The Thomas McKean Collection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...