“There was some of the boys went to a house since we came here, and asked a man if he had any Chickens. He told them that he had. They told him to get a light and go out to the Barn. So he did, and they took all of his Chickens and went off with them. He is said to be a rebel.”

Item No. 7781955

A pair of early 1863 letters written by Private Howard T. Conant of Company D, 23rd Maine Volunteer Infantry, to family members in Turner, Maine. In the letters, Conant discusses the movements of his regiment, describes an incident where soldiers stole chickens from local civilians, views the Balls Bluff battlefield, and relates the hardships and sickness of winter camp life along the Potomac River.

The 23rd Maine served a nine-month enlistment (September 1862–July 1863) almost entirely in the Defenses of Washington.

In the first letter, dated January 4, 1863, from Camp Grover, Great Falls, Maryland, Conant writes to his cousin while suffering from the early stages of measles and describes the regiment’s position guarding the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal:

We have moved down to what is called Great Falls. It was 2 1/2 miles from where we was encamped before we are. There is another Co. here with us, and the rest of the Regt. have gone up to Poolesville, which is about 17 miles from here, and the rest of the Brigade is up there. We are encamped on a Hill in the Woods where we can look over into Va. and see what is a going on. We have to do Picket duty on the Canal, but it awful unhealthy down beside of the Potomac & Canal.

Conant then writes about his feelings of homesickness and duty, before turning his attention toward disease in the ranks:

I should like to be at home and over to your house, but I have come out here to protect Stars & Stripes & to Fight for the Union. But if I am spared to come home, I shall be glad to see you all. But there many Diseases which are prevalent to Camp and there many trials and hardships which a soldier has to endure. And there is quite a number of our Company sick now, but not many of the Turner Boys. Sanford [his brother] is well now, and he has grown fat since he came out here.

Near the close of the letter, Conant notes that the company’s Captain Charles E. Bradford “has resigned on the account of his health…but we have got a good Lieutenant [Horace C. Haskell] to take his place.”

The second letter, written January 26, 1863, from Edwards Ferry, Maryland, picks up the story as Conant recovers from the measles and recounts the regiment’s movement up the Potomac. He describes traveling by canal boat to join the rest of the 23rd Maine. Conant relates how the doctor encouraged him to enter the hospital, but he preferred instead to be nursed by his comrades in camp. Brother Sandford, however, “was taken sick [with measles] and went into the Hospital,” but “is getting better now.”

Conant then describes an incident where the men stole chickens from the home of a civilian, which had evidently been reported in a Maine newspaper, likely from another soldier’s letter. Conant writes:

You wanted to know who that was that wrote that page in the Advocate. I do not, for there was so many that went and stole Turkeys and had them cooked, I could not tell. There was some of the boys went to a house since we came here, and asked a man if he had any Chickens. He told them that he had. They told him to get a light and go out to the Barn. So he did, and they took all of his Chickens and went off with them. He is said to be a rebel.

Conant closes the letter describing having viewed Balls Bluff in Virginia from the Maryland side of the river. An embarrassing defeat had taken place there in October 1861. “I went out on a Hill the other day and I saw Balls Bluff, where the rebels drove our folks into the river,” he writes, “and it [is] bad to think how they used them, but I am in hopes that this War will be closed soon.”

Each letter was written on a patriotically decorated letter sheet measuring about 5” x 8”. Light foxing and toning. Creased at the original folds. The full transcripts appear below.

Camp Grover
Great Falls
Montgomery County Md.
Jan 4th / 63

Dear Cousin
I received your kind letter tonight and was very glad to hear from you. I began to think that you had forgotten that we was out in the Army. But not so. I thought of an old saying, better late than never. I am not very well now. I don’t know but I am a coming down with the Measles. I have got a very hard headache tonight, and I have got cold too.

We have moved since I wrote last. We have moved down to what is called Great Falls. It was 2 1/2 miles from where we was encamped before we are. There is another Co. here with us, and the rest of the Regt. have gone up to Poolesville, which is about 17 miles from here, and the rest of the Brigade is up there. We are encamped on a Hill in the Woods where we can look over into Va. and see what is a going on. We have to do Picket duty on the Canal, but it awful unhealthy down beside of the Potomac & Canal.

There is no snow here now, but it is very cold nights and quite warm days. It seems like the Fall of the year down in Me. I should like to be at home and over to your house, but I have come out here to protect Stars & Stripes & to Fight for the Union. But if I am spared to come home, I shall be glad to see you all. But there many Diseases which are prevalent to Camp and there many trials and hardships which a soldier has to endure. And there is quite a number of our Company sick now, but not many of the Turner Boys. Sanford is well now, and he has grown fat since he came out here. I think of you all often and of home, and I should like to see you all. But as I am far from you, I must use my pen.

Our Capt. has resigned on the account of his health, but has not gone home yet. He has not been able to be with us for some time, but we have got a good Lieutenant to take his place.

I had a letter from Sylvia the other day. She wrote that she thought that she was a getting better slowly. As I am not very well, I must close.
Howard T. Conant

Edwards Ferry, Md.
Camp of the 23rd Me. Regt.
Monday, Jan. 26 / 63

Dear Aunt
I was very glad to hear from you. I received your letter last Saturday night and one from Sylvia. She wrote that she was a getting better and that she felt the best she had for two months. I was very glad to hear that she was a getting along better, for there was one spell that I thought that she would not live long. But I am very glad that she has got something to help her, for I feel a great anxiety to see all of my Sisters and Brothers. But perhaps I never shall. Since I wrote you last, I have had the Measles, but have got almost well now. I was taken sick after I went on Picket down to Great Falls. I got cold and was sick there, and then came down with the Measles, and before I got well we had orders to march to Edwards Ferry, where a part of our Regt. was encamped. Our Co. got a chance to ride up on a Canal Boat. We started at 11 o’clock and arrived there about dark. Then we had to go a half of a mile. But I expected to get cold, but did not. I had some friends in the Buckfield Co., so I went there and stayed until our boys got the tents pitched. But after we had been here a day or two, it rained and I got cold, and was quite sick. I went up to the Hospital to get some Medicine to take and the Doctor wanted I should go into the Hospital, but I would not. I went into our Co. and got a chance in with our boys, and they took good care of me, and I am getting better fast. But after we came up here, Sanford was taken sick and went into the Hospital. He was sick a number of days and came down with the Measles. He was pretty sick for a number of days, but he is getting better now. He came over to our Co. this afternoon, but I am afraid that he is a getting out too soon.

It was very sickly down where we came from and I am glad to get away from there. Co. I is down there now, but they are a coming up here before long.

To Ellen
You wanted to know who that was that wrote that page in the Advocate. I do not, for there was so many that went and stole Turkeys and had them cooked, I could not tell. There was some of the boys went to a house since we came here, and asked a man if he had any Chickens. He told them that he had. They told him to get a light and go out to the Barn. So he did, and they took all of his Chickens and went off with them. He is said to be a rebel.

I went out on a Hill the other day and I saw Balls Bluff, where the rebels drove our folks into the river, and it bad to think how they used them, but I am in hopes that this War will be closed soon. I have got that box from home and have got so I can eat some of it. It is good, I tell you. Well, I must close now. Write soon.
Howard T. Conant, Maryland