84th New York Infantry

Item LTR-6370

Description

Original Civil War soldier's letter. 2 pages written in period ink.


Camp Marion Upton Hill
January 18th 1862
Dear Sister

I received the box yesterday in the afternoon. Everything was in good order. I ate one of the pies today for dinner. Not alone; there was three of us. It was first rate and tonight I put away three slices of Mother’s bread and butter and also some of Hannah and Levi’s cake. It was high tell bet that the taffy was melted all to molasses but what was left put me in mind of Mrs. Green and the figs, they are first rate. I have not receive any letters from Aunt Mary or James Stone but received one from Father this morning and one from Jim Wiggins and also one from Ed Holder. This is the first one I have started tonight and I have three more to write yet.

It has rained hard these last three days and the mud is something worse than Broadway used to be. I suppose you have gay times in Brooklyn now. You say the skating is good. We have had ice but hardly hard enough to rear and if it did, it would do us no good as we have no skates.

There is a great deal of talk in camp about 84th Vol. but we don’t see it. Gen. McDowell is against it and all of our officers from the Colonel down and I heard tonight that Gen McClelland said he would send us home if Gen. Morgan changes us. The Colonel says he will take us home first and the boys are all of the one mind that they will go home before they will be changed. I don’t know what to think about it but if the whole regiment goes home, I will go too. I believe that the Colonels of the different regiments have had a consultation on the matter but I don’t know what conclusion they came to. We have not been paid off yet and I think it is because of this matter. Some think we will be paid Monday but I can’t say as we will. I hope so anyhow and as soon as I get it, I will send it by Inskip’s if they go or by Express.

I am on guard tomorrow and I am in hopes that it will be fine. We used to have brigade guard but the Gen. found out that didn’t do, so we have camp guard again which is much better. You spoke about Jim Kollmyer. I saw in the Eagle that he was put down as a deserter and also saw a piece from him in another paper, saying he intended to come back but he was sick abed. He belongs to Co. E. Many is the time I have worked on the fort beside him, making believe work you can call it. He is a pretty jolly chap but he will come back over the left. I guess he got enough of soldiering. But I will have to stop as I haven’t got much time.

From your brother,

Ferdinand Young
Co. K 14th Reg. N.Y.S. M.