33rd New York Infantry

Item LTR-10011

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages, written in period ink.


Headquarters, 33rd Regiment
Company I

Camp Griffin

February the 11th 1862

I take my pen in hand to inform you that I am well and to answer the kind letters you wrote me. I want you should write and let me know all what boys has enlisted from around there and what regiments they are in. For they may be some where near me. And I would like to see them.

I suppose you heard about Fort Donelson being taken. That was a great victory. Fifteen thousand prisoners taken. They say that the rebels are moving all of their troops to Manassas. If they are game, we shall surround them on all sides and then they will have to come out and fight or starve. The day that Fort Donelson was taken, we was ordered in line and gave three cheers for the fort and for General McClellan. The Colonel said a few words. He said that he thought General McClellan was right. He said let the people at home by their home firesides and enough to eat and a good bed to sleep in keep their mouths shut. Not all the time be talking about how slow they are in. And then he told the band to play Yankee Doodle. And let the rebels know that the Damn Yankees, as they call them, ain’t all dead yet.

Yours with respect,

Charles Baldwin

Eunice Baldwin