"hudags" in an 1861 Civil War letter

[Beverly Flanigan]

This is a fascinating letter, quite apart from the 'hudag' ref.  Can you
tell me who the letter writer was and where he was from?  I have a student
who's been researching local dialect features in Civil War letters.  Here I
note "you are a-going to keep Thanksgiving" [my hyphen], and "over to
headquarters," and "there was two sent in for a trial."

At 09:15 PM 3/3/2003 -0600, you wrote:
>    Yesterday a colleague mentioned the word "hudags" in a Civil War
>letter (Nov. 26, 1861) and today e-mailed me the letter as he
>transcribed it.  I don't find "hudags" in OED or HDAS, and the letter
>has many misspellings. Might "hudags" be a misspelling of some
>everyday word that I'm somehow overlooking?
>
>     Below my signoff is an excerpt of the letter. "Hudags" appears on
>page 3, line 4.
>
>Gerald Cohen
>
>
>
>[Civil War letter]:
>
>
>....Yes I do have a considerable
>to do with the secesh for the
>other night I was sergt of the
>guard over to head Quarters
>and there was two sent
>in for a trial but as it
>was to late for that they had
>to be sent to the Regt to
>stay all night.  so they sent
>to for two men.  but as I
>wanted some fun I took my
>old Musket and got another
>
>(3rd page now begins)
>
>man and started off
>but did not have any
>adventure as they are but poor
>hudags.  it is fun to
>march them off but if I
>was in their place it wouldn't
>be quite so funny.  I suppose
>your are a going to keep
>Thanksgiving next thursday.  I
>expect too.  what is your opin
>ion of the war  my is that
>it is a humbug  hat it is
>not carried on fast enough
>I wish it could be carried
>on faster.  but as long as
>we are here we will not be
>killed by secesh.  but you
>know we came to do some-
>thing for our country.  therefore
>we are all disapointed.  we have
>been in hopes to go down
>the river but I am affraid
>we will not get the chance
>I was glad to hear that
>you got along so well