Harry Stewart
Harry Stewart
Photo Courtesy of the Thompson Family.


Headquarters
2nd Maryland Regiment
Camp Opposite Newbern
April 17, 1862

Dearest Mother,

The mail leaves today and I have very little time to write. The papers we receive tells of the victory at Corin, the siege of Yorktown, etc. and we are all glad to hear of it. Today is a beautiful day, sun is as warm as July in Medford and sand why this place is worse than Jersey. Tell Hennie to write for I have so much to do and the mails are so irregular that I suppose it will be sometime before you hear from me. Our chaplain is with us but he has several failings. I've never been to hear him and never will for he is a hypocrite. Drinks rum, preaches a good deal when he is about half drunk and during the time when he should be trying to do the men good he is poking his nose into regimental affairs so as to create a disturbance for he is a great tattler and as I told him yesterday, a fool and a liar. For I have been in a church and read the bible too much to believe anything anybody tells me. Very few of the men will listen to him and he will be kicked out of the regiment very soon. Give my love to all. You will hear from me in every mail. So if it is sometimes long don't blame me. We will be paid about the 5th of May again when I will send you as much as I can. I got nothing for extra duty under General Hatch. I do the work others get the pay and praise. I must stop. Write. Love to all, sisters in particular.

And believe me,
your loving son Harry.
Direct Harry H. Stewart
c/o Colonel John Sommer
2nd Maryland Regiment
Burnside's Coast Division
Newbern, North Carolina