Marcus Harris Ward

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1850, Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts; He was recorded while living with his parents.; : 12
• Census: 1855, Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts; He was recorded while living with his parents. ; : 18
• Census: 1860, Orange, Franklin County, Massachusetts; He was recorded while living with his parents.; : 23
• Military: 3 Oct 1861; He enlisted in the 25th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers, Company I, as a private on 3 October 1861.
• History: 20 Dec 1861; On 20 December 1861, he sent the following letter home: Camp Hicks Annapolis Dec 20th 1861 My Dear Brother, I got excused from drill this afternoon and I thought it best to answer your letter which I ought to have done before but have been rather unwell and took all the time besides drilling to rest but am feeling better and hope that I may be as tough as any boy in the Camp. I think that I have had bout my share of sickness for the time since I left home but it is not for me to say perhaps(?) I may be sick in to days but hope not to be. You wished me to write what our living was wel it is in the morning for breakfast most generally boiled salt met and bread and coffee for dinner fresh meat boyled and bread and water for supper coffee and bread. We have had some fried meat three times and and it tasted good you had better believe boyled meat don’t go so good take it rite along. Three months together I suppose it makes a diferance wheather a man is tough or not bout such things. Sliping down now comes the work part in the morning at half past six the drum beats for role call and then we have to start our boots there is no laying a bead five or ten minutes after the drum sounds same as there is at home after a fellow had bin out at knight to see the women but according to what I have heard I suppose you wil not be going three or four miles every Sunday knight to see her because by your saying that you was going to leave home the first of the year it rather strikes me that I am going to have a new Sister by marriage my Dear Brother I would like to be there about new years but it can’t be so as it is getting to be into the evening I wil let you know a little something about the work part and then close. Well after the role call in the morning as I told you at seven we go out on drill stay out til about eight ten minutes past breakfast then nine go out on brigade dril get home about twelve dinner at one half past two go out squad drill stay stay til about four then come in and put on our overcoats fal in for role call then go out to dres prade it gets to be bout dark then. Then comes coffee and bread then half past eight come role call then you can go to bed set up til ten if you want to then comes the drum to tel us to put out the lights then we can go to bed or set up in the dark that is bout all the work we have to do I believe though Saterdays in the afternoon we have to clean up our equipments and then Sunday in the four noon we are inspected in the afternoon go to meeting. Our meetings are out doers on the Camp ground. Sunday is about as hard days work as we have it is not very easy work to be a soldier though my health has bin very poor since I inlisted though I am in hopse to be better now You wanted to know if there was any thing that I wanted. I don’t know as there is for we have after so long a time we have got our pay and I can by things cheaper than you could send them to. I am much obliged to you though and as it is getting to be about bed time I shal have to close by biding you good by. MHW Please excuse mistakes for there is a number I presume
• History: 16 Apr 1863; The regiment was sent to North Carolina as part of the Burnside expedition. He was captured near Winfield, North Carolina on 16 April 1863 . The story of his capture is given by Denny in the regimental history of the 25th Massachusetts Volunteers: Upon one occasion a "secesh woman" came within the lines with her bundles of luggage, desiring permission to pass into Dixie. Captain Parkhurst found that her luggage was contraband of war and refused to permit her to transfer her "dry goods" to the possession of the enemy, but "allowed" that she might go as soon as her pleasure permitted. The woman satisfied to leave her goods, if she could go without them, requested to be furnished with means of crossing the Chowan and an escort. The gallant captain not being proof against woman's eloquent appeals, consented to comply wither wishes and detailed Sergeant Lyman S. Wheeler and Private Marcus H. Ward both of Company I, with a couple of negro oarsmen, to convey the woman up the river and deliver her to the nearest Confederate outpost. At the enemy's outpost the woman was delivered up and then the Confederates seized Wheeler and Ward as prisoners of war! Company I lost two good men and two muskets, and the colored men lost their liberty, for a time at least. Wheeler and Ward were exchanged a long time afterwards. On 17 July 1863, he was paroled and returned to his regiment. When his enlistment was up, he reenlisted and took a furlough back to Orange in January 1864.
• History: 3 Jun 1864, Cold Harbor, Hanover County, Virginia; On 3 June 1864, he was wounded in the breast during assault at the Battle of Cold Harbor.

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