2nd New York Infantry

Item LTR-378

Description

4 page original Civil War soldier's letter written in period ink and war dated.

Headquarters, 2nd Regiment New York Volunteers
Camp Butler
Newport News, VA
December 16th 1861

Dear Uncle and Aunt

To Uncle,

It has been some time since I received your letter. But we have been very busy since that time working on our barracks. When we were not working on them, we were on guard or out scouting. So that it keeps us busy all the while. And I could not find time to write to hardly anybody. We have got to be in our barracks by next Wednesday, finished or not. I was out scouting last week. We went some six miles from camp to get some boards and shingles for the officer’s quarters. We tore down a building as large as our new barn and loaded up six of our army wagons out of it and started for camp without seeing a rebel. This barn belonged to a man by the name of Lee, an officer in the rebel army. There is a very large house on the place besides some half dozen small buildings. There was a grist mill on his place. But the rebels burned that down one night after we had been there after boards. The rebels never attacked this regiment yet while they were about scouting. They have attacked every other regiment at this post. We have been very lucky so far. I received a letter from home last Friday. While I was on picket guard they are all well. I also received a letter from George Caldwell last week and have sent him an answer to it. Things go on about as usual here. I don’t see much of any change. We hear that the rebels are going to attack us but I have my doubts about it. I think that they know better. They want to be left alone.

To Aunt

You wrote me a page and will do the same to you. For I want you to write to me. You told me something in my last letter that I was not aware of. That was I was engaged to a Ballston lass. Aunty you are mistaken about that. For there is not a living being in Ballston that I know. The only one that I ever did know there was Hyatt and he had moved away before I enlisted. There are girls in North Cumberland that I have not forgotten yet. I suppose that you know that, so there is no use of my telling it to you. But my sheet is full and I must close by bidding you goodbye until I hear from you again. Give my love to all.

James H. Baker