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
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