“Dash Across the Rappahannock”

“Dash Across the Rappahannock”

Pvt. James Seals

Location: Camp Humphrey Falmouth, Virginia

Date: March 19th, 1863

Unit: Co. H 123rd Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers

Camp Humphrey

Near Falmouth VA. March 19th, 1863

Dear Father

Your kind and welcome letter of March 9th was received and read with pleasure last evening. I was extremely sorry to hear that my mothers health was so poor but I sincerely hope she may soon get over it and by the time I get back be perfectly well.

My health, is not now, nor has been for some time back very good. I am not sick but have had a very severe pain in my breast and side. The doctor gave me mustard plasters but when I put them on they pained me so I had to take them off and I couldn't get them to do me any good, but the other day the doctor cupped me in four places, two on my breast and two on my side and afterwards rubbed kroton oil on them. Im very sore, but still I believe it will do me a good deal of good. It has taken away all the pain. The pain was in my right side and breast.

I am pained to inform you of the death of John J. Downey, son of Lawyer Downey, of Waynesburg. He died on Tuesday morning last after about a weeks illness of typhoid fever. His body is at Falmouth being embalmed and will be started home today. I got a letter from Thomas last Monday. He was well, and was as hard as ever , down on the Democrats or Copperheads as he called them. Last Friday a week I went over to see the 7th Virginia Regt. and saw all the Greene county boys, they were all well.

I also got a letter from Ellen Zimmerman the other day. She said you had been down to see them. They were all well. I expect our regiment will be discharged about the 1st of May so we will only have about 5 weeks to serve yet. You need not be weary about my enlisting again before I come back, as I have no thought of it.

Will Zimmerman is not well and hasn’t been since he has been in the army. It don’t agree with him as it does with others. He has fell away so much that you would not know him if you would meet him.

The weather here is very changeable. Part of our regiment is out on picker. We have to picker 3 days out of every nine. When the weather is bad it is very disagreeable.

Day before yesterday a division of our cavalry made a dash across the Rappahannock and captured some 75 prisoners some horse and 5 pieces of artillery. It was a pretty successful dash. Tell Will to write me as I have not had a letter from him for a good while.

All the boys are well. As I know of nothing else of importance to write I will close by requesting you to answer soon.

Yours affectionately,

James Seals

Co. H. 123rd Regt. PA Vol.

Biography:

James Seals

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Biography:

James H Seals was born June 1842 in Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania, USA. James had 2 brothers, one of which I mentioned in the previous letter: Thomas Seals, who fought with the 7th Wisconsin in the Iron Brigade. Unlike his brother, James did not leave his home state or town. He would stay close to home and his family and would end up marrying Ethelinda Seals.

Early in the war, James Seals did not get involved like his brother, Thomas Seals, did. He would end up joining Company H, 123 Pennsylvania Infantry August 9th, 1862. During this time, the 123rd Pennsylvania would be in Antietam (though only in reserves), the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the Battle of Chancellorsville. James would then muster into the 2nd US artillery and later even Company A of the 18th Cavalry. In the 18th, he would be part of a number of engagements including Gettysburg, Cold Harbor, and The Battle of the Winchester. The 18th Pennsylvania would take part in around 50 engagements.

This letter was written about 3 months after Fredericksburg and a mere couple of months before Chancellorsville. During this time, he talks about a couple of the events going on at the time, there is a good bit of medical information in this letter. Evidently, James had received an injury to his shoulder; my guess is it might have been sore from firing his rifle, but he talks of some of the treatments at that time. Mustard plasters were applied to his shoulder, and he also went through some cupping to try and help with this injury.

Cupping is where heated cups made of glass suction the area of injury and attempt to ease the pain. He also talks about the cavalry making a dash across the Rappahannock River to capture 75 Confederates and 5 pieces of artillery. This altogether sounds like a pretty successful charge given the outcome, and I think that James would long to be a part of cavalry, which later he would.

James survived the war and ended up going back to his hometown where he would have 3 kids: William, Archibald, and David. He would go to work as a brick mason and eventually developed pleurisy which later led to his death July 7th, 1919. He is buried at Higgins Cemetery in Greene County, Pennsylvania.