“Uncle Sam is Very Good to Us”
By Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf · Originally published May 2023 · pp. 6
By Bruce Allardice and Wayne Wolf William J. Anderson enlisted in Company I, 51st Pennsylvania Infantry on Sept. 28, 1861. He was a 21-year-old farm laborer from Montgomery County, Penn. The 51st was ordered to Annapolis, Md., that fall to become part of the Burnside Expedition. The unit later became part of Burnside’s IX Corps. Anderson was killed in action at Fox’s Gap, September 1862, just prior to the Battle of Antietam. [See Parker, History of the 51st Pennsylvania]. The excerpted letter is written to one of Anderson’s hometown acquaintances, perhaps a local storekeeper, but it is unclear to who. Anderson writes of camp life, mostly boredom, interspersed with drilling and guard duty. He “hates” review but nonetheless takes pride in his unit’s appearance in drills. He seems more or less satisfied with the clothes and equipment he’s been issued, but food is another
“Uncle Sam is Very Good to Us”
story. Soldiers have to shop at the sutler’s to get enough to eat, the soup is inedible, and dinner one night consists of only one potato and one hardtack cracker. The food complaints are especially ironic, since they’re encamped in Union territory and have much better supply lines than soldiers in the field. This excerpt from his letter leaves out a lot of gossip on his tentmates and hometown friends. “Camp Union Annapolis MD. Dec. 25 1861 Dear Sir: I take my pen in had to let you know with pleasure that am well thanks be the Almighty for all his kind mercies to me and in fact to us all [deleted as it makes no sense ] Each one last night our camp was in a melodious strain all over the camp singing war hymns. Parker [Thomas H. Parker (182490), later promoted to captain. He wrote the regimental history.]
and I have been trying our best + we are getting along right well. There came a man selling hymn books from the 23rd Mass. Regt. They were 10 cts apiece + and every tent was singing all in the greatest kind. There is some very good singers in the camp so Christmas eve was spent in a very happy way + we are spending Christmas very happy + gay too. Richard Martin [Sgt. Richard Martin (1836–1863)] has just come home from patrol guard in Annapolis + he ain’t sorry for he say he is almost starved + when he came all he wanted to know if we had anything to eat + dinner was over. Dick says he liked patrolling first rate only if he had got enough to eat + when he came in he bought a big hoe cake + then he was all right. Then he sends his love to you. Gen. McClellan staff was here yesterday + inspected us [McClellan inspected Burnside’s “Coastal Division” Dec. 26th] + it did not take them long to do that job for they made it very brief. We received our new coats yesterday afternoon they are frock
Col. John F. Hartranft.
Thomas H. Parker. (findagrave.com)
coats bound around the collar + waistbands with light blue card + they look pretty well. We got new shoes + I got a awful fit. I take 6 + I got 8. I don’t know if I can wear them or not. They are too big for me. If I were down at your store I could get them changed I think. …We are kept pretty well to drilling. The Col. [John F. Hartranft (1830-89), later promoted to Major General] is putting us through right sharp since he has got us down in Dixie. He drill us regimental 2 a day now + some time with knapsacks on + it’s the Devil but the talk around here that our Regt. Is the best one drilled here. There is one thing we try to do our best any how when on review we are got to do our best then I hate review as a school boy hates the single rule of three for it makes me mad when our line ain’t quite straight. But it’s hard to keep a company in line on double quick. Uncle Sam is very good to us. He has gave us plenty of good cloths more I think than we can carry in our knapsacks. I went out on inspection + my knapsack was as full as I could get it + I did not think it was light no how but I tottered around as well as I could with the rest of the boys. Some of them is cunning. They don’t put all they got in their knapsack but I think some of them will get fooled some time or other + would not get time to get they leave out sometime, for the Col. is a little cunning sometimes. We are in marching order at 12 hours warning or notice but I am going to make up my mind he won’t catch me that way anyhow for I am going to try to carry all that I got anyhow. Now I will begin again on the 2nd of January…
There is quite a sight to be seen here today 2 regt. Firing by battalion + they make quite a noise + it makes a fellow feel like going into a battle. There are on our drill ground right now at the foot of our camp + the first volley they fired Parker jumped right out of our tent + it made me laugh to see him + he said my bumper curiosity was not very large or I would have jumped too at such a cracking as that. We expected to be surprised last night but we were not. The wind blew at an awful rate + we were glad we were not surprised and had to get up. …I believe I have just had my dinner 1 potato 1 cracker. We had been soup but it was so awful like the water that is in the ocean for salt that we all came to the conclusion to throw it out + go without so we did for we did not want to suffer with drought on regimental this afternoon for there is no chance to get a drink when you are in the ranks. We are all sitting in our tents waiting for orders from headquarters to be ready to jump for we are always ready. Every horse we see coming into camp on a run we think its our marching orders sure but we soon find out that it ain’t + then we are in a state of suspense waiting for orders. … Ever yours truly, Wm. J. Anderson” Bruce S. Allardice is Professor of History at South Suburban College in Illinois. He is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Chicago. Wayne L. Wolf is past president of the Lincoln-Davis Civil War Roundtable.
Review of Burnside’s troops at Camp Union. From Harper’s Weekly, Jan. 18, 1862.
Photographs from the Original Article
Captions and credits appear in the article text as originally printed.