The war made the home front a very lonely place.

A while ago I came across an interesting article in the Middlesex Journal, July 27, 1861. It talks about the effect of recruiting in South Reading, now Wakefield, MA. Even that early in the war. The opening sentence paints a very sad picture. "So many young men have left town for the Camp and the battle-field, that a feeling of lonesomness comes over those who remain at home." Most of the recruits, from this town, at the battle-field" would have been in the 5th Regiment, Company "B". Those at the "Camp" where the Sixteenth Regiment Company "E" at Camp Cameron in Cambridge.
A war of this magnitude pulls a huge percentage of young men away from home at the same time. This makes a very big impact on the community, families, schools, workplaces etc. When you add this to the fact that companies would be recruited locally, you had a situation in which one very bad day at the battle field could mean that a large percentage of families could learn that their sons would never be coming home in the same edition of the local paper or that days mail.
The article goes on to talk about the importance of the Post Office as a gathering place for those waiting for word from their loved ones but still reflected the lessened population of the town as a whole. "The Post Office is not now thronged as it used to be, though probably the mails are as formerly. There is a time, however, when a deep interest is manifested in the contents of the mails, as was the case on Monday afternoon and some days subsequently. The letters were opened with trembling and the papers eagerly read ...The news of Monday P. M. , cast a deep gloom over the village, and although the reports the next morning  
learned the probability of the fall of friends in battle from this vicinity, there was dreadful uncertainty in the matter, which caused the greatest anxiety for days." It was learned that several of the casualties came from the town.
This was the First Battle of Bull Run. Parents, wives, children, friends and other loved ones would repeat this process for another four years.


Dan Sullivan

The Nineteenth Regimental Band

While looking through some old Boston Globes I found a reference that makes it seem likely that at least the band and maybe some members of Company "K" spent some time at Camp Cameron. In a July 27, 1902 article on the life of Henry Grant Weston, as a soldier and musician, it is stated that he was mustered in at Camp Cameron on Sept. 17, 1861 and left for the front with CO "K" on Sept. 23. In the Massachusetts Register #94, it states that the regiment was recruited at Camp Schouler, Lynnfield. I can find no references to it moving or any of the companies forming at other camps, as happened with some of the regiments that went through Cameron. "History of the Nineteenth Regiment" adds "The regimental band of 24 pieces, under bandmaster John A. Spofford, and a squad of recruits under Lieut. Bishop, of Company K, reached Camp Benton on September 27, 1861." This confirms that the band followed the regiment and a piece of Co. K did also. I do not know as yet how many men of Co. K traveled to the front with the band or if they also spent time at Camp Cameron. I also do not know as yet when the band arrived.
This does show the possibility of a trend at the camp. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, the Eleventh's Band remained behind at Camp Cameron for further training/recruiting and the Ninth's band went to Cameron after the Regiment went to the front. Now we know that the nineteenth did the same thing. Was this camp a training ground for Massachusetts bands? The locals often complained about the noise from the camp. It has generally been assumed that was on account of the muskets and cannons, could it also have been because of Henry grant Weston's tuba?

Dan Sullivan