4th Massachusetts Cavalry

Item LTR-6203

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 3 pages written in period ink.


Camp Near Petersburg
July 19th 1864

Dear Sister Abbie,

Last night I received three letters at once. One from you written the 10th and one from Martha and one from Sue. This morning I had two more from Sue and one from home written by Father, Mother and Moses. So you see I have quite a stock on hand to answer. It is raining here and it spattered on the paper. So the letter won’t look very well. We have been a long while without it and it is doing a great deal of good. Yesterday I took a ride over to the Spring Hill Hospital to see Jim Mullally and Johnson. Jim’s brother Bill went with me. He and four others came here to the company the other day. They are recruits. They (Jim and Johnson) we found had been sent to Fortress Monroe. So we started and went to City Point to see how that place looked. I found the place altered a great deal. It looks like a busy city now. I could not help thinking how easy it would have been for me to have rode down and seen them if I had known Moses was there. It is all for the best I suppose. I am glad that Moses has gotten through with his work so that he can rest some.

Tell Mother not to place any dependence on J. Johnson’s stories. My health is very good and has been all along. I think that if I had some of the good stuff that has been sent out for the soldiers, I should be in the best of fighting trim. It takes so many of these agents to give out such stuff that it is all eaten before a soldier gets any of it. I don’t know but what some Regiments get enough of such stuff. If I get enough for one meal during my three years, I shall consider myself lucky.

I have seen quite a number of Christian Commission and Sanitary Commission tents with five or six big corpulent loafers round covered with silver and gold badges. But I don’t know what they’ve done. If I should get a leg shot off, I suppose I should see the benefits of the big Sanitary fairs, etc. I know if I was at home and wanted to benefit the soldiers I should go into it on the Count–Schaube Plan. It has been quiet here for the past few days. The Big Morton fired a few times yesterday and made some good shots. She has not opened on Petersburg yet but has planted a few shells into the Rebel fort across the river. Every time she fires the car which she is on jumpers back on the track nearly a rod. Martha wrote me an excellent letter. Sue has written me a number of letters since she went to Roxbury. She wrote that Joe Doriety had enlisted for a hundred days. If they go to work immediately with the 100 days men it will be well enough but if they drag the thing along it will work about the same as the nine months troops did. This war can be continued a few months as a number of yours just which suits the men in power best. I think Grant is working about right here. When he gets ready he will do the job pretty quick. One of our fellows got grazed with a ball on picket just as he was stopping over. It just burned the skin on his shoulder. I hear that Sheridan has gone on another raid. If it is so, I guess we shall hear something in a few days. This guessing of mine amounts to a great deal. If a fellow doesn’t know anything till it happens. It is about time at home for currants. Are those in the garden going to do anything?

Well I guess I will be finishing up. I am much obliged to Rex for writing. When are the boys going to write? Tell Moses I shall write him next. Give my regards to all inquiring friends.

Your loving Brother,

William B. Arnold