6th Vermont Infantry - Wounded at Cold Harbor

Item LTR-452

Description

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

Camp near Belle Plain, Virginia
February 25th 1863

Dear Brother Charlie,

I have seated myself with the intention of answering your kind epistle, which I received a few days since. I was very glad to hear from you Charlie. And glad to hear that you were all well. My health is very good at the present time. I never was healthier in my life and never so fleshy as I can remember. As I am this winter. The weather is expectantly cold and the travelling extremely muddy. Last Sunday we had a very hard snow storm. It commenced snowing in the night (Saturday night) and snowed very fast all day Sunday and the wind blew like a hurricane. About twelve inches of snow fell and most of it remains on the ground yet. It is the 24th of February. Only thing, I have not had a sleigh ride yet. I have not even seen a sleigh. I think the people in Virginia do not keep such things. If they keep them, they could not use them much for they do not have but a very little snow. The inhabitants about here say this has been the hardest winter they ever had in Virginia. And yet we have had only a small quantity of snow. At least we Vermont boys think it a small quantity having lived where the snow was from there to four feet deep. I suppose you are having a very mild winter in Vermont, are you not? Oh how I wish I was there that we might spend a few weeks and have a few sleigh rides together. I think we should enjoy it. Don’t you? We are having very pleasant time just now for we are having an Old friend from the north visiting with us. You could not guess who it is. I shall have to tell you. It is Mr. Crouch. He has come after Henry Whitcomb and I rather think Henry will get his discharge and go home with him. Mr. Crouch arrived at our Camp Saturday evening about dark. Slept with B. Harrington the first night. The night it snowed so and I think he got a little wet by what he said. Sunday night he slept in the hospital with Henry. Monday morning, I started out with him to see if we could not find a better lodging place. We went to a house about a mile from Camp. I wish you could see such a face. As the old man made when Mr. Crouch asked him if he could put up with him for a few days. He twisted his face badly out of shape and replied “No Sir”. We talked with him a few minutes and he finally said we might go in and talk with the women folks about it. They concluded after a while to accommodate him but Monday night he slept in a house with Virginians. I think he will have a good story to relate after he gets home. In all Charlie, we have not received our box yet. And I am afraid we shall not yet very soon for the roads are awful bad between here and the landing. They are building a corduroy road now. Perhaps we shall get our box when they get a good “road” built. We received a letter form Charles and Martha this morning. Marcellus Barber is owing me a letter. Please remind him of it. Write soon. Goodbye.

Corporal George Fitch