“The enemy’s balls whistled like hail about our ears.”

That was Sergeant Francis Woodhouse of Company F, 11th Pennsylvania, writing home to Pittston from Martinsburg, Virginia on July 6, 1861 – four days after his regiment had waded the Potomac River at Williamsport and walked into a firefight at Hoke’s Run.

Woodhouse was 30-years-old, a professional photographer in the Luzerne County community of Pittston. The trade had nearly broken him the year before. In March 1860, fire tore through downtown Pittston and took his studio, equipment, and his family’s home with no insurance to cover the loss.

The cause was never determined, though the volatile chemicals that made photography possible would have fed the flames into an inferno regardless of where the blaze started.

Woodhouse had enlisted in the US Army after the fall of Fort Sumter as a sergeant in Captain John Fish’s Company F, 11th Pennsylvania – the Pittston Volunteers.

On July 2, Confederate forces met the 11th Pennsylvania at Hoke’s Run, and what followed was a running fight through fields and treelines for three miles. Woodhouse held his ground while cannon fire tore through the lines and he watched two Pittston men fall wounded beside him. He came through without a scratch.

Readers of the Luzerne Union were getting their first detailed account of the engagement from someone who had been in it. Woodhouse covers the mechanics of the fight, a punishing 30-mile supply escort in scorching heat that followed, and a growing suspicion that the regiment’s three-month enlistment was not going to end on schedule.

From the Luzerne Union, July 17, 1861:

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Letter from a Pittstonian. 

MARTINSBURG, Va., 

July 6, 1861. 

DEAR MAG. –

I have been trying to get a chance to write you a few lines the last three days, but I have been so busy, I could not until morning. I suppose you have before this time received news of our battle, but you would prefer to have it from first quarters. 

We left Williamsport at 6 o’clock on the morning of the 2d of July, without knowing where we were going except that we were going into Virginia.

We waded the Potomac and got wet about half way, which was very unpleasant for some time. After marching about three miles we were ordered to form a line in the woods at the road side. which we did, but no enemy came; we waited half an hour, then formed in the road again and marched forward about two miles, when the enemy commenced firing on our scouts. 

We were resting at the time, but jumped up in double quick time and moved on over a hill, when we came in sight of them at a distance of about 400 yards. We formed line and moved over one field and commenced firing.

The enemy’s balls whistled like hail about our ears and sometimes a charge of grape would pass through our line, but none of our company were killed although we got the hottest of the fire. 

James Morgan was dangerously wounded below the knee, the ball breaking the bone, and Daniel Stiles in the thick part of the thigh, but not seriously; Morgan is doing well at present. They were both of them near me when they fell. I expected to get a pop every minute, but did not receive a scratch.

One of our men had his gun shot right through, barrel and all, by a bullet. 

We fought the rebels for three miles, they stopping at every piece of woods and giving us a volley, but we did not let them stay long. The last place they made a stand they had very good ground, with four guns, some of them rifled cannon, but our two cannon drove them off after four or five rounds. 

The rebels had five regiments, engaged while we had but two, so you see we whipped them with less than half their number. We burned a barn with shell to get at them. One of our shells bursted right in the middle of them while they were getting ready to charge on us and made them scatter like sheep.

We camped on their ground the next day. 

We came down to this place without further molestation: We dug up their dead and buried them again, as they were not half covered. Seventy-five men were found dead and I have no doubt they lost at least a hundred besides wounded. We are told that they had four wagon loads of wounded, so you will see our shots must have been better directed than theirs.

It is surprising how we got off with so few killed and wounded – out of our two regiments there were only three killed and wounded, and some of the wounded so slightly so that they did not leave the field. We expected to give them another touch the next day at a place about eight miles from here; at a place called Little Bunker Hill, but they have left or our General is not ready for them yet. I do not know which. 

We expect the next battle will be at the, above place or at Winchester, a town about 26 miles from here. We expect to join our forces with [McClellan’s], which will make an army of about 55,000 or 60,000 men. They make, with wagons and horses, a line about eight miles long : so you may imagine what a crowd they make when marching. 

I do not know how long we will stay here: we all feel anxious to go to Washington, through Virginia. I hope we will. 

There is a report about camp that Jeff. Davis sent word to our General that if we did not leave Virginia in 24 hours he would hang every one of us.

Gen. Patterson sent word that he had some heavy pieces that it was not convenient to move, so I do not think we will go unless Davis can drive us out, which I doubt very much. 

On Thursday we went up to Williamsport, 12 miles from here, to guard a train of 200 baggage wagons, which went after provisions for us. We had a very tedious march, I assure you, as it was very hot and dusty. We got back to camp again yesterday, about worried out, having marched 30 miles in 24 hours, in a cloud of dust and under a scorching sun. It was intended as a compliment to us, as the train was of great value, and Gen. Patterson said we had been tried and he could trust us in case were attacked, which was expected, as they are very hard up for food and clothes, but I guess they got enough of us on the 2d, I would rather not have any more such compliments; as it gave us the hardest pull we have had yet. 

I forgot to mention that the 1st Wisconsin regiment was with us in the battle and with the train. There is a mistake in the paper accounts of the fight. They say that the Wisconsin regiment were the front scouts, but it was the scouts of our regiment that first crossed the Potomac on the 2d, and they exchanged shots with the rebel scouts on the Virginia side soon after landing, just as the balance of us were starting. 

Martinsburg is quite a nice looking village, but is very dull in trade now. There are at the depot at this place 60 engines that have been burned by the rebels, and about 100 cars, besides bridges, railroad and telegraph buildings, and coal enough to last the citizens (so they say) six years, so you can imagine what a vast amount has been destroyed, and what makes it still worse it will not help them in the least, but seems to have been done out of spite to the Railroad Company. 

The citizens say that if we could have got here two weeks sooner we could have saved $2,000,000. I wish we had come, as it has distressed some very good Union men. 

I forgot to mention in its place that coming back from Williamsport yesterday, someone set fire to a rebel Captain’s house and barn and burned it to the ground. The owner is with the rebels now, and I guess his family is too, as I could see no one about the premises. I do not know who set it on fire, but it must have been someone of our party, as when we passed there was no sign of fire, but before we went two miles we saw the fire, and a man came up on a horse and told us the house and barn were in ashes. 

Some of the men wanted to give three cheers but their officers would not allow it.

We have not got our pay yet, nor do we know when we will; I do not believe we will get any until we get discharged, and I don’t know when that will be. 

Our time is out the 23d of this month, but I doubt if we get away at that time. 

Yours,

FRANK.

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Read the previous letter from the Letters from War: 1861 series.

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This is part of an ongoing series called “Letters from War: 1861” that will share correspondence written on the front lines during the turbulent first year of the Civil War.

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