5th Wisconsin Infantry & 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery

Item LTR-6363

Description

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


Headquarters, 5th Regt.
Sept. 28, 1861


Dear Sister,

I received your letter of the 17th yesterday and was glad to hear from home once more. I should have liked to have been at home when folks were there but as I could not be there and here too, I could not be there. But I am glad that the rest of you can enjoy the company of your friends while I am away. I enjoy myself very well here. Better than I should at home now, should I come home, for the boys are well going away that have not gone. And then I have got so accustom to being in company where there is so many men, that I should be awful lonesome where there are so few as there is up there in the woods. And I have been so long without doing any work that I would be too lazy to work and shall be when I do come back, if I ever do. But enough of that.

Our force is increasing in numbers. There was four or five regiments came in and camped around us and I heard that there is thirty more coming today. On the twenty-fifth there was five regiments, one company of cavalry, eight batteries went out to get hay and forage. They got some cattle, some sheep, and two horses, one prisoner and a lot of hay. I am out on picket today for the first time. I started at nine o’clock this morning and will go to camp tomorrow in the forenoon. We are about two miles from camp and are the thing is pickets between here and the enemy. Rube has been sick but they do not have much mercy on him. He has been on guard for two days without being relieved. They do not believe that he is sick but he looks bad.

Your tomatoes taste good. Why did you not send enough to make a mess and not send just enough to aggravate a poor fellow? But never mind, I have had tomatoes here and I had it mess cooked. That made two meals and we can have potatoes every day if we want them by paying 1.00 per bushel. We have had about one meal a day most of the time since I came this side of the river. And we can get string beans and cabbage too, so that we can live first rate as long as we have money. And we can get sweet potatoes too at the suttlery and cakes and pies, ravenous apples, lemons, oranges, some of the time cider, sausages, candy, besides other things.

Last night some of the boys took a notion that they would play grab, for the suttler is very dear and not very accommodating, and the boys do not like him. They sold some wine for six shillings per bottle to a couple of the Second Regiment’s boys that was not wine. They were mad at him for it, for he would not take it back. One of my mess took one home and brought it to the tent. It eats first rate on pickets. Well you will think that I am getting to be a hard case to be eating such things.

29th This morning is very pleasant. The sun shines warm but the night was cold enough, I tell you. I had on two shirts, a coat, then an overcoat, then was chilly a little. I stood guard from seven till ten, then from four till seven again. We were stationed round a house about a mile and a half from camp that belongs to Secsh, I expect, for their men are gone and the women which are three in number are left here alone. My station was on the east side of the house on the stoop under cover and Jerry Waite was with me. Then there was four more men to guard the house. Two in a place and three reliefs, which made 18 men. Three hours on and six off. We took a prisoner in the afternoon yesterday that was in the house. He came by and went to mill and when he came back, the captain in command here stopped him till this morning when he let him go, having found out that he had a right to go.

This morning I had crackers and a little ham, then went and eat all the black walnuts that I wanted and then filled my haversack with them after they were shucked. The face of the country is quite handsome but the land is poor.

30th It is pleasant this morning and we are here on picket yet for we have not been relieved yet. Do not know when we shall be for there is some fighting been going on since we have been out here. Munson’s Hill and Falls Church has been taken, so they say, with but little loss on our side. We hear the firing and there has been more firing this morning up towards Big Falls. Our regiment have moved their tents since we left. They have moved only a little ways though have gone into another brigade. We may be relieved today and we may not be relieved for a week. There is men enough so that we do not have to all stand guard at a time, so that we can stand it for a week. There was twenty-two of us went out west to a piece of woods that was about 100 rods off from where I was the night before. Then divided into two parties. One took their station along the fence where there was an opening. The rest of us were stationed in the edge of the woods. I got a pint of milk for my breakfast. Paid 5 cents for it. It was good new milk.

No more at present. Good by and when you hear from me again probably I can tell you something of the battles that have been fought and some that will be fought. But I do not know as I will have a chance to have anything to do in the matter. Write soon.

Wm L. Bronson