George Williams

E. Stockton

John Dougherty

Justus Walton

Sergt. E. W. Gay

Sergt. D. H. James

Sergt. J. Schofield

A. B. Gilbert

Cor. Straley

Cor. Sellers

Privates:

Wm. Nutale

J. Brian

S. Clausen

E. Ervin

R. Adams

S. Austen

A. Alexander

J. R. Adams

P. Brislin

E. Burns

S. Brown

Wm. Branson

M. Cauler

M. Carson

J. Carrol

J. Calaghan

James Fisher

H. Fisher

G. Fisher

Jacob Fisher

J. Frederick

J. Fry

H. Force

T. Gillen

J. Gailey

W. Graham

C. Hinkle

J. Hayworth

A. Hendricks

J. Hadden

S. Kennedy Sr.

S. Kennedy Jr.

A. Libhart

J. Lucas

G. Lee

T. McCann

A. Miller

Wm. Miller

D. McColum

F. Marten

J. Machan

H. Shuster

J. Strubly

A. Shaply

F. Stephens

W. Spencer

MISSING

J. Dehaven

Johnny McArdle

C. Murray

W. Taylor

A. Wetherstine

R. Williams

T. Walker

R. Willard

The following persons are reported killed and wounded in Capt. Arndt’s company:

William Greensweig Killed

Jacob Hant Killed

Corpl. J. R. Owens Killed

Ed McFarland Killed

Jacob Moan Killed

Patrick McWultry Killed

John Mitterly Killed

John Richardson Killed

Jacob Greensweig Wounded and prisoner

Daniel Moyer Wounded in foot, prisoner

John Banner Wounded in arm, prisoner

D. McCormick Wounded in both legs, prisoner

Edward Green Wounded, prisoner

William Hawk Wounded in leg, prisoner

Jacob Billman Very sick, prisoner

John Welsh Wounded in leg, prisoner

The following officers of the Regiment were taken prisoner and are now confined in the “Libby”:

Chaplain Amber

Major White

Capt. Arthur

Capt. Marsh

Capt. Eerwiler

Capt. Carpenter

Capt. Borches

Capt. Linford Troch Reported killed

Lt. Hubbard

Lt. Flick

Lt. Ruff

Lt. Edmonds

Lt. George Simpson

Lt. Thompson

Lt. Weeks

Lt. Borches

Lt. Therrs

Lt. Hagebach

Lt. Smith

Lt. Robinson

Lt. Dlutton

Lt. Kreskey

I have been informed that Lt. Co. Burnham, Adjt. Young, Capt. Arndt, Lt. Burnham and Drs. Barr and Corson, with about 70 men, escaped, but where they are I am unable to say. The regiment covered itself with glory over and over again. They fought, at one time during the battle of Winchester, side by side with three-rebel regiments, while at the same time a rebel battery was pouring in its death shots thick and fast, among our brave boys, and yet, with these fearful odds against them, they would have out flanked and beaten them, had it not been that the rebels were reinforced by a brigade. Conspicuous among the bravest and foremost was our gallant Co. Burnham, cheering on his men by word and example. He told his boys to shoot low and waste no ammunition, and if they had spare balls to give it to the rebs for him. Capt. Arndt and Lt. George Simpson, on that day, and in that trying hour, won for themselves a name in courage and coolness that any officer might well be proud of. Yes, they done nobly, and with their strong right arms, caused many a gray back, no doubt, to bite the dust.

We have now about five thousand paroled prisoners here, and about two thousand sick and wounded. We expect another installment of one thousand paroled men on Sunday next, from Belle Island and Libby Prison, and I expect a number more of the 67^th will be among them.

Quite a number of Union ladies, captured at Winchester, arrived here also, with the flag of truce boat, New York, a few days ago and it was indeed heart rending to hear them tell of the sufferings they were compelled to undergo during their captivity and imprisonment in Castle Thunder. They were robbed of everything they had, with the exception of the clothing they had on at the time of their capture – money, clothing and jewelry, with the clothing of their little children, many of whom were very sick, were taken and sold at auction. They were fed on maggoty bean soup and hard bread, during the whole time of their captivity.

I was very much affected at hearing the story of an old motherly lady, with venerable gray hair, who was captured at the last battle of Fredericksburg, Va., while attending to her poor soldier boy, who laid on the field of battle with one leg off, and severely wounded in the other, she was taken with her boy to Richmond and allowed to attend him for a few days, but then supposing, no doubt that it was altogether too good for a Yank to receive the soothing caresses and attention of a kind mother, separated them and confined her to another room of the prison. Here, it is natural to suppose, she became almost frantic at the thought that her poor boy might be dying, and she not allowed to see him. She then appealed to their sympathies, but as well might she have appealed to her dungeon walls and expect to receive sympathy, as to those human fiends; for they only applied to her the most vile and brutal epithets, and swore that if she did not keep quiet, they would see if they could not make her quiet. She said to that brute Capt. Alexander, with tears running down her pale and care worn cheeks, “O Sir, had you ever a mother? Have you one drop of the milk of human kindness in your veins? O how can you persecute and insult me so”, and to this touching appeal he replied, “You d___d Yankee hag, you are treated better than you deserve to be.” On her way from Richmond to City Point, when she first saw the Stars and Stripes on the flag of truce boat, N. York, she clapped her hands and shouted “Thank God! There’s the glorious Stars and Stripes once more.” She is now here in the hospital, under the protection of the glorious Stars and Stripes which she so truly loves; where every attention and care will be bestowed on both her and her noble boy, and when sufficiently recovered, may they have a prosperous journey to their home in Philadelphia.

Yours truly

J. W. Swank

*********************************

Note on the writer’s identity:

Without his full name, it is difficult to pinpoint the identity of J. W. Swank. Best guess is that he was a son of Philip and Amelia (Snyder) Swank who lived in Mauch Chunk. Philip had among his family two sons, James and Josiah, who could be the letter writer. The roster of the 67^th Reg. Lists no Swanks among its members, but the letter writer seems more of a reporter sending requested information on the regiment than a member of it. Josiah Swank was born in Mauch Chunk in 1844, a time in which Josiah White was still in control of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co. and his name held a lot of respect among the county’s citizens. It would be very fitting if Josiah Swanks full name was Josiah White Swank, in which case he could be the writer of the above letter.

Both Josiah & James Swank had left the Carbon Co. area by 1870. James, born in 1835, became a schoolteacher. Both brothers were still living in 1917, Josiah residing in Downingtown, Pa., while James was in Washington, DC.

Return to the

Camp Correspondence

Home page

Text, research, transcription and web page

Jack Sterling

October, 2003