1st Massachusetts Infantry

Item LTR-6584

Description

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


Camp Near Fair Oaks
June 26th 1862

Friend Eben,

I received your kind letter of the 17th and I was glad enough to hear from you. But this is the first chance I have had to answer it. For we have had enough to do for a few days past. We have had several small skirmishes and yesterday, the 25th, we had a tough battle. Our regiment turned out about 400 men and out of them, we had 64 killed and wounded. I don’t know how very well our regiment opened the fight. We was not relieved till past 9 at night. The rebels are good pluck. But I tell you Eb, old Hooker is all out running for them. We drove them back where we wanted them and now hold the ground an have them up a rifle pit and are a going to hold a front there I guess. Our regiment suffered the most. According to the number of men engaged of any of them. I tell you Eben, by the time we get into Richmond we shall have about 5 men. They will see the Dr. Holy Joe, our chaplain, the color sergeant and quartermaster was there. So you need not be surprised if you see Colonel Cowdin and all of these regs a coming home with such a regularity as that and having a dress parade on the common.

Eb, I sent you a pipe by mail and I made in Yorktown and never had a chance to finish it up. It wants to be boiled in salt and water and then smoked. I did not send it to sow the workmanship but I had nothing else to do at that time, so I cut it out. I put it in the office with this so I guess you will get it. I believe George Faskett was in the fight yesterday. But I have not seen him for 2 weeks. But am a going down to his camp today if I can. He is in the rear of us. You tell Tom Cregg if he gets well. If he thinks we’ll get into Richmond, he is a damned fool. For it is going to be the roughest fight yet if they stand the way they did yesterday. We had six of our officers hit that fetches us down low enough. Johnny Bartlett wrote to you the other day. Did you get it?

All of the boys send their love and Shad Morris always tell me to remember him to your brother. I can write no more now but shall write again this week and all of the news if I get some. Give my love to Joe, Jess and all of the boys and tell them to write. Hoping to hear from you soon.

I remain,

Yours as ever,

D. D. Macomber
Company D, 1st Massachusetts Regiment
Hooker’s Division
Washington, DC

P.S. Did you know H. Ingraham of our company that used to work for John Willy on Cantham Street was killed yesterday, shot in the head.

Dan

Write often and all of the news for I don’t get much news.