Sept. 14th/62
Dearest Birdie:
Day after day passes
away & no letter. I have written
faithfully to you, but suppose
you had neither letter stamps
nor money to get them. Mr.
Garrison came up yesterday & said
you were all quite well, which
relieved me from fears about Lillie
We have at last got our bounty
of $50.00
Yesterday Regt No. 1 N.J.
undrafted Militia were mustered
in . Our Co. will be mustered
in
[page 2]
No. 2. Our Co. will be Co. B. It will
occupy the left flank of the
Regt. in battle, will be used a
good deal as Skirmishers & will
use rifles insted[sic] muskets.
Tuesday we hope to receive our
uniform.
If I can get a furlough for
more than 2 or 3 days I may
come home Wednesday, but I
cannot tell when I can come,
how long I can stay, or really
whether I can come at all or not.
I belong to Uncl Saml &
very uncertain & critical condition
& every soldier is liable to be called
into active service any day. I am
getting along very well in learning
military tactics. Better in fact, than
I expected.
Yesterday our Co. took its first
lesson in Battalion drill.
[page 3]
There were two Regts. out near each
other & made quite a show. There
are about 2500 soldiers here now.
Regt. after Regt. pass here every
day in the cars. The R.R. track
passes within less than a rod of
the camp ground, & the shouts &
huzzas as they pass make the welkin
ring.
If I ascertain that I come
home Wednesday I will not send
any money in this letter, for it
would only reach you Tuesday if
it were mailed to day.
I will now give you the mortify-
ing & painful intelligence that
Mr. Buskirk's father came & took
him away, & this afternoon one
of the Liets is commissioned to
detail as many soldiers as he
thinks necessary to go in pursuit
of him as a deserter, & bring his
body if he can be found.
[page 4]
& if his father say one contrary
word he will be arrested too. the
Brig Genl (Robeson) & our Co. officers
all think he is more to blame
than Clarence. The law requires
a written consent only
when the boy is under 18.
Neither Buskirk or his father
were aware of that & supposed
a writ of Habeus Corpus could
be sworn out, but it will not
avail. Neither the civil or militia
law will recognize him as any
thing but a deserter. His prop-
erty will be confiscated, & he, if
not shot; be forever prohibited
from being a bonafide citizen
of the U.S. If Lieut. Smith
finds him he will try & reason
the case with him, & if he comes
back willingly & manifests a
disposition to right, his punish-
ment will undoubtedly be modified.
[page 5]
But if he resists, or is stubborn,
it will go pretty hard with him
for he is considered too intelligent
to be excusable.
I had no chance to see him
after I understood the law, or I
should have done all in my
power to persuade him to remain.
If he could only know & come
back of his own accord it would
yet be well with him.
If he had
& done as well as he knew how
to do he would certainly have
been promoted the first opportunity.
It makes me very sad, & de-
stroys all the satisfaction I other-
wise might have, I can't keep
it out of my mind.
Calvin is well & doing well. He
is on guard duty to day.
I was at church this forenoon,
& this afternoon there will be
[page 6]
preaching at 4 1/2 on the camp
ground. Several Cos form a
hollow square & sit down on the
ground. Some of the soldiers
like it, & others swear all the
time they say.
I think probably I will
go to Phila. in the morning, &
on the afternoon train to Vineland
when I do come.
I sent you $3.00 the other day
in a letter which I suppose you
have received.
You need not have any fear
about my deserting. I am n
the service of my country, & I
will quit honorably or die in
its service.
I hope you pray often &
with faith for me. I am ever
deeply sensible of my great need
of the prayers of my christian friends.
Kiss my Darlings. Love to all
Henry
Herny S. Spaulding, 38th New Jersey Volunteers
MSS 38-156
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