By the date of his third letter, the Regiment had participated at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Chantilly and Fredericksburg. Often the regiments spent their time building forts and roads. As told in the letter, a corduroy road--a road of parallel logs packed with sand and laid over a swampy area--was being constructed near White Oaks.
Frederick Rogers to his mother Hannah, Virginia, March 23, 1862
Bangor Historical Society
Camp near Potomac Creek
Va. March 23 1863
Dear Mother
Last nights Mail brought the ever welcome letter and the cheering tidings of “all well at home” and thanks to A Kind Providence I am able to return the same message I am as smart as it is possible for such A naturly clumsy chap to be and in fact I am all right.
The weather is mild and pleasant, although we have had it bad enough for the past week
We are very pleasantly located – have plenty of wood —build five places in our little shelter tents, and live like nabobs.—(minus the pomp)
We have plenty of work – enough to eat – and with the cheering news from home each week we are full as happy as men could expect to be working at our trade.
We are engaged in laying A ‘Corduroy Road’ from Falmouth to Aquin Creek and expect it will take us 3 weeks longer – if I have space I will discribe the process when I get done with news. We have heard quite heavy firing on the Right Wing for 2 or 3 days, but I have not been able to discover its cause as yet.
The maine Cavalry has been of on A romp for about 3 weeks and have done A pretty good thing they have captured 4 Commissioned Officers; - 43 Privates; 60 Horses and Mules; A large lot of Boots & shoes; cloth ect. ect. I can assure you that Maine has got its name up during this campaign and so high too that it will remain up in the estimation of other and more popular States. Maine has now in the field 2 Major Generals, 7 Brigadeers, 28 Regt’s of Infantry 1 of Heavy Art. 6 Batteries, 2 companies of Sharpshooters & 1 Regt of Regulars 17th U.S. & 1 Regt Of Cavalry (call the best Volunteer Cavalry in the service) all of which are to be depended on in time of need. When our division went into the Battle at Fredericksburg Gen. Birney* was overheard to say to one of his Ade’s de Camp that he thanked God that he had got 3 maine regiments in his division for they would not run from anything no matter what example the other Regts. might set. Yes, as long as I have been in the field I never yet saw the time that I was not proud to say I am A maine man, and well might I be for never has A maine Regt. Disgraced its self by word or deed . . . . . . . .
Veazie Bank Script, Bangor, 1862
Script from individual banks, like the Veazie bank, was used until currency was standardized by the U.S. in _____Bangor Historical Society
I am much obliged to the one who sent that Veasie for it got A fine bit of Tobacco for me.
Well I must close please give me respects to all.
Yours truly
Fred H. Rogers
*Birney is A Philladelphian) The 3 Regts were the 3d 4th & 17th
In a little over three months the Fourth Maine Regiment would face some of the fiercest fighting of the war. On July 2nd they defended "Devil's Den" near Gettysburg from an onslaught of Confederate soldiers from the Forty-fourth and Forty-eighth Alabama Regiments. Frederick H. Rogers was killed in this battle. His name appears on the Civil War monument at Mount Hope Cemetery that honors the 236 soldiers from Bangor who died in the war (only fifty-five names were actually carved into the monument). A stone marks his grave next to his parents at Oak Hill Cemetery in Brewer.
