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Letters from a soldier of the 8th NY Artillery, stationed at Federal Hill, Baltimore, tells of a brief expedition down the Chesapeake, to Eastville, Va. It is described is how the intruding Yankees mistreated some private citizens, and made off with some valuable property.
"Fort Federal Hill, Sept. 9th, 1863.
"My dear Parents — We left Eastville Sunday evening at five o'clock, getting to the wharf some time after dark, when captain gave me the order to pack up. Our company was full of negroes, who had been to church, opposite the camp, and I told them, if they wanted to go with us, to run around Eastville, and fall in below the village; and such a skedaddling as that started! ... After we passed the village, over the fields they came in all directions.
"When we went aboard the boat, it was so dark the captain could not see them, so there was no trouble in hiding them in the hold: we did not start till the next noon, and a number of teams came there hitched, and the owners went aboard after their slaves. Mysteriously and unluckily for secesh, their horses got unhitched, and run off, although the few boys on shore threw stones at them to stop them. I followed the men to the boat to get up a little mob law, in case they got any of the darkies. But Major Hagner was enough for them, having practised law thirty-five years in New York city. He told them he was no slave-hunter, and they must do their own business in that line. In a few minutes the word 'blanket' was called, and a stir among the boys was visible. Secesh began to look anxious and wild, smelling a rat. The major and other officers quietly moved into the cabin, and secesh hurried up their writing (having the sheriff with them to make out the papers), and started for the shore, about sixty rods; as soon as they touched land, one of our big corporals took hold of Mr. Sheriff, and cried, 'Rally!' A dozen boys had hold of him before he knew it, and over he went into a blanket, held by as many men as could get hold of it, and one, two, three, and up he went into the air sprawling in all shapes. Three times up, and the yell 'Union', and he was free. Next came Mr. Jarvis, a perfect specimen of a fine Virginia gentleman, too fine to look at a laboring man, unless he was a black one. He had no idea of a vile Yankee throwing him fifteen feet in the air; but a few strong men soon laid him in the blanket, and up he went in all shapes, dropping his watch, and probably injuring it. Think of a F. F. V. being tossed fifteen feet in the air, three times, by Union soldiers — Northern mudsills. They got no slaves then, although there were lots of them about the field, afraid to come aboard on account of their presence near there.
"Off we started with fifteen free men and women (two women), and after a pleasant ride to Baltimore, took them to the headquarters of the colored regiment, and had all who were accepted, sworn into the United States service. I don't want any man to tell me how well off and contented the slave is. I know something of slavery, and can tell you a few things which I have no time to write. Your affectionate son,
"Sergt. Edmund Evarts,
"8th N. Y. Artillery."
This letter comes from what is perhaps the first published collection of Soldiers' Letters: from camp, battle-field, and prison, published in 1865, "For the aid of the U. S. Sanitary Commission [p.191].
https://archive.org/details/soldierslettersf00post
"Fort Federal Hill, Sept. 9th, 1863.
"My dear Parents — We left Eastville Sunday evening at five o'clock, getting to the wharf some time after dark, when captain gave me the order to pack up. Our company was full of negroes, who had been to church, opposite the camp, and I told them, if they wanted to go with us, to run around Eastville, and fall in below the village; and such a skedaddling as that started! ... After we passed the village, over the fields they came in all directions.
"When we went aboard the boat, it was so dark the captain could not see them, so there was no trouble in hiding them in the hold: we did not start till the next noon, and a number of teams came there hitched, and the owners went aboard after their slaves. Mysteriously and unluckily for secesh, their horses got unhitched, and run off, although the few boys on shore threw stones at them to stop them. I followed the men to the boat to get up a little mob law, in case they got any of the darkies. But Major Hagner was enough for them, having practised law thirty-five years in New York city. He told them he was no slave-hunter, and they must do their own business in that line. In a few minutes the word 'blanket' was called, and a stir among the boys was visible. Secesh began to look anxious and wild, smelling a rat. The major and other officers quietly moved into the cabin, and secesh hurried up their writing (having the sheriff with them to make out the papers), and started for the shore, about sixty rods; as soon as they touched land, one of our big corporals took hold of Mr. Sheriff, and cried, 'Rally!' A dozen boys had hold of him before he knew it, and over he went into a blanket, held by as many men as could get hold of it, and one, two, three, and up he went into the air sprawling in all shapes. Three times up, and the yell 'Union', and he was free. Next came Mr. Jarvis, a perfect specimen of a fine Virginia gentleman, too fine to look at a laboring man, unless he was a black one. He had no idea of a vile Yankee throwing him fifteen feet in the air; but a few strong men soon laid him in the blanket, and up he went in all shapes, dropping his watch, and probably injuring it. Think of a F. F. V. being tossed fifteen feet in the air, three times, by Union soldiers — Northern mudsills. They got no slaves then, although there were lots of them about the field, afraid to come aboard on account of their presence near there.
"Off we started with fifteen free men and women (two women), and after a pleasant ride to Baltimore, took them to the headquarters of the colored regiment, and had all who were accepted, sworn into the United States service. I don't want any man to tell me how well off and contented the slave is. I know something of slavery, and can tell you a few things which I have no time to write. Your affectionate son,
"Sergt. Edmund Evarts,
"8th N. Y. Artillery."
This letter comes from what is perhaps the first published collection of Soldiers' Letters: from camp, battle-field, and prison, published in 1865, "For the aid of the U. S. Sanitary Commission [p.191].
https://archive.org/details/soldierslettersf00post
Bringing the