90th Pennsylvania Infantry - NEW

Item LTR-11758

Description

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


Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division
First Army Corps
Sunday evening
January 10, 1864
 
Dear Cousin Carrie,
 
I take this present opportunity to write a few lines to you, let you know that I am well, and I hope these few lines may find you in the same of good health. I let you know that we have very fine weather, but we have planned snow in our days. We lay one mile and one quarter from the Rapidan on the battlefield of Slaughter Mountain, and we can see plenty of reds where we lay. I have very good times now. My regiment is in Culpeper, and I am eight miles from Culpeper at brigade headquarters, on guard work, on my trade, and chopping wood for General Baxter’s headquarters and a couple other officers. One officer out of our regiment, one officer out of the 12th Massachusetts and one captain from the army of the Cumberland. He is a very nice man to deal with. He will give everything to me. He likes me very well. I am the only carpenter around headquarters. I have to make everything in carpenter work and in chopping wood.
 
And I let you know that nine of us have a very nice house now to live in and we have very good times now, nothing to do but to work on in my house and eat. And we live like kings in the eating line so long as we lay still. And as soon as we march, we have nothing to eat, sometimes plenty. And I have the best of them being only one summer more to make through. And it is nothing for an old soldier to make one summer through. That is only fun for me to march around in Virginia, nothing to eat sometimes.
 
I didn't enlist again. I have enough with one turn. I don't want to enlist again, not if they give me $50,000. No army can get me again. I am no fool to re-enlist again for no money in the world.
 
I let you know that I received your most welcome letter the other day, and I was very glad to hear from you and all your friends. I was very glad to hear from your Jacob Schartle. I let you know that I received a letter from Franklin Schartle. I was very glad to hear from old Womelsdorf and from my old band again. I have pleasure to travel with that band. That is, if I stay around Womelsdorf, but I do not know if I will stay at home or not. I have a notion to travel as soon as I come home. That is, if I keep the same notion I have now. And I must bring my letter to a close and write soon again to. Goodnight, cousin Kerry.
 
From your affectionate cousin
William S. Billman
Headquarters, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division
First Army Corps
Via Washington, D.C.