1st Massachusetts Cavalry

Item LTR-6968

Description

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


Beaufort, SC
September 6, 1863

Dear Uncle,

Seeing as you can not find time to write to me, I will try and shame you a little by writing three or four times to you once.

I am in excellent health and sincerely hope this may find you all as well, but I am afraid it will not for Aunt Olivia said in her last that Grandfathers folks were not at all well especially Aunt Kathy and I am very sorry for I was in hopes to hear that she was better instead of worse. But I will hope she is better before this.

Fort Sumter has at last gone up the spout for she is no longer reckoned as one of the defenses of the city although she is still held by the Rebels. But that makes no difference to us for General Gillmore says it is not worth the trouble of manning as it stands now and it is impossible for the Rebels to fix it up so it will be of any use to them so the General lets them have it – and a few shells too now and then to let the know that we have not evacuated Morris Island. Our men are keeping up an insistent fire on Battery’s Wagner, Johnson and one or two others that I have forgotten the names of and they return our shots pretty often. I guess for we lose from twelve to fifteen in killed and wounded every day but we pay them back with interest for our men can see them taking away their dead every morning and they have a great many more than we do and I think we have enough for even twelve or fifteen a day will count up considerable in the course of a month. I tell you but – I hope it will not last much longer for we have lost enough brave men already more than all the sneaking, chivalry of the south are worth any way they may call the Rebels the gallant chivalry as much as they like. In my opinion one northern man’s life is worth more than all Rebs lives in the south.

I am having excellent times here. I tell you and I thank my lucky star every day that I am not on Morris Island among the mosquitoes, land flies, and marsh fidlen (you know what they are), but there are but very few that have got as good a place and have as good times as I do. I tell you I have got acquainted with quite a number of white families since I have been on detached service. And I have nice times evenings. I tell you as well as day times, almost every evening. I take one or two young ladies out to ride horseback and we have fine times. And about once a week I take someone of them out into the country to some of the plantations when we are acquainted and raise the old Nick and then come back to town and spend the evening at some house or another and raise the old boy there so I make out to have fine times all around and I live well too.

I tell you for it is very seldom that I eat at the mess, for I have an invitation out to tea and dinner every day and most always two or three days ahead for I have so many it would kill me to eat at all of the tables the same day. I tell you ha ha ha. But these things won’t last always. I am afraid for our battalion may be called away and then I shall have to come back to hard bread and salt horse and that won’t be so fine as it might be. For I am not a lover of such delicacies I tell you.

We have been having some nice boating excursions but we had an accident happen to the man that owns the yacht. We said in so, we have not been in some time to said, the man is a particular friend of mine. He is a Navy Sutler but has a store on shore and stays here most of the time. He broke his ankle one night when there was a party of us out sailing with him. He jumped into the boat, he stepped on a broom handle and it rolled and broke his ankle. The yacht is 6 tons further so you can see it it is quite a sailboat. We have fine times in it I tell you.

I should like to be in Marshville tonight for it seems ages since I was at home. But it will not be long now before my time will be out and then I will be there. I’ll be double quick.

I suppose you are having plenty of work now for as there are but few men left there. Must be work enough for what few there are left and I suppose you get a good price too. Don’t you for your work? If you don’t, you ain’t smart. That all, for I believe if I was out of the army, I would make money hand over fist. If I was out of the service, and here, I could get 60 and 75 dollars for more than a dozen different kinds of work that I can do, and which is very light too. If I had been more of a man about a month ago, I could have been purser of a steamer that runs between here and Hilton Head with $75 a month and I would make ten dollars a week keeping a sutler’s shop on board, which a purser is allowed to do you know.

I do not think of anything more to write this time. So I will close hoping this will reach you safe and that you will find time to answer it in the course of six or eight months at most.

I remain your affectionate Nephew,

Alfred C. Belcher

P.S. Please let grandfather read this and oblige.

Callie