1862 14TH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS LETTER WRITTEN BY UNIDENTIFIED PRIVATE OF COMPANY F

1862 14TH NEW HAMPSHIRE VOLUNTEERS LETTER WRITTEN BY UNIDENTIFIED PRIVATE OF COMPANY F

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Autograph letter, 4pp, on printed letterhead of the "14th Regiment New-Hampshire Volunteers" (listing Col. Robert Wilson, Lieut. Col. Tileston A. Barker, Maj. Samuel A. Duncan, Surg. Wm. H. Thayer, and Adjt. Alexander Gardiner). Written by an unidentified private of Co. F to "Dear Friends" at home, datelined Washington, D.C., October 22, 1862, with a second sitting added the following day, "Thursday 23."

The letter opens with a vivid, detail-rich account of the regiment's rail-and-boat journey from Concord, NH to Washington — old freight cars out of Concord, a steamboat crossing to Jersey City, cars on to Philadelphia, and a rough overnight leg into Baltimore, where the writer notes two Irish-born comrades from his company deserted ("skedaddled") and had not been heard from since. He describes marching through Baltimore's streets to change stations, arriving in Washington, and encamping east of the city, where his company's tents did not catch up with them until the second night, forcing the men to sleep on bare ground. He gives an especially evocative description of camp dust "like a hurricane," thick enough to coat everything and everyone, joking that no blotting paper is needed for his ink — the dust does the job — and mentions tenting with a comrade named Wesley.

The tone shifts sharply the next day: writing "Thursday 23," the soldier reports having just received word from home that his only sister, Lizzie, had died the previous Friday night (the 19th) after a lingering illness, and gives an emotional, tearful account of his grief at losing her, expressing hope of a reunion in the hereafter. The letter is unsigned in the pages photographed.

TRANSCRIPTION

Co F

CAMP — — —

Washington D.C. Oct 22 1862

Dear Friends

I arrived here with my Regt — Monday about 5 O'clock had a first rate ride considering our conveyance. we had to ride in old freight cars after we got to Philadelphia we left Concord Station at half past eight A.M. Saturday went to Allens point in cars — a took the steam boat about dark for Jersey City N.J. get in thare about 3 O'clock Sunday morning 125 miles took the cars thare for Philadelphia whare we took supper we then went to Baltimore got thare at 3 Monday morning here we had march two miles in the streets of that terrible city to get to another station whare we stopped & took breakfast started from thare for Washington at 9 O'clock A.M. we war not disturbed at Baltimore two of our company skedaddled thare & have not heard from since they wer both Irishmen. we ar encamped just outside the city on the east side we stayed in barracks by the depot the first night came out here yesterday morning our tents got to us last night about dark then we pitched our tents & went to bed with the hard ground for a bed the ground is so hard here that we cant drive any tent stakes when it is dry & when it is wet they say it is all mud the wind has blown like a hurricane ever since we came here & it makes a cloud of dust so thick that your eyes can see a rod ahead of everything is all dirt I feel as though the dirt was six inches thick all over me & it dont lack much of it I am writing in my tent six of us tent together Wesley of course is one of them he is well but I must close for now for the dirt blows in so that I am getting fidgety there is no need of steel dust nor blotting paper to consume the ink the dirt does it

thursday 23

I take my pen once more to write but dont feel much like doeing so I have just got a letter from [Gardner?] poor dear sister Lizzie has gone to rest I trust & left me alone in this wide world you can imagine my feelings it is impossible for me to see what I write through the shower of tears that ar fast falling from my eyes it is hard to think that it must be so but the Lord's will not mine be done poor Lizzie died last Friday night the 19th about 9 O'clock they said that she longed to go & dropped away very easy at last but suffered considerable... until a few minutes before she died I have many dear friends left to me to be sure but none can fill an only sister's place but I cannot wish her back to this world of sin & death to suffer as she has for a few months past I hope she has gone to rest & that one day we shall meet again in our Heavenly Father's [kingdom]....

[SS][ph:L]

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