188th Pennsylvania Infantry - Wounded at Cold Harbor

Item LTR-10859

Description

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


Camp of the 188^th Pennsylvania Volunteers
July 3, 1865
 
Dear Mother,
 
I received your ever kind and welcome letter last evening one dated June 18, and one the 23^rd which had five dollars in it the other one had a sermon in it and two envelopes.  I had been looking for them for a good while and that I would be very likely to lose them for I have been sent back to the regiment since I wrote my last letter.  And I did not know whether they would come to me or not and I had almost given up looking for them when yesterday afternoon, I was sitting out in front of the tent and a boy came walking along with some letters in his hand and I asked him who they were for, he said DeHaven.  Says I, that’s me, bring them here.  No he said, he must take them to the orderly sergeant.  I told him to go ahead for the less I would say to him the sooner I would get the letters and they just came in time for evening.
 
I ate the last piece of bread there was in the tent and we didn’t expect to get anymore for two days, so we would have to live on what we could steal around through the country.  But stealing is near about played out here for the old Rebs don’t like to see us go into their potato patch and dig as many as we want to eat at two or three meals.  
 
So one night, a fellow out of the 98^th New York went to a preachers potato field and was helping himself when old Mr. Preacher slipped around with his musket and shot at him.  The fellow jumped up and ran out.  Preached said he wished to God he had hit him but had hardly got the words out of his mouth when the fellow fell dead, he had hit him and did not know it.  The next day there was a corporal and 3 guards went out and brought the preacher into Richmond, where he has been ever since.  His trial comes off today and I think they will be very apt to hang him.  I know by this time he is wishing to God he hadn’t hit him.
 
The weather is very warm here at present and the farmers are cutting their oats.  The wheat is all standing in stalk and I have not seen any grass either cut or not cut.  I think they must do without hay in his part of the country.  The blackberries and huckleberries are just in their prime and there is cart loads of them here. 
 
I suppose Kate is home before this time and think Liz will be home to before long.  I see in the Herald, they are closing the hospitals as fast as the patients get convalescent.  
 
I don’t know whether we will stay our time out or not, but we have all made up our mind to do so and the time passes a good deal quicker.  We were mustered for pay the last of June but they are afraid to pay us off for fear we will all desert.  That is all that keeps us here now.  They would give a man 3 days rations and a pass across the river if he would leave now but I guess the men want to wait till they get paid before they go, at least I do.
 
I am in the best of health and spirits at present and hope you are all enjoying the same blessing.
 
No more at present.
 
But remain your affectionate son,
James DeHaven