85th New York Infantry - Captured at Plymouth, NC

Item LTR-579

Description

3 pages, original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

Plymouth N.C.
July 5, 1863

Dear Cousin Annie,

Hadwin is writing and asks me to give you an account of our Fourth in Dixie.

The Mail leaves in two hours from this. I am in good health and excellent humor –that is fortunate isn’t it? I wrote you May 4th and June 4th. Your last with uncle James’ encouraging note was received June 3rd.

It is quiet here today and considerably hot. Our Fourth passed off pleasantly. We- Co. “C” – had a table set out under a wide spreading willow oak long enough to seat 75 persons. We had a substantial dinner of chicken, ducks, new potatoes, pies, cake, honey, lemonade and good water. After the repast was over we were entertained for an hour by several amateur speakers who poured out patriotic wit as freely as they had just previously poured down the lemonade. We had perhaps ninety guests including the field and staff officers of the regiment and the company officers from their companies. In the evening the boys, instead of getting ingloriously tight as many of the men of other companies and especially of other regiments were. They spread some boards on the ground and had a dance. Two violins and a tambourine composed the band. Not a man of Co. “C” was guilty of being drunk which I think cannot be said of many companies in the whole army where the facilities were anything like so good for such a scene as here.

Silas Clark is in my room and wishes to be remembered to you as well. Hadwin promised to enlighten you on everything else but yesterday’s affairs so I’ll leave the ground open to him.

I am more encouraged about the success of our arms now than ever though we have not a word of news later than June 28th and this through rebel papers. It contains the capture of Vicksburg and says that Harrisburg is also taken.