2nd Rhode Island Infantry

Item LTR-10017

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages, written in period ink.


Headquarters, 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers
Near Culpepper, Virginia

September 25th 1863

Dear Colonel,

I have been expecting a letter from you this long time. As I only see your old familiar welcome hand writing seldom. And from the interval that has elapsed since last getting a letter from you, I begin to wonder whether I shall ever see it again. You are owing me a letter too. For I wrote you soon after your terrible domestic bereavement. Though it probably reached you in Hilton Head. As I sent it down there not knowing then that you had gone north.

We are just on the eve of some kind of a move. But whether or for what purpose, I do not know. We have got a good big army here and ought to be able to strike a heavy blow. I could wish that the news from Rosecrans and Franklin might be a little brighter. For I have been predicting that the Rebellion would flat out within a year. I received a letter from Brayton last night. He loves the regulars no better than you do. And was crowing at regulars having had nothing to do in the taking of Wagner and Gregg and the destruction of Sumter. I see by the Washington Chronicle that he is on his way home to accept the Lieutenant Colonelcy of the colored regiment now forming in Rhode Island. He would make a good man for the place and I know of a no better man.

Seems to me that you will have quite a number of vacancies. For I see that Comstock is to be Major of the same regiment. I have done nothing since I first came to this regiment but make officers from Lieutenant Colonel down and Lieutenants ad infinitum. We are having magnificent weather now for campaigning. And if we do not improve these final days, the winter will be upon us, ere we know it and then matters must come to a standstill.

I have had 175 conscripts or rather that number has been sent to me. But some eight or ten deserted before reaching me and some fifteen or twenty since. One or two have been arrested and now await trial. And I hope they will be convicted and shot. It is much easier for men to desert here than it was at Hilton Head. For we almost always have a land communication to Washington open. I think we are doing much better with the conscripts than I had expected. They take hold well and make good soldiers. My regiment is in most excellent condition and I am proud of it. Old officers of the 2nd say that it was never in better condition than now. Though during the long Brightwood encampment of course, things could be rather more fancy than they can be in the field as we are now. I am in hopes that the Governor will visit us this fall or winter. I wish he had while we were at Warrenton.

I am now the Senior Colonel in the Brigade. Colonel Eustis of the 10th Massachusetts having been made a Brigadier and assigned to this Brigade. And Colonel Edwards of the 27th Massachusetts is in New York with his regiment and whether it will ever join this Brigade again, I doubt. I have had command of the Brigade once or twice for a few days when Eustis was off. Our Division General Terry is a cousin of you General Terry. The 11th used to be in his Brigade at Suffolk.

Write soon, Colonel. As for all I know, you may be dead.

Your friend,

H. Rogers Jr.