49th Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-10045

Description

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


Camp Griffin
Prospect Hill

October 15, 1861

Dear Sister,

I received your letter Saturday and was glad to hear from you.

We are all well and getting along well. We are now within 9 miles of Bull Run in a very pretty country. The best I have seen in Virginia. We came here last Thursday. I went out on picket Wednesday morning and did not get back till Thursday evening. We were expecting an attack and had to keep a pretty strong guard. There was 120 of us lay together in sight of the enemy’s camp fires. Our officers told us we would be attacked before two hours. But were not. It was laughable to see the men laying in the bushes and fence corners. Someone got to tramping round in the woods and in less than no time, the boys were all in their places. When they found out what raised them, they were all down again. We had only 2 meal rations and got pretty hungry towards dinner time Thursday. So Kirts and I and another young fellow went across the country to a farm house and got our dinners. I did not like the idea of eating in a strange place. But there was a good many eating and we pitched in. we got some of the real Virginia corn bread. It was the first table I seen since I left home. We ate with our guns by our side. They charged us 25 cents apiece. I have been on picket three times. Our regiment was out Saturday night. We captured 18 cattle and 3 prisoners. You speak of it raining the night you wrote. I was out all night. It rained and hailed very hard all night but I did not get much wet. I had my gum blanket along. I would not take two prices for it. I still like soldiering first rate and am as contented as the day is long. A person has not time to get onesome here. I mess with Kirts, Oliver, Gibboney, Matt Kenyon and Starrett Davis. We got together at Washington. Nic is getting along pretty well. They don’t trouble him much. I got a letter from home about a week ago. They said Cal had symptoms of dysentery. I am anxious to hear from him. I write very little except home. We have no convenient way of writing and it is very hard to get stamps. I have seen fellows offer 15 cents for a stamped envelope and would not get it. I have never paid more than 5 yet. If you have any of the new postage stamps, I wish you would send me a few. I can get paper and envelopes plenty. But cannot get stamps. The old stamps will not pass here. I will send you one of the new for a sample. Joseph Kirst is not in our regiment. He is in the 48th. I have seen all the boys that left before us. Some of them are in the 5th and some in the 1st Reserve Cavalry. There is 15 regiments of Pennsylvanians just handy to us. And several others from different states. We have not got any pay yet. But expect it in a few days. I don’t know the name of either the surgeon or chaplain of the regiment. The Chaplain only came Sunday week. He is a very good preacher. I don’t know what denomination he is of but he preaches no sectional doctrine. I am beginning to think that we will not get a shot at a rebel at all. They always retreat before we get within shooting distance. There was about 400 rebel cavalry here the day before we came in. I saw General McClellan several times. He is a very good-looking man. General Scott says all of us that lives will be home again Christmas. But I hardly expect that. It is the general opinion that there will not be much fighting. It takes 4 union men to kill one rebel. It takes 3 to catch him and one to kill him.

There is a very little sickness in the army or at least this division. I don’t know of a death in our regiment except the two that was killed on the cars. I must close and write a little to Cal Mc. Give my love to Mary, Mrs. Wilson and the boys and McClellans.

Yours respectfully,
Robert Dann

Write soon. Direct as before.