Poughkeepsie Eagle December 25, 1863
Headquarters, Purnell Legion Md. Vols.
Chapel Point, Md., Dec. 18, 1863
Dear Eagle:
We have had a visit from an anxiously-waited-for personage, the paymaster. A few more days and four months pay would have been due us.
I took a ride last week to two of our detachments. My journey took me through a fine country, but unimproved; houses old and dilapidated, fences broken and in places torn down, and roads and bridges in bad condition. I remarked one peculiarity, a large number of gates across the public roads. Every farmer at the beginning and end of his farm throws a gate across the road to mark the extent of his possessions and save fences. We passed through several so called towns and villages. A store at the junction of two roads is considered a village. The largest one was called Newburg, and consisted of one store, one blacksmith shop, and two dwelling houses, the post office being in the store. Not much like our thriving neighbor of the same name on the Hudson.
The principal crop is tobacco, which is raised in great abundance and of good quality. The livestock raised is generally horses and negroes, the number of both determining the wealth of the inhabitants. Very few of the poorer class of whites are found here, the county being the home of the negro aristocracy of the state.
I stopped all night with one of our detachments at a place called Lancaster Wharf. It is the principal wharf in this neighborhood, a steamer from Baltimore and Washington stopping on each trip. The night I stayed there some of our picket squad under Lieut. Christopher captured a man from the Virginia side of the Potomac. They failed to capture the boat, a small one, which with its crew immediately put back and probably reached Dixie in safety. The prisoner whose name is Coskeny, claimed to be a British subject, trying to get to Peoria, Illinois. He had on his person a certificate of naturalization and a passport from the consul at Richmond. He had been residing in Augusta, Georgia, and had been seven weeks getting to the rebel capital. We detained him until we received orders from headquarters, and then sent him on his way rejoicing.
Since then three more have been captured, together with the boat - all refugees. One of them was a lady, who declared she was tired of rebeldom, and never wished to return. They took the oath of allegiance, and were discharged. They did not care anything for the loss of the boat, as long as they were on Union soil.
Wishing you a happy New Year,
I am yours, &c.
S.H.B. Jr.