Manley Stacey Civil War Letters

The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest

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Manley Stacey Civil War Letters

September 1, 1862

*Camp Beardsley*	*ful. The countersign was only*	The Colonel yesterday, read the
*Harpers Ferry*	*given to me, so it kept me up*	Rules and articles of War and
*Sep 1st*	*nearly all the time.*	of our Camp, over 140, how is a
*I got a little too late for*	*I heard yesterday, from a mem-*	man to remember all these
*the mail this morning so, I*	*ber of the 126 Regt. an [Iowa]*
*concluded to write a little more.*	*Company, that Mary & Elizabeth*	*Hoping to hear*
*After writing my letter yesterday*	*Graves were both [Maimed]*	*from you*
*A couple of Contrabands came*	*I [meet] some from all [parts]*	*soon*
*into our camp from Low-*	*that I know. I [guess] you may*	*Manley*
*don. Jackson was impressing*	*send me a little money, as our*
*all of the Negroes into the ser-*	*poor living at first took more*
*vice so they concluded to run for*	*of my money. It is very warm here*
*their lives, I suppose according to*	*today, they have no rain*
*the Articles of war they are free*	*here for two months, so it is very dry*
*as their masters have taken up*	*& dusty. We brought in the Contrabands*
*Arms against the U S. We had*	*today, all the boys flocked around*
*a lovely time last night there*	*to see them come in, asking them*
*was four of us, 2 on & 2 off every*	*all sorts of questions. One of them brought*
*hour, We were right at the*	*in my Knapsack. The boys thought*
*foot of a large mountain, cov-*	*that I was sensible having a [waiter].*
*ered with Trees and bushes. Our*	*While writing this, we are having*
*Officers came up twice to see*	*a regular old soaker, the water*
*if we were attending our duty*	*is running all over the Tent so that*
*& try & run our Guard, but*	*we have to move all our Bag-*
*but could not come in. Our orders*	*gage. Yesterday the Orderly Sea-*
*was to fire into every squad of*	*rgent of our Company, was reduced*
*men, as there was no telling*	*to 5th Corporal, Pulver was his*
*which moment we might be*	*name, the 5th corporal was reduced*
*attacked, nor from what quarter*	*to the Ranks. I am satisfied*
*I tell you it made us watch-*	*that there will be more changes*
	*I never saw any one more at*
	*home than Elick Williams &*
	*Barney [Francisco], they are at home*
	*any where,*

Facsimiles of this letter

Who were "Contrabands"?

http://www.bjmjr.com/contrabands/

http://www.civilwarhome.com/contrabands.htm

http://dig.lib.niu.edu/civilwar/race.html

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