chosen to go. he told us to take twenty 
rounds of catridge as we should probably see service 
before we got back. in three minutes from the time he 
woke us up we were already to start. we always sleep with 
all our clothes on so that we can turn out as soon as called. 
none of us knew where we were going nor what for except our 
lieutenant. we went by railroad  we had one iron freight 
car attached to an engine we had no lights not even one on 
the engine we had to ride in darkness it was rather risky but 
we were obliged to do so for fear of an alarm. there was 
fourteen of us. Lieut Jackson, two Seargents one Corporal 
and ten privates besides two men who went as guides. 
after we got into the car Seargent told us we were going 
about twenty miles towards Baltimore to arrest one or 
more seseshonists and might have some trouble. when we got 
to the house which was right side of the railroad we jumped 
out and surrounded the building. I stood by the front door 
when Lieut knocked a voice from inside said who's there. Lieut 
said come. the door was opened by a man in his [blank space] . 
Lieut asked him if Russell lived there. he said he was the man 
Lieut asked him if a man by the name of W. H. Wilson was 


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stopping there. he said there had 
been but he was not there then but he 
expected him back that night. Lieut then 
told him he wanted what baggage he had 
left there. he then went in and searched 
the house but could find nothing but 
a traveling bag. we took that and then went 
to the barn and took the horse & buggy belonging 
to Wilson. we then had to work some time to 
get them on board the cars we had to take 
the buggy all to pieces. then we had to pile up 
a lot of wood and planks for the horse to 
walk in on. Russell of his own free will told 
how it was that Wilson was stopping at his 
house. he said he came there a few days ago 
and asked R. if he knew of a good location to 
open a store. he told him he thought he did 
and if he would call at his house on a certain 
day he would go and show him. W. did not 
come on the day appointed but came yesterday. 
he said his brother in Baltimore was sick 
and that had detained him. Russell was busy 


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yesterday and could not go with him then 
but would go to day. Wilson left his things 
there and went away. it seems Wilson was 
arrested yesterday between here and Baltimore 
by some Pennsylvania soldiers belonging to the 
twenty-eighth regiment Col Geary. this 
was not known to Russell. Wilson was 
arrested for communicating with the rebels on 
the other side of the river. Russell was as 
civil as could be to us. I guess he did not like 
the looks of the loaded rifles with capps on 
and bayanetts fixed. We left there about 
two. we got about half way back to camp when 
a spring on the engine gave out this detained 
us some time and after that we could not 
go so fast. when we got back to our camp we 
telegraphed to Col Geary (whose command we 
are under while we are at this place) to know 
what should be done with the property he 
said bring it on to him. we then went went 
on twelve miles to his camp at Point of Rocks. 
we left the property there. we went to the 
hotel and got breakfast. Lieut paid for it 


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we then took the car again and came back 
to our camp. we got here at nine this morning 
we had a jolly time. but I guess I have written 
enough of this. it was little or no excitement for 
us. but I have written the affair to you so 
as to fill out a letter but I guess you have got 
tired of reading it before this. I feel rather 
sleepy to day for I was on guard night before 
last and got only two or three hours sleep 
and have not had a wink since. I have got 
to go on guard again tomorrow. while you 
are going to Church I shall be pacing my 
beat with a loaded rifle upon my shoulder 
(some difference) but I will not stop to write 
any more now. please give much love from 
me to my Father, Mother & Sister. Write soon 
and often. Give my love to Allice and Emmie 
and accept much for yourself from your 
Cousin Albert.

P.S. Please excuse all mistakes and poor 
writing. my paper does not look very neat but 
you will please excuse it. a soldiers letter does 
not look very nice for we are obliged to write 


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any way we can get a chance I am writing 
this sitting on the ground with a rock 
for a writing desk. 

Albert 
Co. C 13th Regt. Mass Vol 
Gen. Banks Division 

Please show this letter to my father. 
Sam Seabury sends his regards to you. 
he is in the same mess with me. he 
was one of the number Thursday night.