To the Editor of the Brooklyn Eagle:

                                                        Washington City, May 20, 1861.

Dear Sir,

     Allow a member of the 14th to communicate to his friends and the public through your 
valuable little sheet - I find it impossible to write to all that made the request.  

     We arrived here last night about 8 o'clock.  A locomotive ran into the rear car at Newark, 
detaining us some two hours.  The shock seemed to us to be tremendous but as we were dozing 
it no doubt seemed greater than it really was.  Several of the boys were cut about the face, but 
no one hurt seriously.  We were cheered vociferously at Philadelphia and pretty much all along 
the route.  

     At Baltimore the people were out by thousands, but there was very little cheering and no 
hissing.  The union feeling evidently preponderates.  

     We are quartered temporarily in a new building on Pennsylvania avenue, near the Union 
Hotel, and though we are obliged to make a bed of our blankets on the floor I heard no 
complaints and believe all slept soundly.   I am writing on the desk of Mr. Sebastine, the next 
seat to the left of Jeff Davis.  Just think of it - a common private occupying a seat in the 
Senate Chamber of the United States.  

     We have been doing nothing today, (it being very rainy) but traveling around and making the 
acquaintance of members of the different regiments quartered around the city.  The 28th is
quartered in the Capitol.  It seems to me like a  desecration of this magnificent temple of art. 
Only the exigencies of the times can be pleaded in excuse for the quartering of troops in the 
Capitol.  

     We expect to leave here soon and the rumor is we are to go to Harpers Ferry.  If so, we will 
soon have some hot work - for I am not one of those to believe the South is going to yield without 
a struggle - and that struggle will be one of life and death.  I hope you will her a good account 
of the 14th.  I don't think there is a man in the regiment that would show the white feather.  The 
officers and men of Company D are determined to do so or die.  This was evidenced by the fact 
of not a single member-backing down, when the proposal was made to them to serve during the 
war.  The confidence of the people of Brooklyn in the 14th regiment will not be abused.  

     Our grub is rather indifferent, but we expect better as soon as we get to our  destination.  
We don't want to complain without cause.  It is evident Col. Wood is doing all he can for our 
comfort.  I will write you again if you so desire.  [Do so - Ed].  If you will send me a copy of 
the paper containing this communication, (or what you may seem proper to publish) I will feel 
sincerely obliged.

                                            Yours Truly,                      
                                                W.T.W. 


P.S. We are just now getting as many of the 14th together as we can in order to get some
satisfaction from an officer of the 5th regiment who it seems is quartered here.  This morning a 
number of the boys of the 14th were writing in the Hall of Representatives, when an officer of 
the 5th came in  and ordered the Hall cleared.  When asked why, he stated that some things had 
been missed out of the desks and he thought it best that they should leave.  The boys are very 
indignant and we may have a smart little time.  W.T.W.  


On the 22nd of May the regiment was moved to 7th Street and into camp on Meridian Hill (renamed Camp Wood). Here, the Fourteenth camped next to the Seventh Regiment N.G.S.M. The camp was situated on the spacious high ground, which was superior to Fort Green (camp Odell). To the west was a beautiful view of the Capital City of Washington and the Potomac River.

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