CAMP CORRESPONDENCE
From
the
Bucktail
Rifles
Camp Pierpont
February 13, 1862
The
unexpected and unsought for reception which was tendered to me by the patriotic
citizens of Mauch Chunk fills my heart with pride and emotions which will
explain themselves in the forthcoming great struggle, and in no way will
I be better able to repay them for the interest which they take in my behalf
thereby showing them and proving that little Carbon is well represented in the
Bucktail Regiment, and my only prayer would be that Manassas should be
inscribed side by side with Drainesville on our glorious old Keystone
banner. Little did I expect that such
honors as were shown to me by the patriotic citizens of Carbon County would be
conferred upon me when revisiting Mauch Chunk, for I feel that I have done
nothing by my duty to my country and only proved in reality what I have
promised to them. When the welcome news
was received last spring from our Governor that my company was accepted, and
when I parted from Mauch Chunk, all my aim has been to prove myself worthy of
their confidence and let no stain of dishonor mark the footsteps of my company,
and thank God so far I can say without compunction that the company has been no
dishonor to little Carbon, nor its benefactors.
I
herewith tender my sincerest thanks to the Union loving patriots of Mauch Chunk
and especially the below named gentlemen for the kind reception and
entertainment they gave me on my short leave of absence:
Dr.
Shoemaker Nathan
Barney
M.
M. Dimmick N.
Enbody
C.
Albright ______
Ely
Charles
L. White James
Belford
D.
Kalbfus _____
Swartz
E.
T. Foster John
Painter
A.
Roberson J.
Smith
James
K. Polk Lieut.
John Brelsford
J.
B. Mc’Creary William
H. Stroh
R.
Q. Butler John
Dolan
S.
L. Kellam Charles
Packer, Esquire
and many others.
Hoping
soon to be able to give your readers a description of a glorious battle,
I am,
respectfully Yours,
Dennis McGee
******************************************************************
Note
on the writer:
Dennis McGee served as a Captain in
Co. F. of the Bucktail rifles, mustered in on May 15, 1861 and discharged in
1863. He was later reinstated,
resigning in 1865. It is likely he was
the same Dennis McGee living in Mauch Chunk working as a grocer, with a wife
and son, in 1850.
*********************************
Other
notes:
1.
In McGee’s letter,
he identified one of the citizens of Mauch Chunk as “Lieut. John Belford”. This has been corrected above.
2.
There was an
apparent typo concerning the date of the letter as printed in the paper. It had the date as 1861, this has been
corrected.
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October, 2003