Edward Henry Chase Civil War Letter 1863

Wilkes-Barre

April 2, 1863

To Lt. Col. H.M. Hoyt

My Dear Sir,

I have reproached myself daily for weeks that I have allowed so many golden moments to slip by without sending you word how constantly you are in my thoughts and your success and health the great burden of my daily aspirations.  Tonight, recovering from a terrific ague fit of some three days constant pain,  my nerves are wholly unable to withstand the demands of conscience on your behalf.  Tonight, I vindicate my regard for you to myself.

Since you have left I have “done” the Army of the Potomac  Important law business with Col. Dana procured me a Pass within the lines and a good horse did the rest.  Harry Hooker will achieve something!  The Grand Army is something more than a mob this time.  I remained four days with Dana.  He takes to the service readily and will succeed.  Lyman, Geo. Cottings and Gaylord are under arrest, have been off duty for 4 months.  They will probably come home in citizen’s dress.  Details for Hospitals,  pioneers, ambulances, etc. & 150 on picket have vouced the exhibiting of the Regiment dismally.  Dana could not show over 300 on dress parade.  But they make up in good spirit & contentment for numbers.  I ran across old cronies everywhere and felt dismal on leaving.  The Army, after all, is the only place to live in these days.  I haven’t been so well satisfied for a year as during that half-week.

It seemed like swooning to come back here.  But there’s a destiny shapes us.  We are organizing the un-uniformed now so as to present a (_____) phalanx of votes next Fall.

The prospect is discouraging and I would much rather join your storming party against Fort Sumpter so far as risks of defeat are concerned.  “Old Mr. Ketcham” goes upon the shelf out in Nebraska.  Garrick hangs pestinaciously still to Col. Wright’s coattail, which sits in the office from morning ‘til night, alone, “grand, gloomy and peculiar” bemoaning the days of old and times when a great part of whom I was which”.

Poor Colonel!  “Now none so poor to do him reverence”.  Curtiss and Fiorney manipulated him in Phil & Harrisburg very handsomely, but out their hands he falls at home as limp as a dishrag.  Caleb has removed to Main Street next door to Esq. Lewis and is undoubtedly perfect himself in the arts of an itinerant. He has made theologie forays to Plymouth & Pittston with his usual 4th of July success.

The whelps have got the New County on our shoulders and Shickshinny is trying it on below.  We await the action of Harrisburg with stoic resignation.  Madison, they dominate the embryo southern County.  This new host, if brought in to this campaign, will leave Luzerne scarcely the opportunity of a graceful surrender.  Stark, w/o hassed Luck, says he shall resist Madison and come home and defeat the former at the polls.  His insincerity is extremely refreshing.  Sterle has turned the whole (hood,  brood) from his corner “9 - 2 -n them”!  Hufford takes the hold.  We were badly whipped in the Spring elections two weeks ago and Copper headism is rampant.  Harry Beaumont,  Dr. Miner etc. ad hoc wear a big penny suspended by a red ribbon from the overcoat lappel button holes.  This morning Charlie Dockerty pitched into Miner on his way down to town and bunged his nose and face and head besides mudding him in a most pitiable manner.  The attack was so sudden and expeditious it was over before Miner had time to throw off his shawl (and) his bundles of papers and dinner.  Some of William’s usual chaste and mild allusions are suggested as the occasion of the irritation.

We are all much disgusted that William’s Quaker blood was so slow.  A good thrashing would have been (a merited) lesson to patrician Dockerty and been a toothsome morsel for us to him in our mouths.

Everybody is moving this Spring.  Mud is knee deep and the loads of household utensils struggling through the streets excite my sincere commiseration.  Nobody knows anybody any more.  All sorts of neighbors turn up in every quarter and the old (____) almost as if they had moved themselves, so many strangers about them.  A great wake over a smallpox corpse has introduced that disease into town.  The most virulent case I know of is next door to the RL.  We are all getting vaccinated and await future developments with what philosophy we can muster.  It must be some consolation to you heros to know that if the Copperheads keep away from bullets,  Providence is taking care they shall not enjoy their sins in peace.  

Ricketts and Harriman had a warm discussion yesterday suggested by his article on “loyalty”.

Ricketts fired away his King’s English in regular ironclad bombshells.  Harriman could outstand the infernal uproar any better than the Rebs at Malcom Hills.  Ricketts zigzags along with first a push from our side and a jab from the other.  He is death on the Proclamation and abolitionism, but he wages war to the knife on Copperheads.  His delight is in ponderous superlatives and an opportunity of hurling them as the head of our (worthy) (county)  District Attorney is better to him than a meal, which is an exceding strong simile as Peter McCL will swear to.

I see by the papers distinguished individuals of ironclad building notoriousness are to leave on Saturday for Port Royal,  a symptom either that something is loose, or more pleasingly, that “sommat” is to be done.  I am waiting patiently for next Saturday week’s paper anticipating stirring items from Charleston.  Should you be appointed Prov. Marshall of the City, I recommend to your consideration Ransonn, a (shou) dealer, a debtor of the paternal.

Give my regards to Major Congingham,  the adpt. Camp  Wichonist and others.  I am glad to hear such good cheer of your health and that the horrid cough is declining.  I wish it were so that duty would bring you back here to rally our party about.  We are relapsing into original particles now Ketchum is gone.  

I wish you would send an address to our Republican Club.  I don’t exactly like to manufacture one for you, but I shall be obliged to if you don’t.  I MUST have Garrick and Longstreet feel there is somebody capable, besides themselves, of carrying the Republican standard.  I am getting out of patience occasionally with the (Recon) and have chronic idease of assuming the proprietorship, but Dana left his office is such gloriously indescribable confusion, daytime does not leave me opportunity of sublimating my ideas to an opinion much less into a practical operation.  The family are well.  I keep an eye on George and Harry, speaks to me in the street, so I think the (watch) is not yet lost to all correct impulses.  With kindest remembrances

I am very truly yours,   Edward H Chase

Civil War letter from Edward Henry Chase, 1861, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Letter from Edward Henry Chase to his sister Kate

From Camp Slifer in Chambersburg, Virginia

May 3, 1861

Dear Kate,

Your letter of remonstrance was forwarded and arrived day before yesterday. The following mail brought me George’s acknowledgment of the news of my enlistment. I was too busy yesterday to write and this morning steal an hour on pretense of “on duty.” I am relieved from guard duty the most onerous of a private’s life, and am allowed sleeping quarters at the hotel so long as the colonel makes his headquarters in town. I have already written home this week as most likely you have heard. I am still well, extravagantly so and in excellent spirits as I always manage to be. In fact, I consider myself so much accommodated beyond the rest of our company privates that it would be inhuman not to be gratulatory. I am better off even than the majority of the commissioned officers, who are obliged in honor to remain and share quarters with their men. We breakfast at 7. from then to 10 attend to the Colonel’s reports orders and other writing. report at 10 in camp for drill. return at 6 for the mail and daily papers and at 9 or 10 at latest am free to go to bed which I must confess comes gratefully. The boys in camp sleep in their clothes on straw. Reveille sounds at daybreak. drill till 7. breakfast. squad drill till 9 ½. Company drill from 10 to 11 ½. Dinner and respite till 1 ½. drill till 3 ½. Squad company drill from 4 to 5 ½. Supper. Squad drill again till dark. 9 roll call and bed. For victuals bread coffee and meat. salt and (fish?). Occasionally the ladies send up a basket of provisions biscuits doughnuts and C (coffee?). This camp is intended as one for instruction and is substantially built. We have received no orders for marching and the general impression is that our three months will be spent here. No ammunition has as yet been furnished which tends to confirm the impression. However the 20 days for the (disbursement? dishusment?) of the (noters?) have not expired. After that an aggressive policy may ensue.

If so, I presume we march.  In event of actual hostilities, my civic duties will be more in demand than now and the ranks will be deprived of my valuable services.  The ordinary accidents will be, I presume, then the greatest danger I shall encounter.  So you need not be un-necessarily alarmed.  We are quartered in a delightful town, the season much advanced.  A cherry tree comes up to my bedroom window and the blossoms are already gone,  the fruit set.  Peach & apple trees in blossom and shade trees in nearly full leaf.  Today is cool and cloudy but most of the time we have been here the weather has been warm & pleasant.  Sunday was rainy early in the day but the Camp was water proof and the men did not suffer.  Yesterday commenced the battalion drills.  It is a gay sight.  A field covered with men performing their military evolutions.  Last night, another regiment joined us making our number nearly 2500.

In case of marching it will be increased by (vitlers?) (laundresses) etc. much beyond that.  This PM if pleasant our whole regiment parades 770 men in all.  I will be a gay scene in the sunshine.

We had reliable news from Harper’s Ferry yesterday by way of Hagerstown.  A Deputation of citizens came over to make peace with the General for the secession spirit of their town along back.

They say there are upwards of 1000 men in & about the Ferry but unorganized and unequipped.

Last night, I saw a letter from Williamsport in western Maryland asking for arms to equip a Union Company in their town.  This spirit is strengthening daily and our march, if it comes through Maryland to Baltimore will be as well received as when coming from Harrisburg here.

This morning, a company of flying artillery left here for the encampment of York.  This looks like active preparations for some destination.  My own impression is we shall not be held here longer than to be uniformed.  That a strong force will march from Washington to take possession of Norfolk on Monday and that we shall be ordered on to fill their place at the Capital.  This I gather from the general tone of the papers.  We have both NY & Phila. papers daily.  Since I wrote home I have arranged with the P.M. here for the delivery of the papers and letters for our Regiment.  So, please change my address to Chambersburg Camp Slifer.

Put on “8th Regiment” plain & I shall get anything without delay.  The circumlocution office at Harrisburg is slow and unsafe.  Yours and George’s the 21st and 23rd are the only documents I have received from home since leaving W B (Wilkes Barre).  I am satisfied more have been sent.  Give my love to all the folks not forgetting Mimmie.  Write me as often as you can & drop me a paper occasionally.

Your Bro.,  Edward H Chase 

For more information, please refer to these 2 websites:

www.pa-roots.com/pacw

( and click on infantry)

www.pacivilwar.com/bates.html

(and click on 8th regiment)

Edward Henry Chase (1835 - 1908), Biography

Edward Henry Chase was born in Haverhill, MA on February 28, 1835.  He had 8 siblings.

He graduated from Union College in 1855 and taught at a school in New York City. He moved to Wilkes-Barre in 1857.

He was admitted to the bar in 1859, becoming a lawyer.  

He served in the Union Army during the Civil War,  Wyoming Valley Light Brigade.

He enlisted as a private in Company C of the 8th Regiment of the Pennsylvania volunteers.

He enlisted on April 22, 1861 and was mustered out of service on July 29 1861.

Family records state that he was captured at Falling Warer, Virginia, June 19,1981.  They also state that he was imprisoned at Libby, Richmond, Va,  Raleigh, NC and Salisbury, NC until June 1862.   However, I have not been able to confirm this “capture - imprisonment" claim.

He married Elizabeth Taylor on June 18, 1863 and they had 5 children:  Harold Taylor Chase,  Samuel Cogswell Chase, Ethel Hill Chase,  Frances Brooks Chase, and Mary Ann Chase (who died in 1871).
Their home was at 49 South River Street (later number 184) in Wilkes-Barre.

He became the Deputy Post Master of Wilkes-Barre in 1865.  

He was the City Attorney from 1868 - 1873.   Edward was active in drafting the Wilkes-Barre City Charter of 1871. He was a member of the Borough Council and later the City Council.

He also served as Collector of the Internal Revenue Service for the 12th District of Pennsylvania from 1873 - 1878.

On January 2, 1871, Charles A. Miner, George D. Kulp and Edward H. Chase leased an area of about 57 acres to George J. Magee. The area is located in what are now the First and Sixteenth Wards of the City of Wilkes-Barre. The acres were leased "for the term necessary to mine and remove all of the mercantable coal, for an annual minimum rental of $5000 in each year after 1875 plus royalty on coal above a certain screen size", lease to Lehigh Valley Coal Co. in 1908.  
In 1947, a principle slope, used by the Coal Co. for the hoisting of coal, crosses the Miner, Kulp and Chase tract for a short distance in its eastern corner -- coal mined from areas beyond the tract must cross it on the route to the surface. (Charles A. Miner, Jr., was still living in 1947.)
In the obituary for Frances B. Chase of 1964, it says as follows: "In 1947, Miss Chase donated two parcels of land in the 16th ward to the City of Wilkes-Barre, residue of the Miner, Kulp and Chase property. The land was located on both sides of Johnson Street, east of North Main Street, running along Mill Creek and abutting Lehigh Valley Railroad on the southerly side of Johnson Street. Miss Chase inherited the land from her brother, Samuel C. Chase. The city used the land for the improvement of streets and the sewer system in the North End.

Edward was a director and founder of the Wilkes-Barre City Hospital and the Wilkes-Barre Academy.

By October of 1906, he had lost his ability to speak with a stroke.

He died in Wilkes-Barre, PA on March 9, 1908 of heart failure after the “grippe”.  He was buried at Hollenbach Cemetery,  Wilkes-Barre.

Edward Henry Chase, daguerritype

Kate Chase, EHC's sister

Unknown relatives - (maybe Deacon Samuel Chase with Priscilla Cogswell ?)

Document signed by President Andrew Johnson and Sec. of State William Seward appointing Edward Henry Chase as Deputy Post Master of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1865

Edward Henry Chase in 1906

Edward Henry Chase in 1906

Edward Henry Chase in 1861

Edward Henry Chase in 1861