93rd New York Infantry

Item LTR-6497

Description

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


Camp Morry
Fort Goodhope
93rd Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers
Company H
Washington City, DC
December 12th 1861

Dear Friend,

I received your letter and was glad to hear from you. But I am sorry to hear that Shuman is dead I got that letter that you wrote first. I guess that it laid at Lebanon a day or two. The other night that did beat the long roll about 12 o’clock. Our company was out first. Colonel said that he would remember the company that was not first. Bully for the colonel. We have got our arms. They are heavy. They weigh 12 or 13 pounds.

Tell George Reifonelet to write to me. I wrote to him two or three weeks ago. I think that it is time that he does write to me. And did you see that letter that Cam Snyder did get from us boys when you all can tell him to write to me.

Did you ever eat any boar. If you didn’t why come down here and we will give you plenty of it to eat. We have plenty of boar here to eat. We get beef every once and awhile and we get potato and bean soup. What we call boar, it is old salty pork.

We are building a fort. It is about a half a mile from our camp. We even work as we please. Our captain said he did not care whether we worked hard.

You said that I should get a furlough and come up. I will not come home till the war is over. Even if it ain’t over in six years. We have bully fun here. We call Bill Miller paper. We have preaching here every Sunday. Our colonel is a preacher. But he will lie like hell that is all I’ll write. That line above this one when I was out on drill. He is a cuss. When you write to me tell me how is a building the houses you said that there was to be built. And tell me where they were to be building them. Tell George if he doesn’t write to me I will never write to him again. Tell our all that she should send some of that mozy sugar to me. Is her hand well yet. Ask her I heard she burned it.

Have you had any snow there yet to go a sleigh riding. We have had no snow here yet. The day that we marched to Washington after our arms it was very warm. It was as warm as it is up there in the middle of the summer. Tell our folks to write and tell them to not forget to put the stamps in the letter. Tell George to keep on the right side of Sid Kusty or he will get the sack. Tell Stumpy to mind or Old Bill will get after him. I thought that Stumpy did not like the girls. Stumpy mind that Old Madge don’t bit you every time that you go there, take a piece of meat and give it to him. And then he will not bite you or give him a piece of Old Boar. That will cure him to not bite you.

Do you take her out riding with the old black? I will tell you how to make him trot fast. Take a piece of old boar and pass it in front of him that he can’t get it and I will bet you he will run after it like the devil. Tell me how the girls and boys get along. I expect that you have a good bit of them from at school. Tell our all to write soon. That he did want to come home. He is a baby. Nothing more. Write soon.

From your friend,
Harris Fortner