44th New York Infantry Ellsworth's Avengers Antietam

Item LTR-428

Description

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

Camp near Sharpsburg, MD

September 29th [1862]

Dear Parents,

I now take a few spare moments to answer your letter which I received last evening. I was very glad to hear from you and to hear that you were all well. It found me well or nearly so. Although I am not as strong as I was once. But for all that I am better half of a man. Yet I don’t know as I have any particular news to write this time. There has been some of the toughest kinds of fighting since I last wrote. But our Corps didn’t have much of a hand at it. A part of our Corps, the Pennsylvania Reserve, were in the fight of Sunday in the mountain. Our Division commanded by General Morell left Washington the 12th of September and marched four or five days before we came up with the main Army. We passed the battlefield on Sunday and the ground was strewn with dead rebs. They lay along the side of the road just where they fell. I tell you it was enough to make ones blood run cold. We came up with the main Army the day before the great Battle of Antietam Creek tired, worn out and hungry and about discouraged. The fight commenced at 5 a.m. with artillery and there was no let up until dark. And through my whole experience, I have not heard or seen anything equal to that day’s fighting. Probably there were 100 cannons on each side booming all the time and then to make the matters worse, volley after volley of musketry could be heard. But through that awful contest, our Division was kept in reserve. Although occasionally a cannon shot would pass over us. At last darkness came and that ended the contest for the day. And during the night, they skedaddled across the river and they are there now I suppose. They picket one side of the river and we the other. We were on picket Saturday and Saturday night. A week ago Saturday we were ordered to cross the river on a reconnaissance. There was one brigade crossed during the night. And our brigade was fording the river. One of our regiments was across. And our regiment was about one-half way across when the rebs opened a most murderous fire upon us from the high banks and behind the rocks. We found them in force and we were ordered to the back. I tell you that I don’t want any balls to come any closer than they did when I was about the middle of the river. One passed so close to my ear that it doubled it over. Some of the 118th Pennsylvania Regiment suffered badly. They were a new regiment and numbered 700 strong. They got rather badly mixed up. They lost two or three hundred men. We are now encamped about one mile from the river opposite of Shepherdstown. Everything has been quiet since we trudged across. Well there is one thing consoling and that is we finished the rebs good and strong in the two last fights. Oh you wanted to know if that consent to have the allotment was right. It was not made out right. He said that he was willing that I should have it changed so that I would have some to use. He did not say that he was willing that I should have the allotment dropped. But never mind this pay day. I expect that we shall get paid in a few days. And when we do get paid and if I send an allotment to you, I want you to pay Henry Wolf $10 for me. I borrowed $10 off John Mayer some two months ago. And I told him if I did not get my allotment changed, I would have you pay Henry Wolf the same. And now I want you to write another consent to have it changed. I will write and tell you how it should be written. Perhaps I shall not have it changed. We will let it rest as it is for the present. We have not lost any out of our regiment since we left W[ashington]. I don’t know how long we shall stay here. Probably not long for what is to be done. This war has got to be done pretty soon. For soon it will be rainy and muddy. What do the folks think of Mead now. I think that he is just the man and I think if they would have let him have his way before, the war would have progressed a great deal better. I must close by sending you all my best regards and also to all inquiring after it.

W. H. Merrill
44th NYSV

Maryland

September 29th 1862

Dear Sister Etty,

I will now try to write you a few lines. Well Etty, I suppose you had lots of fun over to Mr. Miles picking hops. I wish that I could have been there for it. If I remember right they have got a daughter by the name of Mary. I believe I would have popped the question to her. I don’t know exactly when I shall be around that way, but if I am spared and there is any such thing, I mean to come home New Years and help you eat that baked turkey. Tell the boys that I should like to help them husk corn one night and then sit down and help them eat a pumpkin pie and a pan of apples. Well Margaret, I heard that Uncle Barzila had enlisted. I want you to write and tell me whether he is in the same regiment that Alva is in. Well Etty, I have just been to dinner. We had boiled rice and that is all. I tell you Margaret, I don’t believe that we shall get the rebs whipped right away. I tell you they fight like tigers and there is a pile of them too. We have just gotten orders to stay in camp and be ready to march. So I must close by bidding you all goodbye and send you all my love and best regards.

From your ever loving Brother,

W. H. Merrill