24th New York Infantry - Captured at 2nd Manassas

Item LTR-5820

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 4 pages written in period ink.

Camp Halstid
July 6th 1862

Dear Brother,

Yours of June 30th was received yesterday. It gives me much pleasure to hear from you and to know that you are all alive and well. I have had no letter from home for some time. Neither have I received any from Folger since he left Washington, DC. You see that what you said about his being before Richmond was news to me. I had heard that his regiment had gone but did not know for certain. You say you think one regiment has been very lucky so far. And some have so far as fighting is concerned but if marking from one place to another under the hot rays of the sun is any part of war then I think we have had about our share to do. You at home have but a slight idea of a soldier’s life. You march off without any load from 15 to 20 and even 25 miles in a hot sultry day and you will find it no small walk. But come to load in your cartridge box with 40 rounds, your haversack with overcoat, blanket, tent and everything else you wish to carry besides your gun which weighs about 10 pounds and my word for it, you will think harder work than farming. To be sure we don’t have to march everyday but then when not on the march we have to drill and stand guard, to which is almost as bad. You say there must be mismanagement somewhere among our officers. I think there is. I believe we have some officers in our army who are as big traitors as ever lived. And I hope some day they will be found out and served as they deserve. Had it not been for traitors in our army, I believe this rebellion would have been put down long ago. But enough of this. Edmund and I are both well and in good sprits. So are most of the boys from our place. William Hall is in the hospital at Alexandria. You wish me to give you the names of our company and the number of men in the regiment. As to the number of men, I don’t know exactly but there must be in all not far from 600. But a great many of these are sick. Some are on detached service. I don’t think we could turn out over 400 effective men if we could that. My love to all this from your affectionate brother.

Harvey

List of Officers

Milzar Richards Captain WIA 2nd Bull Run and WIA South Mountain
Severin Beaulien Lieutenant WIA 2nd Bull Run and WIA South Mountain
L. D. Shaw Lieutenant G. S. Shaw – Transferred to General Augur’s Staff
Andrew J. Whaley Sergeant Also 24th New York Cavalry
Morris Van Buskirk Sergeant KIA Groveton, VA
Julius Jaquin Sergeant
Charles Wightman Sergeant Also 24th New York Cavalry
Orange J. Cressy Sergeant
Barney Veeder Sergeant WIA 2nd Bull Run
Lorenzo D. Pierce Corporal Also 24th New York Cavalry
Gilbert Devendorf Corporal KIA Groveton, VA
Lewis Rullison Corporal Also 24th New York Cavalry
Augustus R. Miller Corporal WIA 2nd Bull Run (Died of wounds)
Elijah W. Carpenter Corporal WIA 2nd Bull Run
Harvey Graves Corporal POW 2nd Bull Run (Author of this letter)
Edmund Wilson Corporal

Write soon.