142nd Pennsylvania Infantry

Item LTR-492

Description

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

Camp of the 142nd Regt P. V.
Near Hatchers Run, VA

March the 3rd, 1865

Respected friend,

I do take the privilege this morning of penning an answer to your missive which came to my hands on the twenty sixth of last month and was gladly received and read with great interest. Further, I should much rather speak to you face to face then trough the silent sound of the pen as it goes from line to line. But as it is impossible at the present we’ll take the pen for it and at the same time count it a great blessing. I am well at present, wishing you the same good blessings. We have very much rainy weather here of late, although we are getting along finely. Jackson Gellinger has come back to the company a few days ago. He is pretty well again. We are now occupying our third winter quarters which we built since the last engagement we had at Hatcher’s Run. We had very hard fighting there for two days. Our division lost heavy and our regiment lost five killed and twenty-four wounded. There was but three of our company wounded, none very seriously. The cold weather was so hard on the wounded. There was four hundred and eighty died of wounds at the field hospital the two first days after the action. Those were from our division and the cavalry. Those afore said done the principle fighting on this last move. We are expecting to make another brake on the Jonnies as soon as the weather will permit. It is not necessary for me to give you any account of the great victories our troops are gaining throughout the entire South. As I suppose you get the news as readily and more so than we do and the reb deserters are coming into our lines more than ever. They average one hundred daily that come into the lines of the army confronting Petersburg and Richmond. Father Alfred Deihl was with us last night. He is getting along fine. He had expected to go home one of these days, but they have taken more to do, so he don’t expect to get home for a few weeks. He has also told me sad news, telling me of your brother Isiah’s death. I could hardly believe it. But it is nothing more than common for our boys to die while prisoners. There is no punishment great enough for those cursed rebel leaders. Excuse me this time. My best respects to you and all inquiring friends. Yours most respectfully.


Jno. W. Showalter