This is the wartime correspondence of Band Leader Thomas McKean, of the 10th Pennsylvania Reserves. After the regimental band was disbanded – it’s members were absorbed into the various companies in the regiment. McKean can be found on the muster rolls of Company G, of the 10th Regiment.
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 13, 1861
TENNALLYTOWN D.C.
SEPT. 13, 1861
DEAR RACHEL- I GOT HERE YESTERDAY NOON, BUT WAS TO BUSY ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND SHAKING HANDS TO WRITE. I SUPPOSE WHISTLER GAVE YOU NOTICE THAT WE HAD LEFT HARRISBURG SAFELY. WE GOT TO BALTIMORE AT 6 O’CLOCK I...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 15, 1861
CAMP TENNALLYTOWN, D.C.
SEPT 15TH, 1861
DEAR WIFE - ACCORDING TO PROMISE, I WRITE YOU AGAIN, TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM WELL, AND ENJOYING MYSELF. I WRITE THIS BEAUTIFUL MORNING UPON THE BANKS OF ROCK CREEK, A PRETTY LITTLE STREAM,...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 19-20, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY DC
SEPT 19, 1861
DEAR RACHEL- A WEEK AGO TODAY I REACHED THIS PLACE, AND A WEEK’S EXPERIENCE OF CAMP LIFE HAS ONLY INCREASED MY BELIEF THAT IT FITS ME ADMIRABLY. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN TOLERABLY GOOD. WE HAVE HAD TWO SHOWERS- O...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 24, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY D.C.
SEPT. 24. 1861
DEAR WIFE - I GOT YOUR LETTER YESTERDAY MORNING, AFTER ALMOST GIVING UP ALL HOPE OF HEARING FROM YOU. I AM STILL IN CAPITAL HEALTH, AND STILL ENJOY MYSELF. ON SATURDAY LAST WE HAD A GRAND REVIEW OF...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 25, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY D.C
SEPT. 25TH 1861
DEAR WIFE - I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER THIS EVENING., IT BEING THE SECOND ONE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM HOME.
I AM VERY SORRY TO HEAR THAT DIPHTHERIA HAS BROKEN OUT IN MERCER. WE HAD ESCAPED IT SO LONG...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 29, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY, D.C.
SEPT. 29, 1861
DEAR WIFE - THIS IS MY THIRD SUNDAY IN CAMP, AND LIKE THE OTHER TWO, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT DAY. LAST SUNDAY I SPENT IN THE CITY, BUT TODAY NO ONE IS
ALLOWED TO GO OUT OF CAMP UPON E ANY PRETEXT....
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, September 26, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY, D.C.
SEPT. 26, 1861
DEAR RACHEL -
THIS BEING A FAST DAY, THERE IS NO DRILL IN OUR BRIGADE, AND I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHANCE TO WRITE YOU, ALTHOUGH I WROTE LAST NIGHT. THIS MAKES THE FIFTH LETTER I HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU...
Letter from Thomas McKean, probably from Camp Tenally, September 30, 1861
MONDAY MORNING SEPT. 30, 1861
DEAR RACHEL -
CONTRARY TO ALL OUT EXPECTATIONS, WE WERE NOT CALLED OUT LAST NIGHT. THERE WAS NO FURTHER FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE PART OF GEN. McCLELLAN YESTERDAY, BECAUSE IT WAS SUNDAY. TODAY OUR...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, October 2, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY, OCT. 2 1861
DEAR WIFE -
WE ARE STILL HERE, AND THOUGH STILL UNDER PRECAUTIONARY ORDERS, THE FEELING EXISTS SOMEHOW, IN MY MIND, THAT McCALLS’S DIVISION WILL STAY HERE UNTIL WE GO INTO WINTER QUARTERS. YESTERDAY T...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, October 5, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY, OCT. 5, 1861
DEAR RACHEL -
I RECEIVED YOUR LETTER ENCLOSING ONE FROM WILLIE AND ELLIE, YESTERDAY EVENING, AND THE WHOLE THREE WERE VERY ACCEPTABLE. I WILL WRITE TO THE CHILDREN SOON. I AM GOING DOWN TO THE...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, October 7, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY
OCT. 7. 1861
DEAR WIFE - I DID NOT WRITE YESTERDAY, BECAUSE I WENT OVER TO LEASURE’S REGIMENT, AND WHEN I GOT BACK I WAS TIRED ENOUGH TO REST. I SAW MANY OLD FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES , AND HAD RATHER A...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Tenally, October 9, 1861
CAMP TENNALLY OCT. 9TH, 1861
DEAR RACHEL -
THE REGIMENT MOVED OVER THE RIVER THIS EVENING AND THE BAND REMAINS IN CAMP TILL MORNING, WHEN THE WHOLE WILL GO OVER INTO VIRGINIA. WE CANNOT KNOW WHAT IS ON HAND, BUT I SUPPOSE A GENERAL...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Pierpont, October 12, 1861
CAMP PIERMONT
FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA.
OCT. 12TH, 1861
DEAR RACHEL-
WE HAVE HALTED AND PITCHED OUR CAMP AT THIS PLACE, WHICH IS
CALLED CAMP PIERPONT, IN HONOR OF THE WESTERN GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA. IT IS ON THE DIRECT ROAD FROM...
Letter from Thomas McKean, probably from Camp Pierpont, October 20, 1861
Oct 20th 1861
Dear Rachel- our regiment advanced to Vienna, together with McCall’s entire division. The band went with it, but it was necessary for me to go to the city to get some instruments and some new music, so I was left behind. The camp i...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Pierpont, October 21, 1861
Camp PierpontOct 21 1861
Dear Rachel- We are in Camp Pierpont again. Saturday McCall’s division moved up he road toward Leeburg some six or eight miles. I did not go with them but went out yesterday. No enemy appearing and having found out that mo...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Pierpont, October 24, 1861
Camp Pierpont Oct. 24 ,1861
Dear Wife- We are still here but are to leave in a couple of hours for Leesburg, we suppose. The whole division is to move a 8 o’clock this morning. Our brigade will be in the rear and our regiment in the r...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Pierpont, October 26, 1861
Camp Pierpont, Oct 26 1861
Dear Wife- I find a sheet of paper lying loose in the tent already dated by someone else and I appropriated it to my own use. We are still at PIerpont and the prospect is that we will be here for ...
Letter from Thomas McKean, from Camp Pierpont, December 19, 1861
CAMP PIERPONT, DEC. 19 1861
DEAR RACHEL
I AM WRITING THIS IN OUR NEW QUARTERS - THAT IS IN OUR NEW CABIIN. WE HAVE A VERY COMFORTABLE HOUSE, AND WE CAN STAND ANY AMOUNT OF COLD WEATHER. WE HAVE A LITTLE SHEET IRON STOVE WITH TWO HOLES IN...
