• Login
  • Register
  • FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Documents
  • Activities
  • Activity Tools
    • All Tools
    • Analyzing Documents
    • Discussion Topic
    • Compare and Contrast
    • Zoom/Crop
    • White Out / Black Out
    • Spotlight
    • Finding a Sequence
    • Making Connections
    • Mapping History
    • Seeing the Big Picture
    • Weighing the Evidence
    • Interpreting Data
  • Popular Topics
    • See All
    • National History Day
    • The Constitution
    • Labor History
    • Sports: All-American
    • Rights in America
    • American Indians
    • Women's Rights
    • American Revolution
    • The Civil War
    • World War I
    • World War II
    • The Vietnam War
    • 1970s America
    • Congress
    • Amending America
    • Elections
    • What Americans Eat
    • Signatures
    • Nixon and Ford Years
  • Resources
    • Getting Started
    • Document Analysis
    • Activity-Creation Guide
    • Manage Assignments
    • iPad App
    • Presentation Materials
    • Webinars
      • Recorded Webinars
      • Live Webinars
MENU
DocsTeachThe online tool for teaching with documents, from the National Archives National Archives Foundation National Archives

Letter from Louis Wagner to C. W. Foster Regarding the 6th Regiment

9/17/1863

Print
Add to Favorites:
Add
Saving document...
Your document has been saved.
Add all page(s) of this document to activity:
1
2
Add only page 1 to activity:
Add only page 2 to activity:
Lieutenant Colonel Louis Wagner, 88th Division of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Commander Camp William Penn, sent this letter to Major C.W. Foster, Assistant-Adjutant General of Volunteers for the Bureau for Colored Troops. It provided an update on the 6th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops. Wagner also requested permission to parade a regiment throughout Philadelphia, and wrote that Mayor Henry admitted that he had mistaken his fears about such a parade.

Show/Hide Transcript

Transcript

21

Feeling that I had done injustice to the men and officers of the 3rd Regt. in not reporting cases similar to the above in that regiment. I have demimonde to bring all such officers to the notice of the Department in the hope that they may be deprived of the commissions

I do not know whether this man has been before the Board of Examiners or not but am satisfied that his letters prove him unfit for any position in the service

I have that honor to be
Very Respectfully
Your obt Servant
Signed Louis Wagner
Lt Col 88th Regt Pa
Comg Camp William Penn


Head Quarters Camp William Penn
Chelten Hill Pa.
Sept 14th 1863
Major CW Foster 
Chief of Bureau for Colored Troops
Washington DC

Sir
I take pleasure in reporting the completion of the 6th Regt. of Col’d Troops, also that Eight men from 9th Dist. Pa. have arrived and have been placed in Co A of the new regiment. What will be the number of this regiment?

From information received I am led to suppose that at least one and very probably two companies of this regiment will be filled this week. You will see the necessity of providing officers for the same at once.

Meaning that the 6th Regt may be ordered away not fully officers I append a list of the officers reported for duty

Lieut L Hosfild Quartermaster
1st " Chase York Co A Actg Adjutant
Capt Robert B Beath Co A
1st Lieut George E Heath - D
"   "   Aaron N Buckman - F
" " James Woodard “ R (updated Sept 13 63)
2nd Lieut Man J Chamberlain "C
" " Willard R Hammond "E
" " Fredrick Meyer "B
" " Eber C Pratt "G
" "F B Johnson "D

Officers have always been assigned to the companies last completed. Co's H & I are commanded by Sergeants detailed by Gen Cadwallader. One of whom, Sergt Harry Card, is an applicant for Remission to



appear before the examining Board (illegible) is an active persuading young officer and I hope he will have an early appointing of appearing before the Board.

I would ask permission to parade this regiment through Philadelphia after it is fully officered and previous to its departure for the seat of war.

Many of the most prominent citizens are anxious for such a parade; the idea of a riot is scouted as Even Mayor Henry admitting that he had mistaken his fears and it is conceded on all sides that the result would be a good one. As this parade would stimulate enlistments and in other ways assist us in our labors I trust the Department will grant the desires permission.

I remain
Very Respectfully
Your Obt servant
signed Louis Wagner
Lt Col Comg Camp


Head Quarters Camp William Penn
Chelten Hills
September. 17th 1863.

Capt. William B. Lane

Sir.
To prevent mistake I here with send a complete list of all officers reported to the 6th Regt. U.S.C Troops with the date of their appointments also the date of their acceptance, and letters of the occupancies to which I have assigned there.

[table]
Letter  |  Names  |  Rank  |  Date of acceptance  |  Date of acceptance
A.  |  Robert B Beath  |  Capt  |  Aug 26th 1863  |  Aug 29th 1863
"  |  Charles V. York  |  1st " Lieut  |  " 8 "  |  " 11 "
B.  |  Fredrick Moyer  |  2nd " "  |  " 18 "  |  " 22 "
C.  |  Daniel M Dill  |  Capt.  |  Sept. 1st "  |  Sept.12. "
"  |  Maro J Chamberlain  |  2nd " Lieut  |  Aug. 1. "  |  Aug. 10. "
D.  |  George E. Heath  |  1st "  |  " 8. "  |  " 22. "
"  |  John B. Johnson  |  2nd " "  |  Sept 2. "  |  Sept. 3 "
E  |  Willard R. Hammond  |  " "  |  Aug. 12. "  |  Aug 21. "
F.  |  Aaron A. Buckwan  |  1st "  |  " 18. "  |  " 25. "
"  |  Daniel K. Healey  |  2nd "  |  " 28 "  |  Sept. 8. "
G.  |  Eber. C. Pratt  |  " "  |  " 19 "  |  Aug. 20. "
H.  |  Nathan H. Edgarton  |  1st "  |  Sept. 10. "  |  Sept. 14. "
"  |  Robert. N. Verplanek  |  2nd "  |  " 9. "  |  " 15. "
I.  |  Alonzo W. Grow.  |  " "  |  Aug. 1. "  |  " 12. "
K  |  Jame Woodward  | 1st "  |  " 28. "  |  " 2. "
This primary source comes from the Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War).
National Archives Identifier: 81214813
Full Citation: Letter from Louis Wagner to C. W. Foster Regarding the 6th Regiment of United States Colored Troops; 9/17/1863; Letters Sent July 1863 to August 1864; Letters Sent, 7/23/1863 - 6/10/1865; Records of the Provost Marshal General's Bureau (Civil War), Record Group 110; National Archives at Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/wagner-foster-6th-regiment, June 20, 2025]
Return to ResultsReturn

Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.

  • Explore Primary Source Documents
  •  
  • Discover Activities You Can Teach With
  •  
  • Create Fun & Engaging Activities
Follow us on X:X
Follow us on Facebook:facebook
Please enter a valid email address

View our webinars:youtube

Get our iPad app:apple
New Documentsshare
New Activitiesshare

The National Archives

DocsTeach is a product of the National Archives education division. Our mission is to engage, educate, and inspire all learners to discover and explore the records of the American people preserved by the National Archives.

The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's record keeper. We save documents and other materials created in the course of business conducted by the U.S. Federal government that are judged to have continuing value. We hold in trust for the public the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights — but also the records of ordinary citizens — at our locations around the country.
  • All Education Programs
  • Student Visits
  • Distance Learning
  • Professional Development
  • National Archives Museum
  • Presidential Libraries
  • Archives.gov
  • National Archives Foundation




Creative Commons License

Except where otherwise noted, DocsTeach is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Primary source documents included on this site generally come from the holdings of the National Archives and are in the public domain, except as noted. Teaching activities on this site have received the CC0 Public Domain Dedication; authors have waived all copyright and related rights to the extent possible under the law. See our legal and privacy page for full terms and conditions.
Safest and most reliable Czech online casinos! isitfair.eu – a trusted platform with expertly ratings & reviews, and top choise exclusive bonuses for Czech players.