16th New Hampshire Infantry

Item LTR-7042

Description

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


General Hospital
Carrollton, Louisiana

March 1, 1863

Dear Father,

I suppose you will think it about time to hear from me again. So, I will undertake to write you a few lines. I have received one letter that Mother wrote since I came here. Which is all I have had from home besides some I got by way of New York. I am as well as I have been since I have been here and am doing well now. Probably shall go to my company before long.

The weather is quite fine here and spring is just beginning. I have seen some gardens that looked very well. I saw some potatoes the other day that were 8 or 10 inches high. Some of the fruit trees are blown out so you can imagine it quite summer like.

There is a great stirring of troops here. There was some that went up the river. But some of them came back and it looks as if they were going to send a lot to Texas.

Last week there was some 250 paroled prisoners went by here from Texas. Some regulars and some of the 42nd Massachusetts. Some had been prisoners 22 months and were a sorry looking set. One of the soldiers that had been in the service four years and ten months and had but two months more to serve out is in the hospital here and says that if he can have a furlough of two months, he will enlist again which does not show the spirit of most of the volunteers. You may ask most anyone if he likes it and he will tell you he has got enough and the nine months men seem more discontented than the others.

We have heard that the time of the New Hampshire regiments is out the 15th of June and should like to know what the folks think about it up there. We have heard that the 17th Regiment was disbanded and sent home because they could not fill it without drafting. I should think it was a smart thing in the Governor to give it up that kind of a way. Sometimes we have a chance to buy a paper that a comes from the North but they ask so much for them. It is not very profitable to buy one. They ask 15 cents for the New York Tribune or Herald which is an enormous price when they can be bought for three cents and sent here for one. If you could send me some of your papers once in a while, it would be quite an accommodation to me. Some of the boys have been rather unwell but I do not know how they are getting along lately as I have not heard from them.

As it is getting most dinner time, I will have to close. Please let me hear from you as soon as convenient.

From your son,

Harvey

N.B. Direct to 16th Regiment, Company F, New Hampshire Volunteers, New Orleans, Louisiana