Headquarters Co. B, Berryville Tollhouse,
Charlestown, Va., March 5, 1862.
You see by my elaborate heading that we have not moved since
my last letter was written. General Banks has about eight thousand troops in
town; General Sedgwick has about ten thousand at Harper's Ferry. I believe that
ten or twelve thousand more are to join Banks from Williamsport, what was
formerly Lander's division; then, I imagine, all will be ready for an onward movement
to Winchester or elsewhere.
I sent, day before yesterday, a few papers I picked up in
Andrew Hunter's office. This latter gentleman is some great man in the
Confederate Senate; his office is occupied by some of our officers. He was the
lawyer employed by the Government in the John Brown case, and those who had the
first dip into his legal papers found some very interesting documents; such as
a letter from Governor Wise to Mr. Hunter before the trial came on, saying that
he had made up his mind not to pardon John Brown or any of his accomplices, but
that every one should suffer death. There was another anonymous letter from
Boston implicating T. W. Higginson, Sanborn and others; also letters from the
different prisoners suing for pardon.
Three of our companies are quartered in the Court House; one
is in a printing office, from which they have issued various bulletins, such
as, “Confederate notes to be had at par;” “Hard bread to be exchanged for
chickens;” “Gas wanted by Company D, for the Union Theatre.” Our mess has a
room formerly occupied by a secesh confectioner; it still retains the smell of
peppermint. I drank some rye coffee, the other day, and liked it very much;
with cream and sugar, it makes a very good drink. Marching orders! I close for
the present.
SOURCE: Charles Fessenden Morse, Letters Written
During the Civil War, 1861-1865, p. 40-1
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