Sept 17^th/62                

Camp near Frederick City Md

 

Dear Sister

                        I suppose you have been waiting patiently for an answer to your letter I did not get time to write as we got orders to march and have been at it until now, and there is no telling how long we will remain here perhaps we may be moved to day We left camp near Fairfax Seminary on the 12^th and marched to Washington that day then laid over one day and the next day we marched about 15 miles the 4^th day we marched / about the same distance, and the 5^th day the same as near as I can guess so altogether we made a march of about 60 miles with knapsacks on our backs it was pretty hard tugging nevertheless the Hartleton boys stood it, though there were a good many fell out of ranks that could not go it, which afterwards came straggling into to camp after dark. Our Colonel ("Allabach") was acting as brigadier gen and he being a sort of a man-killer put us through there is not one in the whole brigade that likes him some have said as much that if he would ever get into an engagement / he would never come out a living man but now Humphrey is our gen'l and he (Allabach) will not have so much authority he is still our colonel but the gen makes the laws and the colonels must execute them Harpers Ferry was taken by the rebels Our forces were commanded by Gen'l Miles if he would have been true to his country it would never have been taken but as it was there was treachery played by him and this was the result the rebels took ten thousand of our men prisernors but it has since been retaken by M^cClellan with 1700 rebels I suppose you will get the views in the papers / quicker and perhaps more correct than this I almost forgot I saw these rebel prisernors pass here a few minutes ago they looked pretty thin I have not much news of importance to write to you this time The boys of Hartleton are all well Please write soon

                                   

Your Brother

W.H. Weirick

                                   

Direct to

W.H. Weirick

Co A Capt Moyer

131^st Reg PV Col Allabach

Washington D.C.

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