14th New Hampshire Infantry - Wounded at Opequan, VA

Item LTR-10186

Description

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


Washington, DC
October 25th [1863]

Dear Mother,

I received a letter from Lizzie a few days ago. I presume Leonard has answered it before now so I will write to you. Leonard has had the diphtheria. He is getting well fast. He will soon be able to come to 6th Street again. He is now in the hospital. He has probably written all about it before now.

My health is pretty good now. This morning I went to a Presbyterian Church. It was communion day today. The service of the communion was not without running the risk of being picked up and put in the guard house so I did not stay. I believe it is communion day in Jaffrey but I am not certain. Lizzie wrote that they were trying to raise money to get an instrument for the meeting house. How do they make out? I hope they will get one. I suppose Mary Perkins plays as usual. Do you have a full choir now? I would like to spend my Sundays at home.

Mr. Charles Stoughton was in this city last Wednesday. He came here to see me. I got a pass and went up to the city with him. He gave me quite a bundle of tea. I received a letter from Edwin Friday. He is well. I can’t think of any news hardly.

How is father getting along with the fall work? I think you have got a nice lot of chickens. Tell father to save a good fat one to send out to us about Thanksgiving time in case we do not go down front between now and then and I don’t think we shall go front this winter. I think they cannot spare us here. We do not get much war news now days. General Rosecrans appears to have been removed. General Hooker has a command in the army again, so generals rise and fall.

Next Wednesday is my 20th birthday. It don’t seem as though it could be that I was 20 years old. How fast time passed away. We have got a stove in our house now. We put it up yesterday. It makes it seem cheerful and comfortable. If we stay here this winter, we shall have a pretty good time. We talk of getting some lamps and using instead of candles. We can commute the candles and take the money to pay for the oil. Yesterday it rained hard most of the day. Today the weather is cooler. We probably shall have cool weather now.


There is lots of wharf rats round here. They come in here nights and into the workhouse. Night before last we killed nine of them and night before that we killed two. Things go on as usual here at 6th Street [Wharf]. A few days ago, a lot of big bugs went down the river in a steam on a pleasure excursion. Have you heard anything about Preston lately? The last I heard from him was that his folks have received his clothes but did not know whether he was dead or alive.

One year ago tonight the regiment lay in line of battle on Adder Hill. It is the only time we were ever in line of battle. The next day it rained hard and we had nothing to eat and not tents enough to keep us dry. We have had rather of an easy time during the past year compared with most of the soldier, yet we have seen some pretty rough time. I hope we shall not have to stay a year longer but I presume we shall for I think the war is in a good way to last a year longer though I think I will not much more than a year.

Contrabands come up the river every once in a few days. There are lots of them in the city. Give my love to father, sister and Albert and accept a good share yourself. Write all the news. Excuse all mistakes and accept this hasty letter from your affectionate son.

Austin A. Spaulding